Steve Albini Rig

Ben

I saw Shellac at The Fleece in Bristol, UK earlier this week and took a snap of Albini's rig.

He's using a Fender Bassman amp head but I am not sure about the preamp/amp or the gadget on top of the Bassman.

Al(ex)

Cool! Whats up with the backplate on that guitar?!

Ben

A belt buckle protector? 😀

Whatever it is it has 'Shellac' engraved on it.

Thought I'd share a few more photos from the gig.

Doug

Is that a Billings, Montana T-shirt he was wearing? Or Buffalo,New York?

Edit: just learned he's from Montana.

LumpyWaters

My eyes bugged out of my head when I saw this topic, because I've just recently become really fixated on Shellac. I sure do envy your opportunity to see them perform! Must of been a great show. That preamp looks like an Intersound IVP, something Albini is known for using. Gadget on top of the Bassman looks like a tuner. I've puzzled over that metal plate, too. It looks like the strings are anchored through it. Maybe the mass of the plate in conjunction with the aluminum neck helps him achieve his unique "tone" or "sound", I'm not even sure what to call it.

SonicDefiance

That's a Travis Bean TB-500.

It's not a backplate, that is the neck of the guitar. The pickups are mounted to that aluminum base as well.

Kevin Burkett makes amazing aluminum instruments. Electrical Guitar Company out of Florida. He uses the Travis Bean model as a jump off for his own creations, true to both their aesthetic and their construction.

Go over to electricalaudio.com and search the forum. Lots of people saying lots of things about Travis Beans, EGCs, etc. It's also Steve Albini's recording studio and he's active with the commenting.