London-based punk quartet Savages shaped the material for their sophomore album, Adore Life, during an intimate club residency of live gigs in New York.
The word āsavageā has many meanings. It could refer to an untamed animal, a fierce human with a wild or uncivilized demeanor, or perhaps it could be used to describe something turbulent and unforgiving. The Savages embody all of these things through the bleeding, raw, primal unadulterated power of their loud, in-your-face music.
But extreme volume and guttural riffage are only part of the story. Savages revel in contrasts. At their core, the band feeds off dynamics, drama, melody, and careful songwriting. Their music is challenging, but it isnāt difficult listening. And therein lies their appealāin a touch of irony, theyāre charged beasts who have civilized things to say about lifeās finer mysteries and disturbances, through a confrontational approach.
The groupās 6-string noisemaster is Gemma Thompson, whose playing is an aural assaultāunbridled, uninhibited, and drenched in fuzz and tasteful delays. She layers colors and textures, and flirts with sonic abandon. But she never slips into chaosāat least not unintentionally. Prior to Savages, Thompson was the guitarist for John and JehnāSavages vocalist Jehnny Bethās duo with (Savages producer) Johnny Hostileāwhen they decided to change gears. The bandās lineup took shape in early 2012 with the addition of drummer Fay Milton and bassist AyÅe Hassan. Thompson and Hassan had worked together before as well, which was helpful. āWeāve been playing together for about seven years or so,ā Thompson says of Hassan. āThe way I play and the way she plays have always been very much together. Itās echoed in how weāve learned and how weāve grown with our instruments.ā
When Savages released their first album, Silence Yourself (2013), the alternative music world went bananas. The bandās ferocity and intense live performancesānot to mention the mojo Thompson conjured up via her vintage Duo-Sonic, stompboxes, and assorted ampsālanded them spots at myriad festivals and a lengthy world tour.
Post-tour, in early 2015, Savages went to New York for a three-week residency. They brought ideas, riffs, concepts, and song fragments, but no completed material. The music was fleshed out and completed live, in front of intimate audiences at NYC clubs. Savages played their new material each night, reshaped and rehearsed the songs the next day, and then test-drove the reincarnations during the next gig before a different audience. The result is Adore Life, their sophomore release featuring a mature yet-still-growing band, tight songwriting, and a varied palette of fat tones and feedback.
Premier Guitar spoke with Thompson about her unusual start as a guitarist, the bandās unique songwriting process, her trademark 1966 Fender Duo-Sonic II, the crank-ability of vintage Gibson hollowbodies, effects verses amps, and how you sometimes just need to hold a TV remote control over your pickups.
When did you start playing the guitar?
I was living in a house full of musiciansāinstruments everywhereāand I was studying fine arts. My friends were all musicians and I would follow them out, take photographs of them, and paint their backdrops for them. I was trying to make a soundtrack for a performance thing I was working on. I borrowed some instruments and started making noises, basically, until one of my musician friends said, āPlease, would you join my band as a noise guitarist?ā And I did. I eventually started learning a bit more melody and rhythm, with the noise.
That is an unorthodox introduction to guitar playing.
I didnāt exactly start from a technical point of view. I literally would see how much noise I could get out of the instrument. I originally started playing a friendās Strat. I did a lot of dive-bombing with a Big Muff pedal and just tried to make as much noise as feasible.
When did you start learning how to play chords and leads?
I tried to dive right into the more complicated thingsālike learning Radiohead parts and things like that. I tried to find the hardest things I could find, sit for six hours, and try to learn a very tiny thing. I got pretty good at sitting there for six hours just trying to learn one tiny detail.
One of the first things I really wanted to play was the line from the Birthday Party song, āHappy Birthday.ā I was trying to learn how to play Rowland S. Howardās guitar line by listeningāI think it is in 3/4 or something, very odd little line. I couldnāt get the same energy or intensity or the way he was playing it. I realized then that to play like him, you had to go through everything he went through and be him. It occurred to me that you have to become your own person to have your own sound, to go through everything to get to that point. That kind of guitar playing you couldnāt just mimic and learn; you had to be that person to play it. That inspired me a lot to try and find my own thing. Rowland S. Howard has always been a big hero of mine.
Do you write together as a band or do you show up to rehearsal with material youāre working on?
