What kind of guitar does David Wilcox play?  What kind of equipment does he use?

DW primarily plays a customized, hand-made Olson guitar with multiple electronics installed.  Specifically:

• Richard McLeish saddle pickup
• Sunrise pickup
• Joe Mills Condenser microphone mounted inside guitar
• McIntire piezo
• AKG 460 on Mic stand

All signals run through Pendulum Preamp modules with Parametric EQ, sub octave provided by Peavy Kosmos

For vocals, David Wilcox sings through a Neumann 150 microphone.

Info on Olson guitars may be found online at http://www.olsonguitars.com/.

You are probably right in assuming it is in an alternative tuning. Here is a list of different tunings for most of his songs (low [6th] string to high [1st] string), arranged by album and track listing:

The Nightshift Watchman:

 1) The Nightshift Watchman (D-G-D-G-B-D, capo 5)
 2) Frozen in the Snow()
 3) Daddy's Money (D-A-D-G-B-E, capo 1st fret)
 4) That's Why I'm Laughing()
 5) Come Away to Sea (C-G-C-F-C-E)
 6) It's Almost Time()
 7) Gone to Santa Fe()
 8) Golden Key()
 9) Do I Dare (D-A-D-G-A-D)
10) High Hill (C-G-D-G-A-D, capo 4th fret)
11) Sunshine on the Land (D-A-D-G-A-D, capo 1st fret)

How Did You Find Me Here:

 1) Eye of the Hurricane (C-G-C-G-C-E, capo 3rd fret)
 2) Language of the Heart (C#-G#-C#-F#-G#-C# or DADGAD)
 3) Rusty Old American Dream (C-G-C-G-C-E, capo 2nd then 3rd fret)
 4) How Did You Find Me Here (D-A-D-E-A-D)
 5) Leave It Like It Is (Standard E-A-D-G-B-E, capo 4th fret)
 6) -B-E, capo 4th fret)
 6) Saturday They'll All Be Back Again (Standard E-A-D-G-B-E, capo 4th fret)
 7) Jamie's Secret (D-A-D-G-B-E)
 8) It's Almost Time (C-G-D-G-B-D)
 9) Just a Vehicle (C-G-D-G-B-D)
10) Common as the Rain (D-A-D-G-B-E)
11) The Kid (C-G-D-G-B-D, capo 1st fret)

Home Again (For the First Time):

 1) Burgundy Heart-Shaped Medallion (E-A-C#-E-A-C#)
 2) Farther to Fall (D-A-D-G-A-D)
 3) (You Were) Going Somewhere (D-A-D-G-B-E)
 4) Wildberry Pie (D-A-D-F#-A-D)
 5) Let Them In (Even Wilcox does't recall this one.
        Our best guess is C-G-C-G-C-D)
 6) Distant Water (C-G-D-G-B-D)
 7) Top of the Roller Coaster (Eb-A-C#-E-A-B, capo 4th fret strings 1-5, 6 open)
 8) Covert War (C-G-D-G-A-D)
 9) Advertising Man (Standard E-A-D-G-B-E)
10) Last Chance Waltz (D-A-D-G-B-E)
11) She's just Dancing (Eb-A-C#-E-A-B, full capo 2nd fret,
        partial capo 6th fret, strings 1-5)
12) Chet Baker's Unsung Swan Song (C-G-D-G-A-D, full capo 1st fret,
        partial capo 6th fret, strings 1-5)
13) Mighty Ocean (D-A-D-F#-A-D)

Big Horizon:

