Rig Rundowns

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Mudhoney Dec 21, 2023

Show notes

Universe: “Super Fuzz or Big Muff?”

Mudhoney: “Both!”

What else would you expect from a band that titled their mischievously visceral ’88 debut EP after both pedals (Superfuzz Bigmuff)?

Formed in the late ’80s by guitarists Mark Arm and Steve Turner after the dissolution of their band Green River (which included future Mother Love Bone and Pearl Jam cofounders Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard), Mudhoney long ago solidified themselves as the Seattle scene’s big brothers and tightest pack. Through their 11 LPs, five EPs, and six live albums, Mudhoney has routinely diversified and further defined their eccentric brand of raucous, aggressive, unfiltered rock ’n’ roll. Possibly more impressive than the band’s wide influence and devoted authenticity is the foursome’s bond. Drummer Dan Peters and bassist Matt Lukin (also a founding member of the Melvins) were the rhythmic bedrock for Arm and Turner’s exploding-M-80 tones since the beginning. (Arm and Turner have been friends since high school and have been playing off each other since then.) But Lukin left the band in 2001 because tour life became too much, and Guy Maddison has been thundering ever since. To see a group’s career that’s pushing past 35 years and only have one member swap is as inspirational as it is baffling. How?!

“We like each other a lot. We get along. We love what we’re doing,” remarks Arm. “Why stop, even if no one gives a shit?”

Friendship matters to Arm and Turner, but gear isn’t a concern unless it points them in one direction—east. More specifically, toward Detroit, Michigan. And even more specifically, to the Stooges. Both namecheck the livewire band and their raw power several times in our Rig Rundown. However, in a 2018 interview with Premier Guitar, they acknowledged regenerating sounds that echo influences from Neil Young and the Byrds to Devo and the Dead Kennedys. But after chasing “I-Wanna-Be-Your-Dog” sizzle, what else leads them to the gear they use? Has that mentality changed since the late ’80s?

“If you think about the aesthetics of where we come from—garage punk, and punk rock in general—a lot of it was made with cheap gear, and a lot of it was reclaiming gear that guitarists had kind of dismissed as garbage. Like the Mustang. That was my ultimate guitar back when I was a kid, but it was poo-pooed when I finally got one. I could get them for $150. The Danelectro and Silvertone amps were kind of high-rated garbage when we were getting into them. We based a lot of our sound on cheap gear, so it makes sense to me that I still buy the cheap gear,” concluded Turner.

They’re still pragmatic about their setups, preferring equipment that’s familiar and reliable. Where they chase the dragon is in stompboxes. Turner trusts the Big Muff (his favorite iteration is from the mid-’80s), while Arm’s torrid tone burns with a Super Fuzz clone. However, both have additional hot-sauce stompboxes and other effects on their pedalboards that are being auditioned trial by fire.

Hours before Mudhoney’s headlining set at Nashville’s Basement East, Arm and Turner brought PG’s Chris Kies onstage to catalog their setups. Turner started the party by talking about a pair of guitars—his battle-tested late-’60s Guild Starfire IV and a recently-acquired Fender Gold Foil Jazzmaster before kicking on his Big Muff and other pedals that unlocked Dante’s inferno. Then, Arm joined the fun by showing off his Gretsch Vintage Select ’59 Duo Jet that eventually gets pulverized by three different fuzzes.

Brought to you by D’Addario.

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0:00 - D'Addario When You Know You Know

0:15 - Steve Turner Playing Intro

0:47 - Steve Turner's Fender Gold Foil Jazzmaster

4:09 - Steve Turner's 1968 Guild Starfire IV

6:21 - Steve Turner's Fender Hot Rod DeVille III

7:46 - Steve Turner on Fuzz Pedals

10:31 - Steve Turner's Pedalboard

14:41 - Mark Arm's G6128T-59 ’59 Duo Jet

16:17 - Mark Arm's Strings & Tunings

17:44 - Mark Arm's Fender Super Six

18:37 - Mark Arm on Fuzz Pedals

19:19 - Mark Arm's Pedalboard

#guitar #rigrundown #mudhoney #grunge #guitarist #guitarplayer #guitargear

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Ryan Lerman (Scary Pockets) Dec 21, 2023

