California metal giants Deftones returned this year with Private Music, their first album in five years. In support of it, they ripped across North America on a string of headline shows and support slots with System of a Down.
We linked with Deftones guitarist Stef Carpenter for a Rig Rundown back in 2013, but a lot has changed since then (and as Carpenter reveals in this new interview, he basically disowns that 2013 rig). Back in August, PG’s Chris Kies caught up with Carpenter again ahead of the band’s gig in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where the guitarist gave us an all-access walkthrough of his current road rig.
This headless, color-shifting Kiesel Vader 8 was the first Kiesel that Carpenter got his hands on.
Kiesel Kavalcade
Carpenter requested Vader models in all-black, all-white, and goldtop finishes, then Jeff Kiesel himself surprised Carpenter with the remainder, including the camo and green sparkle models shown here. Carpenter will choose which guitar to use based on how he’s feeling each evening. To record Private Music, he switched between his trusty ESPs and these new favorites.
Stef’s Selections
One of Carpenter’s two guitar vaults is full of his current favorite ESPs. Of those, this glow-in-the-dark version, along with the pink-finish model, is his top pick. Curious about his pickup configuration? It’s got nothing to do with sound; it’s purely based on how guitarists like Vivian Campbell and Adrian Vandenberg set up their guitars. Carpenter loved the look, so he copied it.
Back to Bogners
Carpenter says he’s had “too many fails” relying on a completely digital rig, so these days he rolls with a hybrid setup designed by his tech, Greg Dubinovskiy, and Dave Friedman, the latter of whom built the rig.
It’s based around these KT88-loaded Bogner Uberschall Uber-Ultra heads, which are wired to two Bogner 2x12 UberKabs (with one Celestion V-30 and one G12T-75 each) and two Bogner 4x12 UberKabs (with two V-30s and two G12T-75s in an X pattern). A Shure Nexus 57 and Shure KSM32 are used to capture the amp sound.
Rack Rundown
Beside the Bogner’s, another rack houses a Shure AD4Q, Radial JX 44, and a Fractal Axe-Fx II. (Carpenter has no desire to upgrade to the latest model.) Lower down, there’s a pair of Rivera Mini RockRecs.
Most of Carpenter’s pedals are shelved below these units, including an Eventide H9, Boss FZ-1, ZVEX Fuzz Factory, custom ZVEX Machine, , Pigtronix Gatekeeper, Xotic SP Compressor, Strymon Mobius, Strymon BigSky, Strymon Timeline, and TC Electronic TC 2290. A Voodoo Lab Hex powers the pedal party.
Stef Carpenter’s Pedalboard
Carpenter’s Line 6 Helix unit is the brain of his setup, and handles all switching. Also on hand are a DigiTech Whammy Ricochet, a Dunlop Volume (X) Mini pedal, and a TC Electronic PolyTune 3 Noir.
When California-based effects company Noise Engineering released their Desmodus Versio in 2020, it represented the first reverb effect in their product line, but they coined a new term for the DSP-based effect: a synthetic-tail generator. The name reflects the reality that, by definition, it doesn't create literal reverberation, as in reflections in a room, but instead builds “tails” onto an audio signal. Taxonomy aside, it was a powerful, well-received, and positively jam-packed digital unit.
The Batverb, launched earlier this year, is an evolution of Noise’s tail-generating efforts. However, it uses brand-new code programmed for Electrosmith’s Daisy Seed DSP platform. A stereo effect box that spans delightful and demented flavors of delay and reverb, the Batverb is generously featured and full of unique takes on space-making effects.
Heads or Tails
The Batverb’s main panel includes six knobs, three 3-way switches, two footswitches, and one “bat” button, which you press and hold to access alternate parameters assigned to the knobs. On the crown are input jacks for either mono or stereo performance as well as MIDI in/out and expression pedal jacks. Up to 16 different presets can be saved and recalled via MIDI.
