Before the band’s headlining show at Nashville’s Marathon Music Works, Premier Guitar’s Chris Kies hopped onstage before soundcheck to see how guitarist Tim Sult and bassist Dan Maines (above right) use vintage axes, roaring tube heads, and a select few stomps set fire to the band’s live shows.
Guitarist Tim Sult is constantly chasing a raw, “Free-on-steroids” tone in his head and he’s currently lassoing that idea with a pair of 1965 Gibson SGs. (When we tracked down the band for their 2009 Rig Rundown he was using Les Paul Standards and when we chatted about 2013’sEarth Rocker, he was favoring a P-90-loaded Les Paul Jr.) This cherry red one has been updated with TonePros hardware but still has its stock P-90s. Both SGs are rocking D’Addario NYXL .011–.049 strings.
Here is Tim Sult’s other 1965 Gibson SG that’s been outfitted with TonePros hardware, but is still holding onto its stock, creamy P-90s.
Over the years, Tim Sult has swapped out many tube heads, but he’s always reserved a spot for an Orange. This tour saw him pairing the EL34-powered OR100 with a Park P45 that runs on KT66s. Both heads go through their own ’70s Orange 4x12 cabinets (the OR100 cab has its original Eminence speakers). The P45’s power and volume is harnessed by a Jet City Jettenuator because he has to dime the Park for its desired tone.
It might not look like much, but this is the biggest board Tim Sult has used on tour with Clutch. It’s home to a Boss TU-3 Tuner, Electro-Harmonix Micro POG, EHX Bad Stone, Dunlop MC404 CAE Wah, Line 6 DL4, and a Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor. Everything is juiced off the Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 Plus.
Bassist Dan Maines has played many basses (Fender, Lakland, Gibson), but the 2017 winter tour saw him taking the stage with a Rickenbacker 4003 with the Ric-O-Sound stereo jack that he’s been leaning on since 2010. With the help of his tech, Dan Maines uses a homemade pedal to split the pickups to their own Ampeg cabs—the neck hits the 1x15 and the bridge goes into the 8x10. And he has a third signal—a DI—that goes to front of house.
Each of Dan Maines’ Rickenbacker pickups have their own amps—the top Ampeg Heritage SVT-CL is hit by the bridge pickup and the bottom one is for the neck pickup. The bridge head is EQ’d a bit more aggressively.
Dan Maines’ board is straightforward—a TC Electronic PolyTune, the aforementioned homemade stomp that splits the pickup signals to each Ampeg, a MXR Phase 90, and a MXR Boost/Line Driver. (Notice the cleverly placed image of Eleven from Stranger Things to let everyone know that this pedal does go to 11.)
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Chris Kies has degrees in Journalism and History from the University of Iowa and has been with PG dating back to his days as an intern in 2007. He maintains the website and social media, occasionally writes an artist feature, regularly hosts Rig Rundowns, and shoots/edits video for NAMM show coverage. Other than that, he spends time with his pitbull and enjoys non-guitar-related hobbies.
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