The Aristocrats’ Bryan Beller
Photo by Manuela HäuBler
Starting at top right, Bryan Beller’s board has a pair of Xotic EP Boosters to bring up the output of his two passive instruments to match his Lull bass. Next comes a Demeter COMP-1 Opto Compulator that’s always on, followed by a TC Electronic Hall of Fame Reverb, Boss CE-2B Bass Chorus, Boss DD-3 Digital Delay, and a TC Electronic Flashback Delay/Looper. Moving to the bottom left, there’s a Boss OC-2 Octave and an Xotic Bass BB Preamp (Beller’s main overdrive). The Darkglass Electronics Vintage Microtubes and MXR M109S Six Band EQ are used for a beefier, RAT-like sound. Then there’s an EHX Micro POG set to an octave up and an old DigiTech X-Series Bass Driver that pushes the BB Preamp and runs into the Dunlop 105Q Cry Baby Bass Wah pedal (white), giving vocal-like sweeps more definition. Beller also has a Dunlop DVP3 Volume (X) Volume and Expression pedal and a Boss TU-2 Chromatic Tuner. Beller has incorporated the Behringer FCB1010 MIDI controller into his rig so he can provide some “low-rent Geddy Lee” moments in the set via a Roland JV-1010 64-Voice Synth Module.
Beller has incorporated the Behringer FCB1010 MIDI controller into his rig so he can provide some “low-rent Geddy Lee” moments in the set via a Roland JV-1010 64-Voice Synth Module.
Using the Raven Labs MDB-1 Mixer/Direct Box/Buffer for his pedals and running the Roland JV-1010 into his amps allows Beller to employ both his bass and the synth module at the same time.
Rig Rundown: The Aristocrats' Guthrie Govan & Bryan Beller [2022]
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s Jeff and Jaime Hanna
Jeff Hanna
Jeff Hanna, who co-founded the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in 1966, runs his acoustic guitars through a Fishman Aura Spectrum DI and a Boss TU-3 Chromatic Tuner. The electric side of his board includes another Boss TU-3, a Paul Cochrane Tim V3 Overdrive, a Keeley Katana Clean Boost, a J. Rockett GTO, a Keeley-modded Boss TR-2 Tremolo, and a Keeley Mag Echo.
Jaime Hanna
His son Jaime combines acoustic and electric pedals on one board. The acoustic side features a Fishman Aura Spectrum DI, Boss TU-3 Chromatic Tuner, and a Radial JDI direct box as a back-up. For electric, there’s an Ernie Ball volume pedal that feeds a TC Electronic tuner. The main out hits a Mesa/Boogie Stowaway Class-A Input Buffer, a Keeley Compressor, a Paul Cochrane Tim Overdrive, a J. Rockett Archer, an MXR Super Badass Distortion, a Boss GE-7 Equalizer modded by Nashville’s XTS, and a Line 6 M9 Stompbox Modeler Multi-Effects pedal. A Truetone 1 SPOT PRO CS12 provides the juice.
Rig Rundown: The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s Jeff and Jaime Hanna
Tetrarch’s Diamond Rowe
Photo by Amy Harris
Shredder Diamond Rowe keeps things succinct. Her stage setup features an always-on Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer and a DigiTech Whammy for pure fun and note obliterating. A pair of utilitarian Boss stomps—an NS-2 Noise Suppressor and TU-3 Chromatic Tuner—keep her strings clean and accurate. There’s also a Voodoo Lab Pedal Power ISO-5 and Ground Control Pro MIDI Foot Controller.
In a separate rack, Rowe hides her “freak tone” patch. There lurks a Boss RV-6 Reverb, Boss DD-7 Digital Delay, Boss CE-5 Chorus Ensemble, and a MXR Uni-Vibe Chorus/Vibrato, plus a pair of tucked-away MXR Carbon Copy Analog Delays. The rack toys are fired by a Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 Plus.
Rig Rundown: Tetrarch's Diamond Rowe & Josh Fore
Marcus King
Roots powerhouse MarcusKing runs his guitar’s cable into a Dunlop Volume (X) 8. Then his signal hits a Dunlop Cry Baby Wah, an MXR Booster, an Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer, a Tru-Fi Two Face Fuzz, MXR Micro Chorus, Dunlop Rotovibe Chorus/Vibrato, MXR Phase 100, Tru-Fi Ultra Tremolo, Dunlop Echoplex Delay, MXR Reverb, and a Radial Shotgun signal splitter and buffer. Juice? That’s via a Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 3 Plus.
Marcus King's Pedalboard
Foo Fighters’ Chris Shiflett
The mega-rockers’ Chris Shiflett starts his pedalboard with an EHX Micro POG, followed by a JHS Muffuletta, an MXR Flanger and EVH Phase 90, an EHX Holy Grail reverb, a Strymon Deco, and a Klon KTR. The next row sports a Boss CE-2W Waza Craft Chorus, a couple of Strymon TimeLines (one for each amp), and down below is a trio of Xotics—an EP Booster, SP Compressor, and an XW-1 Wah. Utilitarian boxes include a Lehle Little Dual II Amp Switcher, a Palmer PLI-05 Line Isolation Box, a Boss FS-5L Foot Switch (to toggle between clean and dirty on his Friedman Brown Eye), and a TC Electronic PolyTune.
