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Rig Rundown: Be Well’s Mike Schleibaum

Darkest Hour's cofounding guitarist details his brand-new signature ESP V and offers up sound secrets gleaned from producer/singer Brian McTernan.

Facing a mandatory shelter-in-place ordinance to limit the spread of COVID-19, PG enacted a hybrid approach to filming and producing Rig Rundowns. This is the 35th video in that format.

Darkest Hour cofounding guitarist/frontman and one-half of Be Well’s axe pack Mike Schleibaum makes some time after releasing Be Well’s debut The Weight and the Cost to virtually welcome PG’s Perry Bean into his gear sanctuary. In this Rig Rundown, he goes over his brand-spankin’ new ESP LTD signature V, details how (and why) he overhauls all his Les Pauls in the same manner, shows off his mighty Marshalls, and shares a few of producer (and Be Well singer) Brian McTernan’s pedal secrets that turned his standard Pro Co and Boss stomps into era earmarks for melodic metal and hardcore genres.


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Stevie Van Zandt with “Number One,” the ’80s reissue Stratocaster—with custom paisley pickguard from luthier Dave Petillo—that he’s been playing for the last quarter century or so.

Photo by Pamela Springsteen

With the E Street Band, he’s served as musical consigliere to Bruce Springsteen for most of his musical life. And although he stands next to the Boss onstage, guitar in hand, he’s remained mostly quiet about his work as a player—until now.

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