Facing a mandatory shelter-in ordinance to limit the spread of COVID-19, PG enacted a hybrid approach to filming and producing Rig Rundowns. This is the fourth video in that format, and we stand behind the final product.
In this episode, aspiring Chug Suckle headliner Trey Xavier of YouTube channel Gear Gods and melodic metal band In Virtue (think modern Symphony X with a djent bent) virtually welcomes PG’s Chris Kies into his L.A.-based tone fort. Over the course of 75+ minutes, he covers the extended-range instruments in his quiver, explains the versatile savagery harbored inside his favorite Revv head, demos his graduating scale of grime, and details his band’s unfathomably compact touring rig.
Not one to play favorites … ok, he plays favorites, and this wonderful white beauty has all of his favorite things compiled into a sleek 7-string Kiesel TL70 package. The T-style has a 24-fret neck (with a 25.5" scale and ebony fretboard), a sveltely contoured swamp ash body, and the company’s Lithium humbuckers. All his 7-string guitars take Ernie Ball Slinkys (.010–.68) and he typically tunes to A–D–G–C–F–A–D.
For some low-tuned, neck-break chugging, Trey has this 8-string Skervesen SkerveTEN 8. While it is a handful to hold in his fretting hand, it has a multi-scale, fan-fret neck (28"–26.5") to enhance ergonomics. Like the TL70, it has a swamp ash body, but it is equipped with a set of Bare Knuckle ’buckers—a Juggernaut in the bridge and Emerald in the neck. (If you’re a fan of drop-tuned guitars and Led Zeppelin then you gotta check out the video Trey made featuring this custom Skervesen 8-string where he tunes down a full octave.)
Here is Trey’s neck-through, 27"-scale, 7-string Kiesel Vader that was the workhorse for his band In Virtue’s forthcoming album Age of Legends.
As he mentioned during his introduction of the Kiesel TL70, Trey’s favorite body style is a Tele, and so it only makes sense he has a proper Fender Telecaster—the above blue bombshell is a 2019 American Ultra model.
When it comes to amplifying his guitars, Trey is not picky. He’ll use tubes, solid-state, amp sims, digital rack gear, just as long as it djents, chugs, and eviscerates. But when he has the ability to push glowing bulbs of tone, he most often plugs into a Revv Generator 120 MkII. The 4-channel head runs on 6L6 power tubes. Each channel is independent that can be preset programmable, MIDI controllable, and variable wattage ranging from 10 to 120 scorching watts.
Here’s his other digitally controlled, analog signal-path firebreather—an Engl Savage 120 Mark II.
The adorable lunchbox Revv D20 head is a preferred pet of Trey’s not only because he can dime it at home (4-20 watts), but because on its backside it includes a Two Notes Torpedo cab sim.
Trey’s latest “amp” score is probably his smallest. Above is the BluGuitar AMP1 Iridium Edition that is a 4-channel, floor-based 100-watt unit that has a crushing metal voicing thanks to its high-plate Nanotube technology.
While he doesn’t have a dedicated pedalboard for his gear demos or touring (more on that in a minute), he has these few stomps handy when filming for Gear Gods. Starting on the far right is the SMG Cock Blocker Noise Gate (designed by fellow YouTuber SpectreSoundStudios’s Glen Fricker). Next up is a trio of nasty tone scramblers (starting on the right) including Arts in Bloodshed (A.I.B.) Hexed Fuzz, Airis Effects Brutal Drive, and an Iconic Guitars I-Scream.
For In Virtue’s live sound, the band travels light and setups are tight thanks to both guitarists and bass player depending on the small-but-mighty Line 6 HX Stomp.
The full rack seen here includes the Cymatic Audio LP-16 Live Player that is a multi-track performance-playback system alleviating all the stringed players from worrying about required patch switching throughout the entire set. The band then uses the Behringer X32 Rack to create their own individual mixes (controlled by an app on their phones). Both guitarists use a Shure GLXD4R wireless units (bassist goes with a Shure PG4 wireless unit) with Shure PSM300 Transmitter P3T setups, all their mics go through an ART S8 8-channel microphone splitter and the Hosa PDR-369 XLR Patch Bay provides balanced audio. Everything is juiced up by the Furman M-8x2 Power Conditioner.
And the band all use Ultimate Ears monitors and they splice into the venue’s sound between the FOH mixer and the house speaker system.
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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's now the multimedia manager maintaining the website and social media accounts, coordinating Rig Rundown shoots (also hosting and/or filming them) and product demos, and occasionally writing an artist feature, all while still shooting/editing video for NAMM-show coverage. Other than that, he spends time with his pitbull and enjoys non-guitar-related hobbies.
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