Let's Talk Guitar Setups!!!

[frisellfan19]

Hello Everyone,

I'm just curious as to what everyone is using for guitars, effects, and amplifiers.

My current setup is the following:

Fender Stratocaster
Fender Telecaster
Fender Mustang
Ibanez Artcore AG75 Semi-hollowbody

From the guitar:

Morley Volume Pedal
TC Electronic Vintage Compression
Boss DS-1 Distortion
Boss Tremolo
Boss DD-6 Digital Delay
Line 6 DL4 Delay Modeler (coming out of right amplifier) --- for loops only
Electro-Harmonix Memory Man w/ Hazarai (positioned in the left amplifier's signal) --- for loops only

Rackmount:

Lexicon MPX-110 Multi-Effects Processor (for reverb only)
Sabine rackmount tuner
Furman Power Conditioner

From the Lexicon a stereo signal is sent to two amplfiers:

Jay Turser Classic 25RC (25-watts)
Fender Sidekick Reverb (35-watts)

When I'm playing over somebody's house or out live, my setup is very simple: Fender Strat, Line 6 DL4, Alesis Microverb, and a small amp usually a Crate Taxi 30-watt. This setup usually works well and since I don't hardly ever use distortion or have any need for it, I leave it at home. This setup also isn't a problem to setup like mine at home.

Alright, your turn.

[Stackabones]

I do mainly acoustic gigs: Gitane D500 with Schatten pup, LR Baggs PARA DI, and if the gig doesn't already have a PA, I take my Scherlter Unico. If I need a little onstage volume help (rarely needed), I have a hot spot monitor --a Mackie SRM150. Since I sing, I always have a Shure mic in my bag. No effects in the acoustic set up. I like it dry.

[rio]

I mainly use a 2005 Eastman 805ce that is slightly modded and has a floating PAF pickup with a 15 19 24 32 42 52 string set. I have a late 70's polytone (15" speaker) and a Roland Cube x30 with an Eminence delta demon speaker in it. I have other guitars but don't really use them much anymore.

[frisellfan19]

Hmmm...it seems I'm the only "gearhead" in the room.

Normally jazz guitarists don't use a lot of effects. This is where I'm different, but then again, I don't think I use that many effects. Reverb and delay are really the only effects I use.

But it's interesting to see how little people use to achieve their sound. If I stripped all the reverb and delay from tone, I would still sound like me, but I like have that extra little ambience in my tone.

[mmukav]

I'll chime in, even though I'm just getting back into jazz guitar and right now am not in a jazz band or playing jazz live yet.

Ibanez AK85
Fender Blues Junior

I like a pretty dry jazz guitar tone, so only using a small amount of reverb. I also have a Digitech Digital Delay that I'll be trying out.

For the blues band I'm in I use:

Fender 70's Series Strat
Gibson SG All American (1 pickup mid 90's model with a single Seymour Duncan '57 PAF type pickup)

Blues Junior, sometimes tandemned up with a 5-Watt Blackheart Little Giant Tube Combo.

Digitech Digital Delay
Dunlop Cry Baby Wah
Ibanez Tube Screamer.

Mike

[hot ford coupe]

I'm not what you would call a true working musician. I did that many years ago while I was going to school. I'm more of a former guitar collector or in other words, a serious amateur with more of a love for the history of jazz, the great guitars that were played, the players and the great songs of the past 60 -70 years. I've done mostly volunteer work over the past 10 years playing at nursing homes, small restaurants owned by friends and a number of social functions. I play a lot of standards and do mostly solo work i.e. chord melod stuff and comping behind my own voice similar to Chet Baker, John Pizzarelli and Michael Buble. (I'm definitely no where near as good as these guys but I play in the same style.) For the last 3 years I've been using a 1939 D'Angelico Excel non cutaway archtop with a DeArmond 1100 Rhythm Chief pickup through a Fender Vibrolux Reverb which has just developed some kind of short in it. At home, I use a 1965 Ampeg Gemini I amp. I don't use any effects and try to simulate reverb by holding down one note when I go from chord to chord like they did before spring reverb was invented.

