The life of a guitar tech is equal parts craft, chaos, and on-the-fly problem-solving. Though Ryan Chan, Luis Munoz, and Drew Foppe share this whirlwind existence, their unique paths—and the gigs those paths have led to—highlight just how varied and demanding it can be.
Luis Munoz makes the catch.
Chan’s journey began long before he was wrangling digital and hybrid rigs for bands like Loathe and Spiritbox. Growing up in Hong Kong, he dreamed of music production, though a move to the U.K. would quickly alter that goal. Munoz took a more deliberate path, landing in Hollywood and sharpening his skills as a luthier before finding himself in the middle of pop-rock’s great revival working for Olivia Rodrigo. Foppe, meanwhile, initially had no desire to work in music, but he still found himself pulled into a decades-long career with some of the biggest names in the business.
These three techs come from very different places, both professionally and geographically. Still, their stories converge in the relentless grind of touring life, full of long days, constant travel, and endless hours working behind the curtain to keep internationally-known guitarists playing and sounding their best. Here, they step out from behind that curtain to discuss the stories, rigs, and realities that shape a life lived just out of the spotlight.
Ryan Chan (Loathe, Spiritbox)
Ryan Chan gets in tune.
You were born in Hong Kong and literally moved halfway across the world to start your career. Tell me about that journey and how you became a guitar tech.
Ryan Chan: I wanted to be a producer, so I came to Leeds six years ago because of music university, where I joined the music production program. There was one guy in my course named Adam, who’s a good friend of mine, and he was a front-of-house engineer for Loathe. I think at one point they needed a tech, and he was like, “You like to mess with guitars. Come do it with me on the road.” And that’s how it all started.
You’re currently working with Loathe and planning a big North American tour. What’s a day in the life for you when you’re out with them?
Chan: We don’t load in until maybe 2 o’clock. From there, it’s just kind of getting everything set up. I get all the pedalboards laid out and everything else ready to be thrown on the stage. Then it’s soundcheck, show, and then pack down, and on to the next show. I usually restring the guitars maybe once every three to four days.
As of this next tour, they’re also having me more involved outside of just the touring stuff. Like, two days ago, I was at Loathe’s new space helping program some sets with the playback and MIDI stuff.
Loathe showcased some of their unique guitars and equipment on one of ourRig Rundowns. What are they taking out these days?
Chan: There are four guitars and four basses. Some of them are spares that get used depending on how they’re feeling that day. We don’t carry different guitars with different tunings. They use multiple tunings, but they’ll tune everything themselves. The main variation is, one’s a baritone and one’s a normal-scale guitar. And I’m the only backline tech, so I’m also the one who looks after all their MIDI keyboards and stuff, too.
Loathe still use tube amps, although a lot of bands have turned to digital modelers for touring. How has the rise in digital touring rigs affected your work?
Chan: I’m used to it. Digital’s reliable, and it’s predictable. You’re not rolling the dice every time you put the amp in the trailer. When I worked with Spiritbox, they’ve always been all digital.
But with Loathe, it’s actually an interesting hybrid of [Fractal] Axe-Fx and amps. Eric [Bickerstaffe] plays with a [Marshall] JCM800 and treats the Axe-Fx as a big front-end pedalboard. Faisal [El-Khazragi], the bass player, uses an Ampeg SVT. But I believe, for this next tour, we’re actually switching back to Axe-Fx for pure simplicity. I guess, maybe more so for bass, the trade-off is worth it.
You’re still in the early part of your career. Are there any lessons you’ve learned on the road that make you better at your job?
Chan: One thing I’ve had to learn is how to communicate and ask people for help, rather than waiting for someone higher up to do the asking for me. You’ve gotta be a bit more assertive, and be like, “All right, here’s an issue. I need to go find the people that will help me fix this issue.” Also, if I’m gonna say no to something, I’d better have a really good reason as to why we can’t do it.
Talk about the reality vs. the expectation of being a touring guitar tech.
