![Fall Out Boy Rig Rundown [2024]](https://www.premierguitar.com/media-library/fall-out-boy-rig-rundown-with-patrick-stump-joe-trohman-pete-wentz-guitar-bass-gear-tour.jpg?id=52823626&width=1245&height=700&quality=85&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0)
Back in March, Chicago’s 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 McDonald’s 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 D’AddarioPaint It Red
After his love affair with Gretsch came to a close, the Guild S-60D has become Patrick Stump’s new muse. Given his intense vocal responsibilities during performances, he’s 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. “I want something that stays in tune,” he says. “I try to be as minimal as possible.”
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 ’59 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. It’s 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 that’s 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 ’80s 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. It’s 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 doesn’t 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 Wentz’s most deadly, doubling as a flamethrower during some of the show’s 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. “Sometimes we wanna be KISS, and we are,” 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 “crunch” sound, and a Dual Rectifier for our classic Fall Out Boy heavy sound. We also have a Friedman amp and a “brown sound” amp for other higher gain options that we’ve been using on newer songs and a Matchless for clean stuff."
A huge part of their unique sound and stage presence came from the unusual instruments often employed by bassist Ronnie Lane and guitarist Ron Wood. Anthony Zemaitis was a British born cabinet-maker-turned-luthier. His guitars’ distinctive metal tops, often with elaborately engraved designs provided by Danny O’Brien, can be seen with some of the era’s most legendary guitar players, but it was his connection to the Faces that really put Zemaitis’ instruments on the map.
Engraver Danny O’Brien’s handiwork on the heel plate and control cavity covers are on display in this view of the bass’ back.
The bass pictured here was one of his earliest custom designs for Ronnie Lane. Though all of Tony’s designs are one-of-a-kind, this stands out as a bass guitar truly unlike any other we’ve ever seen. This instrument has a chambered body with a neck-through design and features a 6-screw heel plate purely for cosmetics. The hollow chambers on either side of the neck block were stuffed with cotton to eliminate feedback below a laminate-wood carved top. The distinctive “suit of cards” inlays along the 32"-scale neck would become a signature of Ronnie Lane, but this is perhaps the earliest example of that motif on one of his instruments. Both the headstock and end of the fretboard are delicately carved into a crown-like pattern, perhaps drawing inspiration from mandolins and lutes of the previous century. The controls are two tone dials with on-off switches for each, plus a master volume—with a missing knob—on the upper body. Every piece of metal, from the pickup surrounds, knobs, tailpiece—even the heel plate and control cavity cover—have been intricately engraved by O’Brien. This is as much a work of art as it is a unique instrument with an inspiring tone.
Ronnie Lane is hardly the most famous name associated with the Faces, but it could be argued that the spirit of the band was largely due to his influence. His love of folk and country music even left its mark upon early Rod Stewart solo records on which Lane and his Faces bandmates played a large part. This bass was with him for early Faces performances and could easily have been used on some of these classic recordings, including the albums First Step and Long Player.
This headstock has flourishes fit for a king—possibly of clubs.
There are numerous iconic photos of the band onstage where this bass can be seen, but its value goes well beyond pure memorabilia. Zemaitis instruments hold a special place in the evolution of guitar design, and the masterful engravings of Danny O’Brien are unmistakable. The sad loss of Ronnie Lane to multiple sclerosis in 1997 makes this instrument even more special. The wear and tear he put on the bass and the music he made with it are part of his lasting legacy.
Eventually this bass found its way to a pawn shop in the southern United States, where its second owner purchased it, unaware of its famous history. The bass was played locally from the late 1970s until about three years ago, when that owner passed away, leaving the bass to his cousin. His research over the past few years led him to realize the provenance of the instrument in his possession, and he ultimately confirmed his findings with us at Rumble Seat Music in Nashville, where this legendary instrument is now proudly offered—a perfect example of the kind of rock ’n’ roll artifact we love!
