Some would say it’s not really a guitar fail but ElectricMan Steve’ rig is so wacky anyway!
Electric Man Steve, a musician from Philadelphia, has been entertaining audiences with his unique rig for the past 20 years. In 1982 at the Philadelphia Folk Festival, he heard a musician who was performing Jimi Hendrix music on a Pignose amplifier. This sparked an idea within him, and he decided to do the same the following year.
Over the years, Steve continued to experiment and improve his setup by adding effects and even rigging a microphone to the Pignose, held together by rubber bands. One night, the rubber bands broke and all his equipment fell to the ground. To fix the issue, he sought out the help of an electronics wizard who has been working with him for the past 20 years to improve and modify his setup.
Steve’s setup includes an electric guitar, microphone, special effects, and the original Pignose amplifier powered by a 40-watt car stereo amplifier, with many modifications made to it. To accommodate the equipment, he has a special belt for him to carry it all. The controls that they built enable him to mix his voice, guitar, special effects, and monitor system. Some of the effects he uses include echo, distortion, a looper, and a talk box.