JD VALENTEEN

Gear: The Tools Of The Trade

….or Toys?

Yes…gear !!!! The very subject that every guitar player loves to talk about with other musicians while simultaneously putting every "normal" person to sleep. The requirements made on today's Modern Guitarists are quite diverse. We have to go from "Clean Jazz", to "Gritty Blues", to "Funky R&B", to "In Your Face Rock", then to "Scorching Metal"....usually in the same set. Oh, and of course....at next to zero volume.

Every piece of my gear; guitars, pedalboard, amp, etc…, are designed for versatility, musical as well as logistical. I can still plug in the "Ego Rig" with Stereo 4x12's, but I can also bring out my pedalboard alone and run direct if need be. Depends on the band, venue, project, etc...   It's all a matter of being ready for anything WITHOUT having to sacrifice quality of sound.

Guitars

	My Main Axe For The Past 10 Years PRS Custom 22 Dark Cherry Sunburst EMG 89 Humbuckers (Coil Tapped) EMG SA Single Coil In Center 3 Way Pickup Selector & Push/Pull Single Coil Knob Black Tusq Earvana Shelf Nut Sperzel Locking Tuners Graphtech String Saver Saddles
	My Secondary Axe "Parts" Stratocaster EMG 85 Humbucker Bridge EMG SA Single Coil In Neck & Middle 5-Way Pickup Selector Graphtech Black Tusq Nut & String Trees Sperzel Locking Tuners Graphtech String Saver Saddles
	My "Fun" Axe / "Poor Man's White Falcon" Ibanez Artcore Hollowbody 3-Way Pickup Selector Bigsby Tremolo (Soon To Be Modified With:) Black Tusq Earvana Shelf Nut Hot Alnico Liverpool Humbuckers Sperzel Locking Tuners
	My Primary Acoustic Takamine EG-523SC Jumbo Body Spruce Top Maple Back & Sides On Board Active Electronics I'm not going to say this instrument will rival a Taylor 815ce, but it sounds great and can take a pounding….and has !!!
	My Backup/Secondary Acoustic Line 6 Variax 700 Acoustic Mahogany Body / Spruce Top Various Acoustic Models and Tunings Digital Output Great for Occasional 12-String, Nylon Spring, Sitar, etc… Great for INSTANT alternate tunings.

Pedalboard

The first reaction I usually get when people see this is…,"Are You Kidding Me !!!"

My Answer: "It's an Elephant Gun to kill a fly….and the fly is dead!"

The truth is, there isn't really that many pedals on this board, everything is just big.

The Heart & Soul of this board is the Line 6 POD HD500. All of my guitar sounds can go directly to a mixing board WITHOUT an amp. However, I generally DO run the POD into the POWER AMP IN of a Line 6 Tube Spider Valve 1x12 combo…it just sounds better…but there are some gigs that can't even handle that volume.

The little Behringer Mixer is there for my "Acoustic Gigs". My main output goes to the 2 ART Tube MP's that I use as Direct Boxes. The XLR out would go to the front of the house. The 1/4" outputs feed the pedalboard mixer. Ergo, everything is plugged in the minute I take off the lid...plug into both of my QSC K10 Powered Speakers...and we're hot !!! (Can be used as wedges like shown OR on speaker stands.

There 2 TC Helicon Vocal Processors feeding my mixer as well; the Correct XT for Gate & Feedback Control, and the Create XT for Vocal Effects (Reverb, Delay, Etc…). There is also a Morpheus DropTune Pedal which will electronically drop the pitch of my guitar with NO LATENCY...Really handy for Eb band tuning and 7-String guitar effects.

The Digitech Jamman Stereo (Loop Station), Morley Mark Tremonti Wah Pedal, and Korg Pitch Black Tuner are ALL available on the Pod HD500. However, I prefer these separate units for easier access. The Morley A/B Box is used for controlling my Rocktron Banshee (Talk Box) that is beneath the board. The tube runs up to my microphone from the side.

(Rocktron Banshee underneath the pedalboard)

Guitar Amps

My Primary Guitar Amp

Line 6 Spider Valve MK I

Digital Model Front End

Bogner Designed Tube Power Amp

FBV Shortboard to Control By Itself

Usually, I bypass the digital front end and plug the HD500 directly into the "Power Amp In". I also use this amp by itself with all its features via the FBV Shortboard for small gigs and rehearsals.

My Retired Guitar Amp

"Big Blue"

Hughes & Kettner Triamp Mark II

3 Channels with an A/B EACH channel

EL-34 Power Tubes with 1/2 Power Switch

Alesis Quadraverb in Effects Loop

I LOVE this amp, but it's too big for most venues. Plus, who cares if it sounds good….IT'S BLUE !!!

"The Wall Of Retirement"

From Left To Right: Washburn Jumbo Acoustic (Still works great, I use it for learning songs) / Red & Gold "Parts" Stratocaster (Had it since high school….very 80's) / Guild Dreadnought Acoustic (Picked Up when I was in the Navy…It's a decoration) / Fender Stratocaster (Belongs to my former bass player from 2007, in 2014 I'll have a common-law marriage with it.) / Yamaha Pacifica Left Handed Strat (My failed Hendrix Experiment...another decoration)