Neil Young turns 73 today, and it’s probably a bigger deal to us than it is to him. You see, Neil isn’t into bells and whistles. Fueled by his straight-ahead, honest approach to music, Neil went from humble beginnings to become a defining influence on the music of multiple generations, including folk, rock ‘n’ roll, and even grunge.
Let’s start our story where Neil started, in Toronto, Ontario, 1945. While born to loving parents, Rassy and Scott Young, Neil’s childhood was no cakewalk. Diabetes, polio, and epilepsy hammered on Neil physically. The divorce of his parents threatened him emotionally. However, these challenges helped to build a strength of character that can clearly be heard in every note of Neil’s music. Neil’s discography reads like a Who’s Who of rock ‘n’ roll. Bands like Buffalo Springfield;
Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young;
and Crazy Horse preceded his solo career.
Who has Neil worked with? Artists like Stephen Stills, Rick James, Willie Nelson, Linda Ronstadt, Bruce Springsteen, Simon & Garfunkel, Don Henley – you get the picture.
Naturally, as one of the nation’s largest gear retailers, Sweetwater is curious about the gear behind the legend. We did a little bit of digging and discovered a few cool tidbits.
- Neil Young taught himself to play the guitar – unless you count the two lessons he took at Earl Gray School. He has been known to laugh and say, “Mr. Riddell taught me everything I know in those two lessons.”
- One of Neil’s “go to” set ups: Les Paul guitar + 1959 Tweed Deluxe + “The Whizzer.” The Whizzer is a custom-made amp control switching device. It has a foot pedal and a mechanical device that turns the amp’s volume and tone knobs to a number of predetermined positions.
- Neil still uses the Fender Deluxe amp he used to record Weld. He even takes it on the road. According to Neil, he has 10 spare Fender Deluxes, but none of them sound the same as his tried-and-true amp – so he doesn’t use them. By the way, he still remembers buying that Fender Deluxe amp from Saul Bettman’s Music in Los Angeles in 1967. He paid $50 for it.
- The one note solo in “Cinnamon Girl” was actually the same note played on two strings. Neil says that “the wang bar made every one sound different.”
- Neil achieves his signature feedback sound by pushing the volume of his Fender Deluxe amp all the way up.
- At most performances, Neil’s crew drills a hole in the stage to accommodate a old, modified Fender reverb unit with new, separate springs. The springs sit on top of a mic stand placed on the concrete floor of the venue, under the stage. The cable comes up through the hole in the stage. Why? Because Neil says if he puts it on the stage, the spring will vibrate when he jumps around.
- One of Neil’s favorite guitars is an old Martin D-28 that was played by Hank Williams – he plays it regularly.
- In 1971, C. F. Martin built more D-28 guitars than at any other time in Martin guitar history, largely because so many aspiring guitarists were trying to copy Neil’s trademark style – right down to his flannel shirt.
So grab your favorite guitar, turn the volume up, and play your version of “Happy Birthday,” even if it doesn’t sound anything like “Happy Birthday.” It’s Neil Young’s birthday, and today anything goes.