Show notes

Full Rig Details: https://bit.ly/RyanLermanRR

Subscribe to PG's Channel: http://bit.ly/SubscribePGYouTube

Ryan Lerman is the cofounder of L.A.-based dynamic funk project @ScaryPockets . The musical collective has been crushing it on Youtube since 2017, leading to their taking the show on the road as a successful touring act. Lerman met with PG’s John Bohlinger before the Scary Pockets’ Nashville show at the Brooklyn Bowl to talk through his current touring rig.

Shop the Rig:

Fender '68 Custom Deluxe Reverb - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/9gQO6W

Electro-Harmonix Superego - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/nLVZB7

Eventide H9 - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/baQr0x

Lehle Mono Volume - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/OrEvWN

Ross Compressor - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/R5ENWg

Strymon Flint - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/QyAKk9

Full Rig Details: https://bit.ly/RyanLermanRR

Subscribe to PG's Channel: http://bit.ly/SubscribePGYouTube

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Don't Miss a Rundown: http://bit.ly/RIgRundownENL

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PG's TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@premierguitar

[Brought to you by D’Addario XPND Pedalboard: https://www.daddario.com/XPNDRR]

00:00 - D'Addario XPND Pedalboard

00:15 - Ryan Lerman Intro Riffing

00:49 - Origins of Scary Pockets

04:42 - 1964 Gibson Melody Maker

08:57 - 1966 Hofner 459 VTZ

11:58 - Fender '68 Custom Deluxe Reverbs

12:06 - Ryan Lerman's Scary Pockets Pedalboard

#guitar #guitarist #rigrundown #scarypockets #funk #guitarplayer

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Pat Metheny Dec 19, 2023

Show notes

Full Rig Details: https://bit.ly/47JQxD9

Subscribe to PG's Channel: http://bit.ly/SubscribePGYouTube

Jazz guitar god Pat Metheny recently played Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium on his solo tour supporting his latest record, Dream Box. Ahead of the show, PG’s John Bohlinger met with Metheny’s tech Andre' Cholmondeley, who pulled back the curtain on what just might be the most complex solo rig ever devised. Afterward, Cholmondeley painstakingly wrote out Metheny’s signal path to help clarify the rig. Buckle up, and keep up if you can.

Follow Andre' Cholmondeley: https://www.instagram.com/guitartour/

Shop the Rig:

Ibanez PM 200 - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/NkY0bb

D’Addario NYXL 10s - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/B0Yy2W

EHX Hum Debugger - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/xkbQG5

IK Multimedia TONEX Pedal Amplifier/Cabinet/Pedal Modeler - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/MmYBb2

Squier Classic Vibe Bass VI - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/k0PMW3

LR Baggs M1 Active Acoustic Guitar Soundhole Humbucker Pickup - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/DKMe3a

Bose L1 Pro32 Portable PA System - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/g1Q6W2

Guild D-40 Traditional Acoustic Guitar - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/vNgjVy

Kemper Profiler Power Rack - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/rQ2z45

Lehle 3at1 SGoS Instrument Switcher - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/Qyn3Ez

Gamechanger Audio Plus Pedal Piano-style Sustain Effect Pedal - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/6eRdEb

Electro-Harmonix 95000 Performance Loop Laboratory 6-track Looper - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/nLeE29

Radial ProD2 2-channel Passive Instrument Direct Box - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/PyqVbN

Pigtronix Infinity 3 Looper Pedal - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/rQ1DXy

Source Audio Soleman MIDI Controller Pedal - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/MmYBvq

Blackstar Live Logic 6-button MIDI Footcontroller - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/DKMeZ2

