Discover the Best Rig Rundowns of 2023: Top 10 Must-See Gear Showcases
PG's video crew recounts their favorite moments from this year's interviews and counts down the most-popular episodes—featuring some obvious big-hitters like Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Billy Strings, Steve Vai, and Alter Bridge—that culminate with a few surprises that top out the list.
10. Blackberry Smoke Rig Rundown
The modern Southern rockers recently played Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, and guitarists Charlie Starr and Paul Jackson displayed a bevy of gear every bit as hardworking as these road dogs.
9. Tim Pierce Rig Rundown
The L.A.-based session ace takes PG through his studio and talks about his love for “player grade” guitars.
8. Warren Haynes Rig Rundown
The guitarist rolls into Nashville with a crew of Les Pauls and Firebirds, a pair of 100-watters, and a fine spread of stomps.
7. Billy Strings Rig Rundown
Bluegrass’ biggest ambassador continues expanding his sound with more pedals, more modeling, more Martins, and a dark-arts guitar. Plus, we find out whose ashes are inside his 1945 D-28.
6. Alter Bridge Rig Rundown
Mark Tremonti and Myles Kennedy take PG through their Alter Bridge road rigs.
5. Steve Vai Rig Rundown
Come on down to the crossroads—or the CMA Theatre in Nashville—as we walk through the jaw-dropping rig of devilishly talented shredder Steve Vai.
4. Kenny Wayne Shepherd Rig Rundown
A slew of top-notch vintage and custom Strats, a 1960 Les Paul, and a wall of Dumbles keep the blues-rocker rolling.
3. Steel Panther Rig Rundown
The driving force, one-man guitar army who can single-handedly turn 2023 into 1987.
2. Julian Lage Rig Rundown
While on tour to support his new album View with a Room, Julian Lage invited PG’s John Bohlinger to his soundcheck at Brooklyn Bowl Nashville to share his insights into why he likes a straightforward rig and “honest” tone.
1. Pat Metheny Rig Rundown
Join us for a dive into the complicated touring rig of the only artist to win Grammy Awards in 10 different categories.
Pat Metheny Unity Band Nonesuch Records Over the course of a 30-plus year career, Pat Metheny has experimented with every possible combination of instruments you could think of. With his
Unity Band
Nonesuch Records
Over the course of a 30-plus year career, Pat Metheny has experimented with every possible combination of instruments you could think of. With his newly formed Unity Band, Metheny brings back the quartet format with über-sax player Chris Potter joining the fold. Potter’s robust, thick tone is the perfect foil for Metheny’s folk-infused bebop lines and post-bop Americana tunes. As his first solo album with a tenor in the frontline since 80/81 (which featured the late Michael Brecker and Dewey Redman), Metheny digs deep into his compositional grab bag for a collection of tunes that feel as open as a Missouri wheat field, but also have a laser-sharp focus when it comes to intensity.
Rounding out the quartet is Metheny’s longtime percussive partner Antonio Sanchez and young bassist Ben Williams. The cross-generational musical conversation is amply supported by Sanchez’s deep rapport with Metheny’s music. The two have been playing together for nearly a decade and their creative connection—fueled by Williams’ fire—proves the Unity Band is aptly named. —Jason Shadrick
Must-hear track: “Roofdogs,” “Breakdealer”
. Jazz guitarist Pat Metheny recently released a book of guitar etudes that outlines what his typical pre-gig routine entails.
Pat Metheny
Hal Leonard
The process for warming up before a gig or practice session is different for everyone. Depending on your strengths and weaknesses, it might even change everyday. Jazz guitarist Pat Metheny recently released a book of guitar etudes that outlines what his typical pre-gig routine entails. During a summer tour of Italy in 2010, Metheny set up a small recorder, documented his process, and then transcribed 14 improvised pieces to create this book.
Each etude is presented in both tab and standard notation without any commentary or direction from the author. Since these are improvised, they are looser in format than a typical etude book. Each exercise flows freely between various keys and scales, and in some cases time signatures. Metheny’s goal here was to demonstrate how to move freely around the instrument without becoming locked into a specific idea.
When you play through these etudes, you really get a sense of how Metheny views the fretboard and connects ideas. In “Exercise 10 (Pescara),” you can see how a master improviser can take a simple G major triad and turn it into a melodic string-skipping exercise that moves through several different keys and patterns. The majority of the exercises focus on moving around the fretboard and connecting ideas with a series of eighth-notes. A few are presented with some direction when it comes to the picking hand, but most are left without any indication of tempo or feel. This addition could add to the effectiveness of the etudes because everyone thinks, articulates, and plays differently at various tempos. Nearly any guitarist will be able to cherry-pick a few ideas from Guitar Etudes, but for Metheny fans this will be the next best thing to sitting in his practice room before a gig.