Geared Up: LIMBS Guitarists JORDAN HUNTER and TYLER MARTIN Geek Out About AMPS!

Floridian post-hardcore five-piece, LIMBS issued their fierce new full-length, Father’s Son, on April 27th via UNFD. The Tampa Bay boys’ new music certainly packs a heavy punch (stream or purchase your own copy) and with our interest positively piqued, we checked in with the group’s guitarists Jordan Hunter and Tyler Martin for a “geared up” interview. How do these dudes manage to get things so heavy? Read on to have that very question answered…

What one piece of gear do you use to obtain your signature sound?
Jordan Hunter: For the last few tours, my Hughes & Kettner TriAmp MKII has been a core component of my sound. Although the TriAmp has proven versatile for me…with our recent release, I’ve found myself entering a transitional phase of gear. Matchless Amplifiers heavily influenced tone on this new record. We acquired a ‘96 Matchless DC-30 2×12 for the recording process and were blown away. I may or may not be introducing some of their gear to my next rig to redefine my sound. Can’t wait to talk more on that another time. 😉

Tyler Martin: I mean, I wouldn’t say I have a “signature” sound. However, my Peavey 6505+ and I don’t plan on parting ways anytime soon. 6505+ gain on 4’ with an Xotic EP Booster on the front-end cranked to 10’ at all times. Finger. Lickin’. Good.

The album Father’s Son dropped on April 27, 2018, via UNFD.

What about it makes it so important to you?
Jordan: The midi capabilities of the TriAmp are very beneficial. Being able to control multiple effects and have channel switching at the push of a single button is great. The high gain channel slaps pretty decent too, when recorded.

Tyler: Reliability. Playing a live show is a test of Murphy’s Law each and every night. I’m sure most musicians will agree. The Peavey 6505+ is, in my opinion, is the Honda Civic of amplifiers. Not much flash and pizzazz, but god, it’s consistent, and little-to-zero maintenance. Not to mention, it’s the greatest tone if you’re doing anything remotely concerning to rock n roll. FACT.

How was this gear used during the recording of your latest album?
Jordan: Aside from some potential reamping on the record, I don’t believe the TriAmp was used at all. Mostly all of the light/clean/airy guitar parts were recorded on the Matchless DC-30, and anything primarily gain-driven was recorded on an EVH 5150-III.

Tyler: I basically subbed out my 6505+ for that 5150-III head during the recording process.

Check out some slick pics of Jordan Hunter and Tyler Martin live with their gear.

How do you recreate your album (guitar) tones in your live set?
Jordan: The gear used while recording heavily influences our backline. We try to replicate tones as efficiently as we know how. We usually take a lot of EQ notes while in the studio and then tweak it in a live environment.

Tyler: I just re-EQ’d my 6505+ based on the recorded 5150-III’s settings: low gain, heavy master volume. Also, find yourself some mahogany with humbuckers slapped in, that word “Gibson” attached to the top, and you’re set. Boom. TONE.

Do you have a backup for this gear, if so, what?
Jordan: A Marshall JTM-45 Plexi. I also had an Orange Rocker 30 up until a couple months ago, but I traded it for a guitar.

Tyler: For my amp? No. I really should though. You never know what’s going to happen. An airplane engine could fall from the sky from another dimension and destroy it. Actually…I think that may be the only thing that could possibly keep it from not working. lol

Check out the band’s video for the single “Tangled Hands” here.

Give us your best “gear goes wrong” story.
Jordan: I probably have at least 5 different instances when a patch cable has made me look like a chump live…but my favorite instance is one time when I was playing, and lost signal – I assumed it was a patch cable and started trying to fix the problem, on the fly, mid-song. After trying to diagnose in a rush, and having already wasted about a quarter of a song, I disconnected the entire board and went straight into the head.

After our set, when I had time to properly diagnose my board, I discovered that all my cables were fine. It was my noise suppressor that had been turned all the way to 10 and kept muting my guitar. Could’ve fixed it, while playing, with a single twist of knob. I felt so dumb.

Tyler: I’ll be honest, the most that’s ever gone wrong with my rig relates more to patch cable issues or wireless signal interference. Or! Chris, our “vocalist,” hopping around stage like a crazy person, unplugging literally everything on my pedalboard. Haha! But yea, I can’t recall a single issue I’ve ever had with my 6505+.