Here is a look at the instruments and equipment
Steve uses to record his music.

Gibson L-5 Wes Montgomery

In 1922, Gibson introduced the L-5, the brainchild of acoustic engineer Lloyd Loar with its novel f-holes and floating pickguard. His creation virtually defined the look and sound of the early archtop acoustic guitar.
In 1934, the "Advanced" L-5 debuted which increased the size of its body from 16" to 17". In 1939, Gibson introduced the first cutaway model, the
L-5 Premier, and the L-5CES followed in 1951. Legendary Jazz Guitarist Wes Montgomery's love of the L-5 prompted Gibson to produce a signature model in his name. Its strong, full, and warm sound was an immediate and overwhelming success.

Gibson Super 400

Since its introduction in 1934, the Super 400 ranks at the top of Gibson's archtop line. A step up from the famous L5, the Super 400 possesses eighteen inches of width, fantastic woods and rich mother-of-pearl inlays. Great attention was paid to little details and with its unique sound, it was a knock-out answer to its competitors. The Super 400 had more "cutting power" for guitarists playing in the big band ensemble music of the time. A cutaway model, named Super 400 Premier was introduced in 1939, and in that same year the new blond finish was offered beside the traditional sunburst. The electric 'CES' version, another Gibson classic, was introduced in 1951.

Gibson LeGrande

In 1960 Gibson approached Johnny Smith, one of the day's leading jazz players, in the hopes of creating a signature model guitar for him. The Johnny Smith Model guitar was introduced to dealers in 1961, and was essentially a combination of an L-5 body with a Super 400 neck and headstock, with one unique new feature: Smith had demanded a fully acoustic body and a suspended pickup, and so a mini-humbucker--originally designed for Epiphone by Seth Lover--was mounted on the end of the fingerboard, and the input jack and volume control knob were mounted to the pickguard. The Johnny Smith Model stayed in Gibson's catalogue until the late 1980's, and was reintroduced in the Custom Collection as the LeGrande in 1993.

Gibson ES-335

1958 was the year the semi-hollowbody Gibson ES-335 was introduced, and it quickly became a big hit with the professional players of the time. During the 1960's the ES-335 became available in Cherry Red, and in 1962 the block inlays were gradually replaced with dots which is now known as the classic ES-335 Dot. Shortly after the successful launch of the ES-335, two upscale versions were introduced, the ES-345TD (stereo wiring & varitone circuit) and the top of the line ES-355TD (mono & stereo versions). The ES-335 brought hollowbody tradition and solidbody performance together and it is still one of the all-time classic guitar designs.

Gibson ES-175

In the years after World War II, the electric guitar came of age and Gibson entered a golden of age of innovation. The P-90 pickup, introduced in 1946, gave guitarists new power and versatility and under the leadership of company president Ted McCarty, Gibson debuted new concepts in 1949, one of which was the ES-175, the first guitar with a sharply pointed cutaway bout. With a comfortable body size and stylish pointed cutaway, it quickly became the most popular guitar of the jazz world.

Gibson ES-165 Herb Ellis

In 1991 Gibson approached Guitarist Herb Ellis to design a signature jazz guitar. The result was the ES-165 Herb Ellis. Not surprisingly, the HE signature model looked a lot like Herb's personal guitar -- a single-pickup Gibson ES-175, but with gold-plated hardware. Gibson matched the sound of Herb's original guitar using a single 490R humbucker pickup, which produces a warm jazz tone while the gold-plated metal parts impart a truly classy look.

Fender Stratocaster

Leo Fender started designing the Stratocaster in 1953. It was stylish and its razor sharp sound was unlike anything else available at the time. Fender's business partner, Don Randall, invented the guitar's name and the first commercial units began shipping by May 15, 1954. No one would ever imagine what a success and legend this guitar would become. The Stratocaster had an advanced, built-in vibrato that put shimmering, sustaining sound effects at the player's fingertips. For the next twenty years, the Stratocaster's popularity exploded and it continues today.

Fender Twin Reverb

At the same time Leo Fender was creating his legendary guitars he was also designing amplifiers to go with them and in 1952 the first "Twin" amp was released. Refinements continued and in 1958, the Twin received a power boost to the 80 watt range. It quickly became a popular unit of its time. In 1963 a black face became the new look, which is the classic we know today. Fender ceased production of the Twin Reverb in 1986 only to reissue it in 1991. This basic design spawned many variations but the Twin remains one of the most popular guitar amplifiers of all time.

Roland JC-120

In the course of electric guitar history, few amplifiers have gained what could rightfully be called a "legendary" status -- a classic by which all other amps are judged. The Roland Jazz Chorus guitar amplifier is among this elite group. Introduced in 1975, the JC-120 Jazz Chorus was the first guitar amplifier to incorporate built-in chorus effects enhanced with a dual-amplifier, dual-speaker (stereo) design. Its sparkling clean chorus sounds have since made the original JC-120 one of the most popular "clean" amplifiers in the world.

Ibanez UE 305
Multi-effects Processor

While on the road, Steve uses the Ibanez UE 305 Multi-effects Processor. This is a vintage analog unit from the early 1980's featuring a compressor, an analog delay and a stereo chorus. Although Steve utilizes this unit primarily for the chorus effect, it's the warm analog sound this unit produces that Steve enjoys when he's not in the studio.

Lexicon LXP15

In the studio, Steve plugs his guitar directly into the mixing console and utilizes the Lexicon LXP15 Multi-effects processor.

Although reverberation is simply the result of sound bouncing back and forth between reflective surfaces, recreating that effect in the studio requires a quality unit such as the Lexicon. This device gives Steve the ability to place his guitar in any number of simulated acoustical environments, which compliments his signature sound.

Gibson Flat Wires

Stainless Steel Flatwound Guitar Strings. Flat Wires combine the silky smooth feel of Gibson's highly polished flatwound wrapping with the long lasting performance of stainless steel. The sound is focused, not dull, and has the perfect balance of tone and magnetic response for jazz playing with total clarity and definition.

Here is a look at the instruments and equipmentSteve uses to record his music.