Greg Lake was a wonderful Telecaster player. A "lucky man" indeed!

[IMMusicRulz]

This 1959 Rosewood necked, sunburst Fender Telecaster was used on a variety of songs, most notably on the Tarkus album and on the solo for Lucky Man.
He mentions: I used a Fender Telecaster with an extra Gibson pick-up and a hand-built neck on "Battlefield," but while in the States a few weeks ago I changed it for a Gibson, Stereo. I started playing guitar 12 years ago when I was 11. I had lessons privately. I didn't leave King Crimson - the band dissolved and at the same time I happened to meet Keith Emerson. The pebble sound was achieved on the Moog Synthesiser. We used reverb on it to get a sound like water dripping in a cave. Our next LP will include several numbers we are constantly asked about, including "Pictures At An Exhibition" and "Nutrocker." ~ Greg Lake, Emerson Lake and Palmer.
Greg also adds: I played a Gibson J200 acoustic and a Gibson Les Paul electric on "In The Beginning [sic!]" and a modified Fender Telecaster with Fender light-gauge strings on "Lucky Man." I've now changed entirely to guitars custom-made by Tony Zemaitis, whose instruments are great. Altogether he has made or is making for me four guitars: (1) an electric metal-fronted one, (2) a beautiful acoustic with inlaid mother-of-pearl body and a soundhole in the shape of a heart. It has similar properties to the J200, (3) a double-neck electric with bass and six-string necks, (4) a 12-string acoustic. As yet, none of our music is available, but we really do mean to get a song book together quite soon - things with simple melodies and perhaps some piano solos. I know we keep on promising to do it, but obviously it takes a lot of thought and time and we want to make a really good job of it. We will definitely give it our urgent attention. ~ GREG LAKE

Greg used to have an obsession with fixing and modifying pickups in his guitars, something he also did with his Gibson Ripper and Fender Jazz bass back in the seventies. He also played Rickenbacker, several Strats, and the occasional Gretsch.
All of Greg Lake's remaining guitars were auctioned off after his cancer related death in 2016.
I am a devoted ELP fan, and I do find it crushing that Greg and Keith are no longer with us. But I enjoy ELP, and I find it very interesting that Greg played a Telecaster! Being a giant record collector, I appreciate a lot of ELP albums, and own many of them. Trilogy and Brain Salad Surgery are the 2 essential albums of theirs you need to own. Especially their cover of Jerusalem and ballad Still You Turn Me On. If that doesn't convert you to ELP, I don't know what songs will.

But if you like this post about Greg Lake's Telecaster please let me know.

 

[Texicaster]

So funny you post this now! I've been on a bit of a prog rock kick and spun Tarkus and BSS this week.

I still remember seeing ELP at Cal Jam on "In Concert" TV show back in the 1970s!

Still remember seeing this on TV!

 

[arlum]

Greg Lake was a fantastic singer, songwriter, acoustic, electric and electric bass guitarist. I'm still super impressed with some of the acoustic guitar work he performed live. Such detail. Mistake free. Excellent.

 

[teleman1]

My first exposure was King Crimson 21st century man. I knew of Lake, & knew of the nice. I was excited to hear them. Take a Pebble might have been my first song from them, but I got into Pictures at an exhibition heavily around 1970. Saw them in quad which sucks at the back of the LA Forum. Greg Lake was one of my heroes

 

[skydog6653]

Greg wrote ‘Lucky Man’ at the age of 12!

 

[String Tree]

View attachment 980612

This 1959 Rosewood necked, sunburst Fender Telecaster was used on a variety of songs, most notably on the Tarkus album and on the solo for Lucky Man.
He mentions: I used a Fender Telecaster with an extra Gibson pick-up and a hand-built neck on "Battlefield," but while in the States a few weeks ago I changed it for a Gibson, Stereo. I started playing guitar 12 years ago when I was 11. I had lessons privately. I didn't leave King Crimson - the band dissolved and at the same time I happened to meet Keith Emerson. The pebble sound was achieved on the Moog Synthesiser. We used reverb on it to get a sound like water dripping in a cave. Our next LP will include several numbers we are constantly asked about, including "Pictures At An Exhibition" and "Nutrocker." ~ Greg Lake, Emerson Lake and Palmer.
Greg also adds: I played a Gibson J200 acoustic and a Gibson Les Paul electric on "In The Beginning [sic!]" and a modified Fender Telecaster with Fender light-gauge strings on "Lucky Man." I've now changed entirely to guitars custom-made by Tony Zemaitis, whose instruments are great. Altogether he has made or is making for me four guitars: (1) an electric metal-fronted one, (2) a beautiful acoustic with inlaid mother-of-pearl body and a soundhole in the shape of a heart. It has similar properties to the J200, (3) a double-neck electric with bass and six-string necks, (4) a 12-string acoustic. As yet, none of our music is available, but we really do mean to get a song book together quite soon - things with simple melodies and perhaps some piano solos. I know we keep on promising to do it, but obviously it takes a lot of thought and time and we want to make a really good job of it. We will definitely give it our urgent attention. ~ GREG LAKE

