KIM GORDON
GUITARS - AMPS - EFFECTS

GUITARS

  • View all of Kim's basses/guitars

    AMPS

    Below is the information I can confirm for sure -- where there are gaps in years and the same set-up appears on either side of the gap, you can infer that it was continuously used thru that period.

    I will get around to adding amplifier info for the early-mid 80s in the future....

    1989

  • Marshall Jubilee Bass Series head w/ Dietz 2x15 cabinet

    1991

  • MESA/Boogie Bass 400+ head w/ a 4x12 guitar bottom & 1x18 cab

    1992

  • MESA/Boogie Bass 400+ head w/ a 4x12 guitar bottom & 1x18 cab
    (Cabs miked for recording of "Dirty", w/ clean D.I. from bass to board)

    1994

  • MESA/Boogie amp + some tube direct box

    1996

  • MESA/Boogie bass amp

    1998

  • MESA/Boogie Bass 400+ head w/ a 4x12 guitar bottom & 1x18 cab

    1999

  • MESA/Boogie Bass 400+ head w/ a 4x10 guitar bottom & 1x18 cab

    2000

  • Peavey Rockmaster thru 2 Fender 2x12 cabs

    2001

  • Ampeg SVT-4 Pro head with Ampeg SVT810E cab (bass rig, replacement for Mesa/Boogie's Bass 400)
  • Peavey Rock Master with Marshall 1960A cab (guitar rig)
  • Sometimes used a Fender 2x12 cab

    2002

  • Ampeg SVT-4 Pro Head w/ 8x10" Ampeg cab
  • Peavey Rockmaster thru 2 Fender 2x12 cabs
  • Fender Twin Reverb (for ALL TOMORROW'S PARTIES -- band didn't want to bring full amp rigs across the country for one gig)  

    Here are photographs of Kim's entire amp rig I took before soundcheck at the August 30th, 2002 Murray Street tour show in Portland, Oregon at the Crystal Ballroom (some are fairly large so you may want to open them in a new window):

  • Ampeg head & cab (w/ Kissability tambourine on top)
  • Peavey Rockmaster head w/ Fender cabs

    2003

  • Peavey Rock Master head w/ Mesa/Boogie cab
  • Separate bass amp

    2005

  • Peavey Rock Master head
  • Mesa/Boogie 2x12 Rectifier cab (not miked)
  • Fender Tone Master 212V-30 cab

    2006

    Photographs taken by me July 14th, 2006 @ the Fillmore in San Francisco, CA.

  • Ampeg SVT-3 Pro head w/ Ampeg Classic SVT810E 8x10" cab
  • Peavey Rockmaster head thru Fender 2x15" (?) cab

  • Kim's Ampeg
  • Kim's Whirlwind amp selector
  • Peavey/Fender stack
  • Peavey head
  • Peavey head
  • Back of Peavey
  • Ampeg head
  • Ampeg head

    2007

    Here's a picture of Kim's amp from the July 21st, 2007 Santa Monica show.

    2009

  • Ampeg SVT-3 Pro head w/ Ampeg Classic SVT810E 8x10" cab
  • Fender Bassman head thru Fender Tweed 4x12 cab

    She uses a Loop Master A/B box.

    PIX: Bassman head w/ drumstick, slide, and files used for 'Calming the Snake' and 'Anti-Orgasm' / Fender Tweed cab / Ampeg stack w/ new bass

    EFFECTS

    Below is the information I can confirm for sure -- where there are gaps in years and the same set-up appears on either side of the gap, you can infer that it was continuously used thru that period.

    1987

  • Aria MP5 Metal Pedal
  • Dunlop Crybaby Wah

    1989

  • Aria MP5 Metal Pedal
  • Dunlop Crybaby Wah
  • ProCo Turbo Rat

    1990

  • Proco Turbo Rat
  • Crybaby Wah

    1991

  • Proco Turbo Rat
  • Crybaby Wah

    1992

  • Proco Turbo Rat
  • Dunlop Jimi Hendrix Octave Fuzz for 100%, Theresa, Stalker...

