Join Premier Guitar contributor Tom Butwin as he tries five powerful guitar plugins that will transform your guitar recordings.
Wampler Catacombs
Ever since Brian Wampler first picked up a guitar, he's been chasing the perfect sound - a quest that led him to build pedals in the first place. One challenge kept coming up, both for him and the countless musicians he's talked to: the struggle to have a wide range of sounds with complex editing capabilities while keeping the pedal interface manageable. Musicians either compromise on versatility or sacrifice precious space. Brian knew there had to be a better way. That's why he created the Catacombs - a pedal that eliminates the compromise altogether. It packs 11 of the most popular delay and reverb sounds into one intuitive, powerful package. Whether you're after a trusty digital delay and a plate reverb or a musical shimmer and a spaced out echo we have you covered!
The team at Wampler have worked for a long time on ensuring Catacombs will become an indispensable part of your rig. Each program offers tap-tempo control and can be saved into one of the pedal's eight front panel preset locations for instant recall. Delays and reverbs can be run in Stereo, in parallel or in series. But it doesn’t end there - the pedal also comes with a complete software version as a plugin for your DAW in AAX, AU, and VST3 format for both Mac and PC. The Catacombs plugin is FREE to all customers that register their Warranty online ($49.99 if purchased separately).
Legendary Delays
When designing the Catacombs, Brian wanted to put a whole universe of sonic textures at your fingertips. With six delay programs, you can feel the warmth and depth of analog delays (ANLG), the harmonic nuances of a Bucket Brigade Device delay (BBD), or the nostalgic modulated vibe of classic artisanal tape and mechanical delays (TAPE). Feeling adventurous? The other-worldly Echo-Space Delay (SPC) awaits. The favorite Wampler Faux Tape Echo (FTE) and an accurate recreation of the classic 2290 digital delay (DIGI) also feature. Each setting offers tap-tempo control and can be easily saved into one of the pedal's eight front panel preset locations for instant recall. It's like having a studio's worth of delay effects right at your feet.
Iconic Reverbs
But he didn't stop at delays. The Catacombs also houses five finely tuned reverb programs that Brian and his team honed to perfection. With just a twist of a knob, you'll discover expansive halls (HALL), a warm vintage plate (PLT), and that classic spring reverb (SPR) with plenty of "drip." The shimmer reverb (SHMR) allows a whole new layer of sonic texture, especially when paired with an expression pedal, and the intimate ambiance of the ROOM setting creates that perfect studio reverb. Just like the delay programs, each reverb is easy to control and can be quickly saved into one of the eight onboard presets. The Catacombs is all about giving you the tools to shape your sound effortlessly.
Stompbox-like Control
Like the Terraform and Metaverse before it, the Catacombs is designed to be as quick to dial in as possible. We replaced confusing menus and fiddly touch screens with clearly marked knobs you can adjust on the fly. Controls for Time, Feedback, Modulation, and Level (with Alt functions for each effect type) put all the essential tools right at your fingertips.
Digital Power with an Analog Soul
In creating the Catacombs, Brian wanted to blend the best of both worlds. It uses a
high-performance DSP engine to bring each effect to life with authentic character, and gives you eight front panel preset locations where you can save and instantly recall your favorite settings. If you're looking to expand even further, you can access up to 128 presets with full MIDI control, it has optional stereo routing, a parallel or serial switch, and an assignable expression pedal input to control any parameter (or multiple parameters) in real time. It's a pedal that can grow with you, adapting to any musical situation.
Brian Wampler’s attention to detail and commitment to designing the best and most player friendly products out there is second to none. Those qualities are on full display within the Catacombs. From its convenient form factor to its flexible controls and full MIDI implementation via mini-TRS jacks, the Catacombs is all Wampler.
- Studio quality conversion 48 kHz sampling rate with 24-bit audio
- Full 20Hz to 20kHz frequency response
- Studio-quality vintage and modern effects - 6 Delays and 5 Reverbs designed and realized in-house at Wampler
- Simple user interface making your sound design instantaneous
- All parameters controllable via an outboard expression pedal
- 8 onboard preset locations to save your favorite patches, 128 total via MIDI
- Full MIDI control with CC and PC commands and MIDI clock compatibility
- True Stereo or Mono I/O
- Complete set of AAX, AU, and VST3 plugins FREE when pedal registered online
- Pedalboard friendly enclosure with minimal footprint
- Power draw - 9V DC center pin negative, external supply only: 130mA at 9V
- Dimensions : 4.5” x 3.75” x 2.25” (114 x 95 x 56mm) Weight: 2 pounds (910g)
- Includes Wampler’s limited 5-year warranty
- Designed and Built in the USA
The Wampler Catacombs carries a street price of $299.97.
