“Micawber”

Keith Richards received an early-1950s butterscotch blonde Telecaster as a birthday gift from Eric Clapton in December 1970 and immediately put it to work at the Villa Nellcôte sessions that would become Exile on Main St. He removed the low E string, tuned it to open G (G–D–G–B–D), and built a rhythm guitar vocabulary that has defined the Rolling Stones' sonic identity ever since. He named it Micawber in the 1980s — after the Dickens character, chosen specifically because it was an unlikely word you could shout clearly across a crowded stage. It has been modified several times, shows decades of aggressive use, and as of 2023 Richards was still using a five-string Tele on Stones recording sessions.

Why This Guitar Matters

• The five-string open-G approach developed with Micawber at Nellcôte is directly responsible for the rhythm guitar vocabulary on Exile on Main St. — arguably the most studied rhythm guitar record in rock history
• Richards has described the tuning as an "arrangement tool": removing the low E creates space for bass, piano, and horns that a six-string in standard tuning would crowd out
• The guitar's modification history — from stock Tele to PAF humbucker neck pickup, lap-steel-style bridge, brass bridge, and Sperzel tuners — is better documented than almost any comparable working guitar
• In 2023, Richards stated a five-string Tele appears on "a good half" of Hackney Diamonds tracks, confirming Micawber's continued role 50+ years after its first Stones recording session
• The missing 17th fret inlay dot and the scalloped bass-side fret wear from Richards' strumming angle make it visually and physically identifiable in ways that matter for provenance

The Instrument

Specs

What This Guitar Actually Sounds Like

Micawber's tone is built around three non-negotiable decisions that happen before the amp even comes on:

• Attributable to the guitar: Five strings in open G means every chord voicing, every drone, every riff is filtered through the constraints of that tuning. The reverse-mounted PAF humbucker at the neck brightens what's normally a thick, dark pickup. The brass bridge adds sustain and a slightly brighter low-end character than the standard Tele bent-steel saddles. The lap-steel-style bridge pickup delivers a different frequency response than a standard Telecaster bridge unit — more open in the upper-mids.
• Rig-dependent: Richards primarily uses Fender Twin Reverbs — he mentioned "Twins most of the time" in a 2023 Guitar Player interview, with the occasional Champ. The amp is relatively clean; the grit comes from how hard the guitar is played, not from a driven preamp.
• Player-dependent: The scalloped wear on the bass-side upper frets tells you something specific: Richards strums toward the end of the fingerboard, close to where the neck meets the body, and he does it hard. That placement and attack produce the percussive, slightly muted quality that's as important as the open-G tuning itself.

If you could only copy three things from this setup:

1. Five strings, open G (G–D–G–B–D) — without this, you're not playing Micawber's vocabulary, just its appearance
2. A reverse-mounted PAF-style humbucker at the neck — this is the single most unusual verified spec
3. Fender Twin Reverb at medium volume, played hard with a heavy pick — the aggression is in the right hand, not the overdrive

Provenance: Where It's Been

How the artist got it

Eric Clapton gave Richards the guitar for his 27th birthday in December 1970. This origin story appears in Fender's official write-up, in Guitar World's coverage, and in the museum label text reproduced from the 2019 "Play It Loud" exhibit. The timing was significant: Richards was about to leave England for France with the Rolling Stones to begin the sessions that would become Exile on Main St.

Ownership timeline

Timeline: How It Changed

The Nellcôte conversion is the transformative moment: Richards took a stock early-'50s Telecaster and turned it into a dedicated open-G machine by simply pulling a string off. Everything else — the pickup swaps, the brass bridge, the Sperzels — came later, in service of the approach he'd already committed to. The guitar evolved around the tuning, not the other way around.

