Being in a band can be a mercurial experience. Internal combustion and outside factors can make any promising group crash and burn before reaching cruising altitude. Plus, it’s never been easier to replace bothersome bandmates with plugins and software. So in 2015, Wes Hauch paused all his various death-metal day jobs (formerly with the Faceless, Thy Art Is Murder, Glass Casket, and Black Crown Initiate) and started Alluvial as a brain break and artistic challenge to scratch itches previously unreachable.
“I started to think about putting a band together that was everything that I missed about what wasn’t going on in heavy music,” Hauch told PG in 2021.
He teamed up with fellow shredder Keith Merrow and the duo put their darkest emotions into the instrumental project. They built everything from the ground up and The Deep Longing for Annihilation was self-released in 2017. It (beautifully) bludgeoned the ears of Animals as Leaders’ Javier Reyes, who wanted to take out Alluvial on tour. And now Hauch needed a band… his band.
While writing his next batch of material that would ultimately evolve into 2021’s Sarcoma (released on Nuclear Blast), Hauch recruited singer Kevin Muller (Suffocation and The Merciless Concept) and drummer Matt Guglielmo to fill everything out. The results are like someone dropped a Shelby GT500 inside an excavator primed to pummel granite. Death metal might be its blanket, but there’s more lurking under the covers. The second album has moments of blitzkrieg (“Sarcoma”), allusions to Greg Ginn playing in an extreme metal band (“The Putrid Sunrise”), and even hallucinatory respites (“40 Stories”).
“I’m always trying to find something that’s a different sort of rhythmic motif for metal, just to see if it's going to work, and if it's going to make people feel it, or if it’s going to make me feel it,” stated Hauch.
Now Alluvial is a full four horsemen with bassist Tim Walker and drummer Zach Dean, who both have been playing live with Hauch and Muller and contributed to their forthcoming EP Death Is But A Door.
“I wanted to have a band where we can write meaningful yet action-packed songs. Something that is terrifying but breaks your heart at the same time. I think we’ll always chase that, but we want to find new ways to be heavy” Hauch reflected.
Alluvial seems to be avoiding any turbulence during their ascent with just one thing in mind: gatherings through gain.
“I want to go play with everyone … all the people that enjoy the message that’s usually coupled with that distorted guitar,” said Hauch. “And for anyone who’s checking this out, I want to say thank you, because it’s hard to get anyone to participate in your art these days. The fact that people are, I’m very grateful.”
Ahead of Alluvial’s opening slot supporting Intervals and Tesseract at Nashville’s Brooklyn Bowl, founding guitarist (and lead headbanger) Wes Hauch and bassist Tim Walker welcomed PG’s Chris Kies onstage to explore their tools of destruction. Hauch highlighted his main 7-string Ibanez shred sticks—including his signature set of Seymour Duncan Jupiter Rails humbuckers—and detailed the great lengths he went to capture his favorite Boogie and Friedman sounds in his Kemper for the band’s “get-the-fuck-out-of-the-way rig.” Then Walker quickly spotlighted his Ibanez blackout 5-string bass—and the mods he’s made—plus explained the motive behind matching a rackmount Helix with a fridge-sized Ampeg 6x10.
Brought to you by D'Addario.
"The Coolest Shape Gibson Never Thought Of"
Hauch has had a long relationship with Ibanez. He’s been using their extended-range, 7-string monsters for years. He landed on the Iceman shape because of friend and contemporary Wacław “Vogg” Kiełtyka of Decapitated. (In our Rig Rundown video, he of course acknowledges the influences that Paul Stanley and White Zombie’s Jay Yuenger played in the decision, too.)
“I look at this like the coolest shape Gibson never thought of,” remarks Hauch. “This is the best things about a Les Paul and Explorer in a pretty unique shape. It feels cozier to me and I can wear it at ‘regulation cool’ height and still play well [laughs].”
This L.A. Custom Shop creation has a flame maple top over a mahogany body, a maple neck with a purpleheart stringer up the middle, ebony fretboard, and 27" scale length. Some mods he’s made to it include swapping out the standard tune-o-matic-style bridge and for an ABM 2507b that has fine tuners. With this addition, Hauch claims this to be his “most functional guitar,” allowing him to pull off the entire set if needed.
