Cusack Music brought an immensely handy and deep reverb to NAMM. With several banks of dual presets and eight different programs, you will be hard pressed to find a ‘verb that isn’t in this box.
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.
The aptly named Kali distills elements of the Fortin Cali—a Plexi-inspired amp—into a 2-channel pre-amp and distortion pedal. Each channel has three gain modes—vintage, raw, and saturation—which are selectable via a mini toggle. And each mode has a very distinct vibe, which could be loosely categorized as low-end-heavy, midrangey, and high-gain-centric, respectively.
Charging right into Kali’s arms, I selected the vintage mode on Channel 1, and set the gain 2 knob to 9 o’clock. The gain 2 knob, which controls the gain level that hits the circuit’s front end, is the default gain knob for both channels. The gain 1 knob, which adds additional gain stages, only works on channel 2. But even at this modest setting, I was already into toothy distortion that was very touch-sensitive.
Wide Range of Rage
Without changing any other settings, things got significantly filthier by merely switching over to the saturation mode. And even at this lower-gain setting, the output is tailor-made for heavy rhythm in a classic metal jam. Pumping the gain 2 knob to around 3 o’clock, meanwhile, makes the Kali a very in-your-face proposition, with sounds rooted in Sunset Strip/Jose Arredondo Marshall-mod energy.
Interestingly, even though saturation mode has the most aggressive gain structure, it doesn’t feel especially compressed. It’s also the quietest of the three modes when tested across identical settings. This was especially noticeable when I switched between vintage and saturated modes at high gain 2 settings. It follows, then, that raw mode—the pure sound of the pedal without any extra gain stages and essentially the preamp only—is the loudest of the three modes.
Well Put Together, With a Bright Personality
Channel switching is handled by one of the two footswitches (the other
is for bypass) and it enables you to cascade one channel into another. In cascaded-stage mode, gain knob 1 is active and serves as a pre-gain (hence the gain 1 designation). In saturation mode, with both gain knobs at noon, switching between the channels sounds organic. Channel 2 is generally thicker and sustains bends for a tad longer. But the two channels definitely do not feel haphazardly thrown together. They are clearly cut from the same cloth.
“[It’s] a very in-your-face proposition, with sounds rooted in Sunset Strip/Jose Arredondo Marshall-mod energy."
In general, the Kali is bright, but if you need brighter, there are a pair of 3-position bright switches for each of the two channels. At low output volumes the changes offered by these bright switches are noticeable but not too dramatic. They are much more pronounced at high output volume. The active +/- EQ knobs actually have much greater impact on the Kali’s personality—particularly in the zones between 9 and 3 o’clock, where minor tweaks yield very different tonal realms.
The Verdict
The Kali comes across as a cohesive whole, yet its interactive controls and powerful EQ unlock a wide range of Plexi and modded-Plexi tones. No matter how you set it, it sounds impressive.
Unlock your guitar's true potential with the Fralin Pickups Push-Pull Blender Pot! Blend tones, split coils, and explore endless sonic possibilities without permanent changes. Ready to elevate your sound? Check out the Joe BonamassaHumbucker Set and more gear to keep your music alive!
Fralin Pickups
Push Pull Blender Pot
Unlock a wider range of tones with the Fralin Pickups Push-Pull Blender Pot. Compatible with guitars and basses, this versatile control blends pickup outputs, adds coil-splitting and out-of-phase options, and enables many wiring mods—giving you flexible, player-friendly tonal shaping without permanent changes to your instrument.
Joe Bonamassa has long been a fan of Tommy Bolin, whose work influenced generations of guitarists. After a 10-year search, Joe acquired Tommy’s 1960 GibsonLes Paul and worked with the Seymour Duncan Custom Shop to recreate these P.A.F.s. The first 500 sets are signed by Joe and Seymour Duncan.
Don’t let fret sprout stop you from playing your favorite guitar. This kit has everything you need to fix it yourself. When dry weather comes around, your fretboard can shrink and the fret ends poke out. Sharp fret ends can slow you down, feel uncomfortable, or cut your hand.
When performing live, the small problems can turn a great show into a nightmare. A loose screw, slipping string, or guitar poorly leaned against an amp can create major stress. So, we created the Guitar Tech Case Candy Set—a compact collection of essential tools designed to keep your guitar stage-ready.
Designed for matching specific fretboard curvatures, Floyd Rose Original saddle sets now offer several radius options without the need for individual saddle shims. Crafted in the U.S. from high-quality tool steel using precision CNC machining, the saddles are then heat-treated and plated to withstand the demands of the heaviest performers.
Introducing authentic upgradable hardware kits for FR Tremolo Systems, available in eight stainless steel finishes as well as titanium. Each hardware upgrade kit comes with seven string-lock screws, seven saddle-mounting screws, four nut-clamping screws, four block mounting screws, and string lock insert blocks.
