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Category: Who Plays What
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 05 March 2013 22:29
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Published on Friday, 31 August 2007 08:20
Billie Joe Armstrong is best known as the lead vocalist and guitarist for the punk rock band Green Day. Armstrong is often credited with the revival of punk in the early 1990s with Green Day.
Let's look at what gear and equipment has been seen in Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong's Guitar Rig!
Click the gear images for more info and specs at Musician's Friend
Guitars
Notes: Billie has a huge collection of guitars, with the majority being Gibson. See Aug 09 Guitar World for pic.
- Gibson Billie Joe Armstrong signature Les Paul Junior single and double cut models:
- Fernandes Stratocaster (Blue)
- Fender Stratocaster
- Fender Stratocaster Custom Shop
- Gibson ES-135 and ES-137 guitars
- Gibson ES-335 and ES-355 guitars
- Gibson Les Paul Special 59'
- Gibson Standard SG
- Gibson Les Paul Junior TV 59'
- Fender Telecaster 68'
- Fender JazzMaster
- Fender Telecaster Custom Shop
- Gibson Les Paul Custom (black)
- Gretsch Chet Akins
- 1956 sunburst Gibson Les Paul Junior (used heavily on 21st Century Breakdown)
- 1952 Fender Esquire (used heavily on 21st Century Breakdown)
- Gibson Slash Les Paul Custom
- Gibson Jimmy Page Les Paul Custom
- Gibson Flying V (white. Appears to be a Heritage model)
- Gibson DC Junior guitars (yellow)
- Gibson DC Special guitars
- Harmony H59 Rocket Semi-hollow guitar
- Ibanez RG electric guitar
- Fender Jaguar
- Gretsch Brian Setzer Hotrod
- Gretsch Anniversary 65
- Gretsch White Falcon
Acoustic Guitars
- Guild D55
- Taylor 514C
- Gibson Everly Brothers acoustic (black. Used for recording AND also seen live)
- Gibson Billie Joe Armstrong J-180 signature acoustic guitar
- Alvarez Yairi acoustic
- Gibson J-200 acoustic
Amplifiers and Cabinets
- Marshall Plexi Super Lead 100 WATTS amp head
- Marshall JCM800 amps
- Fender Bassman
- Hiwatt Custom 100 watt amp
- Marshall 1960B 4x12 speaker cabinets
- Victoria Victorilux
- Gibson Les Paul GA-40 amp
- Gibson GA-19RVT Falcon amp
- Divided by 13 amp (used for much of the 21st Century Breakdown recording)
- Sears Silvertone amps (seen in live pics)
- Rivera amp head
- Avalon U5 DI
- handwired Vox AC30 head
- Mojotone
Effects
- Dunlop Crybaby Wah pedal (used on 21st Century Breakdown)
- Boss Blues Driver pedal
- Boss TR-2 Tremolo
- Ibanez CF7
- Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer
- ISP Decimator pedal
Strings and Picks
- Duplex Tortex .76 - .88mm Custom Picks
- Ernie Ball Super Slinky Strings
- GHS Boomers gauges 10-46 (submitted by user MJ)
Microphones
- Live Vocal mic: Shure SM58
- Shure wireless mics with Telefunken wireless M-80 head
- Studio Vocal mic: Telefunken U 47 M
- Studio Amp cabinet mics:Shure SM57, Royer R-121, and AKG C414 through Neve 1073 (21st Century Breakdown)
Notes:
- Billie's guitar is a Fernandes Stratocaster copy he calls "Blue". On Nimrod he also used some Gibson's, some old Les Pauls, an ES-355, and ES-135 and a Fender Jaguar. He also made a guitar he call's "Frankenstein" because it is a combination of several different parts purchased at a Fender shop. Has a Seymour Duncan humbucker added to Blue.
- Billie mainly plays through a modified Marshall amp. On Nimrod he used a Fender Bassman, a Hiwatt, and a Leslie. The amp he uses on Dookie is most commenly reffered to as the 'pete' amp and can be seen most noticably at the Woodstock concert, it has 'pete' written across it.
Comments
My logic is that during American Idiot era songs, his guitar is panned right and is quiet relative to Jason White's left-panned lead guitar. During Basket Case and the rest of the pre-American Idiot era stuff, it's panned pretty centrally and has quite a different tone - it has a fat bass end and seems to have scooped mids, which is definitely different...
Anyone agree with me?
www.youtube.com/.../
Where do you have that info from?
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In the September issue of Guitar World it says that Billie uses a Gretsch Anniversary 65, a White Falcon and some Danelectros on the new album
1. Brian Setzer Hot Rod
2. Anniversary 65
3. White Falcon
4. a doublecut modle (in red, not sure about the model)
No.s 2 & 3 were mentioned in Guitar World, No. 1 was referred to as "the best" by Billie himself in Total Guitar, and the red one was seen on a Youtube video - the trailed for DOS (it might also be an ES 335
mojotone.com/.../...
