Nile Rodgers

In an interview with GQ France, Nile Rodgers mentions his preference for Dunlop Tortex Standard 0.50mm Guitar Picks, highlighting their unparalleled quality.

When asked on Twitter what guitar amplifier he uses live, Nile Rodgers replies, "@fender Hot Rod DeVille" (posted Dec 2014)

"Rodgers’ affectionately nicknamed Hitmaker is a 1960 Stratocaster with a 1959 neck. He got it for a trade-in long ago at a small shop in Miami Beach, Fla. Exceptionally light in weight, it has a maple fingerboard and bears a well-worn white finish. Rodgers says it doesn’t sound like any other Stratocaster in the world," reads this article.

"However, there is another guitar hero in my herd. It's my plexiglass Guitarman and it usually stands-in for The Hitmaker in videos and TV appearances. It doesn't get the credit it deserves because it's a great sounding instrument, but its main role is to play The Hitmaker's Body Double."

Used for C'est Chic, particularly on "Le Freak", as stated by this February 3, 2020 Guitar World article.

The Neve console’s 31102 mic preamp/EQ channel strip generously reduces bass (to provide extra room for Bernard Edwards’ booty-shaking bass low-end thump), while a miked Deluxe Reverb recorded simultaneously on a second track mixed below the direct track preserves body.

(...) Original gear

Guitar: 1960 Fender Stratocaster with maple 1959 neck and hardtail bridge (neck pickup only), Master Volume: 10, Neck Tone: 10

Direct input: Neve 8068 console with 31102 channel strips (Mic Preamp Level: -30dB, High Frequency: 12kHz, HF Level: +6dB, Mid Frequency: 4.8kHz, MF level: +4dB, Hi Q: On, Low Frequency: 220Hz, LF Level: -6dB, High Pass Filter: 160Hz, Low Pass Filter: off)

Amp: c. 1968-77 Fender Deluxe Reverb (Normal Channel input 1, Volume: 4, Treble: 7, Bass: 5) with Oxford 12K5 12-inch speaker

Effects (outboard): Neve 33609 compressor (settings unknown), Pultec EQP 1A3 2-Band EQ (settings unknown)

Strings/Tuning: D’Addario XL120 .009-.042/Standard

Pick: Fender Thin

At Septembrer 8th of 2018, Nile Rodgers in his Instagram's stories, showed him practice for the Private Gig in the Olympia Hall in Paris, for Canal Plus.

In the first of the two stories is possible to heard that he is playing with an auto-wah. In a minute, the camera man shows the pedalboard, and it's possible to see the Mad Professor Snow White pedal.

Here is Nile playing with the pedal: https://www.instagram.com/p/BorSUHbFPAh/

Used for C'est Chic, particularly on "Le Freak", as stated by this February 3, 2020 Guitar World article.

The Neve console’s 31102 mic preamp/EQ channel strip generously reduces bass (to provide extra room for Bernard Edwards’ booty-shaking bass low-end thump), while a miked Deluxe Reverb recorded simultaneously on a second track mixed below the direct track preserves body.

(...) Original gear

Guitar: 1960 Fender Stratocaster with maple 1959 neck and hardtail bridge (neck pickup only), Master Volume: 10, Neck Tone: 10

Direct input: Neve 8068 console with 31102 channel strips (Mic Preamp Level: -30dB, High Frequency: 12kHz, HF Level: +6dB, Mid Frequency: 4.8kHz, MF level: +4dB, Hi Q: On, Low Frequency: 220Hz, LF Level: -6dB, High Pass Filter: 160Hz, Low Pass Filter: off)

Amp: c. 1968-77 Fender Deluxe Reverb (Normal Channel input 1, Volume: 4, Treble: 7, Bass: 5) with Oxford 12K5 12-inch speaker

Effects (outboard): Neve 33609 compressor (settings unknown), Pultec EQP 1A3 2-Band EQ (settings unknown)

Strings/Tuning: D’Addario XL120 .009-.042/Standard

Pick: Fender Thin

In this photo, the reference laboratory show Nile's pedal setup

The Flickr photo by Reference Laboratory features Nile Rodgers' pedalboard, which includes a Boss DD-3 Digital Delay.

