Duane Eddy (b. 1938) is one of the first and most influential instrumental rock ’n’ roll guitarists. He made his breakthrough in 1958 with “Rebel-Rouser,” a No. 6 hit on the Billboard charts. To achieve the song’s unique sound, Eddy played a Gretsch 6120 guitar through a DeArmond tremolo effect and a high-powered Magnatone amplifier. Producer Lee Hazlewood and studio-owner Floyd Ramsey then fed the recorded guitar track into a speaker and microphone installed in a 2000-gallon water tank they had placed in the parking lot as an echo chamber. On later recordings, Eddy alternated between his trusty Gretsch and a six-string Danelectro bass guitar, and in 1960, he commissioned specialty guitar and amplifier maker Tom "Howard" McCormick to build a double-neck guitar with both attributes. Although the guitar played well, it was heavy and prone to feedback. Eddy retired the guitar (pictured here) after an appearance on American Bandstand and a few other live performances.
This video was posted on January 13, 2021.
