Gibson Les Paul Article

[michelej1]

Gibson.com
http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyl...een-1024-2011/

Peter Green, Gary Moore and The Holy Grail Les Paul

Ted Drozdowski|10.25.2011Peter Green is far from the lean, furry-faced rock star who fronted the original incarnation of Fleetwood Mac and wrote such insanely great blues-infused classics as “Black Magic Woman” and “Oh Well.” But for all of his trials with mental and physical health issues, Green, who turns 65 on October 29, remains active on the rock and blues trail.

One of the fundamental architects of the mid-to-late 1960s Gibson Les Paul Standard sunburst sound, Green was Eric Clapton’s replacement in John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers. He smeared transcendent guitar all over 1967’s A Hard Road, setting a creative bar in British blues with his interpretations of classics like Elmore James’ “Dust My Broom” and Freddie King’s “The Stumble,” plus contributing his own now-classic songs “The Same Way” and the instrumental “The Supernatural,” which remains the tonal textbook for balancing volume, sustain and natural reverb.

That same year Green ventured off with Mayall’s rhythm section to form Fleetwood Mac. Over the next three years and four studio albums, Green’s version of Fleetwood Mac were at the creative forefront of the blues-rock movement, quickly creating a catalog that includes “Black Magic Woman,” the instrumental hit “Albatross,” “Oh Well,” “Man of the World,” “Rattlesnake Shake” and “The Green Manalishi.” Those tunes remain touchstones for any guitarist serious about exploring the best of British blues.

As the ’70s continued, Green began to unravel. He lost his interest in playing and was arrested for threatening his accountant with a shotgun. Eventually he left the music world altogether and moved to the outskirts of a village in the English countryside whose residents took to calling him “the

Werewolf” due to his long, unkempt hair and fingernails. Nonetheless, his influence endured and when he returned to health and the stage in the ’90s, there was an international cult of fans still waiting to greet him.

Foremost among those fans are some of the finest guitarists around. One prominent Green acolyte, Mick Taylor, replaced him in Mayall’s Bluesbreakers and went on to join The Rolling Stones. Fellow Gibson Les Paul legend Eric Clapton – an influence in Green’s own sound – has described Green as “one of the best.” Aerosmith’s Joe Perry, Genesis’ Steve Hackett, the Black Crowes’ Rich Robinson and Wishbone Ash’s Andy Powell all count Green as an influence.

The guitarist most closely aligned with Green, however, was certainly Gary Moore, who died earlier this year. Moore’s style not only drew on Green for bedrock; he also played the man’s famed 1959 Les Paul Standard guitar, which became known as the Holy Grail for its distinctive, out-of-phase sound.

Despite a common source, Moore’s signature tone – a product of the classic marriage of a Gibson Les Paul and Marshall amps plus the Belfast-born guitarist’s own explosive six-string mojo – was more boldly ferocious.

When Moore was just 14 he saw Green play in Mayall’s band and heard his calling in the distinctive throaty voice of Green’s Les Paul. There’s been a lot of speculation over the years on just how Green’s instrument achieved its super-warm trebly sound. Green says he reversed a magnet in the neck position humbucker while tinkering with the guitar. Another tale has a repairman accidentally re-winding a pickup in reverse. At any rate, the guitar spent 37 years in Moore’s hands after he acquired it from Green for a Gibson SG and a few hundred bucks. The instrument sold for more than $2 million when it was auctioned in 2006.

Moore acquired the guitar from “Greenie” in 1969 right after Green quit Fleetwood Mac. The student used his master’s six-string throughout his musical evolution, which veered into hard rock with his first solo disc in 1973, then artier but no less heavy turf with bassist/singer Phil Lynott in Thin Lizzy, and went on to the fusion based Coliseum II. In the early ’80s Moore played on art-rock legend Greg Lake’s two solo albums, and in ’94 formed a group with Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce.

Moore maintained his solo career parallel to all these projects, releasing his classic Corridors of Power and Victims of the Future in 1982 and ’83, respectively, along with 11 more discs until the pivotal Still Got the Blues in 1990. That album marked Moore’s re-commitment to the genre that had first sparked his musical imagination and included a cover of Green’s “Stop Messin’ Around” as a heartfelt tribute.

[iamnotafraid]

Thanks for posting this.

[Wouter Vuijk]

Originally Posted by iamnotafraid

Thanks for posting this.

Just too bad that it contains false information and lacks relevant information:
Peter Green did no leave the mac in 1969, but in 1970;
No mention of Moore's CD Blues for Greeny.

[zoork_1]

Originally Posted by Wouter Vuijk

Just too bad that it contains false information and lacks relevant information:
Peter Green did no leave the mac in 1969, but in 1970;
No mention of Moore's CD Blues for Greeny.

Mmmm, think I agree - though thanks anyway michelej1

/z

[slipkid]

Don't blame the messenger.

