Fresh off a substantial break and a live acoustic recording from Paris’ infamous catacombs, hard-rock titans Queens of the Stone Age stormed back to life this spring with an American tour, including back-to-back nights in Boston at Fenway’s MGM Music Hall.
PG’s Chris Kies snuck onstage before soundcheck to meet with guitarist Troy Van Leeuwen and get an in-depth look at the guitars, amps, and effects he’s using this summer.
Van Leeuwen started working with Echopark Guitars luthier Gabriel Currie around 12 years ago, and this custom De Leon model is the product. It’s nothing fancy, says Van Leeuwen, with a walnut bolt-on neck and single-coil bridge/humbucker neck configuration, but it’s just made well. This one is tuned to C standard and strung with a custom set of Dunlop strings (.012–.058).
TVL’s RIY (Relic It Yourself)
TVL’s RIY (Relic It Yourself)
This is the first-ever prototype of the signature oxblood Jazzmaster that Van Leeuwen received from Fender’s Custom Shop, and it also carries his first attempt at writing out his own signature. (It got better.) Van Leeuwen relic’d it himself with hard playing and natural wear and tear. It’s got a Mastery bridge.
Double the Jazz
Double the Jazz
This is number two of two double-neck Jazzmasters produced by Paul Waller at Fender’s Custom Shop. The bottom 6-string neck is essentially the Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster, while the top splits the difference between an Electric 12 and a Telecaster, with a single-coil Tele pickup in the bridge and an offset pickup in the neck. A selector at the top toggles between top, bottom, or both signals, and basic controls for tone, volume, and pickup selection stay at the bottom.
Exploiter
This Echopark Explorer-style, nicknamed the “Exploiter,” came from a love of ’80s Ibanez and Hamer guitars. On its way back on a boat from Europe, it got exposed to seawater, which helped Van Leeuwen out with the relic’ing.
Van Leeuwen also packs a custom Echopark modeled after an old Teisco electric and a custom Fender 12-string Telecaster. Van Leeuwen hints that he’s been working with Squier to make an affordable version of the 12-string Tele.
A GMI PSA
Along with Currie and GMI’s Sean Romin, Van Leeuwen helped develop the GMI Public Address Systems 33F6. He describes it as having the power section of a Fender and the preamp section of a Marshall Jubilee. It’s a great pedal platform.
Van Leeuwen runs two 33F6s plus a Vox AC30. One 33F6 has his dry signal, and the AC30 carries the wet, while the second 33F6 carries wet lead signals. One cabinet is dedicated to the dry signal, while the other cab has one 12" speaker for the AC30 and two 12" speakers for the lead 33F6 signal. Three Austrian Audio condenser mics capture the signals.
Troy Van Leeuwen’s Board
All of Van Leeuwen’s pedals go through loops, with a RJM Mastermind PBC/6X and Mastermind GT/16 handling the switching, and most processing done through a Fractal FM3 and a pair of Eventide H9s. Van Leeuwen designed the boards, and his tech Cody helped build and program it.
Across the two boards, there’s a pair of both Electro-Harmonix Superegos and Way Huge Saffron Squeezes, plus Dunlop expression and volume pedals; EarthQuaker Devices Tentacle, Rainbow Machine, and Fuzz Master General; Way Huge Effect Pedal, Green Rhino, and Atreides; Echopark Echodriver; Ten Years Is A Decade; modified EHX Holiest Grail; and Dr. No Effects TVL Raven.
Mick Ralphs’ burly guitar tone and arrangements made “Ready for Love,” “Can’t Get Enough,” “Bad Company,” “Feel Like Makin’ Love,” and others part of the soundtrack of the ’70s.
English guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter Mick Ralphs was among a select group of performers who achieved both consistent commercial success and artistic triumph throughout a career that extended from the mid-’60s until 2016, when a stroke led to his hospitalization and, eventually, retirement. Ralphs, who died on Monday, June 23, at age 81, was a founding member of two seminal British rock bands, Mott the Hoople and Bad Company. But he also had other collaborations and led groups that faithfully performed the other idiom he loved besides rock—the blues. Bad Company was recently voted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, with its induction ceremony scheduled for November. His co-founding Bad Company member Paul Rodgers issued a statement Monday on the group’s website shortly after the news broke.
