Tuesday, November 12, 2024
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Huw's Kit

Huw's Instruments and equipment used over the years.

HAWKWIND LATE 60s – EARLY 70s

In the early Hawkwind days Huw used a Gibson 335 and a Hi-Watt stack (valve amp) – where possible he has always favoured valve amps and Gibson guitars.

He didn’t really use any pedals at this point.

VARIOUS OTHER GIGS BETWEEN 1971 - 1979:

A Levin 12-string – Acoustic gigs

A Gibson Melody Maker – electric gigs

WIDOWMAKER 1975 – 1979

Initially the Gibson Melody Maker then from 1976:

A Gibson Les Paul (Custom 20th Anniversary edition) – nicknamed ‘Lizzie’ his top favourite electric guitar.

No specific amp used then just any valve amp that worked and was provided by the management – Jet Records.

He used an Ebow during this period bought in the States – which he still has and still uses!

No pedals used.

HAWKWIND 1979 TO 1989 

Gibson Les Paul (Lizzie) and a Howard Roberts Fusion guitar (another favourite guitar).

Roland Synth Guitar – gigging & recording.

Various pedals:  a couple of Boss pedals (echo and Chorus),  a Zoom 505 and his Ebow

They were sponsored by Westone for a period here and Huw used that guitar.

Ampwise: A Roland Space Echo, a Roland Blues Cube then Peavey Combo Amps – Huw was sponsored by Peavey for many years! He thinks they are great amps.

LLOYD LANGTON GROUP 80s & 90s 

By now Huw had a collection of Guitars apart from his favourites. He tended to use different guitars in various situations i.e. gigging and recording whatever he felt fitted the situation.  That was his excuse for having so many guitars:

Gibson Nighthawk Epiphone

Gibson Blueshawk

‘Lizzie’

Howard Roberts

Pilgrim Mayflower (semi-electric – for solo gigs & recording)

Ovation

Levin 12 string (1940s model)

Samick Geg Bennet Electro Acoustic

Samick Greg Bennet D6CEE Electro Acoustic

EQUIPMENT USED 2000 UNTIL NOW

Huw tends to practise and write on a 12-string Ovation Bass guitar, his Samick Electro acoustic and a Gordon Smith 12 string electric.

For recording he usually uses one of the Gibsons and one of the Samicks. On ‘Hard Graft’ the new album he used aGibson ‘Black Beauty’, loaned by Richard Gillespie LLG Bass Player. It used to belong to a great friend of us all,  Gollie ‘Osibisa’ Guitarist who died.

For electric gigs he tends to use his Gibson Nighthawk or Gibson Blueshawk.

They are much lighter than ’Lizzie’ thus easier to carry around. When he got ‘Lizzie’ he practiced yoga for a long time to be able to carry the weight of it when he had to play on stage for 2 hours or so.

For acoustic gigs he tends to use one of the Samicks.

In truth while his guitars have lasted the course his amps haven’t. Huw has had so many over the years. Not because they haven’t been good amps but because constant usage and touring kills amps even in flight cases! They have very rarely lasted more than two years!

At the moment he is using a Marshall AS50R amp for the road and recording. At home uses a Roland Cube practice amp and a Samick SM10 practice amp. Practice amps seem to last for years because they don’t go on the road! 

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