Chris Shiflett's Pedalboard
Mammoth WVH's Wolf Van Halen
Wolf Van Halen brought every EVH pedal (aside from the 5150 Overdrive) for his band’s 2022 tour. The Dunlop EVH95 Cry Baby Wah gets a workout for the solo of “You’ll Be the One.” The MXR EVH 5150 Chorus and the MXR EVH Phase 90 have become interchangeable for him. The MXR EVH117 Flanger gets sprinkled in, and for the solo on “Distance,” he always uses the Boss DD-3 Digital Delay and the EarthQuaker Devices Afterneath. An acoustic DI and tuner consume the rest of the real estate.
Wolf Van Halen's Pedalboard
Full Rig Rundown: https://bit.ly/MammothWVHRRSubscribe to PG's Channel: https://bit.ly/SubscribePGYouTubeMammoth WVH's leader details and demos the series of ...Mammoth WVH’s Ronnie Ficarro
Ronnie Ficarro
Ronnie Ficarro’s bass stomp station hosts a trio of EVH-inspired pedals: an MXR EVH 5150 Chorus, a MXR EVH 5150 Overdrive, and the MXR EVH Phase 90—plus an EHX Pitch Fork for approximating the low B roar that Wolf recorded on the song “Epiphany.” The nondescript silver box is a channel switcher for his Fender Super Bassman, and a Peterson StroboStomp HD does the tuning.
Rig Rundown: Mammoth WVH
El Ten Eleven’s Kristian Dunn
As half of this bass and drums duo, Kristian Dunn used to use three pedalboards, crouching down and manipulating settings all night. Today, he depends primarily on a Line 6 M9 Stompbox Modeler, although it’s two Boomerang III Phrase Samplers that make an El Ten Eleven show happen. In line, they’re separated by the DigiTech Bass Whammy. Dunn routes his signal this way so he can use the Whammy to shift octaves or keys on entire loops in Phrase Sampler one. The second Phrase Sampler, after the Whammy, allows him to pitch-shift specific loops without impacting the whole song or other loops. The Strymon TimeLine conjures precise repeats and specific delay settings not in the M9. The EHX Superego Synth Engine is a secret weapon, for reverse-sound passages. When he holds down the freeze function and plays the next note, it’s not audible until he releases the switch, and then the ongoing audible note blends into the second note. Cool, right? The remaining two pedals are a Nu-X NFB-2 Lacerate FET Boost and a Marshall GV-2 Guv’nor Plus. His tuner: a Boss TU-3 Chromatic. A Custom Audio Electronics RS-T MIDI Foot Controller makes Dunn’s scene changes easier, talking with the M9 and Strymon to alleviate some tap dancing.
Rig Rundown: El Ten Eleven's Kristian Dunn
Shinedown’s Zach Myers
For the Shinedown guitarist, everything starts at the Fractal Audio Axe-Fx IIIs—a main and a backup. There are four channels of Shure UR4D+ wireless units (three for electric and one for acoustic). An AES digital out runs to an Antelope Audio Trinity Master Clock and Antelope Audio 10MX Rubidium Atomic Clock. This helps fatten the fully stereo, digital rig by converting it to analog. After that, IRs off the Axe-Fx (left and right) channel into a pair of Neve DIs that then feed a Fryette G-2502-S Two/Fifty/Two Stereo Power Amplifier. (There’s another for backup.) And finally, parallel signals go to two ISO cabs and two Universal Audio OX Amp Top Box reactive load boxes. Altogether, there are eight channels of guitar.
While tech Drew Foppe handles the racks, Zach still has some control at his toes via a Dunlop MC404 CAE Wah, DigiTech Whammy 5, Ernie Ball 40th Anniversary Volume Pedal, and the Fractal Audio FC-6 Foot Controller. A Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 Plus gives life to these pedals.
Rig Rundown: Shinedown's Zach Myers & Eric Bass [2022]
Shinedown's Eric Bass
Eric Bass’ Prestige basses hit the Shure UR4D+ wireless units (similar to Myers, he has three channels for electric and a channel for acoustic), then a Neve DI, and then a Radial JX44 signal manager that feeds into an Ampeg SVT-7 Pro for clean tone (with an extra for backup).
His onstage pedalboard includes a Dunlop 105Q Cry Baby Bass Wah, a DigiTech Bass Whammy, and an MXR M299 Carbon Copy Mini Analog Delay. The ‘Gas’ switch engages a Mojotone Deacon, and a Radial SGI-44 1-channel Studio Guitar Interface connects with his rackmount JX44, while a Boss TU-3W Waza Craft Chromatic Tuner and Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 Plus complete the lineup.
Hannah Wicklund
Photo by John VandeMergel
Blueser Hannah Wicklund’s pedalboard is stacked for bruising. Once the signal gets past her MXR Talk Box and Dunlop JC95 Jerry Cantrell Signature Cry Baby, it hits the channel switch for her Orange head. That stays in overdrive mode for about 75 percent of her set, which she says gives her sound its grizzly-bear lows. Next up is a classic—a Boss BD-2 Blues Driver. But this one has a Keeley mod that opens up the low end and keeps mids and highs better defined. The BD-2 gets some atmospheric help via a Dunlop EP103 Echoplex Delay, and the J. Rockett Archer also pairs with the BD-2. There’s an MXR Micro Flanger and an EHX Nano POG, a T. Rex Room-Mate Tube Reverb (on a hall setting), and a Peterson StroboStomp HD, plus an MXR Carbon Copy and a Keeley Rotten Apple OpAmp Fuzz.
