Some of Steve Harris' gear (for funnsies)

[Huffer777]

Kinda random but i thought id share..


'70 precision blue sparkle bass
'59 precision black and white checkered bass
'82 precision cherry wood stain bass
1 LADO Steve Harris model Unicorn
1 LADO super falcon
2 Ibanez Roadstar danelectro longhorn
rotosound jazz bass strings (flatwood standarg gauge)
3 NADY 700 wireless recievers+5 transmitter, external antenna
Peter Cornish switching network
4 Alecteron Preamps
3 dbx 160 compressors
6 RSD 800 BC amps, 2 x 400 watt EA
8 marshall 4 x 12 cabinets with electrovoice
EVM 12 - L speakers
3 Korg tuners

[René_Julien]

What exact compressor is he using?

DBX 160 ... (?) A - XL - SL ?


Also, I thought he also used, or used to use, a BOSS CS-1 (or CS-2).

Does anyone know about this?
Thanks, I'd like to know as a big Steve Harris fan.

[username n/a]

Here's his rig from the recording of AMOLAD.

[Colonel_Claypoo]

jupp, haven't figured out much more since, except for the silver coloured unit to be the pete cornish (s)wichting network.
also, i suspect that the unit below to be his electron hiwatt copy.
i know that he has a second rack case live with more stuff in it so it's always guess work.

i don't think steve uses a boss cs-1 or 2 because his classic dbx does the job.

[René_Julien]

Originally Posted by username n/a

Here's his rig from the recording of AMOLAD.

So is that the first compressor in the DBX160 series?
The very first from the 70s?

Thanks for the pic.

[Thunder_Fingers]

And this gear list is from the 80's...

How do I know?
BLUE SPARKLE precision.

And he have a legion of P basses, of the last tours I have sen pics of the main White one, whom have been White - black - blue and now white with westham logo), A red one and a blue one with a sort of crackled finish.

But ampwise I remember that he said a while ago that he had gone back to his old sound, so most probaly is the preamp there the Electron Hiwatt clone. In the 90's he had Trace Elliot.

[Colonel_Claypoo]

Originally Posted by C'thulhu

So is that the first compressor in the DBX160 series?
The very first from the 70s?

Thanks for the pic.

jepp that's the holy grail!

[René_Julien]

Originally Posted by Thunder_Fingers

In the 90's he had Trace Elliot.

Are you sure about that?
I never saw that.

You mean a TE preamp I assume, which type?

Thanks for the info.

[KeithPas]

Steve Harris is an amazing player and I love his tone but he needs all that stuff to get his sound?

[René_Julien]

Originally Posted by KeithPas

Steve Harris is an amazing player and I love his tone but he needs all that stuff to get his sound?

No, he needs that to play gigs in front of thousands of metalheads every week.


If you are a bassist at that level you're going to need a truck of two full of power equipment to get the job done.
It's Iron Maiden, not a band that plays in pubs and community centers.

But all that would be nothing without his amazing talent, his fingers, and his precision basses.

[Thunder_Fingers]

Originally Posted by C'thulhu

Are you sure about that?
I never saw that.

You mean a TE preamp I assume, which type?

Thanks for the info.

Yeah, I mean preamp
Its on his gearlist from the X factor tour, wich is something like this:
4 Fender Precision bass guitars with mirrored scratchplates, Badass II bridges and Seymour Duncan custom SPB1 pick-ups
4 Sony WRT 27 wireless transmitters
2 Raycom/Sony WRR 37 receivers
Peter Cornish custom switching system
Trace Elliot GP12X pre-amps
1 DBX 160 compressor
2 C-audio FR707 amplifiers
8 Custom Marshall 4x12" cabinets fitted with EVM 12L speaker3 Korg WT-12 tuners
Rotosound jazz bass monel flatwound strings, Heavy Gauge.
Spares: Electron preamps, Carver PM 1-5 and PM1200 power amps

[Nikoubis]

Originally Posted by Thunder_Fingers

And this gear list is from the 80's...