“Our Mick has passed; my heart just hit the ground,” Rodgers said. “He has left us with exceptional songs and memories. He was my friend, my songwriting partner, an amazing and versatile guitarist who had the greatest sense of humor. Our last conversation was a few days ago, we shared a laugh, but it won’t be our last. There are many memories of Mick that will create laughter. Condolences to everyone who loved him—especially his one true love, [Ralphs’ wife] Susie. I will see you in heaven.”
Ralphs was born in 1944 in the Western English county of Herefordshire, and began playing with blues bands in his teens. As a soloist, Ralphs could deliver either flashy, speedy licks or thoughtful, intricate riffs and phrases. His songwriting prowess reflected an ability to create catchy lyrics and pen engaging melodies that would hook audiences. His fame and recognition expanded during his tenure in Mott the Hoople. Initially known as the Doc Thomas Group, and later the Shakedown Sound and/or Silence, the band began in 1966 with Ralphs on guitar, vocalist Stan Tippis, and bassist Pete Overend Watts. Later they added drummer Dale “Buffin” Griffin and organist Verden Allen.
They changed their name to Mott the Hoople after signing with Island in 1969, doing so on a request from producer Guy Stevens. He’d read a novel by Willard Manus titled Mott the Hoople, about an eccentric working in a circus freak show. Before releasing their debut album, Ian Hunter was recruited as frontman. The band’s early records didn’t make much impact, but David Bowie was a fan of their sound. He penned their first huge hit, “All The Young Dudes,” and produced their breakout LP of the same name in 1972. The Bowie influence heavily shifted the band’s idiomatic focus to glam. Still, Ralphs had one of his first big hits as a songwriter, “Rock and Roll Queen,” while with them. He also wrote a tune that would become a much bigger hit later: “Ready For Love.”
Ralphs’ dynamic guitar style would be headlined on yet another Hoople hit, “Roll Away the Stone.” This came right before he departed the band in 1973, in large part due to tensions with Hunter. Their beef even reached the rock press, though Ralphs’ decision would lead to a different pathway and subsequently more personal success as an instrumentalist and songwriter. He’d developed a friendship with vocalist Paul Rodgers, who’d also recently left the band Free. What was first viewed as only a writing partnership blossomed into a recording session, and drummer Simon Kirke asked to sit in. They would recruit former King Crimson member Boz Burrell as the bassist, and Bad Company was born. The self-titled debut LP topped the charts, Ralphs’ tune “Can’t Get Enough” (also known as “Can’t Get Enough of Your Love”) reached number five on Billboard Hot 100, and the album was ultimately certified as a five-times-platinum seller.
Instantly identifiable power chords, crackling riffs, and engaging, entertaining lyrics were the assets of the best Bad Company singles and albums. Ralphs’ array of compositional gems also included “Good Lovin’ Gone Bad,” and a re-recorded, bigger hit version of “Ready for Love.” In addition, he co-wrote “Bad Company,” “Feel Like Makin’ Love,” and many other staples of the classic-rock canon. Bad Company cut 12 albums in one incarnation or another between 1974 and 1996. Ralphs and Rodgers would maintain their friendship and work together periodically during Ralph’s later years. He’d also have reunions with his mates in Mott the Hoople (2009, 2013) and Bad Company (2008, 2010, 2016). He even toured with Hunter in 2002. One of his finest post-Hoople/Bad Company achievements was co-writing “Flying Hour” with George Harrison in 1988, plus he toured with David Gilmour in the mid-’80s, for Gilmour’s second solo album, About Face.
