Pete Loeffler
Encyclopedia
Pete Loeffler is the lead guitarist and lead singer for the Chicago alternative metal
band Chevelle
. His vocal delivery varies from clean melodic singing to a gut-wrenching scream.
was written as an ode to the greed sparked by the contest American Idol—this was announced by the band onstage at the May 25th, 2007 show at the Town Ballroom in Buffalo, New York. Pete has said that "Forfeit", on the Wonder What's Next album, was written about overaggressive people in concert mosh pits.
Pete collaborated on a track titled "Forever In Our Hearts", with Brian McKnight, Mya, Nate Dogg, Sonny Sandoval, Jacoby Shaddix, FeFe Dobson, Ben Jelen and Ben Moody. The track was recorded in response to the 2004 tsunami and is exclusively available on iTunes.
(Two of which were custom-built for Pete). He also uses two PRS Custom 22s, one red (which can be seen in the music video for "Send The Pain Below") and one white custom 24 (his main live guitar) and 2 Custom 24 baritones
(one of which is a baritone with red "X's" on the neck as inlays, the other is gold-top). Pete also owns Fender Stratocaster Baritones (two were stolen along with the rest of the band's gear on May 9, 2007).
Throughout Chevelle's career, Pete's tunings have ranged from Drop C# (Sci-Fi Crimes) to D Standard
(Point #1), to Drop C
(Hats Off to the Bull), to C# standard (Wonder What's Next), to Drop B (Wonder What's Next, This Type of Thinking, Vena Sera, and Sci-Fi Crimes) to Drop A# (This Type of Thinking Could Do Us In, Vena Sera). He uses an array of pedals, including Boss' BF-3 flanger, PH-3 Phase Shifter, TR-2 Tremolo and a TU-2 tuner, DD-3 Digital Delay, and a OC-3 Octave. It is known Pete has made use of the SansAmp GT-2 on tracks such as "Wonder What's Next" as well as for feedback during live performances. His live amp of choice has long been a Mesa Boogie
Mark IV. His onstage rig has two Mark IV heads, with one as a backup. Aside from the Mark IVs, Pete also owns several Mesa Boogie Boogie Dual Rectifiers, a Mesa Boogie Lonestar, a Mesa Boogie Roadster, and an Ampeg V4 (reportedly purchased from Josh Homme of the Queens of the Stone Age).
On This Type of Thinking (Could Do Us In), Pete has stated he used an Orange head to handle all the clean tones. More recently, in 2009 while recording Chevelle's 5th album, Sci-Fi Crimes
, Pete is shown to also own several Bogner Amplifiers (two Shivas and an Überschall, a Diezel VH4, a Mid-70s Marshall JMP, an early-70s White Marshall Super Lead, and a Hiwatt. In Pete's live rig, he handles channel switching with an Axess Electronics MIDI pedal. He is also well known for always playing guitar with his foot propped on his toolbox. As of 2009, Pete no longer uses a Boss Flanger, He uses a MXR Phase 90, Boss Tremolo, a Boss GE-7 Equalizer and A Sansamp GT-2, as well as a Custom Audio Electronics A/B amp switcher.
a majority of his career. The models he has used over the years include:
Pete has also stated that he is an avid collector of baritone guitars and has a large collection at his house.
Alternative metal
Alternative metal is a genre of alternative rock and heavy metal that gained popularity in the early 1990s. Most notably, alternative metal bands are characterized by heavy guitar riffs and experimental approaches to heavy music.-Origins:...
band Chevelle
Chevelle
Chevelle is an American alternative metal trio that formed in 1995 in Grayslake, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. The band was originally composed of two brothers and a local friend: Pete Loeffler , Sam Loeffler , and Matt Scott . Matt was later replaced by brother Joe Loeffler...
. His vocal delivery varies from clean melodic singing to a gut-wrenching scream.
Lyrical style & collaborations
Pete tends to write abstract lyrics, but often directs them toward specific and sometimes humorous ideas. The track titled "Get Some" from their 3rd album This Type of Thinking (Could Do Us In)This Type of Thinking (Could Do Us In)
-Credits:* Andy Wallace – mixing* Ben Goldman – A&R* Chevelle – producer* Christian Lantry – photography* Dave Holdredge – digital editing, drum programming, engineer* Eddy Schreyer – mastering* Farra Mathews – A&R* Jef Moll – assistant...
was written as an ode to the greed sparked by the contest American Idol—this was announced by the band onstage at the May 25th, 2007 show at the Town Ballroom in Buffalo, New York. Pete has said that "Forfeit", on the Wonder What's Next album, was written about overaggressive people in concert mosh pits.
"We gravitate toward making fun of big bruisers. That song 'Forfeit' is all about when there's a mosh pit, you always have that big tough guy out there who's trying to kill people. That song is making fun of those people. It's like, 'Yeah, I want you to jump around. Have a good time. . . . Vent. Go to a show and get lost for an hour or two in the music and enjoy. But don't go out and kick people's butts.
Pete collaborated on a track titled "Forever In Our Hearts", with Brian McKnight, Mya, Nate Dogg, Sonny Sandoval, Jacoby Shaddix, FeFe Dobson, Ben Jelen and Ben Moody. The track was recorded in response to the 2004 tsunami and is exclusively available on iTunes.
Music
Equipment-wise, Loeffler plays PRSPRS Guitars
PRS Guitars is an American guitar manufacturer headquartered in Stevensville, Maryland. PRS Guitars was founded by guitarist and luthier Paul Reed Smith in 1985. The company is one of the leading manufacturers of high-end electric guitars.-Materials:...
