
A view of the mic closet at Nashville’s County Q studio.
Compare notes with Nashville producer-engineer Mike Purcell, who runs down the essentials of a pro-level home-studio mic collection.
A well-rounded mic closet could take a lifetime to build. I’m constantly trying different things, but there’s always a core set of mics I come back to because they’re reliable and provide good results. Many of these mics work on a wide range of instruments. By knowing my mics, I can make a choice that’s going to enhance the sound of an instrument—especially guitar.
In this story, I’ve listed several options for each mic type covering a range of prices from low to high. A higher cost usually indicates that the quality of components and workmanship are better, leading to a more consistent product. Lower cost generally means quality control isn’t as strict and that mics may differ more from their published specs.
You’ve probably heard this before, but the three main types of mics are dynamic (or moving coil), condenser (or capacitor), and ribbon mics. Let’s work our way through each category.
Dynamic Mics
Dynamic mics are composed of a voice coil suspended in a magnet. Incoming sound moves the voice coil within the magnetic field and a current is created. This is passed through a transformer to step up the voltage, and then sent to a mic preamp.
Dynamic mics are the mainstay of live sound because of their durability and ability to be used on loud sound sources without overloading. These are desirable characteristics in the studio when we’ve got to place mics close to a flailing drummer or mike up a Marshall Super Lead 100 full stack.
Dynamic mics exhibit the following characteristics:
- They are less sensitive to transients and high frequencies (7k and up.) They capture these frequencies, but at a lower level than a condenser.
- They color the sound in the midrange between 3-5k, adding a slight bump in this area.
- On loud sound sources, they exhibit a type of mild compression or soft clipping, useful on amps, drums, and vocals.
- They are cardioid, or unidirectional, and are the most sensitive in the front with maximum rejection off the back. (There are divisions of cardioid: hyper, super, etc. In all cases, they are most sensitive at the front, with rejection off the back or sides.)
- They exhibit a proximity effect. As directional mics are placed closer to a sound source, they pick up more low end, 100 Hz and below. Dynamic mics are designed to use the proximity effect, so as they move farther from a sound source, they will sound thinner.
“Dynamic mics are the mainstay of live sound because of their durability and ability to be used on loud sound sources without overloading.”
Even though dynamics all exhibit these same general characteristics, each mic will color the sound differently. Some dynamic mics work better on drums. They have an increased low-frequency response, a dip in the lower mids, and a bump in the presence range—essentially an EQ curve that sounds good on bass drums and toms. Others may have a more pronounced bump in the upper mids, making them a great choice for guitar amplifiers. While dynamic mics are typically used for the close miking of drums and guitar amplifiers, they are also well-suited to some vocalists.
A well-rounded mic closet in a home studio that cuts four- or five-piece bands would have at least 8 to 10 dynamics. Modern production dynamic mics top out around $600, and most are under $250.
Dynamics mics to consider:
- Shure SM57 ($99 street): The most common mic in the world. It’s cheap, incredibly durable, and sonically consistent from mic to mic. It can take the highest sound pressure level (SPL) you can throw at it and work on any instrument in a pinch. It’s often used for snare drums or guitar amps. Many of Tom Petty’s vocals were recorded with an SM57.
- Shure SM58 ($99 street): The big brother to the SM57. It has a built-in pop filter/windscreen and a slightly different low-end response. There are hundreds of cheap knockoffs of the Shure SM57 and SM58. Stick with the originals and you’ll be much happier over the long run.
- Sennheiser e 609 ($99 street): An inexpensive supercardioid mic. The supercardioid pattern indicates it is much more directional than a cardioid. This can be useful when miking a snare drum, to reject sound off the sides of the mic. The e 609 also has a slightly less harsh frequency response, so can be useful on edgy or bright guitars.
- Shure Beta 52A ($199 street), Audix D6 ($199 street), AKG D112 ($229 street): These are a newer generation of dynamic mics that are designed for bass drums. Plus, they work well on toms—although Audix also makes the D4 and D2, which are tailored towards smaller drum frequencies (rack tom, floor tom). And they work well on bass amplifiers.
- Sennheiser MD 421-II ($399 street): Excellent kick and tom microphone. The frequency response of the 421 works well on drums. It’s also commonly used on guitar amps and vocals.
- Shure SM7B ($399 street): Another variation using the SM57/58 diaphragm, this mic has electronics that allow you to tailor its frequency response. The SM7 is often used in broadcast and is a go-to choice for vocals by rap and metal artists.
Side note: Many manufacturers offer a drum-mic package—a great solution if you’re starting out. These usually include several dynamics for the close mics and a few condensers for the overheads and/or hi-hat. Plus, these mics can also be used for recording other instruments.
Here are a few examples of drum packages:
- Audix FP7 ($399 street): A seven-piece mic kit, with five dynamics and two condensers. Audix also offers larger drum packages.
- Avantone PRO CDMK-8 ($899 street): This eight-piece kit includes five dynamics and three condensers.
- AKG Drum Set Premium ($2,329 street): Another eight-piece set, with five dynamics and three condensers.
