Roy Buchanan Tone - Who's Got It?

[castpolymer]

I am finishing a USACG Ash BB Tele and am looking for a Roy Buchanan tone. After seeing his " Green Onions " on Youtube the other day, I am hooked. Bill Lawrence ( not the " real " ) pickups claims their Black Labels were made for Roy. I have also seen some really good things written about Bill Lawrence's Keystones. Don Mare and O.C. Duff also have " Nancy " pickups. Help me cut thru the confusion and find a sweet set of pups. Thanks, Dale.

Also, what is up with the covered vs. uncovered neck pup in regards to Roy Buchanan? In the video I saw, his neck pup was uncovered.

[El Duderino]

Contact Don Mare...I just received my "SpagWest" Alnico 3 set with '53 Brass Cover and just got them installed and WOW! I have not tried new pickups since the 2004 Hamel insanity! Now let's be real...there is only one "Roy" but....these pups will inspire. With regards to covered or not covered neck pickups just go with the vintage style covered pickups for the traditional sound. A Nickel cover vs. a Brass cover = more high end but as always there are variables to all of this!

[Steve G]

To me that sound is more to do with pick attack and playing style than pickups.
not helpful I know but just my 2 cents/pence.

[mad dog]

I have Don Mare's 2324 pickups ("Nancy" model) in my partscaster tele. These are Don's tributes to the actual pickups in Roy's "Nancy" early 50s tele. If you want Roy type tone, here it is. Me, I was looking more for the full pallette of early 50s tele tone ... and got it. The clarity and depth in these pickups are outstanding. I use neck only and middle positions as much as bridge only. It's the best tele tone I've heard.

[GuitarJonz]

Yes, the Don Mare 2324 set will let as close to Roy's "Nancy" tone as possible. BTW, the pickups are not called the "Nancy" model. Check them out on This Youtube Clip

[Del Pickup]

I would think that any vintage style low output pup should get you there. I doubt if Roy B was using any custom wound pups - more likely whatever was installed when the guitar was put together.

I think, as Steve G, mentions Roy's tone is more to do with the style of playing than the pickups.

[MatteusNova]

Roy is awesome, truly one of my heroes on the Tele:

[Don Mare]

mentions Roy's tone is more to do with the style of playing than the pickups.

with the fine exception of Nancy... I played that guitar at a Vintage show - and I had played all the old Teles possible that day - it was nearing the shows end about 2pm when I plugged in Nancy - people had no idea what I was playing - most knew nothing of a Roy Buchanan - but they came and crowded around - why? - most popular answer was "they never heard a guitar like that" and this was a Vintage Show - full of experts.
they stayed in front of the booth for the last two hours and just had me moving the switch and knobs to get all the different sounds - but they were like DEER IN THE HEADLIGHTS.. just ad Roy Buchanan to that - and holy smokes! -

we have to keep open minded - sometimes with TONE its going to not be what we think we know or just fingers..

sure Roy can play like Roy - and you play like you - but when he played Nancy there was a HUGE difference... and I know why it was the pickups. and after 8 years of jumping thru hoops to get the formula I can safely say it indeed was the pickups.

the neck was a pretty 6.1k Alnico 3 with a brass cover with a .1 cap in series on it.

The bridge was always broken - partially working - so what your hearing is about a half of a pickup working which makes it sound slightly out of phase and toy like with a ton of high end EQ's that are off the map - the bridge also went thru the .1 cap in series at the switch...

when Roy retired Nancy it was because the pressure from the Record Label to use newer
guitars and the echo / delay this was to attract a younger audience -(see the new guitar in the youtube above with the echo on - its just not the same as Roy was with Nancy and during those transitional times allot of Roys hard core fans were not happy about the change -)- and the label said it worked that the newer clean guitars and echo was bringing in younger crowds in the early 80's - So all the stories about Nancy "having parts swapped or stolen" were made up - this was to not let the cat out of the bag about the Record Labels had these inside ( behind the scenes) plans for him..

you can see proof that Nancy is fine buy buying "Tele Talk DVD" filmed just a few months before Roys passing - hes playing Nancy thru a Tweed Bassman and a Reverb Tank and its just as sweet and hypnotizing as it ever was - Nancy is still intact today and sounds the same as all those years Roy had it. and that bridge pickup was obviously like that before Roy traded for her. because shes got that sound.

heres more proof - I am playing Nancy thru my Vibrolux on a clip at www.roybuchanan.org (hit the music link) this difference in the Bridge is especially evident at time signature 4:08
when I start flicking the switch - neck-to-bridge-to-neck-to-bridge..etc.

Cheers Roy Fans!
Don Mare

[castpolymer]

Thanks for the info Mr. Mare. Have you seen the youtube performance of Roy at the Rockpalast in Hamburg in 1985 playing " Green Onions?" Is Mr. Buchanan playing Nancy? If I can ever play that well I will die a happy man.

