Mobile, Alabama’s Red Clay Strays started out as a local cover band. In 2016, they officially formed as the Strays, adding a couple players to round out the five-person outfit. After a few years gigging around the state and some festival slots, the band hit it big in 2023 when their song “Wondering Why” went viral on TikTok. It climbed up the Billboard charts and landed the band a deal with RCA Records. That led to their Dave Cobb-produced second studio LP, Made by These Moments, which was released on July 26.
In September, the band made their debut at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium on tour behind the record, and guitarists Drew Nix and Zach Rishel brought a beautiful stable of American-made 6-strings for the occasion. They gave PG’s John Bohlinger a tour of the goods.
Brought to you by D’Addario.Faylands from Fairhope
Both Nix and Rishel play Fayland guitars, made by Chris Fayland in Fairhope, Alabama. Nix gives a quick, Ricky Bobby-esque rundown of his Fayland T-style: “It’s good wood, it plays real good. I don’t know what to do with my hands.” He strings it with .010s.
Memphis-Made
For semi-hollow “squishiness,” Nix turns to this Gibson ES-339, made in Memphis. This and Nix’s other guitars, including his Fayland and his 2017 Les Paul Classic with PAF-style Geppetto pickups, carry striking, detailed straps made by Jon Wye.
Drew Nix's Amp
Nix tours with two “run of the mill, Guitar Center” Fender Twin Reverbs, which he switched to after “blowing up” Rishel’s Fender Hot Rod Deville. The Ryman gig was being recorded, so Nix had a second one on hand in case the first ran into any issues.
Nix’s Straightforward Board
Nix runs a Pedaltrain Metro 24 board, which is loaded with an Ernie Ball VP JR, Peterson Strobostomp, JHS Whitey Tighty, Browne Amplification Atom, JHS Morning Glory, Xotic EP Booster, Strymon El Capistan, and Strymon Flint.
Fairhope "Firebird"
Rishel loves his Faylands, too. He tours with a baby blue “Mark II” Fayland Strat, equipped with stainless-steel frets and a Tele-style bridge pickup. His Fayland “Firebird” Tele is even more of a stunner, with its candy-red finish and firebird decal. This one has a trio of Lollar pickups, and a traditional three-way Tele switching system. A button between the volume and tone knobs activates the middle pickup for Strat-style tones and modified switching.
A Fine Vintage Super Reverb
Rishel picked up this 1968 Fender Super Reverb from Carter Vintage Guitars in Nashville, which he calls “the best guitar shop in the world.”
Zach Rishel's Pedalboard
On his board, Rishel runs a TC Electronic Polytune 3, SRossFX Sun King, MXR Custom Badass Modified O.D., Greer Super Hornet, SRossFX Echo Flex, TC Electronic Hall of Fame, SRossFX Dual Roebuck, and Keeley Dark Side. It’s all powered by a Mooer Macro Power S8.
Mike Harris says he “Forrest Gump-ed” his way into the Grammy-winning Americana string band Old Crow Medicine Show when he was drafted to join in January 2021. But rather than picking his spot in the group from life’s box of chocolates, Harris’ initial connection was his friendship with drummer Jerry Pentecost. He quickly proved himself an important member of the Nashville-based outfit of “Wagon Wheel” fame, thanks to his flexible guitar, mandolin, banjo, resonator, and vocal abilities.
Harris invited PG to Old Crow Medicine Show’s East Nashville studio, where they recorded their latest album, Paint This Town, for some show-and-tell about his favorite traveling and recording instruments.
Brought to you by D’Addario XS Strings.
Tale-Telling Tele
Mike Harris’ main electric instrument in Old Crow Medicine Show is his well-loved 1968 Fender Telecaster with a maple-cap fretboard. The guitar has had a few changes over the past 54 years—the biggest is its Lollar neck pickup—but is mostly stock.
From Fessler’s Lane
Famed Fender luthier Greg Fessler, who’s made guitars for Robben Ford and many others, created this Custom Shop ’62 Tele in 2017. The speed dials and saddles are by notable vintage-style parts maker (and builder) Glendale Guitars of Arlington, Texas.
Gift Jag
This stripped 1964 Fender Jaguar was a gift from Chris Stapleton. The tuners and bridge have been upgraded, which is common for pro-player Jags.
Harris’ Martin
For a guitarist in Old Crow Medicine show, a classic Martin seems like a requirement. Harris’ 1960 D-28 features a Brazilian rosewood back and sides. The headstock has been repaired and a bridge plate saver installed.
Mondo Mando
This Collings MF Mandolin features an Adirondack spruce top and an Eastern flamed maple back and sides. It has a V-shaped neck and wide string spacing, for easy finger placement. Harris has a Fishman pickup installed.
Barking Banjo
Amplifying a banjo can be tricky, so Harris has a microphone installed behind the head of this Deering Sierra model.
A “Handy” Les Paul
This 2012 Gibson R7 Les Paul has a mahogany top, Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates pickups, and a Bigsby BP-15 palm-pedal tailpiece installed with a Vibramate V5 bridge plate. The R, by the way, stands for reissue, and the 7 designates 1957 as the year of origin for the guitar that inspired this goldtop.
Here’s Pearly!
The Rev. William F. Gibbons’ very own monster ’59, dubbed Pearly Gates, is the inspiration for this Gibson reissue. Of course, it also sports a pair of Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates Pickups. Only 350 of these came out of the Gibson Custom Shop in 2009.
Meteor Shower
This mid-1960s Harmony Meteor actually belongs to Harris’ great uncle, Howard. True to its birth-era, the guitar stays strung with flatwounds. It also possesses its original D’Armond-made gold-foil pickups, which were introduced with this model back in the day.
I’ll Have a PBR
This Gold Tone PBR Paul Beard Signature-Series Roundneck Resonator with a cutaway gets carried to the PA via a Fishman Nashville Series spider-style resonator pickup. Harris always plays the guitar through a Fishman Jerry Douglas Signature Aura Acoustic Imaging pedal.
Reso-Whammy
And now for something unusual: Harris has his PBR resonator tricked out with a Bigsby BP-12 palm pedal tailpiece.
Stompin’ Rompin’
Harris’ pedalboard starts with a XTS custom pedalboard interface and routes to a Fancy Boy Klon clone, an Origin Effects Cali76 Compact compressor, a Walrus Audio 385 overdrive, a Demonfx King of Drive, a Shnobel Tone-modded Ernie Ball VP Jr. with a built-in TC Electronic PolyTune, a EHX Micro POG, an MXR Phase 95, a Moog MF Delay, and a Strymon Flint Tremolo & Reverb. All are powered by a Truetone 1Spot CS 12 and wired with Mogami cable with SP500 plugs. The board also houses a Magnatone reverb/tremolo controller.
Other elements of Harris’ gear include D’Addario American Stage Cables, BlueChip thumb picks, ProPik fingerpicks, Fender medium triangle plectrums, Dunlop .88 mm Flow picks, and Clayton thin triangles. He uses Dunlop slides: a 224 Heavy Wall Brass for resonator and a Derek Trucks signature for electric.
Sonic Vista
In the studio, Harris uses a lot of amps. On tour, however, he carries two, including this Magnatone Panoramic Stereo 2x10 combo. These come with Jensens, but Harris replaced those with a pair of Eminence Legends.
No. 2 for the Road
His other touring amp is a Fender Chris Stapleton Signature ’62 Princeton with an Eminence George Alessandro GA-64 12" speaker.
Wall of Sound
Here’s a look at the studio amps he keeps on tap—mostly classic-style Fenders with a little assist from a Silvertone and that Magnatone.
