Steve Howe says most of the new Yes album was recorded on a Line 6 Spider
He used the Boss GS-10 for the remainder of the album.
Image: Mike Coppola / Getty
Yes legend Steve Howe has revealed that the guitar tone on the latest Yes album was mostly the product of a rather unlikely little amp: the Line 6 Spider.
Despite its less-than-boutique status in the gear world, the digital amp proved good enough to form the basis of the guitar tone on The Quest, the Yes album set to arrive on 1 October.
Speaking to MusicRadar, Howe was asked about the effects units and amps he used on the album, to which he replied: “I used the Boss GS-10 which is a remarkable little system. But for the most part, I was using a Line 6 Spider amp.” The GS-10 is a discontinued unit, featuring digital effects and amp modelling. It can connect directly to a DAW, and work as an all-in-one guitar recording solution.
However, Howe added that “Sometimes [the Line 6’s] speaker and mic helped give the song atmosphere.”
“The guitar solo on Leave Well Alone was done like that,” he added. “That was my Gibson ES-175 into the Line 6 Spider,” he added “It’s a case of exploring different options. One usually feels right. And that just might be because it is right!”