Although in the past Noodles has always used amps both live and in the studio, for the Offspring’s current tour he switched to a Fractal Audio Axe-Fx II for both amp tones and what few effects he uses. He says the reason for the change was to get more consistent and reliable tones without having to worry about how varying conditions (e.g., performance-venue acoustics, power-supply inconsistencies, and climate-related factors) would affect the tube amps he typically uses. Wasserman uses Fractal’s “Friedman BE” preset (which is based on a Friedman BE-100 Brown Eye/Hairy Brown Eye) for all his dirty sounds, and the “Bassguy Bass” preset (based on a Fender ’65 Bassman) for clean tones. The Fractal also sends a signal to a Matrix GT1000FX-1U power amp, which powers two Egnater Tourmaster 4212 cabinets loaded with Celestion Vintage 30 speakers, to move some air onstage.
Just minutes before doors opened for the Offspring’s sold-out show at the War Memorial Auditorium in Nashville, guitarist Kevin “Noodles” Wasserman took a break from the pre-show madness to give Premier Guitar’s Perry Bean the details on his surprisingly high-tech touring gear.
Thanks to Noodles’ tech, Tim Kennedy, for his help with rig and setting specifics.