“Feel Like Makin’ Love” and “Ready for Love” might be the most familiar essays in Ralphs’ guitar style. He favored Marshall stacks and explored both their clear and overdriven characteristics. In “Feel Like Makin’ Love,” his blend of acoustic and electric guitar helped define that classic rock trope, and the crushing chords of the refrain are the stuff air-guitar fantasies are made of. Plus, his closing solo, a backdrop to Rodgers’ singing, is pure Les Paul and Marshall bluster. In the latter, his sweet-toned playing walks a line between blues and rock balladry, with a pre-chorus and chorus reinforced by his stinging chords. And while the solo is yielded to Rodgers’ piano, it’s Ralphs who creates the song’s spine. His usual tools: Gibson Les Paul Standards and Juniors, Firebirds, SGs, and a Flying V in the video for “Feel Like Makin’ Love,” as well as Fender Stratocasters, Telecasters, and Esquires.
Ralphs’ forays into solo albums wouldn’t prove quite as successful as his group projects. He cut Take This, his first, in 1984, and released It’s All Good in 2001, and That’s Life—Can’t Get Enough in 2003. None of those replicated the success of the Mott the Hoople or Bad Company releases, but in 2011 Ralphs would return to his early musical love. He formed the Mick Ralphs Blues Band. Though his final performing years weren’t marked with the big hits that characterized his greatest commercial period, Mick Ralphs had a lengthy and impressive career, and he’ll long be remembered for being a prime contributor to some of rock’s finest ensembles. His brawny guitar tones will remain a signature of classic-rock radio as long as the format exists. PG
The Icelandic rockers roll with semi-hollows for their hard-hitting blues.
Iceland-born, Nashville-based blues rockers Kaleo released their fourth full-length LP, Mixed Emotions, on May 9 via Elektra. To celebrate the album in their adopted hometown, they threw a party at American Legion Post 82 in East Nashville.
Some of the band’s gear had already been shipped to Red Rocks Amphitheatre, where the official release show took place on May 10, but “Kentucky Fried Scandinavian” lead guitarist Rubin Pollock gave PG’s Chris Kies a look at the must-haves loaded in for the legion gig.
Pollock bought this 1967 Gibson ES-345 at Carter Vintage Guitars in Nashville, and since then, it has been his closest friend, used on all tours and recordings. He favors its out-of-phase sounds brought on by using both pickups, and though it's equipped with a Varitone knob system, Pollock almost never uses it. He hasn’t changed the strings in years.
The Kustomer is Always Right
It was almost closing time when Pollock saw this Kustom K-200 hanging on a wall in a New York City guitar shop. The shop clerk said there was no time to try it, so Pollock bought it on the spot. It has a darker tone than his 345, which he brightens with a wah pedal. Its strings haven’t been changed since he bought it.
A Fender Mustang, bought in 2016, was treated to new strings recently by Pollock’s tech. He didn’t seem stoked.
Projector Project
With his black-panel Fender Deluxe already making its way to Red Rocks, Pollock opted for this Austen Hooks-built projector amp. Hooks built him one after Pollock fell in love with another of his builds at a Los Angeles studio.
Rubin Pollock’s Pedalboard
Pollock packs light, configuring his board to fit in a shoulder bag that he can carry himself wherever he needs to go. His pedals include a Strymon El Capistan and Flint, JHS Colour Box, DigiTech Whammy Ricochet, Boss TU-3, Fulltone Octafuzz, Chase Bliss Preamp Mark II, and an Isle of Tone “Cookie Monster” fuzz.
Jökull Júlíusson’s Guitars
Jökull “J.J.” Júlíusson couldn’t make it for the Rundown, but Pollock gave us a look at his Gibson ES-330 and his signature resonator, built by English luthier Pete Turner. Behind them sits J.J.’s long-time go-to amp, his Orange AD30, which ran through an Orange 1x12 cab.
Jökull Júlíusson’s Board
Júlíusson’s board includes a Strymon Flint and El Capistan, Boss TU-3, a custom Sounds of Shelby drive pedal, Vemuram Shanks ODS-1, MXR Ten Band EQ, and Radial StageBug DI box, plus a channel switcher for the AD30.
Spector Bass unveils the Doug Wimbish Euro 4 Signature Model, meticulously designed in partnership with the legendary bassist himself. Featuring custom-voiced EMG pickups and a slim neck profile for unmatched speed and comfort, this bass is a player's tool and a piece of history. Available worldwide from Spector Dealers.
