The author’s 1961 Fender Jazzmaster, “Pancake,” features a pair of Curtis Novak pickups—a JM-Fat in the bridge position, and an Historic ’61 in the neck.
If you’re into modding guitars, there has never been a better time in terms of options for hardware, electronic components, and, of course, pickups––especially for fans of Fender offsets, where one quick Google search calls up an embarrassment of riches.
Over the last 20 years, pickup winders have benefitted these oft-maligned musical marauders by bringing to market a near-endless array of tone-twisting options. But with so many to sift through, it can be a tall order to pick out the crème de la crème.
If you’re looking to change up the sound of your Jazzmaster, here’s a rundown of some of my favorites from having swapped out hundreds upon thousands of pickups over the years.
Setting a Baseline
It’s a fairly safe assumption that the majority of you reading this article might be starting with stock Fender pickups, whether your guitar is a Squier, MIM, MIJ/CIJ, or U.S. model. Even within that space, Fender hasn’t made it too easy to know what it is you actually have. The popular Squier J Mascis model, for instance, features P-90s stuffed under Jazzmaster covers; same goes for the Classic Player line.
What exactly is a “proper” Jazzmaster pickup, then? Succinctly, it’s a wide, flat coil wound hot around six alnico rod magnet poles. Fender’s popular Pure Vintage ’65s fit that bill, so let’s use them as our baseline here. They’re a fine representation of what a Jazzmaster sounds like, though I’d point out that they’re a bit thin and underpowered at 6.5k ohms, compared with actual vintage units which typically measure out in the mid 7s through the high 8s.
So, where do we go from here? Let’s start with “vintage” sounds, then work our way forward in time.
The black-bobbin pickups on early ’58–’62 models are generally louder and darker than the gray-bobbin ones found on ’64 and later guitars, with a few changes to wire type and magnet type in between that had a marked effect on the sound. For era-correct tones, I recommend the following, broken into two generalized groups:
’50s
Seymour Duncan Antiquity I Jazzmaster pickups, sans cover
Seymour Duncan’s Antiquity I ($238/set street) set is a great over-the-counter option for a fuller, more present pickup that will add some much-needed girth to your sound. They feature alnico 2 rod magnets and average DC resistance over 8k in both positions, and are wax-potted to reject feedback.
The Antiquity I bridge pickup shines with some sorely-needed low end, while the neck pickup stays warm and syrupy. These are great if you want to tackle jazz and rock tones with your offset.
“The black-bobbin pickups on early ’58–’62 models are generally louder and darker than the gray-bobbin ones found on ’64 and later guitars, with a few changes to wire type and magnet type in between that had a marked effect on the sound.”
In need of a more robust treatment? Curtis Novak’s Historic line seeks to faithfully replicate four different eras of Jazzmaster pickup construction, but Curtis’ finely tuned ear has allowed him to hone in on the specs and frequencies that really make a guitar sing.
Guitars lacking low-midrange thickness can be improved with Novak’s Historic ’58 ($145 street) set and ’58-FAT models ($170 street), the latter adding even more heft to the bridge position and making it ideal for distorted tones. Rich and decadent like lava cake, the Historic ’58 is among my most recommended sets.
’60s
Seymour Duncan’s Antiquity II ($238/set street) strikes out at that mid-1960s Jazzmaster sound: brighter, sweeter, clearer. Featuring A5 magnets with similar resistance readings to the AI set, the added treble zing makes these pickups great choices for twangy surf, country, and 2020s lightly driven indie tones.
Back to Curtis Novak, he once again rises to the challenge with his Historic 1960-1964 ($145 street) and 1965-1969 ($145 street) sets, both of which emphasize treble definition with relaxed midrange. Quintessentially ’60s, any of the above options will jangle to your heart’s content.
Time Travelling
Now, the fun of having such distinct eras of pickups to choose from is the ability to mix and match tones for your own needs. When I’m building sets for a specific guitar, I’ll grab an Antiquity I bridge and a II for the neck, or a Novak ’58-Fat and ’64 combo which lets me get the best of both eras: a darker, heartier bridge pickup with a brighter neck, with the added bonus of a thrillingly complex middle position.
The point is: don’t be afraid to experiment with different pickups in either position!
Modern
A beloved Creston JM with Lollar Jazzmaster pickups
For many years at this point, Jason Lollar made a singular Jazzmaster set that served as the benchmark of a good, strong-sounding pickup. Like everything that comes out of his shop, that set has a sort of hi-fi quality to it: lots of clarity, dynamic articulation, perfectly suited for blues, rock, or funk sounds.
That’s not to say Lollar’s Jazzmaster pickups hold no connection to their Fender forebears, but rather that the Lollar sound is so unique and refined that categorizing them as purely “vintage” feels unnecessarily limiting.
That set is still in production, recently renamed Lollar Original ’58 ($115 street) but retaining its design hallmarks, including radiused pole pieces for truly balanced string-to-string response and a mid-8k DC resistance range. It’s a classy affair that feels like dressing up your guitar in a tuxedo. The name’s Lollar. Jason Lollar.
“When I’m building sets for a specific guitar, I’ll grab an Antiquity I bridge and a II for the neck, or a Novak ’58-Fat and ’64 combo which lets me get the best of both eras: a darker, heartier bridge pickup with a brighter neck, with the added bonus of a thrillingly complex middle position.”
Along with that name change, Lollar has also introduced a companion set known as the Lollar ’63 ($115 street), based on the pickups found in repair tech Jeff Hoppe’s personal instrument. The ’63 incorporates a fuller-sounding neck pickup, flat A2 poles, and matched DC resistance readings between the pickups for a bright yet percussive voice.
