Keith Richards Amplifier The Rolling Stones

[dropeff]

Oh the old stuff!

[MrPomeroyWatson]

Anyone else get an erection hearing that amp?

[luit13]

@MrPomeroyWatson Yeah, twice today.

[1Doz]

Man that thing sounds great.

[LAPhillyBoyVideos]

Just to clarify the discussion here - it is well known that Keith Richards uses a pair of 1959 Fender Twin amp onstage. These are the high powered 80 watt Tweed Twins that use four 5881 power tubes and a GZ34 rectifier (not the dual rectifier tubes of the earlier 50 watt model). These babies will run you about $30K apiece if you can find one - Buddy Holly was another fan of this particular model. - Jim C

[1FenderGuy]

wats the first song?

[MemoTheOak2]

What is the name of the last song?

[holdennichols]

@MemoTheOak2 Detox Mansion - Warren Zevon

[MemoTheOak2]

@holdennichols Thank you very much. It`s a cool song.

[luit13]

Got lots of reactions on the comment I posted a year ago. After further investigation it may be the case that the amp has two rectifier tubes and two power amp tubes. I'm not really shure anymore. Besides that, someone pointed to me that the AC30 also deserves it;s name in the hale of fame, so the only thing in my post that holds up is: KEITH RULES! lol

[LarryRickenbacker]

Keith Richards employing Ceramic magnet speakers. Well knock me over with a feather! Come to think of it, Keith's rig on that fabled '69 tour probably had it's fair share of Ceramic magnet pickups and speakers ie., Dan Armstrong guitar's P/Us were Ceramic and those Ampeg speakers if new-were likely Ceramic magnet also. It ain't the arrow, it's the Indian.

[miguelazaro83]

those speakers look just like Mesa Celestion's Black Shadows, ceramic not alnico

[coldironhands1]

what's that thing at 0:29 ?

[peterm3964]

@coldironhands1 I,m guessing its a reverb unit .. looks like a reverb tank on the top of it .

[MrIkesimba]

@coldironhands1 It's a Fulltone Tube Tape Echo.

[coldironhands1]

@MrIkesimba Thanks. neat. So does anyone understand his setup? In biggest bang it looks like he has 20 different amps

[tuberz23]

Check out the "Fulltone tube tape echo" I have one, they are amazing.

[ToothyGus]

which guitar are u playing? this is almost my dream tone...

[mnaicck]

I imagine that's Pierre (in the book Keith says he's a hell of a player).

Thanks for this. Very Cool!

[LesCrapio]

woooooooooooooooooooooaaaaaaaa­aaaaaaaaaahhh ! ! !

[Inventour1]

@LesCrapio ,

You are mistaken, These amps are the High Powered "Big Box" Twins.

The speakers are not staggered in the High Power Twins, they are side by side

and about 1/2" from the bottom to the rim of the speakers. You can see the rectifier

tube on the left and the power tubes next to it, and the 3 pre-amp tubes.

I own a 1960 Tweed Twin, one of the last ones made. I have 2 Celestion Gold 50

Watt ALNiCo Speakers in my Twin and the tone is rich when driven. I use a 1962 Fender Reverb Unit.

[edgeguy99]

They are low power twins.

2 6l6 and 2 rec tubes for 40 watts.

The high power twins had staggered height speakers to squish the amp case thinner.

The late 50s low powered twins were wider and shorter.

[MrGit76]

@edgeguy99 Dude they're high power twins. There's a simple give away, 3 PA tubes not 4, and the single non matching rectifier tube on the far left. Low powers are 4 PA tubes, 2 power, and 2 rec. High power are 3 PA, 4 power and a single rec. The speakers aren't stock so where their located is where he decided to put them.

[MrGit76]

@edgeguy99 Dude they're high power twins. There's a simple give away, 3 PA tubes not 4, and the single non matching rectifier tube on the far left. Low powers are 4 PA tubes, 2 power, and 2 rec. High power are 3 PA, 4 power and a single rec. The speakers aren't stock so where their located is where he decided to put them.

[CR3W1SH03S]

@edgeguy99 Actually the HP Twins had the horizontal speakers and the LP Twins had them caddycornered to fit a smaller cabinet.

go to ampwares(dot)com and have a look

[superbeavo]

The one on the left must have been recovered in brown tolex and wheat grillcloth.

[rwonfor]

Anybody know what celestion speakers he's using there?

[veitchy88]

Anybody know what that silver box that runs into the amp is? Best view at about 0:28-0:32. I figured it might be and echo/delay unit or a reverb tank.

