I normally don’t showcase Artists in this blog unless they play modern guitars, but an exception is being made in this case because of this phenomenal player, Miguel Montalban. I discovered Miguel on YouTube as he was busking in some of London’s most popular spots — Oxford Circle, Picadilly, etc. I have heard many guitar heroes in concert (just recently attended an Eric Johnson concert), and few have moved me as much as this player. His choice of notes, phrasing, musicianship and virtuosity are astounding. He has renditions of songs which are my personal favourites in terms of solo material — Sultans of Swing, Stairway to Heaven, and Sweet Child O Mine — and his interpretations are mind-blowing. Not to mention the tone he gets in a live street setting.
Since this is a gear blog, I’ll rundown what looks to be the gear he uses when busking. This goes to show you that though modern instruments and expensive gear can help you reach new heights, it isn’t always required. I have no idea how he gets such great tone from such a minimal — and affordable– rig. Proof that indeed the tone is in your fingers!
Montalban Gear (estimated)
- Guitar: Greg Bennett Ultramatic UM3
http://gregbennettguitars.com/guitars/electric/vintage/um3/
designed by Greg Bennett, made by Samick (made in Korea or Indonesia). I looked at a few YouTube videos and confirmed this by looking at the headstock. You see the name Greg Bennett and the large S logo for Samick. He has Seymour Duncan pickups, zebra style color scheme, but it isn’t apparent if these are different than the stock SD pickups which are Duncan Design™ HB102N and HB102B. My guess is that these are switched out for better pickups. That is one thing you can do on cheaper guitars to make them sound much better. - Pedalboard:
- Pedal 1: small wah-wah pedal. I surmised this is the Mini Cry Baby Wah, and based on the logo on the front, it seems likely.
- Pedal 2: this is used for overdrive/distortion. It is white and has three knobs. I immediately thought it was the Fulltone OCD. Notice the switch and LED at the top also which also matches the OCD. Miguel covers the logos and names with red tape. But if you look, the tape matches the areas where there is writing — especially on the front side of the pedal. The power is also supplied on the left side. All these characteristics exactly match the Fulltone OCD.
- Pedal 3. There was already some web talk that this was a tc electronic hall of fame reverb pedal. It indeed matches this. It’s red, has 4 knobs, and is stereo in/out. The photo matches this as well as the lettering to the right of the bypass switch.
- Pedal 4: optional. Looks like a Boss TU-3 tuner pedal in some older videos, while in newer ones, he doesn’t use this and has a clip-on tuner on the guitar headstock
- Amp: Fender Champion 40 based on the knob layout and overall look and feature set
- PA monitor: Behringer (looks like the B210D) to support the backing tracks from his smartphone.
These videos are all you need to know about how great Miguel is:
The last video has a mind-blowing version of Stairway to Heaven, and I never tire of watching this! His technique is truly inspiring. In the solo, you can see him switch back and forth between his neck and bridge pickups — using the neck when he does the Wes Montgomery-style octaves. Sometimes, it’s only for a few notes, but he does it anyways. This shows he’s a true tone wizard.
It’s fun to people watch while Miguel is playing. There are many who are aware of his immense talent and stop and watch. Others just walk by like nothing is happening. So few actually realize how good an artist he is as they walk by …