John CipollinaPedalboard, 1984
John Cipollina wired his guitar in stereo and split it by pickup in 1984. The treble side ran two Echoplexes, an Ampeg Scrambler, a rotary module and a fast phaser; the bass side took a Maestro phase shifter, an MXR Blue Box and a modified Vox wah.
Stereo split-effects rig
Order evidence: A source states the sequence
Inside the rig · 8 units
Pedal roles & evidence
How each unit fits John Cipollina's 1984 setup. Board-specific roles and the evidence behind each identification and position.
Source-described orderIdentity and position are evidenced separately. Reconstructed positions are not observed connections.
Delay & Echo
Tube Echoplex
Treble pickup branch
Role in this rig
Begins the documented effects inventory on the treble-pickup branch and supplies one of two contrasting tape-echo voices.
- Identity
- Documented
- Position
- Documented
Delay & Echo
Solid-state Echoplex
Treble pickup branch
Role in this rig
Pairs with the tube Echoplex so Cipollina can use a second tape-delay and preamp character on the same pickup branch.
- Identity
- Documented
- Position
- Documented
Gain
Ampeg SC-1 Scrambler
Treble pickup branch
Role in this rig
Supplies the dedicated fuzz voice on Cipollina's treble-pickup effects branch.
- Identity
- Documented
- Position
- Documented
Modulation
Standel-style "Module" rotary effect
Treble pickup branch
Role in this rig
Adds the brittle rotary-organ voice to the treble-pickup branch.
- Identity
- Documented
- Position
- Documented
Modulation
Roland "Bi-Phase" unit
Treble pickup branch
Role in this rig
Runs on the treble-pickup branch at twice the speed of the Maestro phase shifter on the bass-pickup branch.
- Identity
- Documented
- Position
- Documented
Modulation
Maestro PS-1-series Phase Shifter
Bass pickup branch
Role in this rig
Provides the slower phase movement on Cipollina's bass-pickup branch for counter-motion against the treble-side phaser.
- Identity
- Documented
- Position
- Documented
Gain
MXR Blue Box
Bass pickup branch
Role in this rig
Feeds Cipollina's modified wah on the bass-pickup side to create the dirty, growling fuzz described in the interview.
- Identity
- Documented
- Position
- Documented
Filter & EQ
Modified Vox wah
Bass pickup branch
Role in this rig
Shapes the bass-side octave fuzz into the dirty, growling voice described in the 1984 rig interview.
- Identity
- Documented
- Position
- Documented
Documented equipment · Documented order · Split output path
Musician's April 1984 profile quotes Cipollina's current split-amplifier method and enumerates the processors assigned to each pickup branch. Its wording establishes branch membership and the speed relationship between the two phasers, but not a jack-to-jack order inside either branch; the visual order therefore follows the article's enumeration. Guitar Player independently confirms the stereo pickup split, Standel/Fender amplification and Cipollina's use of echo, Standel rotary modulation, fuzz and Vox wah. The transcribed name "Roland Bi-Phase" and the product Cipollina called a "Module" cannot be matched to a dependable exact chassis, so both remain explicitly unresolved rather than being silently replaced with better-known models.
Cited sources
MethodologyQuestions about John Cipollina's 1984 pedalboard
- What pedals did John Cipollina use in 1984?
- This dated entry lists 8 units: Tube Echoplex, Solid-state Echoplex, Ampeg SC-1 Scrambler, Standel-style "Module" rotary effect, Roland "Bi-Phase" unit, Maestro PS-1-series Phase Shifter, MXR Blue Box, Modified Vox wah. This is the recorded inventory, not a claim that every connection or model identification is confirmed; see the evidence and routing notes.
- What order were John Cipollina's pedals in?
- A cited source states the order. See the diagram and routing notes for the separate paths and any unconfirmed connections.
- Is this John Cipollina's full guitar rig?
- No. This dated entry covers 8 units in the effects path, not every piece of gear John Cipollina owned or used. Floor pedals, rack units and routing devices are included only where recorded; omitted equipment and uncertain connections are explained in the notes. It is not a complete or current rig inventory.
- When and where was this pedalboard used?
- Documented April 1984 rig. Nick Gravenites / Quicksilver-era touring setup. This is the rig documented for that touring period, not a career-wide gear list.
- How does the archive know what was on this pedalboard?
- 2 cited sources, listed above with the date each was read, including Musician, Guitar Player. Among them an interview and a written article. The units are recorded as documented equipment, and the page was last audited on 2026-07-18.