A chilled-out look at the road rigs of guitarists Jimmy Herring and John “JB” Bell, and bassist Dave Schools—32 years after the legendary jam band’s first gig in Athens, Georgia.
Premier Guitar’s Ted Drozdowski met with virtuoso Jimmy Herring, frontman John “JB” Bell, and techs Joel Byron and Paul Agostino before the second of three dates at Nashville’s Ascend Amphitheater to get the scoop on how Widespread Panic’s string-stretchers get their sounds.
Jimmy Herring’s main guitar with Widespread Panic is a custom-built Paul Reed Smith with Lollar Imperial pickups, two volume controls and a single tone control. He favors jumbo frets with medium action for more clarity and definition, and strings them up with D’Addario .010 sets. The back of its headstock bears the legend “Custom built for Jimmy Herring,” and is signed by Smith. His backup axe, which also has Lollar Imperials, is a David Grissom signature PRS that he mostly pays in drop D.
Besides his PRS guitars, Herring brought this parts S-style guitar built by guitar tech Joel Byron on Widespread’s sojurn to Nashville. It’s “sort of a ’50s style,” says Herring. The guitar’s got a light ash body (from MJT), which he says tends to resonate better, a USA Custom Guitars neck, Don Mare pickups, and a Callaham bridge chosen to give the strings a more modern spacing. As with all his guitars with whammy bars, he uses four springs under the bridge. The axe’s middle setting activates the neck and middle pickup.
Herring’s dry tone comes from a 100-watt Homestead head handbuilt by Peter McMahon, outfitted with 6550 tubes. After a volume pedal and tuner, it’s what Herring’s signal hits first, and then a line out goes to a second volume pedal that leads to his wet amp rig.
The cab for Herring’s dry signal is this old 4x12 Sound City with 40/40 Tone Tubby ceramic magnet speakers. Perched atop the cabinet is a Brown Box input voltage attenuator with a sticker of his late mentor Col. Bruce Hampton’s face on it.
Herring’s Crown power amp pushes sound through an Orange 4x12 run in stereo, with four Electro-Voice Force monitor speakers, for big, clean tones. The reverb comes courtesy of an Eventide Space, and when things need to get dirty, there’s a Hughes & Kettner Tube Factor also atop the power amps.
Here’s the Ampeg BA210SP that Herring uses as a monitor for Dave Schools’ sound. Typically, he leaves the controls where Joel Byron sets ’em.
Herring might use this Germino Classic 45 to play smaller venues than an outdoor arena like the Ascend. It’s essentially an update on the Marshall JTM45, with Drake power and output transformers, and TAD KT-66 and Mullard reissue 12AX7 tubes.
Jimmy Herring’s versatile palette of tones with Widespread Panic mostly comes from his deft control of volume, but a few boxes are also along for the ride. The most important is his Eventide Space, which provides the reverb for the tone that emerges from his stereo Orange cab. That’s buoyed by a Hughes & Kettner Tube Factor, for overdrive, but he plugs straight into an Ernie Ball volume pedal and a battered Boss TU-2 tuner.
This array of volume pedals at the front of Herring’s stage carpet allows him to control what he’s hearing in his monitors without using his hands. He got the system while touring with the Dead in 2000. “I was finding myself for the first time on really big stages, and asked their soundman, Dennis Leonard, who they call ‘Wiz,’ if he could build something better for me than one of those monitors you have to control by hand. This keeps me from having to think about anything while I play.”
John “JB” Bell’s main guitar is the latest in a line of Washburn HB35 semi-hollowbody models he’s been playing since 1990, with a distinctive custom red finish and white binding. It’s got Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates humbuckers and is strung with .012 sets with a wound G. His backup is an all-black HB35 he uses for slide—mostly in open G, open D, or drop D. His slides are brass, and he also tunes the guitar down a whole step to play some Vic Chesnutt songs. The pickups are a Duncan Alnico II Pro in the neck and a Custom in the bridge. He tends to use both pickups at all times, for both guitars.