Itās a very collaborative thing. Jehnny writes all the lyrics and she always has a notebook with herāsheās always writing all the time. When we come together to write, we do some instrumental rehearsals where the three of us just play and play and play. I always record everything, every rehearsal. We record everything and we go through it. Sometimes the four of us will be in a room together and weāll be discussing lyrics and the sounds representing the lyrics. On this record, Adore Life, we introduced more melody. The vocal melody and the guitar melodyātheir voices together are very important and very considered. But itās all written very collaborativelyāeach to their own instrumentsābut very collaboratively.
So anything could serve as a starting point.
Yeah, thatās the thing. I go through each song and think, āThis drum idea is a starting point, or this word here with this sound here is the starting point, or AyÅeās bass line here is the whole idea of a song.ā Take a song like āSurrender,ā for instance. AyÅe had the idea of the sound on bassāthis really mean but beautiful melodic thingāa sustained, fuzz bass sound. She said, āI want to play with this idea.ā So everything grew around that idea. Or āThe Answer.ā It comes from that guitar riff. You donāt know where the drums begin and endāeverything is circular and full on.
That riff is righteous.
[Laughs] Thanks. It was very interesting. For this record we did a three-week residency in New York in January [2015]. We played nine club shows in three different clubs and we had a rehearsal studio at the same time. The idea was that instead of writing the new songs and recording straight away, we took these rough new songs and tried to play as many as possible with the intention of writing in front of the audience, with the audience. For a lot of the songs, the adrenaline of doing that really finished writing them in a way.
When we first tried playing āThe Answerā live as a very rough idea, sonically it was quite tricky to get our heads around. You have to almost not rely on the sound. You have to rely on knowing the song physically and mentally. You just watch each other and know the movements, because the sound was very hard in those small clubs to precisely know what was going on. It became a bit of a sonic challenge to work out how we were going to play this intensity liveāto know exactly where we were and be very precise.
Thompson prefers vintage gear with a history, and most of hers is from the 1960s. āI feel thereās something ingrained in the character of the instrument from that,ā she says. Photo by TIM
How do you differentiate between the studio and live?
For the first record we had a mantra that what you play live is exactly what you play for the record. It was very much a document of our live performance. But for this record we had a lot more freedom. We went to RAK Studios in West London and we had about three-and-a-half weeks in there. It was a very comfortable, very nice studio. Fay had plenty of time on drums, AyÅe had plenty of time on bass, and I had a whole week for the guitar.
I guess thatās always the question: How do you get that same energy into the recording as you do live? Because we found the sounds and had, in effect, written the songs and finished them off live, I think recreating that was a little bit easier in the studio. It was very fun. I had all sorts of vintage Fender Vibrolux amps and Vox AC30s from the ā60s all hooked up, and I was playing with a Fender Jag and the Duo-Sonic. It was just a great time for exploration there.
Tell us about your main guitar, a 1966 Fender Duo-Sonic II.
The guitar fell onto me, if that makes sense. It just happened to become my guitar. I didnāt specifically choose a Duo-Sonic. Itās a very simple guitar, but you can throw it aroundāyou can do anything to itāand itās very light. I know exactly when itās going to start feeding back, at what point, what exact sound, and itās a very intuitive instrument. The record was recorded half with that guitar, half with a hired Jaguar, and a bit with a Gibson hollowbody.
A Gibson hollowbody? I didnāt expect that.
It was a Gibson ES-125 from 1960. It created some really beautiful low-end feedback, which was interesting. An MXR Blue Box on that instrument was quite an interesting sound.
Gemma Thompsonās Gear
Guitars
1966 Fender Duo-Sonic II
1963 Fender Jaguar
1960 Gibson ES-125
Amps
Vox AC30 HW2X with Celestion Blue speakers
Fender Twin Reverb
Effects
MXR Distortion +
MXR Blue Box
Crowther Audio Hotcake Fuzz
Maxon OD808 Tube Screamer
Fulltone OCD
Strymon Reverb
Boss DD-20 Giga Delay
Mini Moog MF Drive
Mini Moog MF Delay
Roland RE-20 Space Echo
Boss TU-3 Chromatic Tuner
Strings and Picks
Elixir strings (.011ā.049)
Yellow Dunlop .73 mm picks
Thatās a very different instrument from your Duo-Sonic.
