“I've also got one of those Squier J Mascis Jazzmasters”
What guitar does Stephen McBean play?
Stephen McBean has said he played a '77 Les Paul Standard, a 1976 Les Paul Custom, an '87 SG and a Squier J Mascis Jazzmaster. His amps have included a '73 Marshall Super Bass, Hiwatts and Fender Twin and Super Reverb combos, with a Boss SD-1, a Swindle and an Echoplex.
Shop Stephen McBean's setup.
Where to start with Stephen McBean's gear.
What guitars Stephen McBean uses: a sourced gear guide
Independent research by truerecs: every item links to the public source it comes from.
Guitars
“I have a '77 Les Paul Standard that I used a bit.”
“There was a '50s Les Paul Special with P-90s that I used a fair bit.”
“I have a 1976 Gibson Les Paul Custom, with the blonde natural wood finish”
“I've got an '87 Gibson SG that's kind of a '61 reissue”
“I've also got one of those Squier J Mascis Jazzmasters”
Pickups
Amps
“I had my '73 Marshall Super Bass”
“I also have a really weird, broken-down '70s Fender Twin that's got a whole bunch of ghosts in it”
Pedals
“I'll always love the Boss [SD-1] Super OverDrive”
“I also really like the Maestro Echoplex.”
Studio
Strings and picks
About Stephen McBean's gear.
What guitar does Stephen McBean play?
He has said his main live Les Paul was a '77 Standard with Sheptone Heartbreaker pickups. He has also named a 1976 Les Paul Custom, an '87 Gibson SG, a '50s Les Paul Special and a Squier J Mascis Jazzmaster.
What amp does Stephen McBean use?
He has said he ran a '73 Marshall Super Bass and Hiwatt heads, plus '70s Fender Twin and Super Reverb combos, Fender Champs and a 1966 Supro Thunderbolt in the studio.
What pedals does Stephen McBean use?
He has named the Boss SD-1 Super OverDrive, a Union Tube & Transistor Swindle, a Fulltone Soul-Bender, a Diamond Memory Lane Jr., a DOD Phasor 201, a Vox Clyde McCoy wah and a Maestro Echoplex.
What strings does Stephen McBean use?
Premier Guitar's 2016 gear list named D'Addario .010-.046 strings and Dunlop Nylon picks in .60 mm or .73 mm.
Stephen McBean leads Vancouver psych-rock band Black Mountain and also fronts Pink Mountaintops. This guide covers his Gibsons, vintage amps and pedals from Premier Guitar and Guitar.com interviews. Social links point to Black Mountain's official accounts.
truerecs put this guide together from public videos, interviews and posts. Each item says how we know and links to the source. Stephen McBean didn't write it or choose anything on it. How we source gear guides.
Report an error or ask for removal. We fix or remove within 72 hours. You don't need to sign up.
Claim this page to make it yours: verify with your Instagram, TikTok or YouTube, keep what's right, drop what isn't, and add your own.
Claim this page








