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GALLERY: Riot Fest 2016

See what guitars and basses the punks, metalheads, and hardcore rockers used during the Windy City’s other 3-day festival.

Meat Puppets’ Curt Kirkwood

Curt, the other half of the Kirkwood duo, rocked his custom one-off that was built by Jimmy Bernard who teaches at the Roberto Venn School of Luthierie in Arizona, where the Kirkwoods call home. The builder based it on Kirkwood’s old 1959 Gibson Les Paul Reissue. Curt says he enjoys gigging with this one because it’s lighter and is one of the most magical guitars he’s ever played.

Oni’s Jared Dines and Eric Palmer Rig Rundown
- YouTube

Oni’s guitar duo cover 16 strings between them with a pair of Neural Quad Cortexes and some choice patches.

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"Tuning" & Building Guitars Like a Stradivari Violin with Santa Cruz Guitars
- YouTube

In our second installment with Santa Cruz Guitar Company founder Richard Hoover, the master luthier takes PG's John Bohlinger through the detailed (and scientific) process of analyzing, shifting and "tuning" the guitar's top before repeating the process when the back and sides are joined, and once again when introducing the neck to the instrument build while focusing on keeping everything harmoniously synergized and "tuned."

Sterling By Music Man & Ernie Ball | NAMM 2025
- YouTube

Axis, Cutlass, Sting Rays, oh my! There were all those and more new stylings at the Sterling by Music Man & Ernie Ball both this year as we got a tour of all their affordable options that are out or will be coming out in 2025. We saw new stylings on signature sweets for James Valentine, Steve Lukather, Ryan "Fluff" Bruce, Pete Wentz, Tosin Abasi, Jason Richardson and more!

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PRS Guitars Standard 24 Satin Demo | NAMM 2025
- YouTube

The PRS Standard is one of the two models that started PRS Guitars back in 1985. It has been out of the line up for more than ten years and coming back for the 40th Anniversary.

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