Guitars

Aria AC80CE Nylon String
Fender American Standard Stratocaster (with lots of modifications)
Fender California Series Stratocaster with DiMarzio pickups
(Area ’58 pickup in the neck, Area ’67 in the middle position, and an Area ’61 at the bridge.)
Ibanez AF120BS Archtop
Takamine EN10CAN
Taylor GS7 with L.R. Baggs M1 Active pickup
Taylor GA3 with L.R. Baggs M1 Active pickup

Pedals & Effects

Boss LS-1 Line Splitter
Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive
Ibanez CS-9 Stereo Chorus
L.R. Baggs Para Driver DI
TC Electronics Nova Delay
TC Electronics Nova Drive
TC Electronics Nova Modulator
Tech 21 Sans Amp Para Driver DI
Tech 21 Sans Amp Character Series Blonde Pedal
Vox Wah

Amps

Fender Blues Juniors
Fender 112 Deluxe (Solid State)
Fishman SoloAmp

Picks

Black Dunlop Jazz III
Premium Celluloid Fender Heavy

Strings

John is a D’Addario Strings Artist.

Acoustic
D-Addario EJ12 Medium Gauge .013 .017 .026 .035 .045 .056

Archtop
D-Addario Chromes ECG25 High Finish Ribbon Wound Light Gauge .012 .016 .024 .032 .042 .052

Classical
D-Addario Pro Arte Composites EJ45C Normal Tension

Electrics

Miscellaneous

Guitar Straps
Levy’s MSS3 Black Suede
Weight Shifter II (no longer in production)

Software

Music Notation
Sibelius

Recording and Sequencing
Cakewalk Home Studio
FL Studio (aka Fruity Loops)
Guitar Rig 3

Transcribing Tools
Amazing Slow Downer by Roni Music

Notes

On steel-string acoustic I usually use the D’Addario Mediums, especially when I’m going to be doing a lot of alternate tuning work. I’ve found that the slightly thinner D and A strings in that set are less prone to break over the course of a night of performing pieces that use alternate tunings than the standard .036 and .046 gauges. If I know I’m only going to be playing in standard tuning and I want to take it easy I’ll sometimes use the lights instead.