Last but not least, there’s also the exclusive Lollar Black Bobbin set, a co-venture with the Chicago-based shop helmed by Shelby Pollard. With radiused A2 poles and lower output, this set mimics the sound of 60-year-old pickups for a darker tone than the Original ’58.
The author’s ’58-style holoflake JM loaded with a set of Sunday Handwound’s 5859s
I would be remiss if I also didn’t give a shoutout to Sunday Handwound and their incredible 5859 set ($145/set). The name might fool you into thinking this recommendation belongs in the ‘vintage’ category, but like the Lollars, this set takes its inspiration from the old and blends it with the new.
Inspired by a custom Stratocaster set wound for a customer, the 5859s retain the general Jazzmaster construction ethos with some careful re-voicing to make them bigger, bolder, and punchier than you’re likely to hear from stock pickups. Better yet, the bridge is overwound for a meaner personality, making it ideal for heavier single-coil tones.
I have the 5859s in my gold-guard holoflake Jazzmaster, and let me tell you, they are formidable. Loud and low-noise, superb for stage use. Paired with a Muff-style fuzz and some delay, I feel like I’m David Gilmour.
P-90
P-90 Jazzmaster pickups by The Creamery
For those about to rock, we politely suggest starting here.
If your tastes skew into the Gibson realm, you’ll be happy to learn that most of your favorite winders probably already make the perfect pickup for you in the form of a P-90 in a Jazzmaster-shaped bobbin.
To name a few, Creamery’s P90 Jazzmaster ($115 street), Fralin’s Steel-Pole ($115 street), Lollar’s P-90 for Jazzmaster ($145 street), Novak’s JM-90 ($140 street), and Porter’s J90 ($130 street) will fit the bill here. They all marry true P-90 bar magnet construction with a relatively Jazzmaster-like coil shape, so you get the more aggressive midrange bark of a P-90, but with some snap on top for good measure.
When using a P-90 in a Jazzmaster, do take your potentiometers into consideration. Each of these options sound great with the brightness of the stock 1M pots but can be declawed by stepping down to 500k as you’d find on a proper P-90-equipped Gibson. Again, don’t be afraid to experiment!
Humbucker
Lambertone’s Crema set
Throwing humbuckers in a Jazzmaster turns it into a Jazzblaster, something I back fully. I adore my single-coils, but there’s something undeniably fun about slapping some double-coils in your trusty offset guitar.
Companies like Lambertone make this easy with the ability to grab their PAF-inspired Crema ($345/set street) model under a Jazzmaster cover, and the same goes for the Curtis Novak JM-PAF ($175 street). The McNelly Jazzmaster HB ($155 street) does a similar thing but allows you to select any of their traditional humbuckers for a drop-in fit.
Wide Range
Fender’s Cunife Wide Range Humbucker set for Jazzmasters
Although first introduced on Telecasters in 1971, and later appearing as standard on Fender’s semi-hollow Starcaster, there is perhaps no other humbucker model that feels like a perfect match for Jazzmasters than Fender’s Wide Range pickup. Paradoxically single-coil-like in response, these massive humbuckers deliver big output, complex low end, and attenuated yet crisp highs.
Accounting for this, Curtis Novak, Creamery, and Porter have for years offered drop-in wide range pickups with appropriate plastic covers, and Lollar joined in a few years back with their Regal for Jazzmaster ($225 street) set. Each of these winders have a different take on the wide range, but they all sound excellent. Seriously, there’s not a bad sound in the bunch.
“There is perhaps no other humbucker model that feels like a perfect match for Jazzmasters than Fender’s Wide Range pickup.”
Just this year, Fender released their own drop-in Cunife (Copper, Nickel, Iron) Wide Rangepickups ($399/set street), the company’s first proper wide ranges since the ’70s. With the correct magnet type in play, this is a return to form for the wide range with a vintage-correct sound.
Better yet, each of the makers listed in this section offer the original massive, chrome-covered versions of these pickups, so there’s nothing stopping you from dropping them in your guitar—at least, nothing aside from some routing.
Noiseless
EMG’s JMaster set in black
Since we’re in the hum-canceling wheelhouse, let’s talk about noise. For some, it’s an unavoidable nuisance and a trade-off for having a preference for the sound and response of true single-coils. For others (myself included), it’s far from the top of the list of guitar-related annoyances. In all honesty, it doesn’t bother me at all, but I’ll admit that I have my signal chain wired up for the lowest possible noise, my guitars are well-shielded, and I roll off my volume when not playing.
For the former group, there is hope! Kinman should be an already familiar name in the noiseless pickup landscape, and we’re all lucky that the company offers a whole host of Jazzmaster options that includes three types of pole-piece spacing, and four different models to meet the needs of individual players: the FatMaster ($189 street), SurfMaster ($189 street), the double-voiced SurfMaster DV ($295 street), and the ThickMaster ($189 street).
It’s not so difficult to intuit the sound profiles from the names of these pickups, so I’ll refrain from describing them here. What I can say is that every experience I’ve had with these pickups has been stellar, so if you’re sensitive to hum but also what’s lost with most hum-canceling options, Kinman may be the ideal solution for you.
Other excellent noise-free pickups come from Brandonwound with their Noiseless Jazzmaster ($125 street), Novak’s JM-Stealth HC ($170 street), Fralin’s Hum-Canceling Jazzmaster ($159 street), and EMG’s JMaster ($229/set street) sold as a pickguard assembly or in pickup sets.
I could write a standalone piece about the EMGs, but to sum up: I find them genuinely impressive in their versatility and utility, and the JMasters somehow stay true to the Jazzmaster flavor. If you’re already an EMG fan, the JMaster is totally worth your time.
