Take a listen to the eclectic blend of styles on any of his 13 studio albums and it's clear that Ben Harper is a musician who's constantly on the prowl for new sounds. It's an experience that many of us are familiar with, and one that usually results in a vast collection of instruments and gear.
Today, Ben is set to pass on some of that collection to a new batch of owners through his newly launched official Reverb shop. We recently caught up with Ben to chat about the gear that he’s used over the years and to talk over some of the pieces he’ll be offering in his Reverb shop.
I can't stand to see it sitting unused. All of this gear deserves to be played and brought to life."
As Ben told us, "This is all gear that I have used or experimented with, either on tour or in the studio over the course of 23 years. I can't stand to see it sitting unused. All of this gear deserves to be played and brought to life."
Take a look at some of the collection below and click over to his shop to see everything he has for sale.
What influenced you to take up the lap steel?
What influenced me to take up lap steel was first the tone. It sounded endless. And to this day, its potential feels limitless when exploring where it can go. Also, being above the instrument and looking down always just felt most natural for me. Hard to say why that is, just a feeling.
What it is about the Les Paul Special that's made it a fixture guitar for you over the years?
The Les Paul Special has been my go–to pretty much straight away when I transitioned from playing mostly acoustic to both electric and acoustic. It's an incredibly versatile instrument that is able to switch between dirty and clean sounds seamlessly.
I once sat in with Les Paul in New York, and when I heard him play his own Les Paul, I was reminded that it's originally a jazz guitar.
Any stories about any of the gear you're selling? Was any of this gear used on any recordings or tours?
What came as a surprise to me is how much experimentation, how much trial, error and commitment goes into the tone one claims as "their own." As I got more into the production side, that same quest for great guitar tone branched out into every aspect of record–making, from the tones of the instruments to the overall tone of the records themselves.
This is all gear that I have used or experimented with either on tour or in the studio over the course of 23 years. I can't stand to see it sitting unused. All of this gear deserves to be played and brought to life.
We saw you're selling a double–neck Gibson, which reminded us of our article titled "Who actually uses double neck guitars?" What made you pick one of those up? Are you selling it to buy a 5–neck guitar a la Rick Nielsen?
Oh man, Rick is the best!
I had that double–neck custom made from the Gibson factory for the Burn to Shine tour. I played all the guitar parts on the Burn to Shine record, and I had to figure out a way to cover all the parts. This was before I added a second guitarist.
It's a double 6–string with one neck set specifically for bottleneck playing. I believe it's one of a kind. It's a freaking great axe, and I hope she finds a good home.
It’s great to hear about what you’re offering, and we’re excited to check out the rest of your shop. But that stuff aside, what's one piece of gear you'll never sell?
My first Martin 00-18.
Ben Harper Official Reverb Shop