Neil's guitars, effects, amps

Other people seem to know the specifics far better than I do but here's what springs to mind:

Amp - he uses a Vox AC30. He also has a Roland Jazz Chorus - I guess he hasn't really used it since the Enz days but he is seen using it on the Rock Arena New Year's concert filmed at the end of '86. He said that he found the JC to have a hollow sound that bugged him. I think it sounds great. I have no idea but I always assume that the lovely sound of the guitar on Recurring Dream is, in part, courtesy of the JC. I think he used to use the distortion switch on at almost its lowest. That way the guitar wasn't always ridiculously clean (E.g. that open A-ish chord at the end of the middle-8s on One Step Ahead). Again, I'm not as technically wise as others here are so maybe they'll correct me on that.

Accoustics - he uses Maton. I think he uses a junior sized one. Not sure of the exact model. He probably has a couple.

Pedals/Effects - in the Enz days I think his sole pedals were a MXR Flanger and a Paul Crowther Hot Cakes distortion pedal. The Hot Cakes is awesome - you can get one from Paul Crowther direct if you like. Can't remember now where I got the address and details from but they must be out there somewhere. Great pedal.

He used to use a Roland Tape Echo unit but that got the chop at the end of the Enz days. You can hear it in all its glory on the guitar echos on One Mouth. I have one somewhere - kind of funky but such a big piece of equipment. As many people say, the warmth of it IS nicer than digital but I don't think its size is practical for the road. I grew to really resent lugging that thing around! God knows if you can still get tapes for it too.

In the mid/late 80's he bought a Yamaha SPX unit I think. I'd doubt he's still using that though. No real idea what his effects setup is right now but I'd be willing to bet that the Hot Cakes is still in it.

this would make a GREAT subject for the forum , maybe Neil's, Tim's , whoevers - gear - as a seperate subject..

btw - he also uses a custom Maton 12 stringer , used it last night at the Grove, as well on the KCRW webcast..

his Les Paul took a massive dive last night, had some probs keeping it in tune..

He aalso uses Larrivee Guitars as well..

err, took a DIVE?
it fell over and won't stay in tune?

yes, i agree this would be a GREAT subject for a seperate forum area!

just wouldn't stay tuned...

In Los Angeles last week.
Vox AC 30 ( old model... probably studio rental) 1958 Fender Deluxe run in tandem ( both on all the time). FOH mixer blends as appropriate
Pedal board... a couple boss tuners ( signal spliters?) A boss delay of some sort... and what piqued my interest OD/Boost = Crowther Hot Cake. My ears heard a lot of Vox EL84 OD/Chime.
but then, bam, next song... no more vox tone. So I waited around and asked Neils guitar tech what was up... ( thanks mate!) so he gave me the scoop.

Great thread...I've always been interested in hearing about Neil's music gear too. I work in a musical instrument shop in Australia and due to the fact that I helped someone design a custom model Maton to look like the one Neil was using around the time of One Nil I remember a little about the model. It's a Maton EBG808 - it is a smaller sized body - I think Maton call it their Bluegrass model. Neils had a few modifications though to the standard issue. (I own the EBG808 artist model which is close but not the same) His had a gloss finish with a honey stained top and an abalone (or pearl) inlay around the soundhole and for the binding. No cutaway. Maton also released some other models for the rest of Neils band on that tour - they had ebony fretboards with pearl inlay blocks and a satin finish.(I think Neil was using one of these models too)

A good friend of mine has a Vox AC30, A Gretsch Duo Jet and a Hot Cake pedal - put them together and you immediately have the classic Neil sound. I've been getting a sound that's pretty close with my Fender DeVille, Gretsch Nashville and a Tube Screamer. Love to see some shots of Neils pedal set up.

I haven't posted here much although I'm always checking in - hope you don't mind the intrusion!
cheers

YES! this is the sort of stuff i was hoping to learn about! keep it coming!

i'll contribute what i can as i stumble upon it.

i can point out that on the Sessions at West 54th DVD has a few decent shots of his pedalboard.

I was just looking at the pictures from the Detroit show and see a dripedge '68 Fender Deluxe Reverb or Vibrolux Reverb. That wasn't there when I saw the band in SF but i did see an older blackface Deluxe.

Are some or all of these amps being rented along the way for each venue?

Yep, SIR.

