Lynard Skynard's Free Bird SG info, please!

[cutting]

Hi,


I'm interested in Gary Rossington's SG's at Free Bird.
There were no tremolo bar parts but, still Maestro vibrato covers on.
Wondering how he set strings on the SG's.

Please give me some informations or any idea, if you have a time to take a look the followngs.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_iw-JveZhU&feature=related]YouTube - ‪Lynyrd Skynyrd - Free Bird Live FULL SONG 13min.‬‏[/ame]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUucLK3Lc88&feature=related]YouTube - ‪Lynyrd Skynyrd Free Bird Knebworth Festival 21st August 1976‬‏[/ame]

Thanks,
Kutting

 

[pwhite]

If you look at the first video you can see that he has a piece of metal, I think he used a screw driver under his strings on the first fret to raise them up. Then he tunes the G and B strings both to B and only plays the slide parts on those strings. Thats how explains it on the guitar world video.

 

[skynyrd67]

Gary has spread ALOT of BS on interviews, if you listen to the origonal recording of Free Bird and really listen to his slide parts you will hear a phase shifter set as low as it will go, most likely his old Phase 90. He likes to claim that the 2 strings tuned the same gives it that CRYING sound, back when they first came out on the tribute tour he claimed it was a wound G string that lended to the Crying tone, then he changed it later on to the retuned G,B to B . I have tried every option he has given with little to no success in replicating THAT sound, a small piece of stainless wire under the strings at the first fret is a fact, you can clearly see it, after really listening to the recordings I could hear the Phase shifter in there and tried it,, and nailed the tone. He always said that Music Was Their Gimmick,,he was correct with that, a phase shifter was a big part of his, you can hear it on several top hits of theirs, subtlety was his key in useing it to hide it. Its like their amps they claimed to be stock, they weren`t, nor were they rewired to sound like marshalls, They had a solid state transistorized ( not IC ) preamp. I could go on and on ranting over his BS,,lol. But the bottom line with skynyrds tone was they were unmic`d, playing ungodly loud, volume on guitars turned down to control feedback, the mace at high volume gets brighter so they rolled their tones back to get the more traditional tone. Plus Gary in particular had a mod done to his mace that ran the tubes MAJORLY hot, so he was getting breakup distortion along with the preamp, after a 1 hour show he had to have his amp retubed because they were fried. I have studied, researched, and practically STALKED everyone I could to find out what I could about their tone. Main thing is don`t take Gary`s BS to heart.

 

[cutting]

Hello,

Thanks for your replying!
You are so helpful!!

Well, I'd like to know that how he put srings at tail-pieces.
It means I'd like to know how his ball-ends of strings set there.
It seems that he has cut the Maestro vibrato out.
Because, there is no tremolo bar or hanging parts which usually hang strings on when we look the concerts.

Many thanks again.

Kutting

 

[skynyrd67]

He basically had the rocker and bar removed and the roller is stationary and the strings are still strung normally. He had some of the best guitar techs at his disposal and they kept everything as simple as possible for him as well as themselves.

 

[icantbuyafender]

hmm, so to quickly raise the action, i can shove a screw driver under them?

 

[skynyrd67]

hmm, so to quickly raise the action, i can shove a screw driver under them?

Yes you can BUT thats with a slide only, try and do any fretting and you will sound like one of those middle eastern cytars or something,,lol. They make a polished rod you can slide under the strings for that purpose, screwdrivers tend to chew up the fretboard. You could cut off a section of a screwdriver and cut the tip end off and polish each end down and possibly eliminate the scratching issue.

 

[sasquatch]

Agreed. Skynyrd's guitar tech's were awesome. Just like Steve's toggleswitch on his LP at the Knebworth show. Pure lampshade fodder but i love it.

 

[SLewis]

It's tuned EADGGE. He plucks both of the G's at the same time. With a little phaser and practice you can get the sound pretty good. I have also found that using a drinking straw under the strings at the first fret works great.

 

[Lurko]

Jesus Christ, Allen Collins is a monster on that Freebird vid.

 

[EvLectric]

I've always thought/heard it was a pipe cleaner used just to dampen the strings from ringing on the neck side of the slide. If you put something under the strings high enough to cause them to raise up you will have effectively crated a new nut & your intonation would be completely off, especially where it is (first fret) in that pic. I have also heard that's the original pipe cleaner, but who knows.

 

[ehamady6]

Check out this video at 6:10

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OP10bewB93M&feature=related]YouTube - ‪Interview Guitar World 2009-Lynyrd Skynyrd pt2‬‏[/ame]

 

[EvLectric]

Check out this video at 6:10

YouTube - ‪Interview Guitar World 2009-Lynyrd Skynyrd pt2‬‏

Wow. He even admits it messes with the scale. Go figure. It's not how I would have addressed that situation, but if it works for him(& obviously does), cool.

 

[cutting]

Thank you for everybody!
You willl be able to see Gary took screwdrivers or drinking straw for quickly raise the action at 1st fret off in the middle of the song.(after slide part)

I wondering how he set/put strings on the Maestro vibrato.
I attached the thumbnail.
Any informations?

Thanks!

K