Lindsey Live Guitar Sound

fleetwoodguy79 · #1 02-23-2009, 10:02 AM

I was just listening to some of the old Rumours/Tusk era live recordings of the band and REALLY love the guitar sound that Lindsey had back then. It's kind of a dark, ethereal, fuzz type sound that comes off perfectly.

It would be awesome if Lindsey would bring back that kind of sound to some of their upcoming shows, at least for some of the older material. If I remember correctly Lindsey used some kind of homemade distortion box out of a reel-to-reel. What do you some of you think of Lindsey's vintage guitar sounds versus what he sounds like today?

Bring back the fuzz sound!!

Little Nicki · #2 02-23-2009, 11:59 AM

I've always thought his guitar sounds were extremely fitting depending on the sound of the band. Back then, the band was much more raw and his sound matched that. Nowadays, they're much more clean and polished and his sound matches that too. Personally I love his current sound. The warm, clean sound he has is very unique and just beautiful in my opinion. Most notably on The Dance on songs like You Make Loving Fun. I never liked his raw sound too much. Very appropriate but not to my tastes, and I don't think it matches his playing style as well.

D.W-Suite · #3 02-23-2009, 04:09 PM

He should really bring back the Tusk/Mirage sounds. He should bring that playing style back a bit too, I think his improvisation in those 2 tours was unbelievable. And it really went well with that whole 'deflating guitar' sound he used.

**mylittledemon** · #4 02-24-2009, 09:22 PM

I think Lindsey played best on the TUSK tour myself, but I loved his work on "The Dance" as well

GypsyVisions · #5 02-25-2009, 05:47 PM

It's really weird to me that Lindsey doesn't play certain songs the way he used to..

I know he's perfectly capable of still playing that way - listen to his extensive incredible work on songs like Come, Murrow, etc..

**mylittledemon** · #6 02-25-2009, 09:08 PM

Well your core style is there (his fingerpicking) but your playing can morph over time a little bit. I certainly don't play the way I did 10 years ago. Lindsey is quick to point out his early Fleetwood Mac stuff wasn't "his" style and that he adapted to that pre-existing sound. I think he did have a "heavier" sound from 75-80...and then after that his guitar playing sort of lost it's bite in the mix, in my opinion.

PenguinHead · #7 02-27-2009, 12:13 AM

I prefer the way he played in the earlier days. It was much fuller and heavier, presumbably for the fact that there were only 3 other instruments to carry the songs. The live songs had to be adapted from their heavily over-dubbed studio counterparts, and he was mostly depended on to compensate for that. As a result, the performances were less nuanised (sic...no spellcheck!) but more fuller, raw and rocking -- and very distinct.

With the addition of numerous musicians, the performances are less distinct and more closer their studio versions which could be a good thing or a bad thing. But his guitar playing is much more subdued in comparision to the earlier days when it was just the five fireflies!

David · #8 02-27-2009, 01:18 PM

I like the way he played in his youth the best, but I think he still plays well today, naturally. It's just that it's harder to hear him isolated these days, & the amplification is so high-tech that it confuses the ear. Besides, today's style apparently is for a very "wet" signal, & my ears have always preferred a dry signal, as free as possible from simulated "room" ambience.

chiliD · #9 02-27-2009, 02:18 PM

I never have liked Lindsey's "tone". It always comes off as very "sterile". I mean, I've seen him play through HiWatts, Marshalls, Mesa/Boogies, etc, but for having all those INCREDIBLE tube (or, valve, for you UK'ers) amps, his tone sounds like a cheap distortion unit routed through a generic solid-state amp.

There's just no meat to his tone at all.

fleetwoodguy79 · #10 02-27-2009, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David

I like the way he played in his youth the best, but I think he still plays well today, naturally. It's just that it's harder to hear him isolated these days, & the amplification is so high-tech that it confuses the ear. Besides, today's style apparently is for a very "wet" signal, & my ears have always preferred a dry signal, as free as possible from simulated "room" ambience.

I completely agree with that. Lindsey uses that delay pedal a little too often in my opinion, but I must say, I'm a little guilty of using it often too in my own playing!

Lindsey's pretty much been locked in his current "sound" since the early 1990's, let's make him change it up again bit!

Any ideas? Throw him an FX pedal or amp modeler on stage at a show or something? Of course, preset by us!

Peestie · #11 02-27-2009, 06:09 PM

I don't really have a favourite era for his tones live but I every time I listen to the 1975/77 versions of ISA I just love the guitar tone on the solo. I'm not sure what it is about it but it just sounds like the guitar is screaming more. Despite being a guitarist I'm not that interested in the tech side of things. I guess when I'm not living in student land and can afford some more things I'll start looking into it more, but for now all I can say is that I like this/that/whatever because it sound "nice" to me.

I do like his studio tones more than his live stuff. OOTC is great because I'm just a sucker for that vari-speed guitar sound that you just can't recreate live.

fullerk · #12 03-01-2009, 01:56 AM

I never have liked Lindsey's "tone". It always comes off as very "sterile". I mean, I've seen him play through HiWatts, Marshalls, Mesa/Boogies, etc, but for having all those INCREDIBLE tube (or, valve, for you UK'ers) amps, his tone sounds like a cheap distortion unit routed through a generic solid-state amp. There's just no meat to his tone at all.
__________________

In my opinion, just listen to Precious Time, he's grown as a musician and a person, I do like the les paul, but the Turner M1 is a far more versatile instrument. It would be cool however, for him to get a couple of fender
59 twins from keef. That raw sound from early Nicks/Buckingham FM has
it's own place and respect but I like what Lindsey is doing recently. I have the upmost respect for someone who's such an accomplished musician and keeps pushing his talent and not resting on "Go Your Own Way".

Gazza · #13 03-02-2009, 02:33 PM

It depends on the song. For instance, I think that the doom ridden tone he had on the Tusk tour worked really well on I'm So Afraid (as you would expect it to), although I do like The Dance and SYW tour versions. His tone on the Mirage tour however is, to my ears, weedy.

Lindsey as a guitar player is known more for his individual style than his sound though. I could tell it was him playing within seconds of hearing it because of that style, whereas with Peter Green, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton and Roy Buchanan I would know by their sound.

I still regard Roy Buchanan's Telecaster tone as the most hair raising thing I've ever heard.