'Sonny' is a 1966 Fender Telecaster Sunburst.'Malcolm' is a 1954 Fender Telecaster with natural finish.This guitar is kept in Open G tuning (G,D,G,B,D) low to high with no capo, and of course has the famous 5 strings with the 6th string removed (as do all his open G tuned guitars). Keith’s had this guitar since Exile On Main St. Micawber is named after a Charles Dickens character, no one is exactly sure why. 'Micawber' is probably one of Keith’s most famous trademark guitars and is a 1953 Fender Telecaster Blonde.Let’s start with a run down of Keith’s most famous guitars that graced his road case on the Bigger Bang Tour: This page was created by Blue Lena with the help of Johnny Starbuck and Richard Henry from Richard Henry Guitars and originally published in Stones Planet Fanzine #24 November 2007.Īll material copyright Stones Planet Fanzine, JS & Richard Henry 2007 and may not be copied without permission.ĭo you spend your time during a Stones concert trying to figure out what year, make or model of guitar Keith Richards is playing during each tune? Do you wonder what tuning he’s playing in? Do you wish you could get up close and personal with some of Keith’s vintage axes? Well, have we got the low down for you! Thanks to Johnny Starbuck, one of the men behind the scenes on stage with the Stones each night, as well as Rich from Richard Henry Guitars in the UK we have put together some of the most current photos and information available on Keith’s bevy of beautiful instruments. Keith then began primarily using Fenders, especially Teles, for open G.Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Keith's Guitars, But Were Afraid To Ask! During 1970 and most of 1971, he used Gibsons for open G, alternating occasionally to one of his Ampeg Dan Armstrongs:Īgain, after these were stolen, they were replaced by Ted Newman-Jones with '50s Teles and Strats. Keith initially used a Gibson ES-330 for open G (witness the Hyde Park set from 7/5/69):Īnd moved to a Les Paul Standard in open G and a Les Paul Custom (open G, capo at the 4th fret) for the Stones' '69 tour. The first Stones song in open G was "Honky Tonk Women" in 1969. Keith was already using open D and E in 1968, which he learned from old Blues records. Ry claims the Stones brought him in and ripped him off, but there is nothing in Ry's open G style to suggest this. Cooder showed both Keith and Mick Jagger open G. Keith began using open G during the "Let It Bleed" sessions in the Spring of 1969, when The Rolling Stones brought Ry Cooder in to play some guitar when Brian Jones was too stoned to play and fading fast. Ted scored Keith the awesome Fender Telecasters and Stratocasters that he used for the remainder of the sessions and The Rolling Stones' STP 1972 US Tour and beyond. The Rolling Stones certainly had amassed a huge gear collection by this point! When $44,000 of Keith's guitars were stolen from Nelcotte in the summer of '71, he tearfully called his guitar tech and builder of the time, Ted Newman-Jones to have him help replace the stolen (and never recovered) gear. Likely there were lots of other guitars present and possibly used. Early '70s Ampeg VT-22 and Fender Twin Reverb amps w/JBLs. Mick Jagger: Various '50s Gibson Les Pauls and Fender Telecasters (likely belonging to Richards and Taylor). FX: Echoplex, Maestro Phaser, Leslie 147.īill Wyman: Late '60s Fender Mustang basses. Early '70s Ampeg VT-22 and Fender Twin amps with JBLs. Mick Taylor: '50s Gibson Les Paul Standards, '63 Gibson SG Standard w/Bigsby, late '60s ES-345, '60s Fender Telecaster, '60s Gibson Hummingbird, '60s Fender Precision Bass. I've also seen pics of Keith with his '58 Gibson Flying V (the one he used at the 7/5/69 Hyde Park gig) during these sessions. Early '70s Ampeg VT-22 and silverface Fender Twin Reverb amps w/JBLs. Keith Richards: '50s Fender Telecasters and Stratocasters (both primarily open G with/without capo), '50s Gibson Les Paul Standards and Customs, 19 Ampeg Dan Armstrongs (stolen from Nelcotte during the "Exile" sessions), late '60s Gibson ES-355, '60s Gibson Hummingbird, '60s Fender Precision Bass. Based upon my reading and pics from the sessions:
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