U2 The Joshua Tree (1987) gear

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(last updated: 17/05/24)

Instruments

  • Drums and percussion:
    • Yamaha
    • Paiste cymbals
  • Guitars:
    • Bond Electraglide – e.g. “One Tree Hill”
    • Epiphone Elektra Lap Steel
    • Infinite sustain guitar prototype (Strat)
    • 1970s Fender Stratocaster
    • 1957 Fender Stratocaster
    • 1961 Fender Telecaster
    • 1959 Gretsch Falcon
    • Washburn EA-40 electro/acoustic
    • Yamaha AE2000
  • Guitar rig (Edge, except where noted):
    • Amplifiers:
      • Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus
      • Vox AC30: Edge’s main
      • Fender Bassman – possibly used someplace
      • Mesa/Boogie Mk. IIC – used for keyboard/drum machine intro on “With Or Without You” plus guitar by Bono
    • Effects:
      • Korg SDE-3000 digital delay
      • Yamaha SPX90 multi-effects
      • Yamaha REV7 digital reverb
  • Basses:
    • Fender Precision (natural)
    • Fender Jazz (possibly used)
    • Ibanez Musician MC-940 bass – “With Or Without You”
  • Bass rig:
    • Amplification:
      • Ampeg SVT stack
      • BGW power amplifiers
    • Other:
      • Boss SCC-700 selector
      • Ibanez DM-1000 digital delay
      • Ibanez UE-400 multi-effects unit
      • Moog Taurus 205A bass pedals
  • Keyboards, synthesizers & electronics:
    • Suzuki Omnichord OM-27 – played by Daniel Lanois on “Trip Through Your Wires”
    • Yamaha CP-70B – e.g. “Running To Stand Still”
    • Yamaha DX7 – played by (primarily) Brian Eno and The Edge
    • Yamaha QX1 (or QX7) sequencer – “With Or Without You” intro
    • Yamaha RX11 drum machine – “With Or Without You”
  • Other:
    • Hohner harmonica – Bono’s
    • ProHarp harmonica – Bono’s
    • RAAD electric violin, viola & cello – strings on “One Tree Hill”

Recording & studio equipment

Microphones:

  • Vocals:
    • Beyerdynamic M88
    • Shure SM58 (most songs)
    • Sony C500
  • Guitars:
    • Shure SM57 or SM58 – close mikes
    • AKG C414 or Neumann U87 – distant mikes
  • Drums (tentative setup, based on various sources including a 1990 Hansa photo): 
    • AKG D12 (bass drum)
    • AKG C451 (hi-hat, overheads)
    • Shure SM57 (snare)
    • Shure SM58 (toms)
    • Neumann U67 (overhead/ambient mikes)
  • Bass amp:
    • Neumann U47

Tape machines & recorders:

  • Multi-track:
    • Otari MTR-90 mk. II 24-track – lent by Windmill Lane for sessions
    • Studer A800 mk. III – Windmill Lane Studio 1
    • MCI JH-24 24-track – Grant Avenue Studios, “One Tree Hill” strings
  • 2-track:
    • Otari MTR-10
    • Studer A820 ½”
    • Sony PCM-701

Outboard gear (partial list):

  • AMS RMX-16 digital reverb
  • DBX 160 compressor
  • Lexicon PCM-70
  • Lexicon 224XL reverb
  • Sony DRE-2000 digital reverb
  • UREI 1176 compressor
  • Yamaha SPX90 multi-effects

Recording/Mixing consoles:

  • AMEK M2500: Melbeach and Danesmoate House
  • MCI JH-500C: Grant Avenue Studios, “One Tree Hill” string section recording
  • Solid State Logic SL-4000E: Windmill Lane Studio 1

Monitors:

  • Acoustic Research AR18
  • Yamaha NS-10 (Windmill Lane)
  • Westlake Audio BSSM-12 – Edge’s house

Sources

Making Music, October 1986

Musician, May 1987

Guitar World, July 1987

Sound On Sound, September 1987 (Daniel Lanois)

Music Technology, October 1987 (Daniel Lanois)

Guitar World, September 1997 (Guitar recording)

Dave Meegan Gearspace comments (1, 2)

Robert Doidge

Classic Albums Joshua Tree documentary

https://imgur.com/gallery/KdSXsMF (Photos from recording sessions)

Soul Mining by Daniel Lanois (p. 81-82 & 84)

Recording Engineer/Producer, February 1988 (Windmill Lane info, PDF page 85)

Gear from Rattle & Hum: https://u2start.com/topic/1636

https://imgur.com/gallery/KdSXsMF (Photos from recording sessions)

 


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