Condenser Mics
Condenser mics consist of a thin, charged diaphragm suspended over a metal plate. As sounds strikes the diaphragm, it moves and causes electrons to flow through the plate. This signal is amplified by internal electronics and passed through a transformer or field-effect transistor (FET) and is sent to a mic preamp.
Condenser mics exhibit these characteristics:
- They are active devices that require a power source, most commonly provided by +48V Phantom Power.
- Some are capable of multiple polar pickup patterns: cardioid, omnidirectional, figure eight, and everything in between.
- They may include a passive attenuation device (PAD), a switchable attenuator that prevents overload when the mic is used on loud sound sources.
- They may include a switchable high-pass filter (HPF), used to roll off unwanted low-end frequencies.
- They are the most sensitive mics, making them ideal for recording quiet instruments.
- They have the widest frequency response and are good at capturing frequencies across the audible spectrum.
- They color sound less than other mics and are good when you want to accurately capture the timbre of an instrument.
Condenser mics are divided into two categories: small diaphragm condensers (SDC) and large diaphragm condensers (LDC). SDCs have a diaphragm of less than 1" and tend to be more responsive to transients and high frequencies. Their off-axis response is also more even.
LDCs have a 1" or greater diaphragm. They sound fuller, but off-axis mic response can be uneven. LDCs, because of their overall size, can be harder to position in tight miking situations.
“Because of their sensitivity and wide frequency response, condenser mics are used for drum overheads and ambience, acoustic stringed instruments, piano, ensembles, amplifiers, and vocals.”
Matched microphone sets require that the frequency response and sensitivity of the two microphones are very similar. This allows them to record a balanced stereo image. So, a well-rounded mic closet will have a matched set of SDCs and LDCs, and a few assorted condensers for other purposes.
SDCs to consider:
- Rode NT5 ($219 single/$429 pair street): Rode is an Australian manufacturer that makes quality products at affordable prices. I’ve been impressed with all their equipment, and the NT5 is no exception.
- Shure SM81 ($399 street): A good, durable utility mic. Inexpensive. Not as open sounding as other SDCs. I use these for snare bottoms and hi-hats. They have a PAD and HPF.
- Warm Audio WA84 ($399 single/$749 pair street): Warm Audio is a relative newcomer to the pro audio world. They’ve been making reproductions of classic gear and offering them at lower prices. In general, I’ve been impressed with the quality of their products. These PAD-equipped mics are their version of the KM-184, at half the cost.
- AKG C451 B ($639 single/$1,395 pair street): Very responsive to transients and can take high SPL. These PAD and HPF mics yield an edgier sound. I love these on mandolin or banjo.
- Miktek C5 ($699 /$1,399 pair street): These mics include a switchable omni capsule, allowing for cardioid and omnidirectional use for spaced pair miking.
- Neumann KM184 ($849 single/$1,595 pair street): Smooth sounding all-around mic with an articulate and defined high-frequency response. One of my favorite go-to mics when I need a stereo recording of an instrument.
LDCs to consider:
With LDCs, manufacturers have families of mics that use the same basic components, but the higher-end mics will offer pattern selection or other features. Within the family, the sound will be similar. Examples are the AKG C214 and C414, and the Shure KSM32 and KSM44.
- Rode NT1000 ($329 street): I am a huge fan of Rode, and the NT1000 routinely beats out more expensive mics for vocals. This cardioid mic is solidly built and big sounding without harshness..
- AKG C214 ($465 street): The little brother to the AKG C414, this cardioid-only example with a PAD and HPF exhibits the same general frequency response, but it doesn’t have all the features of the 414.
- Audio Technica AT4033A ($399 street): One of my favorite inexpensive mics, the 4033 has a pleasant defined midrange and clarity that brings instruments through the mix. These may not be good when trying to capture extended low frequencies. Audio-Technica calls this cardioid mic a medium-diaphragm condenser.
- Miktek C1 and C7e ($599 and $899 street): Miktek is a Nashville-based manufacturer that has developed a line of mics that perform far outside their price class. The C1 has a PAD, HPF, and is cardioid only, while the C7e is multipattern.
- Neumann TLM 103 ($1,195 street): The TLM 103 is a smaller footprint package that utilizes Neumann’s classic U 87 capsule and transformer-less circuitry at a more affordable price. These sound great on vocals and acoustic stringed instruments, if you’re looking for a bigger sound.
- AKG C414 ($1,279 street): The 414 is another industry standard found in many studios. Based on the classic AKG CK12 capsule, the 414 has a wide frequency response. It is bright and present and can sound amazing on some singers and overly bright on others. It works well on pianos and acoustic guitars where you need a sheen on them.
- Neumann U 87 Ai ($3,695 street): The U 87 is a flagship standard that you can find in almost any studio. Multipattern select, HPF and PAD equipped, it’s got a fat low end, smooth high frequencies without harshness, and a thick, musical midrange. An incredibly flexible mic with excellent fidelity, it’s got a price tag to match its functionality. I’ve used these on toms for a huge sound, but you have to really trust the drummer if you’re putting this mic in range of their sticks
Ribbon Mics
Ribbon mics function by suspending a very thin conductive metal strip between two magnets. Sound waves strike the metal strip, causing it to vibrate. The vibration in the magnetic field creates a current in the magnets. This is sent through a transformer, and then the signal is sent to a mic preamp.