In normal operation, the knobs govern, from bottom left to bottom right, input volume, time, a suboctave chorus, an octave-up shimmer, “regen” or feedback, and a blend of dry and wet signals. When holding the bat button, those same knobs, in order, control output volume, MIDI channel selection, high-pass filter, low-pass filter, duck amount, and expression pedal parameter assignment. The focus switch changes the diffusion of the delay lines. In the left position it behaves more like a delay, while the other two settings sound and feel more like reverbs. Grit adds, in the middle and right positions, a discrete soft-clipping distortion, and duck determines the responsiveness of the feedback. In the switch’s center position, there’s no ducking. At left, feedback monetarily increases when input volume is received, then tapers off as the signal does. At right, the opposite happens, and feedback increases as the signal gets quieter.
Enter the Bat Cave
To my ears, the Batverb’s more reverb-y patches are in hall or room territory—albeit very cavernous halls or rooms. But reverb sounds created by the Batverb’s algorithms sound more authentic to me than many sought-after reverbs I’ve played. Rather than an indistinct wash of sound, the tails here give the convincing impression of your amp’s signal ricocheting around a high-ceilinged cathedral, at first coming back in clearer, sharper bursts, then melting into smeary ambience. And the handy hold feature can be engaged for infinite regeneration by tapping the footswitch, or for a specific window by pressing and holding. That double utility goes a long way toward determining whether the Batverb sounds organic or unhinged.
The sub- and up-octave content injected by the doom and shimmer knobs is more chaotic and spacious than garden-variety iterations of those effects you’ll find on many octave-based reverbs, and that’s a good thing. Like most effects generated by the Batverb it feels like the product of thoughtful, well-considered programming.
The delay algorithm, engaged with the focus toggle at left, is pleasant and plenty usable, and it’s nice to have alongside the less predictable reverb settings. But the Batverb’s deep tweakability means you can still dial in a broad range of both standard and more marginal delay sounds. The chunky transistor-ish dirt summoned by the grit switch widens the palette further. Add in the touch-sensitive ducking (and its customizable parameters), and you’ve got a ton of ground to play with.
The Verdict
Noise Engineering created an outstanding reverb and tail generator here. Considering its steep asking price, the Batverb will be out of the question for many players, but it’s obviously geared to adventurous players and discerning producers, especially those looking for authentic, parallel universe-conjuring ambience and noise in their studio or live rigs. For these musicians, the Batverb will be more than worth the bite it takes from the bank balance.
Question:What pedal doesn't exist now that you hope gets built in the next year?
Guest Picker - Penelope StevensMotherhood, Penny & the Pits
Photo by Brad Allen
A: I’m a synth player before a guitarist, and for years I’ve been trying to figure out a way to play my synths through my guitar … or my guitar through my synths? I know there are pedals that can make your guitar sound like a synth, even some that can emulate particular models, but I want a pedal that I can connect to any synth, and it can feed whatever patch I’ve built through my chain. I have a Volca Keys that makes absolutely GNARLY tones, and for a while I was trying to figure out a way to have it in my pedalboard as an effect. Alas, this is quite beyond my skillset—I’m no electrical engineer—but the dream has never died. Imagine being able to shape your guitar tone with as many possibilities as on an analog synth! Can somebody make me this pedal please?
Obsession: When I’m not touring, I’m a cocktail bartender. (PLEASE don’t call me a mixologist.) My current obsession is this margarita riff I’ve been working on: tequila blanco, amaretto, lime, and prickly pear shrub. I’m drinking this little number more than I should probably admit, especially as we fight a heat wave in eastern Canada. I’ve been making cocktails to go along with each song on my new album, and filming tutorials for each one on Instagram. The prickly pear margarita will be making an appearance soon!
Reader of the Month - Jin J. X
A: The out-of-production Boss VB-2. I absolutely love chorus and vibrato. I also love Boss. While I appreciate the CE-2w and absolutely love the upgrade/update, I just haven’t been able to connect with its counterpart, the VB-2w. I’ve tried multiple times to buy that pedal but to no avail. The Behringer UV-300 is analog and sounds absolutely perfect, though I’ve found that every single one I’ve bought over the years has a switch failure, and many modders can’t really work with them. Also, there are other great vibrato pedals, though without the “rise” function of the VB-2, I don’t find them as useful. I’ve heard the BYOC folks make one, though they seem to sell very quickly. I hope Boss, or someone, makes a true-blue VB-2-style pedal, with the right analog chip, that is built with solid components.
