Take a look at the most popular Rig Rundowns of the year.
15. The Offspring’s Kevin “Noodles” Wasserman
Just minutes before doors opened for the Offspring’s sold-out show at the War Memorial Auditorium in Nashville, guitarist Kevin “Noodles” Wasserman took a break from the pre-show madness to give Premier Guitar’s Perry Bean the details on his surprisingly high-tech touring gear.
14. Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
Premier Guitar’s Shawn Hammond met with Zach Nagy, guitar tech for Joan Jett, lead guitarist Dougie Needles, and bassist Hal Salzer before the Blackhearts’ show at the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on March 21, 2015.
13. Heart
Premier Guitar’s Shawn Hammond met with Ann and Nancy Wilson’s guitar tech, Jeff Ousley, lead guitarist Craig Bartock, and bassist Dan Rothchild before Heart’s show at the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on March 21, 2015. Ousley—who’s been maintaining the Wilson sisters’ gear (and making them mean cups of coffee) for more than 20 years—walked us through everything from Ann’s custom Martin acoustics to Nancy’s vintage SG and Tele, while Bartock and Rothchild shared their cool customized instruments.
12. Blackberry Smoke
We hung with Charlie Starr and Paul Jackson of Blackberry Smoke just a few hours before they blew the roof off of Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. The boys shared their recipe for Southern rock tone that’s as thick as grits and gravy. Special thanks to the band’s tech, David “Doc” Oswalt, for details.
11. The Winery Dogs
Richie Kotzen and Billy Sheehan took a breather after soundcheck at the Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville to speak with our own John Bohlinger about their signature rigs.
10. Jennifer Batten
Jennifer Batten took a few minutes before her clinic at Sam Ash in Nashville to show off her gear and some mind-bending licks.
9. Maroon 5's James Valentine
Premier Guitar’s John Bohlinger met with Maroon 5’s James Valentine before the band’s February 27, 2015, gig at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. In this segment, we see how the closet jazz cat uses a variety of vintage and high-end boutique guitars and amps to get the wide variety of sounds he has to replicate at each show.
8. Imagine Dragons
The band’s platinum pop-rock is fueled with amazingly customized axes, vintage Voxes, and plenty of sonic exploration.
7. Steel Panther's Satchel
We caught up with Satchel, the guitarist for '80s shock-rockers Steel Panther, during a stop in Des Moines, IA, at the Val Air Ballroom. Even though his rig is rather simple, Satchel took the time to discuss his signature Kramer, high-gain amps, and his time spent on safari in Africa.
6. John Fogerty Band
On May 3, 2015, John Fogerty’s tech, Dave Whiston, and son/co-guitarist Shane Fogerty hung with PG to talk gear before the band’s sold-out show at The Woods Amphitheater at Fontanel in Nashville.
5. ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill
ZZ Top’s guitar and bass tech, Elwood Francis, explains the ins and outs of the newest guitars and basses that Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill have out on the road for 2015.
4. Eagles of Death Metal
Touring lead guitarist Dave Catching, guitarist/frontman Jesse Hughes, and bassist Matt McJunkins were gracious enough to chat about their setups before the band's sold-out show at the High Noon Saloon in Madison, Wisconsin.
3. Deep Purple's Steve Morse
Tessa Jeffers chatted with the man of many bands, Deep Purple guitarist Steve Morse, just before the band performed at Nashville's legendary Ryman Auditorium.
2. Gary Clark Jr.
Chris Kies tracks down the soft-spoken guitarist and his tech Dave Folman to talk shop before Clark Jr.'s opening slot for the Foo Fighters at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena.
1. Slipknot
On Mother's Day 2015, Slipknot guitarists Mick Thomson and Jim Root took some time before their somewhat hometown show and hung with us to talk about signature guitars, tube heads, and the handful of effects they need to punish arenas each night.
The punk-rock vet likes it both simple and high-tech, with signature Ibanez axes and an Axe-Fx combining to create a consistently brutal sonic punch.
Wasserman has been playing Ibanez guitars since the 1990s, and in 2003 the company released Wasserman’s first signature model, the NDM1—which is perhaps most notable for being wrapped in duct tape. The NDM1 that Noodles uses on the road these days features a DiMarzio Tone Zone bridge pickup, a DiMarzio PAF Pro neck pickup, and an Ibanez Evolution single-coil in the middle position.
Just minutes before doors opened for the Offspring’s sold-out show at the War Memorial Auditorium in Nashville, guitarist Kevin “Noodles” Wasserman took a break from the pre-show madness to give Premier Guitar’s Perry Bean the details on his surprisingly high-tech touring gear.
Thanks to Noodles’ tech, Tim Kennedy, for his help with rig and setting specifics.