Chan: I don’t want to undersell it, but it’s not as glamorous as people might want to make it out to be. It is very much a job. When you first get into it, it’s so fresh, and it’s so exciting. It’s so fun. Then suddenly that wears off, and you have to look at it as a responsibility. So learning to enjoy the road again has been a fun experience for me.
The three tools Ryan Chan can’t live without:
● Dunlop String Action Gauge
● Multi-bit screwdriver
● USB-powered soldering iron
Luis Munoz (Olivia Rodrigo, Smashing Pumpkins, Bush, LP)
Luis Munoz brings an Ernie Ball Music Man St. Vincent to the Olivia Rodrigo stage.
Your goal was always to be a guitar tech. But how did you get your foot in the door in such a competitive industry?
Luis Munoz: It’s a hard community to get into, but once you’re in, you’re in forever. So I remember thinking to myself, “I’m going to become undeniable and really good at what I do.” So, I went to Guitar Craft Academy in Hollywood and started working in shops around town. But I always wanted to go on tour. Then one of my clients and another buddy got me a gig, and I went on my first tour for an artist that goes by the name of LP. Just like that, I started getting call after call.
You’ve worked for some massive rock bands. But working in a huge pop production like Olivia Rodrigo’s has to be a lot different. What’s a typical day in that camp look like?
Munoz: My days would start with changing strings and doing all the stuff that I need to so that, when the stage is rolled into place, we can start plugging in, patching, and making sure everything works. We do a quick line check, and then the band would come out and run a song or two. Then you hurry up and wait until it’s your time to do a show.
Doing the show is, I feel, what’s different in the pop world versus the rock world. I was part of the show. I would hand [Olivia] the guitar way out at the end of the thrust. Then I’d have to run that whole thing back, and, when she’s literally about to hit the chord, I would hit the unmute button. Then, when she’s done, I’d mute it, go on stage, and she’d throw me the guitar. After every show, I’d be drenched in sweat, like I just worked out.
Olivia is featuring a ton of guitar in her shows these days, and you’re responsible for three players, including your wife, bassist Moa Munoz. What kind of gear does the production require?
Munoz: Olivia loves rock and wants to try different things. So, this last tour we went from having two guitars to seven. It’s another funny pop-world thing, but we had different guitars for different outfits.
And yeah, I would also take care of my wife, Moa, who had five basses, and Daisy [Spencer], the second guitar player. She was doing a lot of acoustic stuff, but said, “I want to play electric on this tour.” I thought the [Ernie Ball Music Man] St. Vincent might look cool, and she was like, “Fuck yes. That’s the one!”
Ariana [Powell, guitar] also had a whole guitar boat to herself. My buddy takes care of her on stage right.
With such a choreographed production, are you guys using digital amp modelers?
Munoz: Definitely, I don’t think people understand how many variables you have to deal with when using amps. Everything from if the power is different to amps going from a trailer to a sea container to a plane to a bus. So Daisy and Ari were on Kempers, and then Moa was on Helixes. It’s all MIDI-controlled, because even the band actually has choreography now.
Tell me about a humbling experience or a lesson you learned on the road that made you better at what you do.
Munoz: When I was still doing local repairs and things, [Bush guitarist] Chris Traynor’s tour manager called me and asked, “Have you ever been on tour as a tech?” And I was like, “You know what? No. But I can’t imagine it being hard.” I remember he was like, “Did you just say it was going to be easy? I don’t think this is gonna work out.” [Laughs.] I was trying to sound overly confident. But, funny enough, a year or two later, Chris hit me up again, and I actually tech’d with Bush.
For people wanting to get into your world, what’s a reality of the job they should prepare for?
Munoz: It’s different hats when you’re a luthier and when you’re a tech on the road. Being a tech has helped me to not be so precious. You know, “If you’ve got a stripped strap button, you can’t just shove toothpicks in there and super glue.” And it’s like, of course not—in a perfect situation. But sometimes you just need to get it fixed.
You earned a soccer scholarship and degrees in mathematics and psychology. How did you end up as a guitar tech?