(Two of which were custom-built for Pete). He also uses two PRS Custom 22s, one red (which can be seen in the music video for "Send The Pain Below") and one white custom 24 (his main live guitar) and 2 Custom 24 baritones
Baritone guitar
The baritone guitar is a variation on the standard guitar, with a longer scale length that allows it to be tuned to a lower range. It first appeared in the classical music realm...
(one of which is a baritone with red "X's" on the neck as inlays, the other is gold-top). Pete also owns Fender Stratocaster Baritones (two were stolen along with the rest of the band's gear on May 9, 2007).
Throughout Chevelle's career, Pete's tunings have ranged from Drop C# (Sci-Fi Crimes) to D Standard
D tuning
D Tuning, also called One Step Lower, Whole Step Down, or D Standard, is an alternate tuning for guitar. Each string is lowered by a whole tone or two semitones resulting in D-G-C-F-A-D It is used mostly by heavy metal bands to achieve a heavier, deeper sound and by blues guitarists, who use it to...
(Point #1), to Drop C
Drop C tuning
Drop C tuning can be used to refer to two different alternative guitar tunings:* CGCFAD - The most commonly intended meaning of Drop C, though the term is incorrect...
(Hats Off to the Bull), to C# standard (Wonder What's Next), to Drop B (Wonder What's Next, This Type of Thinking, Vena Sera, and Sci-Fi Crimes) to Drop A# (This Type of Thinking Could Do Us In, Vena Sera). He uses an array of pedals, including Boss' BF-3 flanger, PH-3 Phase Shifter, TR-2 Tremolo and a TU-2 tuner, DD-3 Digital Delay, and a OC-3 Octave. It is known Pete has made use of the SansAmp GT-2 on tracks such as "Wonder What's Next" as well as for feedback during live performances. His live amp of choice has long been a Mesa Boogie
Mesa Boogie
Mesa/Boogie is a company in Petaluma, California that makes amplifiers for guitars and basses. It has been in operation since 1969....
Mark IV. His onstage rig has two Mark IV heads, with one as a backup. Aside from the Mark IVs, Pete also owns several Mesa Boogie Boogie Dual Rectifiers, a Mesa Boogie Lonestar, a Mesa Boogie Roadster, and an Ampeg V4 (reportedly purchased from Josh Homme of the Queens of the Stone Age).
On This Type of Thinking (Could Do Us In), Pete has stated he used an Orange head to handle all the clean tones. More recently, in 2009 while recording Chevelle's 5th album, Sci-Fi Crimes
Sci-Fi Crimes
Sci-Fi Crimes is the fifth studio album from Grayslake-based rock band Chevelle, followed up to its predecessor, Vena Sera in 2007. It was released on August 31, 2009 through Epic Records.-Background:...
, Pete is shown to also own several Bogner Amplifiers (two Shivas and an Überschall, a Diezel VH4, a Mid-70s Marshall JMP, an early-70s White Marshall Super Lead, and a Hiwatt. In Pete's live rig, he handles channel switching with an Axess Electronics MIDI pedal. He is also well known for always playing guitar with his foot propped on his toolbox. As of 2009, Pete no longer uses a Boss Flanger, He uses a MXR Phase 90, Boss Tremolo, a Boss GE-7 Equalizer and A Sansamp GT-2, as well as a Custom Audio Electronics A/B amp switcher.
Guitars
Pete has toured with PRS guitarsPRS Guitars
PRS Guitars is an American guitar manufacturer headquartered in Stevensville, Maryland. PRS Guitars was founded by guitarist and luthier Paul Reed Smith in 1985. The company is one of the leading manufacturers of high-end electric guitars.-Materials:...
a majority of his career. The models he has used over the years include:
- PRS Custom 22
- PRS Custom 24
- PRS Custom Baritone (Owns 4 of them)
- PRS Mike Mushok SE Baritone
- Fender SubSonic Baritone
Pete has also stated that he is an avid collector of baritone guitars and has a large collection at his house.
Amplifiers & Cabinets (Live)
- Mesa Boogie Mark IV
- Mesa Boogie Mark V
- 3 Mesa Boogie 4x12" cabs (currently as of 2010)
- Marshall 1960AHW used as replacements after 2007 gear was stolen.
Amplifiers & Cabinets (Studio)
- Mesa Boogie Mark IV
- Marshall JMP 100
- Marshall Super-Lead Head
- Marshall 1960TV Cabinet
- Bogner Uberschall
- Bogner Shiva
- Mesa Boogie Road King
- Mesa Boogie Roadster
- Mesa Boogie Lonestar
- Diezel VH4
- Ampeg V4
- Orange Rockerverb 100
Effects and other Equipment
- MXR Phase 90MXR Phase 90The MXR Phase 90 is a phaser effects pedal originally designed in the 1970s by MXR.-History:The Phase 90 was released in 1972. It was the first pedal sold by MXR and helped launch the company. The original came in a simple orange enclosure with MXR's "script" logo. In 1977 MXR changed its logo to...
- Boss TR-2 Tremolo
- Boss GE-7 Equalizer
- Peterson Strobe Tuner
- SansAmp Tech 21 GT-2
- Prescription Electronics "The Experience"
- Line 6 DL4 (studio only)
- Aphex Punch Factory (studio only)
- Everly Strings
- In Tune GrippX .073 yellow picks