Robbie Robertson's Strat

[Blue Light]

Just saw "The Last Waltz" the other night -- it was my first viewing in years and I had the TV cranked up loud and I was astonished all over again at what a great picture it is. Robbie Robertson looked quite dynamic on that wine Strat. Anybody know for certain how he set up that guitar? Looked like a humbucker at the bridge and an usual single coil at the neck, and that was it. An interesting semi-run-through-a-Leslie sound, too.
Clapton looked a trifle amused at their duel during "Further on up the Road."

[Goose]

If you listen to the commentary, I remember he mentions that the bronze looking Strat is, just that. Bronzed. He said he told his tech to take it out and get it bronzed, but he didn't think about how much it might weigh afterwards. Which is why he switches over to the red one about half-way through the concert.

As for his setup, I have also wondered what exactly it is he's got going on there. Maybe you've hit the nail on the head. It sure does sound great though. :wail2



Oh, and... Hi. I'm new here. :roll

[Mike Shaw]

Don't quote me on this, but I heard someplace that the bridge p'up is not a humbucker, but the middle pup moved next to the normal bridge pup. I don't know if the wiring had be changed. Mike

[Hotrodder]

I was checking out it last night, it is 2 slanted single coils at the bridge.

[GuitarG]

Originally posted by Mike Shaw
Don't quote me on this, but I heard someplace that the bridge p'up is not a humbucker, but the middle pup moved next to the normal bridge pup. I don't know if the wiring had be changed. Mike

Mike, you're right. That's what he did. He had the middle pickup moved back flush with the bridge pickup. I don't think there was any rewiring done. I remember reading a Guitar Player interview with him around the time the Last Waltz was released.

[ShawnRT]

Did he mention why he did it or what effect it had on the tone? I imagine that it would be brighter, but maybe it has some other perks? Maybe he was tired of hitting it with his pick :) I know that I do that sometimes.

[Mike Shaw]

"If my memory serves me well...." he said that the middle pup got in the way of his picking.

[Goose]

So to do this, all you'd need to do is get a custom pickguard... right? And just move your middle pup flush with the bridge pup?

[ShawnRT]

If your strat has the universal "swimming pool" route or is routed HB/SC/HB underneath the pickguard then all you need is a new guard. If it is routed SC/SC/SC then you're going to need to get out the router.

[Goose]

Originally posted by ShawnRT
If your strat has the universal "swimming pool" route or is routed HB/SC/HB underneath the pickguard then all you need is a new guard. If it is routed SC/SC/SC then you're going to need to get out the router.

Yeah, my Strat copy has the swimming pool deal. Maybe as an experiment sometime I'll mess around with it.

[Blue Light]

Thanks for the lowdown.
Of course, there is the very real question if Robertson "sweetened" up the solos for the soundtrack. Levon Helm implied as much in his bitter (but great) autobiography, This Wheel's On Fire.

[GCWaters]

Levon was like a wild man in that book...amazing stories and a great read but holy cow was he pissed at Robbie (and maybe rightly so)...

[Mike Shaw]

Oooohhh, freaky! The quote I used "If Your (my) memory serves you well" was a line from an old Dylan/Byrds tune called "This Wheels on Fire". I had now idea that was the name of Levons book. Almost in time for Halloween!

[Stanze]

RR butchered the solo for Let It Be in the Hall of Fame Awards. *puke*