Drew Foppe: I never planned to really be involved in music, ever. I wanted to do social work. But guitar kind of took over, and I just started following it. I got into a band and did that for about a year and a half. About five days after I quit, my buddies said, “Hey, why don’t you tech for Opiate for the Masses?” I was like, “What’s a tech?” [Laughs.] So I became a guitar tech, and haven’t stopped in almost 25 years.
Now you’re on the road with Shinedown, one of the biggest rock bands of the past few decades. What does a typical day look like for you when you’re on tour?
Foppe: When I get in, I immediately go and set up the warm-up room. The next hour and a half or so, I’ll change strings. That takes about three hours to do all 20 guitars. After I get done, I’ll get all the gear in position and start running all the cables for the keyboards, pedalboards, and all that stuff. Then it takes about 20 minutes to change all the wireless packs to the correct frequencies. Shortly after that, we line-check the gear with a crew jam. Everything’s pretty dialed at this point.
When the show starts, every single song is a guitar change, and they have four stages. I do about 10 to 12 miles of steps during a show!
Zach Myers’ love for gear is well known in guitar circles. Tell me about the rig you handle for him every show?
Foppe: We’re getting eight channels from Zach. There are three electric wireless lines and one acoustic. The acoustic goes out to a Fishman DI. The electric goes to two pedalboards. I have one in my tech world and one on the stage. From the boards, it goes to the [Fractal] Axe-Fx III. And from the Axe-Fx, we’re using Synergy power amps that hit two 112 ISO cabinets. We also send the amps to UA OX Boxes with a modeled 112 open back cabinet. Then there’s the outs from the Axe-Fx.
Digital modelers are usually employed to simplify signal chains. You obviously use them very differently. Do you pick a side in the digital vs. analog debate?
Foppe: I was probably right in the heart of when analog and digital were fighting for commonplace in the industry. Digital just gave you more options. Transitioning between the two, I think they’re integrated so well now that I don’t think it matters. I’ve done both for the biggest artists in the world, and stadium artists use digital and stadium artists use analog. They just use what they like and what they’re comfortable with.
You’ve worked with some incredible artists across multiple genres. Is there a secret to getting called back for the next artist or tour?
Foppe: I truly believe that having a psychology degree has helped me navigate these waters. When you’re working with artists who know exactly what they want, you just gotta listen and take it all in instead of coming in like, “I can do whatever. I can’t do whatever.” I think if you just listen to what people are saying, that gives you a good head start. That’s what really helps you grow as a tech and get other jobs.
Surrounding yourself with music, gear, and travel sounds romantic, but what are some truths about teching that you’d like to share with people considering it as a career?
Foppe: The first thing you’ve got to do is learn the craft of guitar repair, amp repair, programming, signal flow, and troubleshooting. All that stuff comes before you actually get a job. But the work aspect is only maybe 40 percent of the job. Working well with people and being self-motivated is pretty much everything else.
It’s also long hours, being away from your family, and you start to almost change your friend groups. That’s why they call it your “tour family.” So learning guitar skills, working well with people, and being okay to work when you’re tired is ultimately the key to being a guitar tech.
After their Covid-delayed, smash-success reunion tour a few years back, My Chemical Romance plotted the Long Live the Black Parade North American stadium tour this past summer.
PG’s Chris Kies joined the run at Soldier Field in Chicago, and before the show, he rendezvoused with techs James Bowman, Josh Schreibeis, and Joe Saucedo—who handle Frank Iero, Ray Toro and Mikey Way’s rigs, respectively—for a look at the axes, amps, and effects the heavy-hitting emo titans are using these days.
After Iero got this Castedosa Marianna Semi Hollow, it became the show starter for this summer’s tour. This, and all other guitars, are tuned down a half step with Ernie Ball Paradigm strings (.011–.052).
Bury Me in White
Iero favors Ernie Ball StingRays like this one, in matte “Stormtrooper” white. The only mod on this guitar is the addition of Luminlay dots on the side of the neck.
One and Done
This 1992 GibsonLes Paul gets played only for the title track off the band’s 2006 record, The Black Parade.
Under Pressure
This tiny, light Abernethy Guitars electric takes Bowman forever to string. If anyone has tips, send them his way.
