Medeski Martin & Wood

From Geartome

John Medeski

• Hammond B-3: as of 1996, he was using a 1970 B-3 into a woodcarved Leslie 147 (w/ diffusers removed), with a Leslie speed control switch pedal under his left foot, and an expression pedal under his right. The '70 B-3 had a broken D on the lower manual, and a few broken drawbar handles. In 2005, he was running his B-3 into a Leslie 117.
• Hammond A-100: Apparently, this was or is his current main Hammond. It was his main organ sometime around 2007.
• Hohner Clavinet D6: For years, he's consistently run his Clavinet into a wah-wah pedal, and more recently, a Roland Space Echo, and finally, a 1953 Fender Bassman amp (he used a Super Reverb in the late 1990s).
• Wurlitzer 145 electric piano: Into a 1957 Fender Tremolux, as of 2005. (In the late '90s, he ran it along with his Pianet into a Twin Reverb.)
• Mellotron: Into a 1968 Fender Pro Silverface, as of 2005.
• Yamaha CS-1 synthesizer: On top of his clavinet in the late '90s. Not sure if he still uses this.
• Yamaha CS-80 synthesizer: Reported in an Electronic Musician article, circa 2005.
• Steinway acoustic piano: His exclusive acoustic piano (he endorses Steinway).
• Moog Voyager: As of 2005, he was using this synth into a 1950s Kay 703 guitar amp.
• Hohner Pianet: Into a Twin Reverb, circa late 1990s.
• ARP String Ensemble
• various effects pedals on the non-Hammond gear, including:
  • Moogerfooger analog delay
  • Moogerfooger ring modulator
  • vintage Maestro phaser (circa 1996)
• Wurlitzer 7300 combo organ
• various melodicas including:
  • Suzuki pro-model melodica
  • Suzuki bass melodica
  • Suzuki Andes-25
  • Sound Electra Mylodica
  • old Hohner metal melodica
  • numerous others

Billy Martin

As of 2007, Martin was using a Rogers Tower kit, a student line that Rogers put in the 1960s. His Tower kit has single-lug toms and a red onyx finish. He uses the six-lug Rogers Luxor snare that was Rogers shipped with the Tower kit, and also plays a wooden Powertone snare. He also plays a Rogers Holiday kit, though it is not known if he uses it live -- as of 2005, he was using it for practice/teaching, with an old Jamaican Jamaican Nayabinghi drum for his bass. As of 2007, he was also using a battered 1950s Zildjian ride.

Chris Wood

His main uprights circa 2008 were a Czech-Ease 3/4 and a "1920 German bass". He's typically always used P-Basses as his electrics, but has also used custom CB basses (see the 'Chris Wood' section of the CB Basses website).

For pickups, he uses a Gage Realist and an Underwood, mixed together live (circa 2007) (though he may or may not have used the Realist before or after; he certainly uses the Underwood live). When he records, he uses the Realist in a direct signal in combination with a microphone (as he says the Realist has a "more natural, mic-like sound"). He generally plays through old tube amps; typically, an Ampeg B15 for his upright and an SVT for his electrics. He favors Pirastro Olive strings (gut core/chrome wrap) on his uprights, and D'Addario XL nickels (.050) on his P-basses.

In 2008, he was a using a SansAmp BDDI with his SVT for his electrics, for crunchier sounds.

By 2009, he was endorsing Gallien-Krueger, and was at one point using the MB2 500 & a Neo-112 for his upright, and the the Fusion & a Neo 4x10 for his electrics. He's also been seen with the fairly new MB210 combo.

In late 2009, he was seen using a GK800/Hartke cab rig with his upright, and his traditional SVT for his electrics. In 2010, he was seen using a GK MB-2 with a single MB-112 for his upright, and the SVT with the electrics (with some sort of booster pedal, most likely still the BDDI, for his crunchier sound).