Top 5Seen using
Independent research by truerecs. Not affiliated with, endorsed or verified by Kurt Ballou. Every item links to its public source.
28 items · Last checked What guitar does Kurt Ballou play?
Kurt Ballou has been seen using his own God City Instruments Craftsman and Constructivist guitars on D'Addario NYXL strings. On tour with Converge he has run a Line 6 Helix into Quilter Overdrive 202 heads and Bad Cat 4x12s. At GodCity Studio he showed a Sparrows' Sons head, an Emperor 6x12 and AEA, Heil, Rode and sE mics.
Top 5
Where to start with Kurt Ballou's gear.
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Top 5Seen using
God City Instruments
God City Instruments Crimson CockSeen in Premier Guitar: Rig Rundown: Kurt Ballou, January 2021
No store page for this one.
03
Top 5Seen using
God City Instruments
God City Instruments Ape EyeSeen in Premier Guitar: Rig Rundown: Kurt Ballou, January 2021
No store page for this one.
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God City Instruments
God City Instruments Craftsman Series 1
Top 5Seen using
God City Instruments
God City Instruments Craftsman Series 1“It's a beautiful guitar that I just love to play.”
Seen in Premier Guitar: Converge Rig Rundown, July 2023
No store page for this one.
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God City Instruments
Constructivist
Top 5Seen using
God City Instruments
ConstructivistSeen in Premier Guitar: Converge Rig Rundown, July 2023
No store page for this one.
What gear Kurt Ballou uses: a sourced gear guide
Independent research by truerecs: every item links to the public source it comes from.
Guitars
God City Instruments
God City Instruments Craftsman Series 1“It's a beautiful guitar that I just love to play.”
Seen in Premier Guitar: Converge Rig Rundown, July 2023
No store page for this one.
God City Instruments
Constructivist
Seen using
God City Instruments
ConstructivistSeen in Premier Guitar: Converge Rig Rundown, July 2023
No store page for this one.
God City Instruments
God City Instruments Slug Jammer humbuckerSeen in Premier Guitar: Converge Rig Rundown, July 2023
No store page for this one.
God City Instruments
Soap Jammer humbuckersSeen in Premier Guitar: Converge Rig Rundown, July 2023
No store page for this one.
Graph Tech
Nut
Seen using
Seen in Premier Guitar: Converge Rig Rundown, July 2023
No store page for this one.
D'Addario
D'Addario Duragrip picks
Seen using
D'Addario
D'Addario Duragrip picksSeen in Premier Guitar: Converge Rig Rundown, July 2023
No store page for this one.
D'Addario
Planet Waves Duralin .70 mm picksSeen in Premier Guitar: Rig Rundown: Kurt Ballou, January 2021
No store page for this one.
Converge touring rig
Seen using
Quilter Labs
Quilter Labs Overdrive 202
Seen using
Quilter Labs
Quilter Labs Overdrive 202Seen in Premier Guitar: Converge Rig Rundown, July 2023
No store page for this one.
Bad Cat Amplifiers
Bad Cat 4x12 cabinets with Celestion Vintage 30sSeen in Premier Guitar: Converge Rig Rundown, July 2023
No store page for this one.
GodCity Studio: amps and mics
Sparrows Sons
Sparrows' Sons custom head
Seen using
Sparrows Sons
Sparrows' Sons custom headSeen in Premier Guitar: Rig Rundown: Kurt Ballou, January 2021
No store page for this one.
Emperor
Emperor 6x12 cabinet
Seen using
Emperor
Emperor 6x12 cabinetSeen in Premier Guitar: Rig Rundown: Kurt Ballou, January 2021
No store page for this one.
Eminence
Eminence Texas Heat speakers
Seen using
Eminence
Eminence Texas Heat speakersSeen in Premier Guitar: Rig Rundown: Kurt Ballou, January 2021
No store page for this one.
AEA
AEA N22 active ribbon mic
Seen using
Seen in Premier Guitar: Rig Rundown: Kurt Ballou, January 2021
No store page for this one.
Heil Sound
Heil Sound PR 30
Seen using
Heil Sound
Heil Sound PR 30Seen in Premier Guitar: Rig Rundown: Kurt Ballou, January 2021
No store page for this one.
