Bruce Springsteen Guitar Gear Rig and Equipment

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Category: Who Plays What

Last Updated on Thursday, 27 September 2012 17:50

Published on Tuesday, 16 October 2007 12:35

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Bruce Springsteen, is one hell of a singer, songwriter and guitarist. Playing with the E Street Band, Springsteen is most widely known for his brand of heartland rock infused with pop hooks, poetic lyrics, and Americana sentiments centered around his native New Jersey.

We know him as "The Boss". With a name like that he must have one hell of a guitar rig. We spent tons of time researching Bruce Springsteen's guitar gear rig and equipment. Surprisingly there is less info out there than one would think. We have a good collection of stuff he has reportedly used and currently uses. If anyone can add to this, please post a comment

Let's look at what gear and equipment has been seen in Bruce Springsteen's Guitar Rig.

Click the gear images for more info and specs at Musician's Friend

Guitars
Note: Bruce Springsteen has played a ton of different guitars. We'll try to give you a good feel for what he's played here, but aren't going to show them all.

Fender Stratocasters (cherry red, white, natural, silver)

Fender Jazzmaster (natural)

Fender Mustang (natural)

Fender Telecasters:
- '52 Fender Telecaster Esquire (natural)

- '52 Re-Issue Fender Telecaster butterscotch blonde (this is one of Springsteen's best known guitars)

- '53 Fender Telecaster (natural)

- Fender Telecaster with a Bigsby tremolo (2-color sunburst)

- '53 Re-Issue Fender Telecaster (2-color-sunburst)

- '63 Re-Issue Fender Telecaster (black)

- Fender Telecaster 12 string (brown-sunburst)

Gibson guitars:
- Gibson ES-335

- Gibson J-45

- 1958 Gibson J-200 (3-color-sunburst)

- Gibson J-40 (natural)

- 1967 Gibson Les Paul (cream)

- Gibson 57 Les Paul Junior (pictured playing with Gas Light Anthem in summer 2009)

 - Gretsch Country Gentleman

- Rickenbacker 330-12 1967 (natural)
- Rickenbacker 330-12 (black)
- Danelectro 56-U2 (maltshop creme)

Acoustics:
- Takamine EF341C guitar (black)

- Takamine EF350SMCSB guitar (3-color-sunburst)

- Takamine EF381C guitar

Amplifers and Cabinets

- Mesa Boogie Electra Dyne heads (2012)

- Mesa Boogie Lonestar Regular, Tan, 1x12" (eyewitness in 2009)

- Fender Twin Reverb amps (Springsteen has many of these amps in his rig)

- Marshall JCM800 Cabinets 4x12" (you will notice these are behind him and are tilted way back)

- Mesa Boogie Mark 3 amps

- Fender Bassman

- Rivera Chubster amp

-VOX AC30 amplifier

Effects and pedals
- BOSS BF-3 Flanger

- BOSS CS-3 compressor

- BOSS SD-1 Super Overdrive

- Boss digital delay DD-3

- BOSS OD-3 Turbo Overdrive

- BOSS PSM-5 (power supply and masterswitch)
- Lexicon LXP-15 Delay
- Boogie Mark 2
- MXR distortion box

- Petillo Dist / Boost / Treble Boost
- Rockman Chorus
- Hohner Marine Band Harmonicas

Microphones
- Audix OM-3

- Shure SM57

Strings and picks
- D'Addario Strings (used on Springsteen's acoustic guitars. Not sure what gauges.)

- Dean Markley Strings (used on his electrics) Gauges: .010, .013, .016, .030,.038, .048

- Fender Heavy Guitar Picks (white)

Comments  

 

0 # RE: Bruce Springsteen Guitar Gear Rig and Equipment — Elliot 2013-01-12 22:47

Hello,
I have heard that he recorded his "Nebraska" album by himself at home, using his instruments, (including, of all things, a glockenspiel,) two Shure SM57's, and a Tascam Portastudio. Nothing Else.

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0 # RE: Bruce Springsteen Guitar Gear Rig and Equipment — Max 2013-03-13 01:43

he used a guitar, mandolin, and harmonica. i have no idea where you got any of those instruments from

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0 # RE: Bruce Springsteen Guitar Gear Rig and Equipment — Spencer Donovan 2012-10-02 10:23

Bruce's "guitar" is actually a hybrid. He has said in a few interviews that the body of the guitar is a Telecaster and the neck of the guitar is an Esquire.

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0 # Author — Vince Cartier 2012-05-28 02:01

Bruce pretty much uses Telecasters for his electrics. I know he has used a Gibson ES 335 in the studio as well as a Gretsch White Falcon. His acoustics for the stage are TAKAMINE's. He also plays a couple of Gibsons and Martin acoustics as well in the studio and for writing songs. I have never known him to play a stratocaster, Mustang or jazzmaster on stage. He uses just 3 pedals, one which is an overdrive. As has been stated he uses a Mesa Boogie Lonestar Regular for his head and they are run through two Marshall Stacks that sit in front of max's drum riser. all are mic's with Shure SM 57's and possibly Sennheiser 906's.