Purple Reign
After using Marshall Super Lead heads with the Dookie mod on the previous tour, Iero found these slick purple heads and brought them to Dave Friedman to match the Dookie specs and add some EQ tweaks. These two, a main and backup, are responsible for the bulk of Iero’s sounds.
A Fender Twin Reverb onstage is responsible for “small-amp sounds,” while a Twin Reverb Tone Master underneath it sends a clean DI signal for the mix in Iero’s in-ear monitors.
Welcome to the Rack Parade
Iero’s backstage rack includes three main racks of effects, all powered by Strymon Zumas.
The first carries a Mesa Boogie 5-Band Graphic EQ, Amaze by Analogman Prince of Tone, Bowman Audio Endeavors Bowman Overdrive, JHS Hard Drive, and Hayashi Craft Trick Gain.
Drawer two is about modulation, and includes a Boss TR-2, MXR Phase 100, Boss DM-2W, EarthQuaker Devices Ghost Echo, EHX Micro POG, and EHX Holy Grail.
The last drawer bears a Jackson Audio Twin Twelve, EHX Deluxe Memory Man, Ibanez Tube Screamer Overdrive Pro, and Bowman Audio Bellyacher.
Toro’s Top
Toro plays this 1978 Les Paul to start the show, including tracks “The End.,” “Dead!,” and “House of Wolves.” He runs .011–.052-gauge strings on all his guitars.
Second Fiddle
This sunburst Les Paul has been outpaced by the black ’78, but it still comes out for “Welcome to the Black Parade” and “Famous Last Words.”
Super 6
This 2005 Fender Custom Shop Telecaster sees action on six tunes in the band’s set.
Ray Toro’s Amps
A head combo of a Marshall JMP and Metropoulos Amplification Metro (both running into Fryette PS-100s) comprise Toro’s main tones, while an Amplified Nation Wonderland Overdrive 1x12 combo is used for solo sounds, and a Fender Deluxe Reverb handles cleans. Toro’s signal is pumped through two 4x12 cabs—one Marshall, one Bad Cat.
Ray’s Really Rockin’ Rack Rig
A Shure Axient wireless system sends his guitar’s signal to this system backstage, where it hits a Radial JX44 and a pair of RJM Effect Gizmos.
One drawer holds an MXR Duke of Tone, MXR Custom Badass ’78 Distortion, Boss GE-7, Boss CH-1, Kernom Moho, Kernom Ridge, and Wampler Gearbox.
In the next are two Boss GE-7s, two Bowman Overdrives, a Death by Audio Fuzz War, a Source Audio EQ2, a Bowman Bellyacher, and a Keeley Compressor Mini.
The third shelf is home to an EHX POG2, 1981 Inventions DRV, Chase Bliss Preamp MK II, Boss TR-2, MXR Carbon Copy, Keeley Loomer, and MXR EVH Phase 90.
A fourth level hosts a Strymon TimeLine, Strymon BigSky, and Source Audio EQ2.
Out onstage at his feet, Toro keeps a pedalboard with a TC Electronic PolyTune, a custom RJM Mastermind PBC/6X, Ibanez TS808, Bowman Audio Bowman Overdrive, EHX Micro POG, Boss TR-2, MXR Carbon Copy, and Strymon BigSky.
Strymon Zumas keep everything chugging along.
Comeback Kid
This silver-sparkle Fender Jazz bass was built for the band’s reunion tour, intended to mimic Way’s earlier signature model. It’s since been treated to more affordable Mexico-made production runs. Way runs Ernie Ball Hybrid Slinky strings (.045–.105) and plays with Clayton triangle picks.
Red!
This eye-catcher was made by Fender’s Brian Thrasher, and is equipped with pickups from the Adam Clayton signature bass. Way relies heavily on this one, then switches to an identical one for down tunings.
Dodger That
Way secured permission from Major League Baseball and the Los Angeles Dodgers to use the team’s exact hue of blue on this custom instrument.
Mikey Way’s Amp
Way runs through a Fender Super Bassman head into matching 8x10 cabs, with a DI signal also running to front of house.
