J Mascis

"Naturally, J’s shop also features a couple of amps, like the signature ‘69 Marshall 100W Super Tremolo with the massive 8x10 Marshall 1990 cab and a ‘70s Purple Fender Twin Reverb, about which J told us, 'Of course I got it because it was purple and it was cheap.'"

"GC: What mics do you use on the kick?

Mascis: On the kick I've gone through a lot of different ones, but now I've just been using a Diamond Jet 47. I also like the Beyer M88. I'm always least happy with bass drums."

“That’s another Rangemaster copy I got when my main one was broken. Luckily I found this one on tour somewhere in Belgium and I didn’t miss a show without that Rangemaster sound I use for a lot of my solos.

“I’ll use this for I Want You To Know to give my sound a bit of a treble boost and an extra kick. It’s probably the one I use most randomly, whenever I feel like it.”

J Mascis had his Fender Custom Shop Rory Gallagher Tribute Stratocaster - Worn 3-Color Sunburst stolen on August 29, 2006, as noted by Merge Records.

at 2:21 in the video you can see J sitting next to a well P90'd non-reversed Firebird,it can be assumed that it's J's for two reasons

1. Lou is next to J playing a Jazzmaster,obviously J's Jazzmaster,why would Lou borrow J's guitar if he already had a Firebird with him?
2. I had a bud who told me J used to play Firebirds occasionally.

Used on Several Shades of Why, with a custom unit being used on I Bet on Sky and live in 2012, as stated in this August 24, 2011 interview with Kit Rae.

KR: What are you using on the new record, Several Shades of Why? Which is one of my favorite albums, by the way. Seems like I’m listening to that every day now. Really good sounds, great songs (KR - I had to really restrain the fanboy in me from asking J to please do more of this acoustic work. I love this album).

JM: Oh, thanks. I was using a Tonebender copy that Jim Roth from Built to Spill built on that record. On the acoustics, mostly that seemed to sound cool. I don’t know which version he copied. A Mark II or something (KR - I asked Jim and he said it was based on a Mark I Tonebender. The actual pedal is pictured below. Jim is the guitarist for Built to Spill, made many of his bands pedals himself, and has toured with J in the past. Jim frequents some of the DIY pedal forums as Jerms, and is praised for his accurate pedal builds).

http://www.kitrae.net/music/Images_Secret_Music_Page/Jerms%20Tonebender%20sm.jpg] / [http://www.kitrae.net/music/Images_Secret_Music_Page/Jerms%20Tonebender%20Guts%20sm.jpg]

Tonebender MK I clone made for J by Jim Roth, a.k.a. Jerms. Featured on J's Several Shades of Why album. Jim has also made a custom Tonebender MK1/Treble Booster combo for J that was featured on Dinosaur jr's I Bet on Sky album and tour in 2012 (Photos © Jim Roth)

KR: Yeah, it sounds kind of Tonebenderish. I knew I was hearing fuzz, but it's interesting that it's all done with an acoustic. There are only a few songs that I hear the electric guitar, like What Happened, Can I, and a couple of the others, but those fuzz sounds just perfectly suit the songs.

JM: Yeah, it was still an acoustic, it was just that we added the fuzz. Yeah, for electric, whatever I have gotten lately I’ll try. Different combinations. For some reason the Big Muff never seems…I never think of it for recording these days I guess (KR - A Ram's Head Big Muff was seen among J's floor pedals for the recording of Farm, but the last time I know for sure J used a Big Muff in the studio was for the J Mascis + the Fog album *More Light, in 2000. J used his Ram's Head Big Muff with a late 50s Telecaster into a tweed 310 Bandmaster.)*

KR: Too over the top to go with the acoustics?

JM: No, actually it never seems extreme enough for any kind of fuzz that I’m thinking about in the studio, but live it’s still my sound.

J Mascis is seen using a Fender Precision Bass in a photo on Pitchfork, taken during a collaboration with Kim Gordon for their song "Slow Boy."

In pictures of Mascis´ pedalboard posted on Effects Bay, the Ibanez Analog Delay Mini Guitar Pedal can be seen.