Obsession: Country-style guitar. Fifteen years ago, I bought a DVD called 50 Licks Country Style featuring Troy Dexter. After all these years, I finally pulled it out of the plastic and have begun trying to work those up. In many ways, the licks revolve around dominant 7 chords, so, in some ways, these country licks sound like jazz licks in the bridge position. It’s like a two-for-one special learning them. I also recently released an Afro-futurist/country album earlier this year called The Barefoot, Pregnant, Neck Beard, Marital Bed String Band, so I’ve been playing and promoting that record and putting my country licks to good use.
Brett Petrusek - Director of Advertising
A: I’d love a Boss Waza Craft Dimension C with a mix control knob, or better yet a Waza Craft reissue of the Digital Dimension with expanded tonal range, better filtering, fancy high-quality buffer, and with that ultra-low noise floor.
Obsession: Auditioning stereo modulation pedals. I use pedals like this in my live rig to split out in front of two big amps to expand the stereo field. I like the option of being able to keep it subtle and having easy access right on my pedalboard (old-school). It’s an art form to find modulation or doubler pedals that will do this into the front end of high-gain amps without a lot of hiss. I am currently digging the Mr. Black DoubleTracker Stereo; it can get insanely wide (especially in the effects loop). Maybe Keeley will make a stereo 30 ms in their new folded aluminum enclosures … I bet their fanbase would go nuts!
Nick Millevoi - Senior Editor
A: I’ve spent years longing for a pedal that captures the unique sonic capabilities of the Lexicon Prime Time. The Soundtoys PrimalTap plugin does an excellent job for working at home, but I dream of making those warm, ethereal sounds live (and the pricey rack unit itself isn’t practical for most of us). The Prime Time’s double delay lines with lo-fi-enhancing multiply knob sounds truly unique among delay units (dig it, Daniel Lanois enthusiasts), and its hip primary color knobs demand pedalboard real estate!
Obsession: I just caught Tommy James & the Shondells live and was blown away. Over the course of a relentlessly hit-laden set list—seriously, it was one after another: “Crystal Blue Persuasion,” “Mony Mony,” “Crimson and Clover,” “I Think We’re Alone Now,” “Draggin’ the Line,” and on and on—Tommy’s voice was in the finest form, driven by a powerful, heavy-grooving band. Go see ’em if you can!
Linkin Park went on hiatus for seven years after lead vocalist Chester Bennington’s death in 2017, but last September, the band announced that they were returning with new music and a new lineup—including vocalist Emily Armstrong and drummer Colin Brittain. A new album, From Zero, was released in November 2024, followed by the single “Up From the Bottom” earlier this year, and this summer, the band tore off on an international arena and stadium comeback tour. Founding lead guitarist Brad Delson is still a creative member of the band, but has elected to step back from touring. And so on the road, Alex Feder takes his place alongside founding guitarist/vocalist/keyboardist Mike Shinoda, DJ Joe Hahn, and bassist Dave Farrell.
PG’s Chris Kies headed to downtown Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena to meet up with Mike Shinoda, plus techs Mark, Ben, and Tracy, to learn how the band pulled off their much-anticipated gigs this year.
This is Shinoda’s “workhorse” Strat, a longtime trusted pal that’s featured on songs like “What I’ve Done.” There have been plenty of times when Shinoda gets bored on tour, and at one point, he started painting his guitars to keep himself occupied—including this Strat.
Painted PRS
This PRS is from the band’s Meteora-era, a definitive instrument in the early years of the band. Again, the guitar’s aesthetic customizations were executed by Shinoda himself, with ink markers, spray paint, and a paint pen—plus some custom “etchings” on the fretboard. This and his other guitars are outfitted with custom Kill Spencer straps.
Blackout
This black Gibson SG came into the picture around Linkin Park’s third record, 2007’s Minutes to Midnight.
Empty Spaces
With new vocalist Armstrong’s voice filling a different spot in the band’s sound, Shinoda has adjusted some of his tunings and playing. This Fender Blacktop Baritone Telecaster helps give Armstrong’s voice space and keeps everyone in their sweet spots, frequency-wise.
