On January 22, a collection of Jeff Beck’s guitars and gear will be auctioned by Christie’s in London. Ahead of the auction, Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry spoke with MusicRadar about his long friendship with Beck and the discussions they had regarding their instruments.
Perry shared his observations of Beck’s gear during their time together on the road. “He had some cool guitars he traveled with, which he had picked up over the years. He likely had a bunch given to him, but on tour, it was mostly whatever current Custom Shop Strat he had gotten from Fender,” Perry recalled. “That was it.”
Beck’s pedalboard was also minimalist, according to Perry. “In all the years I saw him play, he had maybe two or three effects. He used a Klon [overdrive] for a while, a wah-wah pedal, and a Talkbox. I think he also had an SPX90 Yamaha stereo delay in the ’80s or ’90s, like many others at the time.”
Perry further noted that Beck typically used both a Marshall and a Fender amp, with one notable quirk: rather than using reverb from the amp, Beck preferred to add reverb through the monitors after the fact. Perry explained, “When you push an amp with reverb, it gets washed away when you play, and you only hear it when you stop. In the studio, when the amp is cranked and reverb is added afterward, it creates that echo chamber sound. That’s what Jeff did for a more present reverb.”
Perry also touched on Beck’s string preferences. “I heard him say he used .8s when practicing at home to save wear and tear on his hands, especially as we all get older. But on the road, he used .9s,” Perry said, suggesting that Beck’s gear choices were often about comfort and practicality.
After Beck’s passing, Perry had the opportunity to play one of Beck’s Strats while touring with the Hollywood Vampires. “It was his number three Stratocaster,” Perry shared. “The whole idea of the Vampires was to pay homage to those who passed, and I think it was going to be on the road with Aerosmith. But when the tour got canceled, I returned it to Jeff’s guitar tech, who is now helping his family organize his gear for auction.”
When it comes to Beck’s signature guitar, Perry explained that Beck’s best sound came from sticking with the Stratocaster. “Once he started using the Strat exclusively, he never went back,” Perry said. “With the variety of tones a Strat can produce, it was really the perfect fit for him.”
Perry also discussed how Beck’s use of the vibrato arm set him apart from other players. “Even Jimi Hendrix didn’t use it as musically as Jeff did,” Perry said. “Jeff used it like a slide guitar, and you couldn’t tell the difference. It became a part of his voice in a way that no other guitarist did.”
Off the stage, Perry shared that Beck was just as passionate about cars as he was about music. “If he wasn’t playing, he was working on a hot rod,” Perry said. “He loved that whole ’50s vibe and even played great rockabilly.”
Regarding Beck’s switch from pick playing to fingerstyle, Perry recalled a conversation he had with Beck. “I asked him why he stopped using a pick,” Perry said. “He told me that one night during a gig, he dropped the pick and was too drunk to pick it up. He ended up playing the rest of the show without it and started to really like it. That’s when he made the switch.”
Perry explained that Beck found fingerstyle playing beneficial for certain genres. “He could play a lot of rockabilly stuff and more with his thumb, which became his main hammer when playing without a pick.”
Perry reflected on Beck’s approach to gear, noting that Beck didn’t seem attached to any one guitar. “Jeff was all about the music, not the gear. He played off-the-rack Strats from the Custom Shop, and his guitars were like tools to him, not something he got attached to,” Perry explained. “He used his vintage guitars in the studio, but when it came to live shows, he never seemed to care about having a particular guitar as his ‘number one.'”
Perry’s insights provide a deeper understanding of Beck’s approach to music, showcasing that for him, the instrument was just a means to express his musical vision, with the focus always on the sound rather than the gear.
Related Topics
- Gretsch Professional Series Hollow Body Tennessean: A Modern Take on a Classic Design
- Brad Delson Explains Why He Won’t Be Playing Live With Linkin Park This Year
- Zakk Wylde’s Guitar Journey with Ozzy Osbourne: A Mix of Respect and Creativity
