Premier Guitar features affiliate links to help support our content. We may earn a commission on any affiliated purchases.

GALLERY: SXSW 2015

See performance shots of AWOLNATION, Courtney Barnett, Elder, Future Islands, Portugal. The Man, Nikki Lane, and more!

People's Blues of Richmond, a hard-rockin’, good-time-having trio from Richmond, Virginia, brought the ruckus thanks to guitarist Tim Beavers II and bassist Matthew Volkes. Beavers II used his 2006 Gibson SG Standard the entire set. He originally saved up for a Les Paul but saw this “Frankenstein” SG leaning against an amp at a local music shop and he played it for an hour before looking up—then he realized he didn’t want a Les Paul at all, he wanted that SG. Since buying it he has broken the headstock six times and has done all the repairs himself. Volkes created thunderous bass lines all night thanks to his Squier Precision bass that helped him keep up with hard-hitting drummer Nekoro Williams.

2015 marks South by Southwest’s 28th year as a destination festival in Austin’s beautiful neighborhoods like South Congress, East Austin, and downtown along 5th and 6th Streets. Since its inception, SXSW has tried to serve all music fans with a healthy dose of underground and unsigned acts representing nearly every musical genre imaginable. This year was no different with over 2,200 acts that descended upon the Lone Star State’s capital for five days and nights. Premier Guitar had boots on the ground and here is a fraction of the guitar-centric highlights from the event.

A reverb-based pedal for exploring the far reaches of sound.

Easy to use control set. Wide range of sounds. Crush control is fun to explore. Filter is versatile.

Works best as a stereo effect, which may limit some players.

$299

Old Blood Noise Endeavors Dark Star Stereo
oldbloodnoise.com

5
4.5
4.5
4.5

The Old Blood Dark Star Stereo (DSS) is one of those pedals that lives beyond simple effect categorization. Yes, it’s a digital reverb. But like other Old Blood designs, it’s such a feature-rich, creative take on that effect that to think of it as a reverb feels not only imprecise but unfair.

Read MoreShow less

Great Eastern FX Co. has released the limited-edition OC201 Preamp, featuring vintage Mullard OC201 transistors for a unique fuzz sound. Part of the 'Obsolete Devices' series, this pedal combines classic circuits with modern components for optimal tone and reliability.

Read MoreShow less

“I do think that PTP circuits should stay that way, and circuits made for PCB sound great and don’t need to be handwired to sound good,” says R2R Electric's Cris Vincent, who is especially adept at creating vintage-flavored fuzz machines.

Do vintage parts make better pedals? Not always.

Treble boosters have been used by legends like Brian May, Tony Iommi, Rory Gallagher, Marc Bolan, Stevie Ray Vaughan—you name it. They have empirically proven their place in the evolution of rock ’n’ roll, and even paved the way for entirely new music genres. Naturally, as a pedal builder, I had to make my own. In fact, I was building treble boosters even before Sehat Effectors was born. Technically speaking, the circuit is simple—just a single transistor and a few components.

Read MoreShow less
- YouTube

Marty Friedman and his trusted tech, Alan Sosa, who handles all effects switching manually during the show, showed us the goods.

Read MoreShow less