Off the Beaten Path
EP Custom Pickups Vintage Correct Jazzmaster Pickups
Before we close out, let’s take a detour on roads less traveled. Most of the makers I’ve already mentioned have quirkier, less ‘standard’ pickups in their catalog. I’m thinking Novak’s Gold Foils for Jazzmaster ($155 street), Gemini’s SuproCaster ($85 street), Lollar’s Blademaster ($155 street), and Fender’s Cunife/Cobalt Chrome Jazzmaster pickups ($299/set street), but there are some smaller brands that I think deserve some attention.
EP Custom is a small operation based out of Santa Cruz, California, that specializes in Fender-style pickups with sounds that far exceed their modest price tag. Ever since installing their ’62 Jaguar set in my Coke Bottle Sparkle Jaguar––a tribute to Dave Wronski of Slacktone––I can hardly think of a more perfect-sounding Jaguar for myself.
EP’s Jazzmaster pickups are equally exceptional and come in two flavors: Vintage Correct ($170/set street) and Fat ($180/set street). The former features Formvar wire and has comparable output and tone to a proper 1958 set, woody and full-sounding with a nice amount of zing. The Fat is overwound for a proper ‘hot’ pickup, with a growl perfectly suited for overdrive.
The Creamery: The majority of winders named in this article are based in the United States. With acknowledgement to the connected world we all live in, I wanted to give a proper shout to The Creamery (see the “wide range” heading above) based out of Manchester, U.K.
For as long as I’ve been in the offset-guitar space, The Creamery has been one of my most consistent recommendations for folks outside the U.S. who are looking for something different, something unique, something that feels specially made for them. Creamery offers everything from classic Jazzmaster pickups, wide range, and PAF-style pickups, but also an extensive list of custom options. Pole spacing, magnet type, wire––you name it.
Whether you’re within or without the U.K., keep The Creamery in mind if your tastes take you off the beaten path.
Black Mass: You may already be familiar with Black Mass Electronics thanks to the game-changing 1312 Distortion, a RAT-style pedal that boasts a huge range of sounds thanks to its 8-way clipping diode selection dial. What you may not be aware of is that Black Mass has entered the pickup winding world with the JMXL ($190/set street).
While it appears to be a traditional Jazzmaster pickup on the outside, it boasts 1/4" alnico 5 rod magnets and a double-tall coil with the bridge wound to around 11k. This is a heavy, punishing set that’ll put you in the mood for doom.Winding Up
With an article like this, it’s impossible to feature every winder out there, each of them putting their own spin on dozens of classic designs. I’ve attempted to narrow down the list by sticking to pickups I have real-world experience with, so if something you love isn’t on this list, that doesn’t mean it’s not great. Drop a line to call out your favorites so that we can all benefit from your experience, too!
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A rig meant to inspire! That’s Jerry Garcia with his Doug Irwin-built Tiger guitar, in front of his Twin Reverb + McIntosh + JBL amp rig.
“I met Jerry Garcia once, in 1992, at the bar at the Ritz Carlton in New York,” Dark Star Orchestra guitarist Jeff Mattson tells me over the phone. Nearly sixty-seven years old, Mattson is one of the longest-running members of the Grateful Dead tribute band scene, which encompasses hundreds of groups worldwide. The guitarist is old enough to have lived through most of the arc ofthe actual Grateful Dead’s career. As a young teen, he first absorbed their music by borrowing their seminal records, American Beauty and Workingman’s Dead, brand new then, from his local library to spin on his turntable. Around that same moment, he started studying jazz guitar. Between 1973 and 1995, Mattson saw the Dead play live hundreds of times, formed the landmark jam bandZen Tricksters, and later stepped into theJerry Garcia lead guitarist role with the Dark Star Orchestra (DSO), one of the leading Dead tribute acts.
“At the bar, I didn’t even tellGarcia I was a guitar player,” Mattson explains. “I had just heard him play the new song ‘Days Between’ and I told him how excited I was by it, and he told me he was excited too. It wasn’t that long of a conversation, but I got to shake his hand and tell him how much his music meant to me. It’s a very sweet memory.”
The Grateful Dead’s final studio album was 1989’sBuilt to Last, and that title was prophetic. From 1965 to 1995, the band combined psychedelic rock with folk, blues, country, jazz, and even touches of prog rock and funk, placing a premium on improvisation and pushing into their own unique musical spaces. Along the way, they earned a reputation that placed them among the greatest American bands in rock ’n’ roll history—to many, the ultimate. Although no one member was more important than another, the heart and soul of the ensemble was Garcia. After his death in 1995, the surviving members retired the name the Grateful Dead.
“I think Jerry Garcia was the most creative guitarist of the 20th century because he had the widest ears and the sharpest instincts,” opines historian, author, and official Grateful Dead biographer Dennis McNally, over the phone. “What we see after his death are the Deadheads coming to terms with his passing but indicating that it’s the music that was most important to them. And who plays the music now becomes simply a matter of taste.”
Dark Star Orchestra guitarist Jeff Mattson, seen here with Garcia’s Alligator Stratocaster (yes, the real one).
Photo by Susana Millman
This year marks 30 years since Garcia’s passing and 60 years since the band formed in the San Francisco Bay Area. Today, the guitarist’s musical vocabulary and unique, personal tone manifests in new generations of players. Perhaps the most visible of these musicians is John Mayer, anointed as Garcia’s “replacement” in Dead and Co. But dozens of others, like Mattson, Tom Hamilton Jr., and a young new artist named Bella Rayne, strive to keep the Dead alive.