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+1 # More Gear — bigfudge 2012-05-03 21:18

Hey Guys,
I found out the Boss plays a Mesa Boogie Electra Dyne since a few weeks. I think this should be added to his amps.

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0 # The Little Things (My Baby Does) — alex b 2012-03-31 18:11

does anyone know what effects other than delay are going on in "The Little Things (My Baby Does)" I'm mystified by this tone

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-1 # PD — PD 2010-11-22 09:38

Is this a Burny LP jr he's playing? The logo is hard to read but it seems to big to be the Gibson logo.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jaY5VfI77A

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+1 # effect on Radio Nowhere intro — Giacomo Calestani 2010-11-18 22:39

Hi,I want to know if anyone can help me to find out what effect/pedal bruce uses for the intro of Radio Nowhere

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0 # Bruce\'s Sound — Marty 2010-05-27 11:02

So I took the plunge into Tele's and purchase an ash butterscotch blonde with noiseless vintage pickups to help me get closer to that Bruce sound. Now the only question is what effect (if any) is he using to get his sound on songs like "Glory Days" and "Rosalita"?

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0 # Ian 2010-05-28 15:41

I'm pretty sure that sound is just the bridge pickup through the Fender amps with a touch of the built in Reverb. Maybe some slap back delay added at the board too, especially on Glory Days, there is certainly some on the vocal.

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0 # Mesa Boogie and bassman or AC30 — sothside_johnny 2010-03-22 18:28

I was in Barcelona, july 20th 2008, close enough to the stage, left side but close to the center and i clearly saw behind the cabinets a mesa boogie; the other one was a in a semi dark zone so i wouldn't be so sure whenever it was an AC30 or a Bassman; i'd rather think it was a bassman, even though those two don't give you as much choices as switching between a Mesa B and an AC30. The Bassman was the foundation of the Mesa (that added the pre). And the cabinets have the silver screen wich indicate lighter horns with more sound flexibility. And you don't see him stepping on too many effects pedals. Maybe depends on the amps and their settings; most likely he you use a foot switcher too go between amps, a delay, and an overdrive to give more gain without switching amps. In "The raising" tour, sure he used a tremolo for some solos

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+1 # Gaslight guitar — Nick 2010-01-05 16:33

The Les Paul Junior that Bruce played when he played with the Gaslight Anthem was Brian Fallon's guitar from the Gaslight Anthem and Bruce was just using it.

Both are incredible musicians and thank you for the info!

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+2 # Bruce\'s / Steve\'s Phase Tones? — Ian 2009-12-05 20:43

Just wondering, with all the modern Boss pedals in his current rig... What effects did they use in the 70s? Specifically the Phase tones on 'Hearts Of Stone' and 'Drive All Night'... I know Steve plays guitar on the latter song and Bruce plays piano...

And what song does he use the Flanger on?

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+1 # Bruces Amp — Robert 2009-10-06 13:08

I was on the stage at a few of Bruce's recent shows and He is Definitely using a Mesa Boogie Lonestar Regular. not the special. He is using a Mesa Engineering Tan 1 12" combo which is miked with a Shure Sm58 along with 2 Marshall 4x12 JCM 800 Lead 1960 16 ohm slanted Speaker cabinets both which are double miked with Sure SM 58's and I believe the Sennheiser Flat Iron amp Mike.

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+2 # My Correction and more info — Robert 2009-10-06 14:45

I mistakenly said that Bruce used 3 Shure SM-58 Microphones to mike His amps. They are Shure SM-57's. Also on all His Fender Electric Guitar's He uses Joe Barden Pickups. The Danny Gatten style with the 2 single bars made specially for the Telecaster..Peace..Robert.

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0 # Takamine Question. — Phil 2009-05-03 21:47

Bruce " The Boss" is an awesome preformer with great acoustic sounds to his music. I was looking for the Takamine ef341c and noticed that Takamine only make the ef341sc now. Is there any difference? Thanks Phil. :-?:

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+1 # RE: Takamine Question. — uberpro 2009-05-04 09:44

I read someplace that the differences are:
341C Top: Spruce
341SC Top: solid Cedar

341C Back and sides: Nato
341SC Back and Sides: Maple

both are supposed to be nice guitars

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0 # the Boss — Michelle Kermes 2008-06-08 12:18

I can't thank you enough for this info. Great work, and wonderful overview.

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0 # guitar — Paul Griffiths 2013-01-27 10:33

can anyone help me what kind of guitar dose Springsteen use on the song further on up the road. Live in Dublin. Cheers

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