John Etheridge

“Trevor Wilkinson at Fret-King Guitars said he’d like to build me a signature model. I asked for a small-bodied semi-solid with a half block, a deeper wider neck, ebony fingerboard and through-body stringing. Here it is, a Fret-King Black Label FKV3JE Elise, which I’m very pleased with. It also has the company’s Vari-Coil system, so I can wind down the humbuckers progressively to single coils and back.”

https://www.theguitarmagazine.com/vintage/private-collection-john-etheridge-eclectic-warrior/

"10th June 2013 at Red Lion, Isleworth, Middlesex (gig with Derek Nash).

The photo shows (left to right) a Marshall Bluesbreaker (which emulates the sound of the combo amplifier of the same name), a DigiTech EX-7 Expression Factory, Line 6 DL-4 Delay Modeler Pedal, an Ernie Ball VP JR (volume pedal), TC Electronic PolyTune (tuner) and a Boss CH-1 Super Chorus (makes sounds of similar timbre and pitch converge as one)"

"I also use a Yamaha SA2000 semi-hollowbody or a Martyn Booth solidbody on some songs. My amplifier is a two-channel AER Compact 60, which has built-in reverb and chorus."

John Etheridge said about this guitar:

“My favourite solid-bodied guitar for live and recording work for a long time has been this Martyn Booth Signature. Martyn is a great British luthier. He was so helpful when I asked for my own spec within the design. This included a maple-over-mahogany body, through-body stringing, coil-tapped Seymour Duncan jazz pickups and a Hipshot vibrato system."

"We worked on the neck dimensions for ages, and he produced one of the most comfortable I’ve played, extra fat and with a wide ebony fingerboard and jumbo frets. Each of his models has an individual headstock inlay, mine has a sunflower.” The playability and precision of the neck and fingerboard are of the utmost importance for John’s playing style"

https://www.theguitarmagazine.com/vintage/private-collection-john-etheridge-eclectic-warrior/

"10th June 2013 at Red Lion, Isleworth, Middlesex (gig with Derek Nash).

The photo shows (left to right) a Marshall Bluesbreaker (which emulates the sound of the combo amplifier of the same name), a DigiTech EX-7 Expression Factory, Line 6 DL-4 Delay Modeler Pedal, an Ernie Ball VP JR (volume pedal), TC Electronic PolyTune (tuner) and a Boss CH-1 Super Chorus (makes sounds of similar timbre and pitch converge as one)"

"I also use a Yamaha SA2000 semi-hollowbody or a Martyn Booth solidbody on some songs. My amplifier is a two-channel AER Compact 60, which has built-in reverb and chorus."

Do you recall what your gear setup was in the Soft Machine days?

“By then, I’d got my Gibson SG Custom - a great guitar I could really fly around on. I used a Marshall 50-watt head and a 4x12 cabinet. That was simply because it was the ‘band amp’ - I inherited it. I plugged straight in, no pedals, although by the time of the album Alive & Well, I’d got an MXR overdrive pedal that I used as a boost for solos.

"10th June 2013 at Red Lion, Isleworth, Middlesex (gig with Derek Nash).

The photo shows (left to right) a Marshall Bluesbreaker (which emulates the sound of the combo amplifier of the same name), a DigiTech EX-7 Expression Factory, Line 6 DL-4 Delay Modeler Pedal, an Ernie Ball VP JR (volume pedal), TC Electronic PolyTune (tuner) and a Boss CH-1 Super Chorus (makes sounds of similar timbre and pitch converge as one)"

"10th June 2013 at Red Lion, Isleworth, Middlesex (gig with Derek Nash).

The photo shows (left to right) a Marshall Bluesbreaker (which emulates the sound of the combo amplifier of the same name), a DigiTech EX-7 Expression Factory, Line 6 DL-4 Delay Modeler Pedal, an Ernie Ball VP JR (volume pedal), TC Electronic PolyTune (tuner) and a Boss CH-1 Super Chorus (makes sounds of similar timbre and pitch converge as one)"

"10th June 2013 at Red Lion, Isleworth, Middlesex (gig with Derek Nash).

The photo shows (left to right) a Marshall Bluesbreaker (which emulates the sound of the combo amplifier of the same name), a DigiTech EX-7 Expression Factory, Line 6 DL-4 Delay Modeler Pedal, an Ernie Ball VP JR (volume pedal), TC Electronic PolyTune (tuner) and a Boss CH-1 Super Chorus (makes sounds of similar timbre and pitch converge as one)"

"10th June 2013 at Red Lion, Isleworth, Middlesex (gig with Derek Nash).

The photo shows (left to right) a Marshall Bluesbreaker (which emulates the sound of the combo amplifier of the same name), a DigiTech EX-7 Expression Factory, Line 6 DL-4 Delay Modeler Pedal, an Ernie Ball VP JR (volume pedal), TC Electronic PolyTune (tuner) and a Boss CH-1 Super Chorus (makes sounds of similar timbre and pitch converge as one)"

"I use a Fulltone Full Drive overdrive pedal in a few spots, and the looping capabilities of a Line 6 DL4 Delay Modeler on “Extra Time III.”