[Jake Hanlon]

Current step up... will be getting another gigging guitar in the coming weeks, but this is what I gots.

Gibson ES 335

Fender HR Deluxe 40w Tube Amp w/ Groove Tubes. Will be replacing speaker for an upgrade this fall.
Roland Supercube 60 (currently in my office and I use it to teach. My Students get to use an old Peavy Classic 30 of a new Fender Blues Jr. I prefer my Roland)

When I feel like it I run them in stereo through...

Furman Stereo Pedal board
w/ Proco RAT OD
Line 6 Echo Park Digital Delay
Line 6 Verbzilla Digital Reverb
Boss TU-2 Chromatic Tuner
Ernie Ball Passive Volume Pedal

Planet Waves cables
Thomastic Roundwound 13's. (this is about the change as I research strings over the next while).

My Gibson is awesome, I loves it. I have a line on a few vintage Gibsons I'm looking to invest in. At this point I need to send my guitar in for a set up pretty badly but don't have an alternate instrument to use while my guy has it (often he takes a week)

[JohnW400]

I haven't gigged in a while but I still have my stuff (except for the Bose 'stick' that was a pain to carry around)

Jazz Guitars:

Gibson Super 400 CES
Gibson Custom Shop ES350T
Mark Campellone Custom oval hole archtop
Vince Colletti custom oval hole archtop
Cheap Samick with neck mounted pup (for sheding scales and such)

Other Guitars
Tele thinline with Duncan HB in the neck position and a Texas special - bridge postion

American Strat w Texas specials
Ovation Shallow Bowl acoustic (1990)
Yamaha C171 Classical

amps:

Fender Blues Jr
Carvin Nomad
Acoustic G120 (1970's)

Effects (don't really use 'em for jazz):

Maxon analog delay. (ds 800 or whatever)
Maxon tube screamer (808 " " )
Boss stereo chorus
Boss EQ ( I occasionally use this with the archtops and classical)
Alesis reverb and modulation effects unit (the cheap one)
old Zoom 500? modulation pedal

I really have way too much stuff for someone that only plays out a few times a year now. Its probably even too much for when I was doing 4-10 gigs a month.

[frisellfan19]

My Gibson is awesome, I loves it. I have a line on a few vintage Gibsons I'm looking to invest in. At this point I need to send my guitar in for a set up pretty badly but don't have an alternate instrument to use while my guy has it (often he takes a week)

I saw a beautiful guitar that I wanted when I was visiting in New Orleans in May. It was a 1978 Gibson SG. This guitar played so great and had such a mellow, dark tone. I played a chord voicing on that was kind of spooky (at 7th fret and notes where E, A, C, D, B) and this guitar handled that dark sound so beautifully. I wanted it, but it was expensive. I think it was around $1,000 or so.

[C.A.JO.]

Here's my current setup:

Guitars:
- Gibson Les Paul Custom w. vintage DiMarzio PAF pickups
- Fender Telecaster w. Bill Lawrence pickups
- Martin DM acoustic

Amp:
- Line 6 Duoverb Amp (set for Vox AC30 and Fender Twin)

Pedals:
- Electro Harmonix deluxe memory man (delay pedal)
- Vintage ibanez ts-808
- EMMA ReezaFRATzitz (Handmade Danish distortion pedal)
- EMMA TransMORGrifler (Handmade Danish compressor)

Furthermore I have some other pedals including various MXR, Boss and T-rex models. I play in a rock band right now and I'm aiming for an old school rock sound.

When playing jazz I play my les paul and usually borrow my teacher's gibson es-335 and a polytone amp....

However my dream jazz-setup would be something like this:

- Ibanez GB-10 or a Gibson L-5 :-)
- Fender Twin
- Fulltone Tube Tape Echo

I've only been a serious jazz guitarist since january, so my setup is somehow still more fitted for the rock sound. But I've removed many pedals from my board since I began playing jazz, because I realized that don't need that much effect.... it's all in the fingers!