The heartbeat of this colossus comes from Hauch’s signature Seymour Duncan Jupiter Rails that took over two years to develop. It has dual stainless-steel rail poles, a ceramic magnet and a finely-tuned, high-output wind that aims to deliver an aggressive midrange-focused attack, evenly balanced string response, and clarity. Hauch notes that he purposely rolled off the low end on the pickup so it reacts better, and he can effectively use resonance controls or EQ parameters later in his chain.
The green machine typically rides in G#-standard tuning (G#–C#–F#–B–E–G#–C#) and takes a set of D’Addario NYXL1052 Light Top/Heavy Bottom strings plus a .068 on the low-B string.
Nosferatu
Here is Swamp Thing’s little brother that measures in with a standard 25.5" scale length, a smaller mahogany body that’s capped with a curly maple lid, and a Sustainiac pickup in the neck (alongside Hauch’s Jupiter in the bridge). The added 3-way switch toggles between modes for the Sustainiac: unison, a fifth, and octave up.
During the Rundown Hauch states that he used this Iceman for all the solos on Alluvial’s forthcoming EP Death Is But A Door. It usually stays in standard tuning and takes D’Addario NYXL1052 Light Top/Heavy Bottom strings plus a .062 for the low-B string.Blue Me Away
This Ibanez Prestige RG2027XL is a favorite for Hauch, who claims the guitars are “out of control sick. I had to get two!” The RG has a basswood body, a 5-piece maple-and-wenge neck in the Wizard-7 profile, a bound rosewood fretboard, a 27" scale length, and is finished in a striking dark tide blue.
The few changes he’s made include trading out the bridge DiMarzio Fusion Edge 7 humbucker for his Duncan Jupiter Rails and substituting the stock trem springs with some from FU-Tone.
Night Prowler
Alluvial bassist Tim Walker travels with this single Ibanez Iron Label BTB652EX that is built with an okume body, 5-piece maple-and-walnut neck (with thru construction and a 35" scale length), an ebonol fretboard, Bartolini BH2 pickups, and an onboard 3-band EQ with 3-way mid-frequency switch. He prefers to play a custom set of D’Addario NYXL bass strings (.050–.145) and attacks them with a Dunlop Tortex .73 mm pick.
One thing Walker has done since buying the Iron Label 5-string is remove the BH2s for a set of Aguilar DCB-D2 Dual Ceramic pickups that gives him a little more attack and an even frequency response.
Exit ... Stage Left!
For the sake of efficiency as an opener and reduced travel costs, Hauch built up this streamlined setup he coined the “get-the-fuck-out-of-the-way rig.” He customized the Kemper Profiler by capturing his Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier Revision G and Friedman JJ-100 Jerry Cantrell heads, so he feels at home while on the road. Hauch’s favorite part of the simplified digital solution: “It turns on every day [laughs].” (You can download Wes’ profiles of these amps and others here.)
Tim’s side of the tonal equation has a Line 6 Helix Rack that he’s been loving for over five years. He digs the platform’s intuitive layout that’s enabled him to take a studio approach to separately sculpt his bass sound in low-, mid-, and top-end frequencies that are then all blendable at the end of his chain. His main tones are based around Cali Bass (Mesa/Boogie M9) and Obsidian 7000 (Darkglass Microtubes B7K Ultra) models. He’s selected a 3 Sigma Audio cab IR based on a Mesa/Boogie PowerHouse 6x10. Additionally, he configures several patches and blocks within each song for the band’s setlist. He’s got it pretty maxed out and the Helix hasn’t begged for mercy yet.
Both Hauch and Walker utilize Seymour Duncan PowerStage 700 to power cabinets onstage, Sennheiser EW-D CI1 SET Digital Wireless Instrument Systems to freely roam the stage, Sennheiser EW IEM G4 Wireless in-ear monitors, and a Behringer X32 Rack to mix their live sound.