Visual Record

Essential Listening

1. "Tumbling Dice" (Exile on Main St., 1972) — The Micawber riff in its most accessible form. The five-string open-G voicing is audible in how the chord hangs — there's no bottom string anchoring it, just a drone and a shuffle.
2. "Rip This Joint" (Exile on Main St., 1972) — The fastest track on the record. Richards plays rhythm here with the aggression the scalloped fret wear suggests: hard strumming, percussive muting, everything happening near the end of the fingerboard.
3. "Rocks Off" (Exile on Main St., 1972) — The Exile opener. The rhythm guitar sits back in the mix the way Richards describes it should: not the featured element, but the thing everything else hangs on.
4. "Happy" (Exile on Main St., 1972) — Richards' vocal showcase from Exile; he plays and sings simultaneously here, which is a different physical challenge from most of the record.
5. "Before They Make Me Run" (Some Girls, 1978) — Fender explicitly cites this as a Micawber track. A looser, more rock-and-roll feel than the Exile material; the brass bridge era.
6. "Brown Sugar" (Sticky Fingers, 1971) — Fender associates this with Micawber. The open-G riff in a more straightforward rock setting than the Exile material.
7. "Start Me Up" (Tattoo You, 1981) — One of the most recognizable open-G riffs in rock; the fully modified Micawber era (PAF, brass bridge, Sperzels all in place by this point).
8. "Hackney Diamonds selections" (Hackney Diamonds, 2023) — Richards stated a five-string Tele appears on "a good half" of the tracks. He didn't name Micawber specifically, but the five-string Tele approach is continuous with the Micawber method established 50 years earlier.

Market Context

The comparable basket

"Early-1950s Fender Telecaster, blackguard era (1950–1954), ash body, maple neck, butterscotch blonde, original pickups or documented period-correct replacements"

The year dispute (1953 vs 1954) matters because production differences between early blackguard years are documented and collectors care about them. The pickguard, control plate, and pickup specs changed through the early '50s, and buyers in this segment know the differences. The ash body / maple neck combination is standard for the era.

Relevant AxeDB model pages: Fender Telecaster

What actually drives price in this segment

• Year precision — 1950 and 1951 "Broadcasters" and early Nocasters command the highest premiums; 1952–1954 production Telecasters are still exceptional vintage pieces but slightly more accessible
• Finish originality — butterscotch blonde is the standard blackguard finish; a refin drops value significantly in this segment where originality is paramount
• Pickup originality — blackguard-era Tele pickups are among the most studied single-coil designs ever produced; replacements (even period-correct) meaningfully reduce collector value, while original matched sets drive premiums
• Neck shape — early-'50s necks run very chunky by modern standards; many have been shaved or reshaped by previous owners and those are worth far less
• Hardware completeness — original screws, bridge plate, control plate, and strap buttons matter at this level

Famous-guitar premium vs instrument premium

Micawber is still in active use and is not available. A comparable instrument — a stock early-1950s blackguard Telecaster in butterscotch with original pickups — would currently trade in the $50,000–$150,000+ range depending on condition and documentation. That's the instrument value. Richards' specific guitar, with the provenance, the modifications, and 50+ years of Rolling Stones history, would be a multi-million-dollar auction event.

Get Your Own

Off the shelf

Fender has issued a Keith Richards Micawber Telecaster as a limited Signature model. When available, it comes in butterscotch blonde with a PAF-style neck pickup, a bridge pickup approximating the lap-steel-style unit, and it arrives set up for five-string open-G — including the five-string configuration and brass saddle hardware. New prices when available run in the $2,500–$3,500 range; used examples appear occasionally and hold value well. Check the Fender Telecaster page for current used inventory.

For something off the shelf right now, the Fender American Vintage II 1951 Telecaster (around $2,000 new) gives you an ash body, maple neck, and period-correct pickup voicing without the PAF swap. You'd need to add the humbucker yourself.

Vintage sweet spot

The honest answer: a genuine early-'50s blackguard Telecaster is a serious purchase in the $50,000+ range. Most buyers chasing Micawber's tone don't need the investment — what they need is the tuning and the pickup configuration. The most cost-effective approach is a late-'50s or early-'60s Telecaster in solid condition (usually $5,000–$15,000 depending on year and condition), modify the neck position for a PAF-style humbucker (Seymour Duncan Seth Lover PAF or similar), add a brass bridge plate (Glendale or similar), and string it as a five-string in open G.

Watch out for: reshaped necks (hard to undo), replaced necks (changes the whole dating question), and refins on the body. UV light, paint-check on routes, and ask for pot code photos.