J Mascis's stepping on his Fuzz Factory 7 during 2018 Elastic Days tour

J Mascis's AC30 head can be seen in a photo of his live pedal board from September 2014 on Other Bands' Stuff

"A while back J sent his personal holy grail of Ram’s Heads to Matt at Stomp Under Foot to have him trace the circuit and make him a clone. Being that Matt has become a serious scientist as far as Muff variations were not surprised that the word was he was very pleased with the results."

Listed among the items sold on J Mascis' official Reverb.com shop.

J Mascis playing the bass at Temperance Beer Co. in Evanston IL. July 19th, 2018

Mentioned by Mascis in this interview from the Guitar Center article.

GC: What mic do you prefer for the vocals?

Mascis: An old AKG D12.

GC: Do you compress and bounce that?

Mascis: Oh yeah!

GC: Can you give me some advice to do that?

Mascis: No. Try to do a few tracks. It's really impossible to bounce. I have a friend who's trying to decide between 24 tracks of vocals and it's insane. I try to keep it to four and make one out of four. If I don't like it, then I'll just sing it again.

You can see this guitar from 00:01 to 00:09

Part of Mascis' fuzz collection, as can be seen in this photo included in Kit Rae's interview with Mascis.

Shown above, left to right: The Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Big Muff, which was an IC based version of the circuit that included the Electro-Harmonix Soul Preacher compressor. In the middle is a rare variant color scheme version of Deluxe Big Muff and two vintage mid 1970s Muff Fuzz pedals, from J's own pedal collection. To the right are J's vintage Little Muff pedals, manufactured circa 1971. Photos © Kit Rae (left) and J Mascis (middle, right)

Sold on Reverb.com in 2017.

This Klon KTR is part of the private collection of J Mascis.

The Klon KTR represents a more affordable version to the famed Klon Centaur. While original Centaurs have sky-rocketed in price on the used market, the KTR delivers the same amazing tone at a significantly more musician-friendly price point. These pedals are well-known for their versatile, transparent tonal offerings and for the way in which they enhance all the other components in any rig.

Why wouldn't such a legendary guitarist have this legendary pedal be a focus in their rig? This KTR appears to have been well loved sporting some pedal board wear which we have done our best to document through photographs. Take a look and you can see that it is missing a foot, but this is the only real discrepancy we were able to find. Plug this into your favorite DC9V power supply and let 'er rip!

All items in J's Reverb Shop ship fully insured with a signed and embossed Certificate Of Authenticity by J Mascis.

In the Premier Guitar article ¨J Mascis Keeps It Loud!¨ (July 2016). The Moog MF Delay Minifooger Analog Delay (with expression pedal) is listed as an effect Mascis uses.

Used during the recording of Dinoasur Jr.'s Farm. In this episode of Pitchfork’s “In the Studio”, it is used for an in-studio performance of "Tarpit" from You're Living All Over Me, as seen at 19:24.

J Mascis's Mesa cab can be seen in a photo of his live rig from September 2014 on Other Bands' Stuff

Visible at 0:31 at the top of Mascis' bookshelf.

"That Martin, it's really nice. I was debating whether to sell it. It's a D-28S. So I've been using the little slotted head Martins and then found out they made a, y'know, big one and I was excited when I got it and, I used it a lot live, solo shows and recordings and stuff."

Among the items sold on Mascis' official Reverb.com shop. Shown up close at 2:01.

J Mascis has been known to use the Analog Man Sun Lion Fuzz Pedal on his main pedalboard. According to Effects Bay, the spot on the bottom right of his board, often occupied by an unidentified fuzz pedal, has previously featured this specific fuzz pedal.

“At home I use a 1966 Twin Reverb, I wish I had one over in England. But for this tour I’m using the reissue… it gives a little more top-end to my sound, so I’ll try to use more of it for my solos. It’s another ingredient in the soup. A pinch of Fender, some Marshall, a bit of Hiwatt…”

"I dig the Telefunken v76 mic pre. I use that thing for vocals, guitar, and toms. It's the coolest, heaviest mic pre I've heard. Definitely not transparent, an audio word I hate. If it doesn't have a sound why would I wanna use it."