[LSGoCards7]

@veitchy88 It's a Fulltone Tube Tape Echo which is a tape delay cone of a tube Maestro Echoplex.

[veitchy88]

@LSGoCards7

[veitchy88]

@LSGoCards7 Thank you sir

[CollapsingMotion]

@veitchy88 You're right, it's a fulltone tube tape echo!

[CollapsingMotion]

@veitchy88 You're right, it's a Fulltone Tube Tape Echo!

[pcollenYT]

High powered 5F8-A Twin w/ GZ34/5AR4 rectifier, 4 x 6L6 and 3 x 12AX_ family tubes (probably all 12AX7). Same basic pre-amp circuit topology as the Fender

5F6-A Bassman and Marshall JTM45/ Bluesbreaker. Speakers look like Celestions

[StevenCarinci]

@pcollenYT No, the lower power twin had the double rectifier. The higher only had one!

[hambone9119]

i love fender b basses and telecasters i play a p bass and sometimes a tele but i prefer the sound of a marshall amp dunno mayby its the sound im used to?

[ConorCoughlanMusic]

ive never actually ever heard Keith use the tupe tape echo?

[2quundar]

Speakers look like to be ceramic ones.Not AlNiCo, like I imagine w/ such a sound. perhaps AlNiCo without the horseshoe shape? Somebody knows? thxs

[Guitardeca]

Amazing sound.

[superbeavo]

Wow a Fulltone Tube Tape  Echo!

[lidesnowi]

Yeah i guess Keith had to take a Bank loan to be able to afford it?

[sumbreuu]

0:43 is it a song of the rolling stones? I've never heard it

[IdolHans]

Its the roadies and guitar techs setting up before a bigger bang show.

[IdolHans]

Keith's distinctive sound is amazing. I wish I could figure out what he does to get that thick sound from the telecaster and the miked Fender Twin amps.

[jayscott49]

think he tunes down and plays with a capo? d maybe?

d-g-c-f-a-d

fun to try anyway, and fenders sound much bigger.

also heard he used to leave the high e-string off completely for some of the recorded rhythm parts.

[IdolHans]

We know the guitar part---open G tuning (DGDGBD), Ernie Ball gauges 11-15-18W-30-42. Last string is removed and guitar modified with special nut, brass bridge, humbucker in neck position. Its the amplification that's an enimga. His backliner, Pierre D'Beauport gave us the scoop about the axes about 10 years ago.

[jayscott49]

thanks! gotta try that tuning.

[IdolHans]

While youre at it tune one of your axes to open E tuning too! Keith used that a lot in the Beggar's Banquet sessions and some on the Let it Be sessions---songs like Prodigal Son and the early versions of St. Fighting Man, JJ Flash. See "mytwangyguitar" guy on YouTube for more info about the tuning for open E because I cant remember off hand.

[flmason]

Perhaps it's pushing the front of the amp hard, and the particular speakers he chooses.

Speakers have a lot to do with the ultimate sound that comes out, being the final filter.

[flmason]

Don't forget the SM57 and the fact that it's right up on the speaker... adds quite a bit of presence of SM57 response curves are to be believed... then at the mixing board, remove some of the proximity effect...

[flmason]

Uses a Tele Deluxe with the Seth Lover pickup at the neck...

[1horton3]

AFter a bunch of jumpin up and down about his brown twin amp, I'm glad we can see it is a recovered tweed, babe

[jimmyjustus]

it sounds like a Gorilla 50 watt

[oneonthenet]

The sound of the two amps together is unbelievable. Listen to the video when it gets just about in the middle between the two amps!!!! Makes my head spin it sounds so cool. 0:26

[Roos15]

did he record with this amp. always wanted to know what amp was used for cant you hear me knockin intro

[ConorCoughlanMusic]

@Roos15

i read somewhere that it was some kind of Marshall he used to record that

[rjo8500]

Notice too that the speakers are Celestion. That makes a big difference in the sound from these tweed amps. Deffinitely more rock & roll. Jensen, Weber and the like are good only for cleans and the Blues.

[Honeythebeebee]

Are you sure for the speakers?

[luit13]

It's a indeed a high power twin (4 power amp tubes). Not sure how this vid was recorded, but it does not represent Keith's live sound. On this threat someone stated that the Stones do not sound 'studio' in a live setting and i am glad they don't. Been to a Dire Straits concert once it was just if you were listening to cd at home. That is an achievement, but the whole ambience was dead, awful! Like them, hate them, Fender Tweeds are the basis to all guitarsounds today! Keith rules!