And also, according to this recent Guitar World piece, he used a handwired Vox AC30 head, the Divided by 13 amp he's had since 21CB, and a 70's Marshall (not sure what model though).
gdaimages.s3.amazonaws.com/.../...
The Gibson Jumbo is a Gibson J-200
I agree but I'm sure They're reissues! Read this in an article about a Green Day concert. Search for it at the Green Day Authority page
Vintage. They were originally modded by Martin Golub of LA Sound design. There are two amps in the live rig, one with Golub's 'Lead' mod and the other with Golub's 'Dookie' mod. There are about 3 or 4 rigs in existence that I know of all to these same specs.
He said it in an interview.
interview link: www.greendayauthority.com/.../7
Are they the handwired ones or the regular ones?
theyre reissues
Does anyone understand how the LA Sound Design Dookie mod and Crunch mod are different? Because on their site, it says that Green Day use the Crunch mod, so I'm wondering if they're actually any different
Sound like the original!!
i think the black one could be a gretsch jet power modell
Yeah, but it's not that one
Quoting Rocknroll20thcentry:
I think its a Gretsch Anniversary model www.gak.co.uk/.../55573
2. Why isn't his Fender Jaguar (as mentioned in the text, too) put to the list?
www.youtube.com/.../
Correct, that is not a regular amp. It's a Preamp, and its usually seen with Clapton and Mayer. Does a great job on bluesy guitar and is great with a bright acoustic.
Sources?
And apparently that isn't a regular amplifier...
he uses an avalon u5
I'd say most likely:
Volume: 10
Tone: 10
from 3-5
Head? What model is it.
And did he use it live or for recording at all?
I guess regular Gibson strings, but I don't know which gauge though
www.youtube.com/.../
Fender Blackface bassman
Bj has said a few times he uses 10's never mentioned a specific brand about the pickup he raises them pretty high most forums I found about the bands gear say about 3/16ths of an inch higher then a factory standard guitar
Wrong...he uses an ISP Decimator
or at least did at one point
www.isptechnologies.com/.../
You should read through this Greg White talks about ho the amp's work and other stuff about the rig hugeracksinc.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=57345&s id=6c9b72199366e56c67648e2af6458044&start=60
I think they use an RJM RG 16 and Mastermind to switch the amps, actually. They switch between the amps or the CAE preamp, I determined that from watching the video countless times.
What I don't understand is how the preamp out/poweramp in thing works
One amp has a preamp out and the other has a power amp in; both amps are run through a CAE 3+ preamp where you can switch to either one amp or both at the same time. Billie uses the latter option 99% of the time.
Check YouTube for RJM Music's rig tour with Green Day's guitar tech Bill for more info.
how, exactly, does he use them both at the same time? Daisy chaining? A/B/Y pedal? Please explain
Quoting Gones:
I own his signature Les Paul (with the H-90 humbucker) and I can assure you that it still hums. Furthermore, Billie uses original 50s Les Paul Juniors which have the soap bar P-90s... he must use something noise-cancelling
The P-90's are a stacked version called H-90's so that they don't hum
Thanks for the reply, however I think he has to at least own one as Les Paul Junior's P-90 pickups are known for humming - that's why I'm asking. I wonder why he doesn't use one live.
He doesn't seem to use one live and in the studio I haven't heard about one being used
I think he doesn't use any noise gate, non from his guitar tech non from his rig pictures i think he uses or the bd-2 or the tubescreamer for a lit of boost and uses the volume knob on the guitar constantly!
Se lead mod+Dookie mod Marshall 1959 slp 100 both heads have a tube effects mod
for mid sound (like the intro of american idiot)Cae 3+ preamp this was also used for clean's as well
he used 1960 b cab's with celestion green backs in them
He didn't at that point he used a black and creme seymor Duncan in his junior
i think it was an Seymour Duncan SH-4 Bridge JB Model White
Replica were Fender but they were all broke or given away he went back to the original in 04 before the AI tour
he uses soapbar p-90s on his les paul custom
A Blackface Fender Bassman head and Boss ds-2 and Mxr micro amp
he also uses the wired version of the m80.
so does mike and jason.
actually the jcm 800 was used on kerplunk and on the tour for kerplkunk they used jcm 900s once dookie was recorded they switched to the plexis
billie uses shure uhf on guitars on songs on kye and bftl he uses the mid channel on his cae3+
Dookie Mod:
Presence: 1
Bass: 2
Mid: 8
Treble: 10
Gain: 2
SE Lead Mod
Presence: 3
Bass: 10
Mid: 4
Treble: 2
Gain: 4
Billie joe uses very smart (and costly) amp settings. heblends the two amps together (he's been doing that since they recorded insomniac) So when you here just the high end of the mix, ex. american idiot, know your enemy, before the lobotomy, ect. he just turns off the se lead mod amp.
