Top 5Seen using
Fender
Duo-SonicSeen in Mixdown: Gear Rundown, Talking Heads' Speaking In Tongues, March 2023
t
Independent research by truerecs. Not affiliated with, endorsed or verified by Talking Heads. Every item links to its public source.
27 items · Last checked What gear does Talking Heads use?
David Byrne has been seen with a Fender Duo-Sonic, sunburst Stratocasters, a Martin D-35 and a Roland JC-120, and Tina Weymouth with a Hofner 500/2 Club Bass and a Fender Mustang Bass. Jerry Harrison has said he played a Prophet-5, an E-mu Emulator II, Yamaha DX7s and a TX816 rack.
In stores now
Shop Talking Heads's setup.
Top 5
Where to start with Talking Heads's gear.
01
02
Top 5Seen using
Fender
StratocasterSeen in Mixdown: Gear Rundown, Talking Heads' Speaking In Tongues, March 2023
03
Top 5Seen using
Martin
D-35Seen in Mixdown: Gear Rundown, Talking Heads' Speaking In Tongues, March 2023
04
Top 5Seen using
Roland
JC-120 Jazz ChorusSeen in Mixdown: Gear Rundown, Talking Heads' Speaking In Tongues, March 2023
05
Top 5Seen using
BOSS
DM-2 DelaySeen in Mixdown: Gear Rundown, Talking Heads' Speaking In Tongues, March 2023
What gear Talking Heads uses: a sourced gear guide
Independent research by truerecs: every item links to the public source it comes from.
David Byrne's rig
Seen using
Fender
Duo-SonicSeen in Mixdown: Gear Rundown, Talking Heads' Speaking In Tongues, March 2023
Find it on
Seen using
Fender
StratocasterSeen in Mixdown: Gear Rundown, Talking Heads' Speaking In Tongues, March 2023
Seen using
Martin
D-35Seen in Mixdown: Gear Rundown, Talking Heads' Speaking In Tongues, March 2023
Seen using
Roland
JC-120 Jazz ChorusSeen in Mixdown: Gear Rundown, Talking Heads' Speaking In Tongues, March 2023
Seen using
BOSS
DM-2 DelaySeen in Mixdown: Gear Rundown, Talking Heads' Speaking In Tongues, March 2023
Seen using
BOSS
BF-2 FlangerSeen in Mixdown: Gear Rundown, Talking Heads' Speaking In Tongues, March 2023
Seen using
MXR
Distortion+Seen in Mixdown: Gear Rundown, Talking Heads' Speaking In Tongues, March 2023
Seen using
Tina Weymouth's rig
Seen using
Höfner
500/2 Club BassSeen in Mixdown: Gear Rundown, Talking Heads' Speaking In Tongues, March 2023
Seen using
Fender
Mustang BassSeen in Mixdown: Gear Rundown, Talking Heads' Speaking In Tongues, March 2023
Jerry Harrison's rig
Has said they use
Sequential
Prophet-5“When I was looking for a synthesiser I was directed towards the Prophet 5, which was new then.”
Said in Music Technology: True Stories (Jerry Harrison), December 1986
Has said they use
E-mu
Emulator II“ON THE SUBJECT of equipment, Harrison has gravitated through the use of sampling to the Emulator II.”
Said in Music Technology: True Stories (Jerry Harrison), December 1986
No store page for this one.
Has said they use
Yamaha
DX7“As for the DX7s, those are just amazing for the money.”
Said in One Two Testing: Talking Sense (Jerry Harrison), March 1985
Has said they use
Yamaha
TX816“Now I'm using a TX816 rack, but before I was using two DX7s.”
Said in Music Technology: True Stories (Jerry Harrison), December 1986
No store page for this one.
Records that shaped Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth
Has said they love
The Stooges
The Stooges“The interweaving of the parts was just brilliant.”
Said in The Quietus: Genius Of Lovers, Tom Tom Club's Favourite Albums, February 2013
Has said they love
Kraftwerk
Autobahn“So the song, this great, very long song, played the entire time we were in the bar and it made a big impression on us.”
Said in The Quietus: Genius Of Lovers, Tom Tom Club's Favourite Albums, February 2013
Has said they love
The J.B.'s
Doing It To Death“There are so many great James Brown albums but this one is nice because James isn’t even on it!”