    1993

  • Proco Turbo Rat
  • Dunlop Jimi Hendrix Octave Fuzz
  • Solec Phase Shifter?

    1995

  • Dunlop Jimi Hendrix Octave Fuzz
  • Cry Baby wah
  • Turbo Rat
  • DI box
  • Arion Stage Tuner

    1998

  • Electro-Harmonix Hot Tubes
  • Proco Rat
  • tc electronics Phase Shifter
  • MXR Blue Box
  • Dunlop Jimi Hendrix Octave Fuzz
  • Arion Stage Tuner
  • D.I. box
  • Dyna Soar homemade distortion (see "other")  

    Thanks to the now defunct original SY supersite evol.org, I can provide you with some photographs of SY's effects gear from the '98 "A Thousand Leaves" tour, specifically the 5/21/98 Portland, OR gig. Many thanks to Michael McCullough for taking these.

  • Electro-Harmonix Hot Tubes
  • Blue Box, tc electronics Phaser, Dyna Soar, Hendrix Octave Fuzz, Turbo Rat
  • Dyna Soar & Hendrix Octave Fuzz
  • Turbo Rat
  • Hot Tubes, DI Box, Arion Stage Tuner
  • Blue Box, tc electronics Phaser  

    1999

  • Electro-Harmonix Hot Tubes
  • MXR Blue Box
  • MXR Phase 90
  • Dunlop Jimi Hendrix Octave Fuzz
  • ProCo Turbo Rat
  • Electro Harmonix Micro Synth (re-issue)
  • Dyna Soar Distortion Pedal (see "other")

    2000

  • Dunlop Jimi Hendrix Octave Fuzz

    2001

  • MXR/JH-3S (octave fuzz)
  • Moog MF-103 (phaser)
  • Moog EP-1 (expression pedal for phaser)
  • MXR Blue Box (octave fuzz)

    2002

  • Boss DD-3 Digital Delay
  • Moogerfooger 12-stage Phaser w/ expression pedal
  • Electro-Harmonix Micro-Synthesizer
  • Dunlop Jimi Hendrix Octave Fuzz
  • Pro-Co Turbo Rat
  • Electro-Harmonix Hot Tubes
  • DI box
  • Ernie Ball Volume Pedal
  • Boss TU-2 Chromatic Tuner  

    Here are photographs of Kim's entire effects rig I took before soundcheck at the August 30th, 2002 Murray Street tour show in Portland, Oregon at the Crystal Ballroom (some are fairly large so you may want to open them in a new window):

  • Wide shot of Delay, Moogerfooger, Micro Synth, Octave Fuzz
  • Wide shot of Turbo Rat, Hot Tubes, DI, Volume Pedal, Tuner
  • Boss Delay, AC, Moogerfooger Phaser w/ Expression Pedal
  • Micro Synthesizer & Hendrix Octave Fuzz
  • Turbo Rat & Hot Tubes
  • DI box, Ernie Ball volume pedal, and Boss tuner

    2003

    from video footage:

  • Boss DD-3 Digital Delay
  • Moogerfooger 12-stage Phaser w/ expression pedal
  • Electro-Harmonix Micro-Synthesizer
  • Dunlop Jimi Hendrix Octave Fuzz
  • Pro-Co Turbo Rat
  • Electro-Harmonix Hot Tubes
  • DI box
  • Ernie Ball Volume Pedal
  • Dunlop Crybaby
  • Boss TU-2 Chromatic Tuner  

    2004

    from video footage:

  • Mu-Tron Wah/Vol
  • MXR Phase 100
  • Electro-Harmonix Micro-Synthesizer
  • Dunlop Jimi Hendrix Octave Fuzz
  • Ibanez TS-9 Tube Screamer
  • Electro-Harmonix Hot Tubes
  • Ernie Ball Volume Pedal
  • Boss TU-2 Chromatic Tuner  

    2005

    from video footage:

  • Mu-Tron Wah/Vol
  • MXR Phase 100
  • Maxon OD-9
  • Dunlop Jimi Hendrix Octave Fuzz
  • Ibanez TS-9 Tube Screamer
  • Electro-Harmonix Hot Tubes
  • Ernie Ball Volume Pedal
  • DI box
  • Boss TU-2 Chromatic Tuner  

    2006

    Photographs taken by me July 14th, 2006 @ the Fillmore in San Francisco, CA.