Full Rig Details: https://bit.ly/47JQxD9

Subscribe to PG's Channel: http://bit.ly/SubscribePGYouTube

Win Guitar Gear: https://bit.ly/GiveawaysPG

Don't Miss a Rundown: http://bit.ly/RIgRundownENL

Merch & Magazines: https://shop.premierguitar.com

PG's Facebook: https://facebook.com/premierguitar

PG's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/premierguitar/

PG's Twitter: https://twitter.com/premierguitar

PG's Threads: https://threads.net/@premierguitar

PG's TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@premierguitar

[Brought to you by D’Addario: https://ddar.io/wykyk-rr]

00:00 - D'Addario When You Know You Know

00:15 - Pat Metheny Playing Intro

01:20 - John Bohlinger & Andre' Cholmondeley Intro

01:34 - Ibanez PM100 Pat Metheny Hollowbody

05:12 - Roland GR-303 Guitar & GR-300 Synth

08:56 - Taylor 8-String Acoustic

12:13 - Manzer Linda 6

13:24 - Manzer Pikasso 42-String Guitar

16:57 - Ibanez PM120 Pat Metheny Hollowbody

19:59 - 1970s Guild D-40

21:27 - Manzer Fanned-Fret Baritone

26:50 - Pat Metheny's Amps, Effects & Signal Flow

#guitar #rigrundown #patmetheny #guitarist #guitarplayer #ibanez #jazz

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Steve Hackett Dec 18, 2023

Show notes

Full Rig Details: https://bit.ly/SteveHackettRR

Subscribe to PG's Channel: http://bit.ly/SubscribePGYouTube

“I always apologize to the two Erics [Clapton and Johnson], ‘You have no idea how much I’ve ripped from you,’” joked Joe Bonamassa during a recent video with YouTuber Rick Beato. The Grammy-winning bluesman followed that up with a gracious response: “We all get it from somewhere.”

That “somewhere” is a muse that molds every guitarist’s individualistic style and voice. For example, Eddie Van Halen shook the world and confounded guitarists with his explosive two-hand, finger-tapped “Eruption” performance on Van Halen’s 1978 debut. Yngwie Malmsteen put listeners in awe with his dazzlingly clean and swift sweep arpeggios. They both became synonymous with those talented techniques, and were heralded as pioneering groundbreakers. But where did they get the ideas from before expressing and executing them it in their signature style? Both took a page out Steve Hackett’s prog-rock playbook.

Hackett’s two-hand tapping technique can be heard in the early ’70s on Genesis’ albums Nursery Cryme and Foxtrot. Hackett’s sweep picking was first heard on the 1973 Selling England by the Pound track “Dancing with the Moonlit Knight.” Those contributions alone should’ve been enough to land Hackett in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. (His combined work on six Genesis albums in six years earned him a slot in 2010.) On top of that smashing success and influence, he’s recorded nearly 30 solo albums—ranging from prog-rock and blues to world and classical—over a dozen live albums, and even traded licks with Steve Howe in the short-lived supergroup GTR. Hackett might not be recalled like the other guitar greats, but without his shoulders to stand on, those first-name giants might not have shone as bright.

Hackett’s headlining Ryman Auditorium tour stop in late October 2023 celebrated the 50th anniversary of Genesis’ Foxtrot—a seminal, prog-rock tour de force that was recorded when singer Peter Gabriel, bassist/guitarist Mike Rutherford, drummer Phil Collins, keyboardist Tony Banks, and Hackett were in their early 20s. Before the show, PG’s Chris Kies was invited onstage to go over the minimal-but-mighty setup used by Hackett. First tech Vince O’Malley detailed a Fernandes goldtop (once owned by Gary Moore) with its limitless Sustainer circuit and a treasured nylon-string Alvarez built by master luthier Kazuo Yairi in the 1970s. Then Hackett himself joined the fun and plugged his Fernandes into his pedalboard to show off all the sounds, tones, and colors he requires to honor his days in Genesis.

