John Flansburgh

I have a small set of pedals that I leave on all the time, set to extremely low settings just to sweeten things. A Strymon Flint reverb and tremolo, a Walrus Audio Julia chorus, and a ZVex Effects Box of Rock as a boost. I happily endorse all of them as reliable, even on stages with the dirtiest power.

Flansburgh’s footpedal gear includes the Radial SGI TX and SGI RX, Boss Noise Suppressor NS-2, Electro-Harmonix micro POG, MXR micro flanger and Semaphore tremolo.

I recently got the Boss VB-2W Vibrato Waza Craft which I am in love with. I had one through the 90s but lost it when our whole truck of gear was stolen. The pedal had been discontinued so quickly, I never could find a replacement. On its own, it’s really a dumb pitch wiggling “gawah-ah-wah-ah” sound, but when everything is really cranked up it adds a certain kind of mania that I really love. It’s like driving a car, smashing into one side of the guard rails, and then crossing the road to hit the other side of guard rails.

I have a small set of pedals that I leave on all the time, set to extremely low settings just to sweeten things. A Strymon Flint reverb and tremolo, a Walrus Audio Julia chorus, and a ZVex Effects Box of Rock as a boost.

Flansburgh’s footpedal gear includes the Radial SGI TX and SGI RX, Boss Noise Suppressor NS-2, Electro-Harmonix micro POG, MXR micro flanger and Semaphore tremolo.

I have a small set of pedals that I leave on all the time, set to extremely low settings just to sweeten things. A Strymon Flint reverb and tremolo, a Walrus Audio Julia chorus, and a ZVex Effects Box of Rock as a boost.

Flansburgh’s footpedal gear includes the Radial SGI TX and SGI RX, Boss Noise Suppressor NS-2, Electro-Harmonix micro POG, MXR micro flanger and Semaphore tremolo.

Flansburgh’s footpedal gear includes the Radial SGI TX and SGI RX, Boss Noise Suppressor NS-2, Electro-Harmonix micro POG, MXR micro flanger and Semaphore tremolo.

In this letter, John Flansburgh responds to a fan inquiring about how to play Ana Ng by They Might Be Giants. In the response, John Flansburgh recommends the Chandler Tube Driver Overdrive as an excellent pedal.

If you are looking for a fuzz box, let me recommend the Chandler Tube Driver. It is Excellent

Flansburgh (who considers his Arbiter Fuzz Face (26) “the ultimate fuzzbox”) has a similar rig — only “much more difficult to operate.” In fact, he hopes to go back to a more primitive setup. “I look back on having an open-reel four-track,” he muses, “where I could just plug my guitar into the front. The minute you get a patch bay — unless you really are an engineer — you can’t work as efficiently. It seems efficient because it’s much more versatile. But home recording isn’t about versatility. It’s about getting the idea down quick.”

You can see it on his pedalboard that he uploaded to Instagram that shows how much his pedalboard changed

You can see it on his pedalboard that he uploaded to Instagram that shows how much his pedalboard changed

You can see it on his pedalboard that he uploaded to Instagram that shows how much his pedalboard changed

You can see it on his pedalboard that he uploaded to Instagram that shows how much his pedalboard changed

You can see it on his pedalboard that he uploaded to Instagram that shows how much his pedalboard changed

In an Instagram post by John Flansburgh, he showcases his pedalboard for the late-2025 TMBG shows, featuring the Dunlop Echoplex Delay EP103.

In a post on Instagram, John Flansburgh shared an image of his pedalboard setup for the late-2025 They Might Be Giants shows, prominently featuring a Benson Preamp in an orange colorway. In the caption, Flansburgh mentions the Benson as "my almost always on" pedal, highlighting its significance in his rig.

In an Instagram post by John Flansburgh, he showcases his pedalboard for the late-2025 TMBG shows, featuring an EHX Pico Pog.

In an Instagram post by John Flansburgh, he showcases his pedalboard for the late-2025 TMBG shows, featuring an EQD Aurelius Tri-Voice Chorus.

In an Instagram post by John Flansburgh, he showcases his pedalboard for the late-2025 TMBG shows, featuring a Land Devices HP-2 in a blue colorway. In the caption, Flansburgh notes that he “Just acquired the Land Devices HP-2 which I haven't quite figured out (although I love it) but it's a very fizzy glam sound.“

John Flansburgh said he used the TC Electronic Booster + Line Driver & Distortion on John Henry, running into a Fender Deluxe and then a JCM 900 half stack; in a Tumblr post, he called it “the final secret weapon” on the Deluxe amp and said it added “a millisecond of delay” to the sound.