Session guitarists essential gear?

[SuperJemBoy]

Hey folks,

Me and a friend were discussing this the other day so I decided to post it here.

If you were a session guitarist for hire who had to cater for all styles (Jazz, Metal, Rock, Funk etc, the main sorta styles, nothing too OUT THERE), what would you need to have in your setup? We thought:

About 3 Distortion/Overdrives for covering the styles
Wah
Compressor
Chorus

Anything else? I also thought a good variety of pickup variations would be pretty essential too (eg. H-S-H with coil splits and phase swtiches etc)

I would love to be known as a session guitarist!

Joe

[Drew]

bare minimum rig-

-Fender strat, bridge humbucker (i like the feel of a strat more than a LP)
-Line6 POD Pro
-good tuner
-patience

That could get you through just about every concievable musical situation in a pinch.

Although, really, being a session player isn't about the gear as much as it is about being able to come up with something that works in a pinch.

-D

[bammbamm]

I would not opt for a line 6 type device.
In most cases, all you need to bring is your guitar(s) as the producers may already have a specific sound in mind and many times will have the gear on hand. For me, I think I'd keep on hand a couple clean amps such as the Roland JC-120 and a Fender Twin, and Maybe a Vox AC-30, then a couple Mesa amps like a Mark IIc and a Mark IV and or a Recto head and a few Marshall Heads. I'd also think a couple boutique amps wouldn't be out of the question since you'd be making good $$$ and could afford top shelf gear.

In that case, maybe a couple Matchless heads or combos and a Dumble for the medium gain stuff and then the more typical stuff I mentioned above.

Most times you'll be told what style and sound they want to achieve, so you'll have some advanced warning.

I too would LOVE to be a session player, Reb Beach, Larry Carlton, Jon Finn, they are all amazing players and probably heard more than you'd realize.

Bamm

[jono]

Polite attitude and the ability to leave your ego at the door are the key items I'd suggest.

On the London scene usually you're known for your styles so you're hired for the jobs you'd be best at anyway.

[SuperJemBoy]

What's the London scene like? Is there a high demand for session guitarists there?

Just curious, I live in Scotland lol

Joe

[Drew]

Originally Posted by bammbamm

I would not opt for a line 6 type device.

I wouldn't either, given the choice, but you gotta keep in mind you just listed off about ten grand in amps. I was just listing the absolute bare minimum I'd want to have on me walking into a studio to know I could nail just about any tone I could be called on to produce with a reasonable degree of authority.

If the studio has gear on hand, so much the better. But if you can't count on them, then that'd be my "all in one gig bag" answer to a studio session where you don't know in advance exactly what you'll be called on to do, or for when you want to have some flexibility down the road to try different sounds.

And, once again, the ability to work with the producer to get the part they're looking for is FAR more important than you're gear (assuming your intonation is solid and your guitar holds tune).

-D

[bammbamm]

Originally Posted by Drew

I wouldn't either, given the choice, but you gotta keep in mind you just listed off about ten grand in amps. I was just listing the absolute bare minimum I'd want to have on me walking into a studio to know I could nail just about any tone I could be called on to produce with a reasonable degree of authority.

If the studio has gear on hand, so much the better. But if you can't count on them, then that'd be my "all in one gig bag" answer to a studio session where you don't know in advance exactly what you'll be called on to do, or for when you want to have some flexibility down the road to try different sounds.

And, once again, the ability to work with the producer to get the part they're looking for is FAR more important than you're gear (assuming your intonation is solid and your guitar holds tune).

-D

I'd wager a producer would see you walk in with your POD and say, "Umm, whatcha' got there sport, a paperweight?"

If you're a session guy, odds are you're going to invest in some good tools for your trade, so yeah, $10K+ in amplification, but when you only need to buy 'em once, why not? Session guys make enough coin to afford 'em.

Bamm

[vaijem777]

I haven't done a ton of session work, but for some reason I've gotten calls to do some stuff for a few local projects. Versatility is definitely a good thing. In my experience at least, the producers and engineers have had general tones/sounds in mind. For the last batch of stuff that I did, I took my Matchless 1/2 stack, a Boogie Mark IV and a blue Marshall 6100 head as well as a slew of vintage and boutique pedals. I pretty much had access to any tone or texture that could have been wanted. Naturally, I was over-prepared, but that's a helluva lot better than showing up unprepared It's nice to have some versatile guitars as well. The more textures and styles that you can access, the better. Nothing that I've done will ever see the light of day, but every project was a fun learning experience.

[spencer096]

bammbamm, i dont mean to sound like an *******, but you're way off.

session guys dont make a lot. sure, guys like tommy tedesco and larry carlton have made significant fortunes in the business but they were also on over 1,000 albums, not including the other sessions they did. the average wage for a session guitarist is $332 per track. thats hardly enough to be able to afford a dumble ($10k by itself).

if you show up to a session with a POD, the producer would likely say, "great, lets plug it in and get to work. thanks for making things simple and still delivering quality." most studios use protools. the POD is extremely flexible going direct into protools and it sounds quite good in the mix. producers want a great final result with the fewest headaches and ive read numerous interviews with big name session guys who all love the POD because its easy.

remember, studio time costs money. hauling in and setting up mics for 2 or more amps takes at least an hour while the POD takes maybe 5 minutes. for a session, its not your gig, so a producer isnt gonna want to sit around and waste his time watching you set up and get your tones.

as for gear:

-i dont like strats but it seems to be a popular choice
-michael landau wrote a column about session playing and he said the best guitar for sessions is a tele with a neck humbucker
-line 6 POD or equivalent
-volume pedal (essential)
-wah pedal

it fits in a gig bag and you can set it all up quick as hell.

