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Neil Young - Rockin' In The Free World - Guitar Lesson

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Neil Young - Rockin' In The Free World - Guitar Lesson

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Neil Young - Rockin' In The Free World guitar lesson video
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Rockin' In The Free World

"Rockin' In The Free World" is a song by Canadian-American singer-songwriter Neil Young, released on his seventeenth studio album Freedom (1989). The album features two versions of the track, one acoustic and one electric, bookending the record. The electric version is a cornerstone of rock guitar repertoire, built around a driving, distorted riff that makes it an essential and rewarding piece for electric guitar players to study.

  • The song appears twice on Freedom (1989), once in an acoustic arrangement and once in a full electric version.
  • Rolling Stone ranked 'Rockin' In The Free World' number 214 on its '500 Greatest Songs of All Time' list.
  • The dual acoustic/electric structure mirrors Neil Young's approach on 'Hey Hey, My My' from his Rust Never Sleeps album.
Fender Telecaster
Guitar

Fender Telecaster

Neil Young uses a white Fender Telecaster for specific tonal flavors, accessing its bright, cutting midrange and twangy articulation as an alternative to Old Black's darker character. The Tele's single-coil pickup clarity complements his minimal effects philosophy, delivering snap and definition for rhythm work.

Gibson Les Paul Standard
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

Young's primary electric voice comes from his modified 1953 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop, Old Black, whose body and weight anchor his massive tone through the Firebird mini-humbucker. The Les Paul's thick construction and sustain are essential to generating his singing, controlled feedback at cranked volume through the Tweed Deluxe.

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

The Les Paul Custom shares the body weight and sustain characteristics of Young's Old Black, making it a potential alternative platform for his Firebird mini-humbucker bridge pickup. Its darker tonal character would complement Young's preference for focused midrange and natural tube saturation over bright, glassy output.

Fender Twin Reverb
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Fender Twin Reverb

Young occasionally deploys the Fender Twin Reverb for cleaner tones when his Tweed Deluxe's cranked saturation becomes too aggressive. The Twin's 85-watt headroom and built-in reverb provide textural alternatives while maintaining his preference for simple, volume-based tone shaping.

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