Richie is the real deal. Talk about stripped down pure tone and simple. He keeps it as clean and real as it gets. I suppose it leaves more time for writing incredible music and less time screwing around with menus and techy BS. Richie is by fare my favorite guitarist, singer, and songwriter ever. I finally was able to see him live and it was all I ever thought it would be like. Thank you for coming to Omaha. Despite spending so many years in places like San Diego, LA, ETC Etc I was just never able to catch up with him.
Richie completely turned 360 from the 80's shrapnel shred guy to soulful-bluesy-pop-rock with Poison to blues-jazz fusion with Greg Howe, back to blues-hard-rock with Mr. Big back to bluesy-funky-jazzy fusion with Vertu, and the rest is history, Winery Dogs? Richie's resume says it all.. He also had an audition with Ozzy Osbourne that both of them end up watching Dumb and Dumber Lmao!
Richie is so under rated man. I'm glad he can still earn a living writing, playing and singing. Richie can cover Motown style to pure Shred but even his Shred records were more like Jazz Fusion. This guy rocks and has been Blessed with extreme talent. There's no other way to say it.
Since my first replacement pickup as a kid in the mid 80s, I'm still playing DiMarzio pickups till this day. Never bought any other brand. Thanks Larry!
Excellent player, Excellent skill level, that tone truly comes from his hands, the pick ups exemplify that very well. nice amp too, had some serious tone coming from it.
When i began playing guitar at 1996 i couldn't synchronize my right hand with my left so i used to cheat by playing legato. Then i saw your vedio when you where 17 with ibanez and laney with dimarzio pickups i stood frozen with my mouth open for the whole time you played the ending solo. You are the best player with feeling and great legato technique with the whammy bar. Absolutely amazing
Haha No guitar pick was harmed during the shooting of this video! The man is phenomenal..A complete musician. DiMarzio make great pick ups, love the Virtual Vintage blues 2.
Sounds great! I'm playing a Strat with a Paul Gilbert pickguard right now and it's awesome. Went through about 20 different pickups in my Strat over the last 20 years and the Injectors are giving me the output and fatness without killing the clarity!
Sorry for the intrusion. Just wanted to add my .02 The Injectors are great pickups. I have them in one of my guitars. It sounds fantastic, but it doesn't have the same chime and quirkiness as a true single. It is much tighter sounding which is good if you little to add more gain (which is why I have it in the one guitar) It does mimic the sound of a single but it really is kind of a different animal. It is very useable and I recommend it myself, you just need to be aware of what you are getting into. If you want great single coil tone and know how to work around some 60 cycle, the Dimarzio True Velvet are really really nice.
Oh and I almost forgot to mention that you are still my most favorite guitar player these days!! But this is something what I mentioned so many times before. Just supernatural!! 🎸🎼🎶🎶🤘🤘🙏🙏🙏
20 years later for the Strat tone... it's about time to get that kind of tone in a pre wired set. Hope Fender starts selling his Strats soon.. bc they've been on eBay for like $2000 give or take a few $100.
They recently stopped making his signature strat - I'm pretty sure I got the last red one available in Europe! Beautiful guitar and I love the pickups. Beefy sounding but capable of all your classic strat tones.
Hi Jon, Fender hasn't been supportive of Richie's Strat model and this is why I wanted to release his signature pickguard as a DiMarzio product. All the best, Larry DiMarzio
I have one and while it's a nice, solid guitar, the sound is pretty basic. They're not hot or fat-sounding pickups. His sound comes mostly from his amp, hands and effects. Mostly his hands. The pickups aren't expensive, they'd be a good replacement for a regular tele.
A little muddy sounding as some can hear in the comment section. But the sound is all in what the guitarist wants to hear. He is what counts and not any one else as the story goes.
Can I request you do an interview with Richie where he talks about his decisions as a guitar player? I've been a fan since his debut solo album 1,000 years ago, and I find his evolution so interesting. He started as a shred guy superstrat with a pic and moved to finger picking a Tele. He started as more of a metal instrumental guitar player to more of a rock/blues player with vocals. And even though his music has complelty changed, it's still Richie. When he playes in and group, I still hear those chops from his first album, but they're played with a different approach and sound. I can't think of anyone that's changed so drastically.
