Richie Kotzen's equipment: Amps, guitars, effects

Richie Kotzen is a guitarist/singer born in Pennsylvania, USA in 1970. He started playing piano at the age of 5 and guitar at the age of 7, and showed early talent in his teens.

Before he turned 18, he had toured the US and played over 500 gigs opening for such big names as the Fabulous Thunderbirds and Gregg Allman.

At the age of 19, he made his debut on Shrapnel Records and attracted attention by appearing on the cover of a guitar magazine. At the age of 20, he joined the glam metal band Poison, and breathed fresh air into the band by writing and playing on the 1993 album Native Tongue.

However, due to troubles in his personal life, he left Poison. After that, he focused on his solo career and released albums in a wide range of genres, from rock to soul to blues. In 1999, he joined the legendary jazz bassist Stanley Clarke's project "Vertú" and demonstrated his talent in the fusion genre.

Also in 1999, he was invited by Billy Sheehan to join MR. BIG when they replaced their guitarist. Kotzen's first album after joining the band, "Get Over It," sold over 2 copies in the first two weeks after its release in Japan, and the band also had a successful tour of Asia.

After MR. BIG disbanded, he continued his solo career and in 2012 formed the super trio "The Winery Dogs" with drummer Mike Portnoy and bassist Billy Sheehan.

Since then, he has gained worldwide acclaim as the band's frontman (vocals and guitar), and has frequently performed in Japan. Kotzen's playing style has gradually changed from the fast, technical style he played early in his career to one with a strong influence from blues, funk, and R&B.

Another major characteristic of his guitar playing is that, inspired by Jeff Beck, he abandoned the pick and established an expressive style of guitar playing using his fingers.

In addition to his outstanding guitar technique, he is also a multi-instrumentalist who sings lead vocals and can also play bass, drums, and piano.

In his songs, he places emphasis on melody and groove over virtuoso technique, and exudes a one-of-a-kind presence with his soulful singing voice and phrases that fly freely across the fretboard.

When talking about Kotzen, the first thing that comes to mind is his signature Fender Telecaster, which was originally developed as a Japan-only model but has since become so popular that it is now available worldwide.
This Telecaster features a beautiful flame maple top, bound ash body and gold parts that stand out, making it a simple yet luxurious guitar.

The biggest feature of this guitar is the extra thick neck. Because Kotzen has large hands, a large "C-shaped" neck is used, which is comfortable to hold.
(The neck is so thick that even the store clerk who tried it out was surprised.)

The fingerboard is made of maple with a 12-inch flat radius and 22 jumbo frets, allowing for smooth choking and fast playing. The pickups are made by DiMarzio, with a single-coil Twang King on the front and a single-sized humbucker Chopper T on the bridge.

This combination covers a wide range of tones from the Telecaster's distinctive clean tone to thick, driven lead tones. The tone knob is a push switch, and by switching the wiring of the two pickups from parallel to series, it is also possible to produce a thick, pseudo-humbucker-like sound.

In addition, the volume knob is equipped with an on-board tuner from N-Tune (an illuminated tuner built into the center of the knob), allowing you to instantly check the tuning by pulling the knob even on stage.

Kotzen has used this Telecaster as his main guitar for many years, and it is a perfect companion for a variety of playing styles that transcend genres.

The ability to switch between single coil and humbucker-like sounds makes it a versatile guitar that can handle everything from clean cuts to distorted leads.

Even during live performances, he often uses this Telecaster throughout the entire performance, and combined with the thick attack that can only be achieved by playing with his fingers, it produces a tone with a strong presence.

It can be said to be the ultimate Telecaster, incorporating only the features you want in a simple structure.

The Richie Kotzen Stratocaster, made by Fender Japan, is available in two vibrant finishes: "See-through White Burst," a blurred Olympic White, and "Transparent Red Burst," which lets the wood grain show through.

The body is made of ash wood with a thin flame maple top, just like the Telecaster, and the beautiful grain and unique coloring are eye-catching. The basic specifications also have many things in common with the Telecaster model, and it has modern playability such as a thick maple neck (thick C shape), 12-inch radius fingerboard, and 22 jumbo frets.

The pickups are three DiMarzio single coils in an SSS configuration rather than an SSH, and the model is custom voiced to meet Kotzen's requests.

Despite its vintage-like appearance, it has a high output and low noise design, and is powerful enough to withstand hard rock and fusion lead playing.

The bridge is equipped with a two-point synchronized tremolo, allowing for delicate arm movements. The exterior features include gold hardware and a pearloid pickguard, giving it a luxurious and flashy look.

Although the Stratocaster does not appear as frequently as the Telecaster, it is used as needed for live performances and recordings. For example, the Stratocaster is sometimes chosen for ballads where vibrato or arm expression is desired.