Build your own

Parts list:

• Body: Ash, butterscotch blonde or natural; period-style nitro lacquer; single-coil routing in neck position (will need to be routed for humbucker unless you use a standard-sized PAF-style unit with an adapter ring)
• Neck: Maple, period C-to-D profile; 7.25" radius; vintage fret spec
• Neck pickup: Gibson PAF-style humbucker, reverse-mounted — Seymour Duncan Seth Lover '59 or PAF Classic; orient it backwards (screw pole pieces facing the bridge) to approximate the brightness Fender describes
• Bridge pickup: Fender lap-steel-style — TV Jones Starwood or a Broadcaster-wound single-coil; treat bridge pickup choice as "best available approximation" given the ongoing dispute about exactly what Richards uses
• Bridge: Solid brass Telecaster bridge — Glendale or similar; remove or omit the sixth saddle for the five-string setup
• Tuners: Sperzel locking tuners, chrome, standard Telecaster headstock spacing
• Strings: Custom five-string set: .011, .015, .018, .030, .042 (Ernie Ball makes a dedicated Keith Richards set)
• Setup targets: Open G (G–D–G–B–D); action medium; no tremolo

Myths and Disputes

• Disputed: Model year (1953 or 1954) → Richards said "Micawber is a '53" in a 2002 Guitar World interview, while naming another Tele (Malcolm) as the '54. Museum exhibit labels and gear-book documentation (including Andy Babiuk's Rolling Stones Gear) label it 1954. Both sources are credible; given that working vintage guitars often have mixed parts, the physical guitar may have construction details that complicate a clean year attribution. Treat it as "early-'50s, commonly cited as 1953 or 1954."
• Disputed: Bridge pickup identity → Babiuk reports a Fender lap-steel-style unit with two-screw mounting. Guitar World's 2016 investigation documented competing theories: Broadcaster-era pickup, lap-steel pickup, and an unusually hot-wound early Tele bridge pickup (the last per unnamed former Fender employees). No definitive parts identification has been published. Treat it as unresolved — the "lap-steel style" claim is the most direct published account, but the debate is real.
• Uncertain: Wiring scheme → Guitar World observed Richards apparently using the bridge position selector but getting a sound that implies some neck humbucker contribution, leading to speculation about a non-standard blend wiring scheme — possibly a Broadcaster-style approach. No teardown documentation has confirmed this. Treat wiring as unknown.

FAQ

When did Richards first use Micawber on a record? The museum exhibit label and Babiuk's account both place Micawber's first recorded use at the Villa Nellcôte sessions in 1971 that became Exile on Main St. The guitar arrived in stock condition; the five-string open-G conversion happened at Nellcôte.

What tuning is Micawber set up for? Open G: G–D–G–B–D (low to high), five strings only. The low E string is removed entirely. This is the tuning Richards has used on Micawber since 1971.

Why only five strings? Richards has explained it several ways, but the core argument is arranging space: removing the low E string opens up frequency room for the bass guitar, piano, and other instruments in the mix. He also noted in 2023 that the constraint forces him into chord shapes and voicings he wouldn't reach on a six-string, which keeps the writing fresher. The missing string isn't a workaround — it's the approach.

What pickups does it have now? A Gibson PAF-style humbucker at the neck (reverse-mounted) and a Fender lap-steel-style unit at the bridge. The humbucker swap happened around the 1972 tour era, done by tech Ted Newman Jones III. The exact identity of the bridge pickup remains disputed.

What strings does Richards use? A custom Ernie Ball five-string set: .011, .015, .018, .030, .042 — nickel wound, as documented by Babiuk's examination of the guitar.

Has Micawber ever been at a museum? Yes — the guitar was displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art as part of the "Play It Loud: Instruments of Rock and Roll" exhibition in 2019. The exhibit label identified it as a 1954 Telecaster.

What amps does Richards use with it? Primarily Fender Twin Reverbs, per his own statements in Guitar Player (2023 and 1992 interviews). The occasional Champ for something different. The amp approach is relatively clean — the grit in the sound comes from playing dynamics, not amp saturation.

What's the closest guitar I can actually buy? The Fender Keith Richards Micawber Signature Telecaster when available (check our Fender Telecaster page for used inventory), or build your own using a blackguard-style Tele platform with a PAF neck humbucker, brass bridge, and five-string open-G setup.