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Nick photo by Aliya Naumoff; pedals photographed by Nick.

ZOOM RHYTHMTRAK RT-123
This is my favorite cheap drum machine. You can program in your own patterns with not only the many different drum sounds, but also the bass and keyboard sounds. Lots of Yeah Yeah Yeahs songs feature a keyboard sound from this, like “Rich” and “Maps.” I like running the RT-123 through either a distortion pedal or a cheap amp for a more fucked-up sound. Everyone thinks it’s a guitar. Ha ha.

ROLAND SPACE ECHO RE-201
This is actually someone else’s model—a chorus version 301—but this is an analog tape-delay unit. I prefer to use the RE-201, without the chorus, as a pre-amp/compressor with a slight amount of spring reverb. The Space Echo works by having a reel of tape which is continually fed through three heads that play back while recording, making an echo, or delay. By alternating the path of the playback within the heads, you can control the timing and pattern of the echo. All the old dub records were originally made using only these units. I had a grounding switch put on the back of mine, as voltage differences in non-U.S. countries can interfere with the output and make it sound like shit.
HONDA SOUND WORKS OCTAVE FUZZ PEDAL
This is a prototype made for me by a small company in Tokyo that hand-makes pedals with a little TLC. True to its name, it produces a thick overdriven sound that can mold a guitar tone from “Lay Down Sally” into “Whole Lotta Rosie.”

BOSS LOOP STATION RC-20
This pedal is advertised as a means to basically “play with yourself,” but I don’t like to use it that way. You can record a sound and have it play back as a loop (repeating indefinitely) and record on top of that, then record on top of that, and so on forever and ever. To me, it’s a sampler. I like to record and store sounds and parts of music I can’t reproduce live on it. The RC-20 is able to sample a sound that’s five minutes long. For example, I could sample the entire instrumental version of “Fight the Power,” push a button with my foot, and shred sick guitar solos over that bitch.
DIGITECH HYPER PHASE
Phaser pedals are usually for shoe-gazers and goths. With its brother, the Flanger, phasers made most of the 80s unlistenable after being resurrected from 60s and 70s psychedelia. Phase is produced by splitting a signal and shifting one of the sounds ever so slightly. The more you shift the signal, the more “whooooeeeeesh” effect you get. The pedal works by doing this through different frequency and sound-wave variations, recombining the effect with the original source sound at different speeds, with harmonic and non-harmonic relationships. Or something like that. Everything sounds “cool” through it, especially feedback, but please, use it sparingly. It can get very irritating.
ELECTRO-HARMONIX P.O.G.
My favorite new pedal. This is a Polyphonic Octave Generator, meaning you can make multiple real-time re-creations of the input sound in different registers, or octaves. I can play one note, and it sounds like a goddamned orchestra. Unlike most octave pedals, which have a slight delay in the output sound, this one is very fast and works with chords. This is all over the new YYY record. Even though this pedal only came out like last year, Jack White already beat me by using one on the first single from the last White Stripes record. Feedback sounds really fucked-up through the POG as well, in a fantastic way.
LINE 6 DL4 DELAY MODULATOR
Hands down, the greatest delay pedal. If you don’t know, delay is another word for echo. Play a note and it keeps repeating and repeating and repeating… triiiippy. The DL4, commonly referred to as “the green pedal,” digitally reproduces every type of delay effect and pedal, from analog tape echo to programmable backward digital delay. It also has a sample loop function, but unlike the RC-20, it’s not able to store the sound after it’s been turned off. I use this in the beginning of the YYY song “Maps” to keep that one note ringing through the whole damn song. Live, the green pedal usually gets the highest nod approval rating from the guitar players in the front row who stare at my hands and feet FOR THE WHOLE FUCKING SHOW.