Noise Floor
Here’s a closeup look at what Hauch and Walker have at their backs and feet. Up top is Walker’s Ampeg SVT-610HLF bass cab equipped with Eminence 10" speakers. The middle is a pair of Hauch’s EVH 5150IIIS EL34 4x12 cabinets each loaded with four 12" Celestion G12 EVH 20W speakers. And at the bottom is Wes’ Kemper Profiler Remote controller, an old Digitech Whammy WH-1, and a Dunlop Volume (X) DVP4.
Alluvial's Rig
Ibanez Iceman 7-String
Seymour Duncan Jupiter Rails
D’Addario NYXL1052 Light Top/Heavy Bottom Strings
Ibanez Prestige RG2027XL
Seymour Duncan Wes Hauch Jupiter 7-String Bridge Humbucker Pickup
Ibanez Iron Label BTB652EX
Aguilar DCB-D2 Dual Ceramic Pickups
D’Addario NYXL Bass Strings (.050–.145)
Kemper Profiler Rack
Line 6 Helix Rack
Seymour Duncan PowerStage 700
Sennheiser EW-D CI1 SET Digital Wireless Instrument Systems
Sennheiser EW IEM G4 Wireless In-Ear Monitors
Behringer X32 Rack
Ampeg SVT-610HLF Bass Cab
EVH 5150IIIS EL34 4x12
Celestion G12 EVH 20w Speakers
Kemper Profiler Remote
Digitech Whammy
Dunlop Volume (X) DVP4
![Rig Rundown: Coheed and Cambria [2022]](https://www.premierguitar.com/media-library/rig-rundown-coheed-and-cambria-2022.jpg?id=30506405&width=600&height=400&quality=85&coordinates=190%2C0%2C10%2C0)
Nicole Row
It may not look like a lot, but Panic At the Disco bassist Nicole Row (who’s also a prolific session player) says these half-dozen pedals cover all the bases for any gig, session, or audition she might find herself at.
Nicole Row's Pedalboard
For Panic’s snarling indie-rock anthems, two of her most-stomped stomps are the Aguilar Fuzzistor and Darkglass Electronics Vintage Microtubes. Meanwhile, she often stacks an EBS OctaBass with other pedals to mimic vintage synth sounds. For silkier, “underwater” sonics, she engages an EBS DPhaser, and for funkier lines she uses an MXR Bass Envelope Filter. Her go-to for sending signal to the house board is a Noble Dual Vacuum Tube Preamp/DI Box.
Rig Rundown: Nicole Row
Kurt Ballou
More often than not, famed metal producer/Converge guitarist/God City Instruments proprietor Kurt Ballou’s biggest pedal need is violent distortion—but he’s got plenty of other toys, too.
Kurt Ballou's Pedalboard
Going clockwise (from top left), we have a Demedash Effects T-120 Videotape Echo (“one of the coolest analog delay pedals”—when bypassed, holding down the left footswitch engages a momentary freeze/shimmer/oscillator), then a Shift Line A+ Astronaut III Multiverb Space Unit from Russia. The red, single-knob God City Instruments design is a “mid-forward, ultimate thrashy, djenty, clanky, articulate, heavy guitar pedal,” while the God City SBD (Super Beatle Distortion) features an active mid boost in front of its fuzz circuit and gonzo bass after it. The GCI OGR (Optical Gain Reduction) is a compressor that Ballou uses on every bass track recorded at God City Studio, while the Foxrox Electronics Octron2 comes in handy for thorny solos bristling with weird overtones and elastic ghost notes. Inspired by the Rangemaster, the GCI Crimson Cock treble booster has an added range control and a switch that adds a Big Muff-style gain stage at the end of the circuit. Lastly, the GCI Ape Eye is based on a vintage API 2520 op amp, and the GCI Jugendstil is a silicon fuzz that Ballou says stands at the crossroads between ’90s British shoegaze and ’90s Swedish death metal.
