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Rig Rundown: Maroon 5’s James Valentine [2015]

The mega-selling pop outfit’s 6-string guru shows us his vintage Teles, Matchless and Suhr amps, and ultra-flexible pedal and rack setup.

70s Telecaster

When Valentine originally joined Maroon 5, he favored a Gibson ES-346, but on the current tour his main guitar is a Telecaster that’s made from parts of various Fenders and tuned down a half-step. Asked for more in-depth particulars on the guitar’s origins, Valentine says it’s “kind of ’70s.”

Premier Guitar’s John Bohlinger met with Maroon 5’s James Valentine before the band’s February 27, 2015, gig at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. In this segment, we see how the closet jazz cat uses a variety of vintage and high-end boutique guitars and amps to get the wide variety of sounds he has to replicate at each show.

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