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Tested & Approved: J Miller Workshop Essential Gear
28
items No fluff, just a straightforward list of the exact tools, tech, and guitar gear I actually use on a daily basis.
Sections
6
Maintenance & Setup Must-Haves
Strings & Things (Mostly Strings)
Tools that helped me get to 20k followers
Help the shoulder would ya!
Tone is in the gear?
Inside My Gear Rig: The Pedals I Actually Use
Maintenance & Setup Must-Haves
The exact maintenance lineup I trust on the daily to keep instruments clean and ready for the camera.
Best cleaning tool! I use this for almost anything at the workshop. Works on all finish types!
Dunlop Pure Formula 65 Silicone-Free Intensive Cleaner - 4 oz.
Because you get a literal lifetime supply of about a million towels. You can prep a guitar finish, clean the bench, and still have enough left over to wax every car in the neighborhood.
Kirkland Signature Ultra Plush Microfiber Towel, Yellow, 16 in x 16 ...
Never underestimate how much a dirty fret can choke out your playing and tear up your strings. The Music Nomad FRINE Fret Polish is my absolute go-to for wiping away oxidation and restoring a flawless, smooth-as-glass finish to the metal. It delivers...
MusicNomad FRINE Fret Polish
f your fretboard is looking dull, dry, and gray, it’s definitely time for some basic hydration. The Dunlop 6554 Fretboard Lemon Oil works wonders for lifting away built-up gunk while leaving behind an invisible, moisture-resistant barrier that seals ...
Formula 65 Fretboard Ultimate Lemon Oil - 4-oz. Bottle
Chasing down fret buzz shouldn't be guesswork. This Music Nomad MN870 Kit is a permanent staple on the J Miller Workshop bench for dialing in flawless setups. The Fret Rocker+ lets you rapidly spot uneven frets across the board, and doubling as a pre...
MusicNomad MN870 Precision Fret Evaluation Kit with Fret Rocker and Fret Gauge Tool
Strings & Things (Mostly Strings)
My personal go-tos. Exactly what I string up with and use to dial in the right feel.
The best ergo bass strings, easy on the fingers, and gives you a unique warm jazz tone
LTF-4A Low Tension Flexible Flats Bass Guitar Strings - .042-.100
My go to strings, they are light, last a long time and play like 🧈
D'Addario NYXL Electric Guitar Strings - .009-.042 Super Light, 3-pack
My go to acoustic strings! They last forever, look pretty and sound even better!
16539 Nanoweb 80/20 Acoustic Guitar Strings - .012-.053 Light 3-pack
My go to bass strings! I love stainless steel bass strings! They last forever and make your bass tone brighter!
RS66LD Swing Bass 66 Stainless Steel Roundwound Bass Guitar Strings - .045-.105 Standard Long Scale
Tools that helped me get to 20k followers
The actual camera setup, lighting, and gear I use to shoot my videos and shop content.
This saves the laptop hum when recording into an interface. I had bad audio hum in my first videos, this completely fixed it!
iFi iDefender+ AA
Great phone microphone I use for all of my videos. It's affordable, plug and play, and is fantastic quality!
Rode Wireless Micro Microphone Kit - USB-C, Black
If you’ve ever wondered what I use to handle all my sound editing, this is it! Fender Studio Pro is easily one of the most intuitive, feature-packed DAWs out there. The layout is completely customizable, the drag-and-drop workflow is lightning fast, ...
Fender Studio Pro DAW Software - Perpetual License
This is a massive upgrade for any desktop setup. The conversion quality on the MkII is pristine, meaning what you hear out of your monitors is exactly what you recorded. It features two independent headphone mixes—which is perfect if you ever collabo...
Solid State Logic SSL 2+ MKII USB-C Audio Interface
Seriously, don’t let the price tag fool you. For a compact pair of 3.5-inch desktop speakers, these things pack an absolute wallop. They stay crisp, articulate, and accurate without artificially hyping the bass like standard consumer speakers do. Plu...
