The Blackberry Smoke guitarist unveils new Les Paul Junior, a tribute to his much-loved 1956 model made from digital scans of his original guitar.
Charlie Starr often uses a Les Paul Junior for studio recordings and live performances with his group Blackberry Smoke. Throughout his career, his affinity for the Les Paul Junior has contributed to his signature guitar tone and playing style, adding to the band’s unique sound. The Gibson Charlie Starr Les Paul Junior authentically reproduces Charlie’s go-to Junior. It features a mahogany neck with a 50s neck profile that was digitally scanned and replicated from Charlie's favorite Les Paul Junior, a custom-designed overwound P-90 pickup, and an adjustable Wraparound bridge with locking studs. It comes packed in a Historic Les Paul Junior “Gator Skin” hardshell case and includes a Charlie Starr Signature Ceramic Slide and Hey Ya’ll sticker, complete with Charlie's original misspelling. The Gibson Charlie Starr Les Paul Junior is available in Dark Walnut and Ebony, and only 250 guitars will be made in each color.
Photob by Gibson
Hailing from Lanett, AL, Charlie Starr, the lead vocalist, and guitarist for the Southern rock band Blackberry Smoke was born into a musical family. His grandfather was in a well-known gospel band, his grandmother played mandolin and piano and his father, an accomplished guitarist, introduced him to the instrument that would lead to his career in music.
Playing guitar became one of Starr's passions early in life, in addition to writing and singing. In December 2017, Starr was named as one of Music Radar's top 23 guitarists, a list that includes “rock guitar gods” including Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones, Slash of Guns N’ Roses, and Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, among others.
The critically acclaimed Georgia-based band Blackberry Smoke, which features Starr, Brandon Still, guitarist/vocalist Paul Jackson, bassist/vocalist Richard Turner and the late drummer Brit Turner has amassed a loyal fanbase over the past two decades. The group’s last five full-length albums have achieved great chart success, including 2021’s You Hear Georgia, which reached #1 on Billboard's Americana/Folk Albums chart.
Charlie Starr on Les Paul Juniors, Southern Rock Sound
The Charlie Starr Les Paul Junior from Gibson is now available worldwide at authorized Gibson dealers and on www.gibson.com.
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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.