Thanks you rock bro
The black heads with the silver panels and 9 knobs are old Sears Silvertone amps, most likely the 1484 or 1485 model. The mic'd combo on the left under the two heads is a Fender. looks to be an old Bassman combo, but could be a Deluxe. The Marshall cab is just your standard 2x12.
shure ur4d wireless
x1039.com/.../...
i posted settings but basically the se lead mod is a mod done by martin golub at la sound design what the mod is an extra pre amp tube for gain and dookie mod is a mod that adds master volume and gain to the amp in place of volume 1 and 2
Are you asking what the SE mod actually is (in words) - not the actual settings?
Divided by 13 FTR37
the blues driver settings change from time to time but if you put level at 4 tone 6 gain 5-7
imageshack.us/.../...
the dookie mod:
bass: 10/10
middle(mid): 4/10
treble: 4/10
gain: 7/10
precense: 2/10
okay the dookie mod
presence 4
bass 10
mid 4/6 [theres 2 marker lines]
treble 4
master 4
gain 4/8 [marker 4 setting at time]
se lead mod
presence 4
bass 8
mid 4
treble 3
vol1 3
vol2 4
mogami cables
and in the american idiot encore videos
and he has customized his gretsch with p90 pickups
he also plays a harmony semi hollow body
model: H59 Rocket
that he uses when playing "American Eulogy"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mI-vs_Yz24A
he uses those in studio, but jason uses the effects live for songs like "Viva La Gloria (Little Girl)
Billie uses mogami cables and a cae 3+ pre-amp for clean and mids
settings are
clean ch1 mid ch2
bright switch on off
gain 6 3
bass4 3
mid6 8
treble8 6
master3 6
settings are taken from pics might not be 100%
What does he use for clean sounds ?
okay the dookie mod
presence 4
bass 10
mid 4/6 [theres 2 marker lines]
treble 4
master 4
gain 4/8 [marker 4 setting at time]
se lead mod
presence 4
bass 8
mid 4
treble 3
vol1 3
vol2 4
rigquest.com/.../...
Can you see it?
-Keith
he has the tv yellow dc junior
and a white dc special
and a black dc special
he also has a Gibson Advanced jumbo of some sort (unsure of the model)
he also plays a black version of the signature model of his jr. it's usually used for jesus of suburbia
he also plays a squier telecaster every show w/ a humbucker @ the bridge, which is given away at the end of every show
I got in touch with hans and greg and the confirmed this was the ai rig
Thats true!!! se! funksheet.blogspot.com/.../...
Looks like a second rig!
Hi Sean, all I see in the RJM video for pedals in Billie's rack, is the blues driver. www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4xm9A2rkEQ Post the youtube link to the video you are watching with the time you see the pedals, and we'll make sure to verify and update the page.
Hi Sean. Where did you see the rack pic? Thx.
? He is using the epiphone guitar, but they were going to play knowledge and someone got on stage and played it and got it
He used it at a concert in Norway that I saw. greendayauthority.com/.../...
source of info please
are you sure its ds-2 i heard he used ds-1's
Gear Tour
what album were the micro amp and dm-2 used on
is this what your looking for?
greendayauthority.com/.../...
greendayauthority.com/.../...
gibson billie joe armstrong signutare j-180
guitars
squire telecaster custom
ibanez rg
gibson le paul dbl cutaway
fender mustang
fender jaguar
fender jag-stang
gibson sg junior
acoustic
gibson billie joe armstrong j-180
alvarez yairigibson j 2000
12 string make?
amps
fender pro 1200
fender pro 800
messa/boogie m 2000
line 6 flextone
cabs
messa 1x18 2x10 6x10
fender pro 810
celestion greenbacks
fx
ibanez ts-9
ibanez cf-9
boss tr-2
boss tu-2
danlectro french toast
soda meiser fuzz
mxr distortion+
rack
shure uhf wireless
rjm mastermand
rjm rj16 midi controller
bbe supa-chaga
Gibson SG Special
have u got a link?
he has got an epiphone watch bullet in a bible he dosent play it but still he has one
there is a youtube video of the bands guitar techs going over billie and jasons rigs.
i have watched a youtube video of billie and jason whites guitar technicians showing us their gear.
i can make out the white pedal jason white uses.hee is the link for the video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4xm9A2rkEQ
www.youtube.com/.../
Also, I'm 100% sure that he used or owns a j-45, just look at the Good Riddance video.
but mostly Ernie ball super slinkys