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GALLERY: Keith Urban's 2014 Touring Gear

Take an inside look at the drool-inducing gear that the country-fried rocker takes on the road.

Nicknamed “Tuxedo,” this Clapton Strat donated its original neck to one of Urban’s other axes and now features a (surprise!) lefty Cabronita neck. The original pickups were swapped out for Fender Fat ’50s in the neck and middle and a Lindy Fralin Steel Poled (43) in the bridge.

We caught up with Keith Urban’s guitar tech, Chris Miller, for a look at the country-fried rocker's setup (watch the video here) that's overspilling with mash-up Fenders and classic Gibson guitars, iconic amps, and a condensed pedalboard (see his 2011 Rig Rundown to fully understand Urban's gear geekery).

Improved tracking and richness in tones. Stereo panning potential. 100 presets.

Can be hard to use intuitively. Expensive!

$645

Electro-Harmonic POG III

ehx.com

4.5
4
3.5
3.5
EHX’s most powerful polyphonic octave generator yet offers guitarists, sound designers, and experimental musicians an endless maze of pitch-shifted effects to explore.

It’s been a very rainy, moody couple of weeks, which is to say, perfect weather for getting lost in the labyrinthine depths of the new Electro-Harmonix POG III polyphonic octave generator. The POG III is yet another evolution (mutation?) within EHX’s now rather expansive stable of octave effects. But to those who know the POG through its original incarnation, or one of several simpler subsequent variants, the POG III represents a pretty dramatic leap forward.

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Vox’s Valvenergy Tone Sculptor

Two new pedals from the Valvenergy series use a Nutube valve to generate unique dynamics and tone ranges that can be used to radical ends.

When tracking in a studio or DAW, you’re likely to use compression and EQ on most things. Many enduringly amazing and powerful records were made using little else. And though many musicians regard both effects as a bit unglamorous and utilitarian, EQs and comps are as capable of radical sounds as more overtly “weird” effects—particularly when they are used in tandem.

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Significantly smaller and lighter than original TAE. Easy to configure and operate. Great value. Streamlined control set.

Air Feel Level control takes the place of more surgical and realistic resonance controls. Seventy watts less power in onboard power amp. No Bluetooth connectivity with desktop app.

$699

Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander Core

boss.info

5
4.5
4.5
4.5

Boss streamlines the size, features, and price of the already excellent Waza Tube Expander with little sacrifice in functionality.

Many of our younger selves would struggle to understand the urge—indeed, the need—to play quieter. My first real confrontation with this ever-more-present reality arrived when Covid came to town. For many months, I could only sneak into my studio space late at night to jam or review anything loud. Ultimately, the thing that made it possible to create and do my job in my little apartment was a reactive load box (in this case, a Universal Audio OX). I set up a Bassman head next to my desk and, with the help of the OX, did the work of a gear editor as well as recorded several very cathartic heavy jams, with the Bassman up to 10, that left my neighbors none the wiser.

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- YouTube
A FREE update adds up to 150 new Premium Tone Models and presets for all TONEX users.
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