Jim Davies

Davies' primary guitar throughout the 1990s and 2000s, according to the following sources.

Guitar, June 2000, "Fever Pitch"

'I've got two 550s, a 570 and an SCR model - that's a bit like the Satch thin-bodied one. It's really light and stealthy,' he details.

Guitarist, November 2000

So what stuff gets you through those studio sessions?

In the studio I use so many pedals - the entire new Ibanez range, a micro synth, loads of old sixties pedals. I have all Ibanez guitars, I endorse them and have always used them. I have a couple of RG550s and a few RG570s. My main live guitar is an SCR series Ibanez. They have a really stealth-like appearance which doesn't look too rock and they are really light.

My guitars are pretty much as they came out of the factory, although I recently had Ibanez remove the bridge and middle pickups and selector switch from one I never used them live. I recently had the Ibanez logo tattooed on my leg!

Unknown Electronic Guitar era interview, originally submitted by kkolar

Davies’ main guitars are Ibanez RG550s, and he eschews amplifiers for the most part, conjuring the majority of his tones and effects from a vintage Rocktron Chameleon rack unit that he ran directly into the mixing board, and Native Instruments Guitar Rig 3 software.

Metal Discovery, May 7, 2009

MD: What’s your current main setup effects-wise? I think I read you use a lot of Line 6 effects.

JD: Yeah, I’ve got a Guitar Rig 3, that’s my thing at the moment. I use that on my laptop and that’s been revolutionary really for me with all the sounds you can get on that. I’ve started using a lot of Blackstar amps. I don’t use a lot of proper amps if you know what I mean - I tend to DI a lot of my stuff. I don’t really tend to mike it up because I’ve just always done that. When I started playing there was no room to mike up Marshall cabs so I’ve just always gone out of the back of my effects units and that, without me knowing, constituted getting my own sound. It helps when you play over dance music to DI stuff because it gives you that really harsh, abrasive sort of sound, you know, it really comes through. I’ve done a few gigs recently with just a laptop. I’m not doing that many gigs at the moment, but the ones I’ve done, with DJs and stuff like that, I had to stick the sound out my laptop and I’ve got Guitar Rig 3 on there, and it sounds amazing.

MD: And do you just use Ibanez guitars?

JD: Yeah, yeah.

MD: What ones out of interest?

JD: Well, I’ve never been really fussy about…I’m not one of these guitarists that you have to have a certain type of rosewood, and it has to be a certain gauge of strings. I’ve always like Ibanez because that’s what I grew up playing, and I’ve got an endorsement deal with them, but I was always quite good with that - I didn’t try to just blag as many guitars as I could. I always used to approach them for a guitar when I actually needed a guitar. Most of my guitars are like RG550s, old ones. I’ve got a Prestige Ibanez that I use quite a lot. But I wouldn’t say this album was done using…I don’t know, it’s hard to explain, but the amp side of things, and the effects side of things are probably more important to the sound than the guitars. Obviously if I used a Strat you’d hear the difference in tone but…I’ve always just liked Ibanez, and I’ve never been much of a guitar geek, to be honest. You know, I’m still absolutely shit at changing my strings! I’m still rubbish!

MD: Was that a bit of a ‘Passion and Warfare’ thing that inspired you to play Ibanez?

JD: Yeah, yeah. And it was Paul Gilbert really with his pink RG550.

MD: I fell in love with Ibanez when I saw the pictures on the cover to ‘Passion and Warfare’. I’ve still got one of the original RG560s.

JD: Yeah, I’ve got one of them as well. If you look carefully on the back of the album, there’s a little picture from inside the studio and there’s a bright yellow Ibanez, and that’s one of the ones that I wouldn’t dare take out these days, but that’s from that era, one of those original ones.

MD: And you said you have an endorsement deal with Ibanez?

JD: Yeah, I have, yeah. I’ve always been…with Ibanez, like I said, I’ve always only asked for guitars if I actually need them rather than just try and scam…because people are clever and they work that out very quickly. I’ve been doing this now for quite a while and that’s important because you can then go back to them when you actually need something. When I endorsed them if I was just like, “I need ten guitars”, and maybe they might have given them to me, but then they might not have given me anything else ever again, so I always try to…

MD: You don’t want to push it.

JD: Yeah, I stick with the people I like…like Blackstar, I’m using them a lot; I’ve got a really good relationship with them, and just don’t take the piss and then they’re far more open to helping you out and giving you stuff when you actually need it.

