Christines Keyboard rigs through the years

EricBliss12345 · #1 08-26-2003, 12:31 PM

I was wondering if anybody knew some good places where I could read about Chris's different keyboard rigs from tour to tour or if they knew any good sites where I could read up on it.

From here I found what I think was a Keyboard magazine article, and it did briefly touch on some instruments she played through the years (excitedly proclaiming that her cheap sounding Yamaha electric piano from the Tusk years could sound like a Wurly AND A Rhodes....WRONG LOL) and the ARP ensemble she'd use on a couple older tunes live.

But when she toured for say, Rumours, did she cart out the clavinet so she could recreate her funky basslines from You Make Lovin' Fun? Or in the old days, when her music was so piano based, did she play a real piano or cart an electric around? A Hammond B3? I can't see her wanting to lug a wonky old mellotron around to recreate the string and flute stuff she did on "Night Watch" and "The Ghost" but that would be real badassedly keyboard goddessly if she did. Did she ever have a gross, towering keyboard rig just riddled with keyboards? That would be cool.

It would also be cool to know what kind of stuff she toured with in the 80s too.

Thanks!

Eric

chiliD · #2 08-26-2003, 12:47 PM

Check out the Contemporary Keyboard magazine article from October 1980 in the "Blue Letter Archive" (under "Christine McVie") here on the Penguin. I recall that being one of the first articles where Christine actually described her keyboard set up (as of the Tusk tour).

xdreamsunwindx · #3 08-26-2003, 01:04 PM

http://www.angelfire.com/tx3/emeraldeyes/yamaha.html

I found that on Emerald Eyes, it's from The Dance tour, I'll have to check out my BAM magazine to see if that mentions any of the equipment she uses later on.

chiliD · #4 08-26-2003, 01:06 PM

Unfortunately, your link doesn't work.

(at least, not for me)

xdreamsunwindx · #5 08-26-2003, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by chiliD
Unfortunately, your link doesn't work. (at least, not for me)

Grrr... I must've typed something wrong lol. http://www.angelfire.com/tx3/emeraldeyes/yamaha.html
Hopefully that one works.

David · #6 08-26-2003, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by EricBliss12345
I was wondering if anybody knew some good places where I could read about Chris's different keyboard rigs from tour to tour or if they knew any good sites where I could read up on it.

From here I found what I think was a Keyboard magazine article, and it did briefly touch on some instruments she played through the years (excitedly proclaiming that her cheap sounding Yamaha electric piano from the Tusk years could sound like a Wurly AND A Rhodes....WRONG LOL) and the ARP ensemble she'd use on a couple older tunes live.

But when she toured for say, Rumours, did she cart out the clavinet so she could recreate her funky basslines from You Make Lovin' Fun? Or in the old days, when her music was so piano based, did she play a real piano or cart an electric around? A Hammond B3? I can't see her wanting to lug a wonky old mellotron around to recreate the string and flute stuff she did on "Night Watch" and "The Ghost" but that would be real badassedly keyboard goddessly if she did. Did she ever have a gross, towering keyboard rig just riddled with keyboards? That would be cool.

It would also be cool to know what kind of stuff she toured with in the 80s too.

Check out the Contemporary Keyboard article that ChiliD mentioned.

She never toured with towering banks of keyboards. It's just not her thing. She's not a geeky synth player, in general. She has always preferred the classic electromechanical piano & a Hammond organ setup. She used to play the Hohner Pianet N (although she didn't usually record with it) because it had a lot more overdrive & bite than the Fender Rhodes or the Wurlitzer, & it cut through the guitar-thick mix onstage. The "N" model gave way to the Combo model by the time Buckingham & Nicks joined, which was more road-worthy & more compact-looking. Otherwise, it generated sound exactly the same way that the "N" model did (sticky pads). You can hear her playing the Combo Pianet on your 1980 "Live" album on songs like "Say You Love Me" & "Dreams" & "Don't Let Me Down Again" & "Rhiannon." One just sold on eBay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...category=29552

For "Gold Dust Woman" on those tours, Chris added an effects box with a flanger & a phaser. She did not ever use the Hohner Clavinet onstage. When they played "You Make Loving Fun," she played only the Combo Pianet & her B3 -- you just didn't get the Clavinet part done live until the 1997 reunion tour, when Brett either played it or piped it in. On the White Album & Rumours tours, she played the keyboard part for "Landslide" on a Fender Rhodes.

She's been using a B3 all these years on every tour. She had it recased for the Rumours tour so it had a nice, sleek black case on aluminum legs, instead of the stocky wood look. On occasion, she'd also use an ARP String Ensemble -- for "Sunny Side of Heaven," according to her, although interestingly, the two recordings we have of that (South Orange 1975 & a Rumours tour rehearsal), she's playing the B3 instead of an ARP. She also had a baby grand onstage for songs like "Get Like You Used to Be" & "Silver Springs" & "Jumpin' at Shadows." Later on, she switched to a Yamaha grand on tour for "Don't Stop" & "Songbird" & "Believe Me." She has used Yamaha grands ever since onstage.

