Sonic Youth – NYC Ghosts & Flowers

Sonic Youth's website reads:

"Used by Thurston/Kim/Lee: 1999-2004 1999 -- CGGDDD (THURSTON) & FGCFAF# (Nevermind, Small Flowers Crack Concrete, Side2Side, StreamXSonik Subway, NYC Ghosts & Flowers, Lightnin' - THURSTON) 2000 -- FGCFAF# (Nevermind, Side2Side, NYC Ghosts & Flowers, Lightnin' - THURSTON) 2001 -- FGCFAF# (Nevermind, Side2Side, NYC Ghosts & Flowers, Lightnin' - THURSTON) 2002 -- FGCFAF# (Nevermind - THURSTON) 2004 -- EBEEAB (Eric's Trip - LEE) NOTES:

Purchased immediately after the gear theft in July 1999, this was originally played by Kim during the remainder of the July gigs, then used by Thurston during songwriting for "nyc ghosts & flowers". In July of 2000, he replaced it with a "real" Les Paul, but seems to have continued using the Maroon one instead. Apparently Lee began using this guitar in 2004. This was still in Lee's box of reserve guitars at the 07/28/09 show, with GGCGCD on the back of the headstock, so it was possibly used for 'Bull' as well. Maroon body 2 pickups Rosewood fretboard 1 toggle switch 4 knobs Black pickguard Rectangular sticker Gauges for FGCFAF# = .064 .062 .036 .028 .020 .017 Listed as "MAROON" on 2000 set lists."

Sonic Youth's website states:

"Used by Kim/Lee/Jim: 1999-2005 1999 -- GGDDGG (LEE) & DGDDBB (Free City Rhymes, Renegade Princess - KIM) 2000 -- DGDDBB (Free City Rhymes, Renegade Princess - KIM) 2001 -- DGDDBB (Free City Rhymes - KIM) 2005 -- GGDEGB (Unma it is said:

de Bed, Paper Cup Exit, I Love You Golden Blue, Peace Attack, Rain on Tin, Mote - JIM) NOTES:

Purchased immediately after the gear theft in July 1999, this was originally played by Lee during the remainder of the July gigs, then used by Kim for "nyc ghosts" material. Jim later replaced his Tele Deluxe for GGDEGB with this guitar in 2005. Mustard yellow body 2 pickups Rosewood fretboard 1 toggle switch, taped up 4 knobs Black pickguard Listed as "MUSTARD" on 2000 set lists."

Used by Jim in Sonic Youth: 2000 -- DFCDFF (NYC Ghosts & Flowers) 2001 -- DFCDFF (NYC Ghosts & Flowers) 2004 -- ?? (Eric's Trip) (from sonicyouth.com)

from sonicyouth.com: This was Jim's main bass throughout the NYC Ghosts & Flowers tour. Yellow body 1 pickup Rosewood fretboard 2 knobs White pickguard

Sonic Youth's website states that Kim Gordon used a Gibson Les Paul Special, and includes this information about said guitar:

"Used by Thurston/Kim/Lee: 1999-2004 1999 -- CGGDDD (THURSTON) & FGCFAF# (Nevermind, Small Flowers Crack Concrete, Side2Side, StreamXSonik Subway, NYC Ghosts & Flowers, Lightnin' - THURSTON) 2000 -- FGCFAF# (Nevermind, Side2Side, NYC Ghosts & Flowers, Lightnin' - THURSTON) 2001 -- FGCFAF# (Nevermind, Side2Side, NYC Ghosts & Flowers, Lightnin' - THURSTON) 2002 -- FGCFAF# (Nevermind - THURSTON) 2004 -- EBEEAB (Eric's Trip - LEE) NOTES:

Purchased immediately after the gear theft in July 1999, this was originally played by Kim during the remainder of the July gigs, then used by Thurston during songwriting for "nyc ghosts & flowers". In July of 2000, he replaced it with a "real" Les Paul, but seems to have continued using the Maroon one instead. Apparently Lee began using this guitar in 2004. This was still in Lee's box of reserve guitars at the 07/28/09 show, with GGCGCD on the back of the headstock, so it was possibly used for 'Bull' as well. Maroon body 2 pickups Rosewood fretboard 1 toggle switch 4 knobs Black pickguard Rectangular sticker Gauges for FGCFAF# = .064 .062 .036 .028 .020 .017 Listed as "MAROON" on 2000 set lists."

