Rory Gallagher’s Furman PQ-3 Parametric EQ

Rory started using a Furman PQ-3 Parametric EQ sometime around 1978, as a successor of the Hawk II Tonal Expander.

At present I have a Firmin parametric unit, which I got in America, and the handy thing about it is it works on the mains instead of batteries or transistors. It’s an integrated circuit but it’s very advanced so you don’t get that transistorized sound which cuts away the bottom end of your sound if you use gadgets.

It’s got a pre-amp which can boost 20dB or something, and then each of the three areas, bottom, mid and top-range, can be adjusted. I really only boost the mid range.

Up until recently I was using a Hawk II, a small battery operated treble and bass boost with three little graphic things on it which was quite handy, but with all these gadgets you always end up with slight noise from lights and so on, so I used to wrap that in tin foil.

Rory Gallagher, September 1978 issue of Guitar–the magazine for all guitarists