Greatest Funk/R&B Guitar of all time?

[Diminished Triad]

Is there one guitar standing out as the greatest funk and/or R&B guitar of all time?
Maybe it's a model/brand most common for groups like EWF and the Brothers Johnson?
Maybe even one dominating the disco era?
What would that be and what pickups give it the funky and/or R&B tone/sound?
I've seen Fender and Gibson with many classic rock (and a few blues) signature guitars.........but very few if any pure funk/R&B signature guitars.

Thanks for any suggestions! And because they are probably the largest contributing feature to the sound (after the guitar/bass player him or herself), what set of pickups are truly classic funk/R&B?

 

[superpete]

Re: Greatest Funk/R&B Guitar of all time?

i don't know much about funk, but a strat in the 2 or 4 position is the definition of funky guitar to me.

 

[jtougas]

Re: Greatest Funk/R&B Guitar of all time?

Peavey T-60... big honking slab of northern hard ash... weighs a ton... There's a shot somewhere on the interwebz of James Brown's band, and his guitar player is playing one.

Only guitar I know of heavier than an Les Paul...

No tone control in those, btw - 2 volumes, 2 spin-a-splits...

There ya go... about 3:30 into Sex Machine...

 

[BrianS.]

Re: Greatest Funk/R&B Guitar of all time?

Two of the greatest funk guitarists, Jimmy Nolen and Leo Nocentelli played a lot of semi-hollowbody type guitars with P-90s.

 

[Rockstar216]

Re: Greatest Funk/R&B Guitar of all time?

Really it depends. People play funk with strats, LPs, 335's, Teles it all depends on the type of sound you want. For a funk/R&B sound some vintage or medium output singles will do that in spades. Me personally I like playing R&B with buckers, they give a fatter tone and hold up better with drive in my opinion.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Greatest Funk/R&B Guitar of all time?

The is the best funk/R&B guitar of all time. It's got the perfect set of pickups.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Greatest Funk/R&B Guitar of all time?

Is there one guitar standing out as the greatest funk and/or R&B guitar of all time?

No.

Funk is about syncopation not the sound of specific instruments. Just look at the instrument choices of the classic Motown session guitarists. Think of LA session men using the Vari-Tone options on ES-355s. Okay, so the 2 and 4 positions on a Stratocaster are the cliché but many of the early James Brown recordings feature Telecaster. For a long time, The Squiggle Formerly Known As Prince used a Höhner. John McLaughlin's contributions to A Tribute To Jack Johnson are on a borrowed Fender Mustang.

 

[Securb]

Re: Greatest Funk/R&B Guitar of all time?

Maybe it's a model/brand most common for groups like EWF and the Brothers Johnson?

First guitar solo I saw live was George Johnson when the Brothers opened for Bootsy in Providence around 1979-80. Freaking mind blowing full on rock solo. Back then George was banging on a Les Paul but he has been know to play Yamaha SBGs (bucket list guitar of mine), Teles and Strats. I have seen a lot of funk shows and I think those players go Strat more than any other guitar. The leading factor being most if not all of them were influenced by Jimi.

No.

Funk is about syncopation not the sound of specific instruments.

I beg to differ Michael Hampton has a very unique sound and style.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Greatest Funk/R&B Guitar of all time?

One step back from Jimi, Curtis Mayfield.

 

[Securb]

Re: Greatest Funk/R&B Guitar of all time?

One step back from Jimi, Curtis Mayfield.

Freaking yes! So underrated. Lets not forget about Nile Rodgers the man is a funk monster.

 

[MetalManiac]

Re: Greatest Funk/R&B Guitar of all time?

Strat is, for 100% certain. Others can do it too, but the definitive Funk guitar is a Stratocaster.

 

[ginormous]

Re: Greatest Funk/R&B Guitar of all time?

Nile Rodgers was a Gibson jazz box aficionado for years, as heard on this tune. (He's playing the low part, that comes in at :05)


When he began gigging in NYC in the 70s, he picked up a Strat, and started his journey with Bernard Edwards.
He eventually took hold of the plexi strat copy made by a Manhattan music store.

(This is a gif of him from the Daft Punk vid)

Speaking of NY session guys and funk, there's this pic:

The Prelude Club, NYC, 1966. From left: "King" Curtis Ousley, tenor sax; "Wicked" Wilson Pickett, vocals;
Cornell Dupree, guitar; James M. Hendrix, guitar.

Wilson was backed up by Curtis' band, the Kingpins. They recorded behind many Atlantic Records acts in the 60's.
Cornell had a Guild hollow body, before switching to a Tele with two P-90s. Before his passing in 2011, he was a Yamaha endorser.

Of course, if we're talking about funk guitar, we have to mention Charles "Skip" Pitts.

He was a member of Wilson Pickett's road band, the Midnight Movers, and recorded these two classics.
His talent was in demand from his teens until his passing, in May of last year.



According to guitarplayer.com, Skip used a Gretsch Chet Atkins Tennessean on this tune.


Depending on what mood he was in, Skip would play anything -- the Gretsch, a Strat, a Gibson.

My 2¢: There's no one "greatest R&B guitar". There's a bunch of guitarists that play the living daylights out of anything with strings, however.

 

[Lucy Diamond]

Re: Greatest Funk/R&B Guitar of all time?

The H.S. Anderson Telecaster used by The Purple One Himself.

There is none funkier.

 

[thespricket]

Re: Greatest Funk/R&B Guitar of all time?

I'm thinking tele. Steve Cropper style! Maybe a strat...

 

[Kramer Guy]

Re: Greatest Funk/R&B Guitar of all time?

Steve Cropper is more of a R & B guy , not Funk. Although he is definitely a Telecaster guy . I think he plays Peavey models now.

 

[Snake Aces]

Re: Greatest Funk/R&B Guitar of all time?

There is really no right or wrong answer here. I see a lot of Strat bias but that's just not true. Sure, the 2 and 4 position sounds very trebly but the most common mistake amongst funk tone chasers is assuming that is the funk sound, it's just not true at all. It's better suited for rockabilly and surf than funk. A prime example is the James Brown recordings. No Strat there at all, it's already been mentioned in this thread so I won't continue beating that horse. With pickups, electronics and turning your tone pots you can achieve any tone you want with almost any guitar. I play a lot of funk and early R&B with a Les Paul equipped with Duncan Jazz humbuckers. If you listen to some songs from the early years they have a nice, almost jazz like Les Paul tone. Thick, creamy and articulate. I'll take that tone for funk and R&B 100 times before I ever pick up a Strat for one.

 

[ImmortalSix]

Re: Greatest Funk/R&B Guitar of all time?

I say Telecaster. I hear the mid position plunk all over funk recordings.

You need the mid position Tele plunk.

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: Greatest Funk/R&B Guitar of all time?

More than any other guitar style, funk guitar is not so much about the sound as the rhythm. Hell, half of it is pausing and scratching anyway . . . you barely get to hear the tone of the notes!

 

[BrianS.]

Re: Greatest Funk/R&B Guitar of all time?

Eddie Hazel was the lead guitarist on Funkadelic's album Maggot Brain. He played a strat. According to Wikipedia, Tawl Ross played rhythm guitar.

Edit: Pretty sure I saw that Brother's Johnson album at an antique store a while back...I should have picked it up!!!

 

[Edgecrusher]

Re: Greatest Funk/R&B Guitar of all time?

Anyone else curious to hear this band that the midget koala is out fitting based on the most popular, most preferred items. Whatever happened to doing your own thing.