[MaggotBrain10]

That's exactly how Keith sounds live (minus the fact it's not him playing), as it is his rig.

[luit13]

As you said "minus the fact it's not him playing"; the rig is only gear, important yes, but it's the player that makes the sound!

[MaggotBrain10]

Dude, that's how Keith sounds live, sorry.

[PindamonhaMAN]

I see what you mean man, if someone gave Richards a Squire Telecaster and a 50$ amp, he would still have his "live" sound more than someone playing his official rig!

[hotfudgemoney]

@luit13 That's a not a high power twin. Twins come with two tube rectifiers. That's two power tubes and two tube rects.

[adamhopeless]

@luit13 hello, by 'Fender Tweed' ... do you mean the Fender Blues Deville ?...because im thinkin gabout buying one. thankyou

[Teachering]

@adamhopeless Just happened to read your comment, adam, and thought I'd make contact - hope you don't mind. The Deville is part of the Fender Hot Rod Series Amps. Though they do come in tweed they aren't the tweed '50's reissue amps such as the '57 Deluxe or '57 Twin amp. I own a Hot Rod Deluxe and eventually had trouble with it - I've doctored it to get it to sound right. They are an inexpensive tube amp and use cheap parts. Still, these amps do have merit - but expect trouble.

[luit13]

@adamhopeless Not really! There is a huge difference between '50-ies Tweeds and the stock Tweeds of today! I won't get into details to much, but e.g. 50-ies Tweeds were handwired and they 'drive' on about 380 VAC instead of the modern PCB's with 460VAC. Big differences there, but on the other hand: '50-ies are hard to find and very expensive! Devilles are nice amps and hey, it's a Fender!

[rolodexroulette]

@luit13 I'm almost 1000% sure that both Keith and Clapton used the "5E8A LOW POWERED" Twin, not the high powered. The reason why I say this is because Fender has been boasting about how specifically Clapton and Richards (on the cardstock of a brand new twin) and many others used this. Keith gained that distorted sound due to a lack of PAs at gigs and the amps were being blasted (thus naturally getting a dirtier sound live). If you have any other information, please let me know. Thanks!

[luit13]

@rolodexroulette Well, I did extensive research on this subject, because I wanted to build one like Keefs' (and/or Claptons') myself, that is, a good friend of mine is an amptech who builds these amps from Weber kits. In this particular vid it is defenately the high power version. You can tell by the fact that a) both speakers are in line (as they are placed diagonal in the low power version) and b) there are clearly 4 power amp tubes installed. As far as I know, they play the high power version

[rolodexroulette]

@luit13 Yeah - see, I thought that the fact the speakers weren't staggered in Richards' amp meant that it was high powered. But the card stock on my 57 Tweed Twin RI says mine is high powered, but the speakers are staggered... (I thought that was low powered) So, now I'm so confused. It does say you can remove a rectifier to get more sag, but then others say you need to get it rebiased... And they both played 6L6 tubes through, which are in mine as well, so now I'm beyond lost.

[luit13]

@rolodexroulette Well, I looked into it again and I am sure that the high powered Twins have the speakers in line (it's also called the Big Box Twin, 4 poweramp tubes). As far as the '57 RI Tweed Twin, that's the low powered 5E8A circuit version (2 poweramp tubes) with staggered speakers, for sure (look at the Fender site)! Besides this, leave your '57 RI Twin as it is! You got yourself a beautifull amp here, the real deal!! Ow, and TT uses 5881 tubes!

[Honeythebeebee]

@luit13 2 power tubes and two rectifier

[luit13]

@Honeythebeebee You may be right. I thought it was a single rectifier with four power amp tubes, but now I doubt about that.

[rjo8500]

I Have a Victoria Low-Powered Twin Amp loaded with Celestion Vintage 30's. It nails that tone. Early Black Crows too. Great amp!

[marcelcruzeiro]

They sound amazing live. Better than studio records. If you listen to Tumbling Dice, you'll notice a bright clarity in every note, still crunchy. And songs like Happy, or All Down the Line or Brown Sugar are tube saturation heaven - just volume and hands. Not bad sounding at all, it's pure character. And it may be sloppy, but that's what defined the RS from their early days... Ginger Baker has told they couldn't play very well, but people seemed to like it anyway. And sold more than Cream.

[Chookiman]

The Rolling Stones sound bad live ? I have seen them live six times in the last twenty years. Twice during the Bigger Bang Tour. I have never thought they sounded bad in the least. Fantastic maybe ! Two million watts of P.A. creates a large and obnoxious sound . Isnt that the way Rock n Roll is suppsed to be ? P/s Old Crappy Tweed Fenders Rock ! Keith has counted his Hundreds of Million$ on them !