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Comments:
Subject: Who cares
Date: Jul 23 2007 06:15:34 PM
Author: Josh

Who cares what the guy uses. He gets a unique sound that is his own with his mix of cheap lofi effects and boutique/vintage. He didn't even mention here that he uses a Japanese Strat and a Hot Rod Deluxe 'cause that would really get you gear snobs going. Personally, I think it's a good sound, and even though YYY is not my favorite band, Nick's guitar setup has influenced the way I think about live guitar, because it is creative. The most creative thing he does (or used to do) to get his big live sound and to compensate for not having a bass player, he close mics his Hot Rod Deluxe on stage fo

Subject: Huh?
Date: Mar 19 2007 08:16:09 AM
Author: tetragammatron

Where did this go wrong?
And how is this relevant to the article?

What's good and what's not is a subjective thing, so that discussion is bound to turn irrelevant.

Subject: Suggestion
Date: Oct 03 2006 04:01:44 AM
Author: chuk

After reading most of these comments I now wish I didn't waste my time. What a bunch of a-holes. If I were site administrator, I'd have wiped this comment section clean. It's all trash talk.

At least the article was good.

Subject: rc 20
Date: Jul 23 2006 05:27:58 PM
Author: superman

He uses a jamman not an rc-20!!

Subject: tequila
Date: Jun 04 2006 08:26:52 PM
Author: seth

intresting, nice little article, but I imagine he uses more pedals than the ones listed here.

Nick does rock.

Subject: YYY
Date: May 07 2006 08:39:57 PM
Author: Bto

Nick zinna rocks!!

Subject: edit
Date: Apr 13 2006 09:44:54 PM
Author: cucca

whib

Subject: ahahahahaha
Date: Apr 07 2006 06:03:12 AM
Author: joe

wow, how impressive. a bunch of anonymous internet dickheads talking shit about something they know nothing about.

get a life.

Subject: zinner and his gear
Date: Jan 19 2006 02:44:09 AM
Author: ya know...

that HONDA SOUND WORKS OCTAVE FUZZ PEDAL is hot and so is zinner...that's really all that needs to be said......

Subject: doy!!!
Date: Jan 18 2006 03:31:48 PM
Author: clerk

i spent tons of money on gear that can be easily replicated for free in software, Dough!!

Subject: lame gear
Date: Jan 11 2006 11:30:40 PM
Author: Biznitch who is the shiznit

Zoom + Digitech = Decroded Piece of Crap!

Subject: Deelay
Date: Jan 09 2006 07:38:44 PM
Author: MikeSnake

That line six pedal is hot.

Subject: dad
Date: Jan 09 2006 01:48:35 AM
Author: tim carr

I fuck my dad

Subject: you're a tosser
Date: Jan 09 2006 12:25:27 AM
Author: wank

congratulations gearhead, you have a lot of pedals for your tap dancing pleasure.

Subject: Nick Zinner
Date: Jan 07 2006 09:26:28 PM
Author: Thomas

Ill tell you whats not so great - Nick Zinners photo book - SNOOOOOOOOZE.

Subject: Nerd
Date: Jan 07 2006 09:09:38 AM
Author: Fuckit

This dude sux, look at him. I love to slap him silly on his forehead, tell him to get fucked and get a shower. Wot a penis.

Subject: bag of
Date: Jan 06 2006 02:30:03 PM
Author: douche

tv on the radio use multiple L6 DL4s. i's just sayin'.

Subject: oi youses!
Date: Jan 06 2006 07:10:34 AM
Author: the magnificant bastard

how does he make the sound at the start of y control?

Subject: delay pedals: DL4 isn't that great
Date: Jan 04 2006 11:17:11 AM
Author: ----

I'd recommend the Boss DD-6 over the Line 6 DL4 if you are looking for a good delay pedal.

The DL4 is a "modeler" which means it's a digital pedal that has a knob that says "analog" and "Tube echo" and it supposedly emulates these sounds, that's just lame. If you want analog, buy analog, that's what internet auctions are for. You don't get a vintage sound by dialing into a digital device that says "1970's-era Fender amplifier" you have to play the REAL THING.