The slightly milder and more brilliant single coil tone than the Telecaster matches Kotzen's soulful vocals, and covers everything from clean to crunch rhythm tones to sharp leads. The neck is thick and firm to the touch, just like the Telecaster, so it also has a common feature of producing a thick, stable sound.

In recent years, this signature Stratocaster has returned from being a Japan-only exclusive to now be available worldwide, making it a coveted model for fans on par with the Telecaster.

The amp that Richie Kotzen currently uses as his main amp is made by a British boutique amp manufacturer. Victory A signature model developed in collaboration with "RK50" ヘッドです。

The output is 50W, but it can be reduced to 9W by switching it on. The biggest feature is the Simple 1-channel configurationIt is an extremely practical design that leaves no room for confusion when creating sound.

The operation knobs are minimal, with only three controls: Gain (distortion), Tone (tone), and Master (volume), but they can be switched with a foot switch. Boost Circuit It also has a built-in gain boost, allowing you to push the gain one step further for lead tones. Digital Reverb と Tremolo Circuit It also comes equipped with a simple yet powerful spatial effect.

Kotzen himself describes the RK50 as "an amp that lets you freely control everything from clean to lead just by using the guitar volume."High responsiveness to picking nuances and guitar volumeThis is the true value of this amp. It is not a tool that creates sound with an amp, but rather a tool that lets you control sound with your fingertips.

The RK50 was released around 2018 and has been used as the main amplifier on Kotzen's tours ever since. It was designed by a man who has been a close friend of Kotzen since his Cornford days. Martin KiddThe fusion of his amp design sense and Kotzen's player perspective has resulted in a finished product that pursues an essential tone with no unnecessary elements.

At the live performance, Victory 2x12" or 4x12" cabinets Used in combination with. The drive sound is based on a rich midrange typical of British style, but by turning down the guitar volume, the transition from clean to crunch is very smooth. An amplifier that captures Kotzen's dynamic expressiveness .

The RK50 is packed with simplicity and functionality that responds honestly to the player's "hands." It is the ideal model for guitarists who want to control the sound with their own playing, rather than leaving it up to the amp.

When talking about Richie Kotzen's sound,Marshall amps are essentialBefore he started using the Victory RK50 as his main amp, he had been using a Marshall 100W "Plexi" amp head for a long time.

Specifically, its activities include:The guitars are reissues of the Marshall 1959SLP (Super Lead Plexi) and hand-wired reproductions. They are fully stacked with two 4x12-inch cabinets (equipped with 30W speakers).They had created a spectacular setup that would play the sound of the speakers.

What emerges from this setting isExtremely thick and rough, the "classic hard rock tone"The mid-range sound that is characteristic of Marshall firmly supports Kotzen's tight, powerful riffs and sharp, sustained lead tones.

Characteristic isNatural drive by directly connecting to an amplifierHow to make it. Kotzen turned up the volume of his amplifier almost to full, and obtained a natural overdrive by saturating the vacuum tube.Finely adjust the guitar volume knobHe has a very "old school" approach, freely controlling everything from clean to crunch to lead.

"Start with the volume turned all the way up to create a lead sound, then turn the volume down to find the sweet spot that's perfect for rhythm playing."
This is exactly,A setting philosophy that comes to life precisely because of the simple amplifierThis is a way of using it that makes the most of the Marshall brand's distinctive "responsiveness that allows the player to become one with the guitar."

In addition, the Marshall head used by KotzenModifications for phantom powerIt has been customized to supply power to the RK5 multi-effects unit (described below). By optimizing the settings for his own equipment configuration, he was able to operate the system quickly and stably even on tour.

There are still situations where you need to use a Marshall amp. For example, you can't bring in a Victory amp.Overseas festivals and festivalsIn such cases,Used a rented Marshall JCM800 head and overdrive pedalHe himself says that he does this sometimes.

Despite this flexible response,The essence of Marshall is always at the root of Kotzen's sound creation.From vintage to modern, times and equipment change, but at the core of it all is his commitment to "pure tube tone" and his philosophy as a player that emphasizes simple yet dynamic expression.

Before the Victory, there was another signature amp named after Kotzen. That was the RK100 head made by Cornford in the UK. This model was released in the early 2000s, and its single-channel design with 100W output was a concept that was also shared by the later Victory RK50.

Cornford is a handmade boutique amplifier manufacturer, the same brand that Martin Kidd was a member of. Kotzen used this RK100 and a Cornford 4x12 cabinet (equipped with a Celestion Vintage 30 speaker) on tour, and at one point used it as his main amplifier instead of a Marshall.

In terms of sound, the appeal was in the lead tones that combined the solidity of a Marshall with the compression and fineness that is unique to Cornford. Since Kotzen had been creating distortion directly from the amp without relying on foot effects even back then, the thick distortion sound of the RK100 was ideal.