“Never run +48V phantom power to a ribbon mic. While most modern ribbons are phantom safe, it can destroy vintage ribbon mics.”
A good mic closet should have several ribbon mics, and possibly more depending on the style of production. Ribbon mics have seen a resurgence over the past 20 years and there is a wide variety available, ranging from $200 to $1,500 and more. Ribbons are used on guitar amps, as drum overhead or room mics, and on horns, acoustic guitars, percussion, and vocals.
Ribbon mics exhibit these characteristics:
- The thin ribbon allows them to be very sensitive to transients.
- They color the sound. They are warm sounding and add character.
- They are the least sensitive type of mic and ill-suited for quiet sound sources.
- They’re very fragile. A puff of wind (or the air coming out of a kick drum) can damage the mic.
- They are bi-directional/figure eight. They pick up sound from the front and back of the mic at the same level. Exceptions exist, like the Beyerdynamic M 160.
- Caution: Never run +48V phantom power to a ribbon mic. While most modern ribbons are phantom safe, it can destroy vintage ribbon mics. (Once again, there are exceptions. Active ribbon mics, like the AEA N22 Nuvo, exist. These do have internal amplification similar to a condenser and require phantom power.)
Ribbon mics to consider:
- Pinnacle Microphones Fat Top ($229/$519 pair street): The Fat Top is a current iteration of the original Cascade Fat Head. I’ve used Fat Heads for years. They’re wonderful on guitar amps and percussion.
- Stager SR-66/SR-2N ($699/$649 street): Stager Microphones is a small boutique operation in Nashville. They use neodymium magnets in these models, for increased magnetism in a lighter package. The transformers are hand-wound and designed to get the best transfer of sound from ribbon to mic preamp. The SR-66 is a long-ribbon package, offering a flatter frequency response. The SR-2N is a midrange-forward short-ribbon design.
- Coles Electroacoustics 4038 ($1,485 street): The Coles 4038 is designed by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the 1950s and the tech specs have never changed. A lot of work went into engineering this mic. It has a flat frequency response up to 15k and is very responsive to transients.
- Royer R-121 ($1,499 street): Royer Labs is one of the best-known manufacturers of ribbon mics. They’ve pioneered innovations in ribbon mic technology that allow them to be used on very loud sound sources without damage to the microphone. The R-121 is one of the most popular mics in existence and exhibits all the classic characteristics of a ribbon mic.
What about tube microphones?
Tube mics are a subset of condenser mics. Up until the 1960s, condensers used a tube for the amplification of the low-level diaphragm signal. Tubes sound nice, but have a lot of issues: heat, high power requirements, and they can suffer from microphonics. In the ’60s, a solid-state replacement for the tube was created: the FET, or field effect transistor. The FET emulates tube characteristics and has two benefits: smaller size and reduced power requirements. The first solid-state condenser mic designs used the same circuit except for the FET substitution, but they sounded different, crisper. They had lost the tube character.
Tube mics are revered for their warmth, wide frequency response, and pleasing sound. They are most commonly used for vocals, but I’ve used them for every instrument. There’s a robust market for inexpensive tube mic modification. Sometimes it’s as easy as swapping a tube, while others do capsule and component level changes. These mods can greatly enhance the sound of an inexpensive tube mic. A good mic closet should have at least one curated tube mic. They start at about $499 and can range upwards of $30,000.
Some manufacturers with tube mics in the below-$1,000 price range include Avantone, Warm Audio, Golden Age, and Lauten Audio. My recommendation is to audition several and find the one that will have the broadest application for your recording situation. They won’t sound exactly like their pricier counterparts, but they’ll give you a flavor in your mic closet that’s only possible with a tube microphone.
Tube mics to consider:
- Mojave MA-300SN ($1,399): Mojave was created by David Royer of Royer Labs. They use quality components for mics that meet exacting standards. The 300SN is a tube large-diaphragm condenser mic. It features a continuously variable pattern select, which ranges from omni to figure eight. The MA300SN has a warm low end with an open top.
- Miktek CV4 ($1,699 street): Miktek’s line of hand-built mics includes this large diaphragm condenser with nine polar patterns. I’ve used these on vocals and stringed instruments with great success.
- Peluso 22 47 SE ($2,149 street): Peluso Microphone Lab is a boutique company that hand builds each mic. The 22 47 is a reproduction of the venerable Neumann U 47. The 22 47 is a great choice for vocals and acoustic instruments, and I find myself using less EQ when recording with this mic. Their interpretations of other classic mics are also available.
Photo by Nick Sonsini
- Telefunken ELA M 251 (repro: $10,996/vintage: $25,000-plus street): Around 3,700 units of the original 251 were manufactured from 1960 to ’65, but a modern reproduction is available. It has an open top end without harshness, a smooth, rich midrange, and low-end warmth with punchiness. It’s an excellent vocal mic and excels on harmonically rich instruments.
