Lest we forget, Sambora went on to have a fugly ESP/LTD signature model.
I previously read he had a few custom Hamers and a custom luthier made Les Paul with a Kahler and 3 hums he used on the majority of the album
I had heard and read back in the day, (im sorry I cant recall the source, but I recall it being credible, Im pretty sure it was an interview with Richie) that he used Dimarzio PAF Pros. The source was credible enough, that I went an bought one. Hated it in the bridge.. Was ok in the neck, by not in the bridge.
Say what you will about Bon Jovi, they had some great tunes and IMO, Richie was underrated as a player. He can cover alot of ground and as Jolly said, there was alot of interesting things going on in some of the songs AND he sounded Just as great live.. So it wasnt all studio trickery.
Did this evolution come about naturally, or was it more of a deliberate effort?
It has been through the band’s life and my own solo work, as well as through the different experiences in the music business and as a musician that have brought me to this place, musically. I don’t think it’s anything I’ve consciously worked on, although, I’ve enjoyed evolving my style by bringing in different instruments.
I’m the kind of guy who gets really turned on by a new axe. In the past, I’ve been playing a lot more Dobro, although I didn’t make any conscious effort to play any Dobro on this new record because it didn’t seem to fit in anywhere. But I am playing a lot more slide on this album. Obviously, my tone is evolving, too. When you look back at albums like Slippery When Wet or New Jersey, I used two guitars and two tones, besides an acoustic. But on this new record, the palette is getting deeper. Because of the growth of my collection of vintage guitars, I’m able to put more colors in the songs.
How has your interpretation of great guitar tone evolved over time?
As a musician, I have always liked to apply what is needed for the song, emotionally. I see songs in a cinematic level, so I try to apply the right tone to bring out an emotion. For instance, in a song like “It’s My Life,” the tones are amongst the heaviest I’ve ever gotten. I wanted people to react when the first chord hit them. It’s a combination of my ’60 Les Paul doubled through the new 100-watt Marshall JCM 2000 Dual Super Lead head and a Mesa/Boogie Rectifier head through a 4×12 and a talk box