It is. Itās not one that I could easily translate to the Savages live show. Itās the opposite of the Duo-Sonic.
You use a lot of vintage gear. What do you like about it?
I like to know the instrument has character. I find that really importantāthat itās got a history. I feel thereās something ingrained in the character of the instrument from that.
Meaning that each instrument has a personality?
I always think that. Thereās a beautiful clip on YouTube of Leonard Cohen [Editorās Note: Cohen was honored with a āPrincess of Asturiasā award by Spain in 2011 and traveled there to accept the award.]. In his speech, he thanked Spain for the trees and the wood that created his flamenco guitar. That idea is so beautiful. He goes to a country and thanks the wood that created his instrument because thatās the sound that comes through everything.
I like to think about the wood, where itās from, and who has had it. The guitar is such a great instrument in that you can play all of it in any way. Itās all stereophonic. And this idea that itās come from the trees and from the earthāitās kind of a silly thing but also really grounding in a way. Itās really a kind of primal thing.
Talk about your approach to pedals.
I try not to use too much in terms of effects. Obviously, I use quite a bit of distortion, reverb, and delay, but Iām always trying to focus more on the manipulation of the guitar and the amp. The pedals are just a tool to manipulate that a bit more. I try to see it like that rather than what effects I can put on to make a sound.
Effects do change the way you play, but youāre saying you use them to enhance your basic sound. Youāre not just pressing buttons to see what happens?
No. I mean, I do all sorts of experimenting with different things. But I think finding the right guitar, the right way to play that guitar, and the right amp should be most of the work, really. The effects are just a way to work that way of playing. Obviously, from speaking with other musiciansāguitarists I really admireāor seeing what other people do, the best thing Iāve learned is that you experiment and you make your own way to do things. There is no right or wrong in what youāre doing; you should just do whatever suits you.
You donāt use loops, but for a few of the songs on the album, like āI Need Something New,ā āWhen in Love,ā and āMechanics,ā are you just using delays to create those layers?
Yeah, thatās right. In āMechanicsā I have a loop of a drone sound that Iām layering up. But in terms of loops in Savages, I try not to do that. Iām a real believer in just playing what you need to play right there. I use the [Boss] DD-20 delay and that kind of sound-on-sound process, and I use the [Roland] Space Echo as well for tap-tempo delays and stuff. But I donāt really use loops.
Do you find it difficult to recreate those sounds every night live? Do you keep it loose?
No, I manage to recreate everything, although itās nice to experiment. If youāre feeling it, go a little bit further. I recently bought the Jag. Iām enjoying having the whammy bar to play with. Iām still working out the different sounds on that instrument. Itās just a lot of fun. But thereās always room for more manipulation.
On āWhen in Love,ā I couldnāt tell if that was slide or feedback.
I think there is slide on that. It got to the point in certain parts of the songs where I was making cascades of noise and I had a chair full of tools just to manipulate the guitar. I probably threw a bit of that on there.
Did you have any other cool tools?
I had things like pliers and whatnot. A TV remote control is sometimes interesting. You can get very strange sounds from that.
YouTube It
Savages perform several tracks from their intense debut album, 2013ās Silence Yourself. The bandās powerful fury and sense of urgency crescendos at the 9-minute mark during āShe Will.ā
In Stereo
Gemma Thompson uses cool guitars and stompboxes to create her tone, but relies on ampsāa Vox AC30 and a Fender Twināto do most of the heavy lifting.
āI have a Vox AC30 HW2X,ā she says. āItās the handwired reissue with the Celestion Blue alnico speakers. Itās the closest modern Vox AC30 Iāve found to the original sound of the ā60s ones.ā She would prefer a vintage amp, but touring makes that difficult. āI donāt carry spare parts like valves [tubes] and stuff yet, so I have to make sure Iām self-sufficient in terms of my amps workingāas much as I would love a vintage Vox AC30 and a vintage Twin Silverface.ā Her Twin is a new model as well.