Rig Rundown: Hannah Wicklund
Code Orange’s Reba Meyers
Reba Meyers’ tone starts with her signature ESP LTD RM-600 guitar and her 5150 head, but from there her sound is processed via a Fractal Audio Axe-Fx III run through the effects loop of her amp and used to coordinate channel switching. Meyers notes that for some songs she uses it only as a gate, while for others she adds in precise modulation, delay, reverbs, and “noise.” The rest of the rack features a Two-Notes Torpedo Captor X that she uses for cab sims and sending a pure, direct signal to FOH so they can mix that with the SM57 mic on the 4x12s. A Shure GLXD4 Wireless unit keeps her untethered and a RJM Mini Amp Gizmo uses MIDI to switch the amp via the Axe-Fx III.
Her actual board has two always-on pedals: the ISP Decimator II Noise Reduction and the Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer. They’re joined by a Moog MF Ring Mod, a Boss PS-6 Harmonist, an AMT Electronics WH-1 Japanese Girl Optical Wah, and an Universal Audio Astra Modulation Machine. Everything is controlled by the RJM Mastermind PBC/10.
Reba Meyers' Pedalboard [Code Orange]
Joe Bonamassa
For his 2022 tour, Joe Bonamassa kept his pedalboard stocked with a Way Huge Smalls Overrated Special Overdrive, a Tone Mechanics/Racksystems Loop Box, a Tone Mechanics/Racksystems Splitter, a Fulltone Supa-Trem, a Hughes & Kettner Rotosphere, a Boss DD-2 Digital Delay, an MXR Micro Flanger, an Ibanez TS808 Tube Screamer, an EHX Micro POG, a Dunlop Joe Bonamassa Fuzz Face, a Lehle A/B/C Switcher, a Dunlop Joe Bonamassa Signature Cry Baby Wah in Pelham blue, and an on/off/fast/slow dual switch for his Mesa/Boogie Revolver rotating speaker cabinet. Juice came from a Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 Plus.
Joe Bonamassa's "Boomer" Pedalboard
Exodus’ Gary Holt
Thrash-metallurgist Gary Holt trusts most of his switching to his tech, Steve Brogdon, who triggers everything with a rack-mounted Voodoo Lab GCX Guitar Audio Switcher that coordinates with a Voodoo Lab Ground Control Pro MIDI Foot Controller. The pedals in Brogdon’s care include a Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive, Pro Tone Pedals Gary Holt Signature Mid Boost, Maxon OD-9, MXR Bass Octave Deluxe, Maxon FL-9 Flanger, TC Electronic Corona Chorus, Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor, and a Darta Effects Bonded by Delay. A BBE Supa-Charger provides juice.
Holt still stomps these boxes himself: a Does It Doom Doomsaw, Mooer Tender Octaver, Mooer Green Mile, and a Dunlop JC95SE Jerry Cantrell Special Edition Crybaby Wah. A Shure GLXD16 Digital Wireless Guitar Pedal System lets him rock untethered.
Rig Rundown: Exodus' Gary Holt [2022]
Dinosaur Jr.’s J Mascis
For at least 10-plus years, J Mascis has used a Bob Bradshaw-built Custom Audio Electronics switcher as his mission control. His longtime stomps include a Tone Bender MkI/Rangemaster-clone combo pedal made by Built to Spill’s Jim Roth (bottom right corner), Mascis’ first EHX Ram’s Head Big Muff Pi (top right), a vintage EHX Deluxe Electric Mistress, an MC-FX clone of a Univox Super Fuzz (lower right, blue box), a pair of ZVEX pedals—a Double Rock (two Box of Rock stomps in one) and a Lo-Fi Loop Junky (both bottom left), a Tube Works Real Tube Overdrive, a Moog Minifooger MF Delay, and a Boss TU-3S Tuner. His recently added pedals are a Homebrew Electronics Germania 44 Treble Booster (lower right), a JAM Pedals RetroVibe MkII, an Xotic SL Drive, a Suhr Jack Rabbit Tremolo, a Dr. Scientist Frazz Dazzler fuzz, an EHX Oceans 11, and a Dunlop Jimi Hendrix ’69 Psych Series Uni-Vibe Chorus/Vibrato. Everything receives juice from an MXR MC403 Power System or an MXR M237 DC Brick.
J Mascis' Dinosaur Jr. Pedalboard
![Rig Rundown: The Aristocrats [2022]](https://www.premierguitar.com/media-library/rig-rundown-the-aristocrats-guthrie-govan-bryan-beller-2022.jpg?id=30817274&width=1245&height=700&quality=85&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0)
“Supergroup” is a tired, overused term in music. However, when musical aces like guitarist Guthrie Govan, bassist Bryan Beller, and drummer Marco Minnemann jam… they are an unrivaled force of nature.
Each player has a remarkable resume: Govan has worked with Steven Wilson, Hans Zimmer, and Asia; Beller with Satriani, Vai, Dethklok, and Dweezil Zappa; and Minnemann with the Mute Gods, Trey Gunn, H-Blockx, and Mike Keneally—among many others.
What makes a supergroup novel is generally the collective’s previous endeavors and collaborations. The magic with these three cats is that their superpowers combine to become a flashy and fluent highflying act.
