Geared Up: Pearl Handled Revolver Explore the Tools Used to Create ‘Tales You Lose’

Sixteen years into their genre-defying journey, UK dark rockers Pearl Handled Revolver are back with Tales You Lose, their most spellbinding record to date, out on April 18th. A heady mix of blues, gritty psych, and atmospheric prog, the album sees the band refine their sound, making it more intoxicating than ever.

Having built one of the most compelling discographies in the UK underground, from supporting The Black Crowes and Jethro Tull to drawing praise from across the industry, the Bedford band have earned their cult following by doing things entirely on their terms.

With Tales You Lose, the band have created an album they described as being full of “witching hour melodies and strobe-lit rhythms” and an exciting new chapter in their colourful career. In our latest edition of Geared Up, V13 spoke to Pearl-Handed Revolver’s organist/keyboard player Simon Rinaldo about the vintage kit, signature sounds and much more.

First things first: what’s your current setup?

Simon Rinaldo: “The keyboard rig used when recording the album Tales You Lose is completely analogue, consisting of a heavily hot-rodded and chopped Hammond B3, Vox Continental organ, Farfisa Compact organ, Rhodes Stage 73 electric piano, Wurlitzer EP200a electric piano and a Hohner Clavinet. I only used a couple of synths on the album, MS20 and a Hohner Bass 3. There are loads of analogue EFX used, the Watkins Copy-Cat tape echo features heavily. I used a few different amps, the Hammond mostly goes through a Leslie 147, a ’70s Fender Twin Reverb, a tiny Marshall and a couple of cool old Roland amps.

For most of the live shows, the vintage gear can’t realistically come out with me very often, so I generally use a lighter-weight digital rig based around a couple of Nords.”

What one piece of gear do you use to obtain your signature sound?

“The Hammond organ has always been a big part of the Pearl Handled Revolver sound. The custom-built B3 used on this album and the previous album, Fantasy Reigns, is really quite special. It was apparently built in conjunction with the company who were at the same time building an instrument for Rick Wright (Pink Floyd). I am told the two organs are almost identical.”

Pearl Handled Revolver Geared Up Photo 1

How did you come to possess this piece of equipment? Vintage shop, regular shop, borrowed money, gifted? Give us the details.

“I had dreamed of owning a chopped B3 since I was a kid. I saw a photo in a book of Tom Coster from Santana playing one, I saw Christine McVie using one and of course, Rick Wright. I honestly never thought I’d ever find one like it… these things are super rare as they were all custom-made. I found it on a Reverb, I called the guy, made him an offer, and a few days later I was travelling about as far as you can go south in England to collect it. So, it was actually a dream come true.”

What made you choose this particular piece of gear, and were there any close seconds or alternatives?

“I was looking for a good Hammond C3 or B3 for a long time before I found this wonderful instrument. I kept coming across some real beaten up organs, none of them were suitable, some sounded terrible or had too many faults…. I very nearly gave in to a new digital Hammond, which I am sure would have been amazing, but the new ones just don’t have the soul of the vintage real deal.”

Pearl Handled Revolver Geared Up Photo 2

What about this piece of equipment makes it so important to you?

“Because it has been so heavily modified, this instrument has a character of its own. I have never played an instrument quite like it. It’s really inspirational to play and spits fire when it’s cranked up through the Leslie.”

We know you love this piece of gear, but are there any major cons? (Okay, you can also list the pros.)

“Like any vintage instrument, it always has a few faults… maybe they are part of its character, and it’s also really heavy.”

Pearl Handled Revolver ‘Tales You Lose’ Album Artwork

If you could, or wanted to, what would you tweak or mod on this piece of gear?

“I think I’d just really like it to have no faults, but I wouldn’t want it to be too perfect for it to lose its character and charm.
How does the piece of gear hold up with regular touring and gigging?
It’s only really possible to use this rig when we have crew to help lift it and transport it… if it wasn’t for our roadie Andy It’d probably have to stay in the studio. To be honest, when touring I prefer to use my Nord rig. There’s less chance of it breaking down on you and it’s easier to manage.”

Do you have a backup for this gear? If so, what?

“For live shows where the B3 and my other vintage instruments can’t come out with me I use a rig based around a Nord C1 organ through various overdrive and delay EFX into a Neo Ventilator Leslie simulator. This organ does a great job of re-creating my studio organ sounds in one instrument. For electric piano and Mellotron sounds I currently use a Nord Electro 5D. I also use a Creamware MiniMax a digital clone of a MiniMoog. I play keyboard bass on about half our set, either left hand or Roland bass pedals Midi’ed into a Roland bass module. It’s all housed in a custom built flight case and all pre-wired into a line mixer. The organ sits on Vox Continental legs which look really cool, the Electro sits on top.”

Pearl Handled Revolver Geared Up Photo 3

What piece of gear gave the longest service? Are you still using it?

“I have had the Nord C1 for over 16 years. It really is a great instrument, and I don’t really see any need to replace it at the moment. I used this on the first Pearl Handled Revolver EP, and I am still using it at most of our gigs. I suppose it’s now vintage in its own right.”

Destroying instruments on stage: yay or nay?

“Nay… Well, The Who did it, Hendrix did it, and Keith Emerson did it. I don’t think it’s cool anymore. In reality, none of the musicians I know can afford to trash their gear.”

What setup did you spend the most time idolizing as a kid growing up?

“For me, it was always about the Hammond organ. I remember listening to Santana, Uriah Heep, Steppenwolf, The Nice and Deep Purple as a kid. I didn’t know what that sound was, but I loved it. It took me years to find what instrument it was and even more years to get one of my own and learn how to make it sound something like the bands I idolized.”