I have the Tele and it’s the best guitar I’ve ever owned and I’ve owned dozens and dozens. I’m working on getting the Strat because it’s seriously incredible. Need to sell off a few of my other guitars first so my wife doesn’t have a fit about it because my current collection is a bit ridiculous at the moment. I gotta have that strap though. Like I said, the telecaster is easily the best guitar I’ve ever played or owned. It just feels insane and sounds unbelievable. I was a bit concerned about the size of the neck at first because I’m not used to playing a fat neck but now it’s my favorite
I sold my RK Tele, it was an amazing guitar, so well made and the Dimarzio pickups sounded great. But I really struggled with the size of the neck, not so much lead playing but stretching for some chords was really hard. I considered changing the neck as I liked the guitar so much, kinda wish I had now.
Had an RK Tele for a short while. Great guitar with a HUGE neck. I like chunky, but this one is a beast. In the end, the neck was probably just a skosh too much for me, but if mine had the tobacco sunburst like the one he’s playing here instead of a mustard yellow sunburst, and if the neck finish weren’t so pale, I might have kept it. I know, it would probably darken over time, but I don’t plan on playing in smoky bars until it does.
He sands his personal guitar's neck, which makes it slightly more playable and normal feeling. I checked his out when I opened for him several years ago. I ended up putting the Chopper T on my tele with the Area T in the neck. The shit!! Cheers. 👍😁
IMO, it depends on our style of playing. He mostly plays legatto . I had ever playing a strat copy with Fat C neck and it was best for playing legatto.
I wonder how big the RK tele neck is compared to the EJ Strat neck. I’ve got a first year run EJ and the neck is a little smaller than current production models. They are YUGE!
You'll get most of the sound by putting the DiMarzios in whatever guitar you have available, and both combined are about $140 (plus shipping, and whatever duty your government is applying :( )
ve -2126 you don’t need it (nobody does), it’s a cool guitar but pick something else, try to save to put the same pickups, or really, take something else and build you’re own sound 🤘
That's what I wanted to know too. Someone told me a while back that they were HS-2s wired in single coil, but I own HS-2s and they don't sound very similar. These sound hotter and spankier.
Richie, you’re great. Badass singer/songwriter too. I just wish the clinic you did in Toronto was more about your playing and less about your gear...you could make my toaster sound good.
This is what happens when shredders grow up :) He has great emotion to his playing although I did find his early stuff amazing! Maybe Greg Howe had some influence on him
This is my opinion but he was above the typical shredder even when he was 19. I could be wrong but I always heard a lot of Jazz Fusion in his shred. He plays what he wants to play wen he wants to play it and there are not many guys who can play totally clean like he does.
kind of hard to tell how these pickups really sound with richie playing.......i mean he could make a $5 chinese pickup sound great......lol I'm sure they are great pickups.......Every dimarzio pickup I've owned I've been very happy with.
No. The boost is either from his amp, or his signature Tech21 Fly Rig pedal. You don't really need the Sonic Maximizer if your effects chain is as small as Richie's.
I own 3 Fender HMT Telecasters (semi-hollow, fixed bridge, 2 humbuckers) made in Japan in the late 80’s. They have stock Dimarzios in them that apparently were only made for this series. Is there anything currently available that is comparable to them? Someone suggested the Steve Morse models. If Larry sees this... I would massively appreciate any feedback or input. I want to mod a few Teles and Strats with a similar pickup to the HMTs.
I also have 2 HMTs with locking trems that are humbucker in the bridge and single coil in the neck, but I don’t think those are Dimarzios or they were modded by the previous owners.
I own one of these signature Kotzen Tele's - awesome guitar that sounds incredible! That being said, its really a bitch to find an OEM 2-way rotary switch for replacement (a pin sheared off the original), even Fender couldn't source one for me!
i cannot find any information about these strat pickups anywhere. Are they like HS or Area pickups and they're wired single coil or are they traditional single coil pickups?