Formed unceremoniously for a performance at the 2011 Anaheim NAMM Show, this tremendously talented trio has released nine albums (five studio and four live) in 11 years. The attraction for both the audience and the band is the same: variety. In any given performance, you can hear them shift from Return to Forever to Yes to King Crimson to Vai to Rage to Funkadelic to moments of deranged Zappa.
“We’ve been a pretty strange, eclectic band to begin with, as the music we do tips our hats to a lot of different styles,” notes Govan. “All I’ve ever done over the years I’ve been playing guitar is to just listen to everything around me and absorb the aspects of it that I liked. I’ve never felt an urge to specialize. I’m happy to keep combining whatever flavorings I like and rolling them all together.” The result: These three executive chefs put on a spicy clinic that would even please Gordon Ramsay.
The Aristocrats’ headlining 2022 run landed at Nashville’s City Winery on July 27. Before the musical throwdown commenced, PG’s Chris Kies hosted conversations that covered Beller’s booming setup, including some old favorites and recovered friends (via social-media sleuthing), while Govan focused on detailing the slight-but-crucial changes to his signature Charvel and explaining his live tonal evolution—modernized with an all-encompassing Fractal Audio unit.
Brought to you by D’Addario XPND Pedalboard.
The Red Baron
It’s been 23 years since Bryan Beller first picked up a 1998 Mike Lull Modern 5 Jazz Bass and it’s been his No. 1 ever since. As the legend goes, Beller found a Modern 5 at the old SWR Bass Amplification factory soundroom. He loved it so much he took it to a Mike Keneally gig at the famous Baked Potato jazz club in Los Angeles, and he never brought it back. It’s worth noting that his original Modern 5 bass was stolen (among others) from Beller’s gear storage in the winter of 2016, so the above model is another M5 built in 1998 that he acquired after the raid.
Beller’s thoughts on the red rider, as listed on Mike Lull’s website: “I fell in love with it because it's an aggressive rock-flavored 5-string jazz bass. The ash body, maple top, maple fingerboard, vintage late-’60s-flavored Seymour Duncan pickups, and original-spec Bartolini preamp combined for a bright jazz bass that did everything right. I can play clean, clear pop/rock and R&B on it. I can make it bark if I get on it harder, and it reacts incredibly well to overdrive effects for the Tim Commerford/Rage Against The Machine vibe. And the playability from the 1st to 24th fret is second to none.” (Detail-oriented viewers may notice the pickups have “Basslines” listed on their cover, but originally Seymour Duncan manufactured their bass offerings under that name. They have since dissolved Basslines as a brand and welcomed bass pickups under the Seymour Duncan umbrella. Beller’s pickups are technically Basslines 67/70 Jazz Bass 5 String single-coils.)
Additionally, the bass has an original Bartolini NTMB preamp. (This is not the modern, updated versions denoted as the NTMB+F or NTMB+FL, for fretted or fretless setups). All his instruments take D’Addario EXL170-5 Nickel Wound Bass strings (.045–.130) with a tapered-core B-string. He prefers to use steels and lets them die to give his sound a rounder, thicker tone rather than simply using a standard set of flatwounds.
And finally, bassists can own their very own tone monster as Lull offers a pair of signature models based on this serendipitous partnership.
Dark Chocolate
“This is a passive Mike Lull PJ5 and it has a completely different purpose,” states Beller. “It has an alder body with a rosewood fretboard so it has a dark, chocolate-y thing.” The PJ5 has a smoother, more even tone allowing Beller to nimbly walk the neck.
Spacing Is Key
Above is a pre-Gibson 1986 Tobias Basic 5-string that he purchased in 1990 from lifelong guitar nut and notable luthier Paul Slagle. (Slagle passed away in 2020.) Beller used it while attending Berklee College of Music in Los Angeles and on his audition (and eventual gig) for Dweezil and Ahmet Zappa’s band Z—until it was stolen from his North Hollywood apartment on New Year’s Eve 1994. Yet another social-media post proved fruitful as he was able to reconnect with this lavish 5-string built primarily from lacewood. This is the first time he’s taken it on tour since 1994.
For the Aristocrats set, he uses it for the song “Last Orders” off their 2019 album You Know What...? The song requires extreme finger stretches and extended chordal grabs made accessible by the Basic’s compact string spacing.
Bryan Beller's Pedalboard
Starting in the top right corner, Beller has a pair of Xotic EP Boosters (currently he’s only using one) to help bring up the output of his two passive basses to match the red Lull. This is a workaround on Beller’s end, so FOH is getting unity gain from his signal no matter the instrument. Next you see the Demeter Opto Compulator that’s always on. Then the fun starts with a TC Electronic Hall of Fame reverb, Boss CE-2B Bass Chorus, Boss DD-3 Digital Delay, and a TC Electronic Flashback delay/looper.
In the bottom left corner, we have the classic brown-box Boss OC-2 Octave (“the greatest octave pedal ever made”) and an Xotic Bass BB Preamp (his main overdrive). The Darkglass Electronics Vintage Microtubes and MXR M109S Six Band EQ are used in conjunction for a beefier Rat sound. Then there’s an Electro-Harmonix Micro POG (newest addition to the board) set to an octave up. And an old DigiTech Bass Driver that works behind the Bass BB Preamp and often runs into the Dunlop 105Q Cry Baby Bass Wah Pedal (white), giving the vocal-like sweeps more definition and prominence. Off to the left side, Beller has a Dunlop DVP3 Volume (X) Volume and Expression pedal. And a Boss TU-2 Chromatic Tuner keeps his basses in check.
