Chuck Berry — Rig Network
5 gear items · 30 artist connections · Chuck Berry profile
Guitars
The guitar associated with Berry's peak Chess Records period — the thin-body ES-350T produced a bright, cutting character with the P-90 pickups (later versions had humbuckers). "Johnny B. Goode", "Maybellene", and "Roll Over Beethoven" were recorded with this guitar.
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Berry's primary guitar from approximately 1959 onward — the ES-335 produced a similar semi-hollow character with the added warmth of the thin-body double-cutaway design. He used ES-335s throughout his long career, returning to the same guitar type regardless of changing fashions.
The upmarket version of the ES-335 — used on various recordings and live performances through the 1960s and 1970s.
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Amplifiers
The early tweed Bassman is the amplifier most associated with Berry's Chess Records recordings — its 4x10 speaker configuration produced a wide, full sound that captured the studio's room ambience. At performance volume, the Bassman enters gentle saturation that adds presence and harmonic content without obscuring the ES-335's natural brightness.
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Berry used a variety of Fender amplifiers through his 60-year career — the Twin Reverb provided clean headroom for larger venue performances.
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