Sonic Youth equipment

This is a list of equipment used by the members of Sonic Youth.

Gtrs
(all gtrs in italics were stolen; all gtrs in bold italics were found or replaced)


 * Black Metal Strat
 * GABDEG Telecaster
 * G&L Telecaster
 * Blue Jazzmaster Copy
 * Blue EVOL Strat
 * Dearmond Jet Star
 * Drifter and Drifter II
 * Epiphone Genesis
 * Eterna Gtr
 * Fender Duo-Sonic
 * Red Fender Jaguar
 * Wood Jaguar (Thurston)
 * Black Jazzmaster
 * Stolen Blue Jazzmaster
 * Replacement Blue Jazzmaster
 * Cream Jazzmaster
 * Gold Jazzmaster
 * Green Jazzmaster (Thurston)
 * Red Jazzmaster (Thurston)
 * Red Jazzmaster (Thurston/Kim)
 * Seafoam Fender Jazzmaster
 * Sunburst Fender Jazzmaster (Stolen)
 * Sunburst Jazzmaster (New)
 * Sunburst Jazzmaster (Daydream)
 * White Fender Jazzmaster
 * Reagan Death SG Copy
 * Gibson Carson J. Robinson
 * Gibson Firebird
 * Gibson Les Paul
 * Maroon Les Paul
 * Conan Les Paul
 * Gibson Marauder
 * Gibson RD Artist
 * Hagstrom Gtr
 * Ibanez Talman
 * Ibanez Roadstar
 * Trashy Mustang
 * Sugar Kane Framus
 * Univox Plexiglas
 * Trashy No-Name Guitar

Amps

 * 1989
 * Double Bitch Peavey Roadmaster w/ no-name 4x12 cab
 * Peavey Encore 65 (for Sony Walkman)
 * 1991
 * Vintage Marshall 100-watt amp
 * 1992
 * Marshall 100-watt tube head
 * Peavey Roadmaster
 * w/new Marshall cabs
 * 1994
 * 160-watt Peavey Roadmaster w/60s Marshall 4x12 cab on bottom
 * 1998
 * 160-watt Peavey Roadmaster w/ 60s Marshall 4x12 cab on bottom
 * 2nd Roadmaster + Marshall cab onstage for "My First Sony"
 * 1999
 * 160-watt Peavey Roadmaster w/ 60s Marshall 4x12 cab on bottom
 * 2000
 * Peavey Roadmaster w/ Marshall 4x12 cab
 * 2001
 * Peavey Roadmaster w/ Marshall 4x12 cab
 * 2002
 * Peavey Roadmaster head (2) w/ Marshall 4x12 cab
 * Fender Twin Reverb (for ALL TOMORROW'S PARTIES -- band didn't want to bring their full amp rigs across the country for one gig)
 * 2006
 * Peavey Roadmaster head (Vintage Tube Series) w/ Marshall JCM 900 4x12 cab
 * Toneworks DTR-1 Digital Tuner
 * Fender Twin Reverb (for Panasonic tape deck/radio + contact mic thru gain pedal)

Effects

 * 1989
 * Dearmond volume pedal
 * MXR Blue Box
 * 1991
 * Proco Turbo Rat
 * DOD Fuzzbox
 * 1992
 * Proco Turbo Rat
 * 1994
 * Sovtek Big Muff
 * Mutron Fuzz/Wah (70s)
 * Mutron Phase Shifter
 * Proco Turbo Rat
 * 1995
 * Mutron Wah/Vol
 * Ludwig Phase II Guitar Synthesizer
 * 1998
 * Sovtek Big Muff
 * Proco Turbo Rat
 * MXR Blue Box (Dunlop)
 * MXR Phase 90
 * Dunlop Hendrix Octave Fuzz
 * Mu-Tron Wah/Vol
 * Mu-Tron Octave Divider (not in tour rig)
 * 1999
 * Sovtek Big Muff
 * ProCo Turbo Rat
 * MXR Phase 90
 * MXR Blue Box
 * Dunlop Jimi Hendrix Octave Fuzz
 * Mu-tron Wah/Vol
 * 2000
 * No pedals for "NYC Ghosts & Flowers" LP
 * Tour effects very similar to '98
 * 2002
 * Mu-Tron Wah-Vol
 * Electro-Harmonix Big Muff
 * ProCo Turbo Rat
 * Dunlop Jimi Hendrix Octave Fuzz
 * MXR Phase 90
 * MXR Blue Box
 * 2006
 * Mutron Wah-Vol
 * Sovtek Big Muff
 * Turbo Rat
 * Ibanez AD-80 Analog Delay
 * Dunlop Jimi Hendrix Octave Fuzz
 * MXR Phase 90
 * MXR Blue Box