The first few Grateful Dead tribute bands began emerging in local dive bars by the late ’70s. More than mere cover bands, these groups devoted themselves entirely to playing the Dead. A few of these early groups eventually toured the country, playing in college towns, ski resorts, and small theatres across the United States. Mattson started one on Long Island, New York. He tells me, “The first band I was in that played exclusively Grateful Dead was Wild Oats. It was 1977, and we played local bars. Then, in 1979, I joined a band called the Volunteers. We also played almost exclusively the Grateful Dead, and that was a much more professional outfit—we had a good PA and lights and a truck, the whole nine yards.” The Volunteers eventually morphed into the Zen Tricksters.
Garcia’s death turbocharged the Dead tribute band landscape. Fanbases grew, and some bands reached the point where big-time agents booked them into blue-chip venues like Red Rocks and the Beacon Theatre. Summer festivals devoted to these bands evolved.
“The first band I was in that played exclusively Grateful Dead was Wild Oats. It was 1977, and we played local bars.” —Jeff Mattson
Dark Star Orchestra launched in 1997, and they do something particular, taking an individual show from somewhere out of Grateful Dead history and recreating that evening’s setlist. It’s musically and sonically challenging. They try to use era-specific gear, so on any given night, they may be playing through recreations of the Grateful Dead’s backline from 1971 or 1981, for example. It all depends on the show they choose to present. Mattson joined DSO as its lead guitar player in 2009.
Something else significant happened after Jerry died: The remaining living members of the Grateful Dead and other musicians from Garcia’s inner circle embraced the tribute scene, inviting musicians steeped in their music to step up and sit in with them. For Mattson, it’s meant playing over the years with all the core members of the band, Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann, and Mickey Hart, plus former members Donna Jean Godchaux, who sang in the band from 1971 to 1979, and Tom Constanten, who played keyboards with the Dead from 1968 to 1970.
Tom Hamilton’s Lotto custom built had a Doug Irwin-inspired upper horn.
In the newest post-Garcia tribute bands, many guitar players aren’t old enough to have seen Garcia perform live—or if they did, it was towards the end of his life and career. One of those guys sitting today at the top of the Garcia pyramid, along with Mattson, is Tom Hamilton Jr. Growing up in a musical family in Philadelphia, Hamilton saw Garcia play live only three times. Early on, he was influenced by Stevie Ray Vaughan, but Hamilton’s older brother, who was also a guitar player, loved the Dead and Garcia. “My brother wanted to play like Jerry,” he recalls, “so he roped me in because he needed me to play ‘Bob Weir’ and be his rhythm guitar sidekick.” Eventually, Hamilton leaned more into the Jerry role himself. “Then I spent my entire twenties trying to develop my own voice as a songwriter and as a guitar player. And I did,” Hamilton says. “And during that time, I met Joe Russo. He was not so much into the Dead then, but he knew I was.”
A drummer from Brooklyn, by about 2006, Russo found himself collaborating on projects with members of Phish and Ween. That put him on the radar of Lesh and Weir, who invited Russo to be a part of their post-Dead project Furthur in 2009. (And on guitar, they chose DSO founding member John Kadlecik, opening that role up for Mattson.)
“When Joe played in Furthur, he got under the hood of the Grateful Dead’s music and started to understand how special it was,” Hamilton points out. “After Furthur wound down, we decided to form JRAD. We weren’t trying to do something academic, not some note-for-note recreation. We were coming at it through the pure joy of the songs, and the fact that the five of us in JRAD were improvisers ourselves.”
“We were coming at it through the pure joy of the songs, and the fact that the five of us in JRAD were improvisers ourselves.” —Tom Hamilton Jr.
Today, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead (JRAD) is considered to be one of the premier Grateful Dead tribute bands. They formed in 2013, with Hamilton and Scott Metzger as the band’s guitar frontline, with Hamilton handling Garcia’s vocal roles. Eventually, Hamilton, too, found himself jamming onstage with the ever-evolving Phil Lesh and Friends. That, of course, further enmeshed him in the scene, and in 2015, he started a band with Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann calledBilly and the Kids.
Now, there’s a new kid on the block, literally. Bella Rayne recently turned 18 and grew up in Mendocino, California. Her parents were into the Dead, but even they were too young to have really followed the original band around the country. At her age, they were big into Phish. By the pandemic, Bella started embracing the guitar out of boredom, woodshedding while social distancing in quarantine. She explains, “Like any other teen, I was bored out of my mind looking for anything to do.” Rummaging through her garage, she came across her mom’s old Strat. “At the time, I was really into ’90s Seattle grunge. I put new strings on the Strat, and then I tried to teach myself Pearl Jam songs, and I learned how to play them by watching YouTube videos. Then, I started posting videos of my journey online as I became more serious about it. I hit a point where I knew it would be my thing. The next thing I knew, one of the Bay Area Dead bands [China Dolls] reached out to me and asked me to sit in. I thought, ‘no way.’“My parents are huge Deadheads,” she continues. “That’s theirthing. I grew up with the Dead being pushed on me my whole life. But I ended up going, and it’s just been this awesome spiral ever since.” Bella calls her current Dead-related project Bella Rayne and Friends, and she, too, has been recognized not only by the new generation of Garcia players in the Dead tribute bands, but also by Melvin Seals, the Hammond organist who played for years in theJerry Garcia Band. “I was hired to just sit-in for a couple of numbers withMelvin and his JGB band,” she recalls, “and we were having so much fun he said to me, ‘Why don’t you just sit in for the whole second set.’ It was an amazing night.”
Bella Rayne with her Alligator-inspired Strat, with a JGB Cats Under the Starssticker on the body.
