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Rod Stewart - Maggie May - Guitar Lesson

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Rod Stewart - Maggie May - Guitar Lesson

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Rod Stewart - Maggie May guitar lesson video
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Classic Rock

Gain6
Bass6
Mid7
Treble6
Presence5
Master7
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Every Picture Tells A Story album cover
Every Picture Tells A Story
1971 5:50
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Rod Stewart Rock 1971 D major
Capo Advisor 0 D major · Original key

Maggie May

"Maggie May" is a rock classic co-written by Rod Stewart and Martin Quittenton, released in 1971 on the album Every Picture Tells a Story. Regarded as Stewart's signature song, it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2017 and ranked among Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. For electric guitar players, it offers a rewarding mix of acoustic-driven rhythm work and the distinctive mandolin-style lead lines that define its iconic sound.

  • The song was co-written by Rod Stewart and Martin Quittenton, making it a notable example of successful songwriting collaboration in classic rock.
  • Rolling Stone ranked "Maggie May" number 130 on its list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2004.
  • The Grammy Hall of Fame inducted "Maggie May" in 2017, recognizing its lasting influence on rock music history.
Fender Stratocaster
Guitar

Fender Stratocaster

Ronnie Wood's Strat on Rod Stewart records delivers warm, rounded single-coil tones in the neck and middle positions that sit perfectly behind Stewart's vocals without competing. The responsive, dynamic clean tone lets Wood's picking dynamics and volume knob adjustments create all the tonal variation needed, no effects required.

Gibson Les Paul Standard
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

Wood's Les Paul Standard provides fat, smooth PAF-style humbucker midrange ideal for bluesy fills and slide work on Stewart's classic tracks. The lower-output pickups maintain clarity and warmth while thickening up naturally when played hard, fitting the raw, unprocessed aesthetic of Rod's catalog.

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

The Zemaitis custom guitar contributes its unique woody character and harmonic richness to Rod Stewart's electric parts, offering tonal variety while maintaining the clean-to-edge-of-breakup approach. Like Wood's other guitars, it relies purely on picking dynamics and amp response rather than effects for authentic tone.

Fender Twin Reverb
Amp

Fender Twin Reverb

The Twin Reverb's clean headroom and natural reverb are essential to Rod Stewart's signature sound, delivering responsive tone at volume 5-6 that thickens when you dig in. This amp perfectly supports the effects-free philosophy, letting raw guitar and fingers drive the tone while the reverb adds subtle depth to classic tracks.

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