Greg used to have an obsession with fixing and modifying pickups in his guitars, something he also did with his Gibson Ripper and Fender Jazz bass back in the seventies. He also played Rickenbacker, several Strats, and the occasional Gretsch.
All of Greg Lake's remaining guitars were auctioned off after his cancer related death in 2016.
I am a devoted ELP fan, and I do find it crushing that Greg and Keith are no longer with us. But I enjoy ELP, and I find it very interesting that Greg played a Telecaster! Being a giant record collector, I appreciate a lot of ELP albums, and own many of them. Trilogy and Brain Salad Surgery are the 2 essential albums of theirs you need to own. Especially their cover of Jerusalem and ballad Still You Turn Me On. If that doesn't convert you to ELP, I don't know what songs will.

But if you like this post about Greg Lake's Telecaster please let me know.

My first Bass Player was a HUGE ELP Fan!
Saw them on their Pirates Tour.
They were astonishing!

 

[kbold]

I've always liked ELP. They were all superb musicians.
'From the Beginning' is a great song to play solo on an acoustic ... some nice chords combining open strings.

 

[IMMusicRulz]

Another pic of Greg with his Tele:

 

[nojazzhere]

View attachment 980612

This 1959 Rosewood necked, sunburst Fender Telecaster was used on a variety of songs, most notably on the Tarkus album and on the solo for Lucky Man.
He mentions: I used a Fender Telecaster with an extra Gibson pick-up and a hand-built neck on "Battlefield," but while in the States a few weeks ago I changed it for a Gibson, Stereo. I started playing guitar 12 years ago when I was 11. I had lessons privately. I didn't leave King Crimson - the band dissolved and at the same time I happened to meet Keith Emerson. The pebble sound was achieved on the Moog Synthesiser. We used reverb on it to get a sound like water dripping in a cave. Our next LP will include several numbers we are constantly asked about, including "Pictures At An Exhibition" and "Nutrocker." ~ Greg Lake, Emerson Lake and Palmer.
Greg also adds: I played a Gibson J200 acoustic and a Gibson Les Paul electric on "In The Beginning [sic!]" and a modified Fender Telecaster with Fender light-gauge strings on "Lucky Man." I've now changed entirely to guitars custom-made by Tony Zemaitis, whose instruments are great. Altogether he has made or is making for me four guitars: (1) an electric metal-fronted one, (2) a beautiful acoustic with inlaid mother-of-pearl body and a soundhole in the shape of a heart. It has similar properties to the J200, (3) a double-neck electric with bass and six-string necks, (4) a 12-string acoustic. As yet, none of our music is available, but we really do mean to get a song book together quite soon - things with simple melodies and perhaps some piano solos. I know we keep on promising to do it, but obviously it takes a lot of thought and time and we want to make a really good job of it. We will definitely give it our urgent attention. ~ GREG LAKE

Greg used to have an obsession with fixing and modifying pickups in his guitars, something he also did with his Gibson Ripper and Fender Jazz bass back in the seventies. He also played Rickenbacker, several Strats, and the occasional Gretsch.
All of Greg Lake's remaining guitars were auctioned off after his cancer related death in 2016.
I am a devoted ELP fan, and I do find it crushing that Greg and Keith are no longer with us. But I enjoy ELP, and I find it very interesting that Greg played a Telecaster! Being a giant record collector, I appreciate a lot of ELP albums, and own many of them. Trilogy and Brain Salad Surgery are the 2 essential albums of theirs you need to own. Especially their cover of Jerusalem and ballad Still You Turn Me On. If that doesn't convert you to ELP, I don't know what songs will.

But if you like this post about Greg Lake's Telecaster please let me know.

