Steve Howe Gear Guide
Steve Howe’s electric, acoustic and pedal steel guitars, amplifiers and effects across Yes and solo recordings.
A quick-reference inventory. Equipment varies by recording, performance and tour; period associations are stated where exact chains differ.
Guitars
| Gear / reference | Details | Era / use |
|---|---|---|
| Gibson ES-175 | Hollow-body jazz guitar used for the warm lead sound on Clap. | Yes / Fragile |
| Gibson ES-335 | Semi-hollow electric used across stage and studio work. | Multiple eras |
| Fender Telecaster | Single-coil guitar for crisp rhythm and country-influenced parts. | Yes / solo |
| Rickenbacker 12-string | Bright electric twelve-string for progressive-rock textures. | Selected recordings |
| Martin 00-18 | Acoustic guitar for intimate fingerstyle passages. | Solo / Yes |
| Pedal steel guitar | Gliding, sustained parts in studio and stage repertoire. | Yes |
| Gibson J-200 | Large-bodied acoustic used for strummed parts. | Selected songs |
| Gibson Les Paul | Humbucker electric for thicker lead colors. | Selected use |
Amplifiers
| Gear / reference | Details | Era / use |
|---|---|---|
| Vox AC30 | Chime-rich clean voice in Howe’s rig history. | Selected eras |
| Fender Twin Reverb | Clean headroom for hollow-body, acoustic pickup and steel parts. | Touring |
| Hiwatt amplifiers | High-headroom British amplification in some Yes-era setups. | Selected tours |
| AER acoustic amplifier | Dedicated acoustic amplification in later touring and solo work. | Later years |
Effects
| Gear / reference | Details | Era / use |
|---|---|---|
| Volume pedal | Swells and sustain, especially for pedal steel and expressive electric parts. | Across eras |
| Delay | Short and longer repeats widen melodic parts without obscuring articulation. | Selected tracks |
| Reverb | Space for clean and acoustic voices. | Studio / live |
| Chorus | Subtle modulation broadens clean electric textures. | Selected periods |
| Overdrive | Moderate gain for solos; tone remains touch-led. | Lead parts |
| Rotary speaker effect | Rotating-speaker color on selected studio textures. | Song dependent |
| Tuner and switching | Practical multi-instrument live rig support. | Touring |
Song references
| Gear / reference | Details | Era / use |
|---|---|---|
| Clap | ES-175 and fingerstyle jazz vocabulary. | The Yes Album |
| Roundabout | Electric and acoustic colors, prominent acoustic intro. | Fragile |
| Mood for a Day | Solo acoustic performance and precise right-hand control. | Fragile |
| Würm | Sustained electric lead and dynamic amp response. | The Yes Album |
| And You and I | Acoustic and steel guitar colors shape the arrangement. | Close to the Edge |