Rig Rundown - Kurt Ballou
Bones Owens
Alt-roots rocker Bones Owens’ signal first hits a Boss TU-3 tuner, then a Spaceman Saturn V Harmonic Booster, which is always on. After that, the signal zips into a Pete Cornish A/B/C amp splitter, whose A line provides rumbling bass by feeding an Electro-Harmonix Micro POG (used for octave down only), a “tall font” EHX Big Muff (rehoused by Mike Hill), and a Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Driver/DI, which in turn feeds both Owens’ Hiwatt DR103 head and a mixing or recording console. Pre-Covid, the splitter’s B path featured one effect—an Echopark Echodriver preamp—which then fed Owens’ Echopark Vibramatic 4T5A amp, while the splitter’s C line would feature the bulk of Owens’ effects routed to a third amp.
Bones Owens' Pedalboard
However, at the time of our Rig Rundown only the Hiwatt and Echopark amps were being used—so his C-line stompboxes were also being routed to the Echopark head. These include a plethora of Cornish gear—a TB-83 Extra treble ooster, an NG-3 fuzz, an SS-3 overdrive and P-2 distortion (in the same housing), a CC-1 boost/overdrive, and an NB-3 linear boost. Other noisemakers include a silver Klon Centaur, an Endangered Audio Research AD4096 analog delay, a Skreddy Pedals Skreddy Echo, a JHS-modded Boss TR-2 Tremolo (rehoused by Barry O’Neal at XACT Tone Solutions), and a Toneczar Halophaze.
Rig Rundown - Bones Owens
Ariel Posen
Canadian slide master Ariel Posen toured and did session work with this setup for over a year before Covid shut everything down.
Ariel Posen's Pedalboard
Starting at the top left, there’s a Chase Bliss Tonal Recall, a Walrus Audio Monument, and a Chase Bliss Dark World. There’s also a Vemuram Jan Ray overdrive, a KingTone Germanium miniFUZZ, a Morningstar Engineering MC6 MIDI Controller, and a TC Electronic PolyTune3 Mini Noir.
But wait … there’s more! The top panel of Posen’s board lifts to reveal a trio of stomps—a Mythos Pedals Argonaut Mini Octave (delivering up tones), an Eventide H9, and Posen’s signature Hudson Electronics Broadcast-AP, which is always on.
Rig Rundown - Ariel Posen
My Chemical Romance’s Frank Iero
During the pandemic, My Chemical Romance rhythm meister Frank Iero’s pedalboard saw a lot of change as tone hunting became a mind-saving pastime. He has some mainstays, but at the time of our Rig Rundown not much was permanent.
Frank Iero's Pedalboards
The board that was the closest thing to gig-ready had a Fender Marine Layer Reverb, a vintage Pearl CH-02 Chorus, an old Boss DM-2 Delay, an Ibanez CF7 Chorus/Flanger, and an Electro-Harmonix Holy Grail (left side). Meanwhile, the right side of the board was home to menace: a Marshall Blues Breaker, an SNK Pedals VHD distortion/preamp, a Keeley-modded Boss BD-2 Blues Driver, and a Klon Centaur. Everything was powered by a Strymon Zuma and controlled by a Carl Martin Octa-Switch MkII. His tuner was a TC Electronic PolyTune 2 Mini, and his volume pedal was an Ernie Ball VPJR.
Here’s his mess-around-the-house board (with a fine tribute to EVH) that has a pair of Strymons (BigSky and Volante), an Ibanez DE7 Delay/Echo, gold Klon Centaur, Fuzzlord Effects Drone Master, Bowman Audio Endeavors The Bowman (company ran by Rig Rundown alumnus and Against Me! guitarist James Bowman), and an Ernie Ball VPJR Tuner Pedal.
His recording board is made up of versatile staples including a 4-pack of Strymons (Ola, Flint, El Capistan, and Iridium), Bowman Audio Endeavors Fortune and Glory, and a Templo Devices Model 33 Supa vibrato.
Rig Rundown - My Chemical Romance's Frank Iero
Olivia Jean
In addition to vibey guitar work, Third Man Records artist Olivia Jean dedicates much of her onstage energy and focus to singing—which means keeping pedalboard tap dancing to a minimum. Even so, her streamlined stomp station serves up an enviable variety of tones.