Strat's neck is ok but tele's neck is too big.. with tele's neck doesn't work when it plays for a long time. tiring your hand. it happened like this for me. ı sold the tele but keep and playing the strat. The best pickups made for the fender stratocaster. and 12 inch radius is wonderful
Go Richie Wonka!!! That tone it`s like chocolate to me!
Richie is one of the most "underrated guitarist" on the planet!!!!!! The man can play! Also sing and write! He does it all.......
i agree
Richie is the real deal. Talk about stripped down pure tone and simple. He keeps it as clean and real as it gets. I suppose it leaves more time for writing incredible music and less time screwing around with menus and techy BS. Richie is by fare my favorite guitarist, singer, and songwriter ever. I finally was able to see him live and it was all I ever thought it would be like. Thank you for coming to Omaha. Despite spending so many years in places like San Diego, LA, ETC Etc I was just never able to catch up with him.
Richie completely turned 360 from the 80's shrapnel shred guy to soulful-bluesy-pop-rock with Poison to blues-jazz fusion with Greg Howe, back to blues-hard-rock with Mr. Big back to bluesy-funky-jazzy fusion with Vertu, and the rest is history, Winery Dogs? Richie's resume says it all.. He also had an audition with Ozzy Osbourne that both of them end up watching Dumb and Dumber Lmao!
Ritzie kotzen is a beast!!!
I do not play guitars but i love to hear this legend speaking about it or playing.
Man what a player this guy!
richie is the total package. totally committed to his profession, making great use of the gifts he born with. thank you Richie. Don't stop .
johnny depps most difficult role yet
😁👌 comedy genius
Hahaha cool 👍😂
Lol 😂
Johnny Depp wishes he could play like Richie.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
The tone is on he fingers! And true legend, no pick!!
always a joy to watch. Awesome musician.
Richie is so under rated man. I'm glad he can still earn a living writing, playing and singing. Richie can cover Motown style to pure Shred but even his Shred records were more like Jazz Fusion. This guy rocks and has been Blessed with extreme talent. There's no other way to say it.
under rated by???
More (sadly)unknown than underrated, anyone who knows guitar knows how good he is.
@@RichardSmith-bj3bo yeah....he deserves more.......but he can make a living doing it so its all cool IMO
incredible player....Been following him for years...
The best lead tones I ever heard
Richie has a sound and tone that is unmatched. I find myself craving it like my favorite Thai restaurant.
Since my first replacement pickup as a kid in the mid 80s, I'm still playing DiMarzio pickups till this day. Never bought any other brand. Thanks Larry!
Thank you
The dude never fails to impress.
All improvisations here are awesome!
Wow, I never heard Tele sounds so dark. I like it
His tone is just awesome.
Excellent player, Excellent skill level, that tone truly comes from his hands, the pick ups exemplify that very well.
nice amp too, had some serious tone coming from it.
hands with this player..ya
Great player, great sound and great pickups.
I love this man so much!
He's definitely a Master of guitar. Listening is humbling
Very simple rig that confirms the fact that tone is in the hands of the player
You realise you're watching video about pick ups, right?
All in the hands!
with richie........yeah your right
Amazing Richie!
We all need a new The Winery Dog's album
Fire Wah Wah is from Brazil and it's awesome!
When i began playing guitar at 1996 i couldn't synchronize my right hand with my left so i used to cheat by playing legato. Then i saw your vedio when you where 17 with ibanez and laney with dimarzio pickups i stood frozen with my mouth open for the whole time you played the ending solo. You are the best player with feeling and great legato technique with the whammy bar. Absolutely amazing
I have a Chipper T in my Tele and man it sounds so killer. It can do a whole lot of tones and all of them very well.
Haha No guitar pick was harmed during the shooting of this video! The man is phenomenal..A complete musician. DiMarzio make great pick ups, love the Virtual Vintage blues 2.
woah haha🙃😽
Yeah, fuck the gear. I just love how this dude plays!