[vaijem777]

I think it depends on exactly what you're going to be playing on. I know with complete certainty that if I were to need somebody for a session and they came in with a POD, they'd be told not to let the door hit them on the way back out.

You used Tommy Tedesco as an example- how many sessions do you think he showed up to with a single guitar and a single amp? Answer: NONE. True- he also had a cartage company at his beck and call and was able to have dozens of instruments and amplifiers at any given gig without having to load up his minivan. But, if you show up underprepared, chances are you'll not be called upon again. The interviews that I've read with him (when he was still alive) were pretty detailed in what he took with him. He did a lot of TV theme show sessions and movie soundtracks, so he carried along mandolins, a Coral sitar, a bouzouki, 12-strings, 6-strings, a ukelele, acoustics, electrics, basses, etc. You really think that a REAL pro would show up with a POD? And not be laughed out of the business?

[bammbamm]

Originally Posted by vaijem777

I think it depends on exactly what you're going to be playing on. I know with complete certainty that if I were to need somebody for a session and they came in with a POD, they'd be told not to let the door hit them on the way back out.

You used Tommy Tedesco as an example- how many sessions do you think he showed up to with a single guitar and a single amp? Answer: NONE. True- he also had a cartage company at his beck and call and was able to have dozens of instruments and amplifiers at any given gig without having to load up his minivan. But, if you show up underprepared, chances are you'll not be called upon again. The interviews that I've read with him (when he was still alive) were pretty detailed in what he took with him. He did a lot of TV theme show sessions and movie soundtracks, so he carried along mandolins, a Coral sitar, a bouzouki, 12-strings, 6-strings, a ukelele, acoustics, electrics, basses, etc. You really think that a REAL pro would show up with a POD? And not be laughed out of the business?

EXACTLY !

I've worked in two studios doing a little bit of everything, and every guy I've ever talked to believes in having a bloody arsenal for variety and timbre. I am far from pro and won't try and say I am, but I've recorded in about a dozen different studios as well and each studio keeps on hand a myriad of gear on their own, then depending on what producers come through, they will require more equipment on top of that. Ths is pro level stuff typically, and I'm talking about label backed producers on a signed project, not Joe's garage band from Kalamazoo making their 1st demo CD. Of course if it is a low dough project, they are going to want you in and out and no fuss. Fine. But you talk pro, I'll wager any amount you want to put up and you'll see more times than not, that a producer with any time in the business, he'll want some or all of the amps that were mentioned above.

Spencer, you don't come off like an *******, but I've been in a few situations in my short life that I got to see some neat stuff up close and personal. One of the studios I worked in was Groovemaster who is responsible for some major bands out of Chicago.
You're talking about guys who record sound for a living, you think they'll be happy with a pod on a project that is going to cost hundreds of thousands? Go spend an afternoon reading on the Pro Rec audio forums and see how many guys rave about how great the pods are.

And another thing Protoools a.k.a. "Alsihad", as kewl as it is, is bashed quite a bit on the pro levels, for its homoginized sound.

Anyway, just a friendly discussion and I know what I would want in MY arsenal if I were a working session stud.

Bamm

[spencer096]

i guess im looking at it from the wrong perspective.

if im doing a session for a big record label and was the first call guitarist, then yes, id want all the high end gear that could fit on the truck. but seeing as how the number of players that are first call for sessions like those can be counted on one hand (figure of speech, dont take literal), i dont consider the possibility of even coming close to a career at that level.

if im doing a session where i get called a day or two before and have to travel and other extenuating circumstances, a POD will more than suffice depending on the session. if its a quick guitar part, then yes it will do just fine and you wont get laughed out of the studio.

a REAL pro? whos to say that the guy making a living doing commercials and tv and radio spots is less of a pro then the guy playing on high-end sessions in LA? theyre both making a living doing sessions. but if a producer calls and the job requires a few guitar tracks and its less than a days work you think hes gonna be happy when you show up with 2 amps that need to be mic'd and set up to get the right tone when he's on a strict budget? you show up like that and he wouldnt even let you in. POD's are effective in getting a good tone real fast and making set up times nonexistant. there are a variety of "sessions" out there and limiting it to first call, big-name recordings is missing the true scope of session guitar.

i have done a good number of sessions mostly for radio spots. these sessions dont need huge guitar tones, they need the job done well and the POD delivers that. im not saying that if your hired by a big act that a POD will do fine, but if its a small, local session, itll do great.

regardless if pro tools is "bashed" at the pro level, it is still used frequently throughout the industry because its ease of use.

if i were a larry carlton type, id want an ES-335, Fender nocaster, gibson l-5 and a jem and a fender twin and a bogner ecstacy with all the required pedals.

[bammbamm]

It really depends on the situation like I said.
For some budget based jobs, absolutely, don't muck about and waste time setting up your stereo array cabs and your wall of effects racks and your 3 amp heads blah blah. BUT as far as the upper end of things ( which is where I was coming from and would love to be playing) you need the high end gear.

Bamm

[vaijem777]

If you show up at a session with a guitar and a POD, that'd be pretty shortsighted and presumptuous of you. UNLESS that is specifically what the engineer/producer/artist requested. I haven't met or heard of an engineer yet that won't give a session musician at least some idea of exactly what they're looking for regarding a session. PODs are cool little tools for home recording, etc. but I doubt you'd get too many real engineers asking for them by name

[spencer096]

agreed.

that almost became heated, good thing it didnt.