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Independent research by truerecs. Not affiliated with, endorsed or verified by The National. Every item links to its public source.
23 items · Last checked

What guitar does The National play?

Aaron Dessner has been seen using a 1963 Fender Jazzmaster into a 1959 Fender Champ and a 1979 Epiphone Sheraton, and has said a 1965 Gibson Firebird and a Teenage Engineering OP-1 are central to his work. Bryce Dessner has been seen with a 1963 Fender Jaguar, an Electro-Harmonix Memory Boy and a Fender Princeton Reverb.

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AllTop 5Aaron Dessner's rigLong Pond studioBryce Dessner's rigBryan Devendorf's drumsMatt Berninger's vocal chainRecords that shaped us
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What guitars The National uses: a sourced gear guide

Independent research by truerecs: every item links to the public source it comes from.

Aaron Dessner's rig

9 items

Long Pond studio

4 items

Bryce Dessner's rig

5 items

Bryan Devendorf's drums

2 items

Matt Berninger's vocal chain

1 item

Records that shaped us

2 items
Questions

About The National's gear.

What guitar does The National play?

The National has been seen using the Epiphone Sheraton (1979) (premierguitar.com, February 2011). The National has been seen using the Fender Jazzmaster (1963) (soundonsound.com, October 2017). The National has been seen using the Fender Telecaster (late 1960s) (soundonsound.com, October 2017).

What guitar does Aaron Dessner play?

Sound On Sound saw him on a 1963 Fender Jazzmaster and a late-'60s Telecaster for Sleep Well Beast, Premier Guitar on a 1979 Epiphone Sheraton, and he told Vintage King his main electric on Taylor Swift's records was a 1965 Gibson Non-Reverse Firebird.

What guitar does Bryce Dessner play?

Premier Guitar's 2011 feature lists a 1963 Fender Jaguar and a 1970 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe. Sound On Sound reported that on Sleep Well Beast he ran a Telecaster or a 1965 Firebird through an Electro-Harmonix Memory Boy into a Fender Princeton Reverb.

What synths does The National use?

Aaron Dessner has said he is wedded to his Teenage Engineering OP-1 and that a Korg MS-20 was key to Walk It Back. Sound On Sound also lists a Prophet-6, a Mellotron M4000D, a Vox Continental and a Fender Rhodes at Long Pond.

What mic does Matt Berninger sing into?

Aaron Dessner has said the band has used a Telefunken U47 on Berninger's vocals for a long time, usually into a Neve 1064 and a Lisson Grove compressor. At home he writes in GarageBand and records with a UAD Apollo and Pro Tools.

What drum machines does Bryan Devendorf use?

Engineer Jonathan Low told Sound On Sound that Devendorf is really fond of the Korg Volca Beats and that the band leaned on a Roland TR-8 a lot, alongside his 1960s Slingerland kit.

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The National
About this guide · Last checked

The National are the Cincinnati-formed band behind Boxer, High Violet, Sleep Well Beast and First Two Pages of Frankenstein: Matt Berninger, Aaron and Bryce Dessner, and Scott and Bryan Devendorf. This guide covers the Dessners' guitars, amps, pedals and synths, Bryan Devendorf's drums and drum machines, Berninger's vocal chain and Aaron's Long Pond studio, from Sound On Sound, Premier Guitar and Vintage King.

truerecs put this guide together from public videos, interviews and posts. Each item says how we know and links to the source. The National didn't write it or choose anything on it. How we source gear guides.

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