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Independent research by truerecs. Not affiliated with, endorsed or verified by The Black Keys. Every item links to its public source.
44 items · Last checked

What gear does The Black Keys use?

Dan Auerbach was seen with a 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard and a Gretsch Bo Diddley. Patrick Carney was seen with a Ludwig Classic Maple Salesman kit, and has said he recorded early albums on Tascam gear. Touring guitarist Andy Gabbard loves his Gibson Goldtop.

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AllTop 5Dan Auerbach: guitar and vocalsPatrick Carney: drumsAndy Gabbard: touring guitarZach Gabbard: touring bassDelicate Steve: touring guitarLeon Michels: touring keys
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Top 5

Where to start with The Black Keys's gear.

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Shure SM57
Top 5Has said they use
Shure
SM57

“I would take a [Shure] 57 by the mic cord and just spin it around in front of the amp like a propeller, to phase it.”

Said in The Black Keys, November 2014
Shop at Sweetwater
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What gear The Black Keys uses: a sourced gear guide

Independent research by truerecs: every item links to the public source it comes from.

Dan Auerbach: guitar and vocals

12 items

Patrick Carney: drums

12 items

Andy Gabbard: touring guitar

9 items

Zach Gabbard: touring bass

3 items

Delicate Steve: touring guitar

6 items

Leon Michels: touring keys

2 items
Questions

About The Black Keys's gear.

What guitar does Dan Auerbach play?

Premier Guitar's 2019 Rig Rundown showed him with a 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard and a Gretsch G6138 Bo Diddley. Mix's 2010 All Access saw a 1960s Harmony H75 and a white Supro Belmont, through a Fender Quad Reverb.

What drums does Patrick Carney play?

Bonedo reported in 2013 that he toured on a Ludwig Classic Maple Salesman kit in a rainbow sparkle finish. In 2008 he told Modern Drummer he set up a Bonham reissue kit in a live room for recording, and he has said he became obsessed with a Neumann U47 on drums.

How did The Black Keys record their early albums?

Patrick Carney has said he recorded on a Tascam 388, which he loved, then a Tascam M16 16-track, a Korg D12 and an Akai DPS16. He miked amps with a Shure SM57 and later built a studio around an old API 1604 console.

What does Andy Gabbard play with The Black Keys?

A Gibson Les Paul with a Bigsby that he loves, a 2019 Firebird and a Les Paul Standard '50s P-90 Goldtop he says he always wanted, through Fender Super Reverb and Deluxe amps with a JHS Milkman.

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The Black Keys
About this guide · Last checked

The Black Keys are the Akron, Ohio duo of Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney, behind Lonely Boy, Tighten Up and Gold on the Ceiling. This guide covers the band's documented gear: Auerbach's Les Pauls, Harmony and Supro guitars and vintage Fender amps, Carney's Ludwig kit and home-recording gear, and the rigs of touring players Andy and Zach Gabbard, Delicate Steve and Leon Michels.

truerecs put this guide together from public videos, interviews and posts. Each item says how we know and links to the source. The Black Keys didn't write it or choose anything on it. How we source gear guides.

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