Hybrid Theory Heavy
This 2008 PRS Custom 24 is a replica of Delson’s Hybrid Theory-era PRS, and sports Paul Reed Smith’s autograph on the back. It lives in drop C-sharp tuning, and if Delson is playing it, it’s loaded with D’Addario NYXLs (.010-.052). When Feder’s at the wheel, he goes for heavier top strings mixed with Delson’s packs, for a gauge range of .054-.044-.032-.017-.013-.010.
Another PRS, finished in grey and tuned to drop D sharp, features the Minutes to Midnight logo and gets brought out for “One Step Closer.” A sunburst PRS DC3 is equipped with even heavier strings for a drop A tuning: A-E-A-D-G-B.
’61 Standard
This Fender Custom Shop Rory Gallagher Stratocaster has become a staple of the live show. It’s part of a set of three that were created for Delson, designed and relic’d to mimic a 1961 Standard Stratocaster. It stays in drop D, with Delson’s standard .010-.052 strings. He uses .72mm Dunlop picks, while Feder uses slightly heavier .88mm picks.
Mike Shinoda, Brad Delson, and Alex Feder’s Rack Systems
Delson’s rig (used by touring member Alex Feder) lives on the left side of this rack, while Shinoda’s takes up the right. They both include a Radial KL-8, two Radial JX44s, two Shure AD4Qs, and two Fractal Axe-Fx III units. Shinoda’s setup also includes two Electro-Harmonix HOG2 pedals. The fractals use IRs that were captured by old FOH engineer Pooch, using a Randall cabinet.
MIDI handles all of the changes for the show, though there’s a Fractal FC-12 foot controller on hand in case of emergency for manual switching. Fred Carlton of Nerdmatics, who built the Linkin Park rig for this 2024-2025 run promoting From Zero, shared some more information with us after filming: “The backline gear consists of about 11 computers running Ableton, all receiving locator information from the main playback computers. We maintain redundant computer systems for Joe Hahn’s DJ rig, Mike Shinoda’s keyboard rig, the Audio FX rig, and the Playback system. Single-computer setups are used for both guitar rigs and the bass rig, as these stations only send MIDI patch changes and do not handle audio. Additional single-computer systems are in place at Monitor World, FOH, and within the Visual department.
Each station carries an updated timeline of the show, allowing techs to insert automation data such as MIDI or timecode to control their systems. Once changes are made to the main Ableton session, we distribute updated .ALS files to all departments, enabling them to integrate their specific data into the new timeline. This workflow allows us to implement changes quickly while keeping all departments aligned. Having separate computers also gives each tech the ability to test their own system independently. In the event of losing RTP network connectivity, they can punt the show locally without relying on external automation.”
Sharpened with Precision
This Fender Custom Shop Precision bass is Dave Farrell’s go-to, his tech Tracy explains. It’s tuned to either drop D or standard, and Farrell uses Ernie Ball Bass Hybrid Slinky strings (.045-.105) with Dunlop .88mm picks.
Ernie Ball Basher
This beloved Ernie Ball Music Man StringRay, with active electronics and neck-through construction, is the second-most used bass in the rack, and comes out for hits like “Papercut” and “In the End.” It’s tuned to drop C-sharp.
Mum Knows Best
Though his other StingRay gets more play, this is the original item, which Farrell’s mother bought for him. It gets tapped for tracks “Somewhere I Belong” and “Faint.”
Dave Farrell’s Rack
Along with the same accoutrements (Radial KL 8 and JX 44, Shure AD4Q), Farrell also uses a pair of Fractal Axe-Fx IIIs, and runs three signals—one of an Ampeg SVT model, a Marshall JMP-1 model, and a clean direct signal, run through emulations of two Ampeg 4x10 speaker cabinets—to front of house, which can mix and match between the three as needed.
From portable digital powerhouses to vintage-flavored tube tone machines, Premier Guitar contributor Tom Butwin puts four very different low-powered amps through their paces.
If you’re a tinkerer searching for new tonal colors, a traveler who needs great sound in a compact package, or a tone chaser looking for the perfect studio companion, one of these amps has you covered. From quiet practice sessions to mic’d-up gigs, sometimes less really is more.