"Low-Rent Geddy Lee"
Beller has incorporated the Behringer FCB1010 MIDI controller into his rig so he can provide some “low-rent Geddy Lee” moments in the set via a Roland JV-1010 64-Voice Synth Module.
"Low-Rent Geddy Lee"
Beller has incorporated the Behringer FCB1010 MIDI controller into his rig so he can provide some “low-rent Geddy Lee” moments in the set via a Roland JV-1010 64-Voice Synth Module.
23andBB
Using the Raven Labs Model MDB-1 mixer/direct box/buffer for his pedals (no effects loop, kids) and running the Roland JV-1010 into his amps allows Beller to employ both his bass and the synth module at the same time. He feels if the JV-1010 was running just through the monitors it would sound unnatural and get lost in the mix.
Gallien Growlers
His three-amp pairing includes a trio of Gallien-Krueger heads. In the top-left slot sits a first-generation GK MB Fusion (500W) that acts as the universal preamp coloring the entire rig. (The MB Fusion on the right stack is just a spare.) The MB Fusion is split two ways. The bottom-right head is a Gallien-Krueger 2001RB that hits a duo of Gallien-Krueger CX410 cabs (top set on each side). The other side of the MB Fusion runs into GK 1001RB that hits a pair of Gallien Krueger CX410 cabs cabs on the bottom of each side.
A Dream Instrument
Guthrie Govan has been with Charvel for nearly a decade. He’s developed two signature models and here is the brand-new chapter. The Guthrie Govan MJ San Dimas SD24 CM features a basswood body with an ash cap (based on the San Dimas Style 1 silhouette), caramelized maple for the neck, and a fretboard with 24 jumbo stainless-steel frets, a 25.5" scale, and a 12-16" compound radius fretboard. (The previous model had a caramelized flame maple neck and fretboard.)
“The purpose of an instrument like this is to have a dream instrument where you get called to go somewhere to do a session or to do a gig and you have no idea what will be expected of you,” Govan says in a Charvel promo video. “Can you hop on the airplane with one guitar confident that it will actually be able to deliver whatever the people at the other end will need? This was the quest of the process.”
A new feature first found on this sig is the freshly designed Recessed Charvel Locking Tremolo bridge (without a locking nut) that was created from the ground up with Govan’s input. The use of the simpler Graph Tech TUSQ XL nut allows GG to make quick changes to and from standard and drop-D tunings, and avoids getting his left-hand bitten by the locking nut when he gets a little carried away. The SD24 CM’s pickups were dialed in by designer Michael Frank-Braun (the mastermind behind Eric Johnson’s signature pickups) and are constructed in Korea. The 5-way selector has an unusual layout that avoids engaging the middle single-coil without either the bridge humbucker’s inner coil or the neck’s outer coil. The standard middle (or third position) engages the outer coils of each humbucker. Both of his Charvels take D’Addario NYXL strings (.011–.052) and this one typically rides in drop-D tuning.
While you’ll see the original “fancier” model in the next slide, it’s worth mentioning the “simplified” Japanese-made guitar just earned a Premier Gear Award in our September 2022 issue.
It's "Christmas Time"
Here’s his first namesake instrument—the Guthrie Govan USA Signature HSH Flame Maple. Similarly to the SD24, the body on this one is basswood, but the original comes with a flame maple top. The initial iteration also offered an option for a caramelized ash body. This one has Charvel’s custom MF pickups. It tends to be saved for standard tuning. Having a gigbag that can tote two guitars with operational floating trems is, as Guthrie says: “Christmas time.
No Problemo
The USA Guthrie Govan model included an Allparts Tremol-No clamp that has three options of functionality. Position one allows the tremolo to work as intended. The second setting locks the tremolo so it won’t move at all. And in the third spot, the bridge stays solid and stable for dropped tunings.
Couldn’t Bear To Play with Another
Ever notice Guthrie Govan doesn’t throw picks around like most rockers? Well, that’s because he generally travels with just three of his signature Red Bear picks. (They retail for $35 per pick.) His preferred plectrum is based around the company’s Big Jazzer shape, in an extra-heavy gauge with grips and a speed bevel. Additionally, on the top of the rounded edge you’ll find serration much like a dime or sixpence.
Digital Bagpipe
Whether it’s been flanking Steven Wilson or tangoing with the Aristocrats, Govan has been an amp-and-pedalboard guy. He’s had long ties with the British valve hounds at Victory. (In a 2019 interview with PG, he noted preferring the V30 MKII.) However, things shifted when he began working with legendary composer Hans Zimmer. For the scope and span of that gig, he needed to welcome the digital bath that is modeling since everyone uses in-ear monitors and a lone-wolf guitarist could never dream of overshadowing an orchestra in that environment. Alas, Guthrie’s dance with digital began. Through the shutdown, he collaborated often with Hans on several film scores and found boundless creativity within the Fractal Audio FM9. (He mentions in the Rundown that for one part of Dune he used 32 layers of detuned Axe-Fx patches to create a bagpipe sound.)
“I became more comfortable with this digital world, so I thought let’s see what it can offer me in a more traditional rock-n-roll context,” admits Govan. “As it turned out, our set has been evolving a little bit and it’s proving harder to get one amp and one cab to sound just right for each of those pastiche things that we like to do. With this (looks down at the FM9), I can bring 10 amps and 10 cabs on the plane [laughs].”