Depending on the tunes in the set, JB might play a National Tricone resonator, a banjo, or this Washburn M3SW F-style mandolin. The mando was the acoustic instrument he brought for these Nashville shows.
JB runs both his amps throughout the band’s two-set marathons. He’s had a Roland JC-120 since Widespread began and typically has the chorus engaged. But things get a little “wonky,” he says, when he steps on his Vox wah, so Joel Byron modded the wah with a switch that deactivates the amp’s chorus when it gets stomped on.
JB’s other amp, a 100-watt Fuchs Overdrive Supreme, has a radically different tone than the Roland. There’s a Radial Tonebone switcher on top, connecting both amps. We’re not sure what effect the crystal has on his tone, but it’s cool!
The cab beneath the Fuchs is a stock Mesa/Boogie 4x12 with a closed back.
JB’s Horizon Selectaline switcher routes his guitar signal into his JC-120 and Fuchs amps, and dates back to a time when one of his guitars was a Gibson Chet Atkins model.
JB’s essential tone-shaping pedal is this Ibanez Tube Screamer, which he leaves on all the time. It’s joined on the floor by a Peterson Strobo Stomp 2 tuner, a Fulltone OCD overdrive for solos, an Ernie Ball volume pedal, his modded Vox wah, and a Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2. He also uses a passive Radial DI when he decides to play National Tricone resonator, banjo, or his Washburn M3SW F-style mandolin.
Dave Schools’ No. 1 is a custom 6-string Modulus Graphite bass he calls “Merle.” It has Bartolini pickups, an active preamp, and active EQ controls. There are two stickers laminated onto the back, for inspiration. One is Grateful Dead-themed. The other is derived from Indian classical painting.
His other 6-string bass is a gorgeous Alembic Custom Series II in a dark mahogany with a cocobolo top and a walnut, ebony, purpleheart, and maple neck. It’s a Bird of Prey body shape, with Alembic’s proprietary pickups and an active preamp and EQ. Both of his basses sport multi-pin connector ins, but those go unused.
Clean power is the aim of Schools’ current system, which is driven by a d&b power amp. Agostino explains that the bass rig mirrors the band’s overall PA system, and that Schools was inspired to put it together by Phil Lesh’s rig. It’s bi-amped, with the highs running through two d&b Y10 speakers and two of the company’s 1x15 cabs for low end. Those rest atop a pair of 18s, controlled by the monitor engineer, who feeds them some kick drum, too, letting them double as monitor and bass output. A currently unused Line 6 Relay wireless receiver rests below the d&b amp.
Schools’ core tone shaping is done by an Avalon Design Vacuum Tube VT 737sp preamp, which rests in his rack alongside a Live Wire power conditioner and a Korg ToneWorks tuner.
According to bass tech Paul Agostino, Dave Schools changes his buffet of effects on a nightly basis, but his two constants are this MXR Bass Octave Deluxe, for subtones, and the new Waza Craft version of the classic Boss DM-2 Delay.
The rest of School’s pedal feast at Nashville’s Ascend: a Catlinbread SFT Ampeg-voiced overdrive, a Walrus Audio Luminary Quad Octave Generator, EarthQuaker Devices’ The Depths optical vibe, a Catlinbread Echorec, a Caroline Guitar Company Kilobyte Lo-Fi Delay, and, on the floor, a Carl Martin Octa-Switch. He’s also fond of envelope filters, but not for this gig. And Schools uses an Ernie Ball volume pedal to mute before tuning, and a Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 to run his rotating roster of stomps.
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Lutefish, the real-time music collaboration device and platform, is excited to announce a suite of new features designed to simplify setup, streamline collaboration, and offer more flexible subscription options for Lutefish Stream users. These latest updates, Audio Presets, Automatic Session Recall, Improved Scheduling with Contact Visibility, and a new Yearly Subscription Plan, are all about making it easier than ever for musicians to jam together, no matter where they’re based.
Save Time and Stay in the Flow with Audio Presets & Session Recall
Musicians can now save and reuse their exact audio settings, reducing setup time and ensuring every session sounds exactly as they want.
- Automatic Session Recall: When users leave a session, their current audio levels are automatically saved and restored when they rejoin.
