CITAZIONE
We tune to E flat, a half-step down from standard.
I have tons of guitars, at least 70 of all makes and models. But I have three Monson guitars that I use in USX. My main one is the Rapture #1 that I got from Monson last year. The body is poplar and mahogany, ebony fretboard. It is a really simple single pickup design, a volume knob and coil-splitter switch. I have a Seymour-Duncan Invader in that one and I love that pickup, it is really hot and has tons of tone. I used that guitar to record RTITN, it has a very distinct, dark sound. It is irreplaceable, my favorite guitar of all time. I also have the second Rapture he made, a custom model that I designed. It has a Dimarzio Super Distortion in the bridge, but it is a model made in a p-90 housing to retrofit old guitars. I have a cheap p-90 in the mid position because I love the raunchy sound they make. Its body is a Walnut/cherry/bloodwood combo, and it has all cool inlays on the ebony fretboard, snakes, moons, symbols from RTITN and The Valley Path. I use that guitar for songs from ETLD because it has a good, stratty sound. I got the third a few weeks ago, it is a really pointy metal looking guitar. It is the first model of a design called Wendigo, which is the name of an Algonquin witch/monster. It has Dimarzio Evolution pickups and it does really well at high volume, I can get all kinds of crazy feedback and crunch. Brent Monson is an excellent builder and he has been doing his thing for about 10 years. He is getting more attention lately and I think he will eventually be recognized as one of the great guitar builders of all time, his instruments are amazing. Check them out, snag one while you can. YOu can see pics of my guitars on his website, I will include a link. Also check out the one he made for Scott from Neurosis, Nathan from Wolves in the Throne Room, Mike from Yob, and Will from Indian.
As for amps, I use quite a few. Marshall Mosfet 100 watt heads are some of my favorites. They are really tough, cheap, light, and compact. They are solid state, but British made and will work with any cabinet as long as it is at least 100 watts. I also use a 60s Fender Bassman 50 watt head, Marshall JCM 900 SL-X 50 watt, Fender Deluxe 40 watt combo, and a Gibson Goldtone Class A 15 watt (my main recording amp). I always run at least two amps live. I have a Voodoo Lab Amp Selector, and I can run four independently if I want to, meaning I can switch each one off or on. But I always leave them all on. I like running multiple amps because it creates a really thick sound, and If one of them blows I don't lose my signal. That has helped me out on many occasions.
My live cabinets are two Emperor 2x12s. One has the celstion speakers is came with, it is 4 ohms/100 watts. I use the Bassman with that, but the Mosfets work with it as well. The other has Eminence Texas Heat speakers, 8 ohms/300 watts. I can run kinds of amps with it. Emperor makes really high-quality stuff, and they are really good guys. They are based in Chicago, and a lot of the bands we know use them - Torche, Minsk, High on Fire just to name a few. I have a ton of other cabs - Marshall/Fender/Laney/Sovtek, but they stay at home.
As for pedals, we recently got an endorsement from Blackout Effectors. They are based near us in Asheville, NC, and they make really great stuff. I am using their Twosome pedal, which is a combo of their Musket Fuzz and Fix'd Fuzz. The Musket is the best sounding OD I have ever used. It has all the good elements of the Big Muff but none of the problems (noise, muddiness, etc.) Matt is using their Whetstone phaser and he really likes it. The Blackout guys make everything themselves, and the pedal boxes are works of art. I also use a mystery wah pedal I got from our friend/tech Robert, an Inbanez Tubescreamer, Keely modded delay and an old Ibanez delay.
Matt uses old Guild S-90s and Les Pauls though a Marshall JCM 800 and Earcandy Buzzbombs. Josh uses an old Musicman Stingray and a Gibson Ripper bass through a truckload of pedals and Mesa amps. Meg runs her violin through a sweet old 80s reissue tweed 4X10 Fender Bassman. Justin has a John Bonham reissue kit, and BJ plays a C&C custom, both with the biggest bass drums ever.