 1) New World (C-G-C-G-C-E, capo 6th fret)
 2) Someday Soon (G-C-G-A-C-G. Wilcox calls this "stage-two
    tuning," where the tunings get so weird that you can't
    use regular strings. The sixth string is a double-
    wound bass string that is so big he had to drill out
    the hole in the tuning peg and at the saddle. He tunes
    it to a low G, one octave lower than the lowest G on a
    standard-tuned guitar. He puts a regular sixth string
    in the fifth string slot to tune it down to C and
    replaces the regular first string with an electric
    guitar string in order to tune up to a high G.)
 3) That's What the Lonely Is For (C-G-D-F#-A-D)
 4) Show the Way (C-G-C-G-C-E, capo 5th fret)
 5) Block Dog (B-F#-B-F#-B-D#)
 6) Break in the Cup (C-G-D-G-A-D, capo 3rd fret)
 7) It's the Same Old Song (C-G-C-G-C-E)
 8) Farthest Shore (B-G-D-F#-A-D)
 9) Strong Chemistry (D-A-D-G-A-D)
10) Make It Look Easy (B-G-C-G-C-D, capo 3rd fret)
11) Please Don't Call (C-G-Eb-F-C-D)
12) Big Mistake (Standard E-A-D-G-B-E, full capo 3rd fret,
        partial capo 5th fret, strings 3-5)
13) All the Roots Grow Deeper When It's Dry (D-A-D-G-B-E)
14) Hold It Up to the Light (C-G-C-G-C-E)
15) Missing You (C-G-D-G-B-D, capo 2nd fret)

East Asheville Hardware:

 1) Blow Em Away (D-A-D-G-A-D  Capo 2)
 2) Johnny's Camaro (D-A-D-G-B-E)
 3) East Asheville Hardware (D-A-D-G-B-E)
 4) Top of My Head (E-A-D-G-B-E)
 5) Dangerous (D-A-D-G-A-D)
 6) Roadside Modern Art (E-A-D-G-B-E)
de Modern Art (E-A-D-G-B-E)
 7) You Should See the Way it Feels To Me (D-A-D-G-B-D)
 8) COLD
 9) Catch Me If I Try (D-A-D-G-A-D)
10) Down Inside Myself (E-A-D-G-B-E)
11) For Real (D-A-D-G-B-E)
12) Mango (C-G-C-G-C-E)
13) Levi Blues (D-A-D-G-B-E)
14) Fearless Love (D-A-D-G-B-E)
15) Boob Job
16) Barbie (D-A-D-G-A-D)
17) After Your Orgasm (D-A-D-G-A-D)
18) Golden Day (C-G-D-G-B-D)
19) Special additional track at end...

Turning Point:

 1) Show Me The Key (C-G-D-G-A-D)
 2) Silent Prayer (C-G-D-G-A-D)
 3) Western Ridge (D-A-D-G-A-D)
 4) Glory (Regular -- tuned low)
 5) Kindness (D-A-D-F#-A-D)
 6) Spin (D-A-D-G-A-D)
 7) Tattered Old Kite (D-A-D-E-G-C)
 8) Right Now (B-G-D-G-B-D)
 9) Human Cannonball (Regular -- 1 step down)
10) Secret Church (G-D-G-A-B-G)
11) Turning Point (E-A-C#-E-A-E)
12) Waffle House (Drop D -- tuned 1 step low)

Underneath:

 1) Underneath (D-A-D-G-A-D tuned -1 down)
 2) Never Enough (D-A-D-F#-A-D Capo 4)
 3) Down Here (B-F#-D-F#-A-D)
 4) Spirit Wind (D-A-D-G-A-D)
 5) Prisoner of War (D-A-D-G-A-D Capo 1)
 6) Hometown (D-A-D-A-A-E Capo 3)
 7) All My Life (D-G-C-F-A-D, i.e. standard -2)
 8) Guilty Either Way (A-A-E-G-A-D)
 9) Leaving You (C-G-D-G-A-D Capo 3)
10) Young Man Dies (B-F#-D-F#-A-D tuned -1 down)
11) Slipping Through My Fist (B-F#-D-F#-A-D Capo 1)
12) Home Within Your Heart (B-F-D-G-B-D)

What You Whispered:

 1) What You Whispered (B-G-D-G-B-D tuned -1 down, Cut Capo on 4)
 2) This Tattoo (unknown)
 3) Deeper Still (B-G-D-G-B-D tuned  -1 down,  Cut Capo on 4)
 4) Start With The Ending    B-G-D-G-B-D tuned  -1 down,  Cut Capo on 4)
 5) In the Broken Places (B-G-D-G-B-D tuned  -2 down,  Cut Capo on 4)
 6) Inside of My Head (B-G-D-G-B-D  Cut Capo on 4)
 7) Whisper of the Wheels (D-A-D-G-A-C)
 8) On Your Way Back Down (B-G-D-G-B-D Capo on 1)
 9) Rule #1 (B-G-D-G-B-D)
10) When You're Ready (unknown)
11) Step Into Your Skin (D-A-D-G-A-D tuned -1 down)
12) Guitar Shopping (B-G-D-G-B-D)
13) Sex and Music (unknown)

