John McGeoch Gear Guide
John McGeoch’s post-punk guitars and landmark flanger setup across Magazine, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and Public Image Ltd.
A quick reference to guitars, amplification, effects and song/era associations. Equipment changes between sessions and tours; specific attributions are noted cautiously.
Guitars
| Gear / reference | Details | Era / use |
|---|---|---|
| Yamaha SG1000 | A key guitar associated with McGeoch during Magazine and Banshees years. | 1980–83 |
| Yamaha SG series | Solid-body guitar suited to his precise, articulate post-punk lines. | Magazine / Banshees |
| Fender Telecaster | A sharper, leaner voice used in some performance and recording contexts. | Selected use |
| Gibson Les Paul | Alternative sustain and body for selected studio and live parts. | Selected use |
| Electric guitar with clean attack | McGeoch’s chord voicings and melodic lines depended on clarity as much as distortion. | All periods |
Amplifiers
| Gear / reference | Details | Era / use |
|---|---|---|
| Vox amplifiers | British-style chime and edge suited to his clear, cutting sound. | Selected use |
| Fender amplifiers | Clean headroom for chorus, flanger and reverb textures. | Selected use |
| Marshall amplifiers | Available for more forceful band passages; exact models vary by period. | Selected use |
| Studio processing | Recorded tone includes studio ambience and production, not only stage equipment. | Recording |
Effects and signal chain
| Gear / reference | Details | Era / use |
|---|---|---|
| MXR M117 Flanger | A stand-mounted flanger was raised to hand height for expressive control. | Magazine / Banshees |
| Boss flanger (BF-2 family) | Later accounts also associate him with flanger sounds; model and date should be treated cautiously. | Selected period |
| Chorus-like modulation | Modulated clean tones form a major part of his post-punk sound. | By song |
| Delay | Short repeats and ambience support rhythmic, spatial parts. | Selected use |
| Reverb | Adds depth to bright, clean guitar lines. | Studio/live |
| Volume and picking dynamics | Touch and note placement create movement alongside effects. | All periods |
Song and era references
| Gear / reference | Details | Era / use |
|---|---|---|
| Magazine: “A Song from Under the Floorboards” | Angular, carefully voiced guitar lines and controlled modulation. | 1980 |
| Magazine: “Permafrost” | Sparse, atmospheric guitar contribution around the vocal and rhythm section. | 1979 |
| Banshees: “Spellbound” | Bright, urgent guitar with a prominent flanged character. | 1981 |
| Banshees: “Arabian Knights” | Interlocking, sharply articulated guitar figures. | 1981 |
| Banshees: “Into the Light” | Textural guitar work with space and modulation. | 1981 |
| Public Image Ltd. period | More open, extended textures within a bass-driven arrangement. | 1980s |