From the world slavery tour to be exact. It's in the "Live After Death" CD booklet.

[René_Julien]

Originally Posted by Thunder_Fingers

Yeah, I mean preamp
Its on his gearlist from the X factor tour, wich is something like this:
4 Fender Precision bass guitars with mirrored scratchplates, Badass II bridges and Seymour Duncan custom SPB1 pick-ups
4 Sony WRT 27 wireless transmitters
2 Raycom/Sony WRR 37 receivers
Peter Cornish custom switching system
Trace Elliot GP12X pre-amps
1 DBX 160 compressor
2 C-audio FR707 amplifiers
8 Custom Marshall 4x12" cabinets fitted with EVM 12L speaker3 Korg WT-12 tuners
Rotosound jazz bass monel flatwound strings, Heavy Gauge.
Spares: Electron preamps, Carver PM 1-5 and PM1200 power amps

Thanks again for sharing info on his gear.

I didn't knew he used TE (at some point).
I used to have a fine TE amp, I'm still kicking myself for selling it.
I had one with with 12b eq but I forgot the exact type.

Can someone explain the EQ setting on his amp.
He seems to cut one band rather extreme. Why's that?


I'm not a fanboy that wants to copy his gear, but I'm an übernerd who likes to know what gear the great old ones are using.

[khedspeth]

i'm in the process of building up a LPB Steve Harris replica. I thought he used the SPB-3 quarter pound pickups in his basses. I see you have him using custom SPB-1's. Is the custom part of his SPB-1's using the 1/4" magnets?

[Thunder_Fingers]

I just discovered a mistake, The C-Audio FR707, Is most probaly a SR707..

It seems like Steve does a Full treble/full bass eq and cuts the mids.

[Thunder_Fingers]

Originally Posted by khedspeth

i'm in the process of building up a LPB Steve Harris replica. I thought he used the SPB-3 quarter pound pickups in his basses. I see you have him using custom SPB-1's. Is the custom part of his SPB-1's using the 1/4" magnets?

Nop, the Custom SPB-1's are wired to be as close as possible to the original pickup that was in his main bass, So I kinda doubt that he ever used that SPB-3, I dont know why seymour Duncan claims it.

[René_Julien]

Originally Posted by Thunder_Fingers

Nop, the Custom SPB-1's are wired to be as close as possible to the original pickup that was in his main bass, So I kinda doubt that he ever used that SPB-3, I dont know why seymour Duncan claims it.

I thought the SPB-3 was inspired by the customized SPB-1.

On the SD website under players SD says that Steve uses custom SPB-1 pickups.

But on the page the page for the SPB-3 they say that Steve Harris uses this also.

I'm guessing the closest thing to Steve's custom SPB-1 is the stock SPB-3 rather than the stock SPB-1.

[/geekiness]

[Thunder_Fingers]

Just, No.

The custom shop one can be bought from SD, but It is pretty close to the Standard SPB-1...

I use a SPB-3 in my "copy". I like the sound and wanted to try it, so.. It works great in Melodic Death Metal (Yes, I play a P bass in Melodic Death Metal..)

[khedspeth]

i'm going to give the SPB-3's a shot in mine also. It sure does look like 1/4" magnets in white bass pictured above but then again my eyes ain't what they use to be.

[René_Julien]

Originally Posted by Thunder_Fingers

Just, No.

The custom shop one can be bought from SD, but It is pretty close to the Standard SPB-1...

Well, I'm going to take your word on it.
I'm no authority on this, I'm just a very inquisitive person.
Also, there is that rule never to challenge a Scandinavian in a metal discussion.

Originally Posted by Thunder_Fingers

I use a SPB-3 in my "copy". I like the sound and wanted to try it, so.. It works great in Melodic Death Metal (Yes, I play a P bass in Melodic Death Metal..)

I use a fretless precision for progressive/melodic metal. (at least I try to play that genre)
HA! I go one step beyond.

I don't know if I'm going to replace the standard pickups in my Tony Franklin with the SPB-3 I have laying around.