When some people travel, they take photos on their phone to remember the trip. Old-soul voyagers will recount their adventures with pen and paper. But for Alejandro and Estevan Gutiérrez, who together make the globetrotting Ecuadorian-Swiss duo Hermanos Gutiérrez, their experiences conjure soundtracks, and a visit years ago to the American Southwest changed their sound forever. A couple years after forming their duo, the brothers took a trip through Death Valley and the Mojave Desert. “It just b...
Sep 12, 2023•26 min
Nashville has long been the hub for all things country music but in the last two decades, transplant rockers like Jack White , the Black Keys , Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine , Judas Priest’s Richie Faulkner and others, have all have made the 615 home. Adding to its growth is the organic blossoms generated via the rock block, cultivating names like Paramore, All Them Witches , Bully , Moon Taxi , The Wild Feathers , The Band Camino, and the guitar extraordinaires that make up Diarrhea Planet. We got c...
Aug 23, 2023•53 min
For more than two decades, trailblazing acoustic guitarists Rodrigo Sánchez and Gabriela Quintero have been blending metal, flamenco, pop, and jazz with their Grammy-winning duo Rodrigo y Gabriela, and they’re not showing any sign of slowing down. They’re currently on the road in support of their seventh full-length album, In Between Thoughts…A New World , released in April. It’s a characteristically adventurous endeavor, arranged as a single, album-length composition and augmented with electron...
Aug 17, 2023•23 min
A decade ago, Vince Gill and Paul Franklin recorded Bakersfield , a tribute to the raw-boned country music that came out of the rough-and-rowdy clubs patronized by oil-field hands and agricultural workers in the ’50s and early ’60s—packed with songs by Merle Haggard and Buck Owens . And we visited with them for a Rig Rundown then. Now, just for the good times, these two legends of modern country music—the real deal kind—have recorded Sweet Memories: The Music of Ray Price & The Cherokee Cowb...
Aug 09, 2023•53 min
Full Rig Details:https://bit.ly/NileRodgersRR Subscribe to PG's Channel: http://bit.ly/SubscribePGYouTube Since the early ’70s, the guitar legend has trusted his 1960 “Hitmaker” Strat to turn out chart toppers that have changed the course of music history and shaped cultures around the world. We explore its unusual origins and DNA as well as uncover some ordinary tools making extraordinary grooves. Guitarist and producer Nile Rodgers has received virtually every significant honorific that exists...
Aug 02, 2023•12 min
It’d be hard to argue that anyone has changed their sound as much as Billy Strings has in the last 10 years. If you reference the pre-war traditional collaboration albums he first did with Don Julin ( Rock of Ages and Fiddle Tune X ), and his solo debut EP Billy Strings , and then witnessed one of his recent high-voltage shows, the songs and sounds are both worlds apart … yet familiarly rooted. He went from opening on the Bluegrass circuit to a crossover festival headliner that’s more Dead than ...
Jul 26, 2023•1 hr 3 min
Canadian alt-country group the Bros. Landreth have become known for bringing not just layers of blues, rock, and eclectic modern influence to the traditional country sound, but for Joey Landreth’s depth as a guitarist and stunning tone on the instrument. Built on a lifetime of brothers Joey and Dave’s absorbing classic country music, the band was launched with the release of 2013’s Let It Lie , through which they not-long-after made a mark on the scene when the album garnered a JUNO Award for Ro...
Jul 19, 2023•38 min
Kurt Ballou takes tone very seriously. He’s been on the leading edge of aggressive guitar sounds since 1990, and Converge ’s fourth album, 2001’s Jane Doe , is still seen as a game-changing release, with its ferocious performances and masterful production. His sonic temple, God City Studio , is the destination for artists looking to make their rawest, heaviest, brutalist work. Ballou has even developed a gear brand ( God City Instruments ) that includes guitars, pedals, and pickups, all in the p...
Jul 13, 2023•54 min
Tennessee has a rich tradition that has helped shape American music. Memphis was a big contributor to blues, soul, and early rock ’n’ roll thanks to Sun, Stax, and the influx of Delta musicians. Nashville has been the long-standing capital of country music, and more recently, has developed as a hotbed of Americana storytellers. The Smokies and the surrounding Appalachian areas have given us bluegrass and undeniable icon Dolly Parton. However, while metal has eluded the Volunteer State’s thumbpri...
Jul 05, 2023•41 min
Over the last four decades, the courageous and creative Flaming Lips have put out 16 studio albums. Their genre is an alphabet soup that ranges from acid rock and ambient to zany psychedelia, all while pumping on a pop heartbeat. They’ve won three Grammys, written and filmed an alien colonization movie and soundtrack ( Christmas on Mars ), reimagined Dark Side of the Moon with Henry Rollins, had their hit “Do You Realize??” named the official rock song of Oklahoma, and of course, performed in bu...