The sticky pads went dry on the Pianet & the Combo model itself went out of production by the late 1970s, replaced by a wimpier "T" model, which she apparently didn't want (it sounded a lot more like the vibraphone-like Rhodes & wouldn't have cut through the live mix). So she switched to the first stereo electronic piano that Yamaha produced, the CP-30. Those sell on eBay still, quite a bit cheaper than the Pianets: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...ayphotohosting

I'm sorry you don't think highly of the CP-30, because it was -- is -- a fabulous combo instrument. I own two & love playing them with a rock combo. You really make yourself felt with their wonderfully squawky, jazz guitar-like sounds. Christine began recording with the CP-30 in 1978 for the "Tusk" album, using it on "Over & Over," "Think About Me," "Honey Hi," "Never Forget" &, most recognizably, "Angel." That board was so durable & so reliable that she took it out on the road for the Tusk Tour. Her setup for that tour as well as the Mirage Tour was essentially the same: Yamaha CP-30, Hammond B3, Yamaha grand ("Don't Stop" & "Songbird") & Yamaha upright ("Sara" & "Not That Funny"). Plus she played an accordeon for "Tusk." Jeff Sova added synth patches backstage on "Tusk" & "Hold Me." You can hear her play the CP-30 on the 1980 "Live" album on "Over & Over" & "One More Night" & "Landslide."

Her setup in '84 was the last time she used the CP-30 for touring.

When Fleetwood Mac toured in '87, she used a large, well-built & very popular & expensive controller by Yamaha called the KX-88 & her ubiquitous Hammond. Dan Garfield put a module up for auction on eBay several years ago, the Roland MKS-20 -- it was one of the modules used on the '87-'88 tour, & possibly where Christine's patches were being generated from. That was her rig right on up through her last tour with the band.

P.S. She also talks about her setup in an early 1977 issue of Hit Parader.

#7 08-26-2003, 06:05 PM

David....your incredible! Thanks so much for all that info. I always wanted to know what gear she had used over the years but there's not a lot of info about it out there. Was she using a special effect on "Rhiannon" during the Rumours tour? Or is that just one of the sounds on the Combo? It's got a very distinct ring to it that i've never heard anywhere else. The only other song that reminds me of it is ZZ Tops "Cheap Sunglasses" (i think that's the name of it)...it almost sounds like there's some frequency shift going on.

Anyway, thanks for the info. I need to print this out and save it for reference!

John Run · #8 08-26-2003, 07:14 PM

This info came from Brett Tuggle in 2000.

On the Dance tour Christine played the Hammond B3 and Yamaha KX88 controller and she had two cabinets of MIDI modules. An EMU Emulator 4 Turbo for the Fender Rhodes piano sounds and some Roland and other synth modules in her cabinets. 2 Mackie mixers. Also used a Yamaha Digital Grand Piano.

Brett Tuggle used a Korg Trinity Pro and an EMU E64 sampler.

The Trinity Pro is the predecessor to the now ever popular Triton series.

Lindsey has commented previously that he was fascinated with discovering all of the sounds within the Trinity Pro and used it when he went back to work on songs after the Dance Tour.

EricBliss12345 · #9 08-26-2003, 08:04 PM

Wow! Sweet info Dave! Thank you muchly dude.

After seeing her rig on the Dance tour I kind of figured that the Hammond would be a constant in her rig, which is very cool. The hammond is one of the most badass sounding keyboard instruments ever, definately in my top 5 along with the mellotron, minimoog, and clavinet. It shows a lot about Chris's keyboard integrity, Rick Wakeman doesn't even use a real hammond live anymore and hasn't for quite a long time.

And as far as that CP30, I dunno something about it just sounds "off" to me. It's a little too wonky for me. Don't get me wrong, I love her Tusk tracks but always found myself wishing she would have been playing a Rhodes, Wurly, or real piano instead. I was put off to listening to Angel for a while because of that horrid sound on the intro, little did I know that a Tusk highlight was beyond the quacky intro. It sounds like somebody squeezing a duck. Maybe this has something to do with "Brown Eyes" being my favorite song of hers on the Tusk album, being that that's the only track of hers where she plays the sexy Rhodes instead.

I love her use of the Rhodes on "Warm Ways" with that deep, warbly phase effect. It adds just enough psychedelia to keep it from being a little too easy on the easy listening side.

I guess the KX was good enough to stay around for 10 years! I'm surprised this thread got as many replies as it did!

