Peter Frampton is the perfect example of how a wildly successful young rock star can weather not one but two explosions of fame and come out of it alive, with sanity intact and as a far better musician and human being. To his four children, Peter Frampton is simply a father who provided them with a good solid upbringing while leaving home every now and then to play his music. To generations of rock music lovers, Frampton will forever be known as the pretty boy blonde, guitar-wielding God who sold a "jillion" copies of Frampton Comes Alive.
Now, at 57, Frampton's flowing blonde mane has since given way to a closely cropped head of gray. With three grown children and an eleven-year-old daughter at home, Frampton is comfortable with his role in life as a revered rock star, former two-time teen idol, and doting dad who helps his little girl with her homework. Peter recently took time to talk to the Music & Sound Retailer about the gear that helps him compose the Frampton sound.
M&SR: Peter, I'd like to ask about your earliest memories of music, maybe something that sticks out in your mind?
Peter Frampton: When my parents realized that I was into music-that I really had something special-I was about three or four, and there was a piano being played on TV. We were watching this classical music piano recital, and I said, "There's something wrong with the piano." My mother and father said, "No there's not. Shush, listen." So at the end of the performance, this guy comes out and says, "We'd like to apologize to everyone for the performance. Someone left a piece of music on the strings." I was aware of musical sounds pretty adeptly early on.
M&SR: What was your first instrument?
Frampton: My first was a banjolele, a banjo-shaped ukulele. It was left in the attic by my grandmother. She made the comment that "one day Peter might want to fiddle around with it." I found it one day while retrieving suitcases for summer vacation. I asked my dad what it was, and that's where it all started.
M&SR: Did you take lessons or were you self-taught?
Frampton: I think beginner players should definitely take lessons. I did, after picking up the basics by ear. That taught me how to read music with the guitar, and taught me how to learn the technique for string fingering with the right fingers on the right strings. Fingering the guitar the right way is a big help because it can wear you out trying to do it the wrong way. You don't want to make it more difficult than it is already.
M&SR: What is it about your black Gibson Les Paul that you love so much? How did it come about for you to release a signature model with Gibson?
Frampton: The original black Les Paul that I had was when I was playing with Humble Pie supporting the Grateful Dead in San Francisco back in '70 or so. I had swapped a Gibson SG for a Gibson 335, a semi-acoustic. With the loud levels we used to play, when I turned it up for solos, the sound was just all over the place, whistling feedback, you know. There was someone at the concert who heard the problem, and he offered to let me borrow his Les Paul for the next show. I told him I'd never had luck with a Les Paul. He brought it 'round to the coffee shop the following day, and I played it that night. It looked brand new. It was just such an amazing guitar. I came off stage and told him "thank you," and asked if he'd ever want to sell it. He said he didn't want to sell it to me, but he offered to give it to me, and he did give it to me. Unfortunately in 1980, we had a disastrous plane crash with all our gear on it in Caracas, Venezuela. The pilot and co-pilot were lost, and their loss was very tough. Their lives meant so much more than that guitar. I'm not saying I don't miss it, but it was a piece of wood compared to their lives.
When I moved to Nashville about 13 years ago, I used to go hang out at Gibson. It was like my club, and I'd go hang out with the luthiers. Mike McGuire, the head of the custom shop, suggested one day that they should make a Peter Frampton model. We spent a year working together on trying to make it as much like the original as we could. I tried to give him as much information as I could from what it felt like, and they came so close. I love my guitar. It's probably nothing like the other one, but I love what they did for me.
M&SR: What are some other favorite guitars you record and tour with?
Frampton: Most recently, right before I did the jazzy sounds on Fingerprints, I found a 1959 Gibson 175, one of my favorite electrics all-around. I have two Gibson SG's. They're both 1962 models. One was to replace the one I got rid of when I got the Les Paul in 1970. Somehow, I got hooked up with John Nady of Nady Wireless, and he said, "You know I've got your old SG?" and I exclaimed, "You do?" So, guess who's got it now? I got the original guitar I played with Humble Pie back. I'm very partial to anything that's still in existence now. I'm really in search of all of the one's I've played over the years. As far as acoustic guitars, Martin had made me an acoustic guitar to replace a Martin D45 when I left Humble Pie, and I recorded the Frampton's Camel album with that. We went on tour right after that in '73. That's when unfortunately between one gig in Toledo, Ohio, to somewhere else, someone stole that Martin. It left me with a very bad taste in my mouth and I was never able to bring myself to get another one. A while back, I ran into Dick [Boak] from Martin Guitars at one of the NAMM shows. I told him the story, and he said, "We have to [make] that right now, you should have a Martin. How about we call it The Frampton's Camel Edition?" One other acoustic I love is the Tacoma Chief. I have one that was made before Fender bought them. George Gruhn in Nashville talked me into getting one and I still play it.
M&SR: Will you tell me about some of your favorite effects?
Frampton: I'm a big delay guy. I love the old tape delays and Fulton's version of the Echoplex is wonderful. I also use the digital effects like the Eventide Eclipse, which is a multi-processor I use for delay and harmony. Electro-Harmonix has some great pedals now. I have a line of Frampton pedals made by Robert Keely, called Framptone pedals.
M&SR: What are some of your favorite amps over the years?
Frampton: The first amp I really enjoyed playing through was a Vox AC30 with no treble boost. I had to have the Marshall stacks too. I wish I still had all those Marshall amps I owned around '68. They're worth a fortune now. I still play Marshalls on stage and recording. I use little combos like the old Ampeg amps and a wonderful Fender Deluxe. I've started collecting Fender amps because they're nice and clean and warm, especially on jazz sounds. I'm a huge fan of boutique amps like Victoria and Top Hat, and Mojave's Coyote combo and heads.
M&SR: What do you think the instrument makers and retail sellers can do to improve their products or make them better?
Frampton: Well, without opening a can of worms, I think that of all the companies that make instruments-without singling any out-the ones that fare the best and come out with quality and consistency are the family-owned companies. I will name one: Martin. They're incredibly consistent. A lot of the other companies that are a family business are not just concerned about the bottom line of profit, but it's also a personal thing there. It's about heritage, and they've got to live up to an incredible history. When companies get bought and sold back and forth and end up on the stock market, the operation of the company changes in a way that there's more productivity and less quality.
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