Mikey Way’s Effects
Way keeps things simple. Along with an Origin Effects DCX Bass and Cali76 set to push his Super Bassman, his setup includes a pair of Aguilar Agros, an MXR Sub Octave Bass Fuzz, and a Malekko B:assmaster.
In December of last year, Tony Rice passed away. He was/is my all-time favorite guitarist. Like many of his fans, my love of his playing has likely transcended obsession. In fact, at the time of writing this, I have transcribed over 100 Tony Rice solos. That puts me in a unique position to share with you not only my favorite Tony Rice licks but what I think might be Rice's favorite licks, if the frequency with which he played them is any indication.
These examples can be found in almost every Tony Rice break. They are integral to his sound and they can become part of your sound too. This comes with one small warning though: These licks are not meant to be parroted off this page. A big hallmark of this sound is to use these phrases but to vary them, and create your own versions of them. Let's remember Rice by innovating on his past achievements the same way he innovated on the achievements of the players that came before him.
How to End a Bluegrass Song
One of the most famous and enduring Tony Rice licks is this signature tag. A tag is a common way to end a bluegrass fiddle tune or vocal song, the most generic tag being the ubiquitous "shave and a haircut." In Ex.1, you can see what's called a "double" tag. The first tag ends on beat 3 of measure two, before the open 3rd string on beat 3. The remainder of the lick forms the second tag, which eventually morphs into a variation of the Lester Flatt "G run."
Rice's note choice is predominantly major pentatonic but includes an occasional b3 that always resolve down to the 2 or up to the 3. As I say to my students, "Blue notes need buddies." Playing these pairs of notes with articulations like slides and pull-offs that cross bar lines is an important part of Rice's style.
Tony Rice Ex. 1
Use Your Chords
If you're familiar with triads on the D, G, and B strings, you can turn those into bluegrass licks as well. Rice has used the triads in Ex. 2 in a handful of different and interesting ways. He's used the last two chord shapes to form the main riff for "Me and My Guitar," and employed those same shapes to punctuate the end of his "Cold on the Shoulder" kick-off. Sometimes you can see him expand this idea by using even more chord shapes to descend the neck. He would use something like Ex. 2 in a G major context but would be heavily implying G Mixolydian mode by using the F major and D minor triads.
Tony Rice Ex. 2
That One Lick
I've seen this passage referred to multiple times as "that one Tony Rice lick." He uses variations of this passage to finish breaks in "Your Love Is Like a Flower," "Ain't Nobody Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone," and "Gold Rush." It serves the function of a statement piece to assert his personal voice on the instrument before handing off the spotlight to the next instrumental break or verse of a song with vocals.
As you play Ex. 3 be mindful of how you use your pinky. Every note on the 10th fret is played with the pinky, including a brief pinky barre on the 10th fret of the 3rd and 4th strings.
Tony Rice Ex. 3
Pull-Off Central
This lick has been featured in recordings, but I associate it much more with Rice's live sound. Whenever Rice needs a second to think about what to play next, Ex. 4 seems to come to his fingers first. The note choice here lands firmly in the minor pentatonic camp but he manages to create a little bit of an outside sound with the third iteration of the pattern that brings in the b5 at the 6th fret of the G string.
Tony Rice Ex. 4
Escape Notes
Have you ever been stuck up the neck improvising with no idea how to get back down to something more familiar? Me too! So, let me introduce you to escape notes. Sometimes you can find an open string that will continue your line in a linear fashion while freeing up your hand to shift down the neck. Take a look at the F, E, and D eighth-notes in the first measure of Ex. 5. Rather than playing those three notes in position, Rice is using the open 1st string so he has time to shift his hand while continuing his eighth-note line.
There are examples of Rice using variations of licks like this in "Blue Railroad Train," "A Hundred Years from Now," and "Likes of Me." You can use this in a D major context or in a G major context over a D chord.
Tony Rice Ex. 5
Acoustic Bends
It can be done, and in a situation like this we're not necessarily shooting for something perfectly in tune. In Ex. 6 you can see that pulling down on the 4th string at the 3rd fret will bring the note closer to F#, the 3 of the chord, but in practice Rice usually doesn't get all the way there.