Thompson tours with her own ampsāshe doesnāt rely on the dodgy gear clubs might provide. āIām very particular about the Vox AC30. Iāve tried a lot of them and experimented with whatās the best modern version of the old one. Itās gotten to the point where Iām very particular about what speakers are in it.ā She cranks her Vox to get her tone and usually runs her Twin clean. She runs her amps in stereo and has a custom stereo kill switch for when things get hairy. āI couldnāt find a kill switch that had two inputs in and two out that was stereo so I had one built,ā she says. āI have two amps onstage in stereo with stereo reverb. The switch kills everything dead.ā
Once her basic sound is intact, she adds a number of pedals to enhance her tone. Her pedalboard is simple, consisting of a few fuzz boxes and delays, with her most basic building block being an MXR Distortion +. āMy pedalboard is generally based around the idea of having the MXR Distortion +, a couple of other fuzz pedals, the Boss DD-20, a nice reverb, and then going to stereo amps.ā She acknowledges the Distortion + isnāt everyoneās favorite pedal, but it works for her. āI think it reacts very particular to different pickups. Itās a very colorful-sounding distortion and I think itās very sensitive to different guitars. You probably either love it or hate it I guess.ā
Voxās Valvenergy Tone Sculptor
Two new pedals from the Valvenergy series use a Nutube valve to generate unique dynamics and tone ranges that can be used to radical ends.
When tracking in a studio or DAW, youāre likely to use compression and EQ on most things. Many enduringly amazing and powerful records were made using little else. And though many musicians regard both effects as a bit unglamorous and utilitarian, EQs and comps are as capable of radical sounds as more overtly āweirdā effectsāparticularly when they are used in tandem.
I spent a day workshopping ideas in my studio using just the Vox Valvenergy Smooth Impact compressor and Tone Sculptor EQ, and a dash of amp tremolo and reverb to taste. In the process, I produced more arresting sounds than I had heard from my guitars in many days. There were radical direct-to-desk-style Jimmy Page/Beatles distortion tones, sun-sized, cosmic electric 12-string, Bakersfield twang that could burn through crude, and many other sweet and nasty colors. Most decent EQ and compressor combinations can achieve variations on all those themes. But the Smooth Impact and Tone Sculptor also reveal interesting personalities in unexpected places.
The individuality and energy in the Vox Valvenergy pedals is attributable, in part, to the Nutube vacuum tube used in the circuit. Though it looks little like a vacuum tube as most guitarists know them, the thin, wafer-like Nutube is, in fact, a real vacuum tube like those used in fluorescent displays. Fluorescent display tubes have limitations. A maximum operating voltage of around 40 volts means they arenāt useful for bigger power tube applications like a 6L6, which has an operating voltage of about 400 volts. But it can work quite well as a preamp tube in concert with an op amp power section, which is how the Nutube is used in the new Valvenergy pedals, as well as older Vox products like the Vox MV50 and Superbeetle amps.
Valvenergy Tone Sculptor
When you think about ācinematicā effects, you likely imagine big reverb or modulation sounds that create a vivid picture and feeling of space or motion. But narrow, hyper-focused EQ profiles can evoke very different and equally powerful images. Radical EQ settings can add aggression, claustrophobic intimacy, and stark, explosive dark-and-light contrasts more evocative of Hitchcockās Psycho than Ridley Scottās Blade Runner.
Any of these moods can be summoned from the Valvenergy Tone Sculptor. Six sliders cut or boost 10 dB frequency bands spanning 100 Hz to 5.6 kHz. A seventh slider cuts or boosts the master output by 12 dB. This platter of options might not sound like much. But you can use these seven controls together to very specific ends.
āRadical EQ settings can add aggression, near-claustrophobic intimacy, and stark, explosive dark-and-light contrasts.ā
For example, bumping the high-midrange and the master output produces narrow cocked-wah-like filter sounds with enough push to produce extra amp overdriveāeffectively turning the Tone Sculptor into a buzzy, almost fuzz-like filter effect. But unlike a wah, you can carefully scoop high end or add a spoonful of bass to blunt harsh frequencies or give the tone a bit more weight. You can also broaden the palette of an amp/guitar pairing. I matched a particularly trebly Jazzmaster bridge pickup with a very hot and toppy Vox AC15-flavored amp for this testāa recipe that can be spiky on the best days. But with the Tone Sculptor in the line, I could utilize the same sharp, fuzzy, and filtered Mick Ronson wah tones while shaving some of the most piercing frequencies.
