Contrary to the hi-tech reputation of pop, the most innovative popmusicians often use traditional, old-fashioned equipment, ignoring thelatest technological developments. Musical innovation tends to precedetechnological innovation rather than the other way round. This articlepresents a birds eye view of pop experimentalism, grouping a number ofinfluential or otherwise interesting examples into four main categoriesbased on the type of equipment that is subject to experimentation:(i) abusing musical instruments, (ii) abusing amplification, (iii) abusingeffects and mixing equipment, and (iv) ‘pop concrète’, or experimentsinvolving tape montage techniques. The examples suggest that technologicalinnovation may be relatively unimportant to the most innovative andmusically adventurous pop musicians. Rather, they appear to need tohave established some kind of relationship with their equipment beforethey find radically new ways of using it. Pop experiments involve thecritical use of well-established typical pop machinery. This places themin an old tradition of artistic innovation.