The EM Poll

Five-String Wizard

Mar 13, 2008 4:29 PM, By Jon Chappell

           

BELA FLECK TAKES THE BANJO WHERE NO ONE HAS GONE BEFORE

Flecktones Gear

Béla Fleck: banjo and guitar

Fleck's setup provides him with a variety of tone and instrument options, including acoustic and electric banjo, synth and guitar.

(see Fig. A)

Victor Wooten: bass

1983 Fodera Monarch Deluxe bass with Kahler tremolo
D'Addario strings
X-Wire XR-905 wireless system
Ampeg SVT-Pro head
Ampeg BXT-115HL (1×15) cabinet
Ampeg BXT-410HL (4×10) cabinet
MidiMix Controller
Visual Volume Pedal
Furman PL-Plus power conditioner
Korg DTR-1000 digital tuner
Alesis Studio 12R mixer
Alesis MidiVerb 4
Roland SC-50 Sound Canvas

Future Man: drums, percussion, synth drums

SynthAxe Drumitar MIDI percussion trigger
Zendrum ZX MIDI percussion controller
Pearl Tall Congas (2)
X-drum kick
Pearl Master Series drums:
10" × 10", 12" × 10", and 13" × 11" toms
M1330 snare
Elite Box Cajon
Sabian cymbals:
20" HHX Manhattan ride
12" HHX Splash
14" AAX Studio crash
Alesis D4 and D5 drum modules
Roland TD-7 drum brain
Roland S-760 samplers (2)
Midiman (M-Audio) MiXiM 10 10-channel mixer

Thanks to Richard Battaglia and Zach Newton from the Flecktones crew.

Jeff Coffin: sax

Selmer Mark VI soprano, alto, and tenor saxophones
Yamaha 581 flute with low C
King Saxello
Buffet B♭ clarinet
Noblet bass clarinet
Yamaha Custom Series 9 baritone sax with low A
Shure instrument wireless system
TC Electronic M2000 effects processor
Electro-Harmonix Q-Tron envelope filter
Shure SM98 mic (clipped onto the bells of the soprano, alto, and tenor saxes)
Shure KSM32 mic (used for the flute, clarinets, bari, and Saxello)

Jon Chappell is the author of Rock Guitar for Dummies (John Wiley and Sons, 2001) and The Recording Guitarist: A Guide for Home and Studio (Hal Leonard, 1999).