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.
One of the most iconic rock guitarists of our generation, Kirk Hammett—legendary guitarist of the multi-platinum-selling, nine-time GRAMMY® Award-winning band Metallica—continues his long-standing partnership with Gibson. Today, the iconic instrument brand proudly unveils its latest collaboration: a bold new acoustic from Gibson Custom. Kirk Hammett teamed up with the master luthiers at Gibson Custom in Bozeman, Montana, to create the Gibson Custom Kirk Hammett Raven, a majestic counterpart to the legendary Gibson Hummingbird™. The Kirk Hammett Raven is limited to only 100 guitars worldwide—and available at authorized Gibson dealers, Gibson Garage locations, and on www.gibson.com.
While it shares the Hummingbird’s square-shoulder silhouette, Kirk Hammett’s Raven distinguishes itself with a dark, artistic twist on the Hummingbird aesthetic. Crafted with a Sitka spruce top and mahogany back and sides, and supported by traditional scalloped Advanced X-bracing, it delivers the timeless acoustic tone that has captivated musicians and audiences for generations. Its mahogany neck features a comfortable Round profile and is topped with a bound ebony fretboard, complete with 20 frets and mother-of-pearl star inlays. A 16" radius makes it ideal for fast, expressive playing. Grover® Rotomatic® tuners ensure reliable tuning, while TUSQ® components—including the nut, saddle, and bridge pins—enhance tonal consistency and tuning stability. The headstock showcases the Gibson logo alongside a striking mother-of-pearl raven skull inlay, reinforcing the instrument’s bold identity.
Explore the Kirk Hammett Raven on Gibson.com HERE.
This limited-edition model also pays homage to Gibson’s tradition of wildlife-inspired designs, featuring intricately crafted double pickguards and a raven-themed tailpiece accent. It’s a visual and sonic statement piece. Equipped with an L.R. Baggs™ Element VTC +4 system, the Raven is ready for both stage and studio. The discreet soundhole-mounted volume and tone controls offer easy access without disrupting the guitar’s aesthetics, and the additional 4 dB of output provides extra headroom when needed. Each Raven ships in a black Gibson Custom hardshell guitar case adorned with a matching raven skull graphic and includes a certificate of authenticity and a custom raven-themed strap. Limited to only 100 guitars, each handcrafted in Bozeman, Montana, and personally signed by Kirk Hammett on the soundhole label, this Ebony-finished acoustic is destined to become a collector’s treasure. Availability is extremely limited—secure yours before they vanish into the night.
One of the most influential metal guitarists of all time, Kirk Hammett is the lead guitarist and contributing songwriter in the trailblazing band Metallica. Kirk grew up in California and formed the group Exodus during the birth of the Bay Area thrash metal movement. In 1983, he began his now 40-year career as the lead guitarist in Metallica, selling over 125 million albums and winning multiple GRAMMY® Awards. Kirk’s first Gibson was the legendary 1979 Flying V he used on Metallica’s groundbreaking early studio albums. These days, his number one guitar is “Greeny,” the 1959 Les Paul Standard formerly owned by Peter Green and Gary Moore. Both instruments have been painstakingly recreated by Gibson for a range of tribute models.
Adrian Belew has spent his career on the cutting edge of guitar sounds, inventing the most forward-thinking tones to ever appear on record. His work as a solo artist and with King Crimson would be enough to land him on every guitarist’s radar. But that’s just one facet of his musical life, and he’s famously spent time with some of the biggest artists of all time: David Bowie, Frank Zappa, Talking Heads, Nine Inch Nails. He even appears in places you’d never expect experimental guitar, like Paul Simon’s “You Can Call Me Al.”
To talk about Adrian, we called up Blair White. As co-owner of Nashville’s Eastside Music Supply, White and Belew struck up a friendship and they ended up working together to decode some of the tones that Belew needed for the much-lauded Beat tour and beyond. Blair gives us some insight into Belew’s playing, his process, and helps us solve a mystery.
This time host John Bohlinger sits down. plugs in, and slides besides the musical Canadian chamaeleon who talks about embracing your influences, playing bold (and loud) onstage for maximize risk taking, and shaping the might Revv D20 and D25 amps. Plus, he notes the guitar star that gave him memorable compliment after Joey bombed a solo.
![Devon Eisenbarger [Katy Perry] Rig Rundown](https://www.premierguitar.com/media-library/youtube.jpg?id=61774583&width=1245&height=700&quality=70&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0)
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.
