Steve Jones (Sex Pistols)

krall

New member
Does anyone know what amp and overdrive pedal Steve Jones (Sex Pistols) used live and on their Never Mind the Bullocks album?

It seems from a few pics i've seen that he uses a Fender, possibly a Twin..Can anybody here shed some light on his setup?
 
Re: Steve Jones (Sex Pistols)

Legend has it they stole a Fender Twin from a Bob Marley concert. Doesnt' really sound like an OD pedal to me, just a cranked Fender.

-X
 
Re: Steve Jones (Sex Pistols)

Just found this bit of info about his "5 finger discount" activities:

"Steve is a self-taught guitar player, primarily playing Gibson Les Paul electric guitars in his early years, His usual guitar was a cream colored Gibson Les Paul custom which (according to "Filth and the Fury") he had stolen from Mick Ronson at a David Bowie concert when he and his fellow Sex Pistol members posed as road crew members, stealing amps and other equipment."
 
Re: Steve Jones (Sex Pistols)

I always thought Malcolm took it from Syl when he bailed on the Dolls.
 
Re: Steve Jones (Sex Pistols)

Man...

I had that disc out for a spin this afternoon... what a great record.

That's not an overdriven Twin, the gain texture is way too smooth & saturated...must be some kinda stomper in front to get the dirt.


Funny though, I recall hearing through the grapevines that he played Marshalls on the record & the tone has more resemblence to THAT thing then a Fender thing...


I've also heard the Bob Marley story.


All of the rhythem guitar tracks are doubled or sent through some kinda ADT (automatic double tracking) or a short delay (70-100ms?!) & panned hard right & left.


Key component?!

Attitude.
 
Re: Steve Jones (Sex Pistols)

They're doubled and tripled in parts. Steve also played the bass so everything is super tight to get that wall of sound. I wouldn't doubt he used some Marshalls but he was pretty faithful to that Twin for quite a while - possibly some pedals but that's not really Steve's thing for the most part.

If you dig this album get the Classic Albums DVD -The Making of Never Mind the Bollocks. Bill Price and Chris Thomas discuss recording the album Price has the tapes loaded up and pulls tracks, he discusses a lot of elements of the recording as does Thomas. It is great and dirt cheap.
 
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Re: Steve Jones (Sex Pistols)

Wattage, those clips you posted kick ass. I mean what's great about the Pistols (and Steve Jones) is that his riffs and rythyms are all so technically simple, but they sound so phenomenal for some reason. I'm confident that I could play every single song of theirs, or close to every song. But I'm not sure I could innovate the way he did with his riffs, throwing just a tiny little extra note here or there. Hard to describe, but it's so easy to see in the videos.
 
Re: Steve Jones (Sex Pistols)

Wattage brings forth more genuine pearls from the depths! Freakin' awesome! I love the "Problems" riff where he say it could be Nugent. He is right!

I thank my lucky stars for for Steve Jones, Tony Iommi, Ron Asheton, and Gregg Ginn for keeping me sane through the spandex years.

I had tickets in hand to see The Professionals' first US tour (Steve on guitar/Paul Cook, the Pistols drummer)...but they were involved in a head-on collision with a wrong way driver on the freeway a couple of weeks before the show. Jeez! Paul was hurt pretty bad, and the rest of the tour was cancelled. I felt ripped off by God himself at the time.
 
Re: Steve Jones (Sex Pistols)

Glad you guys dug that clip it is from that DVD.

Jonesy is pretty much my main man, not that I try to sound like him persay but his straightforward approach and monstrous sound always lit me up even before I "got" the Pistols.

During his very dark years I went to see Chequered Past play but he had OD'd the night before and had to go for some serious medical care for a while so he didn't play. I was very bummed it was a smallish place it would have been too cool, the Twin was on stage ready for him. Since no one in the band but Michael Des Barres was sure how bad he was and they were hoping he'd be able play. It wasn't the best sounding record, Michael James Jackson could ruin angels singing but live even w/o Steve they were killer.

I never got to see him live until the Pistols reunion shows - first night at Roseland in NYC and then later at the Jones Beach Theatre. I wonder if they could handle putting some new stuff together, I would love to hear Cook and Jones cranking behind Johnny on some new songs.
 
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Re: Steve Jones (Sex Pistols)

Since a Fender Twin seemed to have been his amp of choice, this is making me ask this question:

For '77 styled punk, is the Fender Twin the best suitable amp for this style? What other older Fender amp model would do the job well? A Dual Showman? A Bassman?
 
Re: Steve Jones (Sex Pistols)

It was a Fender Twin with Gauss speakers that he stole from Tina Weymouths rig.
 
Re: Steve Jones (Sex Pistols)

Since a Fender Twin seemed to have been his amp of choice, this is making me ask this question:

For '77 styled punk, is the Fender Twin the best suitable amp for this style? What other older Fender amp model would do the job well? A Dual Showman? A Bassman?

a bassman would work, but for that real '77 sound you'd want like a blonde one, which can cost a boatload

i'm having a brain relapse & can't remember the name of the 40 watt head fender made, i know chops has one, but one of those would work, those things got some teeth to em
 
Re: Steve Jones (Sex Pistols)

Bassman heads have the all-encompassing perfect rock tone inside of them. It WILL work.

Drew, are you thinkin of a Bandmaster?

-X
 
Re: Steve Jones (Sex Pistols)

I always thought that the Sex Pistols just all took a dump on a pizza pan, compressed it, drew grooves in it and sold it as Nevermind The Bullocks.
 
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