It’s been a busy year for Jack White. The enigmatic artist and Third Man Records boss rolled out his sixth solo album, No Name, this summer, first as secret, unmarked vinyls distributed to Third Man customers, then with a full-blown digital release on August 2. He celebrated the record with a tour of last-minute-notice, small-room gigs around the U.S., proving that mystery and randomness can still exist in the world of algorithms and overblown marketing.
That’s not all. In September, Fender and White launched a line of signature products that were years in the making, including the eye-popping Pano Verb amplifier and feature-packed Triplecaster. PG’s John Bohlinger scored an invite to White’s Nashville headquarters to do a full walk-through of White’s current touring rig, courtesy of tech and collaborator Dan Mancini.
Here’s a sneak peek at some key pieces of White’s arsenal, but you’ll have to watch the full rundown to catch Jack’s custom Jazzmaster with some Mancini-executed “redneck engineering,” his new Triplesonic Acoustasonic model, and a cameo from the Third Man himself—right after Bohlinger accidentally breaks one of his guitars.
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This Jack White Triplecaster Telecaster is the culmination of White’s career of tinkering, tweaking, and optimizing his favorite pieces of gear. This Frankenstein’s monster is packed with features, like a kill switch on the lower bout, a Bigsby B5 Vibrato, a Hipshot Xtender to jump into drop-D tuning, and a three-way switch that can kill the signal or bypass the guitar’s tone circuit. White’s personal model, though, also counts a B-bender system he started using on the Raconteurs’ 2019 tour, which doesn’t come with the production-line models.
White worked with Fender pickup guru Tim Shaw to build the three-pickup arrangement. The custom Jack White Humbucker in the bridge was inspired by a Shaw-built pickup Jack heard in his wife’s guitar; the middle JW-90 is a Shaw-voiced, P-90-inspired unit; and the neck bears a Jack White Cunife Wide-Range Humbucker.
Two other Triplecasters, finished in sparkle blue, lurk near at hand, too. They’re all strung with .010–.046 strings.
A special, Mancini-modded Fender Jazzmaster in sparkle blue also figures into White’s current rotation. It’s loaded with Tim Shaw Firebird pickups, and Mancini managed to squeeze the guts of an Electro-Harmonix Pitchfork pedal into the body, along with the required controls. It takes .011–.049 strings.
Kay.O.
According to Mancini, White has had this vintage Kay Archtop since he was 20 years old—he shares its origin story in the 2008 documentary It Might Get Loud. With 25 years of service to one of rock’s most heavy-handed guitarists, it’s been through the ringer. Mancini has executed fix-ups over the years as needed, including a binding patch he whipped up at BBC’s Maida Vale studios using old console knobs.
For other acoustic-ish set pieces, White calls on his signature Triplesonic Acoustasonic Telecaster, strung with .012–0.53s.
Jack White's 2024 Pedalboard and Amp
White’s signature Fender Pano Verb combines some of his favorite amps into a dream scenario, where the best vintage elements are housed alongside modern capabilities. Influenced in large part by his 1964 Fender Vibroverb, the 70-watt Pano Verb uses two 6L6 and two 6V6 power tubes to deliver its stereo sound, which is realized via one 15" Jensen C15N and one 10" Jensen P10R speaker. The onboard spring reverb can be sent to both speakers, or just the P10R for a different flavor. The tremolo can be split up to run in either stereo or mono, and there’s a built-in boost to drive the amp even harder.
Currently, White has three Pano Verbs onstage, and runs one amp at a time: The center-stage amp for his electric, the stage-right one for his Kay, and the stage-left box as a backup.
White builds on that substantial base sound with what Mancini describes as a “modular” pedalboard setup, consisting of two boards. The first is White’s “burger and drink” board, the things he has to have; the other is his “fries and milkshake” board, the things that would be nice to bring along but aren’t 100 percent necessary.
There are a few prototype and unreleased boxes that Mancini skips over, but aside from those, White’s stomp setup, from nose to tail, includes a Boss TU-3W, Radial BigShot ABY, Dunlop Cry Baby, DigiTech Whammy, MXR x Third Man Hardware Double Down Pedal, rehoused Electro-Harmonix Big Muff, Donner x Third Man Hardware Triple Threat, rehoused Klon Centaur, ISP Technologies Deci-Mate, CopperSound Pedals Triplegraph, Anasounds La Grotte, Eventide Knife Drop, Union Tube & Transistor Bumble Buzz, Third Man Records x Mantic Flex, and Third Man Records x Gamechanger Audio Plasma Coil.
Shop Jack White's Rig
Jack White Triplesonic Acoustasonic Telecaster
Jack White Triplecaster Telecaster
Third Man Records x Gamechanger Audio Plasma Coil
PRS NF 53 (left) & Myles Kennedy Signature (right) guitars
Myles Kennedy Signature
Introducing Myles Kennedy’s first signature model. Known for his work in Alter Bridge, Slash and the Conspirators, and his own solo recordings, Kennedy is an accomplished guitarist who brings blues and jazz style to rock guitar playing. This new signature model mirrors Kennedy’s rock sensibilities with a nod to historic designs. While the aesthetic may have players hearing chicken pickin’ in their heads – and this guitar can certainly reach twang territory – it is made to play like a rock machine.
