Thurston MoorePedalboard, 2021
Thurston Moore's 2021 By the Fire solo pedalboard centres on a Dunlop JH-3S octave fuzz, Pro Co Turbo RAT and EHX Metal Muff. His nine-unit inventory also includes Phase 90, Vortex Mini flanger, Cathedral and Hall of Fame Mini reverbs, EP Booster and passive volume. Moore describes combining octave fuzz with the RAT; the full sequence is reconstructed. This is his solo setup, not a Sonic Youth-era board.
By the Fire interview pedalboard
Order evidence: No source publishes this sequence; the order is reconstructed
Inside the rig · 9 units
Pedal roles & evidence
How each unit fits Thurston Moore's 2021 setup. Board-specific roles and the evidence behind each identification and position.
Reconstructed orderIdentity and position are evidenced separately. Reconstructed positions are not observed connections.
Gain
Dunlop JH-3S Jimi Hendrix Octave Fuzz
Front of amp
Role in this rig
Starts Moore's chain and combines with the Turbo RAT for his abrasive octave-fuzz sound.
- Identity
- Documented
- Position
- Reconstructed
Gain
Pro Co Turbo RAT
Front of amp
Role in this rig
Provides Moore's main distortion, from mild crunch to heavy saturation, and stacks with the octave fuzz.
- Identity
- Documented
- Position
- Reconstructed
Gain
Electro-Harmonix Metal Muff with Top Boost
Front of amp
Role in this rig
Adds the thick metallic high-gain voice Moore adopted after his Russian Big Muff failed.
- Identity
- Documented
- Position
- Reconstructed
Modulation
MXR Phase 90
Front of amp
Role in this rig
Adds a slow, broad phase sweep to Moore's otherwise distortion-led board.
- Identity
- Documented
- Position
- Reconstructed
Modulation
TC Electronic Vortex Mini Flanger
Front of amp
Role in this rig
Supplies occasional compact flanging; Moore said he used it only sparingly.
- Identity
- Documented
- Position
- Reconstructed
Reverb & Ambience
Electro-Harmonix Cathedral Stereo Reverb
Front of amp
Role in this rig
Creates Moore's principal expansive reverb sound from a single favored preset.
- Identity
- Documented
- Position
- Reconstructed
Reverb & Ambience
TC Electronic Hall of Fame Mini Reverb
Front of amp
Role in this rig
Adds a second, compact reverb option alongside the Cathedral.
- Identity
- Documented
- Position
- Reconstructed
Gain
Xotic EP Booster
Front of amp
Role in this rig
Warms and rounds Moore's output, particularly when a tour requires unfamiliar rental amplifiers.
- Identity
- Documented
- Position
- Reconstructed
Routing & Control
Passive Volume Pedal
Front of amp
Role in this rig
Controls swells and overall level without adding an active gain stage.
- Identity
- Documented
- Position
- Reconstructed
Documented equipment · Reconstructed order · Serial path
Moore listed the board directly to Guitar World, saying the octave fuzz and Turbo RAT are placed together and frequently combined; a later independent Guitar Magazine interview and 2017 board photograph corroborate the central drive, phase, reverb and volume choices. The displayed order preserves the explicitly adjacent octave-fuzz/RAT pair, then groups the remaining effects conventionally because the complete cable path was not published. The tuner is omitted as a utility. Guitar Magazine's 2017 photograph shows a Corona Mini where the 2021 interview names a Vortex Mini, so this dated entry follows Moore's 2021 inventory rather than merging the two boards.
No source publishes this sequence. The units are ordered by conventional signal-chain practice, and any documented routing zone is kept as recorded.
Cited sources
MethodologyQuestions about Thurston Moore's 2021 pedalboard
- What pedals did Thurston Moore use in 2021?
- This dated entry lists 9 units: Dunlop JH-3S Jimi Hendrix Octave Fuzz, Pro Co Turbo RAT, Electro-Harmonix Metal Muff with Top Boost, MXR Phase 90, TC Electronic Vortex Mini Flanger, Electro-Harmonix Cathedral Stereo Reverb, TC Electronic Hall of Fame Mini Reverb, Xotic EP Booster, Passive Volume Pedal. 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 Thurston Moore's pedals in?
- The complete order is reconstructed, not observed. The layout follows the cited routing constraints and the archive's signal-chain convention where the sources are silent: Guitar → Dunlop JH-3S Jimi Hendrix Octave Fuzz → Pro Co Turbo RAT → Electro-Harmonix Metal Muff with Top Boost → MXR Phase 90 → TC Electronic Vortex Mini Flanger → Electro-Harmonix Cathedral Stereo Reverb → TC Electronic Hall of Fame Mini Reverb → Xotic EP Booster → Passive Volume Pedal → amplifier.
- Is this Thurston Moore's full guitar rig?
- No. This dated entry covers 9 units in the effects path, not every piece of gear Thurston Moore 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?
- By the Fire era, January 2021. Thurston Moore solo rig. 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 Guitar World, Guitar Magazine Japan. Among them an interview. The units are recorded as documented equipment, and the page was last audited on 2026-07-18.