Other

 * Bass - Thurston often played bass on SY's earlier songs, switching off with Kim on guitar (though sometimes she'd just sing). Songs include "The Good and the Bad", "I Wanna Be Yr Dog", "Shaking Hell", "Inhuman", "Making the Nature Scene", "Beauty Lies in the Eye", "My Friend Goo", the DNA cover "Blonde Redhead", and most recently "Rats".


 * Drumstick - The classic Sonic tool, sometimes used purely for noise, sometimes used to form a whole song. Some examples : "Burning Spear" features a drumstick under the strings at the 12th fret, repeatedly struck with a second stick. "I Love Her All The Time" features the same, with the sticks continuously rubbed together to provide a droning feedback soundscape. "She Is Not Alone" and "Free City Rhymes" require a drumstick under the strings near the pickups, for plinky arpeggiations. "Eric's Trip" utilizes a drumstick in a slide fashion up and down the neck.


 * Slide -- While Lee has used a slide for melodic purposes before, Thurston's slide use is typically for random noise effects, as on "100%", "Youth Against Fascism", "Female Mechanic Now On Duty", "Inhuman" (bass), and with a slightly more calculated use on "Catholic Block".


 * Hammer -- used to pound strings on "Heather Angel".


 * Metal File -- placed over neck pick-up for Thurston's plinky guitar part on "Small Flowers Crack Concrete".


 * Bike Horn -- wedged under the strings for "Lightnin".


 * Sony Walkman - For many years, Thurston used a Sony Walkman onstage through a Peavey Encore 65 amp to blare tapes between songs (this began during the Bad Moon Rising era when the band would try to keep their concerts a flowing unbroken mass of music). In addition to samples of the Stooges' "Not Right" and Lou Reed's "Metal Machine Music" on Bad Moon Rising, other tapes used onstage include Ratt's "Round and Round", Madonna's "Into the Groove", Black Sabbath's "War Pigs", Gerardo's "Rico Suave", and SY's own "Scooter & Jinx" & "I Love You Mary Jane". Also, the piano backing track to "Secret Girl" was played onstage, with Kim singing her vocals live overtop.


 * Cowbell - Used in similar fashion to a drumstick/slide on "She's In A Bad Mood".


 * My First Sony - A red children's sound effects unit used onstage during the "A Thousand Leaves" era. It comes with a microphone which Thurston fixed in front of his main Marshall cab, routing the signal thru the radio unit and into another Roadmaster/Marshall onstage, and he'd use the effects buttons to generate various noises (typically utilized during the improvisations that closed '98 shows).

Basses
(all gtrs in italics were stolen; all gtrs in bold italics were found or replaced)

Gtrs
(all gtrs in italics were stolen; all gtrs in bold italics were found or replaced)


 * Blue Jazzmaster Copy
 * [[Eterna Gtr
 * [[Fender Jaguar (red)
 * [[Fender Jazzmaster (red)
 * [[Gibson Carson J. Robinson
 * [[Gibson Les Paul (maroon)
 * [[Gibson Les Paul (mustard)
 * [[Gibson Les Paul (snoopy)
 * [[Gibson Les Paul (snoopy 2)
 * [[Gibson Les Paul Junior
 * [[Gibson Les Paul Special
 * [[Ibanez
 * [[Unknown 3-pickup
 * [[Yamaha Pacifica

