Famous recordings done on an Esquire ?

[Fuzzyhead]

Re: Bruce Springsteen

A fair amount of Bruce Springsteen early work was probably done with his Esquire. Of course it has a neck pickup and who know what kind of a wiring setup.

Yupp, he recorded a lot up to Tunnel Of Love on that guitar. Still, after the mods they did on that thing (3 pups, total rewired it at least two times, second output-jack) you probably wouldn't call it an "Esquire" anymore.....

True but listen to his tone on Adam Raised a Cain, that's all bridge pickup.

Gonna do that tonight, listing specially for esq-tone. I LOVE that song!

 

[Geo]

Those Yardbirds "Live at the BBC" cuts with Jeff Beck
playing his Esquire sound great. Jeff doesn't or hardly
uses any fuzz so a lot of it is very clean nice toneful
playing.

Think Kid Ramos did a blues CD that had a lot of
Esquire on it.

Anyone know?

 

[clydethecat]

Darnit, I was all set on a blonde Esquire reissue, but the McCartney picture now has me leaning toward sunburst. Decisions, decisions...

 

[Billy Claire]

Darnit, I was all set on a blonde Esquire reissue, but the McCartney picture now has me leaning toward sunburst. Decisions, decisions...

Yeah, that looks nice doesn't it?

 

[TG]

Darnit, I was all set on a blonde Esquire reissue, but the McCartney picture now has me leaning toward sunburst. Decisions, decisions...

Here's a close-up of it. I can't remember where I got it from. But I've just noticed that it has the strap button in the regular place, so I'm not sure if it is his or not now.
Anyway.....it's pretty.

image removed

 

[clydethecat]

Darnit, I was all set on a blonde Esquire reissue, but the McCartney picture now has me leaning toward sunburst. Decisions, decisions...

Here's a close-up of it. I can't remember where I got it from. But I've just noticed that it has the strap button in the regular place, so I'm not sure if it is his or not now.
Anyway.....it's pretty.

image removed

The wear by the bridge plate looks like a guitar that's been played by a righty.

 

[weelie]

If it was an Esquire, it was modded to add the neck pickup. Those tones he got are all about the neck pickup and the middle position

I used to think so but than I read an interview of the man were he said he NEVER used any other pickup than the bridge one!!

Yep, Cropper played bridge pickup only (in the early sides at least). He also used chapstick to kill the extra twang of new strings. That was the only effect he used, he said.

 

[Endr'u]

I heard an Esquire being played on the radio this morning - Don Henley's 'Boys of Summer' with Mike Campbell.

 

[Jim W]

Cropper pick up selection

According to Bowman's STAX book, Cropper used either the bridge pickup or both pickups. When I saw Booker T and the MGs a couple years ago, I stood right in front of SC, and he almost always used the middle possition on the Peavy Cropper guitar (sounded great - through a twin reverb). He also has huge hands.

Jim

 

[Nub]

Joe Bonamassa plays one...

on the "A New Day Yesterday- LIVE" DVD, and gets some great sounds (good strat stuff, too). That's what finally convinced me to build my Esquire!

The concert DVD is packaged (free!) with J.B.'s "So, It's Like That" cd; the cd is mostly his earlier rock stuff, but the DVD is the blues stuff he's doing now. It's well worth checking out!

 

[weelie]

Re: Cropper pick up selection

According to Bowman's STAX book, Cropper used either the bridge pickup or both pickups.

OK, that settles it with a nice compromise! He did both! But early on he only had an Esquire, I think, so he played on the bridge pickup. (The "Soul Man" tab book might say something about this, but don't have it with me right now.)

 

[clydethecat]

Was Steve Cropper using an Esquire for some of those great Stax records? I seem to remember something about that.

If it was an Esquire, it was modded to add the neck pickup. Those tones he got are all about the neck pickup and the middle position.

The "Time Is Tight" video on Youtube clearly shows Cropper using the middle position.
http://www.tdpri.com/viewtopic.php?t=51115&highlight=

 

[Hafner]

As mentioned above; early Yardbirds:
"Heart full of soul" was Telecaster, "Shapes of Things" was Esquire, says Tony Bacon in "Six decades of the Fender Telecaster" on page 64.
I own 5 Telecasters and 3 Esquires, but non of the Telecaster-bridge-pu can bring that tone of the Esquire pick-up, so it must be two factors that bring the diference: 1. wiring, 2. no interference with the neck-pu (I think the strings can swing more freely without the magnetic influence). IMHO Telecaster and Esquire is NOT the same (look AND sound).
By the way: Great postings here, thank you very much ! TDPRI is simply great.

 

[fezz parka]

Was Steve Cropper using an Esquire for some of those great Stax records? I seem to remember something about that.

If it was an Esquire, it was modded to add the neck pickup. Those tones he got are all about the neck pickup and the middle position.

The "Time Is Tight" video on Youtube clearly shows Cropper using the middle position.
http://www.tdpri.com/viewtopic.php?t=51115&highlight=

"Time is Tight" was the late 60's. The early sides, like "Green Onions" was an Esquire.

 

[John Beland]

Jeff Beck

I saw Jeff Beck & The Yardbirds when I was 14 in 1964. They played the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago. I was a big fan so as a bday present my folks bought me tickets.
Jeff played an old Esquire. They were great.
I believe Beck used it on all those early Yardbirds records. The tone sounds like it.

Ironically, I played the Aragon myself, 5 years later with Spanky & Our Gang (then called One Man's Family). We opened for the Byrds....thats where I met Clarence White.
Our opening act were the comedy players from 2nd City.
Harold Ramis, Brian Doyle Murray....Ooooops, Im digressing, sorry.
Ugh Yea, Beck played an Esquire. LOL
JB
www.johnbeland.com

 

[ryokan]

syd barret -- piper at the gates of dawn

 

[Telemarkman]

Well,

I guess I will just have to live with the fact that there are Esquires lurking everywhere - scary !

I'm glad I have my Telecasters for protection...... 8)

 

[Bones]

I don't know about famous, but a little bit more modern. J. Masic from Dinosaur Jr. Used Esquires a lotin the studio. He actually has a '59 that he got for like $400.00 and had it refinished in a metallic purple color

 

[Bones]

Darnit, I was all set on a blonde Esquire reissue, but the McCartney picture now has me leaning toward sunburst. Decisions, decisions...

I love the look of mine. Still trying to decide on the right pup. It still has the stock 2001 MIM tele bridge pup in it :?

I have not bought one of the 50s MIM esquires and don't know if I will because I converted two of my MIM teles to esquires.

image removed

 

[daddyplaysbass]

I believe Jim Sunquist from the Fendermen played an Esquire on "Mule Skinner Blues" (Phil Humpherys played a Tele I believe)