Now, Go Forth and Record
You’ve got to start somewhere when building your mic closet. If you’re not tracking full bands, I’d recommend starting with a couple dynamics (like the SM57) and a set of LDCs. With these mics, you’ll be able to cover basic overdub sessions. From there, borrow mics from friends, explore the world of ribbon and tube mic sounds, and discover what works best for your home studio.
What About DIs?
Direct boxes, or DIs, are an integral part of any studio. They are used to connect (Hi-Z) instruments with low-impedance (Lo-Z) microphone preamps. Hi-Z devices, such as guitars and basses, have 1/4" outputs. The DI provides a 1/4" input to connect to your guitar and an XLR output which connects to a preamp. DIs also have a 1/4" output jack. This is used to pass the signal through the DI and connect to an amplifier. Often, a bass or guitar is recorded to two tracks—one signal from the DI and the other from an amplifier.
There are two types of DIs: passive and active. Passive devices have of an internal transformer that changes the impedance of the signal. Active DIs require a power source for their internal electronics and will have less signal degradation than a passive device. A good home studio should have at least one active DI and two passive DIs.
Modern DAW interfaces usually have built-in Hi-Z inputs via 1/4" jacks that allow you to connect directly to your interface. These negate the need for a DI.
Here are several DI boxes to consider:
- Radial StageBug S-B2 ($89 street): Radial is well known for their technology in direct box design. This is a passive DI with a small footprint.
- Radial Pro48 ($129 street): These active devices are full-range DIs with a bandwidth of 20 Hz to 20k.
- Rupert Neve Designs RNDI-1($299 street): Like most Neve designs, this active device is engineered for the highest fidelity audio and sounds great.
Digital Modeling Mics
Digital microphone modeling systems are a relatively new development. They combine a specially designed microphone with modeling software that allows you to record audio that sounds as if you had used a different microphone. The software models a variety of classic or vintage mics. The two frontrunners in this new tech are the Slate Digital VMS Virtual Microphone System and Universal Audio’s Sphere L22 Microphone Modeling System (which was developed in conjunction with Townsend Labs).
They use a sonically transparent microphone designed to interface with their modeling software. The signal is passed from the mic through a neutral mic pre (one that doesn’t color the sound too much) to your DAW input. The plugin is applied to the audio and an output mic model is selected. The result sounds as if it had been recorded with the selected mic.
Slate and UA accomplish this by testing and measuring a microphone’s behavior and mapping that behavior out in software. The software knows the characteristics of the recording mic and processes the audio, applying the differences to the signal. The recorded signal now sounds as if it was recorded with a $20,000 Neumann U 67 (or whichever mic you’ve selected).
The benefit of these systems is that it is non-destructive. Just like amp modeling plugins, there is a dry sound recorded in your DAW, and the processing is applied with a plugin. You have the ability to modify it throughout the recording process, finding the sound that works with your final production.
These systems offer a huge range of sounds and offer mic selections that would not be available in your average home studio. And each system offers a selection of recognized mic models with an established track record.
The lowdown:
• Slate Digital VMS Virtual Microphone System (mic and software $499 street): This system’s ML-2 is a small diaphragm mic. Once recorded, sound is processed via the VMS plugin (compatible with AAX, VST2, VST3, and AU formats). The VMS software includes 13 mic models, ranging from the AKG C12 to the Shure SM7B. Two add-on mic bundles are available for purchase from Slate: Blackbird Mics ($199 street), featuring five mics from Nashville’s Blackbird Studio, and Classic Tubes ($299 street), featuring five modeled mics.
• Universal Audio Sphere L22 Microphone Modeling System ($1,199 to $1,499 street): UA’s Sphere L22 was developed in conjunction with Townsend Labs. The Sphere software works the same as VMS, tuned for the provided mic and offering 34 output mic models.
The Sphere system uses a dual-capsule mic. This allows the software to take the signal from both capsules and create a 3D sonic picture of the modeled microphone. In theory, this should offer off-axis behavior similar to the originals. The mic can use both capsules to create a stereo recording, too.
The software is available in UAD, AAX, VST2, VST3, and AU formats. It offers more tweakable parameters than the VMS. So, if you’re a knob twister and like to fine-tune your sounds, the Sphere is a good choice. The additional controls come with a higher price tag.
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- The Recording Guitarist: Mic Makes Right ›
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- How to Get More Out of Your Mics with Modelers - Premier Guitar ›
Nile Rodgers brings the rhythm at Bonnaroo 2018.
How the rhythm-playing hitmaker behind Chic—and our columnist—learned to love pop music, and why maybe you should, too.
When Nile Rodgers speaks, we should listen. His seminal work with his own band, Chic, as well as Sister Sledge, Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger, Eric Clapton, Peter Gabriel, Madonna, David Bowie, and Daft Punk, has made him a legend. He also filmed an entertaining Rig Rundown with PG just last year.
