Midnight Oil

Subject: Re: Oils Gear
From:
Date: 30/04/2014, 9:22 pm
To:

There is not a lot of in depth information around. I've got a Sonics magazine from I think 86 that has an article that chronicals their gear on the Blackfella Whitefella tour. At that point Jim and Martin were using Mesa Boogie combos and yes Martin's white strat (I think a 62) and Jim's Gretsch Roc Jet (he has a few and yes they get confused with Les Pauls). Martin's 12 string Rickenbacker 360 is from the 60s. Prior to the white strat he used a late (post 68)/early 70s sunburst strat with a fender wide ranging humbucker routed into the middle position. This is best visible in the Used and Abused clip. In late 79 early 1980 Martin acquired the ubiquitous white strat. (I'd love to know the story behind that guitar, when and where he got it etc). Martin also had a Fiesta Red 64 Fender Jaguar he bought from Steve Jackson formerly of Jacksons Rare Guitars in the 70s and that Steve later acquired back off Martin. Can be seen in the Back on the Borderline clip and Generals Talk on Oils on Water. View here:

http://youtu.be/3xeKEi6gyfs

Also in the Used and Abused clip you get a good look at Jim's sunburst Gibson Les Paul Custom that was his mainstay prior to the Gretsch arriving in '82. It's also used at Wanda Beach.  I had an Australian Guitar Magazine article were Jim was interviewd (7 or so years ago) where he says it was a '74 20 Anniversary Custom. He said it was eventually stollen. I thought I had uploaded scans of that article to the group but I can't find it. I'll post again if anyone's interested. Jim also used and SG on occasion around 79/80 (Cold Cold change clip). 

They certainly used 100w Marshalls in the early years but then used lots of other amps. Martin seems to favour Vox AC30s as the years went on. Jim has Roland Jazz Chorus' on Oils on Water, Mesas around D & D, Martin Fender Twins in the States in 84, Jim had a Fender Tone Master on their last tour. 

Pedals and effects are many and varied. The Roland/Boss CE-1 was a feature in the early years. 
http://files.effectsdatabase.com/gear/pics/boss_ce-1_001.jpg
I have no proof but I swear an OD-1 is there too. Jim uses the Ibanez FL305 Flanger for the self oscillation effect as per the live version (2JJ farewell) of Stand In Line. He bought it in NZ in '79 (thanks Arlene).  http://files.effectsdatabase.com/gear/pics/ibanez_fl-305_001.jpg
I have been told here that the Coron Sound Cutter was Jim's tremolo of choice as per the stutter on Only the Strong (one more day of eating and sleeping...)
http://files.effectsdatabase.com/gear/pics/coron_soundcutter60_002.jpg
Oh, and Martin loved his wah wah prior to the first album where it suddenly disappears!

There's heaps more but that's off the top of my head. Really though, they used a heap of stuff throughout their time and it's probably more useful to identify and album or era of the band if your trying to determine what gear created what tones (Head Injuries is a world away from BSM, PWOAP from Breath etc, etc). 

Adrian