- User-Defined Audio Presets: Each user can create and name up to five custom presets, like “Band Practice,” “Studio Mic Setup,” or “Quick Jam,” making it effortless to jump back in with the perfect sound.
“These tools are all about saving time and hassle,” said Patrick Finn, Business Manager at Lutefish. “Musicians want to make music, not spend time rebalancing levels every session. With presets and recall, we’re giving them time back and helping them sound their best, every time.”
Smarter Scheduling and Contact Visibility
The latest update to Lutefish also made it easier to find collaborators and book sessions. Users can now:- View all their contacts at a glance when scheduling a session.
- Instantly identify which contacts own a Lutefish Stream device—so they will always know who’s ready to jam.
Go Yearly and Save 20%
Lutefish now offers a Yearly Subscription Plan, providing users with the same great access as the monthly plan at a 20% discount.
This option is now available within the Lutefish app and web platform, and current monthly users are eligible for a discount with an upgrade to a yearly subscription.
Lutefish’s mission has always been to empower musicians to connect and collaborate without boundaries. With these new updates, Lutefish Stream continues to break down barriers—whether you’re jamming with a friend across town or collaborating with a bandmate 500 miles away.
For more information and to start jamming today, visitlutefish.com.
The veteran Florida-born metalcore outfit proves that you don’t need humbuckers to pull off high gain.
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.
Kiesel Guitars has introduced their newest solid body electric guitar: the Kyber.
With its modern performance specs and competitive pricing, the Kyber is Kiesel's most forward-thinking design yet, engineered for comfort, quick playing, and precision with every note.
Introducing the Kiesel Kyber Guitar
- Engineered with a lightweight body to reduce fatigue during long performances without sacrificing tone. Six-string Kybers, configured with the standard woods and a fixed bridge, weigh in at 6 pounds or under on average
- Unique shape made for ergonomic comfort in any playing position and enhanced classical position
- The Kyber features Kiesel's most extreme arm contour and a uniquely shaped body that enhances classical position support while still excelling in standard position.
- The new minimalist yet aggressive headstock pairs perfectly with the body's sleek lines, giving the Kyber a balanced, modern silhouette.
- Hidden strap buttons mounted on rear for excellent balance while giving a clean, ultra-modern look to the front
- Lower horn cutaway design for maximum access to the upper frets
- Sculpted neck heel for seamless playing
- Available in 6 or 7 strings, fixed or tremolo in both standard and multiscale configurations Choose between fixed bridges, tremolos, or multiscale configurations for your perfect setup.
Pricing for the Kyber starts at $1599 and will vary depending on options and features. Learn more about Kiesel’s new Kyber model at kieselguitars.com
The Sunset is a fully analog, zero latency bass amplifier simulator. It features a ¼” input, XLR and ¼” outputs, gain and volume controls and extensive equalization. It’s intended to replace your bass amp both live and in the studio.
If you need a full sounding amp simulator with a lot of EQ, the Sunset is for you. It features a five band equalizer with Treble, Bass, Parametric Midrange (with frequency and level controls), Resonance (for ultra lows), and Presence (for ultra highs). All are carefully tuned for bass guitar. But don’t let that hold you back if you’re a keyboard player. Pianos and synthesizers sound great with the Sunset!
The Sunset includes Gain and master Volume controls which allow you to add compression and classic tube amp growl. It has both ¼” phone and balanced XLR outputs - which lets you use it as a high quality active direct box. Finally, the Sunset features zero latency all analog circuitry – important for the instrument most responsible for the band’s groove.
Introducing the Sunset Bass Amp Simulator
- Zero Latency bass amp simulator.
- Go direct into the PA or DAW.
- Five Band EQ:
- Treble and Bass controls.
- Parametric midrange with level and frequency controls.
- Presence control for extreme highs.
- Resonance control for extreme lows.
- Gain control to add compression and harmonics.
- Master Volume.
- XLR and 1/4" outputs.
- Full bypass.
- 9VDC, 200mA.
Artwork by Aaron Cheney
MAP price: $210 USD ($299 CAD).