Pepper Keenan's Gear?

[TattooedCarrot]

I know Pepper uses a bunch of gear including a Mesa Boogie 50 Cal+, Gibson SG's, ESP Vipers, Ltd Viper and baritons, and strats, but I have a couple questions.

I really dig the tone on the lead guitar in the begning of Down's song 'Eyes of the South', and COC's 'wiseblood'. What guitar/pickups/amps are used for those tones? They sound like neck P90's and I'm sure I've seen him with an ESP custom that had a P90 neck and Tom Anderson bridge?

If anyone can help with what was specifically used (including which model pickups if known) I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks, TC

[Boxcar Willie 84]

Re: Pepper Keenan\'s Gear?

Man, I love COC...one of my alltime favorite bands. Pepper uses ESP custom Vipers live now, but for the studio his main guitar (and his main guitar for years) is his old Gibson SG. It has a Tom Anderson humbucker in the bridge...not sure of the specific model. As far as amps go, he uses Mesa Boogies like you said, and him and Woody from COC use mostly old school pedals for effects, including Crybabies, MXR Phase 90s, and Electro-Harmonix pedals. If I remember right there is a good description of his setup on www.guitargeek.com. And you can't forget that a large part of his tone comes from tuning down so much. Great player, glad to see another COC fan on here! (the band is from nc, just like me)

[ March 26, 2003, 10:42 AM: Message edited by: Boxcar Willie 84 ]

[Newc]

Re: Pepper Keenan\'s Gear?

"Discussion about Jackson/Charvel artists and the equipment they use"

Hmmm. [img]graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img]

Newc

[lerxstcat]

Re: Pepper Keenan\'s Gear?

Originally posted by Newc:
"Discussion about Jackson/Charvel artists and the equipment they use"

Hmmm. [img]graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img]

Newc

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Maybe Pepper's middle name is Jackson? [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

I thought they were from New Orleans; tried to go to their website but the link
was wrong. Also, Pepper's been in several ads for the LTD Viper lately, not
the ESP alone. ?????

[toejam]

Re: Pepper Keenan\'s Gear?

I know Pepper's old beat up white SG has a Duncan Invader in the bridge.

[chrisolson]

Re: Pepper Keenan\'s Gear?

Originally posted by toejam:
I know Pepper's old beat up white SG has a Duncan Invader in the bridge.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Actually, I think that's Woody's guitar, not Pepper's. But you are right about the Invader .

[toejam]

Re: Pepper Keenan\'s Gear?

Originally posted by chris_olson:
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by toejam:
I know Pepper's old beat up white SG has a Duncan Invader in the bridge.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Actually, I think that's Woody's guitar, not Pepper's. But you are right about the Invader .</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Ah, you're right, I was thinking of Woody and the white SG. Though, didn't Pepper have an SG in the old black one, too? I could have sworn he had an Invader in at least one of his guitars. [img]graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img]

[Boxcar Willie 84]

Re: Pepper Keenan\'s Gear?

Here's what Pepper had to say about that guitar and the making of Down II in the May 2002 issue of Guitar World...

"My main workhorse, though, was still my old SG. It's got a Tom Anderson pickup in the back and a neck like a baseball bat. It's beat to dog s***, but that thing would eat a Les Paul for lunch."

As far as other guitars, he said that he and Kirk Windstein used "whatever was neccessary to get our point across," and that he used a Strat and a Telecaster. Kirk went on to say that for amps they used Boogies, Marshalls, Randalls, and a 50-watt amp that the producer made called The Crank. He also noted that they didn't use any overdrive or distortion pedals, to get a cleaner sound.

At home I have a short interview with Pepper and Woody where they talk about some of their gear. It has what amps they use in it....I can post it this weekend. But for the most part, and as far as I know, the setup on guitargeek.com is pretty accurate, although I find the lack of a wah pedal to be kinda odd. It's kind of a fantasy of mine to drive up to Raleigh one day and find their studio and bother them to death about all this stuff, lol.

[ColdVayne]

Re: Pepper Keenan\'s Gear?

pepper uses a randall titan most of the time i have seen them.

[Boxcar Willie 84]

Re: Pepper Keenan\'s Gear?

Pepper and Down are from New Orleans....COC has been around since the mid-80s when they got their start as a hardcore band in Raleigh, NC. Pepper joined around 1990 or so.

[lerxstcat]

Re: Pepper Keenan\'s Gear?

Cool! haks for the info, Boxcar!

[ryansean]

Re: Pepper Keenan\'s Gear?

Yeah!!!!! COC is A-W-E-S-O-M-E!!!!!!!!!!!!! [img]graemlins/headbang.gif[/img]