The Snarky Puppy Keyboard Rigs
FOUR breakdowns!
Departing from the jam band world a LITTLE bit…
Snarky Puppy is one of my favourite bands and has FOUR different keyboardists, each with wildly different playing styles and rigs. In this post, I will be looking at their gear from 2019 to the present, given that they have gone through an incredible amount of changes due to backline availability and more.
NOTE: The band backlines all of the keyboard gear when travelling, causing some common inconsistencies like the model of Fender Rhodes.
As always, if there are any missing/incorrect details, please reach out to me @ry_storm on social media or email me rystorm@gmail.com! I welcome and appreciate any corrections/assistance!
Justin Stanton
The band’s multi-instrumentalist and possibly the most adaptable member, Justin’s keyboard rig is the most dependent on who else is on stage.
If the keyboard section is Justin and Bobby Sparks: Fender Rhodes, Prophet synthesizer, Mellotron M4000D, Moog synthesizer*
If the keyboard section is Justin, Shaun Martin, and Bobby Sparks (or Justin and Shaun /Justin and Bobby): Fender Rhodes, Prophet synthesizer, Moog synthesizer*
If the keyboard section Justin and Bill Laurance: Prophet synthesizer, Minimoog Model D**, Mellotron M4000D***
If the keyboard section is only Justin: Fender Rhodes, Prophet synthesizer, Mellotron, Minimoog Model D
*Justin has used a Minimoog Model D frequently when playing without Bobby Sparks, however since the band’s February 2022 Texas run, he had one in ADDITION to Bobby. Justin also had a Moog Little Phatty synth for the band’s November 2019 Europe tour AFTER the Royal Albert Hall show (Bobby was not on the tour prior so Justin had the Minimoog) and November 2021 tour.
**Only if Bobby Sparks is not on tour
***Only if Shaun Martin is not on tour
Bill Laurance
Bill’s keyboard rig is fairly stable, consisting of a Fender Rhodes and a Nord Stage. In 2019, Bill also had a Moog Little Phatty synthesizer for the first time that has since remained in his rig.
Shaun Martin
Shaun uses a Korg Kronos, a Moog Little Phatty Synthesizer, and a Mellotron M4000D. He has an MXR Carbon Copy delay pedal for use with the Kronos and what I believe to be an MXR M222 Talk Box with the Moog. He also has a second microphone for use with the Kronos’ vocoder setting.
Starting in 2019, Shaun also has a Mellotron in his rig.
Occasionally, when on tour without Bobby Sparks, Shaun will play the Hammond B-3 organ.
Bobby Sparks
Bobby’s rig remains stable regardless of the touring lineup, consisting of a Minimoog Model D, a Hammond B-3 organ, and a Hohner Clavinet D6. The main change comes when Bobby brings his own Castlebar-equipped D6 or “chopped” B-3 on some US tours closer to home.
Bobby’s clavinet and Minimoog are both run through pedalboards, the contents of which are in flux based on backline availability and where they are playing.
When backlining a non-Castlebar D6, Bobby uses a custom “Benderbox” to simulate the effect of a whammy bar.
MARCH 2022 - THE EMPIRE CENTRAL SESSIONS!
Each of the four keyboardists had their own setup for the recording of Empire Central, and did swap around a bit, but here they are!
Justin: Wurlitzer 200a, Prophet-10, Minimoog Model D
Bill: Rhodes MK8 electric piano, Yamah CP70 piano, Minimoog Model D, Osmose Expressive
Shaun Martin: Korg Kronos, Moog Little Phatty, talkbox, Mellotron M4000D
Bobby Sparks: Hammond B-3 organ (Bobby’s custom “chop”), Hohner D6 clavinet (with Castlebar), ARP String Ensemble, Minimoog Model D
US May/June 2022 - Justin’s Update
Justin’s rig featured a bit of an update for the first tour with the Empire Central material - in addition to his usual Fender Rhodes, Prophet-6, and Minimoog Model D, he now has a Nord Stage, a keyboard previously only use by Bill.
2022 (Bill and Justin)
For their European summer tour in 2022, the dual-keyboard lineup of Justin Stanton and Bill Laurance opted for a unique setup; sharing one massive keyboard arsenal instead of separating themselves onstage. This allowed for fluid switching of instruments and a broader range of sound than we normally hear from the two of them - while Justin and Bill frequently play Rhodes and synthesizers with Snarky Puppy, there are only a handful of occasions where either of them get their hands on a clavinet.
As usual, exact models of keyboard varied from show-to-show based on backline availability.
The Rig: Fender Rhodes, Prophet synthesizer, Moog Little Phatty synthesizer x2, Mellotron M4000D, Nord Stage 3, Hohner Clavinet D6
Note: the same rig was employed for the beginning of the fall 2022 European leg of the Empire Central tour - minus the clavinet, since Bobby was the third keyboardist. Upon Bill’s departure mid-way through the tour, Justin return to his usual smaller rig.