"Spending some time on the road gives you a heightened sense of freedom. The idea that you can really write whatever you want," Govan mentions. With three virtuoso musicians, the urge to push the boundaries—not only technically, but also stylistically—can be hard to resist. "It could be as difficult as you want, or as silly as you want, or come from any absurd stylistic starting point,” Govan continues. “It will still sound like this band by the time we finish with it." We caught up with Govan and Beller after the opening night of their summer tour to discuss their approach to composition, working out some hellbilly riffs, and if they’ve ever wrote something that was too hard.
How did the sessions differ from the first album?
Beller: Honestly, it was about our surroundings. First of all, we worked with a comfortable, familiar engineer, someone I have done three or four records with and he mixed our first record, although he didn't record it. Second, we did it in Nashville, where I live, as opposed to all of us meeting in Chicago. I had the home-base advantage, I feel comfortable there, and I can have people staying at my house. Then there's the aspect that Guthrie, Marco, and I all knew each other better for this second record. Even though we had the same amount of time, it didn't feel nearly as frenzied when we were in the studio. The first one was just crazy.
How did the last tour help in developing your group rapport for this album?
Govan: More than anything else, it gives you a heightened sense of freedom. The idea that you can really write whatever you want. It could be as difficult as you want, or as silly as you want, or come from any absurd stylistic starting point. It will still sound like this band by the time we finish with it. I think the strength of our personalities and how we interact with each other is such a big part of the sound. It doesn't have to be genre specific or anything like that.
Was the pre-production process particularly challenging considering your busy schedules as sidemen?
Govan: If you have my life, you don't really have the luxury of setting aside time. It's more like "When do you eat?" When you're on tour, you eat when food presents itself. When you write, and there's a window, you have to seize it. I certainly had a very, very hectic period in my life going on while we were trying to write material. To some extent, I had to force myself when I saw a window of opportunity whether I liked it or not. The good element of that is that my contributions were all completely fresh and written specifically for this band, apart from the two-bar riff in "Culture Clash," which I’d been sitting on for a couple of years and didn't know what to do with. It was helpful to me to now have some idea of what this band sounds like and what everyone's strengths are and be able to imagine roughly what kind of thing would sound good when we got together and played it.
Beller: I actually wrote a song about how difficult it was to find time to write the songs for the record. That's what "Living the Dream" is about. I require time at home away from everyone else. I can't really write on the road. Well, it's not that I can't, it's just more difficult to do it. I wrote a little bit of "Cocktail Umbrellas" while on the road but it's much easier for me to do it at home.
When you present the demos to the other band members, how much are the arrangements fleshed out?
Beller: There's tweaking, but I wouldn't say there's too many changes to the arrangement. The songs are arranged when we come in. The form is pretty set. Now, tone, stylistic things, and being individual musicians who can put their stamp on it, that all comes in the studio just by the nature of being who we are. We produce our own songs, so on Marco's tunes he's in there asking for a little more of this or that—same thing with Guthrie. Everybody has a unique style of doing it, which is interesting.
Guthrie, how did the title track evolve? The counterpoint intro is particularly interesting.
Govan: The whole theme of that song is that guitar riff at the beginning. Some version of that is running through a sizeable percentage of the tune. The general idea was to have jarring and very different contexts for that riff to appear in. It was kind of a loose hint to the term "Culture Clash." Almost like this riff going to different countries and experiencing different things. The more Hendrix-sounding, funky version of that riff was probably the starting point. Then you could probably imagine from that if you're trying to make that riff different you might try a more muted, clean tone thing. The bass counterpoint seemed like a good way to start it because it seemed like it would confuse people. I don't think that bass part really makes any sense on its own. If you remove the guitar track from that you think, "Why is the bass playing in those places?" Quite counter-intuitive, I hope. But put the two together and you get this interweaving. Later on in the song, the idea was that the riff would reveal itself in a more obvious fashion. The guitar part is definitely the backbone of the tune.
When you're working on a tune, do the guitar and bass parts come simultaneously?
Govan: Usually, these days I try to write the bass and guitar parts concurrently. So I will sit there in my grubby little room swapping between guitar and bass on a four-bar basis and let the two parts affect each other. I'll think, "Now that the bass part is doing this, does the guitar need to do that?" Then I'll go back to the guitar and play a different version. Bass lines are quite a big part of what makes a tune work for me. I've never been one of those people who write a self-contained guitar melody and then make the bass plug through root notes. I love the idea that the bass can be melodic as well. Just listen to James Jamerson or Paul McCartney and you will hear how melodic a bass part can be. It doesn't just have to add meat. I try to do some of these things.
"I think the strength of our personalities and how we interact with each other is such a big part of the sound,” says Govan. “It doesn't have to be genre specific or anything like that. Photo by Sean Molin
Bryan, what did you use to get that synth sound on the intro to "Dance of the Aristocrats?"
Beller: The main synth filter sound you hear is a regular bass guitar through a SWR Mo Bass. It's an amplifier with built-in effects and I was using the bassynth effect. It's a true analog filter. It just sounds really great. It's impractical to travel with that head, so I can't bring it with me everywhere, unfortunately. But I have an Electro-Harmonix Bass Micro Synthesizer that I use when I play that tune live and I combine that with the SWR Mo Bass to make the sound that you hear on the record.
Did Marco have that sound in mind when he brought in that tune?