Also, the DL4 has a million features, but unless you want to spend all your time bent over fiddling w/ knobs you're probably only going to use a handful.

The DD-6, on the other hand, has one 'sound' to it and is also more compact, which saves space on your pedal board. People say digital is too 'cold' sounding, but the DD-6 is supposed to be digital, it's not trying (and failing) to sound analog like the DL4.

Also, for looping pedals, if you want a step up from the Boss Loopstation, the Echoplex is the king, but it's also a thousand bucks, so the Boss or the Digitech Jam Man are good substitutes. You can also check out the boomerang phrase sampler, but that's pretty much been made obsolete by the Boss/Digitech pedals.

Subject: q is for d
Date: Jan 03 2006 05:34:52 PM
Author: addie

if i were a dog and you were a flower i'd lift up my leg and give you a shower.

Subject: No i cant
Date: Dec 30 2005 07:39:32 PM
Author: I could do that

Why is it that in cyberspace, people feel the need to talk tons of shit but if you saw them in real life they are all a bunch of mice?

Subject: you fucking guitar wankers
Date: Dec 30 2005 02:14:52 PM
Author: mr annoying part of an asshole

i hate the fucktards who watch my hands and feet when i'm performin too!! i get the highest nod rating when i bust out the xtra large size tube of anal lube.

Subject: Expensive?
Date: Dec 23 2005 12:15:03 PM
Author: Dan

"expensive gear for loaded pretty boys"? I bought that model drum machine for £50! Have you ever seen what a touring bands rig looks like these days? This is pretty cheap. Get your facts streight before you open your mouth

Subject: the gay gay gays
Date: Dec 23 2005 11:10:50 AM
Author: me

If he has all these advanced effects units, why does his band still sound like typical garage rock crap?

Subject: I bought a punk rock record
Date: Dec 22 2005 02:22:49 AM
Author: Shopper


Does Nick Zinner work at Guitar Center?

Subject: YOURE ALL SCHMUCKS!!
Date: Dec 21 2005 01:26:42 PM
Author: PO

I want my digitech original whammy pedal back.

theyre too fucking hard to find and the reissue sounds like crap.

Subject: jerx
Date: Dec 21 2005 09:18:24 AM
Author: melissa j

you guys are a bunch of fucking assholes. though youd all like to write for vice, and try to prove your worthyness in constant disses, take a breather man. while there are things worthy of you miserable fucks and your stream of conciousness, this guy is NOT it. compaired to most guitar players, music equipment geeks, etc. the guy is not an example of the worst. hes ok.

Subject: this
Date: Dec 20 2005 11:07:43 PM
Author: Meat Ball

I don't care what expensive gear loaded pretty boys use, tell me about what broken thrift store shit Venom was into. Someone punch this guy.

Subject: fuck yeah
Date: Dec 20 2005 01:34:47 AM
Author: al

you people can talk as much shit as you want, but for someone who has been googling loop pedals for the past month because christmas is approaching and i don't want any godamned gift certificates i want a pedal like my friend michael has or maybe i can find a better one like that one that can store loops but then hey that one can't slow them down or speed them up so i can't decide i wonder what tv on the radio uses i just can't decide the guy from thanksgiving said his friend has one that will loop like five minutes worth but which model oh shit i forgot the guys at guitar center are stupid what the fuck do i do, it's perfect.

Subject: durrrr
Date: Dec 19 2005 03:33:37 PM
Author: everything has been done

asking if something makes you annoying means you probably are.

Subject: subject
Date: Dec 19 2005 05:15:43 AM
Author: Fritz Hoodoo

Yes, it does. The Digitech Jamman seems like a more worthwhile venture than the Boss RC-20.

Subject: phaser
Date: Dec 18 2005 02:29:32 PM
Author: elias

i use a lot of phaser. does that make me annoying?

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