Dave Gregory Gear Guide
XTC guitarist Dave Gregory’s Rickenbacker twelve-strings, Stratocasters, semi-hollow guitars and pedal setups.
A period-by-period quick reference to guitars, amplification, effects and songs. Specific gear may vary by recording, tour and year.
Guitars
| Gear / reference | Details | Era / use |
|---|---|---|
| Rickenbacker 12-string electrics | Multiple Rickenbacker twelve-strings for bright, chiming arpeggios and doubled lines. | XTC |
| Fender Stratocaster | Versatile single-coil guitar used for lead and rhythm textures. | Career-wide |
| Gibson ES-335 | Semi-hollow guitar adds warmth and sustain to studio parts. | Selected sessions |
| Gibson Les Paul | Humbucker-equipped solidbody for thicker, sustained tones. | Selected use |
| Gretsch guitars | Hollowbody color for jangling and roots-oriented parts. | Selected use |
| Acoustic guitars | Acoustic layers contribute to XTC’s detailed arrangements. | Studio |
Amplifiers
| Gear / reference | Details | Era / use |
|---|---|---|
| Vox amplifiers | British chime and responsive overdrive complement the Rickenbacker sound. | Selected periods |
| Fender amplifiers | Clean platform for single-coil guitars and studio overdubs. | Selected periods |
| Marshall amplifiers | Higher-gain option for rockier lead and rhythm parts. | Selected use |
| Studio amp combinations | Gregory’s recorded sound varies by song and production requirements. | XTC sessions |
Effects
| Gear / reference | Details | Era / use |
|---|---|---|
| TheGigRig G2 | Programmable switching used in his modern pedal setup. | Modern rig |
| Overdrive and distortion | Several gain textures for clean-to-driven parts. | Song dependent |
| Chorus and modulation | Adds width and movement to clean guitar layers. | Selected recordings |
| Delay and reverb | Studio depth and rhythmic repeats support arrangement layers. | Selected use |
| Compression | Helps sustain and even out picked lines. | Selected rig |
| Twelve-string chorus | Natural octave strings supply much of the shimmer without heavy modulation. | XTC signature |
Song and era references
| Gear / reference | Details | Era / use |
|---|---|---|
| Making Plans for Nigel | Bright, tightly arranged electric guitar parts and distinctive rhythmic attack. | Drums and Wires |
| Senses Working Overtime | Layered acoustic and electric colors build the song’s changing sections. | English Settlement |
| Dear God | Clean and overdriven parts arranged around the song’s dynamic shifts. | Skylarking |
| The Mayor of Simpleton | Crisp twelve-string and electric-guitar interplay. | Oranges & Lemons |
| XTC studio catalog | A wide guitar collection let Gregory move between jangling, country, pop and rock voices. | 1979–1999 |