John Hughey Setup

Rick Campbell · From: Sneedville, TN, USA

Just curious if anyone knows what equipment John Hughey used when he worked with Conway and recorded the early hits. I'm thinking he played an Emmons guitar, but I have no idea about the amp or effects he used.

RC

Tony Dingus · From: Kingsport, Tennessee, USA

Rick I think he used a Fender Princeton on some sessions and he built a guitar that he used on one of Conway's albums.

Tony

Dave Grafe · From: Hudson River Valley NY

I can't speak to early years but later in his career he used a Lexicon PCM80 effects unit in a floor rack.

Marco Schouten · From: Amsterdam, The Netherlands

John played a long time through Evans amps, I think a model with a tube pre-amp. A lot of recordings were done with Emmons pp, but later John used a JCH guitar. As far as I know, Look At Us was recorded with a JCH guitar.
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JCH SD-10 with BL XR-16 pickup, Sho-Bud Volume Pedal, Evidence Audio Lyric HG cables, Quilter Steelaire combo

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

I'm looking at a picture on the wall of Papa John and he's sitting behind a Zum. Very Happy

Erv

Rick Campbell · From: Sneedville, TN, USA

Jon Light · From: Saugerties, NY

Tiny Olson · From: Mohawk River Valley, Upstate NY

Hi Rick:
We did many package shows with Conway back in the 70s and 80s and John and I became friends. We both has endorsements with Evans back then and were both using FET 500s for the live shows. Mostly the early version FET HV (high-volt).

Talking with John about those earlier Conway hits you've mentioned, I'm pretty sure that Marco is correct about the Evans, Hybrid 300. Possibly the earlier Evans Compactra as well. I recall that he also had an Emmons amp, the one made for them by Standel. In the mid-70s he also used a Session 400 on some recordings. John preferred Emmons guitars with the wood-neck "inserts" and the bolt-on changers. I believe his earliest Emmons was an aluminum neck, "decal" guitar. I have to agree with Jon Light though regarding the video he posted,,, it does look like a silver-face, Twin Reverb or maybe a Vibrosonic. I enjoyed that video as you can see John using his front LKL which lowered his 2nd string a full tone back then. The rear LKL was his E to Eb lever,,, John played "Day Pedals."

I am pretty sure that I recall John telling me that he liked his single-coils wound to around 20K.

No matter what horn he was playing or which amp, John always sounded unmistakably like John and that sure was a great sound..!! He was such a great, humble person too..!!

There is probably someone with better info than I've been able to give you but I hope this helps.

Bill Cunningham · From: Atlanta, Ga. USA

I can’t answer your question Rick but a couple of other interesting bits…

Conway came through our town when he was the new hot country artist. I was probably 12 years old or so. The only steel player in our area had a Sho~Bud Fingertip. John was playing an Emmons of course. The guy asked John what he thought about Sho~Buds and John just said “What’s that?” Very Happy

I opened for Conway/John at the Ga. Mtn. Fair in the mid 80’s I guess and he was playing through a pair of Peavey Vegas’s. His sound was bigger than the venue!

Once a fellow here on the SGF said he was John’s neighbor and noted that John experimented and changed gear continuously. The guy said he could tell no difference in John’s sound with each change, of course. But with every change John was inspired to a new level.
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Bill Cunningham
Atlanta, GA

Marco Schouten · From: Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

I have an Evans pre-amp that is like the one that John used at one time.
But I think, John had his modified somewhat. Very Happy

Erv

Tyler Hall · From: Mt. Juliet, TN

I’ve got what I’m fairly sure was John’s first or second Emmons. Built 12/67, John started with Conway 1/68.

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Tyler Hall · From: Mt. Juliet, TN

As far as what he played through live, it looks to me it was mostly Twins and Showmans back then. He could pull tone from a brick though.
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Larry Dering · From: Missouri, USA

Tyler you lucky dog. Couldn't be in better hands. Congratulations on that find. And you're right, John played through all sorts of gear but always had that killer tone. He was a master.

Tiny Olson · From: Mohawk River Valley, Upstate NY

Tyler: I'll bet you're right about that horn being John's 1st or 2nd Emmons. I was pretty sure his earliest had aluminum necks but, I didn't realize it was a true, bolt-on. That makes perfect sense to me though. That may be the reason he stayed with the bolt-on changer Emmons guitars even after they were built with wood-neck "inserts." To me, the bolt-on changer has more to do with tone on Emmons guitars than the aluminum vs. wood-necks do. John may have felt the same.

Glad to see that horn in good hands now brother. Larry is right,,, you lucky dog..!! Hope you're well..!!

Tyler Hall · From: Mt. Juliet, TN

It’s funny enough, I owned the guitar and appreciated it as being a phenomenal sounding instrument for several years before a friend of mine noticed how similar the formica was and we started digging through every list of records we could get ahold of. John was my first major inspiration to play steel so now it truly is priceless to me. I wish I knew more of the backstory about it briefly going through John’s hands. I do know there was the rosewood metal neck for a short period, a black metal neck for I’m guessing an even shorter period and by 69 was he was playing his rosewood/black wooden neck bolt.

I’ve always heard that John absolutely HATED metal neck bolts so I truly love the fact that one instrument I have that seems to ooze John Hughey tone could just very well be one of the guitars John couldn’t stand. He sure loved a wood neck bolt on and had a pile of them though!

I’ve only found a few videos and two pictures of him with what I think is my guitar and one picture I put below of the black bolt before all the wood neck guitars.

This is all at least partially, mostly true, best I can tell.

https://youtu.be/C0gkWyHeE80

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Bobby Boggs · From: Upstate SC.

We opened for Conway maybe 1/2 dozen times in 69 and 70. Back then they were flying to gig's. The venue operator or show promoter was responsible for all amps and drums. Package shows were no big deal. They used other bands drums and amps. In our case we had good amps and drums. So they used our stuff. Also, back then. At least on the shows we opened. No amps or drums were micked.

billy tam R.I.P. · From: baton rouge, louisiana

I’m sure John was playing a wine berry lawyer wooden neck pushpull because after I went to a concert with Conway/Loretta John played both shows as Hal Rugg was under the weather. I immediately ordered one just like it except Emmons setup. One of the best p/p’s I’ve owned and I played it for 10 years. Definitely in my top 3 pp’s of the 8-10 I’ve had right up there with “James Blond” and a 74 fatback red lawyer/aluminum neck. Sadly non sounded like they would have had John been playing them😡
Billy

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