Live Songs & Stories:

 * Moe (A-G-D-G-C-D, full capo on 2nd fret, bottom string open capo 4 frets up from whole capo)
 * Words Alone (B-G-D-G-B-D)
 * Good Together (B-G-D-G-B-E,  4 Cut Capo)

Into The Mystery:

 1) If It Wasn't For The Night (B-G-D-G-B-D, 4 Cut Capo)
 2) Rise (B-G-D-G-B-D, tuned -1 step down)
 3) Last One Gone (C-G-D-G-A-B)
 4) Out of the Question (D-A-D-G-A-D)
 5) In This Stream (B-G-D-G-B-D, 4 Cut Capo)
 6) Radio Men (D-A-D-G-A-D)
 7) On To the Next (D-A-D-G-A-D)
 8) City of Dreams (B-G-D-G-B-D, 4 Cut Capo)
 9) Apple A Day (B-G-D-G-B-D, 4 Cut Capo)
10) Blue Horizon (B-G-D-G-B-D)
11) Ask For More (B-G-D-G-B-D)
12) Native Tongue (B-G-D-G-B-D, 4 Cut Capo)
13) Fall Away (unknown)

Out Beyond Ideas:

 1) How Did The Rose Ever Open (B-G-D-G-A-D)
 2) The Breeze at Dawn (D-A-D-G-A-D capo 7)
 3) Slicing Potatoes (B-G-D-G-B-D full capo 2 AND cut capo 6)
 4) On A Day When The Wind Is Perfect (B-G-D-G-A-D capo 2, then add cut capo 6 to modulate)
 5) Absolutely Clear (B-G-D-G-B-D move capo from 2 to 5 and back to 2)
 6) No One Knows His Name (B-G-D-G-B-D)
 7) Some Seeds (B-G-D-G-A-D cut capo 4)
 8) Farsi Intro (spoken)
 9) Out Beyond Ideas (D-A-D-G-A-D capo 4)
10) You Who Knew Me (B-G-D-G-B-D)
11) Elephant Story (D-A-D-G-A-D capo 2)
12) Midnight (D-A-D-G-A-D capo 5)
13) This We Have Now (A-G-D-G-C-D cut capo 4th fret)
14) Trembling With Joy (B-G-D-G-B-D capo 5 AND cut capo 9)
15) Shell Trick (B-G-D-G-B-D cut capo 4)
16) Three Things (B-G-D-G-B-D)
17) Awake My Dear
18) Walk To The Well

Vista:

 1) Get On (B-G-D-G-B-D capo 5 and cut capo 7)
 2) Party of One (B-G-D-G-A-D)
 3) Into One (B-G-D-G-B-D cut capo 2)
 4) Same Shaker (D-A-D-G-A-D)
 5) Vista (B-G-D-G-B-D capo 1)
 6) Wilford Brandon Hayes (B-G-D-G-B-D)
 7) No Doubt About It (B-G-D-G-B-D)
 8) Good Man (D-A-D-G-A-D)
 9) Hard Part (D-A-D-G-B-E)
10) Let It Go (piano only)
11) Grateful for Her Beauty (B-G-D-G-B-D cut capo 4)
12) Miracle (D-A-D-F#-A-D)
13) Everywhere (G#-D-D-G-A-D cut capo 3)
14) Coming Alive (B-G-D-G-B-D cut capo 6)
15) Great Big World (C-G-C-G-C-E)

"The David Wilcox Songbook" is published by CPP/Belwin, Inc.
ISBN: 0-910957-53-3.
CPP/ Belwin can be reached by writing:

CPP/ Belwin, Inc.
15800 NW 48th Ave.
Miami, FL 33014

Hal Leonard Corp.
7777 W. Bluemound Rd.
P.O. Box 13819
Milwaukee, WI 53213

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Do you still have a question that has not been answered? Mail the author at wilcox [at-sign] clator.com (I've removed the at-sign "@" to cut down on spam.)