Tony Rice Ex. 6
Phrasing
If you asked a random flatpicker at a bluegrass festival to play a Tony Rice lick, they would probably play something like Ex. 7. These types of phrases have endless variations and demonstrate Rice's long-standing influence on bluegrass music. These licks are built from a G minor pentatonic (G–Bb–C–D–F) bone structure but always feature a pull-off from the 2nd fret to the 1st fret on the B string and a slide from 3rd to 4th fret on the G string. This pull-off and slide are great reminders that blue notes need buddies.
Tony Rice Ex. 7
True Minor
Bluegrass isn't all major tunes though. There are standards in minor keys. We're talking about tunes that are actually minor—not just playing minor pentatonic licks over major chords. With that in mind, it would be wrong of me to not mention Ex. 8, one of Rice's favorite improvisational ideas to employ over minor tunes. This kind of lick is all over Rice's original compositions in minor keys and the recordings he made with David Grisman. The idea is framed in a slightly ambiguous way, so you can find Rice using it in A minor and D minor.
Tony Rice Ex. 8
It's an impossible task to completely distill Tony Rice's playing into a single lesson. I would point you to nearly any album in his discography to get the essence of modern bluegrass guitar right from the source. His touch, feel, tone, and vibe forever changed acoustic music and we all will be eternally grateful.
Essential Tony Rice Videos
Tony Rice liked to perform "Me and My Guitar" with an extended jam in the middle. Many licks from this lesson appear in his guitar break at 6:00.
Tony Rice's "Church Street Blues"
There's very little footage of Tony Rice performing his iconic interpretation of Norman Blake's "Church Street Blues." This arrangement may be one of the most difficult to replicate from Rice's catalogue.
Tony Rice's "Old Home Place"
Tony Rice performs on the definitive recordings of multiple bluegrass standards but "Old Home Place" may be the most important. JD Crowe & The New South's self-titled release is considered by many to be a near perfect bluegrass record.
Tony Rice "Shenandoah"
Most folks talk about Tony Rice's hot-style playing but his melodic chord melody approach to guitar is equally impressive. I doubt we'll ever see an accurate transcription or performance of this era of Tony Rice.
California metal giants Deftones returned this year with Private Music, their first album in five years. In support of it, they ripped across North America on a string of headline shows and support slots with System of a Down.
We linked with Deftones guitarist Stef Carpenter for a Rig Rundown back in 2013, but a lot has changed since then (and as Carpenter reveals in this new interview, he basically disowns that 2013 rig). Back in August, PG’s Chris Kies caught up with Carpenter again ahead of the band’s gig in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where the guitarist gave us an all-access walkthrough of his current road rig.
This headless, color-shifting Kiesel Vader 8 was the first Kiesel that Carpenter got his hands on.
Kiesel Kavalcade
Carpenter requested Vader models in all-black, all-white, and goldtop finishes, then Jeff Kiesel himself surprised Carpenter with the remainder, including the camo and green sparkle models shown here. Carpenter will choose which guitar to use based on how he’s feeling each evening. To record Private Music, he switched between his trusty ESPs and these new favorites.
Stef’s Selections
One of Carpenter’s two guitar vaults is full of his current favorite ESPs. Of those, this glow-in-the-dark version, along with the pink-finish model, is his top pick. Curious about his pickup configuration? It’s got nothing to do with sound; it’s purely based on how guitarists like Vivian Campbell and Adrian Vandenberg set up their guitars. Carpenter loved the look, so he copied it.
Back to Bogners
Carpenter says he’s had “too many fails” relying on a completely digital rig, so these days he rolls with a hybrid setup designed by his tech, Greg Dubinovskiy, and Dave Friedman, the latter of whom built the rig.
It’s based around these KT88-loaded Bogner Uberschall Uber-Ultra heads, which are wired to two Bogner 2x12 UberKabs (with one Celestion V-30 and one G12T-75 each) and two Bogner 4x12 UberKabs (with two V-30s and two G12T-75s in an X pattern). A Shure Nexus 57 and Shure KSM32 are used to capture the amp sound.