Thanks again

John Run · #10 08-26-2003, 08:22 PM

Eric-Moog, Hammond, you sure you are not Steve Winwood? He just came out with an album built around the Hammond B3, too the point he did not use a bass player and played all of the bass parts on the Hammond. Winwood was a long time user of the mini-moog. Until he replaced it with the Midi-Moog. He played lots of bass parts on the moog and his trade mark 80's synth solo's were mostly laid down on the moog.

EricBliss12345 · #11 08-27-2003, 07:49 AM

Quote:

Eric-Moog, Hammond, you sure you are not Steve Winwood?

By the looks of my keyboard rig, I'm guessing that I am NOT Steve Winwood.

I do own a Hammond organ, but unfortunately it's in no kind of shape to play rock and roll. I have no leslie.

It's a shame because it's in near perfect shape, and I have this wonderful beast of a keyboard sitting in my basement that I can just never let loose.

My Roland JP8000 is great for analog stuff. You can tell the filters aren't quite as warm and fat as a real analog synth (duh, it's digital) but still it's a pretty awesome board. I also have a Korg K5, which I consider junk. I mean, it works and there's nothing really wrong with it, but there's no separate bank to store your programmed sounds (you can only erase them) and the samples leave a lot to be desired in the organ and piano realm. It has a passable clav sample but no mellotron samples. Gack. It actually has decent Rhodes and Wurly samples though, but it's nowhere near what I need to be satisfied. Grainy effects.

Really, the only keyboard sounds I have any kind of interest in are vintage ones.

As far as Steve Winwood what was that album called?

John Run · #12 08-27-2003, 09:26 AM

The Leslie Speakers turn the placid organ into an uncaged beast.....the album is called About Time.

David · #13 08-27-2003, 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by EricBliss12345
I do own a Hammond organ, but unfortunately it's in no kind of shape to play rock and roll. I have no leslie. It's a shame because it's in near perfect shape, and I have this wonderful beast of a keyboard sitting in my basement that I can just never let loose.

My Roland JP8000 is great for analog stuff. You can tell the filters aren't quite as warm and fat as a real analog synth (duh, it's digital) but still it's a pretty awesome board. I also have a Korg K5, which I consider junk. I mean, it works and there's nothing really wrong with it, but there's no separate bank to store your programmed sounds (you can only erase them) and the samples leave a lot to be desired in the organ and piano realm. It has a passable clav sample but no mellotron samples. Gack. It actually has decent Rhodes and Wurly samples though, but it's nowhere near what I need to be satisfied. Grainy effects.

If you don't or can't haul your B3 to gigs, settle for the best of the substitutes out there: the (newish) Korg CX3 amped with a real Leslie 122 or 147. I use the older Roland VK-7 for my Fleetwood Mac cover group & I'm happy enough with that. I also use the Yamaha P80 with the Voce Electric Piano module (one of the very few Pianet patches available anywhere) with an acoustic guitar preamp & tube amp (Solid State just doesn't do it). It's passable & more important, it's virtually all that's available unless I want to haul around a real Pianet & have to repair sticky pads. I used to gig with the CP-30 & absolutely loved it, but it weighs 130-something pounds, & life is just too short to carry around that kind of weight. The P80 is the best feel & hammer action of anything in its class & price, by far.

What's the Korg K5? Do you mean the X5? I have the first year's model of the X5. I can't complain about a synthesizer that weighs seven pounds!

David · #14 08-27-2003, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by joe
Was she using a special effect on "Rhiannon" during the Rumours tour? Or is that just one of the sounds on the Combo? It's got a very distinct ring to it that i've never heard anywhere else. The only other song that reminds me of it is ZZ Tops "Cheap Sunglasses" (i think that's the name of it)...it almost sounds like there's some frequency shift going on.

Hi, Joe! The Combo had little in the way of onboard effects. In fact, it didn't even have a sustain. I think it had a tremolo, & that may be about it. You just plug it in, turn on the power/volume knob & play. It's a really basic mechanical contraption.

You can hear the Pianet (N, probably) on "She's Not There." In fact, I think I detect a Pianet on one of those Uncle Kracker hit singles. Not a lot of people using them any more -- most analog geeks vastly prefer the Fender Rhodes & the Wurlitzer 120/200. Those are considered much more classic, & they sell for a lot more.

Now Hohner's Clavinet is a different story. There's a huge demand, growing like mad, for those things.

chiliD · #15 08-27-2003, 12:44 PM

I used to have one of those old Wurlitzer electric pianos...you needed a SOLDERING GUN to tune the m-fer. The tuning on it would change from gig to gig, depending on enviromental factors. What a hassle...so, we quickly conquered that beast by tuning the guitars, synth & bass to the Wurlitzer, instead of "concert pitch". No wonder they fell out of favor so quickly...thank God for modern technology and the quality of the digital modeling of those old Wurlitzers!