The Edge

In this photo, The Edge is playing his 1973 Fender Stratocaster in a black finish. Fender later made a The Edge Signature Stratocaster based on his original 1973 model. In an interview with Rolling Stone, he talks about that guitar:

"But I really missed the Strat, so when we got a little money together – when we got our record deal – the first chance I got I bought my black Strat, which I still have."

He continues to describe some of its distinctive features:

"It has some interesting features: the bridge is a brass bridge, not like the standard Fender bridge, and again that adds some resonance. It has a little more sustain, a little more girth to the tone. And I put a DeMarzio pickup in, which gets that tone. In addition to my Fender amp, I play to a Vox, which is a very bright amp, so it gives a little more substance."

Later in the interview, the interviewer asks, "An unusual thing about your '73 Strat is that it has a DiMarzio FS-1 pickup in the bridge position. Did you mod that out yourself?" The Edge replies:

"Yeah. With the amps I was using, the bridge pickup was just too piercing. It was too thin-sounding for me, so I did some research and found the DiMarzio FS-1, and it was just a bigger-sounding pickup. It worked great. Whenever I've gotten Strats, I've always put one of those in."

When the interviewer points out that The Edge never plays out of the bridge pickup, The Edge says:

That's true most of the time, but there are some songs, like "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "Gloria," where I used the bridge pickup. I really got into the out-of-phase sound [where the guitar is set between the bridge and middle pickup] from The Unforgettable Fire onwards. Weirdly enough, I think "Pride (In the Name of Love)" was the first song that I really used that out-of-phase pickup position; I didn't use it on "Bad" or on the album. In rehearsal for the tour, I tried it and it was like, "Wow that's great. I love it! It's much better." So we did the tour.

I remember we did a live version of that and [Unforgettable Fire co-producer] Danny [Lanois] was in the studio listening to the guitar sounds from the show and he was like, "What the fuck, Edge? You sound so much better than the album. What did you do?" [Laughs] Then he got jealous, because the live guitar sound was better than what we got on the album. I said, "I'm sorry I didn't think of it!" But yeah, it's definitely better, this [laughs].

The full Rolling Stone interview is here.

Known to have been used since U2's Boy. After a brief replacement by the Ibanez Tube Screamer (starting with the Elevation Tour), the SD-1 has made a return to The Edge's more recent rigs alongside its green rival. In this July 18, 2018 Premier Guitar Rig Rundown article for The Edge, it is shown that he uses the SD-1 in his rack system (visible in the bottom right corner of this photo).

The SD-1 is mentioned explicitly in this excerpt from the January 2001 issue of Guitar Player magazine in a list of then "projected" gear for the Elevation Tour.

On the stompbox front, he'll be using Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive and OD-2r Turbo Overdrive pedals, an FA-1 FET (for signal boost), three DigiTech Whammy pedals, three Dunlop Cry Baby's, and a trio of Lovetone pedals -- a Meatball (envelope filter), Doppelganger (phaser/vibrato), and Big Cheese (distortion). All of this will go through five pre-1966 Vox AC30s and two Randall 1x12 combos.

As compiled by U2 Guitar Tutorials forum member kultschar in this forum post, photos from the Joshua Tree Tour and the Zoo TV Tour (pictured) show that the SD-1 was used in a loop with a graphic equalizer labeled "Infinite Sustain", used for "With or Without You".

Joshua / Lovetown Rig:

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i89/kultschar/U2%20Guitar%20Tutorials/Edge%20Rigs/PS3-6-00009_zpsbe7ae19f.jpg

• Boss SD1 As you can see there is the 3 triangular knobbed SD-1 at the back. Next to the SD-1 is the Pearl Graphic EQ. During the next tour it becomes apparent that the two are linked together for WOWY Infinite Sustain (thanks to Bradshaws later Zoo TV Rig photos which i will post further down)

(...) ZooTV Rig:

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i89/kultschar/U2%20Guitar%20Tutorials/Edge%20Rigs/PS3-6-00019_zps59afb57a.jpg

Well its the same pedals as the tour before, only he added a crazy amount of rack units

This picture is from CAE during the actual building of the rig, note the pedals were put into the TC2290 loops and labelled TC1, TC2 etc If your eagle eyed you can see the Boss SD-1 and Pearl Graphic EQ labelled Infinite Sustain therefore both combined in one loop for WOWY tone. (...) Below is the rig during the early Zoo tour when they played the Achtung Baby songs pre Zooropa, note the pedals were duplicated. I believe they were duplicated for backup purposes, he did substitute the odd one e.g. Boss Graphic EQ was used instead of the Pearl EQ, TC FET Booster was used instead of another FA-1 and CS-2 was used instead of another Dynacomp.

