| |
 |
|
MAIN TOURING & RECORDING SETUP
1961 Fender Stratocaster
 "This has been my number one guitar for the last decade, and I doubt that will change any time soon! It sees about 70% of my playing time during a gig and can be heard on all of my records. A nice light alder body, with a slab Brazilian rosewood fingerboard. It's currently fitted with a set of Suhr FL pickups, although for a long time it was sporting Lindy Fralin Vintage Hots.
Interestingly this guitar sounds pretty much the same with any set of high quality vintage style pickups. It's voice really comes through regardless. I've been intending to get the original pickups fixed up and put back in for years, so I'm currently trying out some different things to see who gets the job of rewinding them!
A five way selector switch has been added, with the bridge pickup wired to the tone control instead of the middle pickup. It's been refretted a few times, always with 6100 jumbo frets, and is fitted with graphite insert saddles to prevent string breakage. Strung 11 through 54. Other than that, it's just as it left the factory, and is basically a really killer sounding old Strat!"
|
|
|
SVL Sixty Custom
 "My current number two, and has been since the moment I received it in mid 2007. Although it was initially built as a touring replacement for Simon Law's 1969 Fender Telecaster that I'd been playing a lot for last few years, this guitar has become a main player for me both live and in the studio, and is featured for the first time on record on Heads, Tails & Aces. Inspired by the early sixties edge bound Tele Customs that I've always loved.
While the '69 had an ash body we went for lightweight alder when designing this one, mainly just to see what happened, and luckily it turned out really great! Sounds really meaty for a T-style guitar. Features a Brazilian rosewood slab fingerboard on a big flame maple neck.
Frets are 6100 jumbo, and pickups are Lindy Fralin Blues Specials. Again, strung 11-54, with compensated steel bridge saddles. I love this guitar, and it looks killer too!"
|
|
|
Two Rock Custom Reverb Signature Amplifier
 "For the last few years my main touring amps have been these incredible tone machines by K&M Analog Designs from California. Having spent years playing old Fender blackface amps, these were the first new amps I discovered that really allowed me to take my idea of tone to the next level.
6L6 powered, with an extra switchable overdrive gain stage that allows me to pickup right where the great clean tone ends. Also features a "bypass circuit" that lifts the tone controls out of the signal path to create a lively "tweed" type gain boost. Beautiful reverb too
Currently I'm playing a 100 watt "Version 2" Custom Reverb Signature through a special Two Rock 4x10 cabinet that they built for me. This amp has been exceptionally reliable on the road. It sounds huge, has great clarity and responsiveness to picking dynamics, and is both very revealing and rewarding to play through."
|
|
|
1964 Fender Super Reverb Amplifier (and SVL Fender "Vibroclone")
 "The Super was my main touring and recording amp from 1998-2006. All stock, with the exception of the tremolo being disconnected, and fitted with Reverend Alltone 1030 speakers. We keep it running with some nice NOS valves, and keep the electrolytic components in good shape, and it's good to go! Other than that, it's just as it left the factory 44 years ago, and basically happens to be an unusually good sounding old Super! These days it's pretty much saved for the studio, and occasional special gig.
Now, when I often want to add another amp alongside the Two Rock, I take out my Fender Vibroverb "Vibroclone" that SVL guitars put together for me. This was built off the platform of a beat up late 60's Fender Bandmaster Reverb head, adding a new combo cabinet, and a larger output transformer. It was totally rewired by blueprinting my Super's circuit, with a couple of extra SVL tweaks. Overall the basic tonality is very similar to my Super, except for the obvious difference of it running through a 15" EVM 15L speaker."
|
|
|
Bludotone Bludodrive Amplifier
"Coming soon! I was recently introduced to these amazing Bludotone (www.bludotone.com) amps, and after having the chance to spend some time with a very special and unique sounding example, I had to have one of my own. Stay tuned.........."
|
|
|
Pedalboard
My pedalboard is very simple, and largely for controlling my rig, as opposed to adding "effects" or things that change the tone. In fact, I go to great lengths to find things that don't change the direct tone and response of the guitar and amp too much. Along with the overdrive and boost footswitch for the Two-Rock it consists of:
Sonic Research ST-200 Strobe Tuner
www.turbo-tuner.com
"A very accurate, compact and rugged little tuner."
|
|
|
Providence SOV-2 Overdrive
"A new overdrive pedal from a fantastic company, Pacifix Ltd (www.pacifix-ltd.com) in Japan, who also make all my cables. This is a great sounding overdrive pedal! I had used and enjoyed their SOV-1 pedal for several years, but this one is even better. It can be very rich and thick, but at the same time it remains exceptionally clear and open, with a really great responsive and dynamic feel to pick attack. I set it up with the gain quite low and use it to push my amp a little harder when I need it."
