“I see other players with one of them on their ’boards and say, ‘You get that off of me?’ They go, ‘Yeah, as a matter of fact, I did’”: Brent Mason on his affordable secret tone weapon – and how it's become a go-to pedal for session guitarists

Hard-working session guitarist Brent Mason has singled out the one stompbox he can’t go without in the studio, having first bought one 40 years ago.

The Ohio-born country guitarist was championed in the mid-'80s by Chet Atkins, who quickly took him under his wing. He featured on Atkins’ 1985 album, Stay Tuned, and has since been credited as playing on an eye-watering number of albums, making him one of the most tireless six-string-slingers in the business.

With a resume that includes sessions with everyone from Shania Twain to Willie Nelson, adaptability has been key to his success. As has a humble $130 pedal.

“I’ve had the Boss GE-7 seven-band equaliser, the kind of off-white one, since the ‘80s,” he tells Guitarist in a new interview. “Now, when I walk around and see other guitar players, I see one of them stuck to their ’boards and I say, ‘You get that off of me?’ [Laughs.] They go, ‘Yeah, as a matter of fact, I did. Man, you’ve used these for a long time.’”

With seven bands stretching across 100Hz to 6.4kHz, and an additional boost/cut of 15dB per band, Boss' pedal might resemble the color of a smoker's pickguard, but it's a handy weapon. And Mason is married to it. Beyond the scores of records he’s lent his talents too, his work bringing the equalizer to popularity is another key part of his legacy.

“I kind of puff my chest up and say, ‘Yeah, I can probably take credit for that,’” he jokes when asked about the wider impact his work (and gear choices) has had on the session scene. “But those pedals right there – and they’re just basic pedals – are great.”

Elsewhere on his current pedalboard, Mason has highlighted some other must-haves.

“I love those old EHX Memory Man [delay/vibrato] pedals. It’s got a gain knob on it, so it’s like you’re taxing an amp,” he says. “It’s so natural sounding, and when you start adding a little edge to it and crunch, it’s perfect.

“Other than that, I’ve probably got more distortion pedals on my ’board than any other kind of pedal, like a Tube Screamer and my [signature Wampler] Hot Wired pedal.”

The Hot Wired, priced at $259.97, unlocks chicken pickin’ tones, warm overdrive flavors, and creamy distortion to reflect every facet of Mason's sound. But while other stompboxes come and go like the seasons, the Boss GE-7 remains part of the furniture.

In recent years, Mason has been on a mission to help his fellow session players get their flowers, believing most “don’t get the credit they deserve” as their signature licks are typically attached to the names of their clients, not the players themselves.

Last year, he teamed up with Vince Gill and Josh Osborne for an all-star tribute to the Fender Telecaster.

Mason’s full interview can be found in the latest issue of Guitarist. Head to Magazines Direct to pick up a copy.