Mick Ronson

  • Just watching this interview with the great Mick Ronson.

    I cant seem to get that close to the sound he has, although he reckons it's pretty basic.
    It's a lovely middly tone and quite distorted but not fizzy. and he mentions using a cocked wah pedal for tone but seemed to say he wasn't using it during the interview I've linked to.
    I can get a bit closer turning down the presence and upping the mids and treble in an MBritt profile (cant remember which one off hand)
    I've tried my LP and strat but not happy with the results. Any advice or profile suggestions?

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  • Two things, lots of and lots of room and cab reverb and a good amount of the guitar strings themselves in the tone.


    Oh and you need to be Mick Ronson.

  • Can't give you any details on what he was playing during this interview. But I can tell you that it's nothing he ever used in studio or on stage. His main amps were a Marshall Major 200W amp with 2 power tubes removed (to reduce it to 100W) and a Simms Watts 100 MkII (through a Simms Watts 4x12 loaded with Fane speakers). Not sure if he ever played another guitar than his 1968 Gibson Les Paul Custom.

  • Yes. Mick used a 200 watt Marshall Major. This version of a Major was different to Ritchie Blackmore's Marshall Major. The "Pig" major had 3 knobs: Vol ,Treble and Bass. Live- the vol was cranked to full. This is why the two outer KT88 valves were removed. The Marshall Major Pig was mindblowingly loud amp!

    Micks fuzz was Tonebender mk1 fuzz. Wah wah- vox was early days ,Jen crybaby later on.

    Mick also used a Marshall cab. David used the Simms watts amp . After the first American tour Mick switched his celestions to JBLs, likely as they handled the Pig more efficiently . Mick's sound became brighter with the JBLs.

    Micks main guitar was a 1968 les Paul. It's pickup likely a mid period 1960s paf humbucker. (yes t tops did also appear on some 68s)

    I'm fortunate to be friends with Robin Mayhew (Bowies sound guy during the Ziggy era) and I've also been lucky enough to play with some of Micks former band mates in Hull.

    Ched the bass player from the Micks early band The Rats has also been a great source of info. David Main (D*A*M) and I also spent a great deal of time in the mid 90s trying to work out the fuzz Mick used from photos. Ched also confirmed it was a MK1.

    At some stage in future I will release profiles of my Marshall Major Pigs and Vampower amps- once im completely happy with the profiles.

    Hope this info helps .

    JJ

    http://www.iamjjmusic.com

  • Thanks guys, my research also showed up the Marshall Major.
    JJ, interesting that Robin Mayhew is your mate. I never met Mick unfortunately but he seemed like a nice bloke with monumental talent.
    Woof!