Instagram, December 27, 2019

My first proper guitar!..now pride of place in my Dads office!…Was an 18th birthday present from my folks…but only after id proved i was serious about music by playing the arse off the 99 quid starter guitar they got me from an advert in Kerrang 2 years earlier.. I remember so vividly unwrapping this guitar!…a proper Bill and Ted moment! Only a couple of years later i used it on a few rather big tunes.. (a clue is on the back on the guitar!) #ibanez #ibanezguitars #ibanezrg #ibanezrg550 #vintageibanez #guitar #guitaristofinstagram #guitarist #electronicmusic #electronicpunk #electronicrock #theprodigy

Instagram, December 28, 2019

The Yellow Peril!!-Another one of my old Ibanez RG550’s now being ‘cared for’ by my Dad! I brought it 2nd hand from a mate when I was in my first year at uni while going through a big Paul Gilbert phase (I still am!)..Funny/terrifying to think this guitar is now considered ‘vintage’ #ibanez #ibanezrg550 @vintage_ibanez @officialibanezguitars #guitar #guitaristofinstagram #guitarist @paulgilbert_official #paulgilbert #vintageguitars

Instagram, January 11, 2021

Photo 1-Me aged 16 with my first guitar (A 99 quid beginners pack from an advert in Kerrang) Guns n’Roses t-shirt obvs. Photo 2-Me on my 18th birthday with the ‘proper guitar’ my parents said they’d get me if I practised and showed I was serious on the first one! Loved that Ibanez RG550, in full Steve Vai obsession mode at this point...2 years later that guitar went on tour with me around the world...the jumper didn’t....aaaand feel free to rip the living piss out of me in 1-2-3 Go!

Featured in this February 22, 2021 Instagram post.

Now you see Boris, this is exactly the problem with your silly lockdowns, if you make someone like me stay indoors on a Saturday night, with a few beers, Pantera playing on repeat and a bored credit card easily within reach then packages like this arrive on Monday morning...I’m invoicing you Boris you bastard... #anothernewguitar #dimebagdarrell #pantera @deanguitars #letsshred #metal #guitars #ripdimebag

Featured in this February 9, 2021 Instagram post.

When 7 strings aren’t quite enough....Then cometh the 8 string...be afraid....be very afraid, shits about to get heavy (er) @shadowaddictofficial #newtoys #8stringguitar #schecterguitars #newguitar @schecterguitarsofficial

Mentioned in this June 2000 Guitar interview and this November 2000 Guitarist interview.

Guitar, June 2000

'I've got two 550s, a 570 and an SCR model - that's a bit like the Satch thin-bodied one. It's really light and stealthy,' he details.

Guitarist, November 2000

So what stuff gets you through those studio sessions?

In the studio I use so many pedals - the entire new Ibanez range, a micro synth, loads of old sixties pedals. I have all Ibanez guitars, I endorse them and have always used them. I have a couple of RG550s and a few RG570s. My main live guitar is an SCR series Ibanez. They have a really stealth-like appearance which doesn't look too rock and they are really light.

My guitars are pretty much as they came out of the factory, although I recently had Ibanez remove the bridge and middle pickups and selector switch from one I never used them live. I recently had the Ibanez logo tattooed on my leg!

Featured in this December 30, 2019 Instagram post.

Continuing the Yuletide Ibanez fest with my current fav...such a cool shape...(why are most of my guitars always missing a volume or tone pot!)

Featured in Instagram posts dated February 6, 2020 and January 9, 2021.

February 6, 2020

New addition to the gang! Some 7 string rudeness...things are gonna get heavy...💀🤘🎸#7string #7stringguitar #espguitars @espguitars #producerlife #studiolife #guitaristsofinstagram #guitarist #guitarporn

amphetaminereptile @jimdaviesmusic what model is that? Always wanted a Page Hamilton Horizon.

jimdaviesmusic @amphetaminereptile its an -ESP LTDMH-1007ETBLK (according to the invoice!)....always loved helmet!

January 9, 2021

Bringing the pain today...(quite literally with a still partially frozen shoulder) tracking some serious new riffage on the 7 string...2021 is gonna be heavy.....Trrrrrrrrrrruuuust me daddy. @espguitars #dropaalltheway #heavy #electrometalchaos

Featured in this June 27, 2019 Instagram post.

Today’s weapon of choice...my battered old PRS C22....seems to hold my annoying CGDGBE tuning better than any of the others...#guitars #prsguitars #guitarist #electronicpunk #electronicmusic