I recently listened to his 2017 South by Southwest address, where he told a story about a formative moment in his life. Nile was complaining to his guitar teacher, Ted Dunbar, about having to sing the Archies’ “Sugar, Sugar”at an upcoming cover band gig. Dunbar replied, “Let me tell you something. Any song that sells and gets to the Top 40 ... is a great composition.” Rodgers was skeptical. Then Dunbar added, “Especially ‘Sugar, Sugar.’ That has been No. 1 for four or five weeks.” Next, Dunbar said something that changed Rodger’s life. “‘Sugar, Sugar’ was successful,” he said, “because it speaks to the souls of a million strangers.” Rodgers noted: “Two weeks later, I wrote a song called ‘Everybody Dance.’” Released in 1977, it was a Top 40 single on Chic's first album.
In a BBC This Cultural Life interview, Rodgers said that Dunbar “described an artist to me. I wasn’t an artist until he defined that. I wanted to speak to the souls of a million strangers, but I thought what I wanted to do was speak to some real cool people hanging out in jazz clubs.”
“Everybody Dance” and “Sugar, Sugar”both have hypnotizingly simple lyrics you inevitably replay in your head. Humans like chants, cheers, slogans, and catchy choruses. Rodgers' success came, at least in part, from opening himself up to simplicity that appeals to the masses instead of the complexity that appeals to jazzers. That’s the irony. Jazz, which ostensibly is all about freedom, is often restrictive. Like the old joke goes, jazzers play millions of chords for four people. Pop, rock, and country artists play four chords for millions of people.
Rodgers said, “That's what my teacher taught me, that anti-snobbery. Be open. Love all the music you are around, or at least try and appreciate what that artist is trying to say. Try and have, what we call in the music business, big ears.”
My friends and I have all, at times, been music snobs. I went through a blues binge in my youth where I was prejudiced against shredders. This was not uncommon at the time. After Nirvana hit with Nevermind in 1991, suddenly musicians were openly mocked for playing complex, difficult parts. It was almost like if you cared enough to really learn to play guitar, you were uncool. That was a big relief for me, as I could play neither complex nor difficult parts at the time.
“Taylor Swift is the Beatles of my daughter’s generation.”
Later, when I moved to Nashville, I was all about clean Telecasters and thought ill of music with lots of dirt or effects. Younger me would have plenty of condescending quips about my current love of overdriven humbuckers and delay. Most of my snobbery was driven by my deep insecurities, but part of it was tribalism. The heart wants what it wants; when you find your musical tribe, most of the young zealots trade all others for their one true religion. It might be the only way to get good at something.
On the other hand, my friends and I listen to a variety of music, but the common factor is it usually involves good guitar playing. We love what we love because it speaks to our souls. But most guitar players are drawn to those who are doing what we wish we could do. My uncle Fred used to say, “There’s nothing wrong with being a snob. It just means that you have good taste.”
Between club dates, sessions, and the occasional TV gig, I play with tons of people. I have no say in the set list, so “Sugar, Sugar” moments are unavoidable. I used to feel deep shame playing those types of songs, like it reflects poorly on my personal taste or abilities. In short, I was prejudiced until I saw all of the true pros who could find something beautiful, challenging in the seemingly mundane. It’s like the old actor’s adage: There are no small parts, just small players.
According to Forbes, Taylor Swift was “The Biggest Artist in the World in 2023.” That being the case, her songs inevitably come up on cover gigs. When this happens, some musicians might groan, like it makes them cool to hate on pop culture. But that’s probably because they don't really know her work. Taylor Swift is my 8-year-old daughter’s Alexa go-to, so I know Taylor’s catalog really well. Turns out, it’s amazing, full of truly catchy, engaging, touching songs. Taylor Swift is the Beatles of my daughter’s generation. Snobs will think that statement is heresy, but snobs often don’t know what they are talking about, and they never have as much fun as the people who are dancing violently to “Shake It Off,” or singing with eyes closed to “All Too Well.”Each night of a G3 tour ends with an all-out jam and on Reunion Live, the trio hits classics by Cream, Hendrix, and Steppenwolf. “When you hear each guy solo, you can hear how we’ve changed through the years,” says Vai.
Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, and Eric Johnson reflect on their groundbreaking tour with a fiery live album that took nearly 30 years to make.
“When you’re young, you’re attracted to all these [guitar] ideas—do this, do that,” says Eric Johnson. “You’re like a sponge. If you get yourself out of the way, get rid of the ego, and stay open, you remain a student your whole life. But at the same time, you get to the point where you’re like, ‘There’s only so much time, and I don’t need to learn this and that.’ There are things that Joe [Satriani] or Steve [Vai] do that I’ll never be able to do.”
Some guitarists would find that notion depressing—of finally extinguishing the naive youthful fire to master every technique on their instrument. (It’s probably easier to find peace when you’re one of the world’s most revered players, with platinum sales and Grammys on your résumé.) But when Johnson looks at Satriani and Vai, his fellow virtuosos on the 2024 G3 reunion tour, the idea of “letting go” puts a smile on his face.
“Although we stay open, we define some of our journey,” says Johnson. “We can’t be everything to everybody. Then you start appreciating what someone else is doing even more.”