Photo by Sean Reiter
Jerry Garcia played many different guitars. But for those guitarists wanting to emulate Garcia’s tone, the focus is on four instruments in particular. One is a1955 Fender Stratocaster known as “Alligator,” which Garcia had heavily modified and began playing in 1971. The other three guitars were hand built in Northern California by luthier Doug Irwin: Wolf, Tiger, and Rosebud. Garcia introduced them in 1973, 1979, and 1989, respectively. Sometimes, in a jam-band version of being knighted by the Excalibur sword, a chosen member of this next generation of Dead players is handed one of Garcia’s personal guitars to play onstage for a few songs or even an entire set.
Although they started their journeys at different times and in separate ways, Mattson, Hamilton, and Rayne all have “knighthood” in common. Rayne remembers, “In March of 2024, I was sitting in one night with anall-girl Dead tribute band called the China Dolls, and no one had told me that Jerry’s actual 1955 Strat, Alligator, was there that evening. My friend [roots musician] Alex Jordan handed me the guitar unannounced. It’s something I’ll never forget.”What’s it like to strap on one of Jerry Garcia’s iconic instruments? Tom Hamilton recalls, “It wasRed Rocks in 2017, and I played with Bob Weir, Melvin Seals, and JGB at a tribute show for Jerry’s 75th birthday. I got to play both Wolf and Tiger that night. I was in my head with it for about one song, but then you sort of have a job to do. But I do recall that we were playing the song ‘Deal.’ I have a [DigiTech] Whammy pedal that has a two-octave pitch raise on it, real high gain that gives me a lot of sustain, and it’s a trick I use that really peaks a jam. That night, while I am doing it, I had the thought of, ‘Wow, I can’t believe I am doing this trick of mine on Garcia’s guitar.’ Jerry would have thought what I was doing was the greatest thing in the world or the absolute worst, but either way, I’m cool with it!”
“I was sitting in one night with an all-girl Dead tribute band called the China Dolls, and no one had told me that Jerry’s actual 1955 Strat, Alligator, was there that evening. My friend [roots musician] Alex Jordan handed me the guitar unannounced. It’s something I’ll never forget.” —Bella Rayne
Jeff Mattson has played Alligator, Wolf, Garcia’s Travis Bean 500, and his Martin D-28. He sums it up this way: “I used to have posters up in my childhood bedroom of Garcia playing his Alligator guitar. I would stare at those images all the time. And sowhen I got a chance to play it and plug it in, suddenly there were those distinctive tones. Those guitars of his all have a certain mojo. It’s so great to play those guitars that you have to stop in the moment and remind yourself to take a mental picture, so it doesn’t just fly by. It’s just a tremendous pleasure and an honor. I never imagined I would get to play four of Jerry Garcia’s guitars.”
With young people like Bella Rayne dedicating herself at the tender age of 18 to keeping the Dead’s music going, it feels like what the band called their “long strange trip” will keep rolling down the tracks and far over the horizon. “People will be listening to the Grateful Dead in one hundred years the same way they will be listening to John Coltrane, too,” predicts McNally. “Improvisational music is like jumping off a cliff. Sometimes you fly, and sometimes you land on the rocks. When you take that risk, there’s an opportunity for magic to happen. And that will always appeal to a certain segment of people who don’t want predictability in the music they listen to. The Grateful Dead is for people who want complete craziness in their music—sometimes leading to disaster and oftentimes leading to something wonderful. It’s music for people who want to be surprised.”
The 1929 Gibson L-5 Andy Fairweather Low plays on Invisible Bluesman was a gift from Eric Clapton and was previously owned by J.J. Cale.
Forget about tangents, dovetails, and hairpin turns when conversing with Fairweather Low. They come with the territory. “My dad liked Lonnie Donegan,” he recalls of the British skiffle king, “and he brought ‘Putting on the Style’ into the house, and ‘Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavor’ and ‘My Old Man’s a Dustman,’ which he was. ‘Rock Island Line’ was Lonnie’s only hit in America. I got to play with him later on, with Van Morrison. I also got to play with the Chieftains and Van, and I toured with [English jazz bandleader] Chris Barber. We played on Jools Holland’s show. That was an honor. Georgie Fame was in Van’s band when I was, and I’ve been in the Blue Flames [Fame’s group], and Georgie’s been on two of my albums. He covered ‘Wide-Eyed and Legless,’” a 1975 hit for Fairweather Low.
Despite that patter, he’s not a name-dropper; he’s just talking about his life. A life that has included teen-idol status fronting Amen Corner, the subsequent band Fair Weather and solo albums, inactivity, and then a second career as elite sideman and session guitarist with Roger Waters, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Bill Wyman, David Crosby, Bob Dylan, Stevie Nicks, Dave Edmunds, Richard Thompson, the Who, Joe Satriani, Kate Bush, the Gaddabouts (with Steve Gadd, Edie Brickell, and Pino Palladino), Kevin Brown, B.B. King, Ringo Starr, Tom Jones, Bonnie Raitt, Mick Fleetwood, John Mayall, Procol Harum, and the inevitable “others.” His songs have been covered by Elton John, Thelma Houston, Joe Cocker, Richie Havens, and Three Dog Night. He even jammed, albeit clumsily, with Jimi Hendrix and later provided background vocals on Hendrix’s remake of “Stone Free.”
SoundStream
These days his band, the Low Riders, is Andy’s main priority. Previously, he has named Donegan, Harrison, Keith Richards, Hank Marvin, Ry Cooder, Albert King, Leon Redbone, Jimmie Vaughan, Blind Blake, and Rev. Gary Davis as favorite 6-stringers. In the following interview, he reveals his biggest 6-string influence, and exposes himself as an unrepentant guitar junkie.
You cut a number one blues album.