  • Ibanez AD-9 Analog Delay
  • Mutron Wah-Vol
  • T.C. Electronic Phaser
  • Ibanez TS-9 Tube Screamer
  • Dunlop Jimi Hendrix Octave Fuzz
  • Electro-Harmonix Hot Tubes
  • Boss TU-2 Chromatic Tuner

  • Delay, Wah/Vol, Phaser, Tube Screamer
  • Octave Fuzz, Hot Tubes, bass DI, Tuner
  • Delay, Wah/Vol, Phaser
  • Tube Screamer, Octave Fuzz, Hot Tubes
  • Hot Tubes, DI, Tuner
  • AD-9 Analog Delay
  • Wah-Vol
  • Phaser
  • Phaser/Tube Screamer
  • Tube Screamer
  • Octave Fuzz
  • Hot Tubes
  • DI/Tuner

    2007

    Here are some pictures I took of Kim's pedals on July 21st, 2007: Boss TU-2 Chromatic Tuner, DI, Electro-Harmonix Hot Tubes, Dunlop Jimi Hendrix Octave Fuzz and Ibanez TS-9 Tube Screamer, Mutron Wah-Vol, Ibanez AD-9 Analog Delay -- her T.C. Eletronic Phaser seems to be missing.

    2009

    Kim's abandoned her TC Electronic phaser as well as her Tube Screamer. She's replaced them with a Boss PH-2 and a Sitori Sonics 'Brownies and Cream'. She's also added a Deluxe Memory Man.

  • Boss TU-2 Chromatic Tuner
  • Radial Engineering DI box
  • Electro-Harmonix Hot Tubes
  • Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man
  • Boss PH-2 Super Phaser
  • Sitori Sonics 'Brownies and Cream'
  • Dunlop Jimi Hendrix Octave Fuzz
  • Ibanez AD9 Analog Delay
  • Mutron Wah-Vol

    PIX: Super Phaser, Memory Man, Hot Tubes, DI, Tuner / Hot Tubes, DI, Tuner / Super Phaser, Memory Man / Ibanez AD9, Octave Fuzz, Brownies & Cream / Wah-Vol, AD9

    2011

  • Boss TU-2 Chromatic Tuner
  • Radial Engineering DI box
  • Electro-Harmonix Hot Tubes
  • Sitori Sonics 'Brownies and Cream'
  • Dunlop Jimi Hendrix Octave Fuzz
  • Ibanez AD9 Analog Delay
  • Mutron Wah-Vol

    OTHER

    Miscellaneous instruments/tools.

  • Trumpet -- Kim began playing trumpet during various improvisations in 1997, perhaps inspired by Yoshimi's usage of one within Free Kitten. It first appeared in "Invito Al Cielo" and later in "Lightnin", during which she also scraped the horn against her guitar strings. The 2004+ versions of PCH feature Kim playing the melody during the 'middle' section on trumpet as well.

  • Toy Beatbox -- on "Tokyo Eye", Kim played a toy beatbox thru her bass pick-up, varying the sound effects throughout the song.

  • Dyna Soar distortion pedal -- this small homemade fuzzbox was reportedly loud enough to blow up an amplifier, so Kim began using it as a slide on songs like "Anagrama" and "Wildflower".

  • Slide -- used on bass for parts of "JC", and her guitar parts on "Mariah" "Pattern Recognition", "New Hampshire" & "Rats" (the latter 2 using a capo as well).

  • File -- used for shrieking noise on "Anti-Orgasm" and "Calming the Snake".
     

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