Steve Cradock Gear Guide
Ocean Colour Scene and Paul Weller guitarist Steve Cradock’s ES-335 tones, British amplifiers and pedal-driven sound.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Gibson ES-335 | Semi-hollow guitar frequently used with Ocean Colour Scene and Paul Weller. | Career-wide |
| Gibson SG | Solidbody guitar for a harder, more focused rock sound. | Selected periods |
| Fender Telecaster | Bright single-coil option in his broader guitar palette. | Selected use |
| Gibson Les Paul | Humbucker guitar for sustained lead tones. | Selected use |
| Acoustic guitar | Used for songwriting, acoustic arrangements and studio layers. | Studio/live |
| Vintage and custom guitars | Cradock has used varied instruments over a long career. | Tour dependent |
Amplifiers
| Gear / reference | Details | Era / use |
|---|---|---|
| Blackstar St. James 50 combo | Current reported amp choice, using its clean channel and a pedal for drive. | Recent setup |
| Blackstar Artisan 30 | Boutique-style combo associated with his earlier rig. | Earlier setup |
| Marshall amplifiers | Classic British drive and midrange for louder band arrangements. | Selected periods |
| Vox amplifiers | Chime and edge-of-breakup tones in the British guitar tradition. | Selected use |
| Clean amp platform | Cradock has described getting distortion from pedals into a clean channel. | Recent approach |
Effects
| Gear / reference | Details | Era / use |
|---|---|---|
| Overdrive pedal | Primary way to add distortion while keeping the amp clean. | Recent setup |
| Fuzz / distortion | Extra sustain and grain for heavier passages. | Song dependent |
| Wah | Expressive filter effect in blues-rock lead parts. | Selected use |
| Delay | Adds repeats and space to leads. | Selected use |
| Reverb | Room depth for clean parts and solos. | Amp/studio |
| Volume control | Guitar-volume changes help move between clean and driven tones. | Live |
Song and era references
| Gear / reference | Details | Era / use |
|---|---|---|
| The Riverboat Song | ES-335 character and overdriven Brit-rock rhythm sound. | Moseley Shoals |
| The Day We Caught the Train | Jangling guitar layers and melodic lead fills. | Moseley Shoals |
| Hundred Mile High City | Driving, thicker guitar attack and strong amp/pedal drive. | Marchin’ Already |
| The Circle | Clean-to-driven dynamics and interlocking guitars. | Moseley Shoals |
| Paul Weller collaborations | Cradock’s guitar work moves between acoustic, mod and blues-rock colors. | 1990s onward |