“...it’s a selector switch to make this series or parallel...” [pulls a bunny out of his hat]
Sounds great! I'm playing a Strat with a Paul Gilbert pickguard right now and it's awesome. Went through about 20 different pickups in my Strat over the last 20 years and the Injectors are giving me the output and fatness without killing the clarity!
Jarick Losey wow! Do the Injectors retain the tonality of a strat? Do they colour the tone in any way? How unique are they?
Sorry for the intrusion. Just wanted to add my .02
The Injectors are great pickups. I have them in one of my guitars. It sounds fantastic, but it doesn't have the same chime and quirkiness as a true single. It is much tighter sounding which is good if you little to add more gain (which is why I have it in the one guitar)
It does mimic the sound of a single but it really is kind of a different animal. It is very useable and I recommend it myself, you just need to be aware of what you are getting into.
If you want great single coil tone and know how to work around some 60 cycle, the Dimarzio True Velvet are really really nice.
What a tremendous singer/guitar player! Tons of feeling and sound... what else!?
yeah his strat pup are a little on the hot side, wonder why he didnt go for stacks to retain more clarity while still cancelling hum
Someone should Reissue the tuner Ritchie uses around the volume knob 👍
"you will get the same sound that I'm getting" said Richie Kozen
(I'm thinking).....nah Richie......you play like a beast
Totally agree!! You will probably get the same sound...but you will NEVER sound as great as him...BUMMER!!!
The man said "sound", not playing 😁 Your E chord may however sound like his, we never know!
the man
Damn, I could not discribe, how much this guy impresses me ... 🔥RK
Richie Rocks!
So happy for Arin Hansen for pursuing music as well
GOD Bless You
Sounds really good.
Willy Wonka can really play and knows his stuff!
Excellent setup!
"Who needs a pick?"
-Ritchie Kotzen
Favorite pickups and clip lock straps
Oh and I almost forgot to mention that you are still my most favorite guitar player these days!! But this is something what I mentioned so many times before.
Just supernatural!! 🎸🎼🎶🎶🤘🤘🙏🙏🙏
20 years later for the Strat tone... it's about time to get that kind of tone in a pre wired set. Hope Fender starts selling his Strats soon.. bc they've been on eBay for like $2000 give or take a few $100.
Nice Big Telecaster sound
I have the strat but had to take the pick ups out as they're so noisey it's incredible. Put Injectors in there and it sounds lush. Great guitar.
They recently stopped making his signature strat - I'm pretty sure I got the last red one available in Europe! Beautiful guitar and I love the pickups. Beefy sounding but capable of all your classic strat tones.
I just bought a sunburnt tele replaced the pickups and sanded the neck.. saved myself $1000.
Hi Jon, Fender hasn't been supportive of Richie's Strat model and this is why I wanted to release his signature pickguard as a DiMarzio product.
All the best, Larry DiMarzio
Man of a million disguises
It drives me NUTS he don't use a pick!!! 😂😂😂 AMAZING playing!
I really like that tele'
I have one and while it's a nice, solid guitar, the sound is pretty basic. They're not hot or fat-sounding pickups. His sound comes mostly from his amp, hands and effects. Mostly his hands. The pickups aren't expensive, they'd be a good replacement for a regular tele.
Finally found the right hat.
Better than that straw hat he's been wearing.
Dat legato is god like!
Richie looks like he's straight outta Wild Wild West here^^
This guy is super
Cool
A little muddy sounding as some can hear in the comment section. But the sound is all in what the guitarist wants to hear. He is what counts and not any one else as the story goes.
Dimarzio paf. Best pu in the world!!!
Great video. Ritchie should use the quiet singles like Paul Gilbert uses.
O.K.
Gilbert's tone sucks so no Richie shouldn't copy Gilbert.
That intro riff.
It's from his song "The Damned". Great song and video. check it out: ua-cam.com/video/VnrFLyEqgfg/v-deo.html
Richie going for the tony iommi signature look i see
more for the Zucchero Fornaciari look (an italian singer)...check him out
What is the set of pick ups you use on the stratocaster?
