Gear Rig Seasplash - Julien's guitar rig

Julien's guitar rig

Unlike Michel's simple guitar rig, I use a bit more of stuff behind my amps. First of all, I use two different amps and cabs. One is a Mesa Boogie dual rectifier with the rectifier 4x12 cab, the other is a Randall RM100 (with Kirk Hammett Modules in it) and a Randall standard cab. On the floor, I use a Morley Tremonti Wah Pedal that goes directly into an A/B Box which splits the signal one into the mesa amp and two into a Line6 Live Pod. The Live Pod is actually great. I've got all great pedal sounds in it like the MXR red comp, the Tube Screamer, an EQ and a Noise Gate which I actually use. Further, I set different modulation, reverb and delay effects. The Volume-Pedal works smooth, though I do not use it often. The Signal out of the Pod goes into the Randall Cab, on which I change between the clean and the crunch channel. Since Mesa is my main amp, I have only the TC Electronic Hall of Fame in the Loop. With the Mesa Solo-Chanel I can easily push the signal in front of the mix. Unlike Michel, I have my amps paneled on the same stereo side. What makes my sound other different to Michel's is my kind of playing. I play smoother than he does, have lighter plectrums and use for some tracks a Dunlop glass bottle neck slider. In my opinion it's a must for our sound.

Since the beginning of Seasplash I worked with the classic Dunlop TalkBox. It makes our sound more special because modern metal bands do rarely use it. However, the TalkBox is chained between the Mesa Head and its cab. For my amps I use just like Michel two Shure SM57.

Guitars

Well, I never was a guitar geek as much as Michel was. That's why a played in the early years a ESP LTD JH Strat with EMG Humbuckers and a ESP LTD Truckster designed by James Hetfield also with EMG Humbuckers. I loved the active Humbuckers because they pushed the drive of my tone more up. But today I found my love also for PRS guitars. That's why I play a PRS Custom 24. It sounds amazing. There are no other words to describe it better than the word amazing does. To vary my sound, I need to get some different guitars too, haven't yet decided which kind, but I'm sure it must be a Fender Strat, perhaps a American Deluxe or Custom, as well Gibson ES. The ES with its hollowbody has a warmer and brighter sound than my lead guitars have. To make the rhythm parts, it's the perfect guitar.

The acoustic guitars are the same as Michel plays. We share these guitars for different live parts. So you already got more specs about those last week.

Backing Vocals

For vocals, I worked only with Neumann KSM 104. Though it's more often used as a studio mic, it takes my voice perfectly live. And with a bit of Reverb in it, it makes the perfect balance between Michel's Lead vocs and my back vocals, bright and smooth.

So that's already it. Hope you enjoyed it. Next week, you'll hear about Gilles drum set and stuff behind it. Keep rockin' and stay tuned!