Honky Tonk Woman Kind of Tone

[bungalowbill]

Re: Honky Tonk Woman Kind of Tone

Ry has said the lick was his and that the Stones more or less stole it from him and wrote Honky Tonk Woman around it. My understanding is that they hired him and brought him into the studio for inspiration and fresh ideas, he showed them some stuff, and then they took his ideas and ran with them. I dunno what model guitar is used on that cut...it's two guitars though and Mick Taylor's part is as important to the flavor as Keiths. At least I've always assumed that was the two of them playing together...

Thanks Lew, I remember reading something in Guitar Player about it. By the way, Happy B-day and congrats on the new Casa. :beerchug:

 

[eggman]

Re: Honky Tonk Woman Kind of Tone

Howdy,

As a HUGE Keef fan, IMHO it doesn't matter what guitar/p/u or even what type of tube amp one uses! It's all in your hands and soul. Keef would sound like Keef using cheap guitars, as long as he had a decent tube amp, even a PCB off-the-line Peavey.
OK, it's fun to talk gear! In the 60's Keef seemingly never used the same guitar twice. I don't know what he used on HTW. He DID use an SG for "Brown Sugar" in Muscle Shoals. I don't think Keef was quite yet into Teles at the time HTW was recroded, but I coudl easily be wrong. "Gimme Shelter" was supposedly recorded on an Austrailian made guitar.

Eggman

 

[Mac-P]

Re: Honky Tonk Woman Kind of Tone

Keith's tone is probably the closest to what I look for 75% or the time.

The idea that his tone is a single coil is a myth, probably perpetuated by the fact that starting right around "Emotional Rescue" he was pretty much only using singles (and Boogie amps at the time - funny).

But all or most of the early 70's stuff with Mick Taylor was the Tele with the bucker at the neck, and a whole bunch of Gibson guitars. There are definitely singles sprinkled liberally around the records, but those main riffs from the Sticky Fingers era (Honk Tonk Woman, Brown Sugar, Can't You Hear Me Knocking, Bitch), all those tones are humbucker sounds if you listen.

I can absolutely NAIL the sound at the beginning to Honky Tonk Woman with my stock Gibson 490 neck pickup into a Reverend Kingsnake (or Hellhound - or any good tube Fender style amp that doesn't break up in a too "fuzzy" way) set with the amp gain just a little more than starting to break up. It nails it, no lie. My strat cannot do that.

For what it is worth, some of my favorite tones in the world are on Sticky Fingers. Gibson guitar into a Fender amp. For my taste it still hasn't been topped.
:burnout:

 

[Gr8Scott]

Re: Honky Tonk Woman Kind of Tone

I think it's a les paul humbucker on the bridge. I might be wrong, but that sound has always screamed "I am a vintage humbucker" to me. It's something with the sound of the highs that tell me this. They are subdued slightly and single coil pickups aren't known for subdued highs. There isn't a whole lot of chime in the notes either. Sounds like a humbucker to me in a big way.

 

[Archer_of_Fish]

Re: Honky Tonk Woman Kind of Tone

Richard Thompson was also on deck to be a Stone. That would have been a real weird turn......

Michael Schenker was offered a job in the Stones in the 70's....now THAT would have been a weird one.



Can you imagine Schenker and RIchards in the same band? The worlds drug and booze supply would have dried up in a few weeks.

 

[gripweed]

Re: Honky Tonk Woman Kind of Tone

Michael Schenker was offered a job in the Stones in the 70's....now THAT would have been a weird one.



Can you imagine Schenker and RIchards in the same band? The worlds drug and booze supply would have dried up in a few weeks.

I have a hard time believing half of this *who coulda been a Stone* crap.

 

[Falstaff]

Re: Honky Tonk Woman Kind of Tone

That song always sounds like a Les Paul Jr. to me. I have an old guitar mag where he says what he played on some of the songs (if you believe him); I'll have to dig it out.

 

[Mac-P]

Re: Honky Tonk Woman Kind of Tone

That song always sounds like a Les Paul Jr. to me. I have an old guitar mag where he says what he played on some of the songs (if you believe him); I'll have to dig it out.

Yo Falstaff,

Nice Avatar man. I know who's geetar that is....

 

[eggman]

Re: Honky Tonk Woman Kind of Tone

Falstaff,

If I had to guess what Keef played on HTW, I'd have to say LP Jr, too. He used it on "Midnight Rambler", FWIW. Sounded killer! Again, as for HTW, I have no idea, just guesses. "Get Off My Cloud" was an old Epiphone Casino, though. P-90's! :cool3:

Eggman

 

[Falstaff]

Re: Honky Tonk Woman Kind of Tone

Yo Falstaff,

Nice Avatar man. I know who's geetar that is....

I thought you might! :laugh2: Kind of a nice sounding Strat, that one.