Eris 3.5BT 3.5-inch Powered Bluetooth Studio Monitors - 2nd Generation, Black
To get a truly accurate picture of your audio, you need to know what’s happening in those lowest frequencies. This 8-inch powered sub pairs beautifully with compact desktop monitors to handle the heavy lifting downstairs. It stays remarkably articula...
Eris Sub 8BT 8-inch Powered Bluetooth Studio Subwoofer
Help the shoulder would ya!
Stuff that actually makes playing more comfortable, especially if you spend hours with a guitar strapped on.
This has helped me with my shoulder issues immensely! You use it when you are seated so you can play any guitar properly with your elbow tucked in
Oasis OH-28 Guitar Support - Large
Best ergo guitar for shoulder issues! Pre shoulder labrum repair, a Strandberg was an absolute game changer!
Boden Prog NX 6 Electric Guitar - Stained Trans Deep Blue
If you struggle with back, neck, or shoulder strain while playing, this bass is an absolute lifesaver. The Strandberg Boden Bass Standard 4 is entirely engineered around ergonomics, utilizing a headless design and ultra-lightweight hardware to drasti...
Boden Bass Standard 4 - Charcoal Satin
Tone is in the gear?
My everyday audio setup. Just the hardware and gear I actually use to get my sound.
My favorite digital rig! Tube amps are still irreplaceable, but, this box is light, gets you 99% there and has hundreds of amps, cabs and pedals. I added 220 pedal captures on there myself!
Neural DSP Quad Cortex Digital Amp Modeling and Multi-Effects Floorboard with Neural Capture Technology
Honestly, the sound of this amp is second to none. It captures that classic, soulful tube vibe perfectly, and the built-in attenuator means you can crank it without waking the neighbors. An absolute dream to plug into, and it looks stunning on top of...
Tone King Imperial Mk II 1x12-inch 20-watt Tube Combo Amp with Attenuator and Reverb - Turquoise
Massive GK tone, zero heavy lifting. I love how much clean headroom and classic grit this head delivers while staying completely lightweight and portable. 800 watts of pure power that sounds incredible whether you're dialing in a deep, warm low-end o...
Gallien-Krueger Legacy 800 - 800-watt Ultra Light Bass Head
Iconic Ampeg rumble meets unbeatable durability. I’ve had my Portaflex cabinet for 12 years now and it’s still going great! It delivers a remarkably tight, punchy bass tone that cuts through beautifully, and the vintage-style flip-top design makes tr...
Ampeg Portaflex PF-210HE 450-watt 2 x 10-inch Bass Cabinet
The Mogami Gold 10-foot right-angle cable utilizes an oxygen-free copper core to provide completely transparent, "lossless" audio transfer. It's incredibly flexible, dead quiet even at high gain, and designed to minimize strain on your guitar's outpu...
Gold Instrument Cable - 10 feet
Inside My Gear Rig: The Pedals I Actually Use
Turn your instrument into a full-blown modular synthesizer with this little box! The Source Audio C4 Synth is completely wild, offering tracking so fast it feels like magic. Whether you want funky envelope filters, deep retro synth bass lines, or pol...
C4 Synth Pedal
Why choose just one era of classic fuzz when you can have six? The JHS Muffuletta packs five vintage historical recreations of the legendary Big Muff circuit—plus a custom JHS take—all into a single pedalboard-friendly box. It is an absolute mastercl...
JHS Muffuletta 6-way Fuzz Pedal - Army Green
If you need a heavy distortion that can adapt to absolutely any rig, the Walrus Audio Eras is a total beast. With five different clipping states to choose from, you can go from tight, modern rhythm chugs to completely saturated, open lead tones with ...
Eras 5-state Distortion Pedal
If you’re chasing that legendary, ultra-lush analog modulation that defined generations of guitar tones, the Boss CE-2W is the gold standard. This premium all-analog bucket-brigade pedal gives you the flawless, shimmering character of the vintage CE-...
CE-2W Waza Craft Chorus Pedal
If you want a big-box reverb that goes way beyond standard room and hall sounds, this pedal is an absolute masterpiece. The Empress Reverb packs 32 studio-grade algorithms into a surprisingly compact, pedalboard-friendly footprint. You can dial in ev...
Reverb Pedal