Unfortunately, Cornford has already discontinued the brand, and the RK100 is currently difficult to obtain, but for Kotzen, the RK50, a collaboration with Victory, can be seen as a modern reincarnation of the RK100.

Richie Kotzen is a guitarist who has always followed the philosophy of "playing simply with the amp directly, without relying on foot effects as much as possible." However, there is one multi-effects pedal that he has been deeply involved in and was involved in from the development stage onwards. That pedal is the Tech 21 Fly Rig series signature model "RK5."

The first model of the RK5 was released around 2015.A design that condenses the essence of Kotzen's sound into just one pedalIt contains all the elements you need for live performances, recording and touring.

The unit includes the "OMG" overdrive circuit that reproduces his distortion sound,Boost, delay, reverb and SansAmp amp simulatorAmazingly, all of this fits into a palm-sized case.Clear signal transmission without degradation of sound qualityThis is the most noteworthy point.

Kotzen frequently uses the RK5 on tour, mainly connecting it to the effects loop of his amp.Delay and reverb can be turned on/off for different purposesTap the tempo to match the song.Fine-tune the settings to suit the nuances of each songApparently, this does happen sometimes.

One of the reasons he highly values ​​the RK5 is"Transparency to the original sound"The sound does not get thinned at all when it goes through this pedal, and picking nuances and dynamics are output as they are, so I love its high reliability, that there is no difference in sound whether it goes through or not. As a pedal that does not "thin out the sound," it is designed to be used safely even in professional settings.

In 2019, the Fly Rig RK5 Version 5 was released, further improving on the original RK2. Version 2 includes the following new features:

• Rotary Speaker Mode(Leslie-like shimmer effect)
• Compressor Circuit(Contributes to creating a tighter, more cohesive tone)
• ファズ(You can also select rough distortion with a vintage feel)
• Tuner function(Improved live performance capabilities)

In addition, SansAmp circuit on/off switchIt is now possible to bypass only the amp simulator section. This allows you to do things like "usually use your own amp, but in an emergency just connect the RK5 to a PA directly."Flexible to accommodate a wide range of operationsNow functions as a multi-tool.

In fact, Kotzen has said that when there was equipment trouble or at a small impromptu live show,I once got through a performance with just the RK5 connected directly to the PA."This multi-pedal, which brings together all the sounds you need in one unit, is highly popular among today's mobile players as a "small guitar rig you can take on an airplane."

Although the design is simple,High level coverage of the "distortion" and "spatial effects" that are essential to Kotzen's sound.The RK5 is a guitarist's best friend. There aren't many guitars that are as trustworthy as the RK5. If you are looking for a minimalist, uncompromising sound, the RKXNUMX is the ideal choice.

Rotovibe is a foot-controlled chorus/vibrato effect that creates a rotating sound reminiscent of a Leslie speaker.

Kotzen sometimes used it in songs to add a sway to clean arpeggios or to add depth to the backing of the chorus. Now that the RK5 Ver.2 has a rotary speaker mode, he may not be carrying a standalone Rotovibe pedal around with him.

The wah pedal is a prominent expression effect, and Kotzen uses it to really erupt in emotion during his solos, creating a sound that is reminiscent of 70s rock and funk.

The model used is a Jim Dunlop Cry Baby, which has a permanent place on his pedal board.

There is also information that the pedal used is the compact CBM95 Cry Baby Mini.

This is smaller and lighter than a normal wah, which is probably an advantage for him in terms of portability since he frequently tours overseas. Wahs are sometimes used not only to add inflection to the tone of lead playing, but also to add a "cool quirk" to the rhythm of cutting.

For example, in a mid-tempo funk number, he uses advanced techniques such as leaving the wah half-open and fixing it in a position to create a unique filter sound.

Kotzen's wah playing is more adept at expressing a crying sound than a flashy one, creating an emotional effect as if the guitar is singing with a human voice.

Kotzen sometimes uses the octaver to include deep bass riffs in parts of the song, or to play bass-like solos.

Also, there are few instances where he uses polyphonic pitch shifting to do what is known as "digital harmonizing," but during live performances, when the bassist was not present, he demonstrated the incredible feat of layering bass lines and guitar solos using a looper and octaver, so it seems that he incorporates this flexibly when necessary.

He prefers thicker gauge strings, using medium gauge 115-011 strings such as D'Addario EXL049 (.11-.49). Thick strings give the sound more body and are a good match for fingerpicking, which is one of the reasons for Kotzen's bold tone.

He used to use a Jim Dunlop purple pick (1.14mm thick), but nowadays he rarely uses a pick and instead plays with his fingertips or nails. However, when he does hold a pick, he uses a thick teardrop-shaped one in a unique form, holding it between his index finger and middle finger, and shows his dexterity by instantly switching to fingerpicking when necessary.