Thanks Tracy! SIR, my old Alumni. Didn't see the rather large numbers that are usually stenciled onto the sides of the amps though.

I believe the les paul is a 68, thats a great piece of gear. Has anyone laid eyes on the ferrington that was made special for him? The inlays are worth getting a gander at.

quote:

Originally posted by allone:
[qb] Thanks Tracy! SIR, my old Alumni. Didn't see the rather large numbers that are usually stenciled onto the sides of the amps though. [/qb]

Yeah, they were very noticeable in Chicago, that's how I knew...

quote:

Originally posted by jester japes:
[qb] I believe the les paul is a 68, thats a great piece of gear. Has anyone laid eyes on the ferrington that was made special for him? The inlays are worth getting a gander at. [/qb]

The LP is a '68, isn't the ferrington you referred to the one he's used during the CH days?

This is a great thread, since I'm a VERY amateur guitarist myself. Neil's Les Paul Deluxe is to me the second most iconic musical instrument in existence--only Paul McC.'s Hofners beat it in my eyes.

It's really great that Neil's become such a bloody good guitarist in the last ten years. I'm not saying he was ever less than good at any point, but he's really been going for it lately. Is there anything the man can't do?

skin a horse at full gallop?
(not that he'd do something so cruel or stupid!)

i'm really looking forward to the new Finn Bros CD!

somewhere i saw a pic of Neil playing a 335 thru a ROland JC-120 and standing nexst to Mick Ronson. when the heck would that have been?
i assume it was back in the Enz days and not early CH.

Well, he can't lip-synch.

I'm enjoying this thread even though I'm not very guitar-savvy. I'm curious to know more about Maton guitars. What are their hallmarks in appearance, playability, and sound?

Evvie

quote:

Originally posted by Reformed Dreamer:
[qb]
somewhere i saw a pic of Neil playing a 335 thru a ROland JC-120 and standing nexst to Mick Ronson. when the heck would that have been?
i assume it was back in the Enz days and not early CH. [/qb]

US/Canada tour 1982!!

On Neils pedalboard and amps...

so, we seem to have nailed down that he uses:

- an old tweed Fender Deluxe paired with a Vox AC-30 (possibly with an ABY switch of some kind?)

- a Crowther Audio Hotcakes distortion (3 knob)

- a Boss Digital Delay pedal (i assume it's the DD-3 cos you can't make the newer ones like the DD-5 and DD-6 do swirly stuff when you twiddle the knobs, they just jump to the new value).

- i think i saw a Hughes and Kettner Tube Rotosphere on his pedalboard in the "Sessions" DVD, tho it seemed to have gone by 7 Worlds.

i KNOW there's more to it than those, but i can't identify them from the DVD stills.

anyone else? Bueller?

Hey Evvie
A little bit of Maton info -
They've been around since the 1940's - there's a photo floating around of George Harrison playing one when he was in Australia in the 60's. Almost every well known Australian guitarist plays one these days - along with a lot of overseas players too (members of Queens of the stone age, Ben Harper, Foo Fighters, Jeff Buckley was playing one for a while - Australian players are too numerous to mention!). They use a lot of timbers that come from Australia - Victorian Blackwood, Queensland Maple, Queensland Walnut. The tops are generally spruce - although there are some models with cedar tops or Bunya Pine. They also offer all kinds of custom options. The prices range from $899AU - to around the $5000AU. Soundwise they are warm and "woody" sounding - they don't have the bright sound of a Taylor - nor the "Bottom end" that a Martin has - they probably sit nicely in between. Most of the range come in a satin finish - although there are quite a few gloss models available too. You can order custom colours as well. They offer 3 different types of pick ups AP4, AP5 and the APMic - which has a Mic in the soundhole as well as the usual piezo pick up under the bridge saddle - the pick up controls allow you to blend the two sounds. Playability on them is excellent and the guitars that arrive on a regular basis at our store are always are well set up. Check out www.maton.com.au and you'll be able to have a look at the models - there's plenty of photos. They also make a range of electric guitars.

I just found this piece of news on the Maton site:

"Neil & Tim Finn, two of the worlds finest Songwriters, were regretfully forced to retire there trusty old Maton's. When Neil told us the news we were so sad to see them go, that we got Neil's old EBG808 into the hands of our finest craftsmen and they set to task building replacements. When Neil and Tim received the guitars they were blown away with the sound, feel, and look of their new Matons."