[MikeFromRLC]

You can get pretty close to Keith's sound If you tune your telecaster to open G and don't play the low-E string. This is what he has been doing on a lot of Stones songs since the late 70s. Of course, he has an early 50s tele with a PAF in the neck position, so that really contributes to his tone.

I agree with Mighty Saturn that the Stones often sound sloppy live... cranked up tweed amps through a large sound system in 50,000 seat arenas doesn't make for very clear or crisp sound.

[ravensmead]

it's nice to see the magicians rabbit !!...ha ha .......

[Itseasyifyoutry]

Nice amps, not too mention that fulltone tube tape echo he's got sitting behind em.

[marcelcruzeiro]

anyway, the camera made an excellent job ruining eveything...

anyone knows how to saturate a big fender like that? please mail me?

[dadasha]

Guys come on this amp has seiral #2 it almost

60 years old, and has been used in 100's gigs...

of course it sounds a bit wired...

[shineonprickley1975]

Its it a version of the Double Deluxe....David Gilmour has one in his Asotria Studio and sometimes gigs with in small venues

[blackheartsTV]

It's nothing like a double deluxe. It's a 1957 High Powered twin - 80watts. It's actually serial number 3 not number 2. Late 50's High Powered Twins are the most desirable Fender amps in the world and the most expensive. I've known mint ones sell for as high as $30,000. They sound absolutely superb.

[josipml5]

what the fuck are you all talking about? this is obviously band's soundcheck. played by roadies, or sound men or what ever the fuck...

[derfsanderson]

what kind of speaker is that with keiths face on it?

[MyroslavMakashov]

very nice overdriven vintage amp sound!!!

[koolthang]

what's the echo box behind the Twin??

[welfaremothers]

fulltone tape echo

[vver]

full tone tube tape echo

[LittleKeef]

you have a terrible taste in tone dude

[flmason]

Dude, this video sounds like crap. Simple as that. It doesn't sound professional, and the playing is rough.

The Stones live sound and recorded sounds are miles apart. Granted music is a matter of taste... but to my ears the Stones recorded sounds is light years better than their live sound. Always has been.

[flmason]

Basically this video sounds like any garage band anywhere in the world.

Of course since you go by "LittleKeef" you've bought into the mythology. So how could anyone expect you to be objective?

[LittleKeef]

oh ok i see what youre sayin. i thought you meant the tone in general is bad.

[flmason]

Basically I did mean it's pretty bad.

It's a distorting amp with a very rough sound. Not "studio" or "pro" sounding at all. Especially compared to their studio sound.

Fender amps, as contrasted to later Marshalls, for example, weren't meant to distort.

Just so happens that sound works for electric/blues based music. But it's still a god awful gaukus tone compared to any number of other tones.

Like many guitar tones in isolation, what works in the mix sux alone.

[MightySaturn5]

very true flmason...they always had a sloppy tone live...I'm sure the multitude of F.O.H. (front of house) mixers they used over the years did their best however if the source is poor and not tight they are limited in what magic they can do...any good sound tech will tell you they won't bring mics near a drum kit till its properly tuned -the same holds true for the entire band however I doubt anyone working for the Stones actually tells them the truth about how sloppy/crappy they sound live.

[flmason]

There is something interesting happening from about time 00:30 to 00:36 that sounds trademark "Keith Richards", but I'm not sure if it's the tuning/chords, the particular guitar or the amp.

[xxxalgo]

yessssssssss so good.

[karllieb]

@flmason I agree for the most part re/ studio and live stones.  Part of it has to be that they had great resources behind their tone in the studio and they couldn't match it on stage (at least in the 60s and most of 70's) When I check out their recent performances on youtube, I can see that some of the tech for their live sound has caught up....instruments much clearer and articulate.

[vver]

you see, this amp does not  fall short in quality ever

its just a diferent kind of timbre

It can be taken to your "professional" quality parameters the same way as any other quality amp.

btw you are using the term "professional" wrong

[flmason]

If it has to be "taken" to professional parameters then it's inherently not already "professional".

I use "professional" in a colloquial way. I suspect you think I mean "produced", which perhaps I do.

Bottom line is, the sound coming out of that amp, especially being a Fender is a sound the engineers did not intend. Just so happens artists like it.

There's no getting around it. The sound in this clip sounds like any other overdriven Fender Twin in someone's garage.

[MightySaturn5]

yeah...it does like a typical Fender, nothing bad or good -it just is what it is

[ivanarato]

thank you!