Gary Moore's guitar tone while using Peter Green's Les Paul is crap at best. Moore over distorted the sound for no reason. Back in 1970 just give Peter Green a Fender Dual Showman amp with two cabs, a loudness(distortion) pedal, and a reverb box from Orange.

That tone was guitar perfection!

[zoork_1]

Originally Posted by slipkid

Don't blame the messenger.

Gary Moore's guitar tone while using Peter Green's Les Paul is crap at best. Moore over distorted the sound for no reason. Back in 1970 just give Peter Green a Fender Dual Showman amp with two cabs, a loudness(distortion) pedal, and a reverb box from Orange.

That tone was guitar perfection!

It's different styles (though I like Green's better). Can you elaborate a bit on PG and pedals - e.g. I didn't know he used a distortion pedal?

Thanks

/z

[Dogon]

Originally Posted by zoork_1

It's different styles (though I like Green's better). Can you elaborate a bit on PG and pedals - e.g. I didn't know he used a distortion pedal?Thanks

/z

Me neither, when I saw them in spring -70 I remember Peter using a double set of Fender Dual Showmans together with an equally double set of 2 by 15¨ Fender speaker cabinets. The only pedal I could see was an AC-driven Morley Wah/Volume pedal.
/Dogon

[zoork_1]

Originally Posted by Dogon

Me neither, when I saw them in spring -70 I remember Peter using a double set of Fender Dual Showmans together with an equally double set of 2 by 15¨ Fender speaker cabinets. The only pedal I could see was an AC-driven Morley Wah/Volume pedal.
/Dogon

Nice to hear your voice Dogon ...

[Dogon]

Originally Posted by zoork_1

Nice to hear your voice Dogon ...

Thanks, it has been a while.....

[Wouter Vuijk]

Originally Posted by Dogon

Thanks, it has been a while.....

Sure has.

[Dogon]

Originally Posted by Wouter Vuijk

Sure has.

Thanks Wouter.

[slipkid]

Originally Posted by Dogon

Me neither, when I saw them in spring -70 I remember Peter using a double set of Fender Dual Showmans together with an equally double set of 2 by 15¨ Fender speaker cabinets. The only pedal I could see was an AC-driven Morley Wah/Volume pedal.
/Dogon

So how did Peter Green get his spike in volume for solos? Was it walking back to the amp ala Pete Townshend? I thought Fender had a boost pedal, which increased the volume using the natural distortion of the Fender amp.

Peter Green's tone was organic without any fuzzbox, or muff pedals. That's what I was trying to imply from my original post.

[zoork_1]

Originally Posted by slipkid

So how did Peter Green get his spike in volume for solos? Was it walking back to the amp ala Pete Townshend? I thought Fender had a boost pedal, which increased the volume using the natural distortion of the Fender amp.

Peter Green's tone was organic without any fuzzbox, or muff pedals. That's what I was trying to imply from my original post.

I guess he plucked the tones differently, that'll give you clean or drive on a cranked Fender amp.....

[Dogon]

Originally Posted by slipkid

So how did Peter Green get his spike in volume for solos? Was it walking back to the amp ala Pete Townshend? I thought Fender had a boost pedal, which increased the volume using the natural distortion of the Fender amp.

Again, at this spring -70 concert, he didn't do much work on the amp controls. Sure he was there a couple of times during the concert, e.g. before "Green Manalishi", preparing for his bass solo, but it was the volume and tone controls of his guitar that he continously used to adjust the sound.
So, in his mind, hands and fingers lays the answer to the question on how he did get his sound, I guess. I heard him play on Orange/Matax amps as well and we've all heard his sound when playing Marshalls with Bluesbreakers. The Peter Green sound is there throughout.
Looking on pictures of his guitar from that time, he seemed to have the pickups adjusted on a relatively large distance from the strings which maybe could have an impact on his sound. I've never heard anyone else being able to get his guitar sound as an accoustic steel string guitar only by rolling off the volume pot.

[zoork_1]

Originally Posted by Dogon

Again, at this spring -70 concert, he didn't do much work on the amp controls. Sure he was there a couple of times during the concert, e.g. before "Green Manalishi", preparing for his bass solo, but it was the volume and tone controls of his guitar that he continously used to adjust the sound.
So, in his mind, hands and fingers lays the answer to the question on how he did get his sound, I guess. I heard him play on Orange/Matax amps as well and we've all heard his sound when playing Marshalls with Bluesbreakers. The Peter Green sound is there throughout.
Looking on pictures of his guitar from that time, he seemed to have the pickups adjusted on a relatively large distance from the strings which maybe could have an impact on his sound. I've never heard anyone else being able to get his guitar sound as an accoustic steel string guitar only by rolling off the volume pot.

Thanks, I think this is useful for all of us that admire Green's soulful playing (and ability to handle gear).