Theo Katzman plays with a fluency and fire that makes this guitarist, producer, singer, and songwriter an MVP of modern, funk-fueled rock and pop. At a recent gig at Nashville’s Brooklyn Bowl outpost, Katzman—who’s also a member of the formidable Vulfpeck collective—invited PG’s Rig Rundown team to soundcheck, to see the gear that makes his tone sing. And Katzman’s tech, Nick “Turk” Nagurka, provided assistance.
Brought to you by D’Addario XS Strings.
Stripped Strat
Theo Katzman’s No. 1 is a Fender 1962 reissue that he’s had since he was 16. He stripped the Strat’s finish down to the bare wood, and then added an Ilitch Back Plate Hum Canceling system, which takes the noise out of the stock single-coil pickups. The Strat stays strung with D’Addario NYXL .010 sets. When Katzman plays with a pick, he uses Strum-N-Comfort SNC-ST/EXH/6 Sharktooth 1.5 mm Heavy Pearl Celluloids.
Hole-y Moley!
Katzman’s Tele is an $800 parts guitar with TV Jones pickups that he purchased on Reverb. It lives in open Eb and also has D’Addario NYXL .010s.
Black Hat Strat
This Japan-built ’62 reissue Strat has an oddball headstock, with what looks like black epoxy or resin covering most of what’s at the top of its Mike Cornwall neck. It’s tuned in open D and is used primarily for slide. The stings? Yep, D’Addario NYXL .010s.
Princeton Grad
Katzman uses two amps, sending a dry signal to his Benson Nathan Junior and a wet signal to his 1968 Fender Princeton Reverb loaded with a Celestion Greenback 12. Both amps face 90 degrees offstage, to prevent hitting the front row with a laser beam of awesome. The Princeton gets a Beyerdynamic M88, which complements the punchy midrange of the amp with a healthy proximity effect and rounds the top end out a bit.
Benson, Benson, Benson
The Benson has a bit more grind and a more controlled tone. He uses a Sennheiser 906 for a dry, clear sound with minimal proximity effect. Both amps feed into the in-ear-monitor mix, hard panned left and right. Since there’s some degree of modulation from the pedalboard, that helps Katzman enjoy a sense of space in his sound. The front-of-house mix typically uses the Benson, too, since it has a more refined sound.
Theo Katzman's Pedalboard
D’Addario Rich Robinson Brass Slide
The Black Crowes' lead 6-stringer's signature model is a hefty brass affair with a slight taper inside to help keep it in place when the gig gets too wild.
$20 street
daddario.com
Jim Dunlop Derek Trucks Medicine Bottle Slide
This glass bottle might have the name of a modern master on it, but it's squarely designed to fall within the lineage of Duane Allman's famous Coricidin slider that graced so many legendary recordings.
$14 street
jimdunlop.com
Jetslide Stainless
Specifically for players who wear a slide on their ring finger, this futuristic design allows for a quick change to play single-notes and chords without letting the hardware get in the way.
$26 street
jetslide.com
Diamond Bottlenecks The Redhouse
This customizable model offers three different profiles, a notch-cut option, and various lengths and diameters—plus they come in a handful of colors.
$20 street
diamondbottlenecks.com
Steve Clayton Pork Knuckle
By using an inner ribbing that helps to prevent slippage, this beefy ceramic model aims to offer smooth sailing no matter your finger size.
Starts at $18 street
steveclayton.com
The Rock Slide Ariel Posen Signature Slide
Created specifically for those who sport a slide on their pinky, this ball-tip model comes in at 5" in length with a cutaway at the second knuckle for maximum finger flexibility.
$29 street
therockslide.com
Rocky Mountain Slides Salidan Middy
This handcrafted ceramic model sports a thicker wall for a brighter tone, is available in three different lengths (standard, middy, and shorty), and a handful of colors.
$26 street
rockmountainslides.com
Fender Glass Slide
Offered in a variety of thicknesses ranging from 1.5 mm to 4 mm, this bare-bones glass slide sports rounded edges for comfort and smoothness.
$5 street
fender.com
Thimble Slide Maxim
Although the slide is a bit larger than a thimble, the hybrid design offers flexiblity when moving from a singing lead to a fretted passage.
$25 street
thimbleslide.com
Shubb Reversible Slide
Afraid of commitment? This brass slide allows you to easily move from fretting notes to slippery glissandos pretty quickly.
$30 street
shubb.com