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ā€œI Donā€™t Care How the Guitar Soundsā€ | Division of Laura Lee's Viktor Lager Big 5

Division of Laura Leeā€™s Viktor Lager on his No. 1 concern when playing live. Plusā€”his latest Mascis-inspired Jazzmaster mod.

Best Albums of 2020

Premier Guitar editors reveal the records that helped them cope during COVID-19 quarantine. Plus, their most-anticipated releases of 2021.

We made it. To the end of a year that has already gone down in infamy as one of the weirdest (and worst) in decades.

As the pandemic turned the world upside down nine months ago, many musicians and their livelihoods were heavily impacted. No concerts, no touring, album release dates postponed, restricted studio access, and letā€™s not forget the dangers of actually being in the same room with other humans (sometimes thatā€™s necessary to make songs). But letā€™s try to forget all that for a moment and focus on what really matters: music! The silver linings of tough times can be sweet: beautiful and amazing albums were made this year, connecting us isolated social distancers, and helping us tread water.

At best, this list will open up some new tunes for you to spin at home this holiday season as youā€™re welcoming a new year ahead. At worst, you can just skip what you donā€™t like. (But surely listening to any of these albums would be better than reliving this year!) Either way, let us know which albums were your favorites in the comments below.

As we say good riddance to 2020, we wish you this sentiment with more oomph than you know: Happy Freakinā€™ New Year!

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Swedish post-hardcore guitarists Per StĆ„lberg and Viktor Lager show off gear inspired by heroes J Mascis, Sonic Youth, Radiohead, Drive Like Jehu, and ā€¦ Ace Frehley.

[Facing a mandatory shelter-in-place ordinance to limit the spread of COVID-19, PG enacted a hybrid approach to filming and producing Rig Rundowns. This is the 23rd video in that format, and we stand behind the final product.]

Hailing from Gothenburg, Sweden, Division of Laura Lee began in the late ā€™90s as a San Diego-style hardcore outfit before morphing into a more melodically nuanced and instrumentally adventurous band with 2002ā€™s Black City. Alternatingly atmospheric and sneering, Black City was released by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitzā€™s Epitaph records, as was its 2004 follow-up. In April of this year, DOLL debuted tracks from their 2020 album, Apartment, at a drive-in-theater performance sponsored by founding guitarist/vocalist Per StĆ„lbergā€™s Welfare Sounds studio. To talk about their current go-to gear, StĆ„lberg (left) and co-guitarist Victor Lager joined PG for a Quarantine Edition Rig Rundown from Welfare Sounds.

Division of Laura Lee RR2

Telecasters and offsets dominate Division of Laura Leeā€™s guitar landscape, with an early-2000s Fender Tele Custom (middle, with Black Flag sticker) being StĆ„lbergā€™s main guitar (he uses its Rio Grande bridge pickup exclusively). His other current go-to is a stock Squier J Mascis Jazzmaster, while the 1978 Greco Les Paul Standard copy (behind the Tele) was a staple of early DOLL tunes. StĆ„lbergā€™s main amp is a Fender Super-Sonic head. Meanwhile, Victor Lagerā€™s main guitars are a couple of Fender Jazzmasters (right), and his favorite amp is a ā€™90s Fender Tone Master head.

Division of Laura Lee RR3

As a studio owner, StĆ„lberg has all sorts of gear on hand for recording, but for DOLL he relies on a handful of time-proven pedals: a TC Electronic PolyTune, a Fulltone OCD, a Way Huge Swollen Pickle fuzz, a Boss RE-20 Space Echo, an ā€™80s Ibanez DL10 Delay, an MXR Micro Amp, and a Gollmer ā€™60s Trem from Sweden.

Division of Laura Lee RR4

Lagerā€™s main axe for the last two decades has been a black early-2000s Fender Jazzmaster with Seymour Duncan Antiquity II pickups and a Staytrem bridge (left). To avoid accidental switching, he has deactivated both the upper-bout rhythm circuit and the main circuitā€™s tone control. His most recent acquisition is a blue Fender American Original ā€™60s Jazzmaster (right) that he upgraded with a Mastery bridge.

Division of Laura Lee RR5

Functioning more as the bandā€™s soundscapist, Lager has more stomps than StĆ„lbergā€”and more adventuresome ones, too. He tunes with a Dā€™Addario Chromatic Pedal Tuner, then runs into a Jim Dunlop Cry Baby wah, an MXR Booster Mini (out of sight behind the wah), a Hamstead Soundworks Odyssey, an MXR Phase 95, an Electro-Harmonix POG, an MXR Carbon Copy Deluxe, a Red Panda Particle, a Tru-Fi Colordriver, an Electro-Harmonix Oceans 11 Reverb, a modified ā€™90s Pro Co RAT, and a Walrus Audio Monument.

Division of Laura Lee RR6

Lagerā€™s main guitar for his previous band, this 1973 Fender Tele Custom, is unusual in that it features a rosewood (rather than maple) fretboard.

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