Two years ago I did an album, Flang Dang, where I played everything except the drums, and that to me was my full stop. I took a third of my pension out to make that album. Got no result whatsoever, so I figured I’m just going to enjoy playing live. Then Malcolm Mills, the head of Last Music Company, said, “People don’t know enough about your blues playing. We should do an album and call it The Invisible Bluesman.” On “My Baby Left Me,” obviously there’s a big tip of the hat to Robert Johnson—sort of “Kind Hearted Woman.” This is the strangest feeling. I’ve been sort of throwing about in the water, playing these songs for 20 years. All of a sudden I’m number one.
What is the old Gibson on the cover?
That is J.J. Cale’s guitar [a 1929 L-5] that he gave to Eric. I’m doing the B.B. King pose, from the old picture with his foot on a stool. I asked Eric if I could borrow that guitar, and he said, “Of course you can.” I loved J.J.’s Shelter records in the ’70s. Such an exciting time. He was in a box all his own.
Fairweather Low patched this guitar with gaffer’s tape when it fell before a gig, then he got it repaired. While it no longer has a crack, he applied the tape again after he discovered it makes the instrument sound darker.
Andy Fairweather Low’s Gear
Guitars
- 1929 Gibson L-5 (borrowed from Eric Clapton; previously owned by J.J. Cale)
- Knight Arena
- Three Eric Clapton Signature Strats with custom pickup arrays
- Black Strat w/one humbucker (rear)
- Knight Arena single-cutaway
- Supro Ozark with a lap-steel pickup
- Teisco Spectrum 5
- Vox Phantom w/gold-foil pickups (neck and middle) and a P-90 (bridge)
- Red Strat w/three humbuckers and parts from an
- Two Airline Res-O-Glas models
- Silverstone electric w/three pickups
- Guild S-200
- Danelectro bass
- Danelectro baritone
- Gibson Chet Atkins CE
- Ramirez classical
- Black Gibson L-5
- Martin Eric Clapton Signature Model OOO
Amps
- Cornell
- 2x10 cab w/Jensen speakers
Strings
- Flat wounds
How did you decide which guitar you were going to play on which song?
On “Bright Lights, Big City” and “Gin House Blues,” I have to play the Strat with the humbucker. I’ve got a white one and a black one. On “So Glad You’re Mine,” another Big Boy Crudup song that Elvis did, I played a Knight Arena guitar. It’s made by a father and son, Gordon and Robert Wells, and it’s fabulous. When I play “Gin House,” its wire-wound strings on the Strat, but everything else is flat-wounds.
You were 15 when you saw the Rolling Stones in Cardiff.
February 28, 1964. Bill Wyman’s coffee table book has the dates and set lists. It wasn’t like a great big hand came down or finger pointing in any direction. It just seeped through the air, like a virus, and all of a sudden I wanted to play guitar. Their version of “Route 66” was the first guitar solo I learned note for note.
Did you go specifically to see them?
They were just on the bill. Also on the bill was Jet Harris, who was with Shadows’ bassist. Mike Sarne and Billie Davis were top of the bill, and there was Bern Elliott & the Fenmen. The Stones started with “I’m Talking About You.” It never leaves you. The first time I saw the Who play, in 1965, or the Stones again, in ’66, playing with Inez and Charlie Foxx… those moments. I saw Sam & Dave, Arthur Conley, Eddie Floyd, and Otis Redding at Finsbury Park, on the [1967] Stax tour. People like Booker T. & the MG’s were so far away. Come to think of it, they’re still that far away. I talk a lot about early guitarists, and in truth it’s got to be Steve Cropper. He’s got the biggest depth in what I do. “Don’t Mess With Cupid,” “Ninety-Nine and a Half,” “Soul Dressing,” “Bootleg”—there’s loads of them. And definitely his rhythm playing on the Wilson Pickett version of “Don’t Fight It.” He was perfect.
What was the Amen Corner tour like with the Jimi Hendrix Experience, the Move, Pink Floyd, and the Nice?
Onstage, I say, “I played with Jimi Hendrix”—and I did. Then I follow it with, “I played very badly with him.” He sidled over to me at 3 in the morning and told me, “You’re in the wrong key.”
“Jimi, I don’t have a clue what key you’re in.”
This was 1967. He wanted to play with Amen Corner, doing “I Can’t Turn You Loose.” We were just a very young soul band at the time. So he borrowed Clive Taylor’s bass, flipped it over, and I sang it.
A couple of months later, we had a residency at a club, and he decided he wanted to get up and play guitar. He took Neil Jones’ guitar, and [hums muted opening to “Voodoo Child”]. I knew Clive wasn’t going to be able to play, so I played bass. I moved around the neck a lot, figuring at some point I’m going to hit the appropriate key. Don’t write in telling me it’s in E; I know that—or Eb if it was on Jimi’s guitar.
Fairweather Low has his Vox Phantom rigged with two gold-foil pickups and a P-90.
U.K. charts were different from American charts. Amen Corner’s “Gin House” was No. 3 in 1967, and “Albatross” by Fleetwood Mac was No. 1 in 1968.
It was pretty wide and varied. When we did the 1967 Windsor Jazz & Blues Festival, it was the first time Fleetwood Mac played. At one point, we were the highest paid act. We got rumors of this band Fleetwood Mac getting paid nearly as much as us. We thought, “That can’t be happening. They’re not on the charts.” But “Albatross”—what a record! I got to play that at the Peter Green memorial show at the Palladium, with David Gilmour on steel. Rick Vito was fabulous. He was definitely the most valuable player in that whole setup. I told [producer] Glyn Johns, “You’ve got to get him.” If anybody needed to be anybody who wasn’t there, he was it.
Glyn Johns produced the Joe Satriani album you’re on.