That sense of refinement is crucial to the story of G3, the triple-guitar tour conceived by Satriani and launched alongside Johnson and Vai in 1996. Over the years, the event has morphed to incorporate players from just about every style: from blues-rock (Kenny Wayne Shepherd) to prog-metal (Dream Theater’s John Petrucci) to hard rock (Uli Jon Roth) to the eerie soundscapes of King Crimson’s Robert Fripp. Far from a rote shred-fest, it’s a celebration of the electric guitar’s unlimited possibilities. And Satriani’s been thinking a lot about that idea following the G3 reunion tour, which ran for 13 dates last January, spawned a new concert album (Reunion Live), and will eventually birth a documentary helmed by his son ZZ.Recorded live at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles, Reunion Live documents the culmination of a 13-date tour that brought the trio together for the first time since the original tour in 1996.
“He had an interesting idea for a film,” Satriani says. “Our first G3 show happened the week he turned four, and we decided we were always going to take him with us. He wanted to do a film not only about that and about G3 but also his whole point of view growing up with a very strange father and this community of guitar players. He wanted to know their perspective on guitar playing and music and this life he’s been a part of.”
The younger Satriani grew even more ambitious, proposing that the OG G3s [OG3s?] get together for another tour. “ZZ wanted to see what it was really like, after decades of traveling with me and the different bands, to get onstage and play,” Satch says. “It all sort of happened in those last two shows at the Orpheum in Los Angeles. ZZ came on and played a song, and that sort of brought the film full-circle—from the four-year-old to the 32-year-old playing onstage with his dad. The [as-yet-unreleased] film has really developed into this epic story about guitar players. Eric and Steve have been so generous with their time, letting ZZ interview them about music, guitar, and what it means to them. But that’s really how the whole thing got started this time around.”
“30 years later, you can really see more of the dynamic difference in our go-to notes and riffs. Joe is more Joe now; Eric is more Eric now; and I’m more me now.”—Steve Vai
Reunion Live unfolds like the actual G3 shows, with miniature heavy-hitter sets from each artist (you get Vai’s “For the Love of God,” Satriani’s “Surfing With the Alien,” Johnson’s “Desert Rose”), followed by a trio of generous, triple-guitar cover-song jams—in this case, ripping versions of Robert Johnson’s blues staple “Crossroads,” Steppenwolf’s open-road proto-metal anthem “Born to Be Wild,” and Jimi Hendrix’s hard-psych powerhouse “Spanish Castle Magic.” The latter, fronted by Johnson, is the album’s centerpiece: 11-plus minutes of instrumental fireworks that perfectly showcase each player’s distinct flavor. Toward the end, the groove lays back into a quiet, funky simmer—the perfect platform for an onslaught of tasteful flourishes and ungodly shredding.
Back in 1996, the trio barnstormed across the country and laid waste to guitar nerds everywhere with a scorching version of Zappa’s “My Guitar Wants to Kill Your Mama.”
Photo by Ebet Roberts
“The thing I liked about that [choice] was that it’s very common to play a Hendrix song in a jam, but most people play the usual suspects,” says Vai. “Eric’s Hendrix catalog runs deep, and he’s played ‘Spanish Castle Magic’ on multiple occasions, and I’ve played it in the past. When it came up on this G3, I was very excited because it’s a great song to play. It’s just got a great feel to it, and the groove for soloing is very open. I was very happy to see that.”
“I hate the word ‘competition.’ But if we didn’t want to challenge each other, we wouldn’t have agreed to do the tour.”—Joe Satriani
“I remember doing so many cover songs over the past few decades, and every once in a while you come up with an all-purpose song that anyone, from any walk of life, can come join you on,” says Satriani. “And then you have these other songs that really shine a light on an individual’s foundation as a player and some of their early inspirations. I know that all three of us were so into Jimi Hendrix. I love doing that song. I’d do any Hendrix song. Eric and I have a lot of experience going out with the Experience Hendrix [tribute] tour. He figured into our early musical lives—even before I played guitar, I was a big Hendrix fan.”
“Crossroads” is also fascinating on many levels. Sure, it’s hard for any good rock band to screw this one up, and it could be the most obvious pick for any guitar jam, but the song’s simple blues structure also allows for a delicious whiplash, magnifying the vast differences in tonality and note choice between each guitarist.
“At first, when ‘Crossroads’ came in, I was like, ‘OK, it’s this classic rock song.’ But once you’re onstage and playing it, the riff is so great,” says Vai. “It’s robust. When you hear each guy solo, you can hear how we’ve changed through the years. Not just us—any guitar player who sticks with their craft goes through various evolutions into different directions. Some can stagnate, but you’re usually inching toward something different. Most of the time physicality is involved in that. When I hear ‘Spanish Castle Magic’ or ‘Crossroads,’ the stuff on this jam, my ears are listening to 30 years ago, in a sense, when we would trade. Today, 30 years later, you can really see more of the dynamic difference in our go-to notes and riffs. Joe is more Joe now; Eric is more Eric now; and I’m more me now. I’ve abandoned trying to sound conventional in any way.” The more they sound like the definitive versions of themselves, as on this G3 tour, the more in tune with each other they seem to be.Joe Satrian's Gear
The G3 mastermind would never use the word “competition,” but feels like his fellow G3ers wouldn’t show up if they didn’t want to be challenged.