Spector Bass unveils theDoug Wimbish Euro 4 Signature Model,an inspired evolution of Doug’s iconic 1987 NS-2 bass. Building on the momentum of the 2024 USA Signature Series, this new Euro model brings Wimbish’s unmistakable tone, style, and legacy to an even wider audience. As bassist for the legendary rap label Sugarhill Records backing Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five to the pioneering Living Colour, Wimbish has lent his innovative and creative bass grooves and sounds to a roster of world-renowned musicians.
Meticulously designed in close partnership with Doug Wimbish, the Euro4 DW features a signature slim neck profile and narrow nut width to offer unmatched speed and comfort. As well as custom-voiced EMG pickups, developed alongside Doug himself, delivering that unmistakable tone that’s powered countless records, tours, and sessions. Considered a pioneer in Hip-Hop bass playing and in the use of bass effects, alternate tunings and extended hand techniques, Wimbish’s mastery of the bass is unparalleled.
“My Spector Euro4Signature Model is absolutely stunning - visually, sonically and with the feel of my original '87 NS-2 Spector 4-String,” shared Wimbish. “The stars aligned on this new model - everything came together. I knew instantly when I played the first note on this model that we had a winner! I couldn't be happier - what a wonderful instrument.”
Finished in Amber Stain, Black Stain (gloss), and a Limited Aged Nitro finish that authentically replicates the wear and feel of Doug’s original bass, the Euro 4 Signature is both a player’s tool and a piece of history. A figured maple top, classic maple body wings, and a rosewood fingerboard with mother-of-pearl crown inlays complete the look. Gold Spector hardware adds a touch of elegance, while the Spector Legacy Preamp delivers a powerful, 1980s-inspired 2-band EQ—the heartbeat of Doug’s signature sound.
Now available worldwide from Spector Dealers, the Amber Gloss and Black Gloss is $3,499.99, and the Amber aged $3,699.99.
The all-star producer invites John Bohlinger to his home studio for a glimpse of his most treasured gear.
Veteran producer and behind-the-scenes guitar superstar Dann Huff released his debut solo album, When Words Aren’t Enough, on May 30, but his career began long before that. He’s been making records and playing guitar for roughly 50 years, working with everyone from Taylor Swift to Rodney Crowell to Michael Jackson.
His home studio is where the magic happens, and for this Rig Rundown, he invited PG’s John Bohlinger over to talk about his career, his new record, and the best bits of gear he’s played along the way. Keep an eye out for our feature on Huff online and in our August print issue.
Huff had hardly played this 1964 FenderStratocaster for 20 years when he walked by it before recording his latest solo album and deciding it was time to reconnect. It was heavily modded by builder James Tyler.
The lower tone knob is also a push-pull switch to modify the pickup configurations; the middle tone knob is a mid-boost circuit, which can be toggled on or off with a push-pull function; and the volume pot is, well, just a volume pot. Huff explains the series of three switches, each assigned to one of the three pickups: “Down is louder, up is softer.”
Tyler Tone
This James Tyler Strat, built specially for Huff by Tyler, is an exacting copy of his ’64 Strat, complete with Tyler’s signature mods.
Revv Your Engine
Derek Eastveld, owner of Winnipeg, Manitoba-based amp company Revv, brought this Dynamis D40 head for Huff to try out, and it clicked instantly; Huff wrote a song on it for his solo record. It runs through a Little Walter 2x12 open-back cabinet.
Dann Huff’s Pedalboard
Huff doesn’t need a spaceship to get where he needs to go. Along with a TC Electronic PolyTune and a Lehle volume pedal, he runs a Vertex Effects Steel String (Slight Return Edition), Vertex Ultraphonix Mk II, Boss SD-2, TC Electronic Corona, Boss VB-2w, Mr. Black SuperMoon, Strymon Brigadier, and Line 6 M9 Stompbox Modeler.
Echopark Shark
TVL’s RIY (Relic It Yourself)
Double the Jazz
