Gear Rundown: Jonathon Deiley (Northlane)
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Gear Rundown: Jonathon Deiley (Northlane)

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Guitar

ESP E-II JDT-7B

Designed alongside Japanese manufacture now Californian based ESP guitars, Deiley sports his very own signature ESP E-II. The signature model blends old and new with an alder body and waist cut, designed with an ash top and a 3-piece maple neck, the guitar is built for both the studio and live performances. The 27’ baritone scale guitar comes with a 3-ways switch selector and neck-thru construction making it very flexible changing between soft and heavy moments in Deiley’s playing. Though opting for a more traditional sunburst appearance, the E-II JDT is very different underneath; The JDT is fitted with boutique Bare Knuckle Black Hawk pickups and is fitted with a Schaller Hannes bridge that makes the guitar the focal point for punchy heavy gain and defined low-end playing.

 

Stating that the JDT E-II is ‘the best guitar he’s ever played’, Deileys signature definitely is a contributive tool towards the bands diverse and boundless soundscape. The JDT 7B carries a tight 7 string set up and is held together with a GrapTech TUSQ nut, natural satin neck grip finish topped with a nitro lacquer finish.

 

Effects

Strymon Timeline Multidimensional Delay

Diving deep into ambient, atmospheric sections throughout the latest album NODE, both guitarist updated their guitar gear, with one addition that would become the glue of their material. The Stryman Timeline Delay effects is a crystal clear digital delay that opens up the playing field for experimentation and highlights some of Northlane’s more melodic sections like Soma, Obelisk and Leech on Node.  Described as a multidimensional delay pedal, the rich endless tweak and flexible modulation control of the Timeline creates a classic digital voice that many alike have been praising. Node was an album that redefined Northlane and brought them into a new light, aiding that movement was a distinctive sound of prog-rock infused sections and weightless melodies that the Timeline and other Stryman products like the Big Sky and the Mobius have contributed to.   

Dan Electro Back Talk Reverse

Only used in certain pockets on their albums as well being used in a live performance, the Back Talk Reverse effects is a pedal that Deiley admits ‘Cost him an arm and leg to get’. Encompassing a rich warm sound, the two-pound Back Talk pedal allows a full original reversed effect, allowing big house die cast sounds that resemblances an old vintage mid 60’s analogues tape delay that back in the day producers used to hand wind in the studio just to get such effect. Notable for its thinly sliced tone and ability to sit elegantly above the mix to cut through when needed, the Back Talk is a fan favourite and for Deiley and other guitarist Josh Smith, it allows an added texture on songs like Weightless, Ra and the title-track Singularity.

 

 

Seymour Duncan 805 Overdrive

You can’t talk about Northlane’s sound without labelling the Seymour Duncan 805 Overdrive pedal. The 805 overdrive pedal is a classic overdrive pedal that allows Deiley to hold a very transparent, natural bite without saturating their sound live. Heard throughout Node, the 805 is unlike other overdrive effects pedals, giving subtle boosts, a fat crunch and even a screaming sustain when Deiley uses it for lead/solo sections which can be heard on Impulse, the start of Animate and the crunching riff in the aforementioned Obelisk.

 

Amp

Kemper Profiler Head

A massive change in Deileys live set up is now using the Kemper Profiler amp head. Looking more like a radioactive lunchbox from the 50s, the Kemper has been making tremendous waves in the metal community on both the stage and in the studio. Used primarily as an amp simulator for their live set up, the Kemper gives Deiley a digital map, controlling how and where the sound will be projecting from. In a recent gear run through, Guitarist Josh Smith discusses running both a wet and dry mix through two orange cabinets which the Kemper facilitates when playing live. Initially sought after for its quick set up convenience, the Kemper Profiler amp head helps deliver Deileys distinct yet heavy sound, giving infinite amounts of creativity, the Kemper gives unrecognisable simulated amp tones that many analogue enthusiasts are now praising. In addition the Kemper appears to react well with analogue pedals as well as MIDI when used in the bands rehearsal space as well as in live performances.