GEAR
TIM :: MARK :: CHARLOTTE :: RICK
RECORDING
EARLY :: TRAILER :: 1977 :: NU-CLEAR SOUNDS :: FREE ALL ANGELS :: MELTDOWN
Check out Leif's site at www.enforce.ca. He has worked on a few of my pedals (you can see them on his page) and he is affordable and reliable (and comical, and Canadian!) If you have any information or pictures to send, please send them to chad@ash-gear.com
20 FEBRUARY 2007
Straight from Leif about the new gigs...
Tim
Gretsch Silver Jet
Gold Top
The scratched up Black Les Paul
That's it for guitars, we've really stripped everything down.
The usual Shure wireless system is with us.
Mark's using the usual rig, SVT 2-Pro head into an 8x10. OS-2 Pedal and a line 6 MM4 (I think) for a song.
Rick has a hat.
For samples and strings etc, we're using an HD24.
That's about the bulk of it really.
You heard it here first...
18 OCTOBER 2006
Praise be to Leif, who sent me this AWESOME write-up about the ASH NYC gigs.
Ash - New York
At both the Spin party and Fashion week show, the band, still officially recording have decided to leave everything they could set up and trot out with the minimum requirements.
Tim reduced his setup to a very basic one.
Mesa Boogie Dual Rec, 3 channel head with loop and solo function. The amp is controlled with a 5 button footswitch connected with a DIN (or midi style) connector.
We used a 16 ohm Marshall 4x12 slanted front cabinet.
For a spare, we had a Mesa Boogie Stiletto on tap. As far as my opinions go, the jury is still out on that amp.
He used two guitars, a Les Paul and Gretsch Silver Jet. The Les Paul, if you've seen pictures of it, has a unique finish to - that's what happens when you pour nail polish remover on a guitar, set it alight and score it with something hard and probably pointy. After all these years, we haven't really decided what's best - chrome or gold hardware. The observant will notice the mix and match approach with the bridge and tailpiece. I'd like to tell you that we conducted metallurgical tests and found our combination to be the most useful. But that would be bullshit. I believe years ago I hastily replaced the bridge with the only one available at the moment.
The Gretsch Silver Jet is probably my favourite of Tim's guitars. It's so responsive and the harder you hit it, the meaner it sounds. Conversely, play it softly and it sings like a bird. And not a shit-hawk, a nightingale.
For pedals, we went with the ol' TU-2, Mooger Fooger 12-stage phaser and the trusty JD Wah. All in-line, no wireless. Talk about ghetto.
Mark's setup was a HUGE departure form the norm. For years he has played with nothing but an Ampeg SVT 2-pro or 3. this time, we used an ampeg transistor combo and oddly enough, this great little Ampeg Portaflex. We took the line out from the combo and put it into the Portaflex. At the Spin show, we simply paralleled the two amps as using the line out yielded a little too much growl in the Porta.
I won't bother telling you what kind of basses he used. Although I will tell you that I named them a couple of years back, as we were using three on stage. Destrier, Bombardier and Goedendag. Destrier and Geodendag are tuned to his regular tuning, EAD.Bombardier was used for Detonator & Clones and got the D and C tunes.
The biggest upheaval in bass world was the departure of the absolutely legendary BOSS SD-2 pedal in favour of a... Damn, I can't remember now. It was more of a "Jaune" than the classic little yellow pedal. It might be a BOSS OS-2, but don't take that as gospel.
Rick's kit - I'm not entirely sure now what make of kit it is. Nobody cares about drums... not even Rick! (I'm joking.. or am I?)
Good night and may your god go with you.
20 SEPTEMBER 2006
Thanks again dmh.
A slight note on Tim's pedalboard from the last update - this is by no means (necessarily) his new live setup, as his rack makes a lot of appearances on the myspace. Time will tell, can't wait to see.
18 SEPTEMBER 2006
Many many thanks to dmh for the pics below! Note that Tim's setup is very 1977 (3 channel amp, minimal pedals, etc.)
12 SEPTEMBER 2006
First reports from the Return To New York show from roadie Leif (check out enforce.ca!)
"Gig was fine. they stripped it all down to nothing, it was a piece of cake. Sounded fine.
Tim - Boogie 3 channel Dual Rec, mooger fooger, JD Wah, TU-2. Gretsch Silver Jet, Gibson LP.
Mark - (new dist pedal.. can't remember the model; OS-2 maybe?) and TU-2. Ampeg transistor combo - line out into Ampeg Portaflex.
Rick - 5 piece kit - can't remember make now...."
There you have it. Mark emailed me, and I guess this site is going to be featured on the myspace so I better get myself in gear.
20 JUNE 2006
This site is in a transition period. ASH are making a new record, Charlotte has left the band, and the band have their own studio now. Thanks to the ASH Myspace and associated blog, we are getting a sneak peak into the makings of album number 5. From what I can see so far, there have been some additions to the ASH gear inventory; namely, Tim seems to be into 12-string guitars now. I will start updating this site much more frequently now to make it your one and only stop for ASH gear information.
Be sure to check out www.myspace.com/ash for the latest from the band.
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The following people have helped me out greatly with this site, and I am extremely greatful for all they have done: Tim Wheeler, Tav, Ian Laughton, Mark Hamilton, Leif Bodnarchuck, and T[3].