For more information visit wamplerpedals.com.
Wampler Syntax
The Wampler Syntax Rig Control Pedal offers dual-sided functionality and easy setup via slide switches, and seamless integration with your favorite gear.
Let me know if this sounds familiar: you have a powerful effects pedal with a ton of built-in features, but they're buried under menus. The onboard footswitches won't cut it, so you add a dedicated MIDI controller, maybe a tap tempo pedal, maybe an external footswitch. Before you know it you have removed the convenience that an all-in-one pedal was supposed to offer.
Brian Wampler feels your pain. That's why he designed a dual-sided MIDI program selector, tap-tempo controller, and amp channel switcher and put it in a tiny housing. We call it the Syntax: a micro-format, multifunction switcher that lets you go deep with your favorite delays, modelers, amps, and other gear with the press of a footswitch.
Effortless Setup
Syntax has way more power than its small enclosure suggests. Even more impressive is you get all its functionality via simple, independent slide switches. A quick slider push can set one footswitch to scroll MIDI program changes while the other taps out your delay's tempo. Or connect Syntax to your amp in latching mode to swap channels. It's up to you, and it really is that easy.
MIDI Switching from a Micro Pedal
Syntax is a full-fledged MIDI preset controller in a mini-stomp housing. Able to output PC messages 1 through 8, this little stomp can set presets on all your favorite MIDI-enabled gear - including the Catacombs, Metaverse, and Terraform. All three can be daisy-chained together via MIDI and synchronized presets can be selected from the Syntax with ease. No complex menus, just a simple setup and plug-in, and you're ready to scroll through up to eight of your favorite tones. With a dedicated MIDI In port it can also be integrated into a larger MIDI environment.
Tap Tempo & Latching
Here's something Brian has always thought: why should we settle for pedals that do just one thing when they could do more? Latching and momentary footswitches might look the same externally but they perform different and equally important functions with different rigs, so he figured, why not create a pedal that can handle both? Want to switch amp channels or toggle effects seamlessly? Or maybe you need a rock-solid external tap tempo? You got it. It's all in the Syntax, ready to adapt to any rig you throw at it.
A Lot More Control in A Lot Less Space
Whether you lean heavily on MIDI, need tap-tempo for your favorite delay, or want to free up some pedalboard real estate for a new Catacombs (hint, hint), the Wampler Syntax is the perfect choice. Designed to be placed either horizontally or vertically on your board, it works seamlessly with all digital Wampler pedals, as well as your other favorite gear. It brings your entire rig together while giving you even more room to expand.
Brian Wampler’s attention to detail and commitment to designing the best and most player friendly products out there is second to none. Those qualities are on full display within the Syntax. From its convenient form factor to its ease of use and versatility, the Syntax is all Wampler.
- Rock solid construction and high-grade components selected for optimal performance
- Compact 2 footswitch preset switching remote via MIDI (PC1-8)
- Latching and momentary function through Ext out TRS socket - function selectable via dual slide switches
- Dimensions: 1.5” x 3.5” x 1.5” (38.1mm x 88.9mm x 38.1mm) - height excludes knobs and switches
- Power draw: 20mA at 9V - 18V 9-18V power jack – DC supply only, no battery connection within
- Includes limited 5-year warranty
- Built in USA
The Wampler Syntax carries a street price of $99.97.
For more information visit wamplerpedals.com.
The Bridge Pin Puller is designed to be the fastest, easiest, and safest way to remove bridge pins from an acoustic guitar. Small enough to fit in your pocket, the standalone bridge pin puller is a great way for acoustic players to avoid fumbling with bridge pins during string changes and maintenance. The ergonomic design comfortably fits in hand but won’t place extra pressure on the instrument or bridge during use. Best of all, the clamp design encloses the pin, keeping it secure inside the puller until it’s released.
The Tour-Grade Peg Winder offers next-level performance for luthiers, techs, or anyone who wants to change strings with maximum speed and ease. The multi-tool design brings together a ball bearing, non-damaging socket for smoother winding, molded grips, and a spring-loaded bridge pin puller, delivering an all-in-one option to handle most standard string changes.
From the straight-forward simplicity of the Bridge Pin Puller to the all-around convenienceof the Tour-Grade Peg Winder, D’Addario has your string changes covered.
For more information, please visit daddario.com.
Steve Lukather is one of the most documented guitarists in the hit-making biz. He grew up as an L.A. teen with a crew of fellow musicians who would go on to make their livings at the top of the session scene. By the time Lukather and his pals formed Toto, they were already experienced chart-toppers. The band went on to success with hits including the rockin’ “Hold the Line,” breezy, bouncing “Rosanna,” and the timeless “Africa.”
