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Backstage at Rockstar: Supernova
Musicians Hotline is excited to premiere a new monthly article on the hit music reality show
Rock Star: Super Nova. Any musician can certainly appreciate the incredible musicianship of the
Rock Star house band. Jim McGorman talks gear shop with Musicians Hotline,
and keeps us informed on developments with the show and the challenges of producing in a
live television situation. MHL first hooked up with Jim at the conclusion of last years Rock Star:
INXS season. Jim is a very talented player, singer, song writer and producer. Check out his work
with his new band Jamestown at www.jimmcgorman.com, or at a My Space
(www.myspace.com/aboutjamestown) Jim is also a true Gearhead and tone tweaker. Rock on
Gearheads. In part one of a three part series, Jim shares his gearbox with MHL…
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Hey, everyone. My name is Jim
McGorman, and I’m in the house
band on the CBS TV show Rock
Star. Last year we helped INXS find
a new singer, and we’re back again
this year with Tommy Lee, Jason
Newsted and Gilby Clarke of
Supernova. If you’ve seen the show,
you know that we have the task of
playing cover songs from the 1950s
to the present. This requires a
tremendous amount of preparation...
not to mention tons of gear!
I’m not going to lie to you: One of the
best things about doing a show like
this is the undeniable excuse to
research and use equipment, and I’ve
taken full advantage of that. As the
rhythm guitarist (the utility guy, really,
since I also play keyboards and sing), I
felt that my main responsibility would
be to capture the original tone of
whatever song we were doing. So, first
let’s talk about some of the guitars.
Because the amount of musical landscape
to be covered is fairly substantial,
I use quite a few guitars throughout
the season. Let’s put it this way: If
I own it or can borrow it, I’ll play it on
the show. I’m sure that, like
most of you, I pretty much
love most guitars, but there
are a few go-to models
that I rely on frequently. I
have a ‘58 V.O.S. Les Paul
that is great for many rock
applications. I’m also a big
fan of hollow-body
Gibsons. I use a 335, a 336
and an Epiphone Casino.
I also really like the LP
Deluxe with mini-humbuckers.
I have a vintage one
from the ‘70s as well as a
newer one, and they have a
real bite to them. Still, one
of my favorite guitars is a
vintage Tele that I bought in
Chicago when I was on
tour with Poison. (Admittedly it was a
guilty pleasure, but hey, it was a gig!) I
frequent that on Stones tunes. I also
use a ‘62 Relic Strat. For acoustics, I
use a Gibson J-200, a J-45 and a J-185
12-string.
Normally I like to use vintage amps.
However, with the skyrocketing
prices and
reliability factor, I’ve
opted for something
new. After checking
out a bunch of amps, I
decided to go with
Matchless. I use three
different models, but
my main amp is the
HC-30 (built in 2006). I
also use a Phoenix. I
run them through two
ESDs, and run an
Independence through
a 4x12. All of the tubes
are Tesla J&J’s. The
EF86 is a Svetlana. Still,
I rely on pedals a lot in
order to achieve the
vast range of sounds
needed for different
styles of music, (We have only about
30 seconds to switch between, say,
The Who and Evanescence.) But while
I was checking out amps I knew I
wanted something that not only had its
own vibe but would respond well to
whatever I put in front of it. Also,
because of the volume issues that
we’re presented with at the soundstage
and in the rehearsal studio, we really
have to be mindful of overpowering the
singers. I needed to have a huge tone
that wouldn’t blow people away with
volume.
Thankfully, the HC-30 has a Hi/Lo
power switch that really comes in
handy. I can switch from 30 watts to
15 watts and still have the tone I
want. As far as pedals are concerned,
I’m a big fan of the Fulltone stuff. I
probably use the FullDrive 2 about 80
percent of the time. I also frequent the
Soul Bender, Deja Vibe and Supra
Trem. Occasionally I’ll kick on the OCD
for a little extra kick, but I’m usually
holding down the rhythm. I use a
Tube Screamer and the Menatone
Red Snapper (this pedal sounds huge)
for the heavier stuff. For Leslie and
chorus effects I use the Arion Chorus.
They’re really great inexpensive pedals,
and I probably use that model on
every show. For delays and other chorus-
type stuff I use the Line 6 Delay
(invaluable) and Modulation. I love Line
6, but I wish the Delay had more than
three settings (after all, I do 18 songs a
week). And though it’s a great tool and
the overall sound quality is very good,
I feel that the Mod pedal can cut your
tone and volume a bit if you don’t
have a lot of time to work with it.
Since I’m not a switching-system guy, I
had the greatest pedalboard maker on earth design me a custom board.
Rooster, at TrailerTrash Pedalboards,
put it all together for me and is actually
working on a second one right now.
I’ll tell you, that thing is my life-support
system. It’s tough, quiet and looks
killer on TV. I use a Lehle A/B switcher
to keep my tuner out-line and a good
old Cry Baby. My new board has a
bunch of really cool stuff, too. I’ll have
more on that for you later.
One thing I’ve learned is that the
sound coming out of a TV lacks depth.
It’s an odd thing, but if your tone is
dark and in any way muddy, it ends up
getting lost in the mix. I feel that if I
set my tone a little brighter, it translates
better when you hear it at home.
I also find that the more direct the
sound is--whether it’s big and delayed
or clean and to-the-point--the better
off you’ll be.
Now that we have the gear going, I’d
like to say a little about preparation.
The biggest thing about a show like
this is learning the songs. It’s an interesting
process that starts with listening
to the original recording in my bedroom
and ends with us playing the
songs on international television.
Obviously, you have to learn the parts
first. Then you have to translate the
studio part to a live part.With a show
like Rock Star we’re constantly altering
the songs and arrangements. For
instance, in order to have a heavier or
more “rock” sound (which we’re doing
this year for Supernova), I might add a
bit more drive or less effects than the
studio sound would indicate. But it
also has to do with the performance.
When the producers were looking for
musicians for the house band, they
not only wanted professional, competent
musicians but they wanted guys
who would own every part they play –
and play it aggressively.
Obviously, the goal is to be comfortable
enough to commit to each part
as if you’ve known it for years. The
challenge is that we only have a day
or two to get it to that point. So, it’s
really important to focus.When I first
heard that we’d be learning 200 songs
for the season (15 to 20 songs a
week), I was very nervous about
memory. But it’s really no different
than people on quiz shows have to do.
The brain is capable of processing a
multitude of information. It’s simply a
matter of doing it.
Well, I’ve gotta run and shoot another
episode. I’ll check back with you soon.
In the meantime, please email me any
questions or topics.
Jim McGorman
My band: Jamestown -
www.myspace.com/aboutjamestown
www.jimmcgorman.com
www.rockstar.msn.com
jmcgorman@mac.com
Stay tuned for Part Two of
Backstage at Rock Star: Supernova
in next months issue...
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