Shop the Rig:

D’Addario Pro-Arte’ Nylon Light Tension EJ43 - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/jrGvL5

Engl Powerball - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/VmvG53

Marshall 1960A 4x12 Cabinet - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/XYvVea

Celestion G12T-75W Speakers - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/9gjXYy

Tech 21 SansAmp GT2 - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/zN57VM

Boss PS-6 Harmonist - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/DKZ2Nn

EHX Attack Decay - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/1rMmNd

Fishman Aura - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/g1e2EB

DigiTech Mosaic - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/k01mqN

Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/EKVmje

DigiTech Whammy WH-5 - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/q4LBRO

TC Electronic Flashback 2 X4 Delay - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/B0V6ML

MXR EVH Phase 90 - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/vNbBJj

Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 Plus - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/LXm31V

Dunlop 105Q Cry Baby Bass Wah - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/Gm4vNk

Radial ProDI Passive Direct Box - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/PyqVbN

Ernie Ball Extra Slinkys - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/ZQvZA1

Full Rig Details: https://bit.ly/SteveHackettRR

Subscribe to PG's Channel: http://bit.ly/SubscribePGYouTube

Win Guitar Gear: https://bit.ly/GiveawaysPG

Don't Miss a Rundown: http://bit.ly/RIgRundownENL

Merch & Magazines: https://shop.premierguitar.com

PG's Facebook: https://facebook.com/premierguitar

PG's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/premierguitar/

PG's Twitter: https://twitter.com/premierguitar

PG's Threads: https://threads.net/@premierguitar

PG's TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@premierguitar

[Brought to you by D’Addario: https://ddar.io/wykyk-rr]

0:00 - D'Addario When You Know You Know

0:15 - Steve Hackett Playing Intro

0:36 - 1990s Fernandes Goldtop Owned by Gary Moore

2:56 - Strings & Baby Powder

3:31 - Steve Hackett's Adventurousness in Gear

5:13 - More on the Fernandes Goldtop

6:48 - 1970s Alvarez CY127ce

8:50 - Baby Powder?!

9:36 - Engl Powerball I & Marshall 1960A Cab

11:09 - Steve Hackett & His Pedalboard

#guitar #rigrundown #progrock #guitarist #guitarplayer #genesis #stevehackett

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Unknown Mortal Orchestra Nov 30, 2023

Show notes

“Gear is meant to be destroyed in the line of duty,” laughs Ruban Nielson. “I realize I prefer to see my equipment all dinged up rather than sitting perfect in my basement—that’s a dorky thing to do.”

That doesn’t mean Nielson doesn’t care about his sound. He noted in a 2015 interview with PG that he spends countless hours in his basement tinkering on breadboard circuits and swapping out components, trying to maximize a pedal for his needs. “I like the idea that instead of buying your sound, you’re building your sound,” he said.

Over the course of 14 years, five albums, and thousands of touring miles, Nielsen has been custom-fabricating his guitar voice. But as we all know, the quest is never-ending, like trying to catch the horizon. After all, isn’t it the journey, not the destination, that matters?

“I used to be too much of a savage to care about a clean boost or headroom,” says Nielson. “‘Just give me a distortion pedal already!’ But now I’m exploring the intricacies, subtleties, and nuances of guitar.”

Ahead of Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s headlining performance at Nashville’s Brooklyn Bowl, Ruban Nielson welcomed PG’s Chris Kies onstage to explore his current sonic lab. Nielson covers his two space-age guitars (and what inspired them), explains how he convinced Benson to put a Monarch inside a vintage solid-state Yamaha, and details the pedals—including a few of his own designs—that extract a kaleidoscope of moods.

Brought to you by D'Addario.

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David Ryan Harris Nov 08, 2023

Show notes

Guitarist and singer-songwriter David Ryan Harris rose to prominence as a key part of John Mayer’s band between 2004 and 2012, and he’s backed everyone from Santana to Dave Matthews to Nick Jonas. But as a solo artist and bandleader, Harris has been spinning gorgeous R&B, blues, and funk for decades. Harris took PG's John Bohlinger through his current touring rig before a stop with Scary Pockets at Nashville’s Brooklyn Bowl on October 5.