Anyhow, hope that all helps a bit....
I'm interested to know more about the pedals used too - hopefully some one will come along with some more info.
cheers

Hello everyone!

I was wondering what guitar Neil is using in the "I See Red" video... I'm sure it's a Rickenbacker as Nigel is using a Rickenbacker bass, and they look very similar... Can someone help?

Also, the acoustic Tim plays in "Six Months in a Leaky Boat", "I Got You" and Neil plays it in the "Things" videos... is that the Maton everyone's talking about?

Thanks!

Hmm, no it seems that the acoustic Tim and Neil are playing is a Gibson of some description, how could they have afforded something like that so early in their career? Anyone know more about it?

Still unsure about the I See Red Rickenbacker, I can't find anything like it on the Rickenbacker website...

Please help someone! I love these guitars!

Thanks

Yep, Neil is using a Rickenbacker in the I See Red clip. I'm pretty sure it was burnt in the fire before the Nambassa concert in '79 in NZ.

I can't remember what the other guitar was but I believe it was auctioned just a few years ago. This could be disinformation but I think it was a Gretsch. ????

makes sense.
he is a long time Gretsch user, after all.

from what i remember of the new orleans show at the house of blues in august, his gear appeared to be the same gear that i saw on the sessions from west 54 dvd; the acoustic guitars could have been different, but the electric guitars were the same ones.

what is the old little tweed amp behind him on the 7WC DVD?

A late 50s Fender Deluxe, i think.
i'm still wondering what Neil's signal chain is... what kind of effects in what order?

does he run the amps parallel or use an A/B switch between the amps so he can use them for different things. or perhaps an ABY switch that allows all the above?

according to Beatles Gear, John Lennon used a tweed Deluxe in the pre-EMI days of the Beatles.
it's wild guess that this was an inspiration for this amp combination.

Hey thanks for the info John and Mr. Dreamer, Checking through the DVD I noticed that that acoustic reads Gibson on headstock, how on earth could they have afforded something like that so early in their careers? :|

Neil also plays an "Ovation" acoustic in the Bold as Brass video, the same guitar Phil Judd is playing in Sweet Dreams and the like... I like that guitar.

Have any of you more detailed info on the make of his I See Red Rickenbacker, I can't find anything even remotely resembling it on the Rickenbacker website... any help?

Thanks!

quote:

Originally posted by Brian Wilson is God.:
Have any of you more detailed info on the make of his I See Red Rickenbacker, I can't find anything even remotely resembling it on the Rickenbacker website... any help?

Thanks! [/QB]

if you can post a capture from the video showing the guitar, i might be able to ID it.

is there a region 1 NTSC version of the Enz video compilation DVD available?

Oh dear, I've not the ability to capture DVD screens... Could any other kind soul take some good captures of the I See Red guitar from a few angles... Please?

I noticed on the recent tour that Neil appeared to be playing a Burns 12 string.
Is that correct ?
Great guitars. Superagrass use one or two.

Nice

I *think* the consensus was that it was a Maton. I *think*.

I had a look on the Burns website, and their "Double-Six" looks nothing like Neil's 12-er that he played on the current tour. So that is probably a Maton.

Also - someone mentioned a LP Goldtop, and a LP '68... are we talking about the same guitar? 'Cos the LP he used on 7WC (as the picture currently adorning my desktop will show) was definitely black. But the LP he used at the Fleadh in 1994 with CH was a Goldtop (as was Mark Hart's, incidentally).

Has he stopped using the Goldtop and replaced it. Has anyone seen the Goldtop since June 1994? Did the black LP make an appearance before May 2001? Should I stop asking questions now?

Chris.

quote:

Originally posted by CJ:
[qb] Also - someone mentioned a LP Goldtop, and a LP '68... are we talking about the same guitar? 'Cos the LP he used on 7WC (as the picture currently adorning my desktop will show) was definitely black. But the LP he used at the Fleadh in 1994 with CH was a Goldtop (as was Mark Hart's, incidentally).

Has he stopped using the Goldtop and replaced it. Has anyone seen the Goldtop since June 1994? Did the black LP make an appearance before May 2001? Should I stop asking questions now?

