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Alan (Lead guitar)
After having several American Fender Stratocasters in the late 70's early 80's & being totally disappointed with all of them, Alan bought one of the early Fender Japan vintage re-issue Strats. This guitar was a dream, it looked right, it felt right & it sounded fantastic. Alan now generally plays Fender Japan Strats. He has a pair of'57 JV series maple necks in fiesta red, a '57 maple neck in vintage white & has just purchased a pair of Burns Marvins, one white & one in greenburst. Strings are Ernie Ball Power Slinkeys 11-48.
Mick (Rhythm)
Mick uses a 1997 Fender Japan 'Hank Marvin Signature Series' this guitar has been hard tailed, other than that it is standard. Strings are 'Ernie Ball Hybrids 10-50'
Johnny (Bass)
Johnny Bass uses Japanese 'Fender Precision Bass' circa 2001. This bass has been re-sprayed in the famous 'Fiesta Red' & fitted with a tortoiseshell scratchplate. He also sometimes uses his Fender Japan Jazz bass circa 1995.
Amplification
Alan uses a 1964 original JMI Vox AC30. This
is a treble model, not a top boost, fitted with Celestion vintage 30 speakers.
Other than a couple of cooling mods, the amp is stock. (and its just had its
43rd birthday!!)
Mick uses a 2000 Vox AC30, fitted with Celestion 'Greenbacks' & is totally standard.
Johnny Bass uses a 200 watt Trace Elliott head
& 1 x 15 cabinet.
Echo effects
Alan favors the now quite old Alesis Quadraverb GT echo unit. He says "I find that the GT, being designed and built for guitar use, gives a nice fat signal to the Vox amp without having to have the gain control up too high, as you do on the Q2 & Q20 models. This in turn on the Q2 & Q20 leads to that dreaded high level of background noise". I will however agree that you seem to be able to get a more authentic Shadows "as the record sound" from these later models, but that is not what I want. I am looking for a clear, very bright attacking sound at "live" concert volume settings, something of which, to my ear anyway, is missing when using the Q2 & Q20. I have programmed my units with my own adaptions of what I think the early Meazzi Echomatics may have sounded like in a live situation & only use a handfull of settings during a two hour gig. I have never been one for using a different "patch" or echo setting for each number. I have a basic echo that I use on all the vocal numbers & about five echoes for the instrumentals. Things like Wonderful Land & Flingel Bunt have there own dedicated settings of course, but most other tracks we play have a common echo sound.
Rick (Drums)
Big Rick uses a 'Premier Genista'. With a lacquered finish
in Damask Red rather than the standard coating, this brings out the grain
of the 'Finnish Birch'. The bass drum is a custom 22" x 18" non-drilled
with 10" x 8", 12" x 8" mounted toms & a 14"
x 14" floor tom & a 14 x 5 ½" snare drum.
Rick's cymbals are 8" Sabian AAX splash, 14" Sabian HH thin crash,
16" Sabian HH thin crash,16" Sabian B crash, a pair of Sabian
14" regular Hi-hats & a 20" Zildjan heavy Ride. This is mostly
with Premier hard-wear including 6000 series hi-hat & double-bass pedal