Pete Thorn: Secret kpa user or not?

  • BLown away by Pete's "live and die in nashville" video, created some time ago, using mr britt's (aka @lonestargtr) awesome profiles (what a great advert for the lonestar-superstar) and theres always been a kemper parked on pete's desk during his many video posts, but it illudes me as to whether he relies on the kpa or not. Without doubt, a player of great respect but I get the feeling he is swayed by many product donations yet the kpa appears a constant visual icon throughout the comings and goings of his weekly product demos. Most frustrating of all is that it seems nigh on impossible to get a reply from the man himself.
    Does anyone know this guy well enough to resolve the answers?

  • I think Pete is a tube guy through and through. He loves his PT100 and just built a new pedalboard. I've often thought the same but he uses his Suhr reactive load quite a bit for demos. Maybe once he finds out about the new verbs and an editor in the pipe he'll use it more? You can chat with him on his Sunday Live stream via the toob or just hit him up via twitter (he uses that a lot).

  • + 1 ^.


    I think Pete is pretty approachable on Twitter. I've exchanged a brief conversation or two with him there but typically twitter is more political than music oriented it seems. As he says, its the unfiltered him.
    Definitely his live stream on Sunday on Youtube if you can get thru.
    I'd have to agree tho, I'd say he's a tube guy whenever possible.

  • It's also a good idea to put in perspective that the KPA isn't exactly the same as tube amps, so if you're set up properly in a professional studio with great amps then the KPA isn't really filling an unmet need. Analogue still sounds slightly more lush and organic.

  • He probably uses it for, lets say, profiling his own amps and taking it on a session, rehersal, quick recordings, reamps etc... But since he has his signature amp and SL68 made for him by Suhr (as well as Reactive load and bunch of Suhr stuff) he probably has to promote the brand and the gear... Also, he is a go to guy for reviewing a shit load of gear sent by the manufacturer so he cant put Kemper in Line 6 Helix or Mooer Radar demos... :D
    Anyway, he probably uses it, but he is not sponsored or payed by Kemper to say so... And thats the best kind of gear if you ask me... Everyone uses it, because its good and extremly convinient solution, not because the company payed you to do so... ;)

  • He probably uses it for, lets say, profiling his own amps and taking it on a session, rehersal, quick recordings, reamps etc... But since he has his signature amp and SL68 made for him by Suhr (as well as Reactive load and bunch of Suhr stuff) he probably has to promote the brand and the gear... Also, he is a go to guy for reviewing a shit load of gear sent by the manufacturer so he cant put Kemper in Line 6 Helix or Mooer Radar demos... :D
    Anyway, he probably uses it, but he is not sponsored or payed by Kemper to say so... And thats the best kind of gear if you ask me... Everyone uses it, because its good and extremly convinient solution, not because the company payed you to do so... ;)

    He used it for sure, he evne profiled his own signature amp :-)..

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    If he uses it now.... don't know. He has loads of gear to choose from. Even if he would play a broom I would still follow him, such a classy player!

  • I think he's as unbiased as possible given the situation, but he's a paid endorser/reviewer that can make anything sound great. I've never gotten a sense that he was pushing crappy products though. I think he only endorses things he believes are good.

  • The guy has all the gear, but like other has posted before me I believe his core sound is primarily coming from his PT100 signature amp.


    I know for a fact that he has used a setup with a Kemper for the amp sound, but running it 4 cable method with a Helix.
    He seems to prefer the Helix for effects and such... and probably he can use the Helix floor model as control unit for the Kemper as well.

  • I think Pete is a tube guy through and through. He loves his PT100 and just built a new pedalboard.

    Before the Kemper was out, I talked to him briefly at a NAMM show and asked if he had to choose between the AxeFX/modeling world and his amps, which would he choose. He thought very briefly and said, "I like amps."


    I believe all these gadgets are tools for him to play music.....the modelers make life easy for fly dates, etc,, but you almost always see him with amps on stage when he can.

    The key to everything is patience.
    You get the chicken by hatching the egg, not by smashing it.
    -- Arnold H. Glasow


    If it doesn't produce results, don't do it.

    -- Me