Guthrie Trapp is an in-demand name on the Nashville scene as both a session musician and a solo artist, and he has worked with the likes of Garth Brooks, Dolly Parton, Alison Krauss and many other stars1. For a player wanting to know how he gets his sound, the short answer is a board built around low-gain overdrive: a Nobels ODR-1 he calls his desert island pedal, his own signature overdrive from J. Rockett Audio Designs, and a set of delays and utility pedals, with separate rigs built by XAct Tone Solutions for live and studio use234.
Nashville session work and solo work
Trapp's reputation rests on Nashville session playing alongside his own solo career. Guitar.com's reviewer described him in 2015 as "an in-demand name on the Nashville scene as both a session musician and a solo artist who has worked with the likes of Garth Brooks, Dolly Parton, Alison Krauss and many other stars"1. His working rigs reflect that split: XAct Tone Solutions lists a live rig and a separate studio rig built for him4.
For acoustic performances he keeps his signal simple. In his own words on Radial's product page:
"I rely on my Radial PZ-Pre Acoustic pre amp and J48 DI for all live performances. They maintain the natural acoustic sound of my guitars and the PZ-Pre gives me plenty of EQ when I need it."
The sound he is known for
Trapp's electric sound is built on low-gain overdrive rather than heavy distortion. He describes the Nobels on his board as a subtle addition rather than a big one:
"here's the Nobles by itself. So again, it's not a big giant overdrive, but it adds a little bit of um, of uh, more feel."
Nobels quotes him saying of the ODR-1: "I love my Nobels ODR-1. Its my desert island pedal!"2. An RC Booster also stays on, a pedal he says is felt more than heard: "it adds a little attack and just a little bit of uh, heft to the clean sound"3.
The rest of the board covers delay and fuzz:
- A Boss DD-7 delay, which he uses for reverse sounds3
- A Strymon El Capistan delay, which he calls "so great"3
- A custom fuzz from XAct Tone Solutions, made by Barry3
The signature pedal: J Rockett GTO
Trapp has a signature model pedal with J. Rockett Audio Designs called the GTO3. The Guthrie Trapp Overdrive, as guitar.com reviewed it in 2015, is a overdrive pedal based on JRAD's now-discontinued Chicken Soup pedal, which was itself modeled after the Nobels ODR-1, a Nashville favorite1. The reviewer called it "a simple yet highly versatile proposition" designed to work with a wide variety of amplifiers1.
The family tree is easy to trace: the Nobels ODR-1 circuit he loves on his own board2 sits two steps back from his signature pedal, through the Chicken Soup1.
Questions
What pedals does Guthrie Trapp use?
His board includes a Nobels ODR-1 overdrive, which he calls his desert island pedal, plus his signature J Rockett GTO overdrive, an RC Booster, a Boss DD-7 delay he uses for reverse sounds, a Strymon El Capistan delay, and a custom fuzz built by XAct Tone Solutions. For acoustic work he uses a Radial PZ-Pre preamp and J48 DI.
Who has Guthrie Trapp played with?
He is an in-demand session musician and solo artist on the Nashville scene who has worked with Garth Brooks, Dolly Parton, Alison Krauss and many other stars.
Does Guthrie Trapp have a signature pedal?
Yes. He has a signature model with J. Rockett Audio Designs called the GTO, also known as the Guthrie Trapp Overdrive. It is based on JRAD's discontinued Chicken Soup pedal, which was itself modeled after the Nobels ODR-1.
Sources (5)
- J Rockett Audio Designs Pedal Reviews, guitar.com, 2015-07-14
- Referenzen, Nobels
- Pedal Demo! The “GTO” Overdrive With A Strat, Tele and 335., YouTube (Guthrie Trapp channel), 2023-07-08
- Rig Building |, XAct Tone Solutions
- PZ-Pre - Radial Engineering, Radial Engineering, 2026-09-24