Chemical Analysis: Silversun Pickups Pedalboard

It is no secret that Brian Aubert from the Silversun Pickups has one of the better guitar tones in modern music today. The fuzz that Brian conjures is perfectly nuanced in that it is not harsh but highly refined, yet it precariously balances on the verge of exploding into a supernova.

Silversun Pickups Pedalboard Circa 2006


I took this photo at the conclusion of their show at the Belly Up Tavern in November 2006. Brian was still using a Marshall head/cab and had a Big Muff pedal in his chain.

Silversun Pickups Pedalboard Circa 2007


I took this photo at the conclusion of their show at the Silverlake Lounge in April 2007. The Big muff pedal has been replaced by a Fulltone Full-Drive and a Line 6 Delay has been added. Brian was still using the same amp setup.

Silversun Pickups Pedalboard Circa 2010


This is a screen grab from their recent Spinner.com session and shows that Brian has replaced his Line 6 delay with the Eventide Time Factor and added a ProCo Rat pedal. I also believe he has switched to Hiwatt amplifiers. The big question happens to be what is the mysterious grey pedal(denoted with the green arrow)?

Silversun Pickups at the Silverlake Lounge

The Silverlake lounge has a listed capacity of 176. Don't tell the fire marshall but I believe max capacity was exceeded Tuesday night. It was the Fold's 10 year anniversary and a "special" guest was making an appearance. The first surprise was that I actually found a spot in the parking lot. The second surprise was a blistering performance by the Silversun Pickups.

The Pity Party was worth price of admission alone as they kicked out some fuzz jams that ensnared the audience. I was impressed by Hesienflei's abilities to play drums, sing and manipulate basslines via her Yamaha DX7. M (Guitars/Vocals) did a sufficient job conjuring fuzz from his Fender amp. I was so entranced I forgot to take pictures. Catch them on May 3rd with the super bill of Autolux, and Midnight Movies. I was also impressed when they listed Failure, and Kraftwerk as influences on their myspace page.


Castledoor came up with a blend of indie rock combined with a tinge of country. They also had a sweet Access Indigo Virus synthesizer on stage combined with a Nord Electro. Nate Cole (Vocals/Guitar) was dancing around the small stage and led the group through a cheeky cover of "Cry Me A River". Check out their EP "Follow The Dove" on itunes.






Silversun Pickups(SSPU) were finally revealed as the secret surprise guests to the delight of the packed house. After their taping on the Jimmy Kimmel show, they played a full set that shows how tight a live band they have become. Joseph Lester had a new Keyboard rig that features a Korg MS-2000, and an M-Audio Axiom that was controlling a Roland Phantom XR module. Brian Aubert (Vocals/Guitars) had a new pedalboard and used a Fender Jaguar during the set. They rocked the house with selections off of "Carnavas" and closed with the brilliant "Common Reactor". Do yourself a favor and buy this album as well as catch them at Coachella.