(...) http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i89/kultschar/U2%20Guitar%20Tutorials/Edge%20Rigs/PS3-6-00023_zpsef9f4674.jpg

Popmart Rig

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i89/kultschar/U2%20Guitar%20Tutorials/Edge%20Rigs/PopmartPedals2_zps9c2b5ce3.jpg

As you can see his Zoo pedals (core sounds remain intact). Im positive the OD-2 is still his main overdrive as its still the first switch on his MIDI controller like the Zoo days labelled Turbo.

In this video, The Edge talks about buying his Gibson Explorer guitar brand new when he was in New York at age 17 (he had originally intended to buy a Les Paul). It was the first guitar he purchased with the intention of playing it as part of a band on stage in front of an audience. At first he admits to it feeling kind of strange playing it with his band mates, and that at the time nobody else was playing with Explorers, making The Edge and U2 rather unique.

He goes on to describe how a crack occurred on the back of the headstock in the mid-1980s when he threw the guitar behind him in order to help some members of the audience.

At 2:38, Edge demonstrates some of the parts of the U2 song “Beautiful Day” on the Explorer. He recalls during the recording of “Beautiful Day”, a certain lead part did not feel right on his other guitars, so he brought out and used the Gibson Explorer through his Vox amp.

From a gibson.com interview from 2010: "Gibson Explorers are still his signature instrument. The Edge prefers the Gibson Limited Edition Explorer built in 1976. He owns several, including the one he used on Boy, which is now retired from the stage."

The Edge's original Gibson Les Paul Custom was donated for an auction, leading the Gibson Custom Shop to craft an exact replica. This is captured in a user-uploaded photo from U2-stage-and-studio.

The Edge can be seen using a Deluxe Memory Man in the documentary It Might Get Loud. It was his primary delay before The Joshua Tree, as mentioned in this ca. 1986 interview with "J.B.".

I'm looking into getting a TC Electronics delay, which gives you some of the same capabilities internally and has even more presets, which is interesting. I don't know whaat it'll sound like though. See, my first echo was a Memory Man, which was rather awful technically. It was analog, with all sorts of whines and hisses, but the actual sound of it was really quite musical. I didn't use it on this record, I used it pretty exclusively on Unforgettable Fire.

In this mini documentary about the making of Edge's signature Fender Stratocaster and Deluxe amplifier, we see him testing the pieces together with the aid of a Carbon Copy delay.

(Edit: Note that this clip is from a visit to the Fender development facility, and the MXR may be a pedal which was on loan for the shoot. It is possible that the Edge neither owns nor uses one of these units.)

Visible in this Instagram post by U2. The Edge's use of the Color Box has been attested to by JHS owner Josh Scott.

In this photo,The Edge can be seen using a Roland JC120 live.

In this interview, The Edge's guitar tech, Dallas Schoo talks about the amp/equipment set up for U2's 360 Tour:

"Well, of course we have the main AC30 from '64. Can't do a show without that."

This guitar was used in the "All Because of You" music video.

In this Rig Rundown feature for Premier Guitar magazine, longtime U2 guitar tech Dallas Schoo shows off Edge's 2018 touring rig, which includes a Crayon overdrive.

In this video of U2 performing "Ordinary Love" acoustic on 'The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon,' The Edge can be seen playing a Taylor 818e Acoustic-Electric Guitar. This can be confirmed by a comment that Taylor Guitars made on the YouTube video Feb 24, 2014. They commented, "Here again is the performance of "Ordinary Love" with U2's Edge using a Taylor 818e #guitar. This has been making the rounds at Taylor HQ, glad to see it made available"

There is, however, a marking on the headstock that a stock 818e doesn't appear to have - perhaps something custom for Edge.

Edge was telling an interviewer about his guitar rig and going through all of his amplifiers. At 2:20 he mentions and points out the Fender Deluxe.

The Edge can be seen using the hw AC30 in many videos...!!!

The Edge can be seen playing the EOB Sustainer Stratocaster during live performances of "Love Is Bigger Than Anything In It's Way" on the ePERIENCE & iNNOCENCE tour.

In this video, Edge demonstrates various guitars of his, both vintage and current. At 4:03 into the video, he picks up his Line 6 Variax 700 Acoustic (with what appears to be a custom finish). He says, "What's good about this one is that you can change the tuning by just... [he goes on to demonstrate the controls of the guitar] I ended up playing The Fly on this guitar, and the guy who designed it was watching me play and was like 'Oh my god, we didn't design it for that kind of abuse!' But it works really great."

In this photo, Edge can be seen playing an Epiphone Casino.

In this interview, The Edge reveals that he uses Herdim picks, the blue .88mm Herdim picks.

"GW: Are you still using Herdim picks, the ones with the dimpled tops?

THE EDGE: Absolutely. They’re these really cool nylon picks. I just like the way they sound. They make a blue and a red one, but I like the way the blue ones sound. I hold ’em upside down, too. I never analyzed why, they just sound better."

