gear
In his home studio and for live performances, Chris uses Rocky Mountain Slide Company ceramic slides and tone bars, Shure Beta 87A microphones, a Mackie 808S powered mixer, JBL loudspeakers, a DBX 166XL compressor, a Digitech Vocalist Live 2 vocal processor, a Lexicon MX200 reverb processor, an Aviom in-ear monitoring system, Livewires custom fit in-ear monitors, two Sennheiser wireless units: the EW172 G2 (for instruments) and the EW300 G2 (for in-ear monitors), and a Roland VS-1824CD digital audio workstation.
Chris' instruments are kept in humidity-controlled cabinets built by Andy McGarry of Mysterious Bees. Click on the hyperlinked instrument model to view a photo of that instrument.
Acoustic instruments include a 1966 Gibson RB-250 "Mastertone" banjo, a 1981 Gibson F-5L "The Fern" Master Model mandolin, a 2001 Martin D-45V guitar (with 900 separate pieces of abalone inlay), and a 2007 Taylor 814ce cutaway acoustic-electric guitar (on stage, piped through a Taylor K4 equalizer).
Electric instruments include a 1957 Fender Studio Deluxe lap steel guitar, a 1962 Gretsch Chet Atkins 6120 hollow-body electric guitar, a 1975 Fender Precision Bass electric guitar, a 1981 Gibson Les Paul Custom "Black Beauty" electric guitar (with a TonePros locking bridge), a 1982 Gibson Les Paul Custom rare tobacco sunburst electric guitar (with a TonePros locking bridge), a 2001 Fender Custom Shop Custom Classic Telecaster electric guitar (with Joe Barden Danny Gatton T Style humbucker pickups and a Parsons/White long-stroke B-Bender), a 2001 Deering Crossfire electric banjo, a 2002 Rickenbacker 360 12-string electric guitar, and a 2004 Fender Custom Shop 1960 Custom Telecaster electric guitar.
Chris uses Elixir strings exclusively on all his instruments. Tuning accuracy is provided by the amazing Peterson strobe tuner line, including the iStroboSoft application for iPhone.
Instrument repair, refinement, and set up is done by Dana Vernon of DV Guitars, Parker, CO.
Instrument amplification is by three vintage Fender tube amplifiers: a blackface 1966 Deluxe Reverb, a blackfaced 1971 Bassman with a 1966 Bassman speaker cabinet, and a silverface 1971 Vibrolux Reverb. Remarkable, classic tone! Amplifier repair and maintenance is accomplished by tube amp guru and keyboardist extraordinaire "Fat" Willie "Lord Valve" Whittaker at NBS Electronics of Denver, CO. Stage amplification and effects are delivered through the fabulous Digitech GSP1101 digital sound processor. Check out my current stage rack and pedal board configuration.
Keyboard tracks are courtesy of Chris' Roland Fantom-S synthesizer. Chris programs drum tracks on a Boss DR-770 drum machine and on the Fantom-S.
PEACE OF MIND! All of Chris' instruments, equipment, and gear are fully insured, at home and on the road, by MusicPro Insurance