Beller: You know what, the amazing thing about Marco is that he’s a complete multi-instrumentalist. He plays every instrument and is capable of producing a fully formed, very mature demo. I mean he's put out like 15 records of his own where he plays almost all the instruments. Of course, the intention of the song is there but it really comes to life when we play each other's music. That said, in this song it was a keyboard synth on the demo.
Let's move onto gear. Guthrie, are you still playing the Charvel prototype #2 that we saw you with on the Steven Wilson tour?
Govan: Interestingly, I am now playing prototype #3, which turned up yesterday. These guys really care when I give them suggestions and are on the case immediately. So they turned up at the gig yesterday with prototype #3. Different bridge—that's all I'm saying.
What was it about the old bridge that you didn't like?
Govan: One of the things that has worried me for years is I don't like the full-on, double-locking trem and all the ungodly metal work that tends to come along with that design. It gets in the way of your picking hand and then there's the tedious locking nut and not being able to change the tuning in the middle of a gig. Life's too short for double-locking trems, in my opinion. I've always tried to make a vintage-style trem stay in tune and I've never quite succeeded. When I was trying to relearn the songs for this current tour I listened back to a couple of moments from our live DVD [Boing, We'll Do It Live!] and thought, "Really? That was in tune two minutes ago, what happened?" But with this model, I think we have cracked it. Sorry to taunt your readers, but I think we cracked it … you'll see!
So a signature model is in the works?
Govan: We're working on it. It will probably happen fairly soon. I don't want to promise anything, but I know how excited the internet gets about these things. If I put two Facebook posts out and one is about a new album and the one is about a signature guitar, the guitar one will distract everyone from the album. It's weird to me, but that's how things seem to work. I guess people need to know something. With that in mind, we’re working together and have one very nearly dialed in that is very close to deserving the title of a signature model. Other than that, I cannot and will not say—but something will happen in the foreseeable future.
What basses did you use on this record, Bryan?
Beller: I basically just used two instruments. I have my bright bass, a Mike Lull Custom Modern 5, and my dark bass, which is a Mike Lull Custom P/J 5. The bright one has an ash body and maple fingerboard—it's the red one that I’ve been playing for 13 years. The dark one has an alder body and rosewood fingerboard and I use that for the darker sounding stuff like "Louisville Stomp" and "And Finally," which is this dark, thick R&B tune. Also on "Gaping Head Wound," which is this jazz-fusion-y tune, for lack of a better word. I use the bright bass on "Culture Clash," "Desert Tornado," and "Living the Dream."
How about amps? What did you guys plug into for these sessions?
Govan: The trusty Suhr Badger 30, with the lovely Suhr Koko Boost in front of it. Much like the last album, I did the two-amp trick, so I split the guitar signal with an Axess Electronics BS2 Buffer and mixed two amps at once. The other amp this time was a Fender Super-Sonic 22.
Beller: When I'm in the studio, I use a totally separate chain. I track three or four channels all the time. I use an ART Tube PAC into an old UA 1176 compressor and that's my main sound. I also use a SansAmp PSA-1 set to jazz and then the rest of it is a bit of a wild card but I usually go with a dirty direct sound with an MXR M-80 for that sound. On "Ohhhh Noooo," that was a really cool dirty sound and I used a Darkglass Microtubes B3K on that. That thing rocks.
Bassist Bryan Beller played two basses on the new Aristocrats album, one of which is the Mike Lull Custom P/J 5 shown here. Photo by Sean Molin
Govan: Not really. It would be interesting to take that pedalboard on this tour to see what would happen, but I simply can't lift it. Also, it melted in Italy. We were doing an outdoor gig and all the Velcro melted. It was just this heap of pedals. In front of the Fender I used a couple of different pedals. Sometimes it was the Analog Man Sun Face, which is such a cool, quirky sounding fuzz. It's one of those pedals that once you turn it on, it's hard to turn it off. For a couple of tunes it was a Wampler Euphoria, which is meant to be a Dumble-in-a-box I don't know if that's true since I play music for a living and can't afford a Dumble. [laughs]. The idea was just to have two contrasting tones. Whatever frequencies are scooped on one of the amps, you can overcompensate the frequencies on the other.
Guthrie Govan's Gear
Guitars
Charvel prototypes #2 (Gotoh 510 bridge) and #3 (original Floyd Rose bridge, no locking nut or fine tuners)—both featuring basswood body w/ maple top, Suhr prototype #1 (Gotoh bridge, koa body), Gretsch Reverend Horton Heat signature model
Amps and Cabs Suhr Badger 30 head and Suhr 2x12 open-back cab with Warehouse Veteran 30 speakers, Fender Super-Sonic 22 combo, Cornford Harlequin 6W combo
Effects Suhr Koko Boost, TC Electronic Polytune Mini, Providence Anadime Chorus, Guyatone Wah Rocker WRm5, Xotic SL Overdrive, Dunlop Jerry Cantrell Wah, Dunlop Volume X, TC Electronic Hall of Fame Reverb, TC Electronic Flashback Delay, TC Electronic Spark Mini Booster, Wampler Euphoria, Analog Man Sun Face, DLS Versa Vibe, Analog Man Chorus, Axess Electronics BS2 buffer
Bryan Beller's Gear
Basses
Mike Lull Custom Modern 5 (active), Mike Lull Custom P/J 5 (passive)
Amps and Cabs Gallien-Krueger Fusion 550 (main head), Gallien Krueger 2001RB (slave power amp only), Gallien Krueger Neo 4x12's (2)
Effects Ernie Ball VP Jr. Volume Pedal, Boss TU-2, Boss OC-2, Xotic Effects Bass BB Preamp, DigiTech X-Series Bass Driver, Aphex Bass Xciter, Darkglass Vintage Microtubes, Dunlop CryBaby Bass Wah, Electro-Harmonix MicroSynth, MXR M-80 Bass D.I., Retro-Sonic Stereo Chorus, Boss DD-3 Digital Delay, TC Electronic Flashback Delay TC Electronic Hall Of Fame Reverb, MXR M87 Bass Compressor, Demeter Opto-Compulator, Xotic Effects EP Booster, Darkglass Electronics Microtubes B3K Bass Overdrive
Strings and Accessories D'Addario Pro Steels .045-.065-.085-.105-.130 (with a tapered B string), Voodoo Labs Pedal Power 2 Plus, G-Labs 8-Isolated Power Supply
So your pedalboard hasn't changed much?