Chris. [/qb]

The black guitar on 7WC was a Gretsch, not a Gibson Les Paul.
He played his gold-top Les Paul Deluxe ALOT on the tours supporting TWT.

My bad RD - you know where Gretsch got that shape from tho! Thanks for clearing that up.

Chris.

The Rickenbacker in the I See Red clip is the six string model of the 12 string that George Harrison played in the Beatles isn't it? Certainly that's what it looks like. I can't seen an extra row of machine heads, so it looks like a 6 string. From memory it's a Rickenbacker 330... though I could have the # wrong

I used to have Neil's guitar tech's contact info... Here is what his main setup is:

Guitars:
70's Gibson les Paul Deluxe (gold top)
Gretsch Firebird/Duo Jet (50's)
Maton EBG808 (I actually have an identical one, custom!)

Amps:
Vox AC30 (sometimes vintage, mostly reissue)
Fender Blues Junior

Pedals:
Crowther Hotcake
Boss VB-2 Vibrato
Dunlop Hendrix Fuzz/Wah
Boomerang (introduced for Finn Bros tour)
Boss DM-2

That's all I remember...

HAHAHA! After months of searching, I've found the guitar Neil was using in the "I See Red" clip, certainly a Rickenbacker, but it was a thin full body Rick 360-75,

http://www.rickbeat.com/modelslibrary/360f/360f.htm

"Deluxe models 360f to 375f discontinued 1973."

How on earth could Neil have afforded one of those back then? They had no money! And if they were discontinued in 73, how the hell did he get one...

Please, someone that knows Neil please ask!

quote:

Originally posted by Brian Wilson is God.:
[qb] HAHAHA! After months of searching, I've found the guitar Neil was using in the "I See Red" clip, certainly a Rickenbacker, but it was a thin full body Rick 360-75,

http://www.rickbeat.com/modelslibrary/360f/360f.htm

"Deluxe models 360f to 375f discontinued 1973."

How on earth could Neil have afforded one of those back then? They had no money! And if they were discontinued in 73, how the hell did he get one...

Please, someone that knows Neil please ask! [/qb]

Perhaps he bought it used?

Probably the most likely Dreamer, I think he may have lost this guitar in the Nambassa fire... Shame really, I haven't seen him use it before or since...

I ate that whole thread! Thank you!

It were yummy.

Shakespeare

Yup, he DID lose it in the Nambassa file. As did Nigel with his bass (a Rickenbacker too I think). Somewhere in storage I have a fact sheet from way back in the Enz day where they were asked about their equipment. Neil referred to 2 guitars I think to which he added, "both now in ashes". Come to think of it, I guess I just assumed that it was the Nambassa fire. Of course, it could have been some other fire - but that would be on hell of a lot of bad luck for one band don't you think?!

Haha! Maybe Neil is like Hendrix, torching his guitars willy-nilly

You leave me out of this!

Willy

Hello Everyone! (My first post!)

I'm a huge fan of Maton guitars mostly due to Neil and Tim.
My pride and joy is a custom Maton EGB808 made with the exact same specs as Neil's model.
Maton were very good about it all- checking their books to make sure it was the same as what they'd recorded for Finn's.

I often wonder if 808 Song was named after Neil's guitar. Does anyone know?

quote:

Originally posted by Kid A:
[qb] Hello Everyone! (My first post!)

I'm a huge fan of Maton guitars mostly due to Neil and Tim.
My pride and joy is a custom Maton EGB808 made with the exact same specs as Neil's model.
Maton were very good about it all- checking their books to make sure it was the same as what they'd recorded for Finn's.

I often wonder if 808 Song was named after Neil's guitar. Does anyone know? [/qb]

wow! i'm kind of surprised they would make one identical to neil's. that's cool. always wanted me an EGB808. what a beautiful guitar!

as far as i know, everything i've read points to the 808 song indeed being named after the guitar.

Yeah, certainly agree with that. Maton do make great sounding guitars; the small-bodied ones, the "BlueGrass" series (BG, EBG) have such a big sound!

Sure, Maton will do any customisation you want (at a price). Maton offer a set of custom options to make the guitar look different, so sure, you can make your EBG808 look like one of Neil's if you want. Check out the website www.maton.com.au

But Martin and Collings also make very nice-sounding small-bodied guitars. Check out (if you're in a Martin dealer shop) the Martin "Eric Clapton" signature model (OK, if you have USD 10,000 lying around).

