Stephen O'Malley

TurboRat on O'Malley's Pedal board of Fuzz, Overdrive and Distortion

Stephen O'Malley predominantly uses his Travis Bean guitar but occasionally switches to a Gibson Les Paul Custom Silverburst, as detailed on A2aThoT's Music Encyclopedia.

In this Premier Guitar interview, Greg Anderson (speaking for himself and Stephen) states, "We have some other versions of RAT pedals and some modded Rats as well, but the main one on all the recordings is the original RAT with the 308. It’s the foundation of the front end of our sound before it hits the amp. I’ve used the pedal since the ’80s. I think I still have the same one I used back then."

Stephen O'Malley of SUNN O))) is known for utilizing the Orange Amplifiers AD200B 200W Tube Bass Amp Head to achieve the band's signature low frequencies and warm tones. This user-uploaded photo on Flickr captures O'Malley with the amp, reflecting its consistent presence in the band's setup since the early '90s. Orange amps are celebrated for their heavy, warm sound, aligning perfectly with SUNN O)))'s sonic aesthetic.

In the guitar.com's interview with Stephen O'Malley, a list of O'Malley's guitar rig was published. One of the items included on the list was Travis Bean TB1000A.

In this image, Stephen O'Malley has the Green Russian Big Muff on his pedalboard.

In the guitar.com's interview with Stephen O'Malley, a list of O'Malley's guitar rig was published. One of the items included on the list was Sunn 2000S.

This picture shows Stephen O'Malley with a Travis Bean TB1000S model.

In the bottom left hand of Stephen's board by the Black Ash endangered Fuzz is a Life Pedal v2 by Earthquaker Devices with a silver finish rather than a gold finish..

I used a Deluxe Reverb as well. That was different for us. There are also times when we’ve played with just the two of us live. We’ve incorporated a Fender Twin with each setup, so you have an extra push over the cliff.

Stephen O'Malley is shown using the Boss TU-2 Chromatic Tuner in a user-uploaded photo on Fbcdn.

During the ÄÄNIPÄÄ session held from August 4th to 8th, 2012, Stephen O'Malley used the DOD FX32 Meat Box. This information is documented on the Ideologic website.

Stephen O'Malley uses the Idiotbox Blower Box bass effects pedal to achieve the heavy bass distortion that is essential to SUNN O)))'s live performances, as shown in a user-uploaded photo on Fbcdn.

Stephen is using a EQD Black Ash Endangered and has been doing so for sometime with his pedal chain. Recently he's been using it in both Sunn O))), Solo shows, and even at Gravetemple gigs.

In this image, a Sunn Model T amplifier head can be seen behind O'Malley.

This is from a post on his Instagram story from some four hour sleep shows he played in Europe. Stephen has expressed in his lecture at RBMA that he loves tape echo. Although he has his own RE-201, it becomes a pain in the ass and a liability to lug around $2000+ worth of equipment while touring sometimes. The RE-20 is considered by many musicians who have a love for the classic tape delay as a suitable, durable, and light alternative that emulates the real thing.

this pedal can be seen in this photo of his pedalboard.

Stephen O'Malley of Sunn O))) used the J Rockett Audio Designs Archer Ikon overdrive pedal during the 2019 "Let There Be Drone" tour in Europe, as seen in a photo of his pedalboard on Imgur.

A very snazzy tuner being used by SOMA

On the record with Steve, I brought a bunch of Hotones and stuff like that. Like live guitar players, I’ve got crates of pedals that have been used, but probably for a month, week, or a couple of years. But where I’m at right now, I’ve got that RAT, a Pete Cornish G-2, a Klon Centaur, and some splitters.

In this image of his pedalboard, Stephen O'Malley has a Earthquaker Devices White Light pedal.

Stephen O'Malley utilizes the TC Electronic Ditto X4 Looper, as seen in a photo of his pedal board from several Sleep shows in Europe. This looper's capability to sample two tracks of up to 5 minutes of 24-bit audio, with unlimited overdubbing and a decay knob for controlling degeneration time, makes it ideal for his long, evolving drone sessions.

this pedal can be seen in this photo of his pedal board.

Stephen O'Malley is seen using a Moog Minimoog Model D in a photo from Brooklynvegan, highlighting his extensive collection of synthesizers.

A desert island backline for me would be a Travis Bean Standard koa model along with a [Sunn] model T full stack. I could even do a half stack for a small club or beach hut. I would also choose a Les Paul with P-90s and go with the model T. I would take a RAT too, but I would need to bring along an EHX Sovtek Civil War Big Muff as well.

Stephen O'Malley frequently uses the Moog Rogue synthesizer during live performances, as seen in the 2006 SUNN O))) performance at the Domino Festival on YouTube. He also occasionally lends this synthesizer to fellow band member Tos Nieuwenhuizen.

Stephen O'Malley enhances his sound with the Roland RE-201 Space Echo, creating a larger and more atmospheric effect. A user-uploaded photo on BlogSpot captures him utilizing this piece of gear.

Stephen O'Malley has a Boomerang Phrase Sampler on his pedalboard in this photo.

In this image of his pedalboard, Stephen O'Malley has the Black Eye pedal.

On the record with Steve, I brought a bunch of Hotones and stuff like that. Like live guitar players, I’ve got crates of pedals that have been used, but probably for a month, week, or a couple of years. But where I’m at right now, I’ve got that RAT, a Pete Cornish G-2, a Klon Centaur, and some splitters.