Instruments

For the curious, here are some of the instruments we used to make the "Too Many Goodbyes" CD

Guitars / Amps / Effects

Fender Stratocaster

  • Fender USA Standard Stratocaster, 1987 vintage - my pride and joy. I had mine specially ordered in from America. I have had it slightly modifed it by putting in a few extra springs to flatten the tremolo fulchrum to the guitar body - I don't and never have used the 'whammy bar'
  • Fender Precision Bass  - can't remember when I bought this (to replace an old Yamaha bass). Anyway, it's a beaut!
  • Ovation Pinnacle Single Cutaway Electro-Acoustic Guitar. I was bought this many, many years ago as a birthday present. I remember seeing Al Di Meola playing an Ovation guitar and had to have one!

 

A Line 6 POD XT Pro was used for all the guitar processing. It was programmed to be as near as identical to my old amplifier set up, which was a Marshall JMP-1 Valve MIDI Pre-amp. I've worked very hard since learning to play to develop my own sound and style. For the most part, I think I have succeeded. 

Keyboards / Virtual Instruments

  • Alesis QS 8 Master Keyboard, of which not one sound was used! Although, even now, still a great synth, I use it solely to control the virtual synths living in my computer. I bought this cos the on-board piano / organ sounds were so good. Still are! Among the 'virtual' instruments used were:
  • GMedia M-Tron - possibly the best Mellotron in the world, short of a real one!) 
  • MrRay Rhodes - this is a free program that is absolutely ace. I have tried all manner of Rhodes plugins and, for me, this is the best. I used it liberally on the Too ManyGoodbyes CD
  • Native Instruments B4 Organ - fabulous instrument
MrRay SevenyThreeM-Tron

Drums

Roland TD20 Drumkit - this is a fantastic piece of gear (virtual drum-tastic!) and Christopher now uses it exclusively. He keeps his Pearl acoustic drums for emergency use! If I ever decide to have a go at drumming, then this is what I would want!

Roland TD20 Drums

Vocals 

Shure SM58. And that's it -  with a pop shield! Although we had access to other mics, for some reason, the SM58 just does it for me!