The long-running punk quartet pick prototypes, P basses, and Pauls for their latest live shows.
On tour supporting their 12th full-length record, Silver Bleeds the Black Sun…, California rockers AFI rolled through Nashville’s Marathon Music Works in October. After first running down their rigs in 2017, PG’s Chris Kies linked up again with guitarist Jade Puget and bassist Hunter Burgan to see how their gear has evolved in the past eight years.
Puget found this Les Paul Standard hanging at Guitar Center 15 years ago, and it’s still his go-to live guitar. A surprisingly light specimen, it’s had a Seymour Duncan pickup swapped in, and it’s strung with Ernie Balls—usually .010s.
Throughout AFI’s set, Puget switches between tunings: D sharp, drop C sharp, D standard, and E standard.
Silver Surfer
This new Schecter, a prototype made for Puget, is his first ever silverburst, which saw service in the music video for “Holy Visions.” It’s loaded with a Sustainiac system in the neck position.
Willing and Ableton
Puget has experimented a lot to get his rig to this point. His signal runs through a pair of rack-mounted Line 6 Helix units in a stereo configuration, and also through a computer running Ableton that triggers the exact sound designs he created while recording. The RJM Mastermind and Effect Gizmo are programmed to control all pedals, the Helix, and Ableton.
Jade Puget’s Pedalboard
Most of Puget’s effects come from the Helix, but he also runs a few pedals in his rack, including an MXR EVH 5150 Overdrive and Carbon Copy, Boss DC-2W, RV-2, and BF-2, and a Keeley Compressor.
Another board carries a Boss TU-3, TC Electronic Mimiq, EHX The Clone Theory, TC Electronic Arena, MXR Echoplex, and L.R. Baggs Venue DI.
Blackout
In live contexts, Burgan uses Fender P basses exclusively. This is his No. 1, which he’s had since 2012.
Pinky
This dazzling Fender P was made custom for Burgan before this tour.
Triples is Best
Burgan runs this trio of Ampeg SVT Classics.
Hunter Burgan’s Rack Setup
Burgan uses a RJM Mastermind GT to control his in-show switching. In his backstage rack, there’s an EHX Bass Big Muff, Micro Synth, Satisfaction, Nano POG, Bass Clone, and Graphic Fuzz, and on a second shelf, there’s the rest of the collection: a Bass Soul Food, Battalion, Lizard King, Neo Mistress, and Memory Toy.
Honing in your warmup routine is an important part of your daily guitar ritual. In this guided practice routine, Tom Butwin takes you through his warmup and will keep you company as you work your way through.
For over 130 years, groundbreaking Gibson instruments have shaped some of the most powerful moments in music history. Now, in celebration of the Live ’25 Tour and the long-awaited return of Oasis, Gibson proudly introduces the Noel Gallagher Les Paul™ Standard—a model designed by world-renowned singer, songwriter, and guitarist Noel Gallagher himself to capture the sound, vibe, and aesthetics of the 90s while bringing everything full circle for today’s audiences. Available for a limited time at authorized dealers, Gibson Garage locations in London and Nashville, and Gibson.com, this release marks a new chapter in the iconic partnership between Gibson and one of rock’s most influential artists.
“This guitar is simply too iconic and cool not to be released more widely and made available for more fans to get their hands on,” says Lee Bartram, Head of Commercial and Marketing EMEA at Gibson. “Noel’s original Gibson Custom version of this Les Paul was the first guitar he played during the biggest rock ’n’ roll reunion of the 21st century. This Gibson USA version embraces that legacy, capturing a historic moment in British and global live music.”
The Gibson Noel Gallagher Les Paul Standard features a non-weight-relieved mahogany body with a bound maple cap and a mahogany neck with Gallagher’s preferred SlimTaper™ profile. A bound rosewood fretboard with 22 medium jumbo frets and acrylic trapezoid inlays completes the classic look. Hardware includes an ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic™ bridge and aluminum Stop Bar tailpiece for precise intonation and sustain, along with smooth-turning Grover® Rotomatic® tuners with kidney buttons, plus a chrome switch washer and output jack plate.
The pickguard is a black five-ply unit similar to those typically found on Les Paul Custom models. The electronics are equally distinctive, featuring unique chrome-covered Gibson P-90 Soapbar pickups hand-wired to individual volume and tone controls, along with a three-way pickup selector. The control knobs are black Top Hats with silver reflectors and dial pointers. The Noel Gallagher Les Paul Standard also includes an artist signature reproduction decal on the back of the headstock and comes in a hardshell guitar case to keep it safe—whether you’re taking it to a local gig or on your next world tour. Perfectly encapsulating the historic Live ’25 Tour, the Gibson Noel Gallagher Les Paul Standard is sure to be a fan favorite—so get yours today while they’re still available.
The offset twins get a makeover that lends stability and a streamlined sensibility while enhancing the guitars’ classic ,’60s, surfy essence.