EQ pedals exist on many points along the cost spectrum. And at $219, the Tone Sculptor lives on the high side of the affordable range. Does it offer something less expensive models canāt deliver? Well, for one thing, I found it relatively quiet, which is nice whether youāre shaping toppy high-contrast effects or performing more surgical adjustments. And the sliders feel nuanced and nicely tapered rather than like a dull axe with a few basic frequency notches. But in many situations I also liked the color imparted by the circuitāgenerated, presumably, by the Nutube. āColor,ā in audio terms, is a broad and subjective thing, and one should not necessarily expect the warm, tube-y glow of a vintage tube Pultec. Still, the Tone Sculptor has many forgiving, flattering qualitiesātypical of studio EQsāthat enable fine tuning and experimentation with more radical and creative applications of the effect.
Valvenergy Smooth Impact
As with the Tone Sculptor, the Smooth Impactās use of Nutube engenders certain expectations. Itās easy to surmise that because Smooth Impact has a vacuum tube in the circuit that it will behave like a little Teletronix LA-2A leveling amplifier. Thatās a big ask for a $219 stompbox. On the other hand, the Smooth Impact exhibits some appealing characteristics of studio tube compression. At lower compression levels, it works well as a thickening agentāadding mass without much additional noise. And at higher compression levels it can sound snappy, crisp, and tight without feeling like youāve bled every trace of overtone from your signal.
The Smooth Impactās controls arenāt totally atypical. But because it lacks some familiar features like variable attack and release, yet is more complicated than a 1-knob DynaComp, you have to trust your ear to navigate interactions among the controls. The most unfamiliar of these is the 3-way vintage/natural/sag toggle. The first two are defined by preset attack and release settings: Vintage is slow attack and long release, and natural is the opposite. The sag modeās compression is more like what you get from tube saturation, and itās useful for adding thickness and complexity to a thin amp tone at modest compression levels.
Though the vintage and natural modes certainly have a different feel, they donāt always sound worlds apart. And like the sag mode, the thing they have in common is the way they enrich lifeless amp output at low to medium compression, with a bit of grind from the tube gain and a little extra makeup gain from the output. At the most aggressive settings, the tube gain can get a little crispy. And really crushing the compression can flatline your tone without adding much in the way of extra sustain. These are limitations common to many compressors with similar features. But unless I was chasing very ultra-snappy Prince and Nile Rodgers fast-funk caricatures, I enjoyed the Smooth Impact most in its in-between ranges, where mass, mild, harmonious drive, and low noise showcase the pedalās sometimes studio-like personality.
Significantly smaller and lighter than original TAE. Easy to configure and operate. Great value. Streamlined control set.
Air Feel Level control takes the place of more surgical and realistic resonance controls. Seventy watts less power in onboard power amp. No Bluetooth connectivity with desktop app.
$699
Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander Core
Boss streamlines the size, features, and price of the already excellent Waza Tube Expander with little sacrifice in functionality.
Many of our younger selves would struggle to understand the urgeāindeed, the needāto play quieter. My first real confrontation with this ever-more-present reality arrived when Covid came to town. For many months, I could only sneak into my studio space late at night to jam or review anything loud. Ultimately, the thing that made it possible to create and do my job in my little apartment was a reactive load box (in this case, a Universal Audio OX). I set up a Bassman head next to my desk and, with the help of the OX, did the work of a gear editor as well as recorded several very cathartic heavy jams, with the Bassman up to 10, that left my neighbors none the wiser.
Bossā firstWaza Tube Amp Expander, built with an integrated power amp that enables boosted signal as well as attenuated sounds, was and remains the OXās main competition. Both products have copious merits but, at $1,299 (Boss) and $1,499 (Universal Audio), each is expensive. And while both units are relatively compact, they arenāt gear most folks casually toss in a backpack on the way out the door. The new Waza Tube Expander Core, however, just might be. And though it sacrifices some refinements for smaller size, its much-more accessible price and strong, streamlined fundamental capabilities make it a load-box alternative that could sway skeptics.
