Matsson plays a vintage ’50s Harmony Stratotone. The Stratotone remains all stock as far as he knows and in spite of the primitive bridge, the intonation is solid.
The acoustic equivalent of the Stratotone is Matsson’s vintage Kay acoustic from the 1950s. An L.R. Baggs M1 passive soundhole pickup sends the signal to front of house.
For a 12-string vibe, Matsson goes with this 2015 Gretsch Country Gentleman G6122-G212 with TV Jones pickups.
Matsson uses this 1965 Martin D-18 equipped with a an L.R. Baggs M1 pickup for more folk-based tunes. A feedback buster has been trimmed to accommodate the pickup.
This replica of a 1960s T-style was built for Matsson by luthier Kresimir Juricic. It was patterned after Mike Bloomfield’s classic axe and features Fender Custom ’62 pickups.
Matsson’s 2017 Fender Stratocaster has been upgraded with Lindy Fralin pickups.
Matsson’s Epiphone Serenader FT-85 is a late-’60s 12-string that has also been equipped with an L.R. Baggs M1 pickup.
One of the newer guitars in Matsson’s stash is this 2019 Gibson ES-335. It offers that classic humbucker sound combined with the warmth of a semi-hollow.
This 2015 Martin 00L-17 gives Matsson a bit more acoustic tonal variety. Like the others, this acoustic has been equipped with an L.R. Baggs M1.
A pair of Fender Blues Jr IVs serve as Matsson’s backline. Here’s a look at his settings.
Matsson has quite an expansive pedalboard that includes a Strymon blueSky Reverberator, an EarthQuaker Devices Avalanche Run, a Strymon El Capistan dTape Echo, a Strymon Flint, an Industrial Electric RM-1N, an Electro-Harmonix Nano POG, a Cornish Acoustic Preamp/DI, Electro-Harmonix Hum Debugger, a Strymon Deco, a Chase Bliss Tonal Recall, a JHS/Keeley Steak & Eggs, a Fulltone True Path ABY-HT, Korg tuner, and a Gamechanger Audio Plus.
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Last August, metalcore giants Poison the Well gave the world a gift: They announced they were working on their first studio album in 15 years. They unleashed the first taste, single “Trembling Level,” back in January, and set off on a spring North American tour during which they played their debut record, The Opposite of December… A Season of Separation, in full every night.
PG’s Perry Bean caught up with guitarists Ryan Primack and Vadim Taver, and bassist Noah Harmon, ahead of the band’s show at Nashville’s Brooklyn Bowl for this new Rig Rundown.
Brought to you by D’Addario.Not-So-Quiet As a Mouse
Primack started his playing career on Telecasters, then switched to Les Pauls, but when his prized LPs were stolen, he jumped back to Teles, and now owns nine of them.
His No. 1 is this white one (left). Seymour Duncan made him a JB Model pickup in a single-coil size for the bridge position, while the neck is a Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound Staggered. He ripped out all the electronics, added a Gibson-style toggle switch, flipped the control plate orientation thanks to an obsession with Danny Gatton, and included just one steel knob to control tone. Primack also installed string trees with foam to control extra noise.
This one has Ernie Ball Papa Het’s Hardwired strings, .011–.050.
Here, Kitty, Kitty
Primack runs both a PRS Archon and a Bad Cat Lynx at the same time, covering both 6L6 and EL34 territories. The Lynx goes into a Friedman 4x12 cab that’s been rebadged in honor of its nickname, “Donkey,” while the Archon, which is like a “refined 5150,” runs through an Orange 4x12.
Ryan Primack’s Pedalboard
Primack’s board sports a Saturnworks True Bypass Multi Looper, plus two Saturnworks boost pedals. The rest includes a Boss TU-3w, DOD Bifet Boost 410, Caroline Electronics Hawaiian Pizza, Fortin ZUUL +, MXR Phase 100, JHS Series 3 Tremolo, Boss DM-2w, DOD Rubberneck, MXR Carbon Copy Deluxe, Walrus Slo, and SolidGoldFX Surf Rider III.
Taver’s Teles
Vadim Taver’s go-to is this cherryburst Fender Telecaster, which he scored in the early 2000s and has been upgraded to Seymour Duncan pickups on Primack’s recommendation. His white Balaguer T-style has been treated to the same upgrade. The Balaguer is tuned to drop C, and the Fender stays in D standard. Both have D’Addario strings, with a slightly heavier gauge on the Balaguer.
Dual-Channel Chugger
Taver loves his 2-channel Orange Rockerverb 100s, one of which lives in a case made right in Nashville.
Vadim Taver’s Pedalboard
Taver’s board includes an MXR Joshua, MXR Carbon Copy Deluxe, Empress Tremolo, Walrus ARP-87, Old Blood Noise Endeavors Reflector, MXR Phase 90, Boss CE-2w, and Sonic Research Turbo Tuner ST-200, all powered by a Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 Plus.
Big Duff
Harmon’s favorite these days is this Fender Duff McKagan Deluxe Precision Bass, which he’s outfitted with a Leo Quan Badass bridge. His backup is a Mexico-made Fender Classic Series ’70s Jazz Bass. This one also sports Primack-picked pickups.
Rental Rockers
Harmon rented this Orange AD200B MK III head, which runs through a 1x15 cab on top and a 4x10 on the bottom.
Noah Harmon’s Pedalboard
Harmon’s board carries a Boss TU-2, Boss ODB-3, MXR Dyna Comp, Darkglass Electronics Vintage Ultra, and a Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 Plus. His signal from the Vintage Ultra runs right to the front-of-house, and Harmon estimates that that signal accounts for about half of what people hear on any given night.