The Martin guitar Neil plays on the Edible Flowers video is a Martin "Graham Nash" signature model: all Mahogany body...looks amazing, and probably sounds the same ("only" around USD 5000 according to their website). It looks a bit like the guitar you see Robert Johnson playing on the front of that compilation CD of his stuff. Cool or what?

The originator of this thread was interested in all Neil's guitars from
"Day 1", I think...

Well the first electric he bought (in Soho, London, aged 19, Day 1 with Split Enz)was a Yamaha. Can't remember the model number, but it had a double cutaway. You can see it in early Split Enz concert pics. You can still get them
because I saw one in a guitar shop in Singapore a couple of years ago. The Yamaha website is probably a good place to check the latest...!

The LP Goldtop he played at the very first Crowded House gig (Middle Park Hotel, Melbourne, 1986, supporting Split Enz) was a 1964 Les Paul Goldtop. Of course, he may have other ones, too... If you want a Goldtop, I think Gibson only do LP Standards as Goldtops now, but check the webpage. Of course, if you happen to be a Rock-god, a guitar-maker will do any
customisation/alteration you desire for free (publicity).

Any idea what was the pillar-box red thin-line acoustic Neil plays at the beginning of the "I Like To Watch" video? Think it might be another Yamaha...

quote:

Originally posted by RavingChat:
[qb] Sure, Maton will do any customisation you want (at a price). Maton offer a set of custom options to make the guitar look different, so sure, you can make your EBG808 look like one of Neil's if you want. Check out the website www.maton.com.au[/qb]

i was interested enough at one point to get maton to price one for me. i didn't ask for the specs to be identical to neil's, but the price came to around $5,000 new zealand. at that time the exchange rate was about half, so it would have been a good deal for me, but i decided not to buy it.

you mention the martin small bodied guitars, besides the clapton one, they also have their own 'blue grass' model. i haven't seen it in a while, but last time i did it was about $700. i don't know how it sounds, but i have a martin DM that was in that price range and i love playing it and how it sounds. they make good guitars.

Anyone know what Neil is playing on the Weather with you video of the special ed. EIH? I'd be v.grateful if someone could give me the details as I have no clue when it comes to guitars...

One of the good things I find about the smaller bodied guitar in general is the ergonomics of it- I find it easier to play than the standard size.

Raving Chat, I'm pretty sure the red acoustic is a Yamaha. :-)

Oh, Vieoray, you really should get yourself one (a Maton, I mean), man. They are not cheap, but they are awsome guitars and tremendous value (compared to a Martin, I was thinking). I mean, I thought the Martin Eric Clapton sounded great when I tried it, but did it sound (to my ear) better than my Maton? Not sure about that... It's like auditioning hi-fi: do you actually get a better listening experience for the extra bucks?

Maton are extremely helpful about shipping, in my experience. It's all door-to-door!

I agree 100% with Kid A about the smaller-bodied guitar experience. Holding a dreadnought now feels pretty strange...

Like mrsfrog, I, too, would like to know what the 12-string was Neil has been using on the EIH tour. I'm sorry, I can't help you there... :-(

the smaller guitars are called parlour guitars, i believe.
i wish i had one!
comfort issues aside (they are quite comfy!), i like how they are generally less boomy and have better upper midrange articulation.
yah, muso alert here.

quote:

Originally posted by Reformed Dreamer:
[qb] the smaller guitars are called parlour guitars, i believe.
i wish i had one!
comfort issues aside (they are quite comfy!), i like how they are generally less boomy and have better upper midrange articulation.
yah, muso alert here. [/qb]

they are also called auditorium guitars. i like playing them because i'm a smaller guy, and it just feels more natural and comfortable than a dreadnought.

i wanna start learning to play guitar.Its something i've always wanted to do but never found the time.Now i have some spare time i've decided to learn.I want to learn to play acoustic guitar first and was wondering what is best guitar to get for a beginner.I can afford to spend about �200.