Photo by Jon Luini
Guitars
- Various Ibanez JS Models (tuned to Eb standard)
Amps
- Marshall JVM410HJS
- Two Marshall 1960B 4x12 cabinets
Effects
- Vox Big Bad Wah
- Boss OC-3
- DigiTech SubNUp
- MXR EVH Flanger
- DigiTech Whammy
- Boss DD-8 (in effects loop)
- Voodoo Lab Pedal Power
Strings & Picks
- D’Addario XL110 (.010–.046)
- D’Addario Satch Grip Picks
“I would listen to Joe and Steve, and I would marvel at the guitar playing and the consistency of how great it was, but for me, it was [also] an opportunity to look beyond [it],” says Johnson. “It was a bit of an epiphany doing this tour because I tuned into the energy they had, the songs they were writing, the sounds they were getting, the shows they were doing. It even made the guitar playing more interesting because there was another dynamic I was tuning in to more. Not that it wasn’t always important, but as you get older, you try to see the whole hemisphere and what that means to the audience. It’s a win-win because it doesn’t take anything away from the guitar—it makes it more interesting to have encased in that bigger thing. I noticed that more this time, which made me feel good.”
“We can’t be everything to everybody.”—Eric Johnson
The G3 tour, and particularly the encore jams, are fascinating at the conceptual level: taking players largely renowned as soloists, and forcing them to share stages and trade licks—working to compliment each other’s playing instead of simply flexing their muscles and drawing on some primal competitive drive.
“The ego is the definition of competition,” says Vai. “Its perspective is, ‘How do I stack up? How do I rise above? How do I sell more, make more, have more, be more than anyone else?’ This is nothing personal to me—this is in the collective of humanity. Ego can wreak havoc in your life and cause a lot of dysfunction and stress. You don’t know it because you’re unconscious of the way the ego can be competitive. More in my earlier days, in the background, there was a perspective of competitiveness. This doesn’t just go for G3, but it was never in a playing way. I felt, ‘My playing is so abstract and bizarre that there’s no one else doing this weird stuff.’ Of course, this is still ego.”
Steve Vai's Gear
“When I hear ‘Spanish Castle Magic’ or ‘Crossroads,’ the stuff on this jam, my ears are listening to 30 years ago, in a sense, when we would trade,” remembers Vai.
Photo by Jon Luini
Guitars
- Ibanez mirror-topped JEM “BO”
- Ibanez John Scofield JSM
- Ibanez JEM 7VWH “EVO”
- Ibanez Universe 7-String
- Ibanez Hydra Triple-Neck Guitar
- Ibanez JEM 7VWH “FLO III”
- Ibanez PIA (tuned to Eb standard)
Amps
- Synergy SYN-2 Preamp
- VAI Synergy Module
- B-MAN Synergy Module
- Fractal Audio AXE-FX III Turbo
- Fryette LX-II Tube Power Amp
- Carvin V412 cabinets with Celestion Vintage 30 speakers
Effects
- Lehle A/B Box
- Dunlop 95Q Wah
- Ibanez Jemini Distortion/Overdrive
- DigiTech Whammy DT
- CIOKS DC-7 Power Supply
Strings, Picks, & Accessories
- Ernie Ball Skinny Top Heavy (.010–.052)
- Ernie Ball Regular Slinky (.010–.046)
- Ernie Ball Super Slinky (.009–.042)
- Ernie Ball 7-String Set (.009–.056)
- DiMarzio Cables
- Electric Fan
- InTuneGP GrippX Picks (1.14 mm and 1.50 mm)
“But when it came to Joe, it was a very different dynamic because he was my [guitar] teacher—he taught me how to play,” remembers Vai. “Joe was my mentor. I admired him. We were joined at the hip throughout our careers. In the earlier days, you listened to the other guy, and there’s the perspective. One is a very egoic perspective, which sees things as competition. The other perspective is, ‘What can I learn here? What can I get from this that’s going to improve my tools?’ Boy, there’s plenty of that in every G3 tour, every situation I’ve ever been in. But it’s a perspective only you can choose. The feeling of competition, I don’t like it. If someone is selling more records or playing faster or tastier or their songs are better, it behooves me to see how I can gain on a personal level from that. If I was the coach of a basketball team, I’d say, ‘It doesn’t matter if you win this game. It’s not as important as doing your very best.’ In reality, the only one you’re ever competing with is yourself—your bar.”
“If someone is selling more records or playing faster or tastier or their songs are better, it behooves me to see how I can gain on a personal level from that.”—Steve Vai
Satriani shares a similar sentiment—that being “complimentary” in a project like G3 is a real talent and a gift. Working on the documentary has put him in a retrospective mode, thinking about past tours and how they’ve worked to be more expansive and, perhaps, even provocative in their presentation.
Eric Johnson's Gear
“We can’t be everything to everybody. Then you start appreciating what someone else is doing even more,” says Johnson.
