Mark’s Guitars

I have over 71 guitars (this includes Basses and Acoustics). In the middle to late 90s, when Wurlitzer's music store when out of business, I bought 2 Parker Fly Deluxe guitars (customized with GK2A midi pickups for my Axon guitar synth and Yamaha Motif rack XS to go along with the magnetic and piezo pickups already on there) that led to me buying and customizing a Parker P-36 Tele Style guitar with Chris Kinman 48 Broadcaster Tele pickups in them (I also had nitro cellulose sprayed on the back of the neck by Rick LeGault for a vintage feel); a Parker PM20 Les Paul style guitar with a mahogany body and a figured Bubinga top with Virtual PAF pickup; a Parker P-30 Strat style guitar - antique creme with a pearlized pickguard and Chris Kinman Woodstock plus pickups installed; from there I branched out and bought and customized an Ibanez Artcore AF75TGD guitars with gold hardware (one in Candy Apple Red and one in Piano gloss black) that I had Noll Guitars “Getschify” (my term for turning Ibanez Artcore hollow body guitars into Gretsch guitars) for me (gold Gretsch knobs, volume knob on the lower bout, selector on the upper bout, the original selector turned into a kill switch, and TV Jones “TV Classic” pickups in the Candy Apple Red guitar and TV Jones Magnatron (like the DeArmond single coils in the Duo Jet) in the Black one; An early seventies Univox “Gimme” Les Paul (identical to the one I owned in 1976) that Jim at Noll guitars restored for me. He also installed a Graph tech Ghost system for piezo acoustic sound and midi guitar synth output. As of 2011 the lineup of main guitars has changed. All of them have been modified with Graphtech Ghost MIDI pickups and have been either painted, had neck reshaped or both by Jim at Noll Guitars. They are: A 70s Univox “Ripper” Strat copy guitar, that Jim at Noll also restored. Jim repainted it white (bright inkjet paper white), potted the pickups, installed the Ghost pickup system and reshaped (to match my Parker P-30), refinished and refretted the neck. A mid 70s Univox Deluxe Les Paul and a Parker P-30 that Jim painted Cherry Life Saver Red (my color idea, I told Jim that I wanted it to look like a Cherry Lifesaver, not Candy Apple Red), sprayed the neck with a nice gloss finish and added a Ghost pickup system to it. It has a pearlized pickguard, maple neck and Gold Lace Sensors in the neck and middle and a Dimarzio Fast Track in the bridge position; A guitar that Noll Built for me from an Aria Pro II maple neck that I had. They added a tropical green Tele body, GFS Lil Puncher pickups and a Pearlized pickgaurd; a wine colored Epiphone Casino that Noll added a Bigsby Tailpiece and had Lindy Frailin install his noiseless P-90s in the Epiphone chrome covers. A Red Parker P-36 Tele style guitar with a Dimarzio Area-T in the neck and a Fast Track-T in the bridge, along with a Ghost system for MIDI. Jim put a nice glossy finish on the neck. An Epiphone Les Paul Classic (that used to be translucent black) that Jim painted Purple Metallic for me and put on custom glitter knobs, selector ring and pickup rings. I also have a new Red Artcore that Jim installed TV Jones TV Classic pickups and a Ghost MIDI system in for me. It's great for clean Beatles type stuff, Jazz, Blues and has a great raw rock sound. Very Pete Townshend (Pete used a Grestch with filtertron pickups on Who's next and Quadraphenia).

Jim at Noll is an artistic genius and a highly skilled craftsman who, besides buffing and fixing some dings on my 70s Univox “Gimme” Les Paul, restored a badly damage headstock and hand painted part of the logo that was damaged and you can not tell that it was ever damaged. It looks just like the one I owned, in the 1970s, the day it came out of the music store. He has matched and reshaped necks for me. He has painted bodies and refinished necks for me. The work always came out better than new. I can’t say enough about his work. He is the best, period.

Stan (with his knowledge of history and his great stories) does great pickup installation, wiring and setup (we’ve know each other for quite a long time). Steve is great too. He does pickup installation, wiring and setup. And, of course, Ralph is there to help you with anything that you need. If you need any work done on your guitars, especially your vintage babies, these are the guys to go to. I can’t say enough about them and I highly recommend them.

