Billy Howerdel (A Perfect Circle) Rig

Estimated build cost: ~$18,482 (based on current listings)

Hard Rock A Perfect Circle Billy Howerdel

Billy Howerdel’s tone is atmospheric, heavy, and textural — blending thick, sustaining Les Paul-style rhythms with soaring, effects-laden leads and a dynamic, layered approach that defines A Perfect Circle’s sound. He favors modified vintage-inspired guitars, modded Marshall-style amps, and a mix of rack and pedal effects for depth and control.

He has a pretty moderately priced rig compared to a lot of high level artists like him, it is a minimal setup that mixes vintage amps with the digital era to give him a very versatile rig.

~$18,482 Estimated total
16 Pieces of gear
Hard Rock Genre / style
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Billy Howerdel (A Perfect Circle) Rig
Photo by Marc Blair / CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Billy Howerdel guitars, amps and pedals

Guitars
Gibson Les Paul
Gibson Les Paul Classic 2017 - Classic Cherryburst
Throughout 1995–present: 1991 cinnamon-burst 1960 Classic reissue from Trent Reznor’s NIN stash; Tom Anderson H3+ bridge / H1- neck, treble-bleed cap, headstock repaired at the wrong angle. Core guitar on every APC record and tour.
$2,000
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Gibson ES-175
Gibson
Gibson ES-175
Gibson ES-175 1957
Current 2022: hollowbody used throughout the solo album What Normal Was alongside the Les Paul, for the darker ’80s-pop / post-punk textures rather than the APC C# riff voice.
$3,995
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Yamaha AES1500
Yamaha Guitar
Yamaha AES1500
Yamaha AES1500B Semi-Hollow Body Electric Guitar Orange Stain w/ Bigsby
$2,543
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Amplifiers & Cabinets
1978 Marshall JMP Super Lead 100w
Marshall Amplifier
1978 Marshall JMP Super Lead 100w
1978 Marshall JMP Super Lead 100w MkII Model 1959 - Fully Serviced - Hendrix/ACDC/Clapton Amp
Throughout late 1990s–present: 1978 100-watt Super Lead whose preamp Dave Friedman rebuilt to track like a Naylor Superdrive. The Mer de Noms / Thirteenth Step voice and still the power section on later APC and solo sessions.
$2,127
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Gibson Goldtone GA-15RV
Gibson Amplifier
Gibson Goldtone GA-15RV
Gibson Goldtone GA-15RV 15W Guitar Combo Amp
Used for cleaner tones.
$899
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Marshall 1960AV 4X12
Marshall Cabinet
Marshall 1960AV 4X12
Marshall 1960AV 4x12 Slant Cabinet
This cabinet has Celestion G12 Vintage (70-watt rated) speakers.
$1,349
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Amplifier
Friedman Naked
Throughout ~2000–present: limited Naked heads Friedman built from Howerdel’s Naylor-preamp Marshall mod (rack versions live in his touring racks). Still listed with the original JMP as studio/live backbone on What Normal Was (2022).
Not listed
Pedals & Effects
Fractal Axe-Fx III
Fractal Audio Systems AXE FX III High-End Multi-Processor [AXE3-AC-300434] (07/23)
Used for effects processing, clean tones (Fender Twin model), and complex layering. Billy has incorporated the Axe-Fx III into his rig in recent years alongside his tube amps for greater flexibility and consistency. He uses two of these in his rig routing.
$1,957
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RJM Mastermind GT/22 MIDI Foot Controller
Foot Controller
RJM Mastermind GT/22 MIDI Foot Controller
RJM Mastermind GT/10 MIDI Foot Controller 2010s - Black
Billy’s main MIDI foot controller in recent years. It provides extensive programmable switches for controlling the Axe-Fx III, amp channels, and effects loops. This replaced his older Voodoo Lab Ground Control for more complex live switching needs.
$1,331
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RJM Music Technology Amp Gizmo AG-2 MIDI Amplifier Controller Switcher
Midi Control Switcher
RJM Music Technology Amp Gizmo AG-2 MIDI Amplifier Controller Switcher
RJM AG-2N Amp Gizmo
$296
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Digitech GSP 2101
Rack Effects
Digitech GSP 2101
DigiTech GSP 2101 Artist Pro Studio Tube Preamp / Multi-Effects Processor
$430
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Accessories
Expression Pedal
He uses two of these on his current board.
Sold — replacement pending More Info
Prescription Electronics Experience
Pedal
Prescription Electronics Experience
Prescription Electronics Experience
Throughout 2000–present: hand-painted octave fuzz/swell — the only stompbox he has named on early APC albums, still used on Eat the Elephant, What Normal Was, and the 2024 Gibson Riff Lords session.
$479
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TC Electronic G-Force
Rack Effects
TC Electronic G-Force
TC Electronic G-Force 2010s - Black
Classic 2001–2004: post-amp multi-effects in the Mer de Noms / Thirteenth Step touring rack alongside the Lexicon and GSP 2101 (documented in a 2001 Mix interview and the 2004 Guitar Geek diagram).
$534
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Lexicon MPX G2
Pedal
Lexicon MPX G2
Lexicon MPX G2 24-Bit Multi-Effect Guitar Processor 2000s - Black
Classic 2000–2004: primary multi-effects brain on Mer de Noms touring and the early records; he later said nothing quite matched it, but the unit became too unreliable to keep as the live core.
$526
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Bottleneck Dunlop 234 medium
Guitar Slide
Bottleneck Dunlop 234 medium
Bottleneck Dunlop 234 medium
$16
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Signal Chain

Into fractal > Switcher gizmo (Split to marshall or Gibson amp) > Back into the switcher > input split custom audio splitter > 1 send second Fractal input 2 > other to send 2 of the digitech > return mixer > power section of marshall

Estimated build total ~$18,482
Rig Overview
Estimated total ~$18,482
Pieces of gear 16
Genre / style Hard Rock
Guitars 3 items
Amplifiers & Cabinets 4 items
Pedals & Effects 4 items
Accessories 5 items
Signal Chain 0 items
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