The Australian shredder keeps things simple with signature PRS, Orange, and Gibson gear.
Australian guitarist Orianthi, known for her blistering solo work in addition to her collaborations with superstars like Carlos Santana, Alice Cooper, and Carrie Underwood, stopped through Nashville on her current tour. PG’s John Bohlinger joined Orianthi to get a look at her rig, and it turns out she doesn’t need too many tools to get the job done.
Orianthi’s signature PRS, based on the Custom 24 and made of Brazilian rosewood, honors the color of her very first Hendrix t-shirt, finished in blooming lotus glow. It’s got custom pickups created by Paul Reed Smith himself, and it’s strung with Ernie Ball .009-gauge strings.
Cherry Bomb
This is Orianthi’s signature, cherry-finish Gibson SJ-200, which she helped create in Montana with her friends Rae Vinton and Robi Johns. They built it with a thinner, ES-345-style neck, and modded the pickup with L.R. Baggs over Zoom.
Orange-ianthi
Orianthi’s signature 50-watt Orange Oriverb was put together with the late designer Pat Foley, a close friend. The main trick is that it’s loaded with plenty of reverb, a taste Orianthi developed early on thanks to her father’s Fender Twins and Music Man amps.
Orianthi’s Pedalboard
Orianthi’s playing does most of the heavy lifting, but this humble board contributes some muscle. There’s a Dunlop Cry Baby EVH wah, Dunlop Authentic Hendrix ’68 Shrine Series Octavio, Dunlop Authentic Hendrix ’68 Shrine Series Uni-Vibe, MXR Analog Chorus, Boss BF-2, Boss DD-3, and a Boss TU-3.
PG contributor @TomButwin dives into the latest evolution of the green-box legacy: the TWA Source Code SC‑01 Overdrive. Designed by the legendary Susumu Tamura (yes—the original mind behind the TS808), this pedal combines vintage tone and handmade USA craftsmanship with serious modern enhancements: internal 18v voltage-boosting circuitry for extra headroom, a multi-transistor input buffer to preserve your guitar’s core tone, and a unique “Bite” control for dialing in even-order harmonics and amp-style saturation.
At just 26, the guitar-playing phenom has already netted a Grammy, earned a signature Telecaster, started his own label, and we think this is just the beginning. John Bohlinger checks in with the lovable Mississippi kid who always has a guitar nearby and continues finding inspiration in his church roots and new gear.
PG contributor Tom Butwin explores the new BOSS XS‑100 Poly Shifter—an 8-octave powerhouse that lets guitarists and bassists go from subtle drop-tuning to full-on pitch chaos with expression pedal and MIDI control. From transforming a standard guitar into a baritone to turning a 4-string bass into a five-string monster, this pedal offers both inspiring sounds and real gig-day utility.
The long-running punk quartet pick prototypes, P basses, and Pauls for their latest live shows.
On tour supporting their 12th full-length record, Silver Bleeds the Black Sun…, California rockers AFI rolled through Nashville’s Marathon Music Works in October. After first running down their rigs in 2017, PG’s Chris Kies linked up again with guitarist Jade Puget and bassist Hunter Burgan to see how their gear has evolved in the past eight years.
Puget found this Les Paul Standard hanging at Guitar Center 15 years ago, and it’s still his go-to live guitar. A surprisingly light specimen, it’s had a Seymour Duncan pickup swapped in, and it’s strung with Ernie Balls—usually .010s.
Throughout AFI’s set, Puget switches between tunings: D sharp, drop C sharp, D standard, and E standard.
Silver Surfer
This new Schecter, a prototype made for Puget, is his first ever silverburst, which saw service in the music video for “Holy Visions.” It’s loaded with a Sustainiac system in the neck position.
Willing and Ableton
Puget has experimented a lot to get his rig to this point. His signal runs through a pair of rack-mounted Line 6 Helix units in a stereo configuration, and also through a computer running Ableton that triggers the exact sound designs he created while recording. The RJM Mastermind and Effect Gizmo are programmed to control all pedals, the Helix, and Ableton.
Jade Puget’s Pedalboard
Most of Puget’s effects come from the Helix, but he also runs a few pedals in his rack, including an MXR EVH 5150 Overdrive and Carbon Copy, Boss DC-2W, RV-2, and BF-2, and a Keeley Compressor.
Another board carries a Boss TU-3, TC Electronic Mimiq, EHX The Clone Theory, TC Electronic Arena, MXR Echoplex, and L.R. Baggs Venue DI.
Blackout
In live contexts, Burgan uses Fender P basses exclusively. This is his No. 1, which he’s had since 2012.
Pinky
This dazzling Fender P was made custom for Burgan before this tour.
Triples is Best
Burgan runs this trio of Ampeg SVT Classics.
Hunter Burgan’s Rack Setup
Burgan uses a RJM Mastermind GT to control his in-show switching. In his backstage rack, there’s an EHX Bass Big Muff, Micro Synth, Satisfaction, Nano POG, Bass Clone, and Graphic Fuzz, and on a second shelf, there’s the rest of the collection: a Bass Soul Food, Battalion, Lizard King, Neo Mistress, and Memory Toy.