FRED LONBERG-HOLM: Probably part of the reason that I use a lot of electronics though is that, you know, the cello is always basically going to be a cello. And if you want to try to get other kinds of colors and sounds out of the instrument just like the guitar or anything, then I use these kind of filters and enhancers to create other sounds.

When musicians ask me, you know, what do you take with you to a gig or decide to take, one of the rules for is that I have to be able to carry it all. I don’t have a roadie, and I’m on the road a lot and a lot of times for weeks if not months, I’m carrying everything that I’m going to have with me for the entire trip myself or at least be able to get on and off trains and in and out of airports on my own with no resistance and so. So, it kind of limits me because I’ve got a cello and I’ve got a suitcase of some changes of clothes and maybe a few CDs to give away or sell, and the I got to carry all my pedals. Fortunately, I always ask for an amp for backline, and that amp would change depending on the kind of gig it was. And so, all of -- generally it’s somewhere between Fender Twin, a Vox AC30, or a Marshall half stack, preferably a 100-watt or a 50-watt. Those are the three primary ones.

And funny enough, I don’t own any of those. I use an Ampeg Reverberocket for a lot of the gigs, and then for the kind of deluxe-y cushy gigs I have an Ampeg Portaflex I like a lot, but getting ampegs, especially in Europe, is almost impossible, or at least in my experience, and so especially a tube Ampeg. And those two were kind of esoteric especially, you know, the vintage-y things that I don't think they’re going to be reissued, so.

I had a Marshall half stack for a while and I really liked it but I didn’t really use it very much around here and it seemed silly to take so I didn’t keep that. And for the small gigs, actually I really like -- I prefer like to start kind of a thing where I’m almost playing acoustic level but just using effects and a Silvertone 1452, the 12” sort of their version of kind of what would be on just a Fender Deluxe, and yeah it was sold by Sears but it was made by Danelectro, and hey the Velvet Underground used them. I don't know. So, is that not good enough for anybody out there?

GRETCHEN HASSE: [LAUGHING]

FRED LONBERG-HOLM: I bought mine cheap by the way too, and now with boutiques in New York, you know, they’re -- Don’t buy them there. That’s all my advice is. And I have other things like I’m using right now for this kind of messing around like in my room. When I’m messing around, a lot of the times I like to use this amp. It’s a Marathon, and I have no idea who made it or when or whatever. It looks kind of like a cute little suitcase, and it has two 8s, and it kind of breaks up nicely without being too ridiculously loud in my room here, so I don’t have to kill myself to find out what that is --

[FRED LONBERG-HOLM PLAYING CELLO THROUGH THE MARATHON AMPLIFIER]

This is --

[FRED LONBERG-HOLM PLAYING CELLO]

That’s the acoustic and then here.

[FRED LONBERG-HOLM PLAYING CELLO THROUGH THE MARATHON AMPLIFIER]

It’s great.