Keith Richards explains the guitar magic of The Rolling Stones, and why the Tele became the number one choice for him: “You try and match your guitar to what the other guy’s playing”
Keith Richards has shared how he came to fall in love with the Fender Telecaster, and why it suited his work in The Rolling Stones.
The Telecaster celebrates its 75th anniversary this year. In honour of the milestone, Fender has launched a number of celebratory Anniversary Collection Teles that integrate archival finishes and modern touches, as well as the revival of more obscure takes on the Tele shape, including the nameless Nocaster. A collection of P-Bass 75th Anniversary models also landed in May.
READ MORE: “He was so proud of himself”: Paul McCartney’s wholesome reaction after playing with the Rolling Stones on Hackney Diamonds
Among a number of artist interviews for Fender’s “love letter to the Telecaster” on YouTube, Richards shares how his love for the Tele began: “So for a lot of the ’60s, my main work was with Gibsons. I wanted that bottom full end, and really I got into the Fender – especially the Telecaster – when I was hanging around with Ry Cooder for a while. We were playing around with tunings. He was showing me this five string open tuning on G.
“I just got interested in it and I found that the only guitar that could really sustain the chords and give you a beautiful, I don’t know… There’s no words for it. Every note is in place. And then I started to really discover what Leo [Fender] had invented. This is where I feel at home,” he says.
“And of course, the Stones is a two guitar band; you try and match your guitar to what the other guy’s playing, you know? In this case it was Brian Jones for most of the ’60s. He loved [to say], ‘You play that and in that case I’ll play this.’
“I mean it’s a piece of wood with some electronics on it, but these things can take on a soul of their own. You get affectionate about [these] things.”
Watch the full video below:
You can shop Fender’s 75th anniversary models for the Telecaster and P-Bass over at the Fender website.
The post Keith Richards explains the guitar magic of The Rolling Stones, and why the Tele became the number one choice for him: “You try and match your guitar to what the other guy’s playing” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Source: www.guitar-bass.net
