Johnny's Gear

This is my favourite set up, a Fender Telecaster Custom, a Gretsch 6120 G-Brand with original 50's De-Armond Dynasonic pick-ups, a 1982 Fender Twin Reverb II, a 1962 Binson Echorec and a Shure SM57 in front of the Amp speakers ... an Horizon "vintage look" cable complete all ... this is my idea of perfection!!!

My little child Riccardo with my Gretsch 6120 G-Brand ... the guitar is from 1989 but I've replaced the new Filtertron Humbucking with original De Armond Dynasonic from the mid fifties coming from a '55 Gretsch Duo-Jet (the owner of the Duo-Jet replaced the De-Armond with Filter Trons in the early sixties; when he sold the guitar, at the end of the sixties, he sold it with the filtertron pick-ups on and the original De Armonds stayed for several years in a drawer till the day that I've bought them). On the Gretsch I use D'Addario 011 - .49 strings.

A close up of the De-Armond Dynasonic Pick-Ups with the Alnico Magnets ... I really love the sound of the old Alnico single coil Pick-Ups as I love all of my oramge finished Gretsch 6120, included the western motives on the neck's mother-of-pearls ... Mr Chet Atkins himself disliked the westen motives and in fact, from 1956, they diapperar from all the Gretsch 6120, but I'm a cow boy and I like this kind of garishness!!!

... always Riccardo with my Fender Telecaster Custom from the Fender Custom Shop ... I use to call it my "Racing Guitar" because of its very fast neck. On the Telecaster I use Dogal Strings, 010 - .42

This is my '59 Fender 6 de luxe Lap Steel guitar

Here you are the magic Binson Echorec 2 ... it has more than 40 years but it kick ass to all the digital devices that you can immagine ...

... and this is the way how it works ... five heads around a metallic disc, a lot of valves and an amazing vintage sound ... I love it!!!

Fender Twin Reverb II (1982) - 105 watts for this monster built for Fender by Mr. Rivera in the early eighties ... it has a great sound  but I'm gettin' older and it weight a little too much for my poor back ... I use it only if it worth while ... (important gigs, festivals etc etc)

Fender Bassman '59 reissue -  Nothing to compare with the Twin II but it also has a good sound, more power than you usually need, it's light and it has a nice vintage look, so I use it for the 90 % of my live gigs.

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