RØDE
Rode Reporter
Seen using
RØDE
Rode ReporterSeen in Premier Guitar: Rig Rundown: Kurt Ballou, January 2021
No store page for this one.
sE Electronics
sE Electronics X1 D
Seen using
sE Electronics
sE Electronics X1 DSeen in Premier Guitar: Rig Rundown: Kurt Ballou, January 2021
No store page for this one.
Radial Engineering
SGI-TX
Seen using
Radial Engineering
SGI-TXSeen in Premier Guitar: Rig Rundown: Kurt Ballou, January 2021
No store page for this one.
Pedals
Demedash Effects
Demedash Effects T-120 Videotape Echo“This is one of the coolest analog delay pedals”
Seen in Premier Guitar: Rig Rundown: Kurt Ballou, January 2021
No store page for this one.
Shift-Line
Shift Line A+ Astronaut III
Seen using
Shift-Line
Shift Line A+ Astronaut IIISeen in Premier Guitar: Rig Rundown: Kurt Ballou, January 2021
No store page for this one.
God City Instruments
God City Instruments SBD (Super Beatle Distortion)Seen in Premier Guitar: Rig Rundown: Kurt Ballou, January 2021
No store page for this one.
God City Instruments
God City Instruments OGR (Optical Gain Reduction)Seen in Premier Guitar: Rig Rundown: Kurt Ballou, January 2021
No store page for this one.
Seen using
God City Instruments
God City Instruments Crimson CockSeen in Premier Guitar: Rig Rundown: Kurt Ballou, January 2021
No store page for this one.
Seen using
God City Instruments
God City Instruments Ape EyeSeen in Premier Guitar: Rig Rundown: Kurt Ballou, January 2021
No store page for this one.
Foxrox Electronics
Foxrox Electronics Octron2Seen in Premier Guitar: Rig Rundown: Kurt Ballou, January 2021
No store page for this one.
Jugendstil
Jugendstil silicon fuzz
Seen using
Jugendstil
Jugendstil silicon fuzzSeen in Premier Guitar: Rig Rundown: Kurt Ballou, January 2021
No store page for this one.
Truetone
Truetone 1 Spot Pro CS7
Seen using
Truetone
Truetone 1 Spot Pro CS7Seen in Premier Guitar: Rig Rundown: Kurt Ballou, January 2021
No store page for this one.
Questions
About Kurt Ballou's gear.
What guitar does Kurt Ballou play?
His own God City Instruments models. Premier Guitar showed his single-pickup GCI Craftsman, which he said gets the most use for writing and recording Converge, and a GCI Constructivist with Soap Jammer humbuckers on the 2023 tour.
What amp does Kurt Ballou use live?
On Converge's 2023 headlining run he ran a Line 6 Helix in stompbox mode into a pair of Quilter Overdrive 202 heads powering Bad Cat 4x12s with Celestion Vintage 30s.
What microphones does Kurt Ballou use on guitar amps?
In his 2021 Rig Rundown at GodCity Studio he miked his cab with an AEA N22 ribbon, a Heil Sound PR 30, a Rode Reporter and an sE Electronics X1 D.
What pedals does Kurt Ballou use?
His 2021 studio board held a Demedash T-120 Videotape Echo, Shift Line Astronaut III, GCI Super Beatle Distortion, OGR compressor, Crimson Cock and Ape Eye, a Foxrox Octron2 and a Jugendstil fuzz, powered by a Truetone 1 Spot Pro CS7.
What strings does Kurt Ballou use?
He told Premier Guitar he has used D'Addario strings for over 20 years and NYXLs since they came out, currently the .011 to .056 set, with D'Addario Duralin or Duragrip picks.
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KB
Kurt Ballou
About this guide · Last checked
Kurt Ballou is the Converge guitarist and the producer behind GodCity Studio in Salem, Massachusetts, as well as the founder of God City Instruments. This guide covers his guitars, his Line 6 Helix touring rig, his studio amp and pedals and the mics he showed at GodCity.
truerecs put this guide together from public videos, interviews and posts. Each item says how we know and links to the source. Kurt Ballou didn't write it or choose anything on it. How we source gear guides.
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Claim this pagetruerecs gear guides are independent research from public sources, not made or approved by the artist. Store buttons on this page may be affiliate links: truerecs may earn a commission when you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. Kurt Ballou isn't paid for them. Report an error or ask for removal. Full disclosure.