Tony Levin

Tony Levin can be seen playing a Music Man Sting Ray 5 in this picture. The official Music Man website also lists this as a guitar used by Tony.

"The bass I played the Gabriel track "Sledgehammer" with was a black Music Man Sabre bass (the only non-Stingray I've had) which I played on that track with a lot of compression, a pick, and an octaver. Sometime in it's lifetime, the neck warped and I replaced it with a carbon graphite one."

Tony levin is shown playing a music man stingray bass at a King Crimson concert in 1982

"I probably got my first fretless in the 1970’s. My first bass guitar (I had started as an upright player) was a Fender Precision, and it was only years after getting that that I decided to try a fretless."

Levin states in this BassMusician interview: "I use Ampeg amps — have a big SVT-2 Pro in my home recording studio, but use much smaller Ampegs on tours where I’m humping the gear every night."

“I was filming a video at Reverb.com in Chicago yesterday, and, my having forgotten to bring my compressor, they had me try your Cali76 (compact deluxe). It was perfect for the Chapman Stick (which I was using at the time) – I was very impressed, …I went ahead and bought the pedal."

Tony Levin is documented using the Darkglass Alpha Omega 900 bass amplifier head, as mentioned in his Road Diary on Papabear.

In this video, Tony Levin goes over the Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Bass Big Muff Pi and what he loves about the unit.

Tony Levin had posted this photo taken in his home studio. On the photo a Kemper Profiler is visible in the upper right part.

According to Bass Player magazine interview, Levin uses the EBS OctaBass pedal.

"Ovation Magnum ! Don't ask why, but long ago I decided I should have this bass. My thinking was that it would be just right for some Gabriel tracks. Took it on the plane with me to his studio in England. As I entered and put the bass down, the engineer said "What are you doing with Peter's bass?" Turns out Peter, who doesn't even play bass and only has one, had the exact same bass. Didn't use it."

"Tony Levin’s bass and Chapman Stick rig is equally impressive, as he has a tasty pedalboard featuring top–of–the–line mass production delays like the Boss DD–500 and the Electro–Harmonix Stereo Memory Man w/ Hazarai, as well as choice boutique picks like the 3Leaf Audio Octave and Analogman Bi–Compressor. Levin also employs two Kemper Profilers."

This is an original, vintage, script-logo Phase 90 from the 1970s. Not only that, this was Tony's primary phaser pedal from 1978 through the early 1980s. It was used on Chapman Stick tracks from:

• King Crimson (Elephant Talk, Frame By Frame, Indiscipline, Neurotica, etc.)
• Peter Gabriel (DIY, I Don't Remember, I Have The Touch, Shock The Monkey, San Jacinto, etc.)

"I'm enjoying using my B3K on tour and recordings"

According to Bass Player magazine interview, Levin uses the Source Audio Soundblox 2 OFD Bass MicroModeler.

"Gibson Ripper - played it on many of the Paul Simon tracks I did in 70's, including the movie "one trick pony" because it had that warm sound engineer Phil Ramone liked."

Pictured in photo #4 of the referenced article.

“The Funk Fingers have had a long and interesting history. After having them made here in Woodstock for a year, when the idea was new, I ceased producing them, thinking there were enough out there in the world. But last year, when Kevin introduced his improvements to the design, I was excited about how much better they are now to play bass with, and have given him my blessing to produce them with his design improvements. These are the Funk Fingers I'm using, and I think other players could do some wild things with them too.”

Tony Levin

April 2013

Used on tour with Peter Gabriel.

Tony Levin can be seen playing a Chapman Grand Stick 12 String in this photo.

According to Bass Player magazine interview, Levin uses the Ampeg Heritage SVT-CL.

Pictured in photo #4 of the referenced article.

Levin states in this interview that he uses a Beyerdynamic M 88: "When I do vocals, on my own music, it’s with a Beyerdynamic M 260—and recording amps I use the Beyerdynamic M 88. "

Levin is a featured NS artist on the official Ned Steinberger website. The section mentions several different models of stringed instruments used by Levin throughout his career.

According to Bass Player magazine interview, Levin uses the Ampeg Heritage SVT-810E.

According to Bass Player magazine interview, Levin uses the Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man.

"I have a wonderful Epiphone Rivoli and, with the same sound, a Gibson EB2 (that one I found in Austin, painted like a confederate flag, so I refer to it as "Billie Bob Bass") which are very useful for certain types of tracks. I don't remember every instance I've used them, but a bit on Paula Cole's album, KMax's album, Peter Gabriel's upcoming (if those tracks make it to the record) and on a couple of tracks on my new "Pieces" cd."

"Tony Levin’s bass and Chapman Stick rig is equally impressive, as he has a tasty pedalboard featuring top–of–the–line mass production delays like the Boss DD–500 and the Electro–Harmonix Stereo Memory Man w/ Hazarai, as well as choice boutique picks like the 3Leaf Audio Octave and Analogman Bi–Compressor. Levin also employs two Kemper Profilers."

In these AMS exclusive videos, Tony plays through the new SCR-DI, BA-210 and an SVT-CL with an SVT-801E.

"I have found that with the Radial JDI direct box, my bass comes through extremely clean, very quiet, and with a smooth transparent low end. I use my Radial DI for everything."