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GALLERY: SXSW 2015

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

Best Coast's lead guitarist Bobb Bruno rotated between two axes—a Squier Vintage Modified Baritone Jazzmaster used for slower, moodier songs and a Gibson USA Melody Maker Joan Jett Signature in vintage white that features a single Burstbucker in the bridge—for their set at a local Capital One branch.

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.

Featuring the SansAmp section, Reverb/Delay/Roto effects, and OMG overdrive, with new additions like a switchable Pre/Post Boost and Effect Loop. Pre-configured for the RK Killer Wail wah, this pedal offers versatile tones and unmatched flexibility.

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Barry Little’s onstage rig.

How you want to sound and what makes you happy are both highly subjective. When it comes to packing and playing gear for shows, let those considerations be your guide.

I was recently corresponding with Barry Little, aPG reader from Indiana, Pennsylvania, about “the One”—that special guitar that lets us play, and even feel, better when it’s in our hands. We got talking about the gear we bring to gigs, and Barry sent me the photo that appears with this column.

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While creating her new solo record, Kim Deal was drawn to exploring the idea of failure.

Photo by Kristin Sollecito

The veteran musician and songwriter steps into the spotlight with Nobody Loves You More, a long-in-the-making solo record driven by loss, defeat, and friendship.

While Kim Deal was making her new album, she was intrigued with the idea of failure. Deal found the work of Dutch artist Bas Jan Ader, who disappeared at sea in 1975 while attempting to sail by himself from the U.S. to England in a 13-foot sailboat. His boat was discovered wrecked off the southern coast of Ireland in April 1976, 10 months after Ader departed the Massachusetts coast. Ader’s wife took one of the last photos of him as he set off on the doomed journey from Chatham Harbor: Ader, wearing a blue tracksuit and a bright orange life jacket cinched around his neck, is beaming.

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Whores Rig Rundown [2024]
- YouTube

The Georgia-based sludge slingers rely on a Tele-to-Marshall combination for their punishing performances.

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