Billy Howerdel

"I’ve always sort of used the same basic set up. I have a Gibson Les Paul classic 1960 reissue, and I use Tom Anderson pickups in that, and I’ve got a Marshall Super Lead 100 watt head that’s modified pre-amp—that and a Marshall 4 x 12 that’s my basic sound."

The Naked head has a storied history. Friedman produced the original line more than 10 years ago in very small quantities (around a dozen were made, and most went to Japan). The first Naked was designed with the input of A Perfect Circle guitarist Billy Howerdel. Friedman had previously modded Howerdel’s 1978 Marshall JMP 100-watt head. The preamp in this circuit was key to Howerdel’s tone, and it was influenced by a certain boutique amplifier that Howerdel was a fan of. Howerdel loved the amp so much that he commissioned Friedman to build several amps based on his beloved JMP. Thus, Howerdel’s request for a high-gain, clear-sounding amp with supreme touch sensitivity was the inspiration for the Naked 100-watt head.

I bought a Fender Squier Telecaster. It's funny, I don't do too much on social media but I just found the receipt from buying that guitar and put that on there. It was 310 dollars, I'll never forget that. I got it on one of the music stores on 48th street in New York. I wound up selling it when I got more into metal stuff. It was a poor decision. Squiers are more affordable but some of them are really great and that one was really great. I sold it to one of the teachers in my high school.

Gibson Les Pauls, predominantly a 1991 Les Paul Classic given to him by Trent Reznor. Plays Ernie Ball strings, with Dunlop 1.0mm Nylon picks. Tom Anderson Pickups. H3+ Bridge H1- neck. Mentioned as a part of the rig used to record his debut solo album, "What Normal Was", according to November 2022 Guitar World interview.

"I was the guitar tech on a Nine Inch Nails tour and one of the guitars that lasted the longest—a cinnaburst 1960 reissue Les Paul—is my main guitar now. It got broken all of the time—all the guitars did. They had headstocks off, necks off, just shattered. I fixed this one so many times, and then one day it got thrown into the crowd and somebody in the audience ripped the headstock off. It was sitting headless for a while. I had trunks and trunks of guitars, probably 50 or 60 of them that I traveled with and tried to fix to get ready for a show today, tomorrow, two weeks from now. A similar cinnaburst guitar got broken, and I kept that headstock and tried to marry the two. It got put back on, but at sort of the wrong angle—because, of course, the wood type didn’t match. It’s a little less angled than normal, but it’s the best-sounding and best-playing guitar I’ve ever used. It was a happy accident. I talked with Gibson several years ago about doing a signature model with the same specs. Even if it’s not for mass production, I just want some duplicates in case something ever happens to it."

Howerdel shows the amplifier in Premier Guitar's rig rundown. Mentioned as a part of the rig used to record his debut solo album, "What Normal Was", according to November 2022 Guitar World interview.

There’s the Gibson Custom Classic given to him by Trent Reznor in the mid Nineties, his Dave Friedman-modded 1978 Marshall Super Lead, the Gibson Goldtone he describes as a “pirate sound” — and that prized Experience octave fuzz by Prescription Electronics.

Howerdel: "I turned on my rig with all the patches for APC, and it just didn’t work. Even in 2004, my stuff was kind of old and not working correctly. So I just scrapped it all and started from scratch. I’ve got my Fractal, but I also kept an older box that’s barely working: the Lexicon MPX G2. I still haven’t heard anything that sounds quite as good, but it’s just so unreliable."

"I use the same Marshall amp I’ve always had, a 1978 Super Lead 100 with a modified preamp by Dave Friedman. I came to him with this other amp that I liked the sound of, and we used that as the preamp." – Billy Howerdel on his 1978 Marshall Super Lead 100

Mentioned as a part of the rig used to record his debut solo album, "What Normal Was", according to November 2022 Guitar World interview.

There’s the Gibson Custom Classic given to him by Trent Reznor in the mid Nineties, his Dave Friedman-modded 1978 Marshall Super Lead, the Gibson Goldtone he describes as a “pirate sound” — and that prized Experience octave fuzz by Prescription Electronics. “The Marshall mod was mainly to do with the power tubes and biasing,” Howerdel says. “It’s a fast amp that reacts instantly, which there are pros and cons to... It has a different sound to your typical softly overdriven Plexi head. I found this 60-watt Naylor combo and loved it, so I showed Dave Friedman and he modded the Marshall to sound like that. I don’t even know if they still make those Experience pedals, but they’re hand-painted in different colors and sound great. I enjoy using the Fractal octaver too, rolling the volume down with the tone completely off to get this ghostly thing that, again, doesn’t sound like guitar, but maybe that’s why I like it!”

Billy Howerdel used a Lexicon MPX G2 in 2004, according to Guitar Geek.