Olivia Jean's Pedalboard
Always-on pedals include her Electro-Harmonix Holy Grail and MXR Sugar Drive, while the Third Man Bumble Fuzz gifted to her by Jack White avails stinging solo sounds (the Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor is handy for reducing unwanted fuzz buzz). She’s also got a TC Helicon Mic Mechanic for vocal reverb, and a TC Electronic Wiretap for recording song ideas. Everything is powered by a T-Rex Fuel Tank Classic, and tuning is monitored with a Korg Pitchblack.
Rig Rundown - Olivia Jean
The Sword’s Kyle Shutt
Kyle Shutt’s pedal playland keeps it classic.
Kyle Shutt's Pedalboard
His pedal playland just a Dunlop Cry Baby 95Q wah, a signature Idiotbox Effects Wild Kyle distortion, an Electro-Harmonix Micro POG, an EarthQuaker Devices Levitation reverb, and a Boss TU-3 tuner. Nearly every square inch of J.D. Cronise’s flight-friendly board is filled with an effect. His guitars hit a TC Electronic PolyTune 3, then a pair of oddballs—a DigiTech Drop and an Electro-Harmonix Freeze—then basics like a Way Huge Conspiracy Theory overdrive, an EarthQuaker Devices Tone Job, MXR Phase 90 and Carbon Copy pedals, an EHX Holy Grail, and a Rocktron HUSH.
The Sword's J.D. Cronise
J.D. maximizes his flight-friendly board by filling nearly every square inch with an effect.
J.D. Cronise's Pedalboard
His guitar hits the TC Electronic PolyTune 3 before reaching a pair of necessary oddballs—the aforementioned DigiTech Drop and an Electro-Harmonix Freeze. The bottom row contains the basic food groups for most rockers: Way Huge Conspiracy Theory (drive), EarthQuaker Devices Tone Job (EQ), MXR Phase 90 (modulation), MXR Carbon Copy (delay), and EHX Holy Grail (reverb). The Rocktron HUSH pedal helps control any unwanted noises and buzzing.
Rig Rundown: The Sword [2021]
Steve Earle
Folk-rock activist Steve Earle’s guitar signal first hits a Boss TU-3 tuner before running into a pair of MXR Carbon Copy analog delays (one set as a 1-second delay for a pre-song rippling effect, and one for slapback) and a Fulltone Full-Drive 2 with two levels of gain. A Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 supplies the juice.
Steve Earle's Pedalboard
Chris Masterson
Chris Masterson's Pedalboard
The first stop on sideman Chris Masterson’s pedalboard is an Analog Man Sun Lion. From there the signal hits a Boss TU-3w Waza Craft tuner, an Origin Effects Cali76 compressor, an Analog Man King of Tone, and two Strymons—a Mobius and a TimeLine. A Strymon Zuma supplies power, while a Radial BigShot SW2 controls amp reverb and tremolo.
Rig Rundown: Steve Earle and the Dukes
Torres’s Mackenzie Scott
Little on Mackenzie Scott’s pedalboard could be described as subtle or “transparent”—even her delays and reverbs accentuate the weird.
Mackenzie Scott's Pedalboard
Filth and fury come courtesy of a Joyo Vintage Overdrive and an EarthQuaker Devices Palisades. Next is a Death By Audio Echo Dream 2 modulation/delay/boost/fuzz, which Scott says is her most-used pedal. An EarthQuaker Afterneath provides deep, ambient reverbs, which she often beefs up with faux-synth vibes from an Electro-Harmonix POG2. (Another favorite application for the POG2 is pulling its attack all the way down and dramatically gliding into the notes.) Scott uses an Empress Vintage Modified Superdelay to sprinkle in modulation, reverse delay, and compression, as well as tape-echo-like grit. The last pedal on her board is a Meris Enzo, which she half-jokingly says is equal parts inspiring and frustrating. “I have a hard time getting it under control and taming the beast, but that’s what I love about it.”
Rig Rundown: Torres
Mackenzie Scott (aka Torres) likes a good juxtaposition. Her music is a tightrope act between vulnerability and violence. Scott’s lyrics often reflect intros...IDLES’ Mark Bowen
To accomplish all the fantastic and outrageous tones captured on Idles’ last two records, Bowen brings a whole cast of characters to accomplish that feat.
