How Neil Young gets a spectacular amplified acoust

[Deleted]

NEIL YOUNG ACOUSTIC SETUP: BY LARRY CRAGG

Larry Cragg began working with Neil on Neil's guitars in 1972 and has toured as his tech since 1976. Larry has played banjo, pedal steel and sax for Neil and he's doubled on keyboards and guitars in Nils Lofgren's band since 1985.

Neil's main acoustics are a Martin D-45 that he got in 1967, a prewar D-18 and a D-28. I've installed stereo Fraps in each, which is by far the best way to amplify an acoustic guitar. I place two pickups inside the guitar-one for the top three strings and one for the bottom three. I do it real time while stringing up the top three strings . I have the pickup hot through a nice P.A. system,and I move it around. Placement is really critical-1/16th" can make or break it. When I'm done I have to set the guitar face down for a couple of days without moving it, because the slightest change affects it. All together Neil has 45 or 50 guitars, including a real Explorer and a Flying V, a black Falcon, some more Les Pauls and some Gretsches, a few other Martins, his 12 strings are Taylors.

Neil likes his strings to buzz a bit. I raised them on one of the acoustics by putting in a new saddle, and he didn't like that at all-made me put the old one back in. He uses regular light-gauge D"Angelico strings on the acoustics. Sometimes he tunes the low E down to D, and sometimes, like Cinnamon Girl he tunes both E's down to D. he calls this D modal, and he doesn't get any more radical with the tunings. He uses only gold Herco Picks, Flex 50s. If he uses anything heavier, he'll shred his strings.

Interesting article on FRAP pickups:

www.7171.org/electrons/frap/magazine1/1.html

[Cosmic Wonder]

Oh dear.Gil, you are new here, and I have not noticed or said hello. Hello.

Now, for some insane reason, on this forum, Neil not only gets very little respect, he actually the takes the title for the most abused pop star. There are a few, like me, and I think Cornflake, who occasionally defend him and love his music, but mostly, here, he gets abused.

So don't be surprised at how this thread turns out.

Other than the Neil bashing, this is a pretty good group.
Mike

[Deleted]

I also love his music!

[Deleted]

cosmic said:

Oh dear.Gil, you are new here, and I have not noticed or said hello. Hello.

Now, for some insane reason, on this forum, Neil not only gets very little respect, he actually the takes the title for the most abused pop star. There are a few, like me, and I think Cornflake, who occasionally defend him and love his music, but mostly, here, he gets abused.

So don't be surprised at how this thread turns out.

Other than the Neil bashing, this is a pretty good group.
Mike

Hello to you as well!! It is perfectly OK with me if folks want to waste their time and energy bashing a particular artist. Personally I just don't do that myself. I keep my mouth (and key board) shut when it is an artist I don't care for. But everyone has their reasons I suppose. All I can say is that for me personally Neil Young inspired, and continues to inspire me, to pick up a guitar and play. I was 14 when I discovered his music way back in 1974. It amazes me how many young people I hear from today who are also inspired by Neil Young's music. He has made a huge impact and admittedly he is not the best guitarist but man does he play with passion and feeling and he has developed his own unique acoustic style. I actually find it funny when people bash old Neil Young. They should actually try and seriously learn how to play in his style. Aint so easy as I've found out. BTW, I admire Pat Metheny, Chet Atkins, Leo Kottke, Doc Watson, Nick Drake, John Renbourn, Stephen Stills, and many other guitar players besides Neil Young! So let them bash! As Neil once sang "so all you critics sit alone...you're no better than me for what you've shown"

[theevan]

I think his long, one-note solos and his rheumy close-enough-to-pitch-for-me vocals are just dreamy.

Welcome to our friendly little little nut-house, gil. Where do you live, what guitar(s) do you play...you know, the important stuff.

Don't worry if some of us don't get Neil. Heck, some people don't get Debussy or Mahler. We (or some) don't really bash him here, we just like to have a little fun.

[timfarney]

Welcome, Gil. Don't take any Neil bashing around here too seriously. In fact, don't take much of anything too seriously. We're a small group, we've known each other for awhile, and sometimes what seems like a jab at Neil Young is actually a jab at Bill, a member here. There's a lot of that going on, which I imagine makes the place seem a bit inaccessible to newbies, but hang in there; you'll catch on. Welcome. Sometimes we even talk about guitars.

Tim

[jdd]

This is the guy that first set foot on the moon, right?

"One small chord for ... "

[Tamarack]

Welome Gil! I too started out with Neil Young in 1974 -- Heart of Gold was the first song I learned to play, mostly because Em and D were easy chords for a beginner.

[guitone]

Welcome Gil,

No bashing here, I just want one of his guitars, any one.

[Fingerplucked]

Gil, <deleted NY bash>

<deleted Gil comment>

<deleted NY comment regarding guitar playing>

<deleted NY comment regarding singing ability>

<deleted NY comment regarding appearance>

And furthermore, I wanted to make you feel totally at home and welcome here.

[iamjohnne]

You guys are so bad.

The Neil Young bashing isn't directed at Neil at all but at Hammond.

We are glad to have you amongst us. Come on in, pull up a chair or grab a spot on the zebra skin couch. Just empty your own ash trays and pick up your beer cans/bottles. Sekmet out resident Goddess gets pissy when the room is a mess.

Tell us who you are and where you are and about your love for music, specially acoustic guitars. And what you like to cook.

[billhammond]

... and when I bash Neil Young, I am really bashing my mother. At least that's what my shrink tells me.

[iamjohnne]

You do know we love you Bill.

And now there are NY ringtones at the top of the page

[Marshall]

How old is that article? I wonder if anyone (NY included) is still using a FRAP.

There area an awful lot of pretty good amplification options out there. FRAP is pretty old technology.

(As is Neil Young, I guess. And the same thing could be said about me.)


His "Live at Massie Hall" recording is my everyday office 300 disc changer.

[Fingerplucked]

marshall said:

How old is that article? I wonder if anyone (NY included) is still using a FRAP.

I think that was published right around the time Reynolds? invented aluminum and DuPont invented nylon. (Unless someone else invented those things. Today's Saturday, and I'm not required to google anything I don't want to.)

I have two NY DVD's, and he doesn't appear to be using anything like that. On his latest DVD he's using a pickup and a microphone while he plays Hank Williams' old Martin.

[aquaduct]

The pictures in the linked article seem to indicate the FRAP inventor shared a workshop with the Wright brothers.

[Deleted]

Hello gil! Your appreciation for Stephen Stills will go a long way in compensating for your Neil Young adoration. ;D

How well do you know some of his occasional touring and recording musicians?

[sidheguitarmichael]

I can say that I remember reading that same article somewhere while researching Hedges' rig (another Larry Cragg client... most assuredly not to be confused with a Larry Craig client...) and that was probably decades ago.

Long live NY!

[mccoyblues]

Interesting. I just googled that NY article and I never found the original article but I did find Gil's post, word for word dated back to Aug 2006 over at Harmony Central that led me to his YouTube page.

Some pretty good guitar playing featured in those videos.

Welcome to the asylum Gil. Hope you stick around.
From a former acoustic musician, now a bass player in a blues band.

mccoyblues

[Marshall]

I think I remember reading Hedges used a FRAP too.