PG's Jason Shadrick catches up with Keller Williams at the Englert Theatre in Iowa City, IA. In this segment, Williams details and demonstrates his live rig.
Guitars
Keller's main workhorse is a Martin HD-28(L) from the early 2000s. It has "the low end of a beast" and is plugged direct into the PA. He also has another HD-28 that is used for more experimental purposes–such as adding a synth pickup or even cutting it in half. The thin-bodied guitar on the right caught Keller's eye online for $180 on Amazon when it was described as an "acoustic SG."
He also uses an electric guitar made by Tommy Rodriguez out of Richmond, Virignia and a Fender Road Worn bass. He strings it with flatwound strings and turns the tone control all the way down to take all the treble out of his sound.
Pedalboard
The heart of Keller's pedalboard rig is a Boss RC-300, which everything feeds into. His favorite effect–due to Jerry Garcia's influence–is the MuTron III. His other main effects include a Line 6 DL4, Ibanez Tube Screamer, Boss Digital Reverb, Boss RT-20 Rotary Ensemble, and a TC Electronic Hall of Fame Reverb. Keller is able to blend the effects with his dry signal via an Ernie Ball VP Jr. Volume Pedal. He runs everything direct with no amps.
In addition, the Korg Kaossilator gives Keller access to some synth-style sounds–which are also run through the RC-300. The Roland HandSonic HPD-15 gives Keller all the drum sounds he needs to create his loops, and he also uses a Roland GR-55 for all of his synth sounds (with the Rodriguez electric).
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 trio’s 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 Nashville’s Brooklyn Bowl, where Harrington broke down his complex signal chains for PG’s Chris Kies.
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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 D’Addario 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
Harrington’s 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, there’s less loss of definition and competition for frequency space.
Dave Harrington’s Pedalboards
Harrington says he never gives up on a pedal, which could explain why he’s got so many. You’re 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 NOTAKLÖN, 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 Slöer, 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 Harrington’s beloved Line 6 DL4—his desert-island, must-have pedal—along 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.
