Paint It Black

The recording

Recorded March 6‑9 1966 at RCA Studios in Hollywood under producer Andrew Loog Oldham and engineer Dave Hassinger, "Paint It Black" features Keith Richards on electric guitar. He used a 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard, likely with the bridge pickup, routed through a Maestro FZ‑1 fuzz‑tone pedal into a Vox AC30 with the Top Boost channel pushed to the edge of breakup. The fuzz gives a raw, compressed sustain that dominates the riff, while the aggressive bridge‑pickup attack adds a biting mid‑range character.

Tuning Standard (E A D G B E)

Reported gear

1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard

Guitar

Richards employed a 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard, likely using the bridge pickup with its PAF humbuckers to drive the fuzz‑laden lead riff.

Maestro FZ-1 Fuzz‑Tone

Fuzz Pedal

A Maestro FZ‑1 Fuzz‑Tone was placed before the amp, providing the raw, buzzing distortion that defines the song’s signature riff.

Vox AC30 Top Boost

Amplifier

Richards recorded through a Vox AC30 with the Top Boost channel, driven to the edge of breakup to accentuate the fuzz’s mid‑range bite.

Alternatives

Gibson Les Paul Standard '50s Reissue

Reissue · for the 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard

$2,000 to $2,800

Vox AC30 (reissue)

Still made · for the Vox AC30 Top Boost

$2,200 to $2,800

Analog Man Maestro Fuzz Tone (reissue)

Modern equivalent · for the Maestro FZ-1 Fuzz‑Tone

$150 to $200

Practical playing approach

Recreation guidance, not a claim about undocumented studio control positions.

1. 1.Pick aggressively near the bridge to emphasize the fuzz’s bite.
2. 2.Select the bridge pickup on a humbucker‑equipped Les Paul for a thick mid‑range tone.
3. 3.Set the fuzz pedal to full output and place it directly before the amp.
4. 4.Drive the Vox AC30’s Top Boost channel until the amp begins to break up.
5. 5.Allow the notes to ring and use light palm‑muting for tighter rhythm parts.