They Might Be Giants – Apollo 18
The music gear and equipment used by the artists, producers, engineers, and more involved in the making of the 1992 album Apollo 18.
Music from Apollo 18
Gear Used On Apollo 18
Explore the instruments, equipment, software, and production tools used in the making of They Might Be Giants – Apollo 18 (1992). Click more on each item to see exactly how it was used.
John Flansburgh
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Guitars used by John Flansburgh on Apollo 18
This guitar was custom-built by Chris Cush of the now-defunct Mojo Guitar Shop in New York at the request of John Flansburgh. Its first public appearance was in the music video for "The Statue Got Me High" and was used in many recordings since then. It is painted in a golden color on the front and a black color on the back, has a rosewood Telecaster-like neck as well as a vintage Telecaster bridge, a Gretsch Filtertron pickup near the neck, and a Seymour Duncan Hot Rails pickup on the bridge. An unusual feature of the guitar is that it has a working VU meter near the control knobs. One promotional photo suggests that it had a black pickguard at one point. It was built for left-handed players.
Studio Equipment used by John Flansburgh on Apollo 18
Avg price: $175.50
John Flansburgh, in a Tumblr post, confirmed the use of the Roland R8 drum machine, stating, "...using the Roland R8 drum machine which was kind of the last of the big drum machine libraries (some very very familiar sounds from big budget dance tracks–anything new jack swing styled tracks of the moment C+C Music Factory, etc.) The sound was much crisper while still often realistic."
Amplifiers used by John Flansburgh on Apollo 18
Marshall JCM 900 Lead Series Model 1960A 4x12" Angled Guitar Speaker Cabinet
Avg price: $350.00
In a Tumblr response about the recording of John Henry, John Flansburgh said he used “my Marshall JCM900 head and 12x4 set up ‘crunchy’ on one side and my Fender Deluxe on the other,” supporting that he used a Marshall JCM 900 Lead Series Model 1960A 4x12" Angled Guitar Speaker Cabinet. This is probably part of the Marshall Amp he bought for Apollo 18.
John Linnell
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Keyboards and Synthesizers used by John Linnell on Apollo 18
Avg price: $776.20
John Linnell played a red Farfisa Compact in the early days of They Might Be Giants, as well as in his previous band, the Mundanes. It was used on many very early demos and some studio recordings, most notably "Twisting". There are no known usages of this organ by John Linnell beyond 1990, although it's possible it might've seen use on Apollo 18.