Roger
RIP Paul

Roger, you might want to post your question as a new topic in AIA -- it's more likely to be seen there.

not meaning to stray too far off topic but to answer your question crowdieman, you should go to your local guitar shop and ask for help. tell them your budget, and get them to show you a few guitars within your constraints. request to hold the guitars, strum them, see which one feels comfortable to you and sounds how you want to sound. finding the guitar that's comfortable to you is the biggest thing. ask questions and buy the one that feels and sounds the best. then be very, very patient and have fun

I've been wondering what that big red Gretsch he owns was. He uses it A LOT. Now I know, and as I suspected I couldn't afford one even if I came across one similar. Fender bought Gretsch and the quality on the guitars this mere mortal can own is reported to be pretty ho-hum (they have electrical problems in the new jet models).

He definitely has a gold top Gibson...that could use a pick guard I might add, but at least it shows he uses/loves it.

In the most recent Finn Bros tour, I swear I saw him using an electric 12-string that looked to have Maton on the head...any thoughts?

As far as I know, Black Cloud- that Gretsch is a Firebird. I think it's a 58? That's just off the top of my head.

As I recall it was a gift from a fan who owned a music store in the US. Someone might want to correct me with better details.

yes, i believe you're correct kid a. but...is that the guitar neil lost and then found some time later? seems like i remember him misplacing a guitar that was given to him as a gift and it turned back up eventually.

He LOST a Gretsch?
Man.

The Firebird of Neil's came from Athens, Georgia or so Chris Bourke's biography says. It was given to him by generous man called Mike Guthrie in 1991 (I think)- it's possible he did lose this one as it doesn't seem to appear for ages in their live shows.

I believe I heard this story and he didn't lose the guitar (whatever guitar it was) so much as an airline did.

yes, if i remember correctly, an airline lost one of neil's guitars, but it turned up after some time (two years or more?). i THINK it might be the gretsch, or maybe i am mixing the two stories of the lost guitar and the gift guitar together.

ok, i did some research on this:

apparently neil owns a duojet and a firebird.
the DUOJET was given to neil by a guitar store owner in Austin:
from an interview in 1998 with neil, where he was asked "what's your most treasured possession?"

"It used to be my Gretsch Duojet guitar. I was in Austin, Texas, feeling miserable because I had the flu, and this guy who owned a vintage guitar store showed me this guitar and turned up at the show that night to give it to me."

it was also the DUOJET neil lost:
"Unfortunately the airline lost it on the way from Melbourne a couple of years ago, so that was my most treasured."

ok...so we know neil has the firebird, because he plays it now. but did he ever recover the duojet? i seem to recall him having a duojet. didn't he play one on suffer never on the seven worlds collide dvd? it's a blueish color with silver trim...

I've definitely seen him more recently with a semi-hollow Gretsch. I'm not remembering if it was live, live feed, DVD or what. Both that he uses/used have Bigsby tremolos are are similar enough in color to be confusing in stage lighting (red looks black in green light, blue looks black in green light, etc.)

Not that I want to own a Gretsch or anything like that. Does anyone have US$3000 they want to donate?

This is from a 2002 article in Acoustic Guitar magazine:
"Neil Finn plays two custom-made Maton EBG808 acoustic guitars. Maton Guitars (http://www.maton.com.au) is known for using native Australian tonewoods for its guitars' backs, sides, and necks, and Alaskan spruce for the tops. Rather than playing through an amp, Finn plugs his acoustics straight into a DI during his live performances. D'Addario EJ16s are his strings of choice, and he uses Dunlop .073 guitar picks and Kyser capos. On the electric side, he plays a 1958 Gretsch Firebird and a 1968 Gibson goldtop Les Paul."

the duojet neil owns looks very close to this: http://www.gretschguitars.com/gear/index.php?product=G6...&cat1=&cat2=&q=&st=1

the pickguard or some other part on his has glitter-like stuff on it.

I think that's the one he plays Suffer Never with on the Seven Worlds Collide DVD?

yes.

I can kinda see where Stuart Murphy was going with the Burns 12 string, the main thing i got against it, is the 'head' of the guitar is different, and the body of Neils 12er looks like the bodies of some of the 6ers. The maton 12er looks nothing like the 12 Neil played in Australia (I know i been drooling over one for about 12 months). Anyone got any other suggestions? i really like that 12 string.

I was 6 feet from it in Oxford and it's definitely a Maton, it says so. Must be some custom-made job.

The 12 string as seen at the Albert Hall gigs recently is definitely a Maton.

The Gretsch Duo Jet Neil had lost by the airline was black in colour, I last saw him play it at the 1st Finn tour back in 95 at the Islington Union Chapel....not sure if he ever got it back?? I don't think so.

