Gear

Guitars

• Sterling by Ernie Ball Chambered Valentine Bigsby JV60CB

  • Neck+Bridge pickups: Pioneer Pope, i.e. the original and best “P&W humbucker” (500k pots)

  • Removed boost circuitry

  • BiggsFix for a shallower break angle over the bridge, Butchie Bar for easier string changes

• Yamaha Revstar RSS20

  • “Les Paul” with modern features: stainless frets, 5 way switch, satin neck finish, carbon-reinforced neck for better truss rod stability, contoured heel, 2 knobs, better upper fret access, lightweight/chambered, belly cut)

  • Pickups: Seymour Duncan Seth Lover (500k pots)

  • Blind A/B between this guitar and a Les Paul with the same pickups

• Veritas Orpheus

  • Neck+Bridge pickups: Pioneer Polecat, 250k pots

• Fender Meteora Player Plus

  • Neck+Bridge: Fralin Fralin’tron

  • Removed 2nd tone knob from circuit, wired the 2 remaining pots to master volume, master tone

• Veritas Texas Miracle African Series 2015

  • Neck+Bridge pickups: Lollar Special T

  • Bridge: Wilkinson cut sides

  • Saddles: Gotoh In-Tune

• Fender Player Plus HSS Stratocaster (replaced a Suhr Classic S)

  • Bridge pickup: Suhr Thornbucker II

  • Middle+Neck pickup: Suhr V60LP single coils (neck, middle)

• Fender Paramount PD-220E Dreadnought Acoustic (stock)

Guitar / Bass / Keys gear

• Line 6 Helix

• Fractal FM9 Turbo

• Shure GLXD16+

• Keys stuff

  • Novation Launchkey 61 keyboard

  • MainStage (Omnisphere, Serum, Keyscape, various Native Instruments plugins)

  • Radial USB-Pro interface

• HX Stomp

• Mission TT2 footswitch (lower cost option)

• 2.5mm power cable (no adapters needed).

• Run direct to FOH with 1/4” TRS to XLR male cables. If you want an XLR output with ground lift / phantom protection, the dbx DJDI is a solid inexpensive stereo DI.

  • Don’t waste your money on a $250 boutique line isolator. The music industry has been running line level devices direct to FOH for decades without them. Here is a level-matched blind A/B comparison I did between a $250 boutique line isolator and a $25 Livewire DI.

• I do not recommend ever summing to mono as it can only introduce problems with phasing / chorusing / comb filtering if there is any modulation in the stereo image, very common in wet effects or stereo widening. You’re much better off just using one half of the stereo signal.

• Pedalboard-friendly TRS insert cable for HXS’s stereo FX Loop

Studio Gear:

• Acoustic Treatment (more important than any other piece of gear, speakers included):

  • Acoustic Fields 12” Carbon Panels for low end absorption down to 40hz.

  • DIY 6” broadband absorbers using Rockwool Safe n’ Sound (pre-made option)

  • DIY 18” square corner bass traps based on GIK Soffit Traps. (pre-made option)

• Interface:

  • RME Babyface Pro FS

  • Lower cost option w/ SPDIF: Scarlett 8i6 3rd gen

  • SPDIF cables - I track guitars + bass through Helix/FM9 via SPDIF into my interface.

• Studio Monitors (again, don’t neglect good acoustic treatment)

  • <$500: Kali LP-6/8

  • $500-$999: Kali IN-5

  • $1k-$2k: Focal Solo6 BE or Hedd Type 05 mk2

  • What I use: Hedd Type 07 mk2

  • XLR Cables

  • TRS to XLR cables - balanced TRS out of the interface to balanced XLR input on the monitors.

• Headphones: Ollo S5X (by far the best and flattest headphone in the $500 range, better than many >$1k pairs i.e. Audeze LCD-X Hifiman Sundara, etc)

  • Cheaper: Sennheiser HD600

  • Budget: Sony MDR7506

Misc

• IEMs: 64Audio A12T (backup: 64Audio V6 Stage)

  • Low cost backup/alternative: KZ ZS10

• Headphone amp: Neve RNHP

• Strings: I primarily use Ernie Ball Coated 10-46 as I find they last longer and sound the same as Ernie Ball 10-46 Regular Slinky

• Capos: G7 ART III

• Strap Locks: Schaller S-Locks

• Picks: Dunlop 0.60mm (orange)

• Guitar stands: 8 guitars, 6 guitars

• Guitar Cases:

  • SKB iSeries Tele/Strat case

  • SKB iSeries Open Cavity case

  • Mono M80 Dual Gig Bag