More than ten years ago, I sat down with the wonderful and immensely talented Tim Pierce to capture a glimpse of his world as one of Los Angeles’ top session guitarists. At that point in time, Tim had already spent decades shaping the sound of countless hit records, and I was fortunate enough as a producer to work with him on a huge number of albums, EPs and singles. He was the first call guitarist in LA, and this video and conversation from a decade ago show exactly why.
That day, we were tracking guitars, something Tim did on an almost daily basis, and always with a mix of precision, taste and creativity that elevated every project he touched. What made this particular recording special was Tim taking the time to walk through his setup, showing the gear and techniques that powered his session work.
He spoke about his then new Mac Pro “coffee can” computer, paired with an Apogee Symphony I/O. He detailed how he used Flickinger inspired mic preamps, a sound Jack Douglas and Aerosmith made famous at the Record Plant in the 1970s, alongside classic mics like the Sony C800, the Royer 122V ribbon, and trusty Shure 57s. Blending these through a Chandler line mixer allowed Tim to achieve depth, focus and clarity, with compressors such as the Distressor and retro styled 176 clones shaping the tone without sacrificing character.
For acoustic guitars, Tim leaned on a Shep’s CMC 5U, a microphone recommended to him by his friend Rafa Sardina, as well as a BAE 1272 preamp. He even revealed some of his secret weapons, including Eventide Eclipse units patched just like in a console, creating stereo delays and reverbs without degrading the sound. Every piece of gear had a purpose, and every signal path was optimised for delivering world class guitar tracks.
What shines through most in this recording is not just the technical detail, but Tim’s approach: simple, musical and always serving the song. It is a perfect time capsule of him at the height of his career as LA’s premier session guitarist.
Looking back, I am grateful to have had Tim on so many projects over the years. His ability to bring ideas to life and make music feel bigger, richer and more alive was unmatched. This article and the accompanying video stand as proof of why Tim Pierce was, and remains, one of the finest guitarists ever to grace a recording studio.