Jun 28, 2023•57 min
Since we last saw Yvette Young in 2019 , the guitar-playing musical illustrator has been challenged, and proven courageous. “I went from a situation where I was afraid of one of my bandmates, and did what I needed to do to free myself from what I felt to be an emotionally, and thus creatively draining, situation,” Young revealed to PG earlier this year . She parted ways with Covet’s members during the recording sessions for the new album, Catharsis , and had the bass parts re-done by noted touri...
Jun 21, 2023•23 min
Maestro Warren Haynes invited PG ’s John Bohlinger to Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium, where they hang out after Gov’t Mule’s soundcheck and take a tour through his live rig. This Gibson-heavy collection has been a 40-year-work in progress for the guitarist, who has spent his career playing with David Allan Coe, Dickey Betts, The Allman Brothers, The Dead, leading Gov’t Mule, and much, much more. New Gov't Mule Album Peace...Like A River out 6/16 . Brought to you by D’Addario XS Strings . ...
Jun 14, 2023•26 min
It’s all about the yin and yang … and the heavy guitar tones when Scott Holiday of Rival Sons plugs in and rocks out onstage. This year, the band has got something special cooking: a pair of albums, the just-released Darkfighter and the upcoming Lightbringer , speaking of yin and yang. On the current Darkfighter tour, Rival Sons recently stopped at Nashville’s Marathon Music Works and invited PG onboard their stage for a tour of Scott’s gear. He’s made some changes since his 2017 Rig Rundown . H...
Jun 07, 2023•35 min
Two months ago, Lindsay Ell released her latest single, “Sweet Spot,” plus she’s on the way to issuing a new album, following up 2020’s Heart Theory . And for the tour leading into her next record, she’s also got a passel of updated gear since her 2018 Rig Rundown . No surprise, since there’s always something new happening with Ell—whether it’s touring under her own banner or with Shania Twain, scooping up Canadian Country Music Association awards, or serving as a judge on Canada’s Got Talent . ...
May 31, 2023•33 min
Theo Katzman plays with a fluency and fire that makes this guitarist, producer, singer, and songwriter an MVP of modern, funk-fueled rock and pop. At a recent gig at Nashville’s Brooklyn Bowl outpost, Katzman—who’s also a member of the formidable Vulfpeck collective—invited PG ’s Rig Rundown team to soundcheck, to see the gear that makes his tone sing. And Katzman’s tech, Nick “Turk” Nagurka, provided assistance. Brought to you by D’Addario XS Strings . Mentioned in this episode: Check out D'Add...
May 24, 2023•25 min
Fourteen years after their Grammy-winning debut, Raising Sand , Robert Plant and Alison Krauss followed up with Raise the Roof —which was nominated for three more Grammys. Now on tour, the duo also has a new band that includes bassist Viktor Krauss, guitarist JD McPherson , and utility player Stuart Duncan. But before they hit the road, Krause, Duncan, and McPherson—and their techs Paul Ackling and Kevin Devogel— invited the PG team to a rehearsal at Soundcheck Nashville for a look behind the ge...
May 17, 2023•1 hr 7 min
Our third Rig Rundown with Periphery’s Jake Bowen, Mark Holcomb, and Misha Mansoor —at Nashville’s Marathon Music Works on April 2—caught the band on their final tour stop for a spring run in support of the brand-spankin’-new Periphery V: Djent Is Not a Genre . Our time with the triumvirate of tone reminded us that these fellas never rest their ears. They know gear and how to make it work for them. That’s why each of them has spent extensive time in several R&D collaborations with some of th...
May 10, 2023•58 min
“Tone is not important,” is an interesting phrase to hear while filming a Rig Rundown. But Underoath’s Tim McTague has good reason to shake his head at tone purists. “Gear infatuation can be super cool because it’s a passion or a hobby, but it’s not necessary for me to do my job. I don’t want to degrade anyone who is into it, but it’s not my thing,” admits McTague. So, what is his thing? We found that what he had to say during this Rundown echoed what he told PG in 2018 after recording Erase Me ...
May 03, 2023•26 min
“Our relationship is everything about this band,” conceded Rebecca Lovell to PG in 2022 . “The way that we communicate, the way that we play together, the way that we facilitate one another’s musicianship. It is the air that we breathe as a band, and everything revolves around our siblinghood.” Their symbiotic sorcery has taken them from budding bluegrass pickers in the Lovell Sisters (then alongside older sister Jessica Lovell) to real-deal rockstars as Larkin Poe with several No. 1 albums on t...
Apr 27, 2023•19 min
Tim Pierce’s guitar can be heard on more than a thousand recordings, starting in the ’80s, when he played on hits by Bon Jovi, John Waite, and Rick Springfield. In subsequent years, he’s added to his resume with recorded performances for Crowded House, Christina Aguilera, Seal, Avril Lavigne, Tracy Chapman, Joe Cocker, Ricky Martin, Meat Loaf, Rod Stewart, Elton John, Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, Rob Thomas, Rick Springfield, Phil Collins, Madonna, Toy Matinee, Don Henley, Santana, Rascal...