The American Professional Classic Jazzmaster: Under the hood, vintage-inspired Coastline ’65 Jazzmaster pickups deliver depth, punch and sparkle while the sleek Modern “C” neck provides exceptional comfort and playability. Fender Staggered ClassicGear™ tuners deliver classic looks and precise tuning stability. Boasting custom-faded vintage and signature Fender finishes, this professional-grade instrument looks as good as it sounds. From studio to stage, The American Professional Classic Jazzmaster All the soul of a golden-era Fender, evolved for today’s player. Options include Rosewood Fingerboard in 3-Color Sunburst, Faded Firemist Gold, Faded Sherwood Green Metallic and Faded Dakota Red.
The American Professional Classic Jaguar: Under the hood, vintage-inspired Coastline ’65 Jaguar pickups deliver depth, punch and sparkle while the sleek Modern “C” neck provides exceptional comfort and playability. Fender Staggered ClassicGear tuners deliver classic looks and precise tuning stability. Boasting custom-faded vintage and signature Fender finishes, this professional-grade instrument looks as good as it sounds. From studio to stage, The American Professional Classic Jaguar All the soul of a golden-era Fender, evolved for today’s player. Options include Rosewood Fingerboard 3-Color Sunburst, Faded Sherwood Green Metallic and Faded Firemist Gold as well as Maple Fingerboard in Faded Lake Placid Blue.
Thanks to some key years working at a celebrated music store, this band of brothers has the goods.
The Band Royale, the Chicago-based brotherly “yacht metal” outfit, know a thing or two about gear—guitarists Joel and Zach Bauman, plus bassist Marc Najjar, all worked at Chicago Music Exchange, one of the premier music shops in North America. PG’s Chris Kies traveled deep into the band’s bunker in Chicago for this Rig Rundown with Najjar and the Bauman brothers.
This 1972 GibsonLes Paul Custom was Joel’s first “real” guitar, which he bought from CME. It’s all original except for the tailpiece, and weighs in at a whopping 11 pounds. Joel keeps it in open D6 tuning.
Mock Mockingbird
Someone brought this fake Mockingbird into CME one day, and Joel decided he had to have it. It boasts neckthrough construction with maple and mahogany, a Bill Lawrence dual blade pickup, brass nut, and heftier .012-gauge strings. The original builder must’ve liked the sticker he added to the body; it’s underneath the lacquer.
Warming Up
While Brian Carsten was still an amp tech at CME, Joel bought this Carstens Amplification Warm Machine off of him—the first he ever made. It’s designed around a master-volume, 50-watt Marshall head circuit, with a bit more warmth. Joel has had this one for over two decades now, and runs it through a Fender Bassman 2x12 cab with Celestion Creamback speakers.
He’s also been experimenting with a Quilter Overdrive 200 for a lighter solution, which he runs through a Bergantino 2x12 cabinet—Joel calls the cab and Quilter combo a “game-changer.”
Joel Bauman’s Pedalboard
The jewel of Joel’s board is a 1981 Ibanez Tube Screamer, gifted to him by Josh Klinghoffer. There’s also a Durham Electronics Sex Drive, EHX Micro POG, Xotic EP Booster, Friedman BE-OD, Boss CE-2W, Strymon El Capistan, and Strymon Flint, plus a Korg Pitchblack Advance tuner.
Holesome
Zach Bauman isn’t bothered by the gaping hole in his 1990 Gibson SG; it gives the guitar a whole lot of character. This guitar has a Gibson T-Top Burstbucker in the bridge, and has been modded to have just two pots for master tone and volume. Zach strings it with .011–.052s.
Painted Paul
Zach snagged this 1979 Les Paul while working at CME, and scraped off a nasty previous paintjob with a card before getting to work making it his own. A friend painted the headstock, and another made him this custom pickguard. It’s also got T-Tops in the neck and bridge.
Mig Buff
Zach loves his Sovtek Mig 60 head, which he plays through a cab he built himself at a pipe-organ shop in Denver. Every glue joint is lined with thin leather for maximum air tightness, and it’s stocked with Celestion G12M Greenback speakers.
Zach Bauman’s Pedalboard
On Zach’s board, we find a Klon clone, Ibanez Tube Screamer, Boss VB-2W, Ibanez Mini Chorus, Strymon Flint, and Strymon El Capistan, along with a Dunlop Volume (X) pedal and a TC Electronic PolyTune.
Bergantino’s Best
Najjar has deep love for Holly and Jim Bergantino and their Bergantino Audio Systems products. He plays with both a Forte and Forte HP Ultra—a 2000-watt prototype—through a Bergantino HDN112 cab and special 3x10 cab.
Bass for Babies
Najjar’s Sandberg Forty Eight finished in shoreline gold, nicknamed the “golden baby,” was the first of its kind.
Going to California
This Sandberg California TT4 has ’70s-style J-bass pickups and a 34” scale. Najjar gets a “Geddy Lee-style” vibe from it.
Marc Najjar’s Pedalboard
Najjar’s tone temple is topped off with a Bergantino Super Pre brass preamp into his Neural Quad Cortex.
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Zach loves his Sovtek Mig 60 head, which he plays through a cab he built himself at a pipe-organ shop in Denver. Every glue joint is lined with thin leather for maximum air tightness, and it’s stocked with Celestion G12M Greenback speakers.
