TrouT Tone

Walter’s tech, Andrew Elt, gives us a rundown of the stage gear that accompanies the bluesman on tour

“Walter basically uses a 2014 Mesa Boogie Mark V head running through a vintage 4x12 diamond grill half back cabinet. Open back, top two speakers (two Celestion MS-12 Black Shadows) and closed bottom two (two EV EVM-12Ls). He uses the third channel only, no EQ. Also there’s a Mesa Boogie Revolver, which is basically the world’s heaviest chorus pedal! Affectionately known as the ‘Barking Dog’, which is what it would sound like if mic’d up, so we don’t mic it. The spatial throw of the cabinet is picked up by most of the mics on stage, giving it just the right amount of effect. It’s always on slow, and always on. It’s a Leslie-like cabinet. It contains a small speaker enclosure, with one Black Shadow Celestion speaker, that spins. We separate the two speakers with his amp head case, so the speaker mic doesn’t pick up too much of the rotating speaker. Walter’s only pedal is a TC electronic tuner, placed on the amp head case.”