Used for C'est Chic, particularly on "Le Freak", as stated by this February 3, 2020 Guitar World article.

The Neve console’s 31102 mic preamp/EQ channel strip generously reduces bass (to provide extra room for Bernard Edwards’ booty-shaking bass low-end thump), while a miked Deluxe Reverb recorded simultaneously on a second track mixed below the direct track preserves body.

(...) Original gear

Guitar: 1960 Fender Stratocaster with maple 1959 neck and hardtail bridge (neck pickup only), Master Volume: 10, Neck Tone: 10

Direct input: Neve 8068 console with 31102 channel strips (Mic Preamp Level: -30dB, High Frequency: 12kHz, HF Level: +6dB, Mid Frequency: 4.8kHz, MF level: +4dB, Hi Q: On, Low Frequency: 220Hz, LF Level: -6dB, High Pass Filter: 160Hz, Low Pass Filter: off)

Amp: c. 1968-77 Fender Deluxe Reverb (Normal Channel input 1, Volume: 4, Treble: 7, Bass: 5) with Oxford 12K5 12-inch speaker

Effects (outboard): Neve 33609 compressor (settings unknown), Pultec EQP 1A3 2-Band EQ (settings unknown)

Strings/Tuning: D’Addario XL120 .009-.042/Standard

Pick: Fender Thin

Visible in this August 2019 photo from Rodger's official JAM Pedals artist page.

D’Addario strings allow me to concentrate on my technique. I’m confident the tone and quality will be perfect

Nile Rodgers posted this photo on his facebook page. The post says, "This Gibson L5 Custom is one damn fine guitar and it sounded amazing in this space at Drexel"

GQ posted this excerpt from Nile Rodgers' autobiography, "Le Freak" in 2011. In it he describes the guitar that he traded to obtain one of the most important guitars in history.

"One day, following a gig in Miami, Nard got me to trade in my prized jazz guitar, a hollow-bodied Gibson Barney Kessel, for a sleek solid-bodied Fender Stratocaster, the six-string equivalent of trading in a Range Rover for a Porsche."

This photo by Reference Laboratory on Flickr captures Nile Rodgers' pedalboard, featuring the Korg Pitchblack tuner.

Nile Rodgers reminisces about jamming with Al Jarreau at his birthday party in London during the 80s, as shared in a Facebook post. The post includes a photo of Rodgers playing a Gibson Les Paul Standard, highlighting his use of this iconic guitar in a jazz, funk, and R&B setting.

Featured in this August 1, 2019 video by JAM Pedals.

Used for C'est Chic, particularly on "Le Freak", as stated by this February 3, 2020 Guitar World article.

The Neve console’s 31102 mic preamp/EQ channel strip generously reduces bass (to provide extra room for Bernard Edwards’ booty-shaking bass low-end thump), while a miked Deluxe Reverb recorded simultaneously on a second track mixed below the direct track preserves body.

(...) Original gear

Guitar: 1960 Fender Stratocaster with maple 1959 neck and hardtail bridge (neck pickup only), Master Volume: 10, Neck Tone: 10

Direct input: Neve 8068 console with 31102 channel strips (Mic Preamp Level: -30dB, High Frequency: 12kHz, HF Level: +6dB, Mid Frequency: 4.8kHz, MF level: +4dB, Hi Q: On, Low Frequency: 220Hz, LF Level: -6dB, High Pass Filter: 160Hz, Low Pass Filter: off)

Amp: c. 1968-77 Fender Deluxe Reverb (Normal Channel input 1, Volume: 4, Treble: 7, Bass: 5) with Oxford 12K5 12-inch speaker

Effects (outboard): Neve 33609 compressor (settings unknown), Pultec EQP 1A3 2-Band EQ (settings unknown)

Strings/Tuning: D’Addario XL120 .009-.042/Standard

Pick: Fender Thin

Used for C'est Chic, particularly on "Le Freak", as stated by this February 3, 2020 Guitar World article.

The Neve console’s 31102 mic preamp/EQ channel strip generously reduces bass (to provide extra room for Bernard Edwards’ booty-shaking bass low-end thump), while a miked Deluxe Reverb recorded simultaneously on a second track mixed below the direct track preserves body.

