James Petralli

As seen in this photo, James Petralli at one time used a vintage Sears Silvertone 1472, in conjunction with other low-wattage tube amps, from the early days, up until around the "Stiff" era. From then on, it was usually a Vox AC30, w/ a Fender amp (Blues Jr, etc).

James Petralli used a Fender Deluxe Reverb amp, along with his usual Vox AC30, live at the Le Creme Music Festival in Pittsburgh, PA 2019.

In this 2016 Guitar World article James is quoted saying: "I like to use a lot of low-wattage, old tube amps when I record. My obsession with that actually started with the Silvertones from the mid-late Sixites. On stage, I’ve been using a [Fender] Princeton and Custom Supro Thunderbolt. Guitar wise, I have a Gibson 330 I record a lot with, and my stage guitar is a 135. I also have a Nineties SG I use as a second guitar. I also use a lot of different things for pedals. Lately, I’ve been using the JHS Colour box and Xotic EP Booster to get the amps where I need them to be."

James Petralli uses a stereo rig, always featuring his usual Vox AC-30, in conjunction with a 2nd amp, which changes from time to time throughout the years: (Silvertone 1472, Supro Thunderbolt, Fender Blues Junior, Fender Deluxe Reverb Amp, etc).

The Vox AC-30 is also mentioned in a Guitar.com article, where James said:

“On stage, I use like a Blues Junior or an AC30. You know the AC30 will cook, but I use different preamps in front of the amplifiers to get most of the grit for stage stuff, so I don’t have to worry about feedback. That said, I do like feedback occasionally! Just that point where it’s about to take off and be unplayable is where I like to live as a guitar player, but singing when you’re trying to wield that can be a little tricky!”

https://guitar.com/features/interviews/white-denim-james-petralli-side-effects/

In this 2016 Guitar World article James is quoted saying: "I like to use a lot of low-wattage, old tube amps when I record. My obsession with that actually started with the Silvertones from the mid-late Sixites. On stage, I’ve been using a [Fender] Princeton and Custom Supro Thunderbolt. Guitar wise, I have a Gibson 330 I record a lot with, and my stage guitar is a 135. I also have a Nineties SG I use as a second guitar. I also use a lot of different things for pedals. Lately, I’ve been using the JHS Colour box and Xotic EP Booster to get the amps where I need them to be."

Saw this triple amp set-up in Nashville at the Basement East

Vox AC-30 Fender Deluxe Reverb Fender Blues Jr

(Photo via White Denim's Facebook)

In this article James is quoted saying: “Nowadays, the Supro Thunderbolt is probably my go-to amp, but I also like the Valco Gretsch stuff – the Pro Bass with a 15, which is essentially a Thunderbolt, and the Gretsch Dual Twin, which has two 10s. Mike Bloomfield used those, and those Butterfield [Band] records are fuckin’ incredible.”

In this article James is quoted saying: “Nowadays, the Supro Thunderbolt is probably my go-to amp, but I also like the Valco Gretsch stuff – the Pro Bass with a 15, which is essentially a Thunderbolt, and the Gretsch Dual Twin, which has two 10s. Mike Bloomfield used those, and those Butterfield [Band] records are fuckin’ incredible.”

On November 21, 2024, a post on the White Denim Instagram account reveals that James Petralli uses a Fender Bassman 6G6-A/B Brownface 50-Watt Guitar Head (1962 - 1964). The amplifier is visible in the upper right corner of the image, stacked on top of a cabinet in James's home studio, featuring a brown front, white knobs, and a blonde casing.

In the official music video for White Denim's song "Light On," James Petralli can be seen using a Sunn Beta Bass Head. At the 2:14 mark, there is a clear view of the Sunn bass amp head positioned on top of a Rhodes piano. This visual evidence is sourced from the band's official YouTube channel.

In an Instagram reel by @whitedenimmusic, James Petralli's equipment, including the Ampeg SVT-CL Classic, is shown being prepared for transport, confirming its use by the artist.

In an article by Matt Parker on Guitar World, James Petralli is quoted saying, "I have a ‘60s Vibro Champ that I use a lot," confirming his use of the Fender Vibro-Champ.