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PG’s Chris Kies visits Nashville’s Basement East to spend some quality time with Monster Magnet guitarist Phil Caivano who shows off the Gibsons, Marshalls, and custom dirtboxes he and cofounder Dave Wyndorf use to take flight.
This 2003 Gibson Les Paul Custom ’54 Oxblood reissue is Phil Caivano’s main squeeze. The band typically uses two tunings, and this is the first choice for songs that are tuned a half-step down. The original Burstbucker pickups became microphonic so he upgraded with a set of Wolfetone Marshallheads. This guitar uses either Ernie Ball .011–.048 strings or Dunlop .011–.050 strings.
Phil Caivano’s go-to 6-string for songs that require him to tune down to C standard is this 1970s “sandwich-bodied” Gibson Les Paul Standard. It still has the original ’bucker in the neck, but he swapped the bridge model for a DiMarzio PAF Pro. Since it’s tuned lower, and Phil likes to keep the guitars feeling similar, he goes with Dunlop .013–.060 strings to mimic the tension in the other guitars.
For a backup half-step-down guitar, Phil Caivano enlists this Gibson Custom Shop ’61 Les Paul Reissue SG that actually features a gold-mist finish normally reserved for Firebirds. It came loaded with Tom Holmes pickups and Phil hasn’t had a reason to swap them out yet.
During his formative years, Phil Caivano was always in awe of the full-stack, 100-watt, rock-n-roll firepower unleashed by Alice Cooper and Thin Lizzy, so it only makes sense he plugs into this late ’90s Marshall 1959 SLP Plexi reissue. It has been modded by Matt Wells to sound and react closer to a vintage JMP. The head powers two Metropoulos True Replica 1967 Era 4x12 cabs. The top cabinet has Celestion G12H-75 Creambacks and the bottom cab houses Heritage Series G12Hs.
To get all the flavors of crunch and buzz, Phil Caivano travels with a stout board full of troublemakers including an Analog Man Sun Bender, Daredevil Atomic Cock, Real McCoy Custom RMC5 Wizard Wah, SIB Electronics Mr. Echo, Metropoulos Supa-Boost, Maxon AD80 Analog Delay, Analog Man silver-modded Tube Screamer, Maxon ST-9 Super Tube Pro Plus Distortion, Analog Man Bad Bob, and a Malekko Spring Chicken. Currently out of the rotation, but still used stomps are the Daredevil Logan Square Destroyer, Analog Man King of Tone, and a D*A*M* Super Bee Germanium Fuzz.
No one can accuse Monster Magnet cofounder and Space Lord No. 1, Dave Wyndorf, of being a gear snob as he uses this Epiphone SG Special as his favored live guitar.
And for Dave Wyndorf’s reserve guitar, he grabs this early 2000s Gibson SG-X that the band has nicknamed “Brown Bomber.”
Dave Wyndorf is the “noise” guy in the band and prefers a clean, pedal platform to engage his psychedelic haze so he rocks this Fender Twin Reverb.
As you can tell, Dave Wyndorf leaves all the filth and fuzz to the other bandmembers as gets weird and wild with three delays (MXR Carbon Copy, TC Electronic Flashback, and a SIB Electronics Mr. Echo).
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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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