My other favorite guitars that I use most for recording, rehearsing and performing are: a 1972 Gibson Les Paul Custom, an Epiphone honeyburst Les Paul Standard with Virtual PAFs, a Fender 60s Tele with Kinman 60s Telecaster pickups, an eighties Japanese reissue 1957 Fender Stratocaster (Candy Apple Red) with Seymour Duncan Vintage Rails and a GFS Lil Killer in the bridge position, an Epiphone cherry red Dot (ES335), an Epiphone G-400 Custom (Three pickup Les Paul/SG Custom), an Epiphone ‘66 G-400 SG with Seymour Duncan Phat Cat Humbucker size retrofit P-90 pickups, an Epiphone Limited Edition G-400 “Goldtop“ SG and an Epiphone ‘56 Goldtop Les Paul with P-90s, an ebony Epiphone Classic Les Paul, a Gibson SG Junior and a Gibson Violet Burst SG Goddess, Three different early 90s Yamaha Pacifica guitars (Royal Blue 921 with lace sensors and an Virtual PAF bridge humbucker , Yellow 1221M with a Virtual PAF neck-a class of 55 middle- and a Virtual PAF bridge pickup, and a Red Glitter 1230S with two Q100 P-90 style pickups and a Virtual PAF bridge humbucker), A White Brian May Signature Guitar and a Dillion Brian May Guitar with three Burns Tri-Sonic Pickups, two Ibanez Artcore AFS75T guitars (an electric blue with stock pickups and a turquoise one that Noll installed TV Jones version of the Gretsch HiLo’tron pickups in it and added a volume to the lower bout to make it sound and play like a Gretsch Tennessean) and a Gretsch reissue of the 6122 called The Country Classic (the guitar that George Harrison used on The Ed Sullivan Show in Feb. of 1964). An Epiphone 1954 Oxblood Les Paul (Jeff Beck Model), an Epiphone 50th Anniversary 61 SG  and an Epiphone 50th anniversary 1960 ltd. edition Les Paul.

In late 2012, I started using Xaviere guitars and they have become some of my favorites. I can't believe the quality and playability vs price. These guitars ROCK!

These include my Orange XV-555, with Seymour Duncan Whole Lotta Humbuckers and Ghost loaded Floyd Rose with Stone Tone granite block and my amber XV-900 (ES-335 style), in which I had Mississippi Queen P-90 pickups installed (these, along with my Cherry Sunburst and Honeyburst Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plus Top Pros, have become some of my favorite guitars) and the XV-890 HSS, in purple (amazing build quality...total shred machine, but beautiful feel and looks), with a Dimarzio Mo' Joe Humbucker in the bridge, two Satch Track pickups and a Ghost Loaded Floyd Rose installed by Jim at Noll. I also own an XV-890 dual humbucker in sunburst, and a Cherryburst XV-510 Carved Top Quilted maple (Les Paul style), an XV-560 ( hollow body Les Paul with F holes), with TV Jones Magnatron, TV Classic pickups and Ghost System, an XV-910 (Casino type guitar), an orange XV-620 (Tele style hollow body) with hot pickups and Ghost Loaded bridge and a candy apple red JT-100 (Jazzmaster style guitar) with hot pickups.

I also use an Epiphone 1966 reissue Wilshire, in which I had MOJO Tone Johnny Winter Signature pickups installed.

As of 2016, I started using all my Ghost Loaded Guitars as my main guitars:

Orange XV-555, Sunburst Epiphone Les Paul Pro, amber XV-900, Purple glitter Les Paul Classic, Life Saver Red Parker P-30, Purple XV-890 HSS, White Univox Ripper, Lemon Drop XV-560, Red Ibanez Artcore, Orange XV-620, Red Parker P-36 and my Natural Univox Les Paul
My very good friend and student, Jon, bought me a Martin Custom acoustic guitar. He put in a bone bridge, bone pins, upgraded pickguard and adjusted the action for me. This is now my go to acoustic.