[Don Mare]

Originally Posted by castpolymer

Thanks for the info Mr. Mare. Have you seen the youtube performance of Roy at the Rockpalast in Hamburg in 1985 playing " Green Onions?" Is Mr. Buchanan playing Nancy? If I can ever play that well I will die a happy man.

Rockplast should be the Guild with EMG's

when you search Utube for Nancy Clips - I myself just look for the Butterscotch yellow Tele..
thats Nancy..

[Bob Davis]

Not to step on Don Mares' toes, but the footage in that "just released" Telly Talk with Roy was filmed in June of 1982, not months before Roy passed away in 1988.In the first released copies Noe Gold, the guy who sells the DVDs on eBay states that the footage was shot in 1988,but he corrected this a short time later and admitted it was in 1982.In this footage Nancy sounds as great as she did in 1971 in my opinion.
I also agree with Don that the stories about Nancys' pickups being stolen or tampered with were a story started by Roy himself. As Tom Zito told me once "Roy was the worlds' biggest fibber". The record companies talked Roy into experimenting with other brands and styles of guitars.

Bob D.

[petebradt]

Why would you want it?

[Don Mare]

Originally Posted by petebradt

Why would you want it?

LOL,, too funny!!!!!!

over the years tons of folks seek this tone out - as well as lots of guitar players used to go watch Roy play all the time... the reasons for wanting Nancys tone are usually the same overall - they are actually not trying to play like Roy or have any plans to do so ... they just want to see what they can do with it or
what they come up with in that vain... same as buying a Stomp Pedal that a so-in so uses..etc..

someone wanting Roys "Nancy" tone is really no different then someone ordering any pickup made . its all the same if you think about it.... theres always someone famous using the same pickups as other guys - so its all the same..

Pete I heard your using Fred Stuarts nowadays - Lots of big time players do

I don't think any of them will sound alike despite they all use the same pickups... but from what i know of Fred Stuarts Pickups they will all have Awesome tone. like your tone - I've heard your clips and they sound great! nice playing and nice tone too!

Don Mare

PS. Hi, Bob & thanks for the correct time lines "1982"
wow... thats six years shy of 88' thats real good to know. thanks
DM

[11 Gauge]

IMO, most of Roy's tone was technique with a really bright Tele tone and a Vibrolux Reverb amp.

Jim Campilongo gets into Roy Land occasionally, and he's using a '59 with a toploader, of all things. His older stuff with the VR really gets there on some tracks.

I have a '71 Vibrolux Reverb and I can get Roy tones with my more traditional Teles - stamped steel bridge with bridge pickup that isn't overwound or potted into oblivion.

I guess the bigger question is how nutz do you want to go copping that tone? Ballpark is not that difficult, IMO, but you've got to be reasonable and rational about it, as well. JMO.

[Telemarkman]

Originally Posted by 11 Gauge

IMO, most of Roy's tone was technique with a really bright Tele tone and a Vibrolux Reverb amp.

Of course his technique and amp/settings meant a lot, but those fortunate enough to have played "Nancy" - including Don Mare - all say the same: "Nancy" had the sweetest tone of all Teles they had ever played! I guess she was just "born" that way ...

[Captain Bb]

Forgive my ignorance but does anyone know who Roy named "Nancy" after?

[mad dog]

"Why would you want it?"

That's a valid question. If the "it" is Roy's tone per se, I didn't want that. As in copping the guy's sound. (Were that even possible ...) I did want a tele with the depth and range Roy's and other 50s teles seem to be capable of. Me, I'm more likely to be using the neck or middle position, running through an old Magnatone. You really don't have to be thinking of Mr. Buchanan to enjoy such pickups.

[Telemarkman]

Originally Posted by petebradt

Why would you want it?

I myself would want it because it's the greatest Tele tone ever! JMHO.

My stock '52 RI comes close enough though ..... But when I get rich () I'll buy a pair of Don's 2324 pickups, I promise!

[DMace]

After listening to Don's soundclip of "Nancy", I don't think you'd have to worry about sounding just like Roy. And I don't mean that in the sense that you (or especially, I) couldn't play like Roy. What I mean is, that even playing the real Nancy, Don sounds like Don, just like I would sound like me. The tone of that guitar though, I must say, is not only sweet, but pretty bizarre. That bridge pickup sounds like it's being broadcast through a transistor radio. lol.

[Don Mare]

Originally Posted by DMace

After listening to Don's soundclip of "Nancy", I don't think you'd have to worry about sounding just like Roy. And I don't mean that in the sense that you (or especially, I) couldn't play like Roy. What I mean is, that even playing the real Nancy, Don sounds like Don, just like I would sound like me. The tone of that guitar though, I must say, is not only sweet, but pretty bizarre. That bridge pickup sounds like it's being broadcast through a transistor radio. lol.

Thats the same thing i was telling people after i played Nancy! ("transistor radio
sounding bridge and FM Stereo sounding neck")

you can really hear it happen after 4:00 min into that clip I posted above.