Said in The Quietus: Genius Of Lovers, Tom Tom Club's Favourite Albums, February 2013
Has said they love
Booker T. & the M.G.'s
Green Onions“It was just a real cool jam.”
Said in The Quietus: Genius Of Lovers, Tom Tom Club's Favourite Albums, February 2013
Has said they love
The Beach Boys
Pet Sounds“It’s one of those things that everybody can agree on, music that’s adventurous for its time and the vocals and harmonies are beautiful.”
Said in The Quietus: Genius Of Lovers, Tom Tom Club's Favourite Albums, February 2013
Has said they love
Various Artists
The Harder They Come“That was our intro to reggae music.”
Said in The Quietus: Genius Of Lovers, Tom Tom Club's Favourite Albums, February 2013
Has said they love
The Upsetters
Super ApeSaid in The Quietus: Genius Of Lovers, Tom Tom Club's Favourite Albums, February 2013
Has said they love
Michael Jackson
Off The Wall“It’s just a perfect dance song.”
Said in The Quietus: Genius Of Lovers, Tom Tom Club's Favourite Albums, February 2013
Has said they love
“CBGB was like Nuggets come to life.”
Said in The Quietus: Genius Of Lovers, Tom Tom Club's Favourite Albums, February 2013
Has said they love
Beau Jocque & The Zydeco Hi-Rollers
Classics“That music is a thing unto itself.”
Said in The Quietus: Genius Of Lovers, Tom Tom Club's Favourite Albums, February 2013
Has said they love
Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
Going To A Go-Go“It was one thing that Tina and I could agree on musically with great enthusiasm when we first met.”
Said in The Quietus: Genius Of Lovers, Tom Tom Club's Favourite Albums, February 2013
Has said they love
The Velvet Underground
Loaded“The chord progressions in those two songs in the guitar introduction were wonderful and very moving.”
Said in The Quietus: Genius Of Lovers, Tom Tom Club's Favourite Albums, February 2013
Has said they love
Al Green
I'm Still In Love With You“Everybody loves Al Green.”
Said in The Quietus: Genius Of Lovers, Tom Tom Club's Favourite Albums, February 2013
Questions
About Talking Heads's gear.
What guitars did David Byrne play?
Mixdown lists a Fender Duo-Sonic with a humbucker added at the bridge, sunburst Stratocasters from around 1962-63 and a Martin D-35 acoustic heard on Speaking In Tongues.
What bass did Tina Weymouth play?
Mixdown spots her with a hollow body Hofner 500/2 Club Bass, and says she frequently played a red Fender Mustang Bass live.
What pedals did David Byrne use in Stop Making Sense?
Mixdown names a Boss DM-2 analogue delay, a Boss BF-2 flanger and an MXR Distortion +. His live sound technician also ran a Roland RE-501 Chorus Echo.
What keyboards did Jerry Harrison play?
He told Music Technology in 1986 that his first synth was a Prophet 5, that he had moved to the Emulator II for sampling, and that he was using a TX816 rack after two DX7s.
What records inspired Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth?
For The Quietus in 2013 they picked 13 albums, including The Stooges, Kraftwerk's Autobahn, Pet Sounds, Lee Perry's Super Ape, Off The Wall, Nuggets, the Velvet Underground's Loaded and Al Green's I'm Still In Love With You.
Related gear guides
Setups that share gear with Talking Heads.
Dire Straits
Classic rock
108 itemsSee Dire Straits's gear →
Tears For Fears
29 itemsSee Tears For Fears's gear →
Chromeo
Disco, nu-disco and French house
72 itemsSee Chromeo's gear →
Air
Downtempo
55 itemsSee Air's gear →
Junkie XL
Breakbeat and UK bass
50 itemsSee Junkie XL's gear →
Men I Trust
Indie pop
20 itemsSee Men I Trust's gear →
Named in this guide
TH
Talking Heads
About this guide · Last checked
Talking Heads are the New York band of David Byrne, Tina Weymouth, Chris Frantz and Jerry Harrison. This guide covers the guitars, basses, amps and pedals from Mixdown's Speaking In Tongues rundown, the synths and samplers Jerry Harrison talked through in 1980s keyboard magazine interviews, and the 13 records Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth picked for The Quietus.
truerecs put this guide together from public videos, interviews and posts. Each item says how we know and links to the source. Talking Heads 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.
Are you Talking Heads?
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 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. Talking Heads isn't paid for them. Report an error or ask for removal. Full disclosure.