[derek]

I have two set ups, one for jazz, one for rock/pop stuff that I still play 2+ x's per month.

Jazz set up:

1971 ES 175
JazzKat John Pizzarelli model amp
(Chris Forshage Ergonomic guitar within a month or so)


Rock set up:

US Strat or Nash Tele thru (in order):
Fulltone Clyde Standard wah
Emma Compressor
Keely Fuzzhead
NOC3 Firefly
AMT Electronics California Sound
NOC3 Earthtone (clean boost)
Eventide Modfactor
TC Electronics Nova Delay
Boss TU-2
Ceriaton Overtone Special (Dumble clone) w/ Avatar 2x12 cab loaded with Eminence Legends.

[JohnW400]

Derek,

how do you like the jazzkat? have you tried any other of the newer jazz guitar amps like Henrickson, AI or AER?

[frisellfan19]

I think my setup works well for me in whatever I chose to play, because I can do layering with loops and I like that.

I also like the fact that I have a stereo setup with a looper connected to each amplifier. I like that big stereo sound.

I like the sound of delay and reverb together, but to get more of a jazz tone. I use less of both, but reverb is still prominent in my tone. I like using the Hall reverb setting on my Lexicon.

[frisellfan19]

I've only been a serious jazz guitarist since january, so my setup is somehow still more fitted for the rock sound. But I've removed many pedals from my board since I began playing jazz, because I realized that don't need that much effect.... it's all in the fingers!

It is all in the fingers, but effects, guitars, and amplifiers are just as important.

I like having a good tone, it inspires me to play. Some people can play a piece of shit guitar and use a crappy sounding amp and are happy with it. I was never like that, I have to have a good tone with good equipment.

Even if you can't afford a bunch of pedals and effects, you can still invest that money in getting a good guitar and a good amplifier.

I like having the tonal options if I want them, but it is possible for people to get too stupid with effects and go overboard too.

All I'm saying is have a good reverb unit and delay, because these effects are so valuable and can send you in so many directions.

[mr. beaumont]

various fender teles (one with a neck bucker, a thinline, a MIM 50's classic and my old american standard) into either a blues junior or a roland cube 60, or if the place has an amp that's decent, i'll use that (i have an upcoming jazz/gospel gig in which i'll be playing thru a JC-120--which i used to own but got tired of schlepping around) i use the cube for any solo gigs, and the BJ when i'm looking for more of that "wes tone" when i dig in. i use monster cables and d'addairo chromes .11 gauge strings.

effects, none really, unless the gig calls for it. if it's a really dead room, a little reverb will do. i've subbed for a few wedding/top 40 type bands, and when i do, i'll bring a RAT and a wah usually. since i'm getting mic'd at anything that requires more volume than my small amps can handle, i haven't run into any troubles...the jazz gigs i get in chicago are usually in places about the size of my living room.

[bojan]

frisellfan,
It appears that all of the gear listed in this thread is used by professionals or is retained from some previous life as a professional ... thus one could hardly say that you (or, for that matter, anyone else on the forum) are a "gearhead".
Since I am an amateur(ish) guitarist who returned to the instrument only recently (around mid-nineties), my setup is somewhat mixed.
- remnants from the seventies:
fender f-55/12 (an acoustic twelve-string) as a token of reverence for Ralph Towner;
Electro Harmonix phaser and Monarch stereo analog delay;
Univox 18w amp (GA something);
- current stuff ... in order of appearance:
epiphone L5c (acoustic w. piezo);
yamaha aex 1500 and peavey 110 amp;
big foot passive volume;
yamaha silent (nylon strings, wide neck).
- diy stuff:
phantom powered pre-amp cable for the volume pedal.
In view of the ten odd gigs that I have during the year, it is obvious that the setup I use is excessive. Nevertheless, I consider it a source of great personal satisfaction ... I really enjoy playing Frisell's Strange Meeting on a twelve-string guitar.

[frisellfan19]

frisellfan,
... thus one could hardly say that you (or, for that matter, anyone else on the forum) are a "gearhead".

