Elliott Smith – Figure 8 album cover

Elliott Smith – Figure 8

Album 2000

The music gear and equipment used by the artists, producers, engineers, and more involved in the making of the 2000 album Figure 8.

Music from Figure 8

Gear Used On Figure 8

Explore the instruments, equipment, software, and production tools used in the making of Elliott Smith – Figure 8 (2000). Click more on each item to see exactly how it was used.

Keyboards and Synthesizers used by Elliott Smith on Figure 8

Organs

Hammond C-3

Avg price: $3,100.00

''We've got a Steinway grand piano, a Stenway tack piano (actually there are no tacks, just very stiff, ridged hammers), a Hammond C3 organ with two Leslies to choose from, and an electric harmonium.'' - Tape Op, interview (XO & Figure 8 Era)

Vintage & Electric Pianos

Wurlitzer 140B

Avg price: $1,850.00

At the 2:53 mark in the YouTube video "Elliott Smith in the studio," Elliott Smith is seen playing a Wurlitzer 140B while performing the "Figure 8" B-side track. It's likely he used this keyboard for the song "Bye" as well.

Guitars used by Elliott Smith on Figure 8

Steel-string Acoustic Guitars

Yamaha FG-402

when elliott briefly stayed in Paris in 1999 after the XO tour and before recording Figure 8, he bought that guitar in a Place Pigalle store and created the song bearing the same title (Place Pigalle was also the work title for Figure 8)

Steel-string Acoustic Guitars

Gibson J-50 Jumbo

Avg price: $2,549.00

Elliott Smith is seen using what appears to be a Gibson J-50 during his performance at the Henry Fonda Theater, updated with a Country Western style pickguard and Grover rotomatic tuners. Additionally, producer Rob Schnapf mentioned that Smith used a J-50 on the album "Figure 8."

Microphones used by Elliott Smith on Figure 8

Condenser Microphones

Neumann U47

Avg price: $16,111.00

Elliott Smith used the Neumann U47 microphone for vocal recordings during the creation of songs for "Figure 8" at Abbey Road Studios. Additionally, he employed it with a Leslie speaker and two Shure SM57 microphones positioned at 130 degrees for electric guitar recordings, as detailed on the elliottsmithob Tumblr blog.