“This guitar captures the spirit of my favorite older instruments. With that said, since we developed this guitar, most of my vintage instruments rarely see the light of day,” said Kennedy.
The PRS Myles Kennedy signature guitar features a swamp ash body, a 22-fret, 25.5” scale length maple neck with maple fretboard, and two PRS Narrowfield MK pickups. The PRS Narrowfield MK pickups were carefully voiced to capture the courage of humbuckers and the spank of single coils. PRS Narrowfields provided the perfect starting point for this design, with their ability to deliver thick single-coil sounds without the hum. These pickups are paired with a 5-way blade switch and a push/pull tone control that acts as a preset tone roll- off, bringing down the higher frequencies on the treble pickup so you can dig in to the fullest.
“I watched Myles throughout his career alternate between humbucking and single coil sounds without giving anything up on either side. These pickups took us months to dial in, and I think they capture that balance that Myles mastered beautifully,” said Paul Reed Smith.
Other features include a PRS plate-style steel bridge, vintage-style locking tuners, bone nut, and Kennedy’s “Geometric Owl” logo from his “Ides of March” solo release, representing wisdom and adaptability.
“I feel like we managed to touch on the elusive quality that makes you want to play with this guitar. It beckons you to take it off the wall or out of the case and make music.”
– Myles Kennedy
Myles Kennedy Signature Specifications
- Body Construction: Solidbody
- Body Wood: Swamp Ash
- Top Carve: Flat Top
- Number of Frets: 22
- Scale Length: 25.5”
- Neck Wood: Maple
- Neck Construction: Scarfed
- Truss Rod: PRS Double-Acting
- Neck Shape: Myles Kennedy
- Neck Depth at 1⁄2 Fret: 57/64” [22.62 mm]
- Neck Depth at 12 1⁄2 Fret: 31/32” [24.58 mm]
- Width of Fretboard at the Nut: 1 41/64” [41.67mm]
- Width of Fretboard at the Body: 2 15/64” [56.75 mm]
- Fretboard Wood: Maple
- Fretboard Radius: 10”
- Fretboard Inlay: Birds
- Headstock Logo: Signature, Decal
- Neck-Body Assembly Type: Bolt-On
- Bridge: PRS Plate Style, Steel
- Tuners: Vintage Style, Locking
- Hardware Type: Nickel
- Nut: Bone
- Truss Rod Cover: Myles Kennedy “Geometric Owl” Logo
- Treble Pickup: Narrowfield MK
- Bass Pickup: Narrowfield MK
- Controls: Volume and Push/Pull Tone Control with 5-Way Blade Pickup Switch
- P1 (Switch Down): Treble Humbucker
- P2: Treble Humbucker & Bass Coil Split
- P3: Treble & Bass Humbuckers
- P4: Treble & Bass Coil Split
- P5 (Switch Up): Bass Humbucker
The Myles Kennedy Signature Model | PRS Guitars
NF 53
The PRS NF 53 is a powerful guitar that combines classic tones with modern design. Inspired by one of Paul Reed Smith’s vintage guitars from 1953, the PRS NF 53 combines
a swamp ash body and 22-fret, 25.5” scale length bolt-on maple neck with maple fretboard with a special set of PRS Narrowfield pickups. The PRS Narrowfield DD (Deep Dish) pickups are made with taller bobbins to fit more winds and extra metal pieces in between the magnets for a more focused, powerful tone.
“I am so pleased with the feedback from the artists who have played this guitar – everyone is telling us that we have something special here,” said Paul Reed Smith. “If you are a fan of this style and tone, the NF 53 will take you where you want to go. To me to have this kind of beautiful high end without the hum is game changing.”
Paired with a volume and tone control and 3-way blade pickup switch, the NF 53 allows players to easily dial in their sound. The steel plate-style bridge, PRS vintage style tuners, and nickel hardware all work together to provide precise and reliable tuning stability while promoting sustain and powerful tone.
The PRS NF 53 is available in four stunning finishes: White Doghair, Black Doghair, Blue Matteo, and McCarty Tobacco Sunburst. Whether you are a seasoned player or just starting out, the PRS NF 53 is an addictive guitar you won’t want to put down.
NF 53 Specifications
- Body Construction: Solidbody
- Body Wood: Swamp Ash
- Top Carve: Flat Top
- Number of Frets: 22
- Scale Length: 25.5”
- Neck Wood: Maple
- Neck Construction: Scarfed
- Truss Rod: PRS Double-Acting
- Neck Shape: Pattern 53
- Neck Depth at 1⁄2 Fret: 7/8” [22.22 mm]
- Neck Depth at 12 1⁄2 Fret: 31/32” [24.58 mm]
- Width of Fretboard at the Nut: 1 41/64” [41.67 mm]
- Width of Fretboard at the Body: 2 7/32” [56.337 mm]
- Fretboard Wood: Maple
- Fretboard Radius: 10”
- Fretboard Inlay: Birds
- Headstock Logo: Signature
- Neck-Body Assembly Type: Bolt-On
- Bridge: PRS Plate Style, Steel
- Tuners: PRS Vintage Style
- Hardware Type: Nickel
- Nut: Bone
- Truss Rod Cover: NF 53
- Treble Pickup: Narrowfield DD
- Bass Pickup: Narrowfield DD
- Controls: Volume and Tone Controlswith 3-Way Blade Pickup Switch
Street Price: $2,899
