EQUIPMENT

Guitars:
I use a lot of stuff, in the studio I mean. I like mostly strat-derived instruments, but I also use a Gibson Les Paul Custom quite frequently. Also, as recordings will indicate, I use a 7 string here and there too. I'm a recovering Ibanez player, so as time goes on you will see less and less of that, although my modded RG guitar has still been my main for quite a while. Recently though, I've been playing that RG, as well as my ridiculously amazingly awesome Vigier Excalibur Sufreter Supra (Thank you Patrice and Uwe!), and it's a liberating experience to be able to use that instrument. Expect to hear more about Vigier in the time to come.

Basses:
If I had endless money, I would collect tons and tons of custom hand-built basses, although I only own two at the moment. I have a fretted Ibanez BTB 5 string, which is 35" scale with an 18 volt active system in it (a bass which I can hopefully replace with a Spector Euro 5 or 6 pretty soon). I also have a 5 string fretless bass made by the ever amazing Stephen Sukop, simply but, the best playing and sounding fretless bass I've ever had or will have.

Amplification/Effects/Stuff:
So many guys, you know, us guitar players, have refrigerator sized racks full of effects and preamps and power amps and maximizers and all sorts of stuff. After a while it was like, I just don't care anymore, so I just put all my effects stuff away. I try to keep things really simple, when I use my actual amp (a Marshall TSL100), I go either directly into it, or through my Digitech XP100 whammy/wah (which I only use for a chorus preset, 29 I think). In the studio, and for some gigs, I use Line 6's POD XT.

Keyboards/Synths:
I only own one, which is a Kurzweil K2000S, and that is now used as a controller in the studio. I also own a Roland DR770 which I used on my last two cd's, but I don't use it anymore because I've been programming all my samples and sounds with Logic.

Drums:
Pretty simple, and due for a large upgrade soon. I have a white Pearl Export 5 (12,13,16,14s,22) piece kit from the mid-90s, which I am the 3rd owner of. It's pretty banged up, but I keep it in good shape, tuned and maintained. I switched the snare to Pearl's bronze Sensitone Custom Classic with tube lugs and claw hooks, although I changed the batter side hoop to a die-cast. Cymbals are Paiste, a fairly simple setup with cymbals from the Signature and Innovations series. Heads are Remo (Emperors on toms, Powerstroke 3 on kick, Emperor X on snare). I have an older DW Delta-accelerator double pedal as well. I enjoy using Vater's sticks.