Rack Rundown
Beside the Bogner’s, another rack houses a Shure AD4Q, Radial JX 44, and a Fractal Axe-Fx II. (Carpenter has no desire to upgrade to the latest model.) Lower down, there’s a pair of Rivera Mini RockRecs.
Most of Carpenter’s pedals are shelved below these units, including an Eventide H9, Boss FZ-1, ZVEX Fuzz Factory, custom ZVEX Machine, , Pigtronix Gatekeeper, Xotic SP Compressor, Strymon Mobius, Strymon BigSky, Strymon Timeline, and TC Electronic TC 2290. A Voodoo Lab Hex powers the pedal party.
Stef Carpenter’s Pedalboard
Carpenter’s Line 6 Helix unit is the brain of his setup, and handles all switching. Also on hand are a DigiTech Whammy Ricochet, a Dunlop Volume (X) Mini pedal, and a TC Electronic PolyTune 3 Noir.
The metal giants return to the stage with a show powered by gold-and-black axes and pure tube power.
Except for two new singles in 2020, alt-metal icons System of a Down haven’t released new music in 20 years. But luckily for their fans, System—vocalist Serj Tankian, guitarist/vocalist Daron Malakian, bassist Shavo Odadjian, and drummer John Dolmayan—took their catalog of era-defining, genre-changing hard-rock haymakers on tour this year across South and North America.
PG’s Chris Kies connected with Malakian onstage at Soldier Field in Chicago ahead of System’s second show at the football stadium. Malakian and his tech, Patrick Lachman, explained how some color-coded Gibson, Ibanez, and Friedman gear give Malakian the fire he needs to burn through the band’s legendary set.
This Gibson SG is brand new and “hot off the presses,” per Malakian’s tech, Lachman. Built in Gibson’s Custom Shop, it’s got Seymour Duncan Custom Shop pickups. On this run, he starts shows on this guitar, and will typically switch things up after about 10 songs.
Malakian plays custom, extra-pointy Dunlop picks, and runs all his axes with a custom set of Ernie Ball strings (.010–0.50). System’s catalog, and therefore Malakian’s guitars, are predominantly in drop-C tuning.
Freeze!
Next up during the set, Malakian will turn to his iconic Ibanez Iceman, one of his most heavily leaned-upon toys during this tour. This one has black “secret ninja binding,” his tech quips, virtually invisible to all but Malakian. It’s wired with Seymour Duncan Custom Shop Pearly Gates pickups.
B.Y.O.V.
Malakian always liked how Albert King’s Flying V looked with its Les Paul-style headstock, so when Gibson was making him a V, he requested that it be outfitted with the same look. This one’s rocking a pair of Seymour Duncan Saturday Night Special pickups.
Semi-Hollow Star
This Gibson ES-335, dressed in the same black-and-gold scheme as all of Malakian’s guitars, also came fresh from the Custom Shop for this run of shows.
Old and New, All Tube
Malakian doesn’t have anything against modeling technology, but he prefers to keep things old-school. He runs two generations of Friedman BE-100 heads at the same time: The newer BE-100 Deluxe head (below) is used for dirty tones, while the first-gen BE-100 (above) stays dialed for cleans. They’re connected to two Marshall 4x12 cabinets onstage, dedicated to either the clean or overdriven signals. The speakers are Celestion G12M-70s.
Loaded onto Malakian’s rack above the amp heads are a Shure AD4Q, Radial JX 44, MXR Smart Gate Pro, Voodoo Lab GCX, AmpRx Backline, and Furman PL-Pro DMC.
Daron Malakian’s Pedalboard
Malakian’s switching is handled backstage by his Scars on Broadway bandmate Orbel Babayan via this board. In addition to a Voodoo Lab Ground Control Pro switcher, Akai MPK Mini, and Scarlett Focusrite interface, the board is dead simple, with just an MXR Phase 90 and Boss DD-6 delay. No dirt pedals needed; all Malakian’s drive comes from the Friedman. A Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 Plus fires up the affair.
Luis Munoz makes the catch.