The big connection is Glyn. That was an interesting time. When Joe was interviewed, the first question they asked was, “Why Andy Fairweather Low?” Which is the first thing I’d ask. I can’t think as fast as he can play. But I had a few tonal things. His demos were so good, like “Luminous Flesh Giants.” He was very gracious to me. Joe had previously produced everything he’d done, and wasn’t used to this setup. Every day he’d make a beeline for me and show me what to play. “Use this finger, don’t use that finger.” By the time we got to 7 p.m., I had a headache. Then Glyn would say, “Joe, the reason these boys are here . . . why don’t you just let them play?” Then we’d play, and we’d get the track. The next day it was the same thing. I think Joe was struggling with letting go of the reins, allowing himself to go down this road. I’m glad. I had a great time.
I played a Supro Ozark with a lap steel pickup on one track. I sold it and a couple of other guitars. I was going to sell a bunch of them. When the guy came back and kept offering more for my black L-5, I went, “I’m done.” Not selling any more. I didn’t realize the attachment that I would have for those things.
You’ve got some oddball guitars.
Because I saw video of Ry Cooder at Sweetwater, playing a Teisco Spectrum 5, I eventually got one. He makes it sound like a bloody piano! The thing about Ry Cooder—whether it’s Gabby Pahinui, the Buena Vista Social Club, or that Jazz album—whatever you think of him, it’s the tip of the iceberg. You’re not even getting one-eighth of what’s below. On the Mambo Sinuendo album, with Cuban guitarist Manuel Galbán, there’s a version of “Secret Love.” The tone on his guitar!
There was a benefit concert for a fabulous guy called Fred Walecki, who had Westwood Music in L.A., and I was onstage with Ry. Definitely other side of the stage, because there are a few guitarists who don’t need another guitar player. Ry is one, Jeff Beck’s another one, and Pete Townshend is. I found out when I played with the Who. Pete wasn’t there because he was cleaning out in America. For three weeks with Kenney, John, and Roger, I sort of filled in, just to be a guitar player in the room. Then Pete came back, and we went through the first day of playing together. What anyone will realize is that when Pete plays an A chord, there’s nobody in the world that can make it any bigger. There was no point in playing when he was playing. I went into the control room and told him, “I think I’ll go off and play some tennis.” I did his Psychoderelict tour in 1993. Tricky, but fond memories of that.“I played with Jimi Hendrix. I played very badly with him.”
What’s going on with the Vox Phantom with gold-foil pickups?
I was doing this concert in Santa Monica for Fred Walecki, who had throat cancer. Ry had a guitar with those pickups, and said he got them from Fred. The next day I went to Fred, who only had two: $15 each. They’re now in the neck and middle on that Vox, and there’s a P-90 in the bridge position. I play “Pipeline” on it, for that ’60s tone.
I got an Airline, known as the J.B. Hutto model, for $750. But I struggled to make it work, intonation-wise. Gordon and Robert [Wells], who made my Knight guitar, took all the electronics out of that and put them into a pink Strat, with all the knobs. But I’m a one-tone man. Everything up, one position, leave it. On the J.J. Cale song “Can’t Let You Do It” from Eric’s I Still Do album, I’m playing that Strat with the Airline parts.
Much to his surprise, Fairweather Low’s new album hit the top of the U.K. blues and jazz chart, despite being a low-key, off-the-cuff affair in the studio.
In terms of session work, did you ever get thrown any curve balls?
Two times. I was doing something with Glyn at Olympic Studios, and in the other studio was Georgie Fame with a big band. He said, “Why don’t you come in and do the session?” It was, “Alright, fellas, letter B four bars in….” All I did was look at the other guitar player, Bernie Allen, and watch what he did. I realized I was way out of my depth. I got through it, but only because I watched him.
The next time, working with Glyn again, it was with Linda Ronstadt. We finished the album on Friday, and she was going in on Monday with George Massenburg to do something with Aaron Neville. She asked if I’d stick around and do something. I said, “Yeah, let me see what you’re going to do.” The first song I could get my head around, “Please Remember Me”—only playing rhythm. The second one was a Jimmy Webb song, where no chord was ever any chord that I had any idea existed. If it was a D, it had an F#; if it was C, it had an E. I spent the whole weekend trying to make my sense of these chords. We get into the studio, and I’m in the booth strumming away on “Please Remember Me.” Then I’m wondering what we’re going to do now. Before I could raise my hand and say, “I’ve got to tell you, I can’t do this,” they said, “You know what? We’re not going to do that song.” [laughs] But I was right on the edge, in front of everybody, gonna have to go, “It’s too much for me.”
“You can be the greatest musician in the world, but if you’re a pain in the ass on the gig, you won’t last.”
How did you end up backing George Harrison, and playing slide?
Roger Forrester, who was Eric’s manager, called and said, “George is going to Japan; Eric’s band is going to back him, and George wants you to do all the intricate slide parts.” “Okay, I’ll think about it.” I put the phone down and realized I don’t play slide. I had met George backstage at a Ry Cooder show; he must have assumed I was into slide playing. Things were not going great financially, and this was a life-changing moment. So I had to make a decision. I either turn up, and they all realize I can’t do it, or I own up now and risk losing the gig.
I asked Roger for George’s number, and I rang him up. I said, “I know this tour’s coming up, and you want me to do the slide parts, but I don’t play slide. I mean, if you tell me what you want me to do, I know the principles and all that, but I can never seem to make it sing.” He said, “I’ve never heard you play, but everybody seems to like you. Why don’t you just come up to the house?” I turn up at Friar Park with my Volkswagen Polo, and he comes out to meet me and looks at my car … because George is a big car guy. He goes, “Do you have to drive that?” [laughs] We got on really well, lots of jokes. Living in the Material World I knew inside and out. My bass playing is based on Klaus Voormann on that album, so melodic. George said, “Let’s do something.” “Material World,” I knew it; I could sing the slide solo. Little did I know I was going to have to learn that thing; plus I had to play “My Sweet Lord.”