Govan: It's exactly the way it was for the last tour, with two exceptions. The Dunlop volume pedal is smaller. I'm using the Volume X now, which is not quite as ridiculously oversized as its predecessor. That seems to be working out well. The other thing that I've put on the board, I haven't tried it yet, is a TC Electronic Mini Spark Booster. It's very tiny, so even if I don't end up using it, I'm not wasting too much space on the board. I have that running through my effects loop after all my reverb and delay and the idea is that since I'm using a single-channel amp, if I ever want to roll the volume level down on the guitar and get a nice, shimmering clean tone but it isn't loud enough, I can kick in this clean boost pedal and artificially raise the level. Yesterday, I was too scared with everything else going on, so I didn't actually step on that pedal once. I tried it at home and discovered it does add a certain kind of sparkle, or extra life on the top end, which is perfect if you are trying to make a clean tone pop out.
The tone and vibe on "Louisville Stomp" is pretty unique for this band. How did that one evolve in the studio?
Beller: Marco and I were just screwing around at a soundcheck for a gig we had in Louisville and there wasn't many people there. It was kind of a rough gig. Somehow, we just started playing that really fast riff [sings riff] and it reminded us of the theme to Ren and Stimpy. We were laughing about that and I swear to you, I was standing there and the whole song just popped right into my head. I didn't have every note of the melody together, but I thought, "Oh yeah, the form will be AABA, the melody will go like this, the chords will be like that." I didn't have to give Guthrie too much direction on that song. It's pretty obvious what that song is supposed to be. I didn't even have to say anything and somehow he shows up with this hollowbodied Gretsch and starts wailing on it, and that's not an easy guitar to play. I would have never gone up to him and said, "Hey Guthrie, you really should play this on a Gretsch," because that would make the song twice as hard and it was hard already. But leave it to Guthrie to actually take it upon himself to do that, which is exactly what he did. There he was, hammering this really difficult song out on a Gretsch, which he’d never played before.
Govan: "Louisville" told me to use a Gretsch. If you listen to the demo, it's so clear to me what types of things are being referenced, stylistically. How could you not play this on a Gretsch? I was fortunate enough to hire one on very short notice from the friendly Fender place in Nashville. It all seemed like a good idea: "All I'll have to do is hire a Gretsch, and I'll play the song on that!" I would imagine that playing a Gretsch, if you aren't used to it, is like being eight months pregnant. Everything about the guitar is in a different place. It's completely unfamiliar. I can deal with hollowbody guitars and some changes in string height, but then you have the Bigsby as well, which you have to use. And of course, I was throwing that guitar out of tune on a very regular basis.
Beller: When I wrote it I knew I wanted it to be that whole “hell-billy” kind of thing. When I was done, I realized it was pretty pure guitar porn. I love writing for guitar—that's like my favorite thing to do. Even though I’m a bass player, the guitar is my writing instrument of choice when it comes to trying to convey what I’m trying to say.
Guthrie, you've split time this year between the Aristocrats and Steven Wilson. What are some differences in playing in each group?
Govan: Playing with Steven is great, but for me playing with Steven's band is very much the "other" thing. That's where I'm out of my comfort zone—playing on a bigger stage than I’m accustomed to and in-ear monitors, click tracks, and synchronized video and stuff like that. That to me is something unique and different to explore but what we’re doing right now—a grubby trio getting sweaty in an unassumingly sized venue—is what I've always done. So it feels good to be back in a world that I understand. We're all excited about the new album, so it's a good period for us to go romping around America, seeing if the public agrees with us.
With a trio of virtuoso musicians where each member is really pushing the boundaries of their instrument, do you ever bring in something that is just a little too tough to play?
Govan: A lot of it was challenging. I went into the studio ready to record those songs and I really didn't know how to play them that well. So I was learning how to play stuff and recording the album at the same time. But it was more of an exciting kind of difficult rather than the depressing kind. Everything becomes easy once you play it enough times.
Beller: To be honest, the only one that ever runs into that kind of situation is me. Guthrie can play anything, truly. He will be the first one to tell you that if he can remember it, his hands will do whatever he wants them to do. And Marco is the same way. I'm kind of the opposite: I can remember anything, but my brain is ahead of my hands. Guthrie brought in this tune, "And Finally" for this album and there's this harmonic section that is very, very difficult to play accurately and cleanly. I won't go into the huge whole story, but Guthrie is a really good bass player as well, so life is just not fair.