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Bruce Springsteen Guitar Gear Rig and Equipment
Who Plays What - Who Plays What
Tuesday, 16 October 2007 07:36

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.

Bruce Springsteen on guitar

 

 

CoolClick the gear images for more info and specs at Musician's FriendCool

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 Classic Series '60s Stratocaster Electric Guitar Lake Placid Blue Rosewood Fretboard

Fender Jazzmaster (natural)

Fender 62 Jazzmaster Electric Guitar 3-Tone Sunburst Brown Shell Pickguard

Fender Mustang (natural)

Fender '65 Mustang Reissue Electric Guitar Olympic White

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

Fender '50s Esquire Electric Guitar Black Maple Fretboard
- '52 Re-Issue Fender Telecaster butterscotch blonde (this is one of Springsteen's best known guitars)

Fender American Vintage Series '52 Telecaster Electric Guitar Butterscotch Blonde

- '53 Fender Telecaster (natural)

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

Fender Classic Series '60s Custom Telecaster with Bigsby Electric Guitar Sunburst


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

Fender American Deluxe Series Ash Telecaster Electric Guitar 2-Tone Sunburst Maple Fretboard

- '63 Re-Issue Fender Telecaster (black)

Fender Custom Shop Time Machine '63 Telecaster NOS Electric Guitar Candy Apple

- Fender Telecaster 12 string (brown-sunburst)

Gibson guitars:
- Gibson ES-335

Gibson Custom ES-335 Satin Finish Electric Guitar Faded Cherry

- Gibson J-45

Gibson Acoustic J-45 True Vintage Acoustic Guitar Vintage Sunburst

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

Gibson Acoustic Pete Townshend J-200 Acoustic-Electric Guitar Antique Natural

- Gibson J-40 (natural)
- 1967 Gibson Les Paul (cream)

Gibson Custom Les Paul Custom Electric Guitar Alpine White

 

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

Gibson Custom 1957 Les Paul Junior Single Cutaway Electric Guitar TV Yellow

 

Gretsch Country Gentleman

Gretsch Guitars G6122-1959 Chet Atkins Country Gentleman Electric Guitar Walnut Stain

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

Acoustics:
Takamine EF341C guitar (black)

Takamine EF341SC Acoustic-Electric Guitar Black

Takamine EF350SMCSB guitar (3-color-sunburst)

Takamine EF-350SMC-SB Acoustic-Electric Guitar Vintage Sunburst

Takamine EF381C guitar
Takamine EF-381C 12-String Acoustic Electric Cutaway Guitar

 


Amplifers and Cabinets

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

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

Fender 65 Twin Reverb Amp

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

Marshall 1960A or 1960B 300W 4x12 Guitar Extension Cabinet Angled

- Mesa Boogie Mark 3 amps
- Fender Bassman

Fender 59 Bassman

- Rivera Chubster amp
- VOX AC30 amplifier
Vox Custom Classic AC30CC2 30w 2x12 Tube Guitar Combo Amp

 

 


Effects and pedals
- BOSS BF-3 Flanger

Boss BF-3 Flanger

- BOSS CS-3 compressor

Boss CS-3 Compression Sustainer Pedal

- BOSS SD-1 Super Overdrive

Boss SUPER OverDrive SD-1 Pedal

- Boss digital delay DD-3

Boss DD-3 Digital Delay Pedal

- BOSS OD-3 Turbo Overdrive

Boss OD-3 OverDrive Pedal

- 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
Hohner 364/24 Marine Band Harmonica Key of G


Microphones
- Audix OM-3

Audix OM2 Dynamic Hypercardioid Microphone

- Shure SM57

Shure SM57 Instrument/Vocal Mic



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

D'Addario EJ17 Phosphor Bronze Medium Acoustic Strings Single

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

Dean Markley 2503 NickelSteel Regular Electric Guitar Strings

- Fender Heavy Guitar Picks (white)

Fender 351 Standard Guitar Pick White Heavy 1 Dozen

Last Updated on Monday, 06 September 2010 13:59
 

Comments 

 
0 #14 More Gearbigfudge 2012-05-03 16:18
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 #13 The Little Things (My Baby Does)alex b 2012-03-31 13:11
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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0 #12 PDPD 2010-11-22 04:38
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 #11 effect on Radio Nowhere introGiacomo Calestani 2010-11-18 17:39
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 #10 Ian 2010-05-28 10:41
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 #9 Bruce\'s SoundMarty 2010-05-27 06:02
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 #8 Mesa Boogie and bassman or AC30sothside_johnny 2010-03-22 13:28
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 #7 Gaslight guitarNick 2010-01-05 11:33
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 #6 Bruce\'s / Steve\'s Phase Tones?Ian 2009-12-05 15:43
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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+2 #5 My Correction and more infoRobert 2009-10-06 09:45
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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+1 #4 Bruces AmpRobert 2009-10-06 08:08
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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-1 #3 uberpro 2009-05-04 04:44
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 #2 Takamine Question.Phil 2009-05-03 16:47
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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0 #1 the BossMichelle Kermes 2008-06-08 07:18
I can't thank you enough for this info. Great work, and wonderful overview.
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