Benmont Tench On His Touring Rig

[David]

Originally Posted by cbBen

from the last Heartbreakers tour: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wuj0dKtYKgk

That is one beat-up old Leslie 122. But I guess it does the trick for him, although he was complaining about going deaf — why the hell doesn’t he move it out further?

The modified Wurly looks cool but I don’t really understand what was modified — it always had a tremolo.

He plays a C3 instead of a B3, which I never knew. I think I knew a long time ago that they basically make the same noise.

And a Nord! Kowabunga. Benmont is a little dismissive of it: “It sounds pretty good.” And then he jokes that he’s going back to an Oberheim.

I don’t know why he has the Yamaha DX-7 in his rig. His explanation doesn’t ring logical. He must be the only major-league rock keyboardist at this stage who hauls it along with him. He has the Nord, he doesn’t need that DX-7. It looks like Keyboard Week at Costco. (Some of you guys may not know that Christine recorded Tango in the Night with one.) The final injustice is that he puts it on top of his lovely retro Vox Continental.

A Steinway B acoustic — lovely, I’m sure, but stacking the Nord and all that other sh|t on it really compromises the beautiful reverb of its wood case and soundboard. It’s meant to stand free of encumbrances and it’ll sing like a bird!