Gibson SG Jr., Gibson SG Goddess, Brian May Signature Guitar, Epiphone Les Paul Classic and an Ibanez Artcore that has been modified to sound (and look) like a Gretsch Tennessean (TV Jones Gretsch HiLo'Tron pickups and master volume pot on the bout)

My 70s Univox guitars

My two "Gretschified" Artcores (the candy apple red with the TV Jones TV Classic Filtertron pickups and the Black one with the TV Jones Magnatron pickups; and my Epiphone Casino with custom fitted Lindy Frailin noiseless P-90s and a Bigsby)

My Red Life Saver Parker P-30 and my Noll customized Tele with the Aria Pro II neck	Epiphone 1954 Oxblood "Jeff Beck" Les Paul and Epiphone Limited Edition 50th Anniversary 1960 Les Paul Standard, Cherry Sunburst, V3 neck
Click to enlarge and see the sparkly detail Epiphone Classic Les Paul. Custom purple paint job, glitter knobs, glitter pickup rings, glitter pickup selector ring, Ghost MIDI System and electronics (vintage style caps and pots) by Jim at Noll guitars. .	Parker P-36 with Dimarzio pickups, Ghost MIDI system and custom neck finish by Jim at Noll Guitars/ Ibanez Artcore AFS75T RD With TV Jones TV Classic pickups and Ghost MIDI system installed by Jim at Noll Guitars
Xaviere X-900, X-890 HSS, X-890 dual humbucker
Epiphone 1966 reissue Wilshire with GFS Liverpool pickups and Epiphone 50th Anniversary 61 SG	Xaviere XV-510 and Martin Custom
Honeyburst Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plus Top Pro	Xavier XV-910 with P-90s, XV-620 with GFS 63 Tele Overwound Wound Professional Series Bridge and neck Pickups and Graphtech Ghost System MIDI Hexpander
Xaviere JT-100 with GFS JM90 Overwound Hot Jazzmaster Bridge and Neck Pickups, Xaviere XV-560 wth TV Jones TV Classic Pickup in the neck and TV Jones Power'Tron Pickup in the bridge and Graphtech Ghost System MIDI Hexpander	Ibanez AS7312 Electric 12 String with GFS Memphis Alnico 2 Rickenbacker tone Vintage Jangle Bridge and Neck Pickups, Epiphone Les Paul Standard Pro with Graphtech Ghost System MIDI Hexpander
Xaviere XV-555 in Transparent Orange.It has a set of Seymour Duncan "Whole Lotta Humbucker" pickups in it MOJO Tone paper and oil caps. A Graphtech Ghost loaded (for synth guitar) Floyd Rose With a Stone Tone granite sustain block	Parker Honeyburst PM-20 Pro Seymour Duncan Jeff Beck bridge pickup Seymour Duncan Jazz neck pickup Graph Tech Ghost bridge for guitar synths
Xaviere XV-950 Gloss Black with gold hardware TV Jones TV Classic Filtertron pickups 1 meg master volume (like Gretsch 6120) Xaviere Xtrem Graph Tech Ghost bridge for guitar synth	Epiphone Cherry SG-Pro Bareknuckles Mississippi Queen humbucker sized P-90 pickups Graph Tech Ghost bridge for guitar synth
Epiphone 61 Les Paul Custom Customized to be a Glen Buxton Inspired SG with stars and X-Trem Graph Tech Ghost MIDI system added
My Yamaha Pacifica collection: 1221m with 2 Seymour Duncan Whole Lotta Humbucker pickups-Bridge and Neck, Vintage Rail middle pickup, super switching and Graph Tech Ghost Loaded Floyd Rose with MIDI Hexpander 1230s with GFS Dream 180 bridge pickup, Nashville Retrotron middle pickup, P90 Neck pickup and Graph Tech Ghost Loaded Floyd Rose with MIDI Hexpander 921 with Seymour Duncan P-Rails Bridge and Neck pickups, Vintage Rails middle pickup, on and off pushbuttons for each pickup, push/pull pots for series/parallel, 3-way toggles for P-90/single coil/ Humbucker selection and Graph Tech Ghost Loaded Floyd Rose with MIDI Hexpander PAC 303-12 with GFS Lipstick pickups

Acoustic Guitars
Fender 12 string, 70s Epiphone Texan and a 70s Epiphone 12 string

Basses
Peavey RSB Bass, Custom Bass (Epiphone Precision Bass body, Fender hardware, Fender Vintage '62 Precision Bass Pickup and an Allparts 70's Fender Jazz Bass neck - Geddy Lee Style), Jay Turser Hofner Style Violin Bass and an early 60s Hofner Club Bass

Ibanez Soundgear SR-500

Ibanez GSR200 with Fender Vintage 62 Precision Bass pickup and DiMarzio Ultra Jazz pickup

Xaviere P-Bass with stock pickups, Fender Squire Affinity Bass with DiMarzio Pickups and series/parallel push-pull pot, Fender Jazz Bass Pickguard and Pickup cover

Mark’s Rig

In mid 2014 I had a new pedalboard made for me by Mike at NYC Pedalboards. It wa a great board, but because of the size (over five feet long with 2 tiers), materials and gear on the board, it weighed a ton. I just (August 2015) purchased two boards from Daniel at LYT Pedalboards. Theses things are thin and practially weightless (before adding gear). By splitting up the pedalboard and using the LYT boards, I don't fear gigging now.

