Out of all the memorable scenes that the Friends TV show gave us, Phoebe Buffay's intimate live coffee shop performances are up there with some of the best – especially that Smelly Cat rendition.
That said, gear nerds have often been left scratching their heads over the, er, unconventional gig rig that Buffay seemingly plays in those particular scenes.
Why? Well, her setup utilizes what looks like a Dark Red Gibson Gospel acoustic guitar, mic'd up with an SM58, running through a 100-watt Hiwatt tube amp head and 4x12 cabinet. Just to play in front of a smattering of people in a New York coffee shop.
Not only is that setup totally overkill, it's also hilariously impractical – but that hasn't stopped Instagram guitarist Josh Weller, known for his gear nerd-centric comedy, from trying to 'recreate' it, with rather explosive results.
Neural DSP commented on his post, questioning, “What would happen if you turned it up to 10?” which is wholly unadvisable.
Another commenter – Gregg, from the YouTube channel Vinyl Rundown – revealed that Lisa Kudrow, who plays Buffay, was taught how to play guitar on set by Dream Syndicate bass player Dave Provost.
Speaking on Jimmy Fallon, Kudrow admitted she thought she was a musical person once, “but it turns out I'm not.
“When Chrissie Hynde came on the show], she did teach me that all of rock and roll is three chords,” she added. “I was trying to learn, but it hurt my fingers. I really didn't enjoy it.”
According to Provost, she wasn't the best student. Nor is her setup the most appropriate for a gig.