|
|
|
Mad Professor Deep Blue Delay
"After a long and expensive search, going through just about every "stomp-box" delay, past and present, for something that could even come close to the great sounding (but high maintenance) tape echo units I love, I was very happy to find the Mad Professor Deep Blue Delay. (www.mpamp.com/pedal)
The smallest and simplest little box I tried sounded the absolute best for my needs. It doesn't mess with my basic dry tone at all, which is very important, and using the pedal into the front of the amp (never been a fan of dealing with FX loops) the delay doesn't get in the way or "smear" the notes. Just subtle, spacious ambiance with the right overall character."
|
|
|
VHT Valvulator
"A recent addition to my board, the Valvulator serves a couple of very useful purposes. Firstly it's a power supply for my pedals. Most importantly it's a valve driven line buffer, that drives the long cables from my board back to my amps without signal loss. Basically my guitar sounds and responds like it's plugged straight into the amp via a much shorter cable. It also easily lets me split the signal to two amps without ground loop noise or further signal loss."
|
|
|
CURT MANGAN GUITAR STRINGS
"After years of using various strings, by chance I came across Curt Mangan strings made by a small company in Colorado. I really rate these strings for feel and tone."
There is now a Matt Schofield Custom Set of Nickel Wound Strings 11-14-18P-28-38-54.
www.curtmangan.com
|
|
|
|
The equipment listed above forms the basis of my rig 99% of the time. However, in addition to this core setup, I use the following equipment in the studio, and occasionally on stage.
|
|
|
Tokai ES-120
 "Tokai's great take on the classic ES-335 guitar. This is a beautiful instrument, crafted in the Tokai custom shop in Japan. Refretted with 6105 frets, and fitted with Lindy Fralin "Unbucker" pickups wired with a push-pull pot to get that old out phase B.B. "Live at The Regal" tone when required. Strung 11 through 50. Although I'm not taking it out much these days, I love this guitar and, so far, I actually prefer this guitar to almost all of "real thing" I've tried, with a couple of notable exceptions."
"On the Ear To The Ground album I used Simon Law's 1962 Cherry Red Gibson ES-335 on several tracks. This guitar, complete with it's original P.A.F pickups, sounds absolutely incredible, but it's just too precious to tour with and throw in and out of the bus all the time. I'm pleased to report, however, that the Tokai ES-120 holds it's own very admirably against this prime original example of an ES-335."
|
|
|
SVL Custom Deluxe
 "This one is the original prototype for the Custom Deluxe model, this guitar features a one piece ash body, quarter-sawn maple neck and Brazilian rosewood fingerboard, and a pair of custom wound Jason Lollar mini-humbuckers, configured with a special wiring method. Strung 11 through 52. A very unique sounding instrument which can be seen and heard on the DVD release of the Ian Siegal Band Live at The North Sea Jazz Festival."
|
|
|
SVL Sixty-One
 "Another creation from SVL guitars, this Strat style guitar was built by closely studying the details, weight and dimensions of my original '61 Strat - so the specs are pretty much the same! SVL's unique finishing technique is particularly effective on the neck, which already has that broken in feel of my old Strat. For this guitar we've recently been really digging some killer sounding pickups made in Texas by Jerry Amalfitano."
|
|
|
Taylor 414 Acoustic
"When those "unplugged" moments arise I turn to my Taylor 414, which was a wonderful gift from my girlfriend. I often use it for writing new material, and it can be heard on all my records somewhere in the mix!"
|
|
|
1997 Matchless Chieftain & 2007 Matchless SC-30
'We always have a Matchless or two on hand in the studio. I used Simon's Matchless Chieftain head in tandem with my Super Reverb quite a lot before I got the Two Rock. It can be heard in a couple of places on Siftin' Thru Ashes, as well as on much of Ian Siegal's album "Meat & Potatoes". For Ear To The Ground it was used to run my leslie speaker cabinet. Last year I also picked up a Matchless SC-30 which I always enjoy playing through. It's somewhere in the mix on a track or two on Heads, Tails & Aces. Also great for those "grab and go" jam situations."
|
|
|
1969 Fender Vibratone Leslie cabinet
"Only ever dragged out for recording these days, there's no way to beat the sound of a real leslie cab for an organic chorus or tremolo effect. On previous albums I've mostly used it in the background for rhythm tracks, although it's featured a bit more heavily on a couple of songs from Heads, Tails & Aces."
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
To receive regular e-mail updates, please enter your details below. Thank you!
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