As a session player, Lukather’s reign in the ’70s and ‘80s extended from Olivia Newton-John to Herbie Hancock to Michael Jackson. And alongside Michael McDonald—whose “I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near)” included Lukather’s distinctive rhythm riffage—Daryl Hall and John Oates, Kenny Loggins, Peter Cetera, and Christopher Cross (among many others) he may have earned the title of yacht rock’s number one guitar player.
On this episode of the 100 Guitarists podcast, we’re talking about our favorite Lukather tracks, from his best rhythm parts to his most rippin’ solos. And even though he spends most of his playing time with the biggest names, we’ve managed to call up a few deep cuts.
This episode is sponsored by EMG Pickups.
Use code EMG100 for 15% off at checkout!
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Friends and guitar legends in the making Tom Bukovac (left) and Guthrie Trapp map out some recording strategy for In Stereo, with an acoustic guitar and air drums.
In Stereo also honors Trapp and Bukovac’s friendship, which ignited when Trapp and Bukovac met over a decade ago at Nashville’s 12 South Taproom eatery and club—an after-hours musician’s hangout at the time. They also sometimes played casually at Bukovac’s now-gone used instrument shop, but when they’re onstage today—say at Trapp’s Monday night residency at Nashville’s Underdog, or at a special event like Billy Gibbons’ BMI Troubadour Award ceremony last year—their chemistry is obvious and combustible.
“Guthrie is very unpredictable, but for some reason our two styles seem to mix well.”—Tom Bukovac
“It’s like dancing with somebody,” Bukovac says about their creative partnership. “It is very easy and complementary. Guthrie is very unpredictable, but for some reason our two styles seem to mix well, although we play very differently.”
As Pepé Le Pew probably said, “Vive la différence.” While they’re both important figures in Nashville’s guitar culture as badass, in-demand session and live players, Trapp also points out that the foundation of their respective careers is on opposite swings of that pendulum. Bukovac’s reputation was built on his studio work. Besides his touring history, he’s played on over 1,200 albums including recordings by the Black Keys, Glen Campbell, Keith Urban, Stevie Nicks, Bob Seger, and Hermanos Gutiérrez. And Trapp considers himself mostly a stage guitarist. He emerged as a member of the Don Kelly Band, which has been a Lower Broadway proving ground for a host of Nashville 6-string hotshots, including Brent Mason, Johnny Hiland, and Redd Volkaert. In recent years, you may have seen him on the road with John Oates. It’s also possible you’ve heard Trapp on recordings by Rodney Crowell, Emmylou Harris, and Roseanne Cash, among others.But back to In Stereo. “This record is truly for the love of music and not giving a shit what anybody else is going to think about it,” relates Trapp, as he, Bukovac, and I sit and talk, and they noodle unplugged on a Danocaster and an ES-355, respectively, in the warm, instrument-filled surroundings of the Cabin Studio in East Nashville. The album was recorded there and at another studio, simply called the Studio, with Brandon Bell engineering.
“When we started working on the album, it was very loose,” explains Bukovac. “I never wanted to bring in anything that was complete because the key is collaboration. So, I knew better than to come in with a complete song. And Guthrie didn’t do that either. We would just come in with a riff for an idea and then let the other guy finish it—and that’s the best way to do it.”
“It’s got enough humanity—real playing—mixed with the cinematic side of it.”—Tom BukovacAll of which helped make In Stereo’s 11 compositions seamless and diverse. The album opens with a minute-long ambient piece called “Where’s the Bluegrass Band,” which blends acoustic and electric guitars, feedback, and keyboards with generous delay and reverb—telegraphing that listeners should expect the unexpected. Of course, if you’ve been following their careers, including their estimable YouTube presence, you’re already expecting that, too. So, a soulful composition like “The Black Cloud,” which builds from a Beatles-esque melody to a muscular and emotive power ballad of sorts, comes as no surprise. “Desert Man” is more of a mindblower, with its dark-shaded tones and haunting melodies. “Cascade Park” is an unpredictable journey that begins with delay-drenched piano and leads to Trapp’s acoustic guitar, which evolves from contemplative melody to feral soloing. And “Bad Cat Serenade” and “Transition Logo Blues” balance the worlds of country and jazz fusion. Overall, the music is timeless, emotional, and exploratory, creating its own world, much as Ennio Morricone did with his classic film soundtracks.
Tom Bukovac's Gear for In Stereo
Tom Bukovac and his ’58 Les Paul sunburst—one of just a handful of guitars he used to record In Stereo.