(...) Original gear

Guitar: 1960 Fender Stratocaster with maple 1959 neck and hardtail bridge (neck pickup only), Master Volume: 10, Neck Tone: 10

Direct input: Neve 8068 console with 31102 channel strips (Mic Preamp Level: -30dB, High Frequency: 12kHz, HF Level: +6dB, Mid Frequency: 4.8kHz, MF level: +4dB, Hi Q: On, Low Frequency: 220Hz, LF Level: -6dB, High Pass Filter: 160Hz, Low Pass Filter: off)

Amp: c. 1968-77 Fender Deluxe Reverb (Normal Channel input 1, Volume: 4, Treble: 7, Bass: 5) with Oxford 12K5 12-inch speaker

Effects (outboard): Neve 33609 compressor (settings unknown), Pultec EQP 1A3 2-Band EQ (settings unknown)

Strings/Tuning: D’Addario XL120 .009-.042/Standard

Pick: Fender Thin

At 1:55, Nile Rodgers uses a Fender Thinline Telecaster. In this video, he talks about his collaboration with Daft Punk for their last album "Random Access Memory"

Visible in this September 18, 2018 still from Rodger's Instagram Live.

Used for C'est Chic, particularly on "Le Freak", as stated by this February 3, 2020 Guitar World article.

The Neve console’s 31102 mic preamp/EQ channel strip generously reduces bass (to provide extra room for Bernard Edwards’ booty-shaking bass low-end thump), while a miked Deluxe Reverb recorded simultaneously on a second track mixed below the direct track preserves body.

(...) Original gear

Guitar: 1960 Fender Stratocaster with maple 1959 neck and hardtail bridge (neck pickup only), Master Volume: 10, Neck Tone: 10

Direct input: Neve 8068 console with 31102 channel strips (Mic Preamp Level: -30dB, High Frequency: 12kHz, HF Level: +6dB, Mid Frequency: 4.8kHz, MF level: +4dB, Hi Q: On, Low Frequency: 220Hz, LF Level: -6dB, High Pass Filter: 160Hz, Low Pass Filter: off)

Amp: c. 1968-77 Fender Deluxe Reverb (Normal Channel input 1, Volume: 4, Treble: 7, Bass: 5) with Oxford 12K5 12-inch speaker

Effects (outboard): Neve 33609 compressor (settings unknown), Pultec EQP 1A3 2-Band EQ (settings unknown)

Strings/Tuning: D’Addario XL120 .009-.042/Standard

Pick: Fender Thin

Critically-acclaimed guitarist and producer, Nile Roders, posted this photo on his official Twitter page. In the shot, he is playing a coral sitar, made by Danelectro.

The tweet reads: " Paying tribute to arranging genius Thom Bell on our track "Queen" w/ Coral Electric Sitar #oldschool vibe."

Visible in this August 2019 photo from Rodger's official JAM Pedals artist page.

In this video from Fender, Nile Rogers performs a song he wrote with an American Acoustasonic Stratocaster. On the videos YouTube description, Fender put the following from as a note from Nile Rodgers and Engineer Russell Graham:

The voices available on the Acoustasonic are designed to evoke the real-world sources that they are based on (core acoustic, alternate acoustic, electric clean, electric fat, etc.) without traditional guitar amplification…as such, most of the voice indications on this cue sheet are marked 'no amp.

HOWEVER, putting the guitar through a traditional guitar amplifier yields interesting and sometimes unexpected tones. In particular, we found that the acoustic/electric blended voice, with traditional guitar amplification applied, was reminiscent of a classic hollow-body jazz guitar - and so for the guitar solo we’ve noted that the tone is 'AMPED.'

Visible in this August 2019 photo from Rodger's official JAM Pedals artist page.

In this photo you can see Nile Rodgers with his own Fender Nile Rodgers Hitmaker Stratocaster.

Visible in this September 18, 2018 still from Rodger's Instagram Live and this August 2019 photo from Rodger's official JAM Pedals artist page.

In this photo you can see Nile Rodgers with this Fender Stratocaster.

Visible in this September 18, 2018 still from Rodger's Instagram Live and this August 2019 photo from Rodger's official JAM Pedals artist page.