There are more flexible means for mashing up fuzz and delay thanBenson’s Deep Sea Diver. And in a time of preposterously low-priced pedals, there are more economical methods, too. But there’s no guarantee that a more traditional and cost-conscious path will yield results as interesting—or inspirational—as those offered by the Deep Sea Diver. It’s a pedal that often serves up zigs where you seek zags—depending on your sense of adventure and creative latitude, it can feel versatile, forgiving, and full of exciting surprises.
Bathyspheric Battiness
The Deep Sea Diver was developed withJessica Dobson, who fronts the band that shares the pedal’s name—and for whom more unusual applications of the fuzz/delay equation are a sonic cornerstone. The basic architecture of the Deep Sea Diver makes a great departure point for any player keen to ply the odder corners of that stompbox formula. It’s hard to know firsthand exactly what that architecture is—Benson flipped the circuit board so that you don’t see components, but rather a stylized representation of Dobson’s face in silhouette. (For the record, the solders you can see all look exceptionally tidy).
Chris Benson says that the 3-transitor fuzz section of the circuit uses a mutant mix of the 2-transitor Tone Bender MK 1.5 and the 3-transistor Tone Bender MK 2.0 as a foundation. Dobson says she envisioned a less hectic version of the ZVEX Fuzz Factory—a relation borne out here by the gate and bias controls. The delay section, meanwhile, is built around a PT2399 chip. This is a device many builders have put to creative use in spite of first turning up in karaoke machine delays. Its sonic signature—lo-fi, hazy—can be similar to that of bucket brigade delays, but still occupies a different lane than the analog EHX Memory Man and Diamond Memory Lane devices that underpin Dobson’s rig. As a whole then, the Deep Sea Diver doesn’t really replicate any particular part of Dobson’s tone recipe as much as it adds a new color formed in the spirit of where her playing has been and where it might be going.
One Deep Sea Diver feature that is a fixture of Dobson’s tone is a delay that is situated before the fuzz—except for when it isn’t. By holding down the bypass switch while powering up, you can reverse the order of the effects. If you’ve never experimented with switching fuzz and delay, the results can be revelatory.
Submarine Flip Flops
Given how interesting it is to move between the order of effects on the Deep Sea Diver, it’s a shame that you can’t make the switch without powering off the unit. Obviously, that’s not the most complicated process, but it’s also not one you’ll attempt in the middle of a song or set. Many pedals enable effect-order switching via a toggle or alternate footswitch input. In this case, the latter possibility was difficult for good reason, as pressing and holding the footswitch activates an endlessly entertaining runaway oscillation effect.
To a passively listening bystander, a switch in fuzz/delay effects order isn’t always glaringly obvious. In a very general sense, fuzz before delay results in greater clarity, and vice versa. But on the Deep Sea Diver, situating the delay before the fuzz lends a gauzy, foggy smear around the edge of transient notes and the repeats that you feel as much as hear. Comparing the Deep Sea Diver to a bucket brigade delay and a ZVEX Fuzz Factory, you can hear why Chris Benson employed the PT2399 chip. There’s a slightly more lo-fi blur to the Deep Sea Diver’s delay signature, which, to my ears, lends extra mystery.
One Deep Sea Diver feature that is a fixture of Dobson’s tone is a delay that is situated before the fuzz—except for when it isn’t.
But it’s the fuzz section of the Deep Sea Diver that really expands its performance envelope. The gate and bias controls both have impressive range and work together pretty seamlessly to broaden the pedal’s fuzz voice. There are lots of collapsing, fractured fuzz-on-the fritz and dying-AM-radio sounds made more appealing by the smoky delay signal. You’ll find many shades of super-cool mid-1960s buzz, too. But it’s also capable of unique, punchy drive sounds that hit hard and are easy to compose with, and situate in a mix without sounding entirely unhinged. The Deep Sea Diver will happily go bonkers if that’s what you’re after though, and as you get a feel for the way the gate and bias controls interact you might not even miss the conspicuously absent gain level control—which, I venture, would complicate matters significantly.
The Verdict
I played the Deep Sea Diver next to a few different fuzz/delay combinations, and there is an audible cohesiveness in the two effects at the Benson's core. Furthermore, the resulting dovetailed fuzz/delay voices lend the Deep Sea Diver a truly individual voice at many settings. Though it falls short of mimicking the butter-smooth sustain of, say, a Big Muff and a Boss DD-5, it can still dish many rich fuzz tones in that spirit—just a bit filthier. The Deep Sea Diver is most certainly eccentric, just as its creators no doubt intended. But it’s not exclusively weird. There are plenty of sounds here for classicists, even if the Deep Sea Diver tends to beckon the player toward more unorthodox ends.
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.
StewMac