Brought to you by the D'Addario XPND.

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Brian Setzer [2023] Nov 01, 2023

Show notes

Two-time Grammy Award-winning rockabilly hero Brian Setzer recently played a sold-out show at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium in support of his new solo album, The Devil Always Collects. Tyler Sweet, who has teched for Setzer for 17 years, took PG’s John Bohlinger through the rig that rocked this town, and just about every other town in the world over Setzer’s 40 years of twanging and sanging.

Brought to you by D'Addario XSRR Strings.

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Little Feat Oct 26, 2023

Show notes

Formed in 1969 by slide guitar juggernaut Lowell George, disbanded after his death in ’79, then revitalized in 1987, Little Feet combines George’s bandmate and co-writer Fred Tacket along with virtuoso Scott Sharrad in their new recording and touring lineup. Tacket and Sharrad invited PG’s John Bohlinger to their soundcheck at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium to talk gear and tell classic stories from Little Feet’s early days.

Brought to you by D'Addario XSRR Strings.

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Fontaines D.C. Oct 25, 2023

Show notes

Irish rock band Fontaines D.C. is a dual-guitar ensemble featuring Carlos O’Connell and Conor Curley. At first, the duo used similar guitars, amps, and settings in an effort to work as a symbiotic saw buzzing their way through songs. The indistinguishable incisions lacerated their earliest work with angsty piss and vinegar. But as the quintet’s musicianship has evolved, they’ve embraced wider influences, adding different knives to their collection of cutlery. And more specifically, they’ve learned when to slice, when to dice, and how to work off each other.

“I think we’re trying to be more patient and more conscious of the texture,” Curley told PG in 2022, describing how he and O’Connell have worked together to refine their sound. “The first album was very much in a fighting mode,” he continues, “with the two guitars EQ’d the same and just smashing off each other. On the second one, we learned to play together a little better. We’re still working on it, and sometimes we still try to become as one almost, when the song needs it, but I think now we’ve learned to fit in with how we’re EQing everything. It feels really good.”

Ahead of their opening slot priming crowds for the Arctic Monkeys, O’Connell and Curley invited PG’s Chris Kies onstage at the Ascend Amphitheater in downtown Nashville. Carlos covered his favored Fender solidbodies, while Conor showed off his eclectic hollowbodies, and they both walked through their respective pedalboards.

Brought to you by D'Addario Trigger Capo.

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The Band CAMINO Oct 11, 2023

Show notes

“‘Stumbled into guitar’ is a good way of putting our start with the instrument. [Spencer Stewart] and I formed the band in 2015 and that’s when I got my first electric guitar,” admits The Band CAMINO’s vocalist and guitarist Jeffery Jordan.

That sort of sideways T-bone collision into guitardom allows this pop-minded duo to avoid typical tonal tropes like worrying about tubes versus modeling, or imports versus custom. Their focus was and continues to be translating their danceable melodies into guitar-driven rompers and producing the best live show possible.

“We definitely enjoyed a pedalboard-and-amp-era of the band, but the tech has come so far and we’re able to eliminate so much room for error and potential inconsistencies, allowing for a freer performance,” adds Jordan.

As we quickly found out in our Rundown with Jordan and Stewart, the band’s approach favors execution over exhibitionism.

In mid-September, just before the band commenced their headlining Screaming in the Dark tour, in support of the just-released The Dark album, co-frontmen and dueling guitarists Jeffery Jordan and Spencer Stewart invited PG’s Chris Kies to rehearsal for a gear talk. The main chauffeurs of CAMINO explained how grabbing guitar later in life allowed them to avoid a lot of gear gossip and find tonal solutions that enrich their performances. Plus, they both discuss the stable of studs from Fender, Gibson, and Epiphone that give bounce and beauty to their merging of indie-rock and electropop.

Brought to you by D'Addario XPND.

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