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Discuss Neil Young's Sound and Equipment
A collection of articles on Neil Young's Guitars, Amps, Whizzer and Equipment on how he obtains his unique grunge and feedback sound. Neil's electric guitar sound has been described as like "a jet plane in a thunderstorm" and those who have witnessed and directly felt in their chest the aural assualt that is known as "Crazy Horse-style" know that which we speak.
Jimmy McDonough writes of Neil's performance of "Rockin' In The Free World" on Saturday Night Live - one of the greatest live TV musical performances ever -- as "whipping off earsplitting solos that sounded like falling power lines".
Here are some Frequently Asked Questions and answers to Neil trivia. Many of the standard questions like "What's the meaning of 'Powderfinger'" song lyrics?, "Can Neil really out jam Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page?, "Were Lynard Skynard and Neil Young friends or enemies?", and "What song did Kurt Cobain quote in his suicide note?" and lots more.
Over on Old Black replica, some great photos of Neil's guitar Old Black. This photo is amazing, with guitar tech Larry Cragg showing the extreme wear and abuse which Old Black has suffered over the years from "Hurricane", "Down by The River", and other feedback laden finales that leave him lying in shreds on the stage floor.
Visually, Ol Black is the electrical equivalent to Willie Nelson's battered "Trigger" -- his well-worn Martin acoustic guitar.
Neil Young's guitar Old Black has been meticously reproduced right down the the wear and tear.
Some amazing photos of the reproduction of Neil's Gibson Custom Shop Historic R6 Les Paul Goldtop electric guitar over on TeleModders: The Telecasters Modification Discussion Group. Jeff posts some beautiful photos and details of the job.
More details on Neil Young's guitar Old Black reproduction.
At Neil Young's Nashville concerts at the Ryman Auditorium on August 18, 2005, he introduced the song "This Old Guitar" by saying: 
Hank Williams' Martin D-28 Guitar
Hank Williams' Martin D-28 Guitar
Neil loaned the guitar to Bob Dylan
(photo from Prairie Wind CD booklet)"This is Hank William's guitar [he points to
the guitar]. I try to do the right thing with the guitar. You don't
want to stink with Hank's guitar. I lent it to Bob Dylan for a
while. He didn't have a tour bus so I lent him mine and I left the
guitar on the bed with a note saying Hank's guitar is back there.
He used it for a couple of months."
Also see tabs and chords for songs in the book Neil Young Guitar Anthology
Neil Young won the Les Paul Award in September, 1998. According to Gibson Guitar:
The Les Paul Award was created in 1991 to honor those individuals or institutions that have set the highest standards in the creative application of technology examplified by its namesake. Since achieving international fame in the early 1970s as a member of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, he has forged a successful career as a solo artist, songwriter, and innovator in the use of recording technology. Among the first major artists to record in his own studio, Young owned one of the first digital multitracks in the United States. Most recently, he has been doing 5.1-channel mixes on a state-of-the-art analog 2-inch, 8-track machine. Young has played a customized Les Paul Standard, among other Gibsons, throughout his career."
From Neil Young interview in Zuerich Weltwoche (July 1996):
W: That sounds rather esoteric.
Young: Bullshit. It's similar to how the musicians in the old jazz era functioned. We don't have to prove anything to nobody - besides ourselves.Only that brought us to where we stand today. Only that moves me. I can't go out with big light shows and that shit. No interest in that."
From "Shakey" the Neil Young biography by Jimmy McDonough on Neil's Deluxe amp (from page 7) posted on Plexi Palace - Vintage Amp Forums:
In a September 1993 Guitar Player interview with Pete Townshend he was asked about the Gretsch guitar and his equipment's sound. The story is that Joe Walsh gave Townshend the guitar that made Pete’s defining electric sound on record -- a 1959 Gretsch 6120 ‘Chet Atkins’ Hollow Body -- which is similar to the guitar Neil Young began using with the Buffalo Springfield.
Neil Young Complete Music 1969-1973 Neil Young: Anthology Easy Guitar Also see more on Neil Young's Music, his songs, lyrics, albums and concerts.
Also see tabs and chords for songs in the book Neil Young Guitar Anthology Guitar equipment discussion on Harmony Central User Forums - The Neil Young Gibson Les Paul Project
Read excerpts of books on Neil Young's guitar style and sound. 
The Guitar Styles of Neil Young
Neil Young