Schecter
S-1 (his single touring guitar in 2022)
Top 5Seen using
Seen in Rig Rundown: Dead Kennedys' East Bay Ray (Premier Guitar), June 2022
No store page for this one.
Photo: Stefan Brending (2eight) (Wikimedia Commons) · CC BY-SA 3.0 de
Independent research by truerecs. Not affiliated with, endorsed or verified by Dead Kennedys. Every item links to its public source.
15 items · Last checked What guitar does Dead Kennedys play?
Dead Kennedys guitarist East Bay Ray has been seen using a Schecter S-1, a Marshall JCM 2000 and a Boss CS-3. He has said he ran a Line 6 DL4 on analog with modulation before the amp, after years with a Maestro Echoplex and a hot-rodded Fender Super Reverb.
Top 5
Where to start with Dead Kennedys's gear.
What guitars Dead Kennedys uses: a sourced gear guide
Independent research by truerecs: every item links to the public source it comes from.
East Bay Ray: guitars
Seen in Rig Rundown: Dead Kennedys' East Bay Ray (Premier Guitar), June 2022
No store page for this one.
Said in Rig Rundown: Dead Kennedys' East Bay Ray (Premier Guitar), June 2022
No store page for this one.
Fender
Stratocaster (sunburst, used on classic Dead Kennedys records)
Has said they use
Said in Forgotten Heroes: East Bay Ray (Premier Guitar), July 2016
No store page for this one.
Seen in Rig Rundown: Dead Kennedys' East Bay Ray (Premier Guitar), June 2022
No store page for this one.
East Bay Ray: amps
Marshall
JCM 2000 DSL100
Has said they use
Marshall
JCM 2000 DSL100“a versatile sound with a good midrange, and it doesn't have too many knobs like the TSLs”
Said in Rig Rundown: Dead Kennedys' East Bay Ray (Premier Guitar), June 2022
No store page for this one.
Seen in Rig Rundown: Dead Kennedys' East Bay Ray (Premier Guitar), June 2022
No store page for this one.
Fender
Super Reverb (hot-rodded with an extra tube channel)
Has said they use
“Our first singles, like "Holiday in Cambodia" and "California Über Alles," and Fresh Fruit were recorded on a Fender Super Reverb.”
Said in Forgotten Heroes: East Bay Ray (Premier Guitar), July 2016
No store page for this one.
East Bay Ray: effects
Electro-Harmonix
LPB-1 Linear Power Booster
Has said they use
Electro-Harmonix
LPB-1 Linear Power BoosterSaid in Forgotten Heroes: East Bay Ray (Premier Guitar), July 2016
Maestro
Echoplex tape echo
Has said they use
Maestro
Echoplex tape echo“One of the tricks is to put the echo unit before the amp. Recording engineers don't like that.”
Said in Forgotten Heroes: East Bay Ray (Premier Guitar), July 2016
No store page for this one.
Line 6
DL4 Delay Modeler (analog with modulation setting)
Has said they use
“I use the analog-with-modulation setting.”
Said in Forgotten Heroes: East Bay Ray (Premier Guitar), July 2016
BOSS
CS-1 Compressor (used as a volume boost)
Has said they use
Said in Forgotten Heroes: East Bay Ray (Premier Guitar), July 2016
No store page for this one.
East Bay Ray: records that shaped him
Elvis Presley
Sun Sessions
Has said they love
Elvis Presley
Sun Sessions“that is one of the records that inspired me to get an Echoplex, to get that slapback echo”
Said in Forgotten Heroes: East Bay Ray (Premier Guitar), July 2016
No store page for this one.
Ohio Players
Ohio Players records
Has said they love
Ohio Players
Ohio Players recordsSaid in Forgotten Heroes: East Bay Ray (Premier Guitar), July 2016
No store page for this one.
Pink Floyd
Early Pink Floyd with Syd Barrett
Has said they love
Pink Floyd
Early Pink Floyd with Syd Barrett“I love the psychedelic stuff like Syd Barrett in the early Pink Floyd.”
Said in Forgotten Heroes: East Bay Ray (Premier Guitar), July 2016
No store page for this one.
Questions
About Dead Kennedys's gear.
What guitar does East Bay Ray play?
He toured in 2022 with a single Schecter S-1 and usually swaps in Seymour Duncan '59 and JB humbuckers. He has said his classic Dead Kennedys tones came from Fender Stratocasters and a Telecaster-style guitar with a bridge humbucker.
What amp does East Bay Ray use?
A Marshall JCM 2000 DSL100 on tour, after a Marshall JMP. He has said the first singles and Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables were recorded on a Fender Super Reverb.
What delay does East Bay Ray use?
He has said he ran a Line 6 DL4 on the analog-with-modulation setting, placed before the amp, as his replacement for the Maestro Echoplex he toured with in the band's early years.
What records influenced East Bay Ray?
He has said Elvis Presley's Sun Sessions inspired him to get an Echoplex for slapback echo, and he has named the Ohio Players and early Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd.
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DK
Dead Kennedys
About this guide · Last checked
Dead Kennedys are the San Francisco punk band co-founded by guitarist East Bay Ray in 1978. This guide covers East Bay Ray's guitars, Marshall amps, echo setup and the records he credits, from Premier Guitar's 2016 interview and 2022 Rig Rundown; we found no gear lists for the other members.
truerecs put this guide together from public videos, interviews and posts. Each item says how we know and links to the source. Dead Kennedys didn't write it or choose anything on it. How we source gear guides.
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