About John: Equipment: Preamps & Effects

Speck Electronics Channel Strip
For my live acoustic rig, I use a Speck Electronics MicPre/DI preamp coupled with a Speck 4-band parametric EQ. The unit gives a ton of super clean gain with a lot of headroom, and the eq is like a surgical instrument, enabling me to notch out the nasty frequencies from the acoustic guitar pickup (i have yet to hear a picup on an acoustic guitar that actually makes it sound like an acoustic guitar), and deal with room-by-room oddities that cause boominess, feedback, or other problems. I also use this strip in the studio for micing the guitar and vocals.

FMR Audio RNC
I use this compressor on my acoustic guitar in "Super Nice" mode (similar to dbx's soft knee compression) to smooth out the sound and take care of the transients. Very musical, no pumping, and completely transparent.

Lexicon MPX 100
Look no further for a multi effects unit. This thing has everything I need, which is admittedly not that much. A reverb that doesn't sound like I'm playing through a tin can, and a rich, smooth delay (with "tap" tempo). I'm sure the chorus, flange, and gate sounds are good too, but I've never really had occasion to bother using them.

Guitar Pedals

• Ibanez Tube Screamers: I have several of these -- 2 TS9s (one Modded by Keeley), a TS808 reissue, and a TS808HW (handwired with true bypass), and while they're clearly all in the same family, each has a subtlely distinct character. I like to chain them together on different settings -- I love how the cascading gains stages gives me a huge range of gain sounds. If I can only bring one pedal to a gig, the TS808HW would be the one.
• Ibanez Phaser: I originally fell in love with this effect from my 1981 UE400 (a compressor, original TS808 tube screamer, chorus/flange, phaser, and an external effects loop all in one!), so when it died I went out in search of a replacement unit. NO luck, but I did find the stomp box at a pawn shop and bought it instantly.
• Ibanez Compressor: Another effect from my 1981 UE400, this is a nice subtle compressor that helps smooth out transients, and increase sustain on high gain leads, all withouth sucking the life out of the tone.
• MXR DynaComp: Definintely an acquired tasste, and not particularly versatile, but I love the DynaComp for that distinctive pumping Nashville sound on the country stuff (also nice on steel guitar). Tele on the bridge pickup, light crunch from the TS808, and the Deluxe, and I'm in chickin' pickin' hevin'.
• Fulltone Fulldrive: The original red model from back in 1995 (hand signed and dated inside) -- when I'm in the mood for a single distortion pedal with a little more flexibility and oomplexity than a Tube Screamer, this is it. Two separate channels (with a push pull knob on one to cut the compression), and a HUGE tone. Mike Fullerton rocks! I've tried the newer ones, and they're just not quite the same...
• T.C. Electronics Boost/Distortion: When I'm looking for a different distortion sound -- a more focused, narrow band lead sound that really cuts through, the T.C. is my go-to pedal. Those Danish engineers know what they're doing, and they make TONS of great products. It works as a booster/DI, too. Bonus.
• Boss Digital Delay: All I can say is "get an AC power supply." This unit has a nice range of sounds, but it chews through 9V batteries like CRAZY. I used to have to replace the battery between sets, just to get through the show!
• Boss OD-2r Turbo Overdrive: I did not expect much out of a Boss distortion unit, but this pedal suprised me with a fairly versatile, warm distortion sound. If I want one distortion sound that doesn't have too much specific character and doesn't cover up other elements in the mix, I'll go to this unit.
• Ernie Ball Volume: Not an "effect" per se, but this unit is essential. Totally passive (and absolutely silent) circuit, in a bulletproof annodized aluminum chassis. Used primarily with my steel guitars, I have been known to kick over to it in an electric guitar solo for interesting effects, or to use it as a manual tremolo unit (listen to King Harvest's "December's Ghost" for a sample).
• Electro-vibe Micro Q-Tron: What can I say -- I learned to play guitar by jamming along to Grateful Dead tapes and every now and then I can't help but throw down a few envelope filtered Jerry licks...
• Alesis Nanoverb: When I'm using the Showman, this little baby gets the job done on the reverb. Actually a pretty versatile unit, and I've had several over the years.