John Sykes Live ‘95 Rig

[paulyc]

Does anyone know for sure what Sykes used for that Live ‘95 show that’s on YouTube ? There are Boogie cabs on stage, and his live rack at that time used a rack mount Dual Rec, a Triaxis, lexicon delays, a Rocktron Juice Extractor and an H&H V800... anyone have the scoop ? I know he uses a Jose 50 watt Matshall for a long time now.
Thanks !!!

 

[napalmdeath]

I'm guessing the 2204's. I think the Coliseum heads were studio use.
I had read that later Blue Murder days, he used a MKIIC+, Triaxis preamps & Strategy Power amps, but not sure if he used live.

 

[paulyc]

The live 95 videos on YT sound really massive, the tone is big, fat, and wide...some of it is the delay and some is the chorus, but the base tone seems really big, like a dual rec...

 

[Racerxrated]

The live 95 videos on YT sound really massive, the tone is big, fat, and wide...some of it is the delay and some is the chorus, but the base tone seems really big, like a dual rec...

I read somewhere that it was the racto, and another thread suggested it was the Triaxis. Drew on RT out in LA is friends with JS, maybe he'll chime in..

 

[paulyc]

I was hoping he might, but his stint started in '98 I think ? I'm trying like hell to convince a buddy of mine to part with his racto...lol

I wouldn't get the Triaxis, as the only poweramp in his rack at the time was an H&H V800, a GREAT amp for a W/D/W rig where a tube head is alrready in use...but as a stand alone with a tube preamp ? Not sure...

 

[Wizard of Ozz]

I'm guessing the 2204's. I think the Coliseum heads were studio use.
I had read that later Blue Murder days, he used a MKIIC+, Triaxis preamps & Strategy Power amps, but not sure if he used live.

It was the Mesa Mark III... not the IIC+.

... and before someone mentions, I know what it says on his site and yes he does own IIC+ but in an interview he said himself it was still the III on the Blue Murder albums. Not sure as to which stripe though.

 

[napalmdeath]

I'm guessing the 2204's. I think the Coliseum heads were studio use.
I had read that later Blue Murder days, he used a MKIIC+, Triaxis preamps & Strategy Power amps, but not sure if he used live.

It was the Mesa Mark III... not the IIC+.

According to his website:

"The rack setup used during the later Blue Murder days included a Mesa Boogie Dual Recto head, a Mesa Boogie Tri-Axis Preamp, a Mesa Boogie IIC+ head, a Mesa Boogie Strategy 500 Power Amp"

 

[paulyc]

The pic from The Load Out series doesn't support the description...Racto, Triaxis and H&H V800 in the pic.

 

[Wizard of Ozz]

The pic from The Load Out series doesn't support the description...Racto, Triaxis and H&H V800 in the pic.

You mean this one:

 

[paulyc]

Yes.

His tone on the live 95 YouTube vids is just unreal...although his tone and playing are unreal on everything he’s done pretty much.

 

[Wizard of Ozz]

Yes.

His tone on the live 95 YouTube vids is just unreal...although his tone and playing are unreal on everything he’s done pretty much.

I concur with your findings. One of the best pure guitar/amp tones period.

 

[SFW]

The original two channel rectos were definitely special. I personally feel Mesa ruined the amp when they added the third channel.

 

[Racerxrated]

I'm guessing the 2204's. I think the Coliseum heads were studio use.
I had read that later Blue Murder days, he used a MKIIC+, Triaxis preamps & Strategy Power amps, but not sure if he used live.

It was the Mesa Mark III... not the IIC+.

... and before someone mentions, I know what it says on his site and yes he does own IIC+ but in an interview he said himself it was still the III on the Blue Murder albums. Not sure as to which stripe though.

I read somewhere that yes he owns a bunch of C+s but he recorded Whitesnake and the first Blue Murder albums with a no stripe Mark III Coli.
Through G12 65s.

 

[paulyc]

The original two channel rectos were definitely special. I personally feel Mesa ruined the amp when they added the third channel.

I agree, I have a 2 channel triple rec that I kept and I had a 3 channel I sold because it didn’t have the same mojo.

 

[paulyc]

I'm guessing the 2204's. I think the Coliseum heads were studio use.
I had read that later Blue Murder days, he used a MKIIC+, Triaxis preamps & Strategy Power amps, but not sure if he used live.

It was the Mesa Mark III... not the IIC+.

... and before someone mentions, I know what it says on his site and yes he does own IIC+ but in an interview he said himself it was still the III on the Blue Murder albums. Not sure as to which stripe though.

I read somewhere that yes he owns a bunch of C+s but he recorded Whitesnake and the first Blue Murder albums with a no stripe Mark III Coli.
Through G12 65s.

Damn I need to try those 65s !

 

[paulyc]

Is there a better looking guitar than a black Les Paul Custom ??? I’m smitten !

 

[Racerxrated]

I'm guessing the 2204's. I think the Coliseum heads were studio use.
I had read that later Blue Murder days, he used a MKIIC+, Triaxis preamps & Strategy Power amps, but not sure if he used live.

It was the Mesa Mark III... not the IIC+.

... and before someone mentions, I know what it says on his site and yes he does own IIC+ but in an interview he said himself it was still the III on the Blue Murder albums. Not sure as to which stripe though.

I read somewhere that yes he owns a bunch of C+s but he recorded Whitesnake and the first Blue Murder albums with a no stripe Mark III Coli.
Through G12 65s.

Damn I need to try those 65s !

They sound killer with every amp I've owned.

 

[Mr. Willy]

Thought the G12-65s where with a Jose Marshall that was used only on the solo for Is This Love. The Mesa Boogie MKIII Colosium was through EVs.

 

[paulyc]

I read EVs on bottom and C90s on top in old half back Mesa cabs...

 

[cardinal]

I was trying to buy a 1960 with G12-65 years ago and the seller said sorry man John Sykes just bought it. Haha I’ll allow that.

And for what it’s worth the multiwatt Rectos sound great. Just was great as the 2-channel’s IMHO. The non-multiwatt 3-channels did not sound very good to me, though.