Photo by Jim Summaria
Guitars
- 1958 Fender Stratocaster
- Fender Eric Johnson Signature Stratocaster
- Fender Stratocaster with internal preamp
Amps
- Fender Bandmaster Reverb
- 50-watt Marshall JTM45 Super Tremolo
- 100-watt Marshall JTM45 Super Tremolo
- Two-Rock Classic Reverb Signature
- ’60s stereo Marshall cabinet with Electro-Voice EVM12L speakers
- ’60s Marshall cabinet with vintage 25-watt Celestion Greenback speakers
Effects
- EP-3 Echoplex
- TC Electronic Chorus
- Ibanez Tube Screamer
- Dunlop Fuzz Face
- MXR M-166 Digital Time Delay
- Dunlop Cry Baby Wah
- BK Butler Tube Driver
- Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man
- Bill Webb Fuzz Pedal
Strings & Picks
- D’Addario Pure Nickel (.010–.046)
- Dunlop Jazz III picks
“Yesterday I was searching for an original print of a photo from [the G3 tour] in ’97,” he says, “where Robert Fripp was opening the shows, unannounced, hidden behind a wall of gear. That was his request—to play as people were filing into the venues. I found this great photo of Robert onstage with his guitar and four-year-old ZZ standing next to him holding a plastic pail—I think it was at Jones Beach. It reminded me of how crazy the notion was at the time of Robert joining up with the tour. But he was so excited about it and wanted to do it. We had fantastic times traveling together and hanging out backstage and getting to know each other on that particular tour, and that set the tone for me—knowing that, not only did I have comrades like Eric and Steve, who felt the same way that I did about collaboration in a live setting, but now there was Robert and Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and the concept of G3 started to really catch fire. It was really heartwarming to know that this sort of gunslinger attitude that existed in the ’80s about guitar players could be challenged. We could create something really inclusive about different styles and generations of players and take it on the road. That came back to me when I saw that photo.”
“I hate the word ‘competition,’” Satriani says elsewhere, surveying G3 history. “But if we didn’t want to challenge each other, we wouldn’t have agreed to do the tour. We get to hear each other’s sets, which is great—we don’t often get to do that when we’re off on our own tours. And then we get to stand next to each other and see what just pops out of nowhere, what each artist decides to throw out as an improvisation. Every night is a once-in-a-lifetime thing. If you can somehow work that into your musical life, you’re really lucky—so I count myself really lucky.”
YouTube It
Watch Satriani, Johnson, and Vai tear through Cream’s classic interpretation of “Crossroads.” In this video, directed by ZZ Satriani, you can get a feel for the history the trio shares with vintage G3 clips and more.
The Milwaukee-based “guitarist’s guitarist” doles out decades of midwest wisdom on this episode of Wong Notes.
You might not know Greg Koch, but we’ll bet your favorite guitarist does. In 2012, Fender called the Wisconsin blues-guitar phenom one of the top 10 best unsung guitarists, and in 2020, Guitar World listed Koch among the 15 best guitar teachers. He’s been inducted into the Wisconsin Area Music Industry Hall of Fame. Koch is a bonafide midwest guitar god.
He joins Cory Wong on this round of Wong Notes for this meeting of the Middle-America minds, where the duo open with analysis of music culture in Wisconsin and Minnesota—Koch taught at Saint Paul’s now-shuttered McNally Smith College of Music, which Wong attended. Koch and Wong zero in on the blues roots of most modern music and talk through soloing theories: It can be as easy or as hard as you want it to be, but Koch shares that he likes to “paint himself into a corner,” then get out of it.
Koch and Wong swap notes on the pressures of studio performance versus the live realm, and how to move on from mistakes made onstage in front of audiences. Plus, Koch has created scores of guitar education materials, including for Hal Leonard. Tune in to find out what makes a good guitar course, how to write a guitar book, Koch’s audio tips for crystalline live-stream sessions, and why he still prefers tube amps: “I like to crank that sh*t up!”
John Petrucci, St. Vincent, James Valentine, Steve Lukather, Tosin Abasi, Cory Wong, Jason Richardson, Fluff, and more are donating instruments for contributors, and contributions are being accepted via this LINK.
The L.A. wildfires have been absolutely devastating, consuming more than 16,200 structures, and tens of thousands of people–including many members of the LA music community–have been displaced, as well as 29 persons killed. Historic gear company Ernie Ball has stepped up with a large-scale fundraiser, for MusicCares and the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, to assist those impacted by the fire and responders on the front line. The company kicked off the initiative with a $50,000 donation.
“We are absolutely crushed by the devastation Los Angeles has endured over the past few weeks,” CEO Brian Ball said in a statement. “As a California-based company with origins as a small retailer in LA County, seeing the impact of these fires in our community is heartbreaking.
Message from Tim Henson
Tim Henson is donating one of his own Ibanez TOD10N guitars for the cause.
“That’s why we’re partnering with our family of artists to give back in a unique way. In addition to our donation, Ernie Ball artists are stepping up to donate personal guitars and gear—truly one-of-a-kind pieces that money can’t buy. Here’s how you can help: Donate any amount and we will randomly give these items away. Every dollar goes directly toward helping those affected by these devastating fires. If you can’t donate, sharing this message can still make a huge impact,” Ball declared.
The fundraiser will continue until February 14.