Zola

quote:

Originally posted by Lovethislife:
[qb] The 12 string as seen at the Albert Hall gigs recently is definitely a Maton.
[/qb]

THANK YOU. I'm not crazy. I was in the front row of a show in the US (meaning I could have pretty much mugged Neil if I'd wanted) and that's what I saw. It looked like it was orange too. Weird little guitar. If I can get this to work...it looked a bit like this guitar (Maton Flamenco circa 1960s), but 12-string and w/o the bigsby. It also had some tone switches in addition to the volume knob.



Well, hell, here's a pic someone got at RAH.

Well I've got my first Vox AC30 on the way...

Now all I need is a Gold Top Les Paul and a voice and some talent...

cheers,
joey

to you guys who were so close to the maton 12 string electric: what does that label say underneath one of the switches? you can see it in the picture above, look directly underneath neil's hand at the white square. you can almost see what it says on the everyone is here bonus DVD, but i can't quite make it out.

i'm pretty sure the red 12-string is a modified Burns.

I see the Crowther Hotcake that Neil uses is made by the ex Split Enz drummer Paul Crowther...

I can't find a website for Crowther Audio to read about the Hotcake...

does a website exist??

thanks,
joey

I don't think Mr Crowther has a Website, but you could find out information via Google, particularly the Aus (com.au) and NZ (co.nz)Googles. He makes a limited number every year which get distributed to musical instrument shops in Aus and NZ. You may be able to get one that ships, or you may find some in the US, you never know.

If you're a bass player, check out the Crowther "Prunes and Custard", too...

Sorry, forgot to mention... This is a shop in Melbourne that will ship for you, if you're interested.

http://www.melmusic.com.au/index.php

I picked up both pedals here, when I was in Melbourne.

Thanks RavingChat,

What does Prunes and Custard do that is good for bass? I am mainly guitar, but occasionally play bass.

Ah, well, you just seem to get some better synthetic sounds in the bass, I thought...

Here's a little bit more about the Crowther P&C:

http://filters.muziq.be/model/crowther/prunescustard

http://www.harmony-central.com/Effects/Data/Crowther_Au..._And_Custard-01.html

Try searching in Google on "PEC Hot Cake" and "PEC Prunes and Custard"

PEC=Paul Emlyn Crowther

thanks ravingchat. i've been looking for a place to get a hotcake pedal for some time.

Paul Crowther will actually sell you a Hotcake directly from New Zealand.

I have been in email contact with him, and he says it is OK to post his email address here, but not to post prices. So if you want a price, just email him.

Email
croth@clear.net.nz

cheers,
xc

There's been a lot of interest in Neil's "new" 12-string he's had in the recent shows, and the people who had their money on it being a Maton would be right!

I wrote to Neville Kitchen (Maton's CEO), whom I met a couple of years ago and he confirmed.

It's a Fyrbyrd FB 1220 from 1965 or 1966. (so it's not so "new") You can download the specs from here. (Choose the model and scroll to the bottom of the page):

Check out the original price!

http://www.maton.com.au/resultlist.asp?modelcode=&model...submitButtonName.y=0

(or you can type Fyrbyrd in the search box).

Bad news 1: there is no nice pic
Bad news 2: Maton don't make them anymore (unless you can convince Neville that you're a rock-god). (
Bad news 3: they have none left in their inventory, so you can put your credit card away ((

There are some grainy pics (from 40 years ago), but no nice ones, in the PDF data sheets.

If you type Fyrbyrd in the quick search on the home page you'll get all the Fyrbyrds.

$210.00
wow.
hehe...

wonder where neil got it from?

quote:

Originally posted by RavingChat:
[qb] It's a Fyrbyrd FB 1220 from 1965 or 1966. [/qb]

Thanks for that RavingChat!

I for one was tearing my hair out trying to work out what that guitar was!

It is a very nice axe, and I am going to keep my eyes peeled for a six-string fyrbyrd to add to my mastersound.

Well, you never know, southofpiha, you may be lucky. I, for one, haven't stopped looking but I live in Europe and it wasn't until last year that Maton had a European distribution (and then only in Italy, I think), so the chances of my finding a Fyrbyrd over here, in a vintage guitar shop, are pretty slim.