Extensively documented on Sonic Youth's official website.

1997

• Mu-Tron Wah/Vol
• Sovtek Big Muff
• Proco Turbo Rat
• Dunlop Hendrix Octave Fuzz
• MXR Blue Box
• MXR Phase 90

1998

• Sovtek Big Muff
• Proco Turbo Rat
• MXR Blue Box (Dunlop)
• MXR Phase 90
• Dunlop Hendrix Octave Fuzz
• Mu-Tron Wah/Vol
• Mu-Tron Octave Divider (not in tour rig)
  

Thanks to the now defunct original SY supersite evol.org, I can provide you with some photographs of SY's effects gear from the '98 "A Thousand Leaves" tour, specifically the 5/21/98 Portland, OR gig. Many thanks to Michael McCullough for taking these.

• Sovtek Big Muff & Turbo Rat
• Turbo Rat
• Phase 90 & Blue Box
• Mu-Tron Wah/Vol, Big Muff, Turbo Rat & Hendrix Octave Fuzz

1999

• Sovtek Big Muff
• ProCo Turbo Rat
• MXR Phase 90
• MXR Blue Box
• Dunlop Jimi Hendrix Octave Fuzz

2000

• No pedals for "nyc ghosts & flowers" LP
• Tour effects very similar to '98

2002

• Mu-Tron Wah-Vol
• Electro-Harmonix Big Muff
• ProCo Turbo Rat
• Dunlop Jimi Hendrix Octave Fuzz
• MXR Phase 90
• MXR Blue Box

Here are photographs of Thurston's entire effects rig I took before soundcheck at the August 30th, 2002 Murray Street tour show in Portland, Oregon at the Crystal Ballroom (some are fairly large so you may want to open them in a new window):

• Mutron Wah/Vol (w/ $295 price tag!), E-H Big Muff, Turbo Rat, Octave Fuzz
• MXR Phase 90 + Blue Box

2003

• Mu-Tron Wah-Vol
• Sovtek Big Muff
• ProCo Turbo Rat
• Dunlop Jimi Hendrix Octave Fuzz
• MXR Phase 90
• MXR Blue Box

2004

• Mu-Tron Wah-Vol
• Electro-Harmonix Big Muff
• ProCo Turbo Rat
• Dunlop Jimi Hendrix Octave Fuzz
• MXR Phase 90
• MXR Blue Box

2005

• Mu-Tron Wah-Vol
• Electro-Harmonix Big Muff
• ProCo Turbo Rat
• Dunlop Jimi Hendrix Octave Fuzz
• MXR Phase 90
• MXR Blue Box

2006

Photographs taken by me July 14th, 2006 @ the Fillmore in San Francisco, CA.

• Mutron Wah-Vol
• Sovtek Big Muff *Turbo Rat
• Dunlop Jimi Hendrix Octave Fuzz
• MXR Phase 90

• MXR Blue Box

• Thurston's pedals

• Wah/Vol, Muff, Rat

• Octave Fuzz, Phase 90, Blue Box

• Thurston's pedals

• Thurston's pedals from other side

• Wah/Vol

• Big Muff

• Rat

• Octave Fuzz/Phase 90

• Blue Box

2007

Picture of Thurston's effects taken at July 21st, 2007 Santa Monica gig. Same old setup!

2008

• Sitori Sonics 'Harem Fuzz'
• MXR Phase 90
• Dunlop Jimi Hendrix Octave Fuzz
• Crowther 'Hot Cake' overdrive
• Electro-Harmonix/Sovtek Big Muff
• Mutron Wah-Vol

PIX: Phase 90, Harem Fuzz / Hot Cake, Octave Fuzz / Wah-Vol, Big Muff / Phase 90, Harem Fuzz

These pix are from July 28th, 2009 -- earlier in the tour he was using the standard six he's been using for the past decade, but it appears the band picked up some Sitori Sonics boxes when they swung thru Alabama in early July.