Edge used a Fender Blues Junior for his Shimmer signal path during the "Vertigo" Tour.

Music Radar talked with The Edge's guitar tech, Dallas Schoo about this pedal, to which Dallas replied "Oh, they're great! We're using the Supersonic Fuzz Gun and the Harmonic Transformer. This guy, Ben Curtis - great guy - he makes these different distortion pedals and he turned us on to them...The Fuzz Gun is on No Line On The Horizon, that big intro sound. It's on Ultra-Violet, too - it's fantastic. The guy is always looking for something new that can create music, and he'll tinker with a pedal or a device for days until he can make it do something he wants."

The Edge uses the Boss OD-2 Turbo OverDrive, as seen in the photo where it is placed beneath the SD-1.

This vintage and stock 1966 Gibson SG Standard Cherry is used by The Edge.

In this live image, we see the Edge using an M9 unit for effects on his keyboard.

In this image, The Edge can be seen playing a Gibson Music Rising Les Paul limited edition electric guitar. According to an article on Gibson's website, Edge collaborated with Gibson and Guitar Center Music Foundation on this Les Paul in 2005. The guitar features a hand-painted finish "using the colors of Mardi Gras." Less than 300 of these were made, with the proceeds going to the Music Rising charity. The original article can be found here on gibson.com.

In 2021, The Edge decided to sell one of Music Rising Les Pauls. The auction catalogue describes the guitar as follows:

The Edge's concert-played "One" Music Rising hand-painted and customized Gibson Les Paul. Numbered 96 on the back of the headstock, this was part of a series of 300 Gibson Les Paul guitars designed and customized to raise money for the charity when it was first launched. /.../ As a tribute to the local culture, each guitar is handmade and hand-painted in a Mardi Gras themed color palette. No two are alike. most of the plastic components standard on a Les Paul have been replaced with wood sourced from the States that were affected by Hurricane Katrina. This particular guitar was retained by The Edge and played in 2010 during U2's famous 360 tour, as well as during The Joshua Tree tours of 2017 and 2019 during performances of the indelible hit song "One". /.../ The Edge also played this guitar on "One" and "American Soul" during U2's 2018 Songs of Experience shows. /.../ Manufactured in 2006, the serial number 0318503126 is etched into the reverse of the headstock. The guitar retains an adjustable Pete Schmidt-brand black leather strap with diamond shaped cutouts marked in black felt pen on the underside "CR#1 Les Paul".

In this image, The Edge can be seen holding a Fender Classic Series Telecaster Custom electric guitar with a black pickguard and maple neck. The guitar appears to have a brown finish. Edge plays this guitar in the music video for U2's song Vertigo.

A good shot of the guitar can be seen at the 0:13 mark in this video of U2 performing Magnificent live in London at BBC Rooftop.

The Edge most famously uses his 1988 Goldtop '58 Reissue on 'Until the End of the World' and 'Last Night on Earth'. It was used exclusive for recording during the 1990s (Achtung Baby, Zooropa and Pop). The guitar most likely uses Gibson P100 pickups.

Located between the Lovetone and the Tube Screamer, The Edge had this on his rack during the Elevation Tour (as seen in AudioFile's feature "U2 - Wired for Sound") and the Vertigo Tour (as is visible in this Guitar World feature at 2:07). It was used in the studio for the solo on "Kite", as stated in this January 2001 Guitar Player interview.

Guitar Player, January 2001, "Basic Instincts"

GP: So the songs that have solos were just begging for them?

Edge: I think they were. For instance, "Kite" originally didn't have a solo. We had the tune almost finished, but we weren't quite happy with it--it needed a twist. So we edited in a section, I plugged my '64 Gretsch Coutnry Gentleman into a cool fuzzbox--and Ampeg Scrambler--and a Vox AC30, and I came up with a solo for it. It really made that part of the song come alive. that's a case-in-point where the decision to do a solo came from the sense that something was missing in the tune.

(...) GP: What were your main fuzzboxes?

Edge: The Ampeg, a Tube Screamer for a good general distortion without being too in-your-face, and an old Manny's Fuzz--which is really extreme. I also used this really obscure Japanese pedal called the Sobart [sic] for the heavy sections of "New York." That pedal is so extreme. You step on it and all hell breaks loose. On "When I Look at the World", I'm using an Electro-Harmonix Micro Synthesizer for that mad distorted tone.

AudioFile, "U2 - Wired for Sound"

[tapping the Ampeg Scrambler] This was used on the "All You Can't Leave Behind" album.

" replaced the Boss SD-1 during the Elevation Tour"

The Edge uses a rare vintage Fender Telecaster with a maple neck, as shown in a user-uploaded photo on Photobucket.

Located on the lower tray, far left.