Micro Manager
The TAE Core is around 7 1/2" wide, just over 7 " long, and fewer than 4 " tall, including the rubber feet. Thatās about half the width of an original TAE or OX. The practical upside of this size reduction is obvious and will probably compel a lot of players to use the unit in situations in which theyād leave a full-size TAE at home. The streamlined design is another source of comfort. With just five knobs on its face, the TAE Core has fewer controls and is easier to use than many stompboxes. In fact, the most complicated part of integrating the TAE Core to your rig might be downloading the necessary drivers and related apps.
Connectivity is straightforward, though there are some limitations. You can use TAE Core wirelessly with an iOS or Windows tablet or smartphone, as long as you have the BT-DUAL adaptor (which is not included and sets you back around 40 bucks). However, while desktop computers recognize the TAE Core as a Bluetooth-enabled device, you cannot use the unit wirelessly with those machines. Instead, you have to connect the TAE Core via USB. In a perfectly ordered world, thatās not a big problem. But if you use the TAE Core in a small studioāwhere one less cable is one less headacheāor you prefer to interface with the TAE Core app on a desktop where you can toggle fast and easily between large, multi-track sessions and the app, the inability to work wirelessly on a desktop can be a distraction. The upside is that the TAE Core app itself is, functionally and visually, almost identical in mobile and desktop versions, enabling you to select and drag and drop virtual microphones into position, add delay, reverb, compression, and EQ effects, choose various cabinets with different speaker configurations and sizes, and introduce new rigs and impulse responses to a tone recipe in a flash. And though the TAE Core app lacks some of the photorealistic panache and configuration options in the OX app, the TAE Coreās app is just as intuitive.Less Is More
One nice thing about the TAE Coreās more approachable $699 price is that you donāt have to feel too bad on nights that you āunderutilizeā the unit and employ it as an attenuator alone. In this role, the TAE Core excels. Even significantly attenuated sounds retain the color and essence of the source tone. Like any attenuator-type device, you will sacrifice touch sensitivity and dynamics at a certain volume level, yielding a sense of disconnection between fingers, gut, guitar, and amp. But if youāre tracking ābigā sounds in a small space, you can generate massive-sounding ones without interfacing with an amp modeler and flat-response monitors, which is a joy in my book. And again, thereās the TAE Coreās ability to āexpandā as well as attenuate, which means you can use the TAE Coreās 30-watt onboard power amp to amplify the signal from, say, a 5-watt Fender Champion 600 with a 6" speaker, route it to a 2x12, 4x12, or virtual equivalent in the app, and leave your bandmate with the Twin Reverb and bad attitude utterly perplexed.
The Verdict
Opting for the simpler, thriftier TAE Core requires a few sacrifices. Power users that grew accustomed to the original TAEās super-tunable āresonance-Zā and āpresence-Zā controls, which aped signal-chain impedance relationships with sharp precision, will have to make do with the simpler but still very effective stack and combo options and the āair feel levelā spatial ambience control.The DC power jack is less robust. It features only MIDI-in rather than MIDI-in/-through/-out jacks, and, significantly, 70 watts less power in the onboard power amp. But from my perspective, the Core is no less āprofessionalā in terms of what it can achieve on a stage or in a studio of any size. Its more modest feature set and dimensions are, in my estimation, utility enhancements as much as limitations. If greater power and MIDI connectivity are essentials, then the extra 600 bones for the original TAE will be worth the price. For many of us, though, the mix of value, operational efficiencies, and the less-encumbered path to sound creation built into the TAE Core will represent a welcome sweet spot that makes dabbling in this very useful technology an appealing, practical proposition.
Darkglass Electronics unveils ANAGRAM, a flagship bass platform designed to redefine tone, flexibility, and performance. The pedalās extraordinarily deep feature set includes multiple effects and modeling, an on-board looper and tuner.
Best of all, ANAGRAM brings together these creative tools in a streamlined, rugged format thatās designed for ease of use. Onstage and in the studio, bassists can quickly access and fine-tune their sound via the ANAGRAM interface:
- 7-inch high-brightness touchscreen for clear and intuitive control.
- Three footswitches for live performance control.
- Six high-resolution endless rotary knobs for precise parameter adjustments.
- Flexible input and output configuration.
With ultra-low latency, extensive customization, and seamless integration into the Darkglass ecosystem, it supports both studio precision and stage performance. Combining 15 years of innovation with cutting-edge processing power, ANAGRAM offers a purpose-built solution for bassists seeking unparalleled sound-shaping capabilities.