But you never know... Keep looking and stay tuned!

to eevie: maton are a australian made guitar who specialise in acoustic. they play beautiful and their sound is warm. unfortunatley...i dont have one! but i will..it will be mine, oh yes, it will be mine!

RavingChat, there was a '62-63 model fyrbyrd on australian ebay that finished the other day and went for around $1200, but it was the earlier shape, different to Neil's. The one I want is for sale at a Melbourne store, but I just need to find the $1500 to buy it! (though I'm sure it's more than worth it)

I have a Maton Mastersound that I picked up last year and has been great to me. I had no idea that Maton had been making electrics for so long!

I'll eventually get my hands on that guitar. If you ever need help finding one, let me know, and I'll keep my eyes peeled.

Cheers again!

Oh, right: cool! You see, there are some around, southofpiha...! I think guitar shops in Melbourne or Sydney are going to be a good bet! Unfortunately, I'm on your side of the planet only once or twice a year, so it's a bit hit or miss.

I suggested to Neville Kitchen, that I thought there would be a big demand for these old Fyrbyrds, thanks to Neil... Maybe we should lobby for their re-introduction into the Maton inventory....?

I know that Jackson's Rare Guitars in Sydney can hunt down guitars if you are really eager. you'll pay a bit for it tho...

Many thanks for the heads-up, theworld whereyoulive! I'll certainly check them out next time I'm in town.

I see they even have a webpage...

Wow, this great thread is still going. This is good stuff - we should consolidate all the details

I wanted to add, that Neil is also using a UniVibe (Dunlop).

and he uses Jim Dunlop .73 and .88 picks and Kyser capos.

* The red Gretsch (Firebird) is a '58 (or '59)
* The Les Paul Goldtop/Deluxe? I don't know, it's confusing - it'ss most likely from the early 70's...I don't believe they didn't do the mini-humbuckers until '69. Can't believe the fact I saw an identical one in a local shop ('73) Goldtop, mini-humbuckers and even the black plastic around the switch - too bad I didn't have $1500 sitting around)

Neil also used alot of Danelectro's (The Bellzouki 12 string and a Guitarlin (with the long horns, deep cutaways) during the Together Alone era)

He also have a Gretsch White Penguin hanging on the wall in his basement studio as well as a double cutaway, Gretsch DuoJet. There seem to be alot of goodies on that wall.


I am sure the pedal setup changes, but I have also seen it with just the Jimi Hendrix Dunlop Wah, the Hotcake, DD-3 Boss Delay and a Boss Tuner)

Can any of you, who have the (E)BG808, compare it to the Taylor 312/314/412/414? In body sound and size?

I forgot, there was the Blonde Gibson ES-335 (Early videos)

quote:

Originally posted by Evvie:
Well, he can't lip-synch.

I'm enjoying this thread even though I'm not very guitar-savvy. I'm curious to know more about Maton guitars. What are their hallmarks in appearance, playability, and sound?

Evvie

Hi Evvie,

I know this is a late reply, but I play Maton acoustics exclusively cos I just adore them. For me, the hallmark Maton sound is that warm glorious mid-tone without tinny upper ranges. You can get some models with fabulous lower ranges to them, notably the 808 series, which is the one Neil plays.

Great thing about Maton is they're 100% Aussie made and don't cost the earth for a great sound. Don't look past the laminate models (I've got an 808BGL), they can sound just as good for half the price.

Cheers - Tahl.

Alfred, in last months Audio Technology magazine, there is an article on Split Enz. There is also a photo of Neil's guitar pedals (some 10 or so he used at the concerts!), which I'm sure is what you were after.

This goes to show how little I know about guitars - I didn't even realise you could get smaller ones! I've often wondered why Neil's acoustic guitars seem smaller on him, while I struggle with my dad's. I'm not a big girl so the idea of a smaller guitar that I won't be battling with sounds rather good...might have to convince my dad of that

Man, this would make such a cool tv programme!

Picture the scene, Neil giving us a tour round his studio, showing us his guitars, amps, pedals etc he's been using throughout his career..

Oh well, i'm allowed to dream aren't i?

Oh my God. That would be mindblowingly awesome! the music geek in me just did a little scream of excitement at that idea.

quote:

The red Gretsch (Firebird) is a '58 (or '59)

I like the sound of this guitar