Its a pre-wired pickguard set, i believe they are custom pu's
Legends
Richie is damn good!
Can I request you do an interview with Richie where he talks about his decisions as a guitar player? I've been a fan since his debut solo album 1,000 years ago, and I find his evolution so interesting. He started as a shred guy superstrat with a pic and moved to finger picking a Tele. He started as more of a metal instrumental guitar player to more of a rock/blues player with vocals. And even though his music has complelty changed, it's still Richie. When he playes in and group, I still hear those chops from his first album, but they're played with a different approach and sound. I can't think of anyone that's changed so drastically.
www.dimarzio.com/story/richie-kotzen-julia-lage
You might have to click twice to get it to load.
I have the Tele and it’s the best guitar I’ve ever owned and I’ve owned dozens and dozens. I’m working on getting the Strat because it’s seriously incredible. Need to sell off a few of my other guitars first so my wife doesn’t have a fit about it because my current collection is a bit ridiculous at the moment. I gotta have that strap though. Like I said, the telecaster is easily the best guitar I’ve ever played or owned. It just feels insane and sounds unbelievable. I was a bit concerned about the size of the neck at first because I’m not used to playing a fat neck but now it’s my favorite
I sold my RK Tele, it was an amazing guitar, so well made and the Dimarzio pickups sounded great. But I really struggled with the size of the neck, not so much lead playing but stretching for some chords was really hard. I considered changing the neck as I liked the guitar so much, kinda wish I had now.
Had an RK Tele for a short while. Great guitar with a HUGE neck. I like chunky, but this one is a beast. In the end, the neck was probably just a skosh too much for me, but if mine had the tobacco sunburst like the one he’s playing here instead of a mustard yellow sunburst, and if the neck finish weren’t so pale, I might have kept it. I know, it would probably darken over time, but I don’t plan on playing in smoky bars until it does.
He sands his personal guitar's neck, which makes it slightly more playable and normal feeling. I checked his out when I opened for him several years ago. I ended up putting the Chopper T on my tele with the Area T in the neck. The shit!! Cheers. 👍😁
I have the Kotzen Tele. That thing is a beast. Great tone and a killer neck. Be warned though, that neck is HUGE.
I've played a sorta like tele from a friend and I gotta tell, a fat neck is the best! You just possibly can't break it and it plays like a dream!
IMO, it depends on our style of playing. He mostly plays legatto . I had ever playing a strat copy with Fat C neck and it was best for playing legatto.
I wonder how big the RK tele neck is compared to the EJ Strat neck. I’ve got a first year run EJ and the neck is a little smaller than current production models. They are YUGE!
Nice and simple setup Richie sounds great 🎶🎶🎶🎶👍🏻☮️☮️
simple is good sometimes
Talent. ♥️✌🏼🎼
Tone is in the hats, this is the proof.
Lets go brandon!
His tele signatures worth 3500$ in my country. Meanwhile i only got 300$ per month from my job. Soooo..
Forget about it. 😔
are you from argentina?
You'll get most of the sound by putting the DiMarzios in whatever guitar you have available, and both combined are about $140 (plus shipping, and whatever duty your government is applying :( )
Buy a Mexican tele and drop a chopper T in it. I did that and it's my favourite guitar.
ve -2126 you don’t need it (nobody does), it’s a cool guitar but pick something else, try to save to put the same pickups, or really, take something else and build you’re own sound 🤘
Never spend more than $1000 on any guitar.
If you want the best Tele in the world, pick up a used G&L ASAT. Much better build quality and pickups
Larry what pickups models are those in the strat?
That's what I wanted to know too. Someone told me a while back that they were HS-2s wired in single coil, but I own HS-2s and they don't sound very similar. These sound hotter and spankier.
I heard they are all hs-2s ( or hs-3s ) wired up as single coils! Larry please illuminate us!
