While some guitarists are known for playing hugely complex rigs loaded with state-of-the-art digital tech, others are noted for their old-school, less-is-more approach to playing . Lenny Kravitz is one such traditionalist whose rig is, more often than not, as simple as it gets: a vintage electric guitar plugged straight into a vintage – with nothing in between. In the latest issue of , Kravitz discussed his minimalist signal flow, which he utilized for his new album, .
During the conversation, he also recalled how such a workflow once baffled Prince – a guitarist famously known for operating at the other end of the gear spectrum – while the pair were casually playing together. Namely, the Purple One couldn’t fathom how Kravitz had managed to create such varied sounds and textures with simply a guitar and a Fender Deluxe without the aid of additional effects. “I remember jamming with Prince once, and he was like, ‘What is that effect you have on your guitar?’” Kravitz recalled.
“And I looked at him and said, ‘Nothing. It’s a guitar into a Deluxe, turned to 10.’ “He couldn’t believe it.
He was a guy that used a lot of processing and did it very, very well. But here he was: he thought it had some kind of effect, you know? I showed it that it was nothing, absolutely nothing.” The guitar/amp has always been at the crux of Kravitz’s tone, which highlights the nuances of his playing – and not much has changed.
To this day, the songwriter strives for.