Gtrs
(all gtrs in italics were stolen; all gtrs in bold italics were found or replaced)


 * Blue Jazzmaster Copy
 * Red Custom F-Hole Jazzblaster
 * Sunburst Custom F-Hole Jazzblaster
 * Demel 12-String
 * Epiphone Casino
 * Epiphone Dot
 * Favilla Acoustic
 * Blonde Jaguar
 * Leopard Jaguar
 * Old Jaguar
 * Sunburst Jaguar
 * Wood Jaguar (Lee/Jim)
 * Sunburst Jazzblaster
 * Burgundy Mist Jazzmaster
 * Cream Jazzmaster
 * Green Jazzmaster (Lee)
 * Magenta Jazzmaster
 * Orange Jazzmaster
 * Red Jazzmaster (Lee)
 * Old Fender Jazzmaster (Sunburst)
 * New Fender Jazzmaster (Sunburst)
 * Blue Musicmaster
 * Black Mustang
 * Red Mustang
 * Sunburst Mustang
 * White Mustang
 * Fender Stratocaster
 * Fender Subsonic
 * Fender Telecaster Deluxe (Brown/Blue)
 * Fender Telecaster Deluxe (Bigsby)
 * Fender Telecaster Deluxe (Three)
 * Fender Telecaster Deluxe (Sunburst)
 * Fender XII
 * Fender XII 
 * Fernandes Sustainer
 * Fernandes Native Pro
 * Fernandes Vertigo Pro
 * Fernandes Strat
 * Gibson Carson J. Robinson
 * Gibson Les Paul
 * Gibson Les Paul Deluxe
 * Mustard Les Paul
 * Gibson RD Artist
 * Gibson SG
 * Goo Silvertone
 * HOPF Telster
 * Kapa Minstrel
 * Kapa 12-String
 * Sunburst Kent Gtr
 * White Kent Gtr
 * Kent 12-String
 * Kimberly Hollowbody
 * Blue Quest Gtr
 * Harmony Les Paul
 * Marilyn Moore Gtr
 * Martin Acoustic
 * Musicman Stingray
 * Ovation Viper
 * 12-String Strat
 * Reject Strat
 * Expressway Rickenbacker
 * STP Strat
 * Sunburst Mini-Strat
 * Superstar Plexiglas
 * Travis Bean Koa Wood
 * Travis Bean Target
 * Yellow Travis Bean
 * Univox Gtr
 * Red Yamaha Gtr

Drums/Percussion

 * 1987
 * Pearl kit
 * 1989
 * Tama kit
 * Pearl kit
 * 1995
 * Brady kit
 * 22" bass drum
 * 5½x14 snare
 * 12x12 rack tom
 * 14x14 rack tom
 * 16x16 floor tom
 * Zildjian cymbals
 * 1999
 * Gretsch Green Satin Flame kit
 * 22x14 kick drum
 * Ludwig chrome snare
 * 12x8 rack tom
 * 13x9 rack tom
 * 16x16 floor tom
 * Zildjian Constantinople Light Ride 20"
 * Zildjian Constantinople Crash 16"
 * Zildjian Custom Dark Crash 17"
 * Zildjian Custom Dark Crash 16"
 * Zildjian Custom Dark Ride sizzle 20"
 * Zildjian Custom Dark Hi-Hat Top 13"
 * Zildjian Custom Dark Hi-Hat Bottom 13"
 * Zildjian K Dark Crash Med. Thin 15"
 * Zildjian K Dark Crash Med. Thin 16"
 * Zildjian K Dark Crash 17"
 * Zildjian K Hi-Hat Bottom 13"
 * Zildjian K Hi-Hat Top 13"
 * Zildjian Boa Gong (nipple) 10"
 * Chinese Gong 12"
 * Chinese Gong 10"
 * Moroccan clay drum (large)
 * Moroccan clay drum (small)
 * Various maracas
 * Small bells
 * Felt mallets
 * 2006
 * 

