Facing a mandatory shelter-in-place ordinance to limit the spread of COVID-19, PG enacted a hybrid approach to filming and producing Rig Rundowns. This is the 37th video in that format.
Tori Ruffin—currently Morris Day and the Time’s right-hand man—has been laying down funky, danceable riffs for decades. He’s toured in Fishbone, worked alongside Prince, Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey, Mick Jagger, Lenny Kravitz, Randy Jackson, and even was in the on-screen band Randy Watson & Sexual Chocolate from Coming to America. After recently releasing his own album—Freak Juice & Friends’ They Call Us Juice—Tori virtually welcome PG’s Chris Kies into Guitar House of Tulsa. In this Rig Rundown, he goes through his herd of Prince-influenced Schecter T-styles, details how he mixes American- and British-voiced heads, and shows off his Keeley-packed pedalboard that brings the heavy and the psychedelic. (All photos and video coverage of Tori Ruffin was filmed and produced by Phil Clarkin.)
Tori Ruffin’s main ride for Freak Juice and most other non-Time gigs is this Schecter Custom Shop PT. The PT has a swamp ash body with a quilted maple top, a reverse headstock, and it’s been a favorite for years because of its versatile pickup configuration with a custom-shop mini-humbucker in the neck, a Schecter MonsterTone Stack in the middle position, and a Schecter Apocalypse in the bridge. This being a Freak Juice axe, he typically tunes in drop C# or drop C, uses Ernie Ball Super Slinkys (.011–.052), and he always hammers away with a Dunlop Extra Heavy Gels.
When he’s onstage with Morris Day and the Time, you’re going to see Ruffin with this jewel—a custom Schecter PT with a mahogany body, maple neck and fretboard, and trio of single-coils (Schecter Pasadena VT1 in the neck and Pasadena VS1 in the bridge) that meld Tele and Strat tones. Used primarily with the Time, he tunes to standard and rocks Ernie Ball Super Slinkys (.010–.046).
“I call this one, the Jimmy Kimmel special,” remarks Ruffin. “Morris just loved how this one sounded on our performance on that show so if he doesn’t see it for a bit, he’ll ask for the Jimmy Kimmel special [laughs].” For those keeping track at home, it’s another custom Schecter PT with a set of Seymour Duncan SH-2 Jazz humbuckers.
Above is Tori Ruffin’s artillery wall. Depending on the gig and the room size, he’ll use one, two, or three amps to move the people’s feet. Today (and for Morris gigs) you heard him play through a JCM900 and Fender Hot Rod DeVille for clean tones. For more volume, he’ll blast a second 900. For his solo project Freak Juice, he rocks the top heads—JCM800 and an early ’90s Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier. Both the Marshall 1960AV cabs are loaded with Celestion G12 Vintage 30s.
Ruffin’s board mixes traditional stomps and digital knockouts. The heavy lifting starts with the Line 6 HX Effects and the Boss SY-300 Guitar Synthesizer, while a trio of Keeley boxes pick up the rest—D&M Drive, Dark Side Workstation, and Compressor. Off to the side you’ll see a Dunlop SW95 Slash Cry Baby and a Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 Plus.
Click below to listen wherever you get your podcasts:
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 occasionally writing an artist feature. Other than that, he spends time with his pitbull and enjoys non-guitar-related hobbies. Follow him on Instagram & Twitter.
On PremierGuitar.com, "Sponsored Content" refers to articles, videos, or audio recordings that are produced or curated by an advertiser but that Premier Guitar is happy to share alongside our own editorial content due to the Sponsored Content’s educational, musical, or entertainment value. Sponsored Content is clearly labeled everywhere it appears, and Premier Guitar's editorial department has no involvement in its creation.
