A Behind-The-Scenes Look At Famous Guitar Rigs

For most guitar players', getting a chance to see what the guitarists on top of their game use for a guitar rig is very influential.  Most of the gear that these guys use is available to all of us and we can definitely get a lot out of a behind-the-scenes perspective for our own guitar playing.  Finding interviews with the artists themselves can be pretty challenging, and then to have the interview be based solely on the gear they use is near impossible.  So we look to the next best thing, the guitar tech.  I've collected a series of profiles and interviews with several guitar techs, and a few with the artists, that talk about the gear of some of the top guitarists in the music business.

Guitar player and guitar rig

Let's start off with John Mayer.  Mayer has made a huge impression on the guitar community for his incredible tone and playing ability.  Find the video here at http://www.jimdunlop.com/blog/?p=1896.

Don’t be fooled by his poppy love songs or tabloid persona —John Mayer is a well respected player with some serious chops and tone to die for. Premier Guitar recently hooked up with his tech Rene Martinez—former tech for Stevie Ray Vaughan, Prince, and Mick Jones—before their show in Tinley Park, IL. This guys got an impressive collection of gear, but what we’re most interested in is the Way Huge Aqua Puss Analog Delay that we caught a glimpse of in the video. This highly coveted-crème de la crème of analog delay pedals has been seen on many guitar legends arsenals, it’s perfect for adding some sweet and subtle tape echo effects for just the right amount of richness to solos. John Mayer deemed it one of his “tone secrets”, check it out in the video below.

Next, we'll take a look at the rig of Warren Haynes.  Haynes has played with the Allman Brothers and leads the group Gov't Mule.  He's a heavy hitter in the blues and rock communities.  Check out the video here at http://www.premierguitar.com/Video/20101108/1235/Rig_Rundown_Gov_t_Mules_Warren_Haynes.aspx.

Another guitarist that has made a huge impact on the music world is Dave Matthews from the Dave Matthews Band.  Also listed is Tim Reynold's on stage gear, who plays some lead guitar with Matthews.  Check out the rig here of one of the biggest bands out there today at http://www.jimdunlop.com/blog/?p=1977.

Premier Guitar caught up with Dave Matthews’ guitar tech Craig Baker to get a tour of Dave’s US rig. Dave and Tim Reynolds (Dave’s lead guitarist) have a lot of Dunlop gear that they use live and in the studio. Check out the video and complete list below.

Dave
MXR MC401 Boost/ Line Drive
MXR Carbon Copy
MXR Micro Amp
Dunlop Nickel 11 – 50 electric guitar string
Dunlop Tortex .60 mm picks (black and orange custom printed)
Dunlop mic stand pick holder


Tim
MXR MC 401 Boost/ Line Driver
Way Huge Swollen Pickle
Cry Baby 535 Q Wah
Dunlop Power Brick
MXR Carbon Copy
Dunlop Nickel wound Custom Set Electric Guitar strings 11, 15, 18, 26, 36, 50
Dunlop 220 metal Slide
Dunlop mic stand pick and slide holders
Dunlop Tortex 1.00 mm Tortex guitar picks

Now let's get into a series of popular guitarists that have made quite an impact on the guitar world.  Below you can check out the rigs of The Edge from U2, Brian May from Queen, Kings of Leon, and Muse.  Check it out here at http://www.rockyourguitar.com/take-a-tour-4-famous-guitar-rigs/.

Ever wondered exactly what gear some of the ‘big-guns’ are using and what their thoughts are on getting good tone? The following videos will give you an insight into what some of the most well known bands are using live on stage for their shows.

There are varying opinions of the best way to build a guitar rig to achieve that ultimate, but sometimes elusive tone. Nowadays with so many choices and options out there it’s easier to end up with a bad sound. Different playing environments can call for different setups. The following videos will hopefully inspire you on your journey to the dream guitar rig. After all, life is too short for bad tone!

U2′s The Edge — Guitars, Effects Rack & Amps 

The Edge takes you through his guitars and gear. He also explains why he uses the gear he does, and his role in the band. In my opinion, he is one of the most unselfish guitars players I’ve come across.

Brian May — Stage Gear

The man that is a hero of guitarists and rock fans. He has discovered the holy grail of ‘tone’ with his home-built guitar named, “Red Special”.

Aided by the uniqueness of his guitar, Brain May was often able to create strange and unusual sound effects. He was able to create sound effects with his guitar that were so unusual that many thought a synthesiser was being used. In “Good Company” he used his guitar to mimic a trombone, a piccolo and several other instruments for the song’s jazz band feel.

Here we take a tour around Queen legend Brian May’s awesome gigging rig, ably guided by his longtime guitar tech Pete Malandrone

Kings Of Leon — Guitar Gear 

These guys are simply amazing. I love how they’ve written songs, ‘simple’. None of the guitar lines are over-done, and you can easily ‘hum’ them in your head. Have a look at the gear they were using live on stage.

Toward the end of the video, it’s funny how they can’t remember what song they use the P.O.G pedal in.

FYI, they use the P.O.G in the the song, “Notion”.

Muse — Guitar Rig 

Muse are known for their energetic and extravagant live performances and their fusion of many music genres, including progressive rock, classical music, heavy metal and electronica.

These guys have a pretty crazy effects setup. He even mentions that they sometimes run the piano through the guitar rig. Oh yeah! 

Now for a look at a classic.  Let's check out the rig of Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top.  See the video here at http://www.jimdunlop.com/blog/?p=3511.

To close out the series, let's take a look at Brad Paisley's rig.  Paisley may not be the first thought when talking about guitarists in the forefront, but the truth is Paisley is a great guitarist.  Take a look at the video here at http://www.jimdunlop.com/blog/?p=2000.

DunlopTV finally breaks into country music, big-time. Brad Paisley’s guitar tech, Chad Weaver, runs us through the country music star’s entire rig. He’s got some super sweet guitars, and can you say “delay freak”? Paisley is known for his killer fast country shredding style and exceptional tone.

I hope you enjoyed this behind-the-scenes look at some of the most influential musicians in the music business.  Hopefully you can use this information for your own playing and have fun experimenting with different sounds.

Have fun and stay tuned!

Mike