Arctic Monkeys Guitar Rig - Instruments, Amps & Pedals

Described by NME as "our generation's most important band" Arctic Monkeys bust onto the scene in 2006, with the UK's fastest-selling debut album of all time. Each one of their 6 albums to date have reached no.1 in the UK, in large part to the lyrical genius and catchy riffs of front-man, Alex Turner. As a band they have gone through several iterations and sounds, each time with different gear, let's take a look.

Guitars

The frantic, in-your-face sound of the early era of Artic Monkeys - circa Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not and Favourite Worst Nightmare, was played on a Fender Stratocaster. A young Alex Turner is almost synonymous with his white Strat. The fast strumming and primitive soloing cut through the mix with the bright attack offered by the single-coil bridge pickup.

The Humbug and Suck It And See years were a transitional period for the Arctic Monkeys. Recorded in California, and produced by Queens of the Stone Age's Josh Homme, the band embraced heavier stoner rock. During this time, Turner primarily played a Fender Jazzmaster, with a richer, fuller sound than a Strat.

By AM, Turner had traded Adidas T-Shirts and Fender Strats for leather jackets and a black Gibson Les Paul Custom. He is often also seen wielding a Vox 12-String or a black Gretsch Double Jet.

Amps

Both Turner and rhythm guitarist Jamie Cook have always favoured EL84 loaded British Amps. The the early years they used a combination of Vox AC30s and Orange AD30s. For many years the foundation of Turner's sound has been a Vox AC30 or a vintage Selmer Amp with a similarly bright tone and creamy overdrive. He is also a fan of Bad Cat Amps, for that souped-up boutique Vox-esque sound.

Effects

Turner's pedalboard has always been fairly minimal. In the early days he would rely almost solely on an Ibanez Tube Screamer, MXR Micro Amp boost and an Electro-Harmonix Holy Grail reverb. As the band expanded sonically he has introduced the likes of the ProCo Rat distortion, Boss Digital Delay, Fulltone Deja Vibe and Electro-Harmonix POG to add more texture to his tone. But he has always relied heavily on his guitar and amp alone to achieve his core tone.