Apr 26, 2023•39 min
Crobot’s hard-riffin’, smooth-groovin’ rock anthems often ride on the back of guitarist Chris Bishop’s handiwork. The guitarist carefully corrupts his tone with creative pedal tweaking, but he’s never lost sight of his role within the quartet. “The groove is the most important thing in the song and, being the only guitar player, my main focus is to make sure that’s there,” explains Bishop to PG in 2016 . And when you’re opening for the party-rocking Steel Panther , no goal can be greater than ma...
Apr 13, 2023•20 min
Steel: hard metal. Panther: one of the most ferocious animals. Put them together, and you have perhaps the greatest band of the 21st century. And, hot off the release of their latest, most ass-kicking album ever, Steel Panther is re-invading America. While in Nashville, before they played a blistering set for a packed crowd at Marathon Music Works , Panther’s lead guitarist Satchel invited PG ’s John Bohlinger to soundcheck to show off his mighty rig. Brought to you by D’Addario XPND Pedalboard ...
Apr 05, 2023•28 min
Full Rig Details: https://bit.ly/EricGalesRR2023 Eric Gales is back again. Since last chatting with John Bohlinger in 2017, the blues maestro’s rig has transitioned to include more signature Raw Dawg gear pieces—including pedals, amps, and, of course, his signature Magneto guitars. Just last year, the lefty slinger released the Grammy-nominated, Crown, which features collabs with his pal Joe Bonamassa. Gales was touring in support of that record when he rolled through Nashville. Subscribe to PG'...
Mar 29, 2023•20 min
Bush had an unbelievable debut with 1994’s Sixteen Stone that eventually surpassed 6x platinum status. The post-grunge juggernaut continued making moody, mercurial, and sometimes menacing music has continuing mutating while keeping them modern with a total of nine full-length releases with 2022’s The Art of Survival as their most recent chapter. The band’s headlining Ryman tour stop was furthering their support for the October 2022 release where the camp invited PG ’s Chris Kies onstage to catal...
Mar 22, 2023•33 min
Right now, they’re in Europe, but Atlanta-based rockers with a distinctly Southern musical accent, Blackberry Smoke, smoked Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium for two nights in February before jumping the pond. Their latest album, You Hear Georgia , was produced by Dave Cobb in Nashville, and hit the top of the Billboard Americana/Folk chart when it was released in mid-2021. PG ’s John Bohlinger caught up with guitarists Charlie Starr and Paul Jackson before their sold-out show at the Ryman to run dow...
Mar 08, 2023•40 min
It’s been 11 years since Kenny Wayne Shepherd filmed his previous Rig Rundown. PG ’s John Bohlinger caught up with the blues-rocker before his recent sold-out show at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium to hear some killer playing and see some untouchable—by anyone but Kenny and his tech—gear. The tour stop was supporting the December 2022 release of Trouble Is … 25 , a re-recording of his 1997 breakthrough album, which had four top 10 hits when it was originally issued: “Slow Ride,” “Somehow,...
Mar 01, 2023•41 min
College internships can run the gamut. They can lead you into a career or dissuade you from pursuing one altogether. In 2004, while still attending the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, singer Rachael Price, bassist Bridget Kearney, guitarist Mike “McDuck” Olson , and drummer Mike Calabrese joined forces to perform as what they dubbed a “free country band,” where they intended to play country music in an improvised, avant-garde style. As it goes with many college-years experiments, it...
Feb 22, 2023•36 min
“I feel like a lot of people, when they see me play, they think, ‘Oh, it's going to be super aggressive, and there's a lot of shades of that,” shares Jared James Nichols. “But I'm so obsessed with the tone, the feel of it…. Growing up listening to Jeff Beck , Albert King , guys like that; the super feel stuff to me is where it's at.” That sentiment is overwhelmingly clear when hearing just a single note of Nichols’ playing. And what makes his musicianship that much more compelling is his abandon...
Feb 15, 2023•47 min
Since their debut, Before the Sun Goes Down , in 2014, Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley have made a name for themselves as some of the hottest country and bluegrass players in the business. As individuals, their credits range from Willie Nelson to Earl Scruggs to Merle Haggard—and as a duo, they’ve toured and recorded with artists including Tommy Emmanuel , Taj Mahal , Jorma Kaukonen & Hot Tuna, Luther Dickinson , and Molly Tuttle . It’s likely their forthcoming full-length release, Living in a So...
Feb 08, 2023•1 hr 15 min
“You gotta remember, I wasn’t really shit until about a year-and-a-half ago,” Bartees Strange reminds the crowd at Nashville’s Basement East just before performing his song, “Hennessy.” “I was just in my basement playing guitar. And my wife was like, ‘Do the dishes ... Do something other than play guitar.’ Now all I do is play guitar again [ laughs ].” Strange (born Bartees Leon Cox, Jr.), is a sponge and synthesis of everywhere he’s been and everything he’s seen or heard. Born in England and ra...
Feb 01, 2023•59 min
