New Orleans heavyweights Crowbar have been on a relentless tour of sellout shows this spring, with a schedule of dates that would have bands half their age fainting. Ahead of their gig at Eastside Bowl in Madison, Tennessee, PG’s Chris Kies talked with guitarist/vocalist Kirk Windstein, guitarist Matt Brunson, and bassist Pat Bruders to see what gear they’re using to conjure their crushing wall of sludgy hardcore.
This is Windstein’s latest signature model with Solar Guitars, the X1.6KW, in Mardi Gras purple. It’s loaded with a pair of passive pickups at the moment—a Seymour Duncan Invader in the bridge, and a Seymour Duncan ’59 in the neck. It’s currently his go-to instrument for Crowbar dates, and he strings it with DR Strings (.013–.060). Though the band’s down-tuned heft would lend itself well to a 7-string, Windstein grew up on six, and that’s where he’s going to stay.
Not-So-Small Fry
Windstein is running through a Neural Quad Cortex unit, working in tandem with a Fryette Two/Ninety/Two power amp, recommended to him by his sound man.
Dean’s List
Brunson shreds with this 