
Blues-rock's most fervent gear collector discusses life at home and the future of his massive collection.
How Joe Bonamassa Promotes His Own Shows
Cory Wong: I heard that you're quite the gangster when it comes to your deals and touring. And I am down with this and I gotta get a little info because I've had other people talk about doing this sort of thing and your rolling the most gangster I've heard out of anybody. You don't take the traditional route where you book tours through promoters. I've heard that you rent the venues yourself and you promote the shows yourself. And that way you're taking promoter side and artist side. That's what I'm talking about. Tell me how you started pulling that off.
Joe Bonamassa: It all started in 2005 when I was domestically ... I was starting to draw about 200 to a 1,000 people. It would just, it would be all over the shop. So it's almost incredible. It'd be incredibly hard to scale a tour. Meaning one night you're playing to 180 people. The next night you're in Fort Wayne, Indiana and you got 1200. You know, production is based on the ... Once it starts to, even out, you can actually go, "Okay, we can bring this amount of lights. We can afford to do this and that." And we'd always have this standing house gig in Jacksonville, Florida, and in Fort Wayne, Indiana, which at that point in time where my two biggest markets domestically. And we were firewalled by these promoters. My manager and I, who now have been together for 30 years. And they basically all intensive purposes, you know, told William Morris my agent at the time, which by the way, I don't have an agent anymore, either got rid of them. So if you wanna keep it going, you want ...
Cory Wong: Yeah, it's an extra 10 percent. I like that.
Joe Bonamassa: It's called the vertical integration.
Cory Wong: Keep at it. I'm in this I'm this is what I'm here for.
Joe Bonamassa: Okay. And everybody goes, "How do you get all those fucking guitars, Bonamassa?" It's called a vertical integration. So, the idea is we started to look at these markets and we're going, "They were offering us $3,500 or $2,500. And those were our biggest paydays. And we said, "Well, how much, if we took all the gross receipts from this one club tour we were doing and promoted the Embassy Theater in Fort Wayne?" Which we still play, which holds 2,600 seats. We knew we couldn't sell 2,600 seats, but we were the place that B.B. King played and I'd opened for him there. Same thing in Jacksonville. We went from this place called Freebird Live to where it was kind of a club to the Florida Theater, which was 1,600 seats. We knew we couldn't sell 1,600 seats, but people don't have eyes in the back of their head. And then we could shut the balcony down. We raised the ticket price and we went out and rented some lights and made it like, you know, we were pretend rock stars. Like, we've actually put on a real gig.
By the time it was all said and done $3,500 turned into $25,000 after you've paid all the expenses, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ring the bell. Okay. Now, how do you scale it? Well, then every tour from 2000 to 2008 we would cherry pick our best markets. And we would go in and we would four wall and four wall is just a high falutin' Madison Avenue term for we're gonna rent the venue and put the gig on sale. And by the time 2008 ended, we were not only four walling everything in America, we were four walling in Europe as well. And we now don't do a show that has a traditional quote, unquote promoter with it because of those reasons. And we can put on the kind of production and show that we really think the fans deserve. And that's basically the model ... betting on yourself time and time and time again.
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Joe Bonamassa On Post-Pandemic Life
Joe Bonamassa: Well to begin with, when we got sent home on March 12th from Minneapolis, we were supposed to play the State Theater, two nights, Friday and Saturday. We had shown up at Green Bay, the previous Tuesday and had a day off. We were supposed to play Wednesday, day off Thursday, and then two nights in Minneapolis and Tuesday, we were good to go and it started to scale and snowball a little bit throughout the week before. You know, we were calling ahead going, "Hey, what do you wanna do? Are we doing this or not?" They set up the gear. The crew goes in. They put the PA in the air, caterers fire up the bacon and eggs, you know? And at about 10:30, I get a call from the tour manager saying, "Hey, what time do you wanna leave from Minneapolis today?" And I go, "Standard time, 10:15 after the gig," he goes, "No the governor just canceled us." That's when I knew we were done. We show up to Minneapolis, put on the whole charade, but then they canceled at the last minute. I said, "Everybody, we're going home. Enough is enough. The weirdest ... The adjustment for me at first was it was, it was a brick wall and it was very difficult to come off the rollercoaster. But to be honest with you, this has been the year that I've needed to take off for 10 years, and would've never done this myself. And I hate to say that, you know, out of this huge negative impact on both society and people's health and their lives, the one positive that I could say that has affected in my world has been the fact that it forced me to take a break that I would've never taken on my own. And I think that it's going to, I think that bodes well for my future and, and my future mental health and stability.
Joe Bonamassa on the Future of his Gear Collection | Wong Notes Podcast
Article last updated on October 12, 2022.
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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).