In the video J can be seen using white guitar pick. Before he always used 1.14 Purple Tortex picks, therefore I think it's safe to assume that the one in the video would be the white 1.14 Dunlop Tortex Flex pick

At Mascis’ request, Tym Guitars cloned the Fuzz Munchkin from his live rig Ram’s Head Big Muff during repairs. The limited edition commercial run was made with Mascis’ permission. The pedal’s history is documented in a three-part blog entry.

The Tym Fuzz Munchkin Pt 1

So, to my surprise at the end of that last tour a package turns up at my workshop addressed from "J Mascis" and inside is THE Big Muff. WTF ? I get an email from J saying "The muff is having issues, can you fix it and clone it while your there ?"

The Tym Fuzz Munchkin pt 2

J emailed and said "you got it" ................. I was SO happy. I'd done it. Now for the next obvious step. "Hey J, can I make these and offer them to sell ?" To be honest, I thought J would say no. This is his secret weapon. This is Dinosaur Jr live. I've worked with lots of bands and some are .......... secretive about their gear. Others don't care because they know it's not just their pedal, or their guitar, or their amp ........... it's THEM, and let's face it, J Mascis is J Mascis.

The Tym Fuzz Munchkin pt 3

The official J Mascis Fuzz Munchkin comes with a limited edition T shirt only available with the pedal and have J's hand drawn "Munchkin" printed on the front and are available only in, you guessed it, purple. The first one hundred pedals are serial "numbered" with song titles off all the Dinosaur Jr albums. These also have to be hand stamped adding more time to each build. As I've said this is a privilege for me and I'm so honored that J and I have a relationship that has allowed me to do this. I hope that people understand that when they buy something like this they are supporting a VERY small niche of a small market that still cares about what they do and why they do it.

(...) So, anyway, here we are. The new Tym guitars official J Mascis Fuzz Munchkin. Reverse engineered from the "ramhead" BM J bought back in 1987 and has used as his essential live sound ever since. These, like all my effects DON'T take batteries and have external 9V power only. I have added more filtering to this circuit than J's original had for people who use cheap power supplies. If you still get slight "squealing" with everything on full with a cheap supply it's like any high gain transistor circuit, get a better power supply. The bypass switch bypasses the volume control completely so you can get J's rhythm and lead sound in one pedal. J uses his Big Muff with a bypass loop with the volume down as his rhythm sound and then the pedal on full for his lead sound. The Fuzz Munchkin gives you both in one pedal.

(...) "Tym tried to harness my sound in a little a box and I think he's got it. Step on the Fuzz Munchkin for a good time. Dial down the volume for cleaned up rhythm then hit the bypass switch and the flood gates are open, the volume control dissapears, all sanity dissapears, its just searing lead tone cranked all the way up. So now if your sound sucks you must lay blame somewhere else, your amp, your pickups, your fingers, but don't blame the Fuzz Munchkin." J Mascis.

Part of Mascis’ fuzz collection, as can be seen in this March 6, 2020 Marshall interview at 1:15.

Sold on Reverb.com in 2017.

This Menatone Top Boost in a Can is part of the private collection of J Mascis.

Chimey, thick and articulate, the Menatone Top Boost in a Can is a true marvel of an overdrive. The first of its kind, the Top Boost in a Can is the first pedal to utilize the entire circuit of the amp its based upon. From sparkling cleans, to the elusive "edge of breakup", to full blown class A amp meltdown, it's all in there with a twist of a knob...and with a full British EQ to complement the goods, you might just find an endless stream of creativity is waiting at your feet.

A super cool addition to J's collection of fuzz and effects pedals, this functional and versatile overdrive adds a twist of shimmer and top end to a collection mostly dominated by thick germanium fuzz. This particular pedal is in great condition minus the missing of two of the feet. We have done our best to capture any blemishes or issues with this unit through this listings photography. That being said, this pedal is ready to connect to your favorite DC9V power supply, pop on to your pedal board and get to work for you!

All items in J's Reverb Shop ship fully insured with a signed and embossed Certificate Of Authenticity by J Mascis.