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

Rig Rundown: Doyle Bramhall II

The famed bluesman creates his soulful musical gumbo with a mixture of vintage gear, a few boutique toys, and a pile of pedals.

At age 18, Doyle Bramhall II was recruited by the Fabulous Thunderbirds to hold down the guitar slot. Since that early break he has stuck out as a solo artist, toured with Roger Waters, and spent over a decade collaborating with Eric Clapton. PG caught up with Bramhall II at Nashvilleā€™s City Winery while he was touring to promote his new solo album, Rich Man.

Click to subscribe to our weekly Rig Rundown podcast:


Doyle Bramhall II's Gear

Vox
Ā 

Vox Wah

CheckItOut

Hereā€™s how 21 killer players from the past year of Rig Rundownsā€”including Justin Chancellor, Zakk Wylde, MonoNeon, Carmen Vandenberg, Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell, and Grace Bowersā€”use stomps to take their sounds outside the box.


Read MoreShow less

This Japan-made Guyatone brings back memories of hitchinā€™ rides around the U.S.

This oddball vintage Guyatone has a streak of Jack Kerouacā€™s adventurous, thumbing spirit.

The other day, I saw something I hadnā€™t noticed in quite some time. Driving home from work, I saw an interesting-looking fellow hitchhiking. When I was a kid, ā€œhitchersā€ seemed much more common, but, then again, the world didnā€™t seem as dangerous as today. Heck, I can remember hitching to my uncleā€™s cabin in Bradford, Pennsylvaniaā€”home of Zippo lightersā€”and riding almost 200 miles while I sat in a spare tire in the open bed of a pickup truck! Yes, safety wasnā€™t a big concern for kids back in the day.

Read MoreShow less

There's a lot of musical gold inside the scales.

Intermediate

Intermediate

ā€¢ Develop a deeper improvisational vocabulary.

ā€¢ Combine pentatonic scales to create new colors.

ā€¢ Understand the beauty of diatonic harmony.
{'file_original_url': 'https://roar-assets-auto.rbl.ms/documents/11372/OneChordVamp-Jul21.pdf', 'id': 11372, 'media': '[rebelmouse-document-pdf 11372 site_id=20368559 original_filename="OneChordVamp-Jul21.pdf"]', 'media_html': 'OneChordVamp-Jul21.pdf', 'type': 'pdf'}

Improvising over one chord for long stretches of time can be a musician's best friend or worst nightmare. With no harmonic variation, we are left to generate interest through our lines, phrasing, and creativity. When I started learning to improvise, a minor 7 chord and a Dorian mode were the only sounds that I wanted to hear at the time. I found it tremendously helpful to have the harmony stay in one spot while I mined for new ideas to play. Playing over a static chord was crucial in developing my sense of time and phrasing.

Read MoreShow less

Building upon the foundation of the beloved Core Collection H-535, this versatile instrument is designed to serve as a masterpiece in tone.

Read MoreShow less