I had the good fortune of seeing ELP in 1972.....and remember being blown away. In my memory, Greg was playing Alembic guitars and basses, and a Zemaitis acoustic, but I could be wrong. The thing I DO recall, was Greg had four Fender Super Reverbs, mounted or sitting in a rack of some sort, in a "2X2" configuration for guitar....and several Acoustic 360 amps for bass.
A friend of mine has a T-shirt that reads, "I may be old.....but I got to see all the best bands". That's the way I feel.

 

[68Telebass]

View attachment 980612

This 1959 Rosewood necked, sunburst Fender Telecaster was used on a variety of songs, most notably on the Tarkus album and on the solo for Lucky Man.
He mentions: I used a Fender Telecaster with an extra Gibson pick-up and a hand-built neck on "Battlefield," but while in the States a few weeks ago I changed it for a Gibson, Stereo. I started playing guitar 12 years ago when I was 11. I had lessons privately. I didn't leave King Crimson - the band dissolved and at the same time I happened to meet Keith Emerson. The pebble sound was achieved on the Moog Synthesiser. We used reverb on it to get a sound like water dripping in a cave. Our next LP will include several numbers we are constantly asked about, including "Pictures At An Exhibition" and "Nutrocker." ~ Greg Lake, Emerson Lake and Palmer.
Greg also adds: I played a Gibson J200 acoustic and a Gibson Les Paul electric on "In The Beginning [sic!]" and a modified Fender Telecaster with Fender light-gauge strings on "Lucky Man." I've now changed entirely to guitars custom-made by Tony Zemaitis, whose instruments are great. Altogether he has made or is making for me four guitars: (1) an electric metal-fronted one, (2) a beautiful acoustic with inlaid mother-of-pearl body and a soundhole in the shape of a heart. It has similar properties to the J200, (3) a double-neck electric with bass and six-string necks, (4) a 12-string acoustic. As yet, none of our music is available, but we really do mean to get a song book together quite soon - things with simple melodies and perhaps some piano solos. I know we keep on promising to do it, but obviously it takes a lot of thought and time and we want to make a really good job of it. We will definitely give it our urgent attention. ~ GREG LAKE

Greg used to have an obsession with fixing and modifying pickups in his guitars, something he also did with his Gibson Ripper and Fender Jazz bass back in the seventies. He also played Rickenbacker, several Strats, and the occasional Gretsch.
All of Greg Lake's remaining guitars were auctioned off after his cancer related death in 2016.
I am a devoted ELP fan, and I do find it crushing that Greg and Keith are no longer with us. But I enjoy ELP, and I find it very interesting that Greg played a Telecaster! Being a giant record collector, I appreciate a lot of ELP albums, and own many of them. Trilogy and Brain Salad Surgery are the 2 essential albums of theirs you need to own. Especially their cover of Jerusalem and ballad Still You Turn Me On. If that doesn't convert you to ELP, I don't know what songs will.

But if you like this post about Greg Lake's Telecaster please let me know.

Yes!! I love Greg Lake and all things a
King Crimson and ELP.
Had the great fortune yo see him twice with ELP, and also ELP with Cozy Powell.
They did Tarkus at one show- simply awesome.

Oh- and cats in bow ties with laser beams. Lol

 

[scrimmer]

Huge ELP fan here!
Alas, I was a little too young unfortunately to make it out to see them live at the
August Jam at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the summer of ‘74.
I do have all their studio LPs on vinyl from back in the day though, still in great condition and get on a kick to spin them all the way through every few months.
Greg Lake is one of my all time faves as are the tunes ‘Take a Pebble’ and ‘Still…You Turn Me On’. Such a great musician and lyricist!

 

[4pickupguy]

 

[suthol]

View attachment 980612

This 1959 Rosewood necked, sunburst Fender Telecaster was used on a variety of songs, most notably on the Tarkus album and on the solo for Lucky Man.

I had one exactly the same as that back around 1975, always thought it was from around 1962

It's now long gone, I traded it as a direct swap for a brand new 1976 Shergold Masquarader Custom which I still have and don't intend to sell even though I rarely pick it up

 

[Dostradamas]

Brain Salad Surgery has been a top album of mine for a long time.

Love his voice, writing, bass, and guitar work.

Truly a gifted musician that played with the best.

 

[Fenderdad1950]

To me, Greg Lake's music was three tiers above most other groups of the time. My favorite? No, but admired them greatly.