When it comes to expressive studio tones, Ariel Posen doesn’t just reach for pedals—he reaches for a cabinet that spins.
The guitarist and songwriter dropped by the Reverb studio to dive deep into one of his favorite sound-shaping tools: the Leslie speaker. Originally designed for use with electric organs, the Leslie's rotating horn and drum create rich, swirling modulation that’s been famously used by The Beatles, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and now, Posen himself.
But Ariel isn’t just throwing it on everything. He’s careful, intentional. "For me, the trick is to be sparing with it," he explains. "If I use it all the time, it stops being special." Instead, he uses the Leslie to add texture to clean arpeggios, subtle rhythm lines, or doubled parts that create a push-and-pull between dry and modulated tones. It’s all about contrast.
He even demos how combining the Leslie with tremolo, fuzz, and delay pedals opens up entirely new dimensions—showing off how the cabinet’s movement and built-in saturation can soften attacks and encourage different kinds of playing.
Beyond guitar, Ariel also talks about running vocals and other instruments through the Leslie, channeling his inner John Lennon and capturing the sort of ambient, off-kilter magic you just can’t get from emulations. Though he’s a fan of the EvenTide H9 and Strymon Lex for pedalboard convenience, nothing replaces the tactile, physical experience of hearing the real cabinet move air in a room.
Plus, he’s playing all of this through a new prototype of his upcoming Fender Custom Shop signature Strat—complete with a P-90 in the bridge and a Jazzmaster-style pickup in the neck. So yeah, lots of tone goodness in this one.
Whether you’ve used a Leslie before or are just curious about why this old-school piece of gear is still so inspiring, Ariel makes the case for keeping one in your studio—or at least chasing that sound with intention.