Then I went and bought a BC Rich ST3 - the Strat because I wanted a wammy bar and more pickups and I just wanted the versatility. I could only afford to have one guitar so I wanted something that would do more things. I wound up putting different pickups in it and splitting the coils, just thirsty to get into things. But I regretted it - it felt like a downgrade of quality but it was an upgrade in accessibility. Then I wound up stripping all the paint off of it with a belt sander and drilling holes through it and then I started dipping it into liquid rubber, you know that stuff you put on screwdrivers to make the handles. So that guitar is sitting in my storage unit right now just sort of Frankensteined and half an art project. It actually plays OK.

"I’ve always sort of used the same basic set up. I have a Gibson Les Paul classic 1960 reissue, and I use Tom Anderson pickups in that, and I’ve got a Marshall Super Lead 100 watt head that’s modified pre-amp—that and a Marshall 4 x 12 that’s my basic sound."

In his 2004 rig, Billy Howerdel used a Lexicon MPX R1, according to Guitar Geek.

Around 42:00, Billy uses the RJM unit to change patches. He previously has used a Voodoo Labs Ground Control Pro.

According to this gear diagram, Billy Howerdel used an Eventide Orville in 2004.

Billy Howerdel, of A Perfect Circle, used a TC Electronic G-Force in 2004, according to Guitar Geek.

Billy Howerdel, of A Perfect Circle, used a Korg DTR-1 Digital Tuner, in 2004, according to Guitar Geek.

A good look at 54:07, he uses two of these Mission pedals as expression pedals - though his units have a toe-switch included and the exact model number is covered up.

You can see the cabinet on the gear list.

You can see the amp on the gear list.

It would be my main guitar, which is a 1960 Classic Reissue Les Paul that's pretty modded and customized. It's got Tom Anderson pickups on it and the headstock is on at the wrong angle. I've actually talked with Gibson about a signature model and we might revisit that. I just talked with somebody two months ago about it. So it would be that guitar, the rest would depend on the band but if it's quick and dirty and we need to get there lightly, it would be my little Gibson GA15RV amp and probably just the little Line 6 delay pedal - the little green one. I think that would be a pretty good setup.

It would be my main guitar, which is a 1960 Classic Reissue Les Paul that's pretty modded and customized. It's got Tom Anderson pickups on it and the headstock is on at the wrong angle. I've actually talked with Gibson about a signature model and we might revisit that. I just talked with somebody two months ago about it. So it would be that guitar, the rest would depend on the band but if it's quick and dirty and we need to get there lightly, it would be my little Gibson GA15RV amp and probably just the little Line 6 delay pedal - the little green one. I think that would be a pretty good setup.

"I was the guitar tech on a Nine Inch Nails tour and one of the guitars that lasted the longest—a cinnaburst 1960 reissue Les Paul—is my main guitar now. It got broken all of the time—all the guitars did. They had headstocks off, necks off, just shattered. I fixed this one so many times, and then one day it got thrown into the crowd and somebody in the audience ripped the headstock off. It was sitting headless for a while. I had trunks and trunks of guitars, probably 50 or 60 of them that I traveled with and tried to fix to get ready for a show today, tomorrow, two weeks from now. A similar cinnaburst guitar got broken, and I kept that headstock and tried to marry the two. It got put back on, but at sort of the wrong angle—because, of course, the wood type didn’t match. It’s a little less angled than normal, but it’s the best-sounding and best-playing guitar I’ve ever used. It was a happy accident. I talked with Gibson several years ago about doing a signature model with the same specs. Even if it’s not for mass production, I just want some duplicates in case something ever happens to it." – Billy Howerdel on his Gibson 1960 Les Paul Classic reissue

Billy Howerdel used a TC Electronic FireworX Multi Effect Processor in 2004, according to Guitar Geek.

According to this gear diagram, Billy Howerdel used a CAE Line Mixer in 2006.

Video interview with Premier Guitar, Billy said he uses the Dunlop 234 Glass Slide.

Mentioned as a part of the rig used to record his debut solo album, "What Normal Was", according to November 2022 Guitar World interview.

I don’t even know if they still make those Experience pedals, but they’re hand-painted in different colors and sound great. I enjoy using the Fractal octaver too, rolling the volume down with the tone completely off to get this ghostly thing that, again, doesn’t sound like guitar, but maybe that’s why I like it!”

Mentioned as a part of the rig used to record his debut solo album, "What Normal Was", according to November 2022 Guitar World interview.

Mentioned as a part of the rig used to record his debut solo album, "What Normal Was", according to November 2022 Guitar World interview.

Mentioned as a part of the rig used to record his debut solo album, "What Normal Was", according to November 2022 Guitar World interview.

Mentioned as a part of the rig used to record his debut solo album, "What Normal Was", according to November 2022 Guitar World interview.