Here's the flow:

This gives me two dry amp models at a time (one to each set of two 4x12 cabinets) and all the pedal effects are coming out of the guitar speakers, and all the delays and reverbs are coming out of the Left and right PA speakers in stereo. So, the effects are very clean and pristine, simulating actual reverbs and echoes bouncing off the walls on either side of the room, while the amps can be down and dirty. I'm a Heil microphone endorser and I mic my two 2x12 cabs with two PR40s into a modded (JJ Audio) DMP3 mic pre and the two 4x12s with two PR30s into two Classic API VP26 mic pres (recreation of the mic pres in the 70s API consoles) built by Custom Analog Services and for live shows and rehearsal I use a PR35 for my vocal mic (I also have two SM57 mics modded by Mercenary audio with Tabfunkenwerks transformers, two SM27 condenser mics and two C1 condensers modded by JJ Audio, but always seem to go back to the Heils...they just sound right)

Vetta Rig Rack

Mark and Sr. Director of Operations at Line 6, Frank Ritchotte (a good friend and a great human being).

This is my new rig built around the Line 6 Helix.

I have been using Line 6 gear since 2000, and Vetta since 2002.
In June of 2015, while on vacation in Cape Cod, I read a blurb about the "coming soon" Line 6 Helix. I did some research, saw some videos and found the Helix thread on THE GEAR PAGE. I have been living on TGP ever since. I pre-ordered Helix in late June/early July and received my Helix in October of 2015.

I still check in to TGP everyday, even though I own Helix. The people on TGP are very nice and everyone tries to help each other (rare on forums these days). Line 6 has the team that developed Helix on the thread all the time. They have been really great at listening and relating to their customers. There is a lot of info there on Helix (best ways to get what you want and news on updates). There have been updates that included features based on the things that customers requested on the thread. They really listen. The Helix is the most amazing and symbiotic guitar amp rig simulator-multi fx-signal router-piece of gear for live and recording...ever!

I never thought that I would switch to ANYTHING from my Vetta rig, but this thing sounds and "feels" like a real tube guitar amp. You get all the response and feel of playing your guitar into a real tube amp and, after going through virtual pedals, compressors, eq, delays, reverbs...whatever..., it comes out sounding like the best recorded amp you've ever heard. I could go on forever about this piece of gear, and not cover everything, so I'll get to the rig. Helix is the true successor to Vetta. Go to the Equipment Demo part of this page and watch the Vetta vs Helix demo to hear the difference.

OK. This rig is pretty simple. I have my Greg Fryer hand built Deluxe Treble Booster on my board (NYC PEDALBOARD) and I have a Vocoder going into the effects loop of the Helix (as soon as Line 6 adds a Vocoder to Helix, in a firmware update, that will be removed). As far as guitar signal...that's it!

From the Helix, I go out of the L6 Link output (Line 6 digital output) to the L6 link input on the left Line 6 L2t powered speaker. Out of the L6 Link output of the L2t to the L6 Link input on the right L2t. The L2ts are connected to two Behringer 12" subwoofers. The L2ts are on poles over each subwoofer. I have the L2ts set at shoulder height, like my big rig. Along with the subwoofers this gives me the feel and the oomph that my big rig had.

The 13 pin output from my ghost loaded guitars go to a Primova Sound GKPX-14 splitter with four outputs, mounted under the slanted pedalboard (my pedalboard is in two pieces, to make it easier to transport: the front board is flat and has all my guitar related stuff on it...the rear slanted pedalboard has all my synth related stuff). The first out goes to a Roland GP-10 (for acoustic , electric, 12 string, etc...Guitar simulation...kind of like a Variax guitar, without the guitar)-out of the GP-10 into an Electro-Harmonix 720 Stereo Looper, into an Eventide H9 Max (for reverbs, delays, etc.) and into a channel of the mixer. The other three GK cables go to  two Roland GR-55 guitar synths and a Roland GR-33 guitar synth. All of the outputs go to a Behringer mixer and a Joemeek MC2 Stereo Compressor (both mounted under the slanted pedalboard). Also under the slanted pedalboard, I have a power strip, a hum eliminator and two Behringer stereo DI boxes. One stereo signal goes to the L2ts, the other goes to the stereo hum eliminator, which goes to the DAW (when recording) or the FOH (when playing live)...this way, I don't get any ground hum, when interfacing with another system. On the front flat board, I also have a TC Helicon VoiceLive2 for vocal duties.

