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In the 1960’s there were two types of guitarists. One lot played Fender, the other lot played Gibsons. Like all teenagers I used to dribble from the mouth whilst looking into the windows of the music shops in Birmingham, England.
My dream guitar was a cherry red Gibson ES335. It cost £175, ($250), in 1964. I couldn’t afford the payments, so eventually I bought the Gibson ES 330 Sunburst – cheaper at £155. My Dad signed the lease agreement. (Thanks Dad!!)
Xmas 1968 - I joined Jethro Tull and had recently bought a very tatty Gibson Les Paul special circa late 1950’s. Previously my friend Dan had lent me his immaculate white one but sensibly wouldn’t sell it to me. I had an early Laney 50 watt head, which I linked to a box 2 x 12”” cabinet.
1969 - In January we started our first gigs playing with Jimi Hendrix, I still had my orange “Special” but had borrowed a monster 200 watt HiWatt, again not for sale. I ran it through a 4 x 12” Hi Watt Cab. We recorded Stand Up, no F/X except a Jim Dunlop wah wah in “We Used to Know”.
1970 - Same amps but I bought a Les Paul custom, it was a fake and didn’t stay in the collection very long! But I used it on Benefit. I started using a Hornby Skewes Treble Booster, which gave the HiWatts a bit of a kick. Unfortunately they picked up radio perfectly. Any gig within a mile of a radio station was a disaster!
I also started using an old Watkins Copycat echo – more noise!
1971 saw the Aqualung Album. I had met Leslie West and the result of much admiration from myself resulted in me buying a 1958 les Paul Junior – the Aqualung guitar. X Eyed Mary was played with an unnamed amp about 12” x 6”! My God through a Fender Super, and the rest through HiWatt plus the trusty? Hornby Skewes,
Thick as a Brick and Passion Play – were both classic sounds. 1959 Les Pauls and HIWatt! No F/X
Minstrel in the Gallery was played on a vintage Les Paul Standard and for Too Old to Rock and Roll I finally made the transition to Marshall 50 watt Heads and, of course 2 x 12” cabs. I also played a Fender Broadcaster on Taxi Grab and a Hamer Explorer Serial number 0002 bought, of course, from my great friend Paul Hamer. Occasionally a MXR phase 90 or Flanger crept in!
In the next few years I stuck with Gibsons until Paul Hamer convinced me his guitars were better! He was right and I must have amassed a dozen of his instruments and played them on Bursting Out, Heavy Horses, Songs from the Wood, Stormwatch.
I started using a Boss CS2 compressor which stayed with me for many years, permanently wired between guitar and amp.
When Paul quit his company I switched to various guitars. Ibanez and then Tom Anderson, which I used for several years but not before using a hand, made Hamer Chapparal in solid walnut on Crest of a Knave and Rock Island, this time using Marshall 15 watt practice amps. I ended up wiring six of these little beauties together for live shows.
Another favourite guitar appeared on Under Wraps and Creast of a Knave /Rock Island. This was a beautiful Schecter Strat made from Pau Ferro built by Charlie Chandler. I still have it – it's gorgeous!
The Marshall 15 watt amps struggled for volume and I was introduced to Soldano Decatone amps in the mid 1990s and have used them ever since, with good reason! I hook them up to a Marshall 2 x 12” cab. The noisy Boss compression was superseded around the same time by an Ibanez TubeScreamer, much more subtle in its performance.
I met up with Hugh Manson form Manson’s Guitar Shop in Exeter, England and he built many fine guitars for me, used on Roots and Branches with the Tom Andersons and on Dot.Com on which I used a Matchless Lightning Combo for some clean sounds.
After a couple of years on Fender Strats I am now a dedicated Paul Reed Smith user. I have two superb 513 guitars and they might just do me for a few years!!??
So here is the “Rig” I have spent 37 years building up to!
· Paul Reed Smith 513 Electric
· 2 Soldano Decatone Heads, one feeding one or two 2 X 12 Marshall Vintage Cabs and the other feeding two 1 X 12” Marshall mini-cabs as “front” monitors From the send of one amp I route through a simple reverb unit (various makes!) and return to both amps a subtle background hall reverb.
· An Orchid switching box takes care of the three channels on both amps plus switching in the Ibanez Tube Screamer on the overdrive channel only!
· I use Samson radio transmitters - they are so simple and so brilliant!
· Strings from my long standing friends at G.H.S.
· A fabulous Andy Manson mandolin and Taylor acoustic guitars whenever I am allowed extra gear.
· All Guitar repairs by Manson Guitars, Exeter, England.
· Electronic repairs and build by Orchid Electronics, Exeter, England.
My three solo albums have so any guitars and amps on them I can’t begin - so I won’t!
I want to thank everyone who has helped me over the years with equipment, many of whom are not mentioned and thank everyone who might help me in the future!!
Here is the list in some sort of order:
Amplifiers
Watkins Dominator (pre-Tull)
Vox AC 30 (pre-Tull)
Laney (mainly Pre Tull)
HiWatt
Marshall
Soldano
Plus various “Studio” amps including Fender, Matchless, Cornford, Tech21
Guitars
Dallas Tuxedo!! (pre-Tull)
Gibson ES330 (pre-Tull)
Gibson L P Special
Gibson “Fake” Custom LP
Gibson LP Junior
Gibson LP Sunburst
Gibson LP Standard
Hamer Special Chaparral
Schecter “Strat”
Ibanez
Tom Anderson “Drop Tops”
Manson Electric and Acoustic Guitars
Fender “Hot Rod” Stratocaster
Paul Reed Smith 513
I hope this answers some of your queries!
