Musical Instruments
Martin Barre
My guitar set-up has remained fairly constant over the last few years. Unfortunately constant doesn’t mean simple, as our hardy road crew know. I like to re-wire and update the guitar ‘rig’ before each tour – a few hundred miles of rough B-Roads tend to shake things around, and we always seem to schedule gigs in out of the way areas beyond the auto routes.
Basically, the amplifiers are Soldano Decatones: I got them in red cloth in a foolish attempt to get away from the ubiquitous black. My trusty Boss Sustainer/Compressor has at last been replaced (after twenty years!!) by an Ibanez Tube Screamer, which produces a lot less auxiliary noise.
As always, I use guitars built by Hugh Manson and an acoustic from his brother Andy. Their shop in Exeter is priceless, (but not literally!)
On the latest Tull album Dot Com I used a Jim McArthy P.R.S. hollow-body, which plays like a dream and is ultra light – perfect for long hours in the studio.
I play a Sankyo Silversonic flute which is about as expensive as I’m prepared to go, but after years of student quality flutes, it is a joy to play.
Guitar strings as always by G.H.S.
I can now say quite honestly that I’m dealing with Guitar, Amplifier and String manufacturers whose quality of service is quite brilliant!
See you on tour.
MB
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