Hi Gordon

I read somewhere that the strokes guitar players used either a fender hot rod deluxe, or hot rod deville on their records. I love their tone, but haven’t always been happy with how these amps sound when I use them.

I was wondering if these amps were completely stock, or modified in any way . Also did they use the distortion channels on the amps, distortion pedals, or a mix of the two ?

My second question is, do you recall what was used to create the synth part that mirrors the melody in 12:51?

Thanks

1. the combination of those two guitars: Fender Strat and Nick's Epiphone with the added P-90 pickup-- Fender Hot Rod Deville amps and both players equipped with Jekyll & Hyde Overdrive/Distortion pedals. That is what you are hearing. Both amps recorded with a single 421 Senheisser mic thru an API preamp. The rest of the magic is down to the actual interplay that was written into their parts, and the fact that they had the power and precision to play what they wanted with such finesse and control. I wasn't privvy to the actual amp setting they used so I dont know how they set the tone knobs or channel selectors. I also wasnt looking where their tone knobs and volume pots were set on the actual guitars.

2. Im glad you thought it was a synthesizer on 12:51-- that was precisely my intention, as I am a synth player first and foremost. I heard that melody, once he (Nick) recorded it, and it inspired me to think of my Arp Odyssey synth, and how I just slightly detune my two oscillators to get my best tones. So I asked Nick to indulge me in a request, and asked him to ever so slightly tune each string of his guitar down by a tiny fraction. Then I asked him to double the sound, and yes-- everyone in the room liked the result. Creating an Arp Odyssey lead/melody sound with an electric guitar. Cool, huh?

That’s cool to hear - I think the Jekyll and Hyde is a really underrated but versatile pedal...I seem to find it makes its way onto most recordings I make!

Do you remember settings on API preamp? I'm trying to transcribe their first album. Also, I saw on The Strokes' live on TV show that Nick's EQ settings is flat.

I don't remember the exact API setting, remember I didn't have EQ's--just the preamps. Knowing me I would say that it was a warm signal, not a cold or safe signal, but it was not an over driven signal.