So I'm not a "gearhead"? Nice of you to tell me what I am and what I am not. Like you actually know.

[bluemood]

I use a polytone Mini Brute IV mostly for jazz with my Hofner Very thin classic (semi hollow) guitar,cable ,amp.I like to walk into a gig with guitar in one hand and amp in the other hand and very little if any reverb... For rock stuff I use my Fender Hot Rod Deluxe (modified) can also be used for jazz...Fender CS Jimi Hendrix Voodoo strat with Kinman woostock plus pickups ...Fulltone fat boost,Fulltone Fulldrive II,Gibson pure nickel L5 11 to 52 on the Hofner and Gibson pure nickel 10 to 46 on the strat ...D'andera pro plec small teardrop pick and fingers,finger nails...This is what usually get played ,but also have alot of stuff in the closet like Line 6 XT live,boss pedals,Ibanez pedals ect.

[swordfishtrombon]

hello everyone here's my setup :

guitar : fender telecaster (mexico) : your standart maple neck telecaster (i love the tone and the simplicity of that guitar )
custom handmade electric guitar : two humbuckers (bridge pickup can be splitted - both of them are seymour duncan) neck and body made of maple and the back of the body is made of a 60 year wardrobe, i guess it is an exotic wood and the guitar looks like a PRS.

effects : big muff PI
fuzz face
cry baby wah
boss delay , reverb , chorus
electro harmonix deluxe memory man

amp : ibanez 150 watt amp

take care

[mr. beaumont]

So I'm not a "gearhead"? Nice of you to tell me what I am and what I am not. Like you actually know.

easy fris--i think he was taking you calling yourself a "gearhead" as a self-deprecating remark.

[frisellfan19]

It's interesting to read everyone's guitar setups. I guess my follow-up question would be how much of the equipment do you own actually gets used?

For my own setup, I use it all at some point in time. I do not use any Lexicon MPX-110 other than the Hall reverb. The Lexicon also where I split the signal to two amps.

[frisellfan19]

easy fris--i think he was taking you calling yourself a "gearhead" as a self-deprecating remark.

I think people read too much into things that I write to be honest. When I was referring to myself as "gearhead" I was merely saying that I have a lot of pedals and gear. That's all, so I don't think I need to calm down, because I wasn't upset. Why would I be? That would be ridiculous.

[mr. beaumont]

Nice of you to tell me what I am and what I am not. Like you actually know.

that sounded angry to me.

what i'm saying fris, is that i think we're having a "can't inflect in language on the internet" barrier here...the way i read it, bojan thought you were putting yourself down for being a "gearhead" and was saying that it sounded like you, and most who had posted, had professional set ups in which the gear was necessary--not just a collection.

as for your follow up question, since my setup is small, i use all of it regularly...the toughest thing is for me to decide what guitar to play...all depends on the mood, i guess, or the setting.

[frisellfan19]

that sounded angry to me.

what i'm saying fris, is that i think we're having a "can't inflect in language on the internet" barrier here...the way i read it, bojan thought you were putting yourself down for being a "gearhead" and was saying that it sounded like you, and most who had posted, had professional set ups in which the gear was necessary--not just a collection.

as for your follow up question, since my setup is small, i use all of it regularly...the toughest thing is for me to decide what guitar to play...all depends on the mood, i guess, or the setting.

I understand, Beaumont. I'm a pretty sarcastic person sometimes, so that doesn't translate well through the computer. What looked like "anger" was actually me being sarcastic as usual.

Trust me when I say I've got better things to do than to get mad at a complete stranger. Oh and just for the record, I am still a gearhead, because I have a lot of damn pedals besides the ones I mentioned already.

[JohnW400]

One thing I've noticed is that there are a lot of posters here for whom English is a second (or 3rd or 4th) language. I think it's real easy for us native speakers to misinterpret what they're saying. (and vice versa)

So many posters here from other countries is what really draws me to this forum. It's nice to see what's going on around the world and not just my own backyard