All of this allows me to recreate any of the overdubs (synths, strings, horns, piano, organ, acoustic or electric guitars, etc) that are on our recordings, in a live situation.

Line 6 L2t powered speakers and Behringer Subwoofer

New 2018 Helix Rig

1 Line 6 Powercab plus
2 Line 6 L2ts and 2 Behringer 12" subs

Early 2019 Helex Rig

Late 2019 Helix Rig

OTHER SETUPS

Small Vetta Rig

Mini Jamming Rig

For recording or use with Mini Jamming Rig

Microphones

I use two PR30 and two PR40 microphones from Heil Sound to mic my rig. I also have another PR30 that I move around to mic various tube amps or Acoustic Guitars when I record. I can't say enough about these mics. They have replaced my condenser and ribbon mics when I'm recording guitars. If you are a guitar player and you care about your sound, you need these mics. they require little, if any, EQ and they really reproduce the energy of your sound.

Roland XV-88

Drums

All my triggers are by Pintech. I have eight toms, a kick and a snare. Three Pintech Concertcast pads (two 8" and one 10"). Everything else is a Sonor acoustic kit (except the Snare, which is a Pearl) converted to electric with Pintech triggers.  A 14" Snare, 22" Kick drum, 10", 12" and 13" rack toms and 14" and 16" floor toms.  All these triggers go into a Roland TD-30 V-Drum module. When I record, I have usually used BFD-2 and BFD-3 Software in Cubase Pro 8, but lately I've been running lines from the TD-30 into Cubase - the V-Kick on one track, V-Snare on another, V-Toms L&R on two tracks and V-Overheads on two more. I don't use the V-Cymbals or the BFD Cymbals. I use real cymbals - Sabian, Paiste and Zildjian. I take the V-Overheads and the real cymbals, subgroup to a channel called "overheads" and add some room or studio reverb (maybe a live room or studio from Altiverib or Waves Abbey Road Plates), so it sounds like the drums from the V-Overheads and the real cymbals were recorded in the same room. I don't have a giant studio with a great drum room, so this simulates it. Actually, it sounds pretty convincing.
Overheads, in the past, have been JJ Audio modded C1 mics, JJ Audio U87 clone with vintage NOS transformer (made for a vintage U87) for the ride and an Audix F15 for hi hat. I have also used Cascade Vinjets, Shure Sm27s and have used dynamics like Audix i5s and Shure SM57s (Geoff Emmerich used AKG D19 dynamics on almost all of the Beatles records that he engineered) ... but now I am using Joly modded Rode NT5 small diaphragm condenser mics...l love them. They are detailed, without being harsh (like they were before the mod). They EQ nicely. I am still using the Audix F15 for the hi hat.

Fender 4x10 cab with new super champ, Line 6 Vetta combo with two Lopoline 2x12 cabs, Ashdown bass rig, two Line 6 DT50 heads on top of two Lopoline 4x12 cabs with Celestion G12H-90 abd Eminence Governors run by Line 6 POD HD500

Vox AC30 Custom Classic

Great pedals that have been on and off my pedal board and are now used strictly for recording

" Spider Valve on top of a Peavey ValveKing 4x12 cab with Eminence Governors and Texas Heat.

The ValveKing is being mic'd by a Heil PR30. This mic ROCKS!!!
I also use two PR30s and Two PR40s to mic my main rig.

I use the Pedalboard with the Spider Valve. It has a line 6 Shortboard to control the Spider Valve, a VHT Valvulater, a Crispy Cream treble booster, a Crybaby with the Fasel inductor, a Hop Hed Fuzz (Sola Sound Tonebender clone), MXR Phase 90 and a CE 5 Chorus pedal."

Fender Hot Rod Deluxe III and Vox Valvetronix VT-40 in front of my Line 6 Spider Valve

Yamaha -SY-85 and Roland JX3P

November 2012 view of Mark's guitars and main recording/performing rig