Retro roots-rocker JD McPherson met up with Premier Guitar’s John Bohlinger before his set at Nashville’s Mercy Lounge to reveal how he coaxes old tones out of new gear.
The coolest axe in McPherson’s arsenal is this custom guitar built by TK Smith. It’s based on the Smith Special model, but with a Gretsch Jupiter Thunderbird-style body. The bird’s-eye maple body features Smith’s custom C.A.R. pickups and a custom Bigsby-style tailpiece. TK Smith puts a hybrid set of Thomastik-Infeld flatwound strings on his guitars when they leave his shop, but McPherson said he couldn’t bend them as much as he liked so he’s using D’Addario Pure Nickel .011s.
Filling out the lineup is a Fender Classic ’50s Telecaster with a Curtis Novak pickup in the bridge and a TK Smith CC II in the neck. On this guitar, McPherson prefers to use a custom set of D’Addario Chrome Jazz Light Flat Wounds: .011, .014, .018, .028, .038, .048.
Next up is this Fender American Vintage Strat. It’s based on ’50s specs and finished in an “ink blue” color with a gold anodized pickguard. McPherson loaded the Strat with a set of Curtas Novak vintage pickups and strings it up with a set of D’Addario Nickel .011–.049s.
McPherson rocks a 40-watt Texotica Presidio 15 with a 15” Weber Ferromax speaker. The Presidio is a 6L6-powered amp that comes across as a souped-up ’50s Fender Tweed Pro. Also on hand is a Quilter MicroPro Mach 2 which serves as a backup or when McPherson can’t bring along the Presidio.
Although McPherson’s board is small and made to travel, he has hinted that it might expand soon. Out of his guitar the signal hits a TC Electronic PolyTune, Mooer Blue Faze, Nocturne DynoBrain—given to him by a fan—Fulltone Supa-Trem, MXR Carbon Copy Analog Delay, and a Dr. Scientist Reverberator. A Diago Powerstation provides the power and everything lives on a Pedaltrain Mini board. McPherson also uses InTuneGP GrippX-XJJ Jumbo Jazz picks and G7th Performance 2 Gold capos.
John Bohlinger is a Nashville-based multi-instrumentalist best known for leading the band on NBC's Nashville Star, serving as music director for the CMT Awards and specials on PBS and GAC, and of course for his appearances in PG Rig Rundown, Review Demo, Axes & Artifacts, and What Bohlinger Plays videos.
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