Neil Young Tone on Fillmore East Album

[LedZepp007]

I love NY's Fillmore East album and had a bootleg of it before the real deal came out in 2007. IMO, Crazy Horse at its finest. I also think it's the best Neil Young has sounded.

My question: What amp/amps is/are he actually using? It's not the 5E3 (sounds way too tight and not a saturated mess like later). However, this was supposedly before he rebiased the amp for 6L6's.

On the Down by the River cut, NY uses some tremolo (which obviously the 5E3 doesn't have). I have seen limited pictures from the concert, but had noticed what looks to be a blonde Bassman or Bandmaster. There are also some tweed amps on stage, but I think Neil may be plugged into that amp.

I love me some Neil Young, but I haven't particularly cared for his tone at times, especially after the Deluxe got its 6L6s. Too saggy and compressed.

[vibratoking]

I don't have any answers to your questions.

IMO, Neil is the poster boy for bad electric guitar tone. He's my go to example of how not to sound. I ask myself, does it sound like his tone? If no, then I am on the right track. He has such a lovely acoustic touch, but he appears to bang on the electric like an amateur. But, to each his own, YMMV, and all that stuff.

[LedZepp007]

Fair enough.

I agree that several of Neil's albums have pathetic tone IMHO, mainly the super saturated stuff.

However, late 60's, early 70's NY tone is delightful (e.g., Fillmore East, EKTIN, After the Goldrush, Ohio). AFAIK, that was when he was using the single coil pickup in the bridge and before he got that damn potentiometer bypass switch installed in his guitar.

That Fillmore East tone is great IMO. Fairly certain it's not the 5E3, though.

[vibratoking]

I do remember some discussions on different sites about the amps. And I remember a pic of Neil standing in front of a stack of amps. The tweed wasn't mic'd so it gave the impression it wasn't being used at the Fillmore.

[Ron Worley]

He's got some kind of outboard unit that he uses with his tweed Deluxes, I seems to recall a mention of another bigger tweed model as well.

[jeffhorrigan]

Live At Fillmore was pre-wizzer and deluxe it seems. This video trailer has some good shots of his rig. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1CCXRwTnzo

The blonde 2 piece looks like it might be a bassman with a 15inch cab on its end. The tweed is too big for a deluxe and I've heard speculation it is a tremolux.

[vibratoking]

At 3:00 in that trailer, Neil says "So all I was using was one amp" Although that could be out of context.

[Chris G]

The amps in those photo's are pretty big, so my guess would be a tweed bassman and a white showman w/15 bottom. just a guess though.

[LedZepp007]

Thanks for the help guys!

Here's what I think after looking further (for those who care):

I think the tweed to the furthest left of the stage is for the keyboards (looks like a Bassman or a 5E7?).

I think Neil is playing through a blonde Bandmaster and a 1x15 cab. I think Danny is playing through something similar.

In some photos from the Fillmore gig (they played four nights), the tweed at the left of the stage has been replaced by a massive black amp (Baldwin Exterminator?). Still think it's the keyboard amp or maybe a backup for Neil.

[guittech]

I love Neil's electric tone.... ALL OF IT... especially the "Ready to explode" type sounds.

It's been something I've searched for, for years. Never REALLY hit it though. The Zvex Wolly Mammoth is okay for that, or the Mastotron... I had a Tone Bender clone that was pretty close. when i played that into my old Double Deluxe build it was pretty good. One of these days I'll build another double deluxe and leave that at my Buddies place for Neil Jams....

[Structo]

He likes about a half dozen tweed amps on stage that he turns all to 11.

Not to mention the 10 foot tall Magnatone.

[rooster]

Here's what I know about his amps and I'm not addressing anything used in the video.

The tweed Deluxe (his main live play one) has a replaced PT and OT. I heard this from Sergio (MM) directly when I was trying to build a Neil clone amp a few years back. He said Neil had blown at least two before they opted to change the basic design. And this is true for both the PT and OT, and yes, he runs 6L6s in it. He would not tell me what I should buy to duplicate this....which was a disappointment, but such is the guarding of artists's formulas. I will also add that Neil apparently has a metal building on his property that houses over 200 stock Tweed Deluxes. Yeah, I got this info from a friend who was a grounds guard around 1999. Believe it or not, it was something I was told - but I have no proof of this.

As to his other amps, one is the 2/12 Magnatone 280, an amp that has true pitch shifting Vibrato and probably something everyone should hear up close if they haven't. Then there's a Baldwin Exterminator with 2/15s, 2/12s, and 2/8s in it. This amp is so rare I have never seen another one, Neil may have the only one. And BTW, Neil takes a feed signal off the Deluxe at the output and puts it into the other two amps. Oh, also note that all of this happens after going into a Fender stand alone reverb unit, including going to the Deluxe.

The thing I really want to point out is that the Deluxe and ESPECIALLY the Magnatone, both have a GREAT FEEL THING. And when I say FEEL, I mean to say they are pretty forgiving amps that tend to make what you play sound better than it might actually sound if you were playing into another amp, and this In turn encourages the player. This may not make any sense if you haven't experienced either amp, but what I'm suggesting is accurate. In a very real way, not to discount Neil's song writing awesomeness or his guitar playing, but these are amps that the average Joe can plug into and sound pretty good. His pedal choices are another thing maybe, but trust me, those amps are encouraging him to let it all hang out. I can't comment on the Baldwin"s FEEL, BUT I suspect it's very similar to the other amps.

Last comment, I want to say that I'm always surprised to learn that some successful star has figured out the path that offers the most encouragement to his/her playing. Neil has got it figured out, make no mistake about this. I can't imagine a more encouraging or forgiving combination than what he has put together.

[Ron Worley]

Neil needs a forgiving amp, he's IMHO one of the sloppiest players this side of Jimmy Page. And I say that with all due respect for their artistry and writing.