The string-section trio for the iconic Chicago pop-punk band has gone digital, but Patrick Stump, Joe Trohman, and Pete Wentz still arenāt afraid to get weirdāand sometimes, downright dangerous.
Back in March, Chicagoās Fall Out Boy blasted through Birmingham, Alabama, in the middle of a year-long tour supporting their 2023 release, So Much (for) Stardust. It was their first solo headline tour since 2018, and they brought along loads of new noisemakers for the occasion.
Frontman Patrick Stump has moved on from his trademark Gretsch electrics, guitarist Joe Trohman scored an Explorer that may or may not remind us of a certain purple McDonaldās character, and Pete Wentz packs some basses that bring both ice and fire to the gig. And while tube amps still reign supreme in the studio, including the recording of So Much (for) Stardust, the band goes digital and speaker-free on the road.
Brought to you by DāAddarioPaint It Red
After his love affair with Gretsch came to a close, the Guild S-60D has become Patrick Stumpās new muse. Given his intense vocal responsibilities during performances, heās aiming for function over form these days, and the S-60D and S-300 models are fitting the bill for playability and position in the mix. āI want something that stays in tune,ā he says. āI try to be as minimal as possible.ā
Stump bought this S-60D with its all-over bright-red paint job, then set about sourcing red components to make it almost entirely monochrome. He also dropped a DiMarzio Super Distortion humbucker in the bridge and a Seymour Duncan Little ā59 in the neck.
Multicolor Halo
Stump commissioned this Halo guitar, which turned out radically different from what he initially pitched. It was first envisioned to help Stump out with some metal playing he was recording for a TV project, so he called for some classic touches like scalloped frets, a Floyd Rose, and a Seymour Duncan Dimebucker in the bridge. But the color ended up anything but metal. Itās not totally applicable to most Fall Out Boy material, but Stump is giving it a shot at some live play time.
Horse With Name
For slower moments, Stump goes with this Martin X Series acoustic he picked up at Guitar Center around 15 years ago. Since he had a deal with Fender, he covered the headstock Martin logo with some black tape thatās remained there ever since.
Mighty Zemaitis
First up, Trohman shows off this Japanese-made Zemaitis The Portrait Hisashi Signature Model, a model built in honor of Glay guitarist Hisashi Tonomura. While not a genuine Tony Zemaitis build, Trohman likes this one for its stability and build quality.
The Grimace
Trohman was lusting after this ā80s Gibson Custom Shop plumburst Explorer when he saw it pop up on Reverb, and when it sold, he was heartbroken. A few days later, his wife surprised him with it. Itās named Sanders, in honor of her maiden name.
Smokin' a Sig
Trohman also brings out his signature Squier Joe Trohman Telecaster, a take on the Tele Deluxe that includes a 5-position rotary selector switch to navigate the triple-pickup configuration.
Catching Rays
Tech Christian Zayas shows off this stunning custom paint job Sterling by Music Man Pete Wentz StingRay, which is outfitted with passive (rather than the typical active) pickups and a Hipshot drop tuning system. Note the signature red-eyed-loon inlay art on the 12th fret.
Winter Wonderland
This brand new, heavy-as-hell signature StingRay is full of some type of liquid (Zayas believes its anti-freeze) plus white material that turns it into a bass-shaped snowglobe. Wentz pulls it out for a fantasy sequence in the show, and it doesnāt stick around long because of its weight and more mellow tone.
Don't Sink the 8 Ball
This Pete Wentz StingRay is also a new addition, and comes out for an 8-ball-related encore.
Pete Might've Started the Fire
The last Sterling in the stable is also Wentzās most deadly, doubling as a flamethrower during some of the showās pyrotechnic flourishes. A primer on the upper bout preps the rear-mounted flame system, and the red-covered switch controls ignition. The pyro team tests it before each show with local fire departments to ensure its safety. āSometimes we wanna be KISS, and we are,ā says Zayas.
Farewell To Tubes
Joe Tone
Joe Trohman's tech Ben Young helped the FOB lead guitarist creep in digital modelers and here he provides additional details for what's happening inside the Axe-Fx III:
"The Fractal is set up where we have a different patch for each song, and then use scenes for each section of the songs. I have a template with all our dialed in amps and effects for everything. All the amp sounds are based off a JCM800 for our mid gain ācrunchā sound, and a Dual Rectifier for our classic Fall Out Boy heavy sound. We also have a Friedman amp and a ābrown soundā amp for other higher gain options that weāve been using on newer songs and a Matchless for clean stuff."
Ernie Ball Music Man's throwback edition bass is a reproduction of the Stingray's original specifications, with a 21-fret, 3-bolt maple neck with micro-tilt adjustment, bullet truss rod adjustment, and a strings-through-the-body bridge with adjustable mute pads.
Featuring an abundance of classic-inspired features, this Retro ā70s model features four color options: black, white, vintage sunburst, and heritage natural. These colorways replicate the look and feel of Music Man's flagship 4-string bass and are each finished with a gloss polyester topcoat.
Highlights:
- āAsh body with gloss polyester finish
- Vintage-style humbucking pickup with longer alnico 5 magnets wound with original single poly-nylon wire
- Hand-soldered 2-EQ preamp circuit board with vintage-correct ceramic disc capacitors
- Original Pre-Ernie Ball StingRay bullet truss rod adjustment
- 3-bolt neckplate with micro tilt adjustment
- String-through body bridge with stainless steel saddles and rubber mute pads
- Period-correct gold Music Man decal
Ernie Ball Music Man: The Retro '70s StingRay Bass Guitar
The Retro ā70s StingRay bass in black, white, and vintage sunburst finishes are available through Ernie Ball Music Man retailers. The Heritage Natural finish is offered exclusively through the Ernie Ball Music Man Vault, is in stock, and is available to purchase immediately.
For more information, please visit music-man.com.
This 35th Anniversary edition honors the Ernie Ball Music Man design used by some of the world's most iconic bassists, including Flea, Tony Levin, John Myung, and Phoenix of Linkin Park.
Unveiled in 1987, the Ernie Ball Music Man StingRay 5 set the standard for the modern 5-string bass with its robust low-end, tight, punchy sound and ideal 34ā scale length. This 35th Anniversary edition honors the timeless Ernie Ball Music Man design used by some of the world's most iconic bassists, including Flea, Tony Levin, John Myung, and Phoenix of Linkin Park.
Over its 35-year history, the Music Man SR5 has undergone several significant design changes. Under the leadership of Sterling Ball, the Ernie Ball Music Man R&D team have implemented industry-leading innovations that are now commonplace on most modern 4 and 5-string basses.
āAn Anniversary bass celebrates things you do at the beginning, things you do in the middle and things you do at the end. Hopefully you can create an anniversary bass that incorporates all of these eras togetherā¦ I think we got it right. Iām so proud of how this came togetherā.
Ernie Ball Music Man: The 35th Anniversary StingRay 5 Bass
The 35th Anniversary StingRay 5 is limited to 225 instruments in a single humbucker configuration, and 25 instruments in a double humbucker configuration. For more information, please visit music-man.com.