Guitars
- 1958 Gibson Les Paul ’Burst
- 1962 Stratocaster
- Harmony acoustic rebuilt by James Burkette
- Jeff Senn Strat
Synth
- Roland XP-30
Amp
- Black-panel Fender Princeton
Effects
- Nobels ODR-1
- Strymon Brigadier dBucket Delay
Strings & Picks
- D’Addario NYXL’s (.010–.046)
- Fender Mediums
“It’s a lot to ask somebody to sit and listen to an instrumental record,” Bukovac offers, “so I was just trying to make sure—and I know Guthrie did the same—it doesn’t get boring. When I finally sat and listened to this thing in its entirety, which was many months after we actually recorded, I had forgotten what we’d even done. I was overwhelmed. I love that I never got bored. It moves along and has moments where it gets into sort of a trance, in a good way, but it never stays there too long. It’s got enough humanity—real playing—mixed with the cinematic side of it.”
Trapp picks up the thread: “If you’re in Nashville for a long time and you’re paying attention at all, you understand this is a song town. No matter how you slice it, it’s all about the vocal and the lyric and the song. So, it doesn’t matter if you’re making an avant-garde instrumental guitar record. That influence is pounded in your brain—how important it is to trim the fat and get down to the song. A song is a song. It doesn't matter if it’s instrumental or not. It’s a ‘Don’t get bogged down and get to the chorus’ kind of thing.”
“A song is a song. It doesn’t matter if it’s instrumental or not. It’s a ‘Don’t get bogged down and get to the chorus’ kind of thing.”—Guthrie Trapp
Which alludes to the sense of movement in all these compositions. “It’s very important that every section of a song delivers every transition,” Bukovac adds. “When you go into a new room, when you open that door, it’s got to be right. That’s what I think about records. And there’s a lot of shifting on this record. We go from one field to another, and were very concerned about making sure that each transition delivers.”
Guthrie Trapp's Gear for In Stereo
Guthrie Trapp recording with his Danocaster Single Cut, made by Nashville’s Dan Strain.
Guitar
- Dan Strain Danocaster Single Cut
Amps
- Kendrick The Rig 1x12 combo
- Black-panel Fender Princeton
Effects
- Strymon Brigadier dBucket Delay
- Strymon Lex
- Nobels ODR-1
- Xotic RC Booster
- T-Rex Tremster
- Boss TU Tuner
Strings & Picks
- D’Addario NYXL’s (.010–.046)
- Medium celluloid
That kind of thoughtful development—the set up and delivery of various compositional sections in songs—isn’t exactly a lost art, but it’s certainly rarer than in earlier decades. Listen to Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road to hear how Davey Johnstone sets up verses, choruses, and bridges—or anything by David Gilmour—for reference. It’s also a goal best accomplished with a team of exceptional players, and, of course, Trapp and Bukovac enlisted some of Music City’s finest. The cast includes steel-guitar legend Paul Franklin, keyboardist Tim Lauer, bassists Steve Mackey and Jacob Lowery, and drummers Jordan Perlson and Lester Estelle.
“Don’t tell my mom, because of course we all want to make a living, but playing music that has integrity is at the top for me.”—Guthrie Trapp
“We recorded the basics—really, most of the tracks—live on the floor,” says Trapp.
“We kept a lot of the original throw-down/go-down solos,” Bukovac adds. “There were very few fixes and overdubs. One of the best moves we made was letting an outside person objectively sequence it, because you can get a little bit too inside your own thing. It’s like … if you’ve ever done a photo shoot, if you let somebody else choose the photo, it’s never going to be the one you’d choose, and it’s probably a better choice.” That task fell to bassist and singer Nick Govrik.
The terrain Bukovac and Trapp cover on their first album together is expansive and transporting—and packed with impressive melodies and guitar sounds.
The shipment of In Stereo’s vinyl arrived shortly before Trapp, Bukovac, and I talked, and while Bukovac released his first solo album, Plexi Soul, in 2021, and Trapp put out his releases Pick Peace and Life After Dark in 2012 and 2018, respectively, they seemed as excited to listen to it as teenagers in a garage band unveiling their debut single. That’s because, despite their standing and successes, playing guitar and making music is truly in their blood. What they play is a genuine expression of who they are, ripped from their DNA and presented to the world.
“Don’t tell my mom this, because of course we all want to make a living, but playing music that has integrity is at the top for me,” says Trapp. “These days, with AI and people worried or insecure about where the music business is going, and all these Instagram players who just are fixing everything with Pro Tools so they sound like they’re in a studio, I don’t worry because we’re not selling bullshit. We have 35 years of real experience between us, and when we do social media, we’re just reaching for a cell phone and posting it. It’s organic. That, to me, is a big difference. At the end of the day, I can sleep well knowing that I have earned the respect of the people that I respect the most. It’s just authentic music made for the very reason we got into this in the first place. We love it.”
YouTube It
Guthrie Trapp and Tom Bukovac practice their live chemistry together at Trapp’s standing Monday night gig at Nashville’s guitar-centric Underdog.