James Brown

We caught up with guitarist James Brown, who’s currently using an AC30C2X

“I’m here with my Ac30 which is doing an amazing job of my live sound right now..”

Brown can be seen in this photo playing a Moog Liberation.

Visible in this photo of Brown.

Used for "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag", as mentioned by recording engineer Ron Lenhoff in this June 2014 Sound on Sound interview.

"While I recorded Melvin Parker's drums with a tube [Neumann] U47 overhead and a kick mic, I also tracked James's vocals with a 47. The only time he ever did anything other than hand-hold the microphone was when he did overdubs. When he hand-held the microphone it was like he was on stage. It wasn't a studio performance; it was a stage performance. He had a great mic technique right from the very first time I met him, so we really didn't get the problem of his voice phasing in and out. We didn't always get everything the first take, but the first complete take that he was satisfied with. If he was happy with it, we'd have it on tape. I knew I had to work that way.

"We did add echo, but that was usually done on the session, and at that time it was 100 percent live echo. We'd use anything to give him an edge, and later on we did use echo plates. Both James and I preferred to always aim for as clean a sound as possible, with plenty of separation on the instruments.

Visible in this photo of Brown and this footage of Brown at 0:11.

Visible in this photo of Brown at the Apollo Theater.

Made in 1968, Brown's B-3 is currently part of the Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. It was outfitted with a vinyl exterior.

A Hammond B-3 electric organ. The organ is covered in black vinyl and trimmed with silver roping. Stitched on the back of the organ in red vinyl and brass colored metal rivets is "God ~ father." The organ has two keyboards with both preset and manual keys, a folding top and a single foot pedal. Electrical outlets are on the back of the organ at its base.

Visible in this photo of Brown.

Visible in this 1984 photo of Brown in New York, taken from this page of the website Jazzinphoto.

James Brown and his orchestra had a promotion deal with vox from 1966- 1970 where the band only used Vox equipment on and off stage.

In a photo taken at the Apollo Theater in New York in 1964, James Brown is seen using a Shure 55S Unidyne Dynamic Microphone.

In a 1969 photo, James Brown's band is seen using a 1967 Vox Westminster Bass Amp, as evidenced by the image provided.

James Brown is known to have used the Telefunken U47 microphone, as evidenced by a 1967 studio session image featuring his drummer, Clyde Stubblefield, provided courtesy of Alan Leeds.

James Brown is confirmed to use the Vox Telstar, as evidenced by Clyde Stubblefield's performance during the 1968 Boston Garden Concert, shown in the source image.

In a 1965 recording session, a Neumann U67 microphone is visible, being used by James Brown's engineer.