Hardware/Sticks

 * Pro-Mark 5A sticks (1995)
 * Pro-Mark TWJZX sticks (1999)
 * Yamaha mounting hardware
 * Pearl snare stand
 * Yamaha cymbal stands
 * Pearl drum throne
 * DW 5000 Hi-Hat stand (1999)
 * DW 5000 kick drum pedal (old style w/ clamp under pedal)(1999)
 * DW 5000 kick drum pedal (new style w/ clamp on side) (1999)

Other

 * Groovebox programmable synth, and later, a program written by Jim on his laptop that would emulate a Groovebox effect.

Gtrs

 * Ampeg Gtr
 * Wood Jaguar (Lee/Jim)
 * Magenta Jazzmaster
 * Sunburst Mustang
 * Fender Telecaster Deluxe (Bigsby)
 * Gibson Firebird
 * Musicman Stingray

Basses

 * Fender Musicmaster (Jim)
 * Fender P-Bass (Jim)
 * Gibson bass

Amps

 * 2000
 * Fender Twin Reverb
 * 2001
 * Fender Twin Reverb
 * 2002
 * Mesa/Boogie Mark III w/ cab ...for guitar
 * Acoustic Model 406 Transducer cab (2) ...for bass
 * ETA Illuminator
 * Fender Twin Reverb (used for ALL TOMORROW'S PARTIES -- band didn't want to bring their full amp rigs across the country for one gig)

Effects

 * 2000-2001
 * 2002
 * Moogerfooger Analog Delay w/ expression pedal
 * Mu-Tron Wah-Vol
 * Boss OC-2 Octave
 * Pro Co Rat
 * Boss GE-7 Equalizer
 * Maxon OD-9 Overdrive
 * Electro-Harmonix Big Muff
 * Electro-Harmonix Small Stone
 * WITH footswitches for A/B + DIST. + REV + TREM
 * WITH footswitches for A/B + DIST. + REV + TREM

Other

 * EMS Synth -- perched on a stand onstage, used on songs like "Burning Spear" "Lightnin" "Sunday" and improvised sections of various songs.


 * Powerbook -- laptop used onstage to control samples of Kim's backing vocals on "side2side", also used by Steve to emulate a Groovebox.


 * Handheld Microphone -- during the outro of "Karenology" Jim runs a small handheld microphonic device thru his effects and holds it up to his amplifier.

Basses

 * Fender Precision Bass

Gtrs

 * Fender Telecaster Deluxe (Bigsby)

Amps

 * 2006
 * Ampeg SVT-2 Pro head w/ 2 Ampeg Classic 4x12" cabs

Effects

 * 2006
 * Prunes & Custard
 * SansAmp GT2
 * Boss TU-2 Chromatic Tuner

=== Misecellaneous pedals Info from http://web.archive.org/19991009031633/www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Hotel/1985/sygear.htm

PEDAL EFFECTS UNITS --- Sovtek Big Muff Distortion Pedal (two) ProCo Turbo Rat Distortion (three) MXR Phase 90 (two) MXR Blue Box Distortion (two) Jimi Hendrix Octave Fuzz (three total) Mu-Tron Volume Wah 5806 MOOG Moogerfooger Ring Modulator #00608 Korg EXP2 Expression Pedal DOD PDS1002 Two Second Delay FX994837 Maestro Ring Modulator RM-1B AE-914248 2 prong black cord, LED and Footswitches (custom                                                   mod) Maestro Ring Modulator 3 prong white cord,LED and footswitches (custom mod) Hughes and Kettner Tube Factor 244117 Hughes and Kettner Tube Rotosphere 229974 Ibanez AD-80 Analog Delay 121817/111519 18 Volt Power supply soldered in Mutron Bi Phase Effect unit 1321 In wedge shaped suitcase w/pedal and templates Mutron Expression pedal 1197 In suitcase W/above Electro Harmonix Hot tubes Vintage pedal, some wear Electro Harmonix Micro Synth pedal Re-issue fairly new