Mark Bowen's Pedalboards
Mark Bowen’s main board features two Death By Audio units—a Reverberation Machine and an Echo Dream 2—an Adventure Audio Dream Reaper, a pair of Moogs—an MF Delay and an MF Ring—a Death By Audio Waveformer Destroyer, an Electro-Harmonix POG2, a 4ms Pedals Mini Swash Full (which serves up fuzz, distortion, and self-oscillating LFO craziness), two Red Pandas—a Particle and a Raster—and a JHS Haunting Mids. A Boss TU-3w Waza Craft tuner keeps his guitars in check and a GigRig G3 controls preset changes.
Near his amps, Bowen has another batch of tone morphers. Up top he’s got a 4-pack of Moog Moogerfooger monsters—MF-107 FreqBox, MF-102 Ring Modulator, MF-108M Cluster Flux, and a CP-251 Control Processor—and another no-name glitch/synth device. Below those we have an Electro-Harmonix 95000 Stereo Looper, a Strymon TimeLine, an Electro-Harmonix POG2, and an Old Blood Noise Endeavors Minim (reverb/delay and reverse). Lastly, he has a Nord Electro 6D at his disposal. Everything is powered by GigRig Timelord power supplies, while two Strymon Iridiums handle cab emulations.
The last part of Bowen’s setup is this board under his keyboard/Moogerfooger workstation. Here, he has another GigRig G3 switcher, another Electro-Harmonix 95000 Stereo Looper, a GigRig Three2One (to help balance levels between instruments), and three Mission Engineering EP-1 expression pedals (controlling some of the effects in the previous photo).
IDLES' Lee Kiernan
The time spent mentioning everything Kiernan does with these pedals is better served watching the Rundown, listening to Idles’ music, or attending one of their shows. But in doing our due diligence, here are the stomps that corrupt, challenge, and ravage his tone.
Lee Kiernan Pedalboard
Lee Kiernan relies on (upper right) a Strymon Flint, a couple of Drolo Fx stomps—a Twin Peaks tremolo and a Stamme[n] looper/glitch delay/tape machine/sustainer/reverb—and a pair of Death By Audio devices—a Micro Dream delay and a Space Bender prototype. The bottom row of this board is also home to a DigiTech Whammy, an Electro-Harmonix Synth9, an Intensive Care Audio Vena Cava Filter, a Moog MF Ring, and a Boss TU-3 tuner. A GigRig ABY-Baby (top right) is used for amp switching. (The small black box labeled “in/out” was built by tech Gavin Maxwell so Kiernan could quickly test out a pedal without having to rip his setup apart.) The board on the left begins (lower middle of pic) with a Mission Engineering EP-1 expression pedal, a Boss PS-6 Harmonist, an EarthQuaker Devices Data Corrupter, a Death By Audio Interstellar Overdriver Deluxe, and a Death By Audio Evil Filter. The top row of this board features a quartet of EarthQuaker stomps: an Organizer polyphonic organ emulator, an Arrows preamp, a Gray Channel overdrive, and a Tone Job EQ/boost—then proceeds to a Moog MF Chorus, a Death By Audio Reverberation Machine, and a Jam Pedals TubeDreamer.
Rig Rundown: Idles
DB 599 Bass Compressor
The DB 599 bass compressor gives bassists the ability to control their dynamics in a simple and compact format. Tailored around the specific needs of bass players, the DB 599 utilizes musically appropriate compression ratios and attack / release parameters to make dialing in your compressed tone a breeze. Simply add in the desired amount of compression with the COMP knob, use the GAIN control to adjust your volume, and take your bass sound to the next level – that's it!
DB 925 Bass Preamp
Inspired by its predecessor, the legendary DB 924, this discrete all-FET preamp delivers powerful broadband boost in a lightweight, space saving micro housing. Its musically sculpted two-band EQ enhances any bass you run through it, adding body and weight to your low-end while opening your high-end. With its compact design and responsive controls, the DB 925 is the perfect gigging solution for musicians on the go.