Anagram
Powered by a state-of-the-art hexacore processor and 32-bit/48kHz audio processing,ANAGRAM delivers ultra-low latency, pristine clarity, and studio-grade sound. Its intuitive blocks-based architecture lets players create signal chains in series (12 blocks) or parallel (24blocks) using a high-resolution touch display. ANAGRAM features three control modesāPreset,Scene, and Stompāfor instant switching, parameter adjustments, and traditional pedalboard-style operation. With a curated collection of distinct preamps, 50+ customizable effects, a looper, tuner, and user-generated IR support, ANAGRAM delivers unmatched creative flexibility.Seamless integration with the Darkglass Suite allows for expanded control and functionality. Additionally, Neural Amp Modeler (NAM) integration provides access to thousands
of high-quality amp and effect models, expanding tonal possibilities from analog warmth to futuristic textures.
"Anagram represents the culmination of years of research and development," says Marcos Barilatti, Managing Director of Darkglass Electronics. "We set out to create a product that not only pushes the boundaries of bass tone but also inspires musicians to explore new sonic territories."
Housed in a rugged anodized aluminum chassis, ANAGRAM is road-ready, compact, and powered via 9V or USB-C (PD). With flagship features at a compelling price, ANAGRAM represents the new standard for bassists seeking a modern platform for their performance.
Street $1199.99 USD
Alongside Nicolas Jaarās electronics, Harrington creates epic sagas of sound with a team of fine-tuned pedalboards.
Guitarist Dave Harrington concedes that while there are a few mile markers in the music that he and musician Nicolas Jaar create as Darkside, improvisation has been the rule from day one. The experimental electronic trioās latest record, Nothing, which released in February on Matador, was the first to feature new percussionist Tlacael Esparza.
Taking the record on tour this year, Darkside stopped in at Nashvilleās Brooklyn Bowl, where Harrington broke down his complex signal chains for PGās Chris Kies.
Brought to you by DāAddario.
Express Yourself
Harrington bought this mid-2000s Gibson SG at 30th Street Guitars in New York, a shop he used to visit as a kid. The headstock had already been broken and repaired, and Harrington switched the neck pickup to a Seymour Duncan model used by Derek Trucks. Harrington runs it with DāAddario NYXL .010s, which he prefers for their stretch and stability.
The standout feature is a round knob installed by his tech behind the bridge, which operates like an expression pedal for the Line 6 DL4. Harrington has extras on hand in case one breaks.
Triple Threat
Harringtonās backline setup in Nashville included two Fender Twin Reverbs and one Fender Hot Rod DeVille. He likes the reissue Fender amps for their reliability and clean headroom. Each amp handles an individual signal, including loops that Harrington creates and plays over; with each amp handling just one signal rather than one handling all loops and live playing, thereās less loss of definition and competition for frequency space.
Dave Harringtonās Pedalboards
Harrington says he never gives up on a pedal, which could explain why heās got so many. Youāre going to have to tune in to the full Rundown to get the proper scoop on how Harrington conducts his three-section orchestra of stomps, but at his feet, he runs a board with a Chase Bliss Habit, Mu-Tron Micro-Tron IV, Eventide PitchFactor, Eventide H90, Hologram Microcosm, Hologram Chroma Console, Walrus Monument, Chase Bliss Thermae, Chase Bliss Brothers AM, JHS NOTAKLĆN, two HexeFX reVOLVERs, and an Amped Innovations JJJ Special Harmonics Extender. A Strymon Ojai provides power.
At hip-level sits a board with a ZVEX Mastotron, Electro-Harmonix Cathedral, EHX Pitch Fork, Xotic EP Booster, two EHX 45000 multi-track looping recorders, Walrus Slƶer, Expedition Electronics 60 Second Deluxe, and another Hologram Microcosm. A Live Wire Solutions ABY Box and MXR DC Brick are among the utility tools on deck.
Under that board rest Harringtonās beloved Line 6 DL4āhis desert-island, must-have pedalāalong with a controller for the EHX 45000, Boss FV-50H volume pedal, Dunlop expression pedal, Boss RT-20, a Radial ProD2, and another MXR DC Brick.