Hi, It's a modified DiMarzio HS 2. www.dimarzio.com/pickups/pre-wired/richie-kotzen-strat-replacement-pickguard
Hope that helps,
Larry DiMarzio
Man we in Chicago didn't know the Son of Svengooli was such a great guitarist!
Richie, you’re great. Badass singer/songwriter too.
I just wish the clinic you did in Toronto was more about your playing and less about your gear...you could make my toaster sound good.
This is what happens when shredders grow up :) He has great emotion to his playing although I did find his early stuff amazing! Maybe Greg Howe had some influence on him
This is my opinion but he was above the typical shredder even when he was 19. I could be wrong but I always heard a lot of Jazz Fusion in his shred. He plays what he wants to play wen he wants to play it and there are not many guys who can play totally clean like he does.
He had 2 albums with Greg Howe called "Tilt" and "Project" both guys can outshred each other, check it out man it's a great fusion stuff.
kind of hard to tell how these pickups really sound with richie playing.......i mean he could make a $5 chinese pickup sound great......lol
I'm sure they are great pickups.......Every dimarzio pickup I've owned I've been very happy with.
Both of them just sounds so THICC!!!
They both have an accent at high end. This limits a range of compositions imho. I'd like to try Sugar Chakra instead of Cruiser on a bridge.
Is the boost a Sonic maximizer? Nice tone .I love my Marshall code
That's the boost footswitch from his sig amp, Sonic Maximizers are trash lol
No. The boost is either from his amp, or his signature Tech21 Fly Rig pedal. You don't really need the Sonic Maximizer if your effects chain is as small as Richie's.
His skills are reasonably well developed
Dey aaight....
Depp, Claypool or Iommi? You decide.
Lol, I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Its all of them and some kind of steam punk vampire magician.
he can out stretch Vai anytime he was already doin it Shrapnel days so was Daren Householder ,n many more \m/
I thought he has a signature amp from Cornford
Cornford shut down but Martin Kidd of Cornford amps started Victory.
He played guitar as easy as he breath.
I own 3 Fender HMT Telecasters (semi-hollow, fixed bridge, 2 humbuckers) made in Japan in the late 80’s. They have stock Dimarzios in them that apparently were only made for this series. Is there anything currently available that is comparable to them? Someone suggested the Steve Morse models. If Larry sees this... I would massively appreciate any feedback or input. I want to mod a few Teles and Strats with a similar pickup to the HMTs.
I also have 2 HMTs with locking trems that are humbucker in the bridge and single coil in the neck, but I don’t think those are Dimarzios or they were modded by the previous owners.
What's that thing underneath the volume knob on the Strat?
a tuner
I believe it's his tuner that he adds to his guitars. It lights up and I think it acts like a strobe tuner.
Nice review! Really cool! What is that toggle switch that in between the knobs of the Telecaster, is that a boost switch?
Turns on his tuner which is under the volume knob
I own one of these signature Kotzen Tele's - awesome guitar that sounds incredible! That being said, its really a bitch to find an OEM 2-way rotary switch for replacement (a pin sheared off the original), even Fender couldn't source one for me!
ritchies kinda starting to look like les claypool now
Great video!....what are the pickups in the Strat?
www.dimarzio.com/pickups/pre-wired/richie-kotzen-strat-replacement-pickguard
Damn, this reminds me I still have a GFS HOTRAIL Humbucker laying around.
I'd really got to put it on my bridgeposition!
Modern day Jeff Beck...
i cannot find any information about these strat pickups anywhere. Are they like HS or Area pickups and they're wired single coil or are they traditional single coil pickups?
www.dimarzio.com/pickups/pre-wired/richie-kotzen-strat-replacement-pickguard
@@LarryDiMarzio very limited info there. are they 4 wire like the HS\Areas series?
oh yes please
Strat's neck is ok but tele's neck is too big.. with tele's neck doesn't work when it plays for a long time. tiring your hand. it happened like this for me. ı sold the tele but keep and playing the strat. The best pickups made for the fender stratocaster. and 12 inch radius is wonderful