“I’M JUST TRYING TO FIND THE
most tone I can,” said Stevie Ray Vaughan.
“Sometimes, I find it, and sometimes I want
to choke my amp. Sometimes it’s effortless,
and sometimes it’s a struggle. But the chill
bumps are worth it when you get them.”
SRV’s tone quests often involved platoons
of amps. While recording In Step in
1989, for example, his tech Cesar Diaz set
up two 200-watt Marshalls (atop 4x15 and
8x12 cabs), two ’64 Fender Vibroverbs,
a Dumble Steel String Slinger head, a
Marshall JCM 800 half-stack, and a ’62
Fender Twin. For this month’s comparison
of high- and low-end SRV rigs, we’ve
chosen a slightly more manageable live
setup from the mid ’80s (prices shown are
“street”).
POSH
GUITAR
Fender Custom Shop Stevie Ray
Vaughan Lenny Tribute Stratocaster
($17,000)
AMP
SETUP 1
Fender Custom
Series ’64
Vibroverb x 2
($2,499 each)
AMP
SETUP 2
Fender Vintage Reissue
’65 Super Reverb x 2
($1,499 each)
OVER
DRIVE
Ibanez TS808 Vintage
Tube Screamer Reissue
($179)
WAH
Vox V847 ($89)
STRINGS
GHS Nickel Rockers ($5.49;
though you’ll need to assemble
SRV’s custom gauge of .013, .015,
.019, .028, .038, .058)
TOTAL
$25,269.49
POOR
GUITAR
Squier Affinity Series
Stratocaster ($179, plus cost of
“mailbox letter” stickers)
AMP
SETUP 1
Fender G-DEC 3,
30-watt ($399)
AMP
SETUP 2
Stick to the single
G-DEC for the classic
Fender tones. After
all, you’re poor!
OVER
DRIVE
Ibanez TS9 Tube
Screamer ($99)
WAH
Vox V845 Classic
($69)
STRINGS
Same ($5.49)
TOTAL
$751.49