“You do the intro.”
“No, George, you’re the slide player.”
So I had to wear this intro that everybody knows, and you better play it right. It’s a bit like the front of “Layla,” which I might have to play as well. We were doing “My Sweet Lord” one night in Japan and I forgot to press the pedal that makes the guitar audible. There was a towel on top of my amp, and I just put it on my head. One of those rock & roll moments.
Andy Fairweather Low is a legend of the British stage and studio, having played with Eric Clapton, Pete Townshend, David Gilmour, and a host of other 6-string greats.
George’s slide style is so distinctive. But there are videos of that tour, and you nailed his sound really well.
Thank you. At the Concert For George, it was a Friday, and Joe Brown was going to do “That’s the Way It Goes.” Typical of Eric, he said, “Andy’ll do it.” I think the show was on Tuesday or something. I got away with it, but I didn’t sleep. George’s solos, you have to know them before you even play them. It’s as simple as that. In fact, that applies to Robert Johnson or whatever you’re learning. When I’d finished “That’s the Way It Goes,” Eric comes onstage and says, “You’re sweating a bit.” I said, “I am, for goodness sake. You should have done this.”
Didn’t George play slide melodies up and down the length of the string, rather than across?
Which I did. I got to play Rocky [Harrison’s psychedelic painted Strat], the 6-string bass that’s on “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” and his [Fender] 12-string on Concert For George. Olivia Harrison allowed Rocky to be played on the rehearsals and the concert, but it had to go back to Friar Park every night.
What’s the big archtop you’re playing on Eric Clapton’s Unplugged?
It’s a Super 300 that Alan Rogan lent to me. The Martin I played was Eric’s; best sounding Martin I ever played. The only guitar I owned was the one that’s on “Tears in Heaven”—a Ramirez classical that I still have.
“I played with the Big Town Playboys for about 16 months. We did a tour of Europe, got back from Germany, and they gave me my check. Thirteen pounds [laughs]. It was worth it, man, so exciting.”
Tell me about the Martin you play onstage that’s held together with gaffers tape.
That’s an Eric Signature Model OOO. We were opening up for him in Poland, and it fell out the back of the van, in its case. Got some gaffers tape and taped it back together, and when I played it that night everyone, including me, thought it sounded better. Back in England, I had it fixed, but I didn’t like it. So I put the tape back on. Eric likes a really bright guitar. Mine takes a bit of that top end off, so it’s warmer.
What’s your main amp?
It’s a Cornell based on the Fender Vibro-King. I started off with a Bandmaster, and moved on to the Bassman with four 10s, and then the Vibro-King with three 10s. Bit by bit, no matter how many times you replaced the valves, replaced the speakers, polished the circuits, they just got tired. They never sounded as good as the day you bought it. Denis Cornell came to a gig and said, “Show me what you want.” I turned up the Vibro-King to about 4, which was enough to sound dirty. He said, “Are you serious?” I said, “Yes, I want you to make me an inefficient amp.” Now I’m down to two 10s, which is basically a Tremolux cabinet. “TV Mama” on Lockdown Live [from 2021] starts with that growl. Get it out there. Frighten them!
After years of sideman gigs, you formed the Low Riders.
You can be the greatest musician in the world, but if you’re a pain in the ass on the gig, you won’t last. Everybody in the band gets along really well. It’s a cooperative. The roadie gets exactly the same as me. Because when the gig is over, I’m sitting down having a glass of wine; he’s packing away and driving us somewhere. He’s worth as much as I am.
I played with the Big Town Playboys for about 16 months. Ian Jennings and Mike Sanchez are top players. We did a tour of Europe, got back from Germany, and they gave me my check. Thirteen pounds [laughs]. It was worth it, man, so exciting. I’m proud of being in that band. I did a live double-album with them, Off the Clock.
I’m lucky. And I know it, too. I can’t see this round-peg of me fitting into any hole of anything that’s going on now. I’m glad I had my time when I did. I loved working with those people, but I quit touring because I just needed to play more.
Divided by 13 CJ11
Drawing from the iconic 50’s era 1×12 tweed combo from Fullerton that created the quintessential “American” guitar sound, the CJ 11 elevates this classic with enhanced tone shaping, mid/gain pull boost circuit, improved output performance, and the addition of a master volume, all while maintaining the original design’s signature appeal.
In contrast to the original’s setup of a single tone knob and dual inputs with individual volume controls, the CJ 11 features a single channel equipped with both Treble and Bass filters, along with a Master Volume. The addition of a Bass control enables the reduction of lower frequencies when the amplifier is pushed into saturation, avoiding the muddiness and compression typical of earlier designs. However, when desired, the classic low-end response and heavy compression that define the vintage circuit are preserved at higher bass settings. With the addition of a Master Volume, the CJ 11 can deliver a range of drive tones, from a subtle edge of breakup to moderate overdrive and full “tweed-style” saturation, enhanced by the onboard boost, all at more controllable volumes than vintage models.
The CJ 11 power amp maintains the classic dual 6V6 power tube complement while upgrading the rectifier from a 5Y3 to a more robust 5AR4/GZ34. Along with an augmented power supply and custom-built transformers, this design delivers enhanced headroom, louder output, improved low-end clarity, and a broader spectrum of usable overdrive.
Although the CJ 11 builds on a classic ’50s design with thoughtful updates informed by years of experience, it preserves the essence of what made the original exceptional while offering greater versatility. With its 1×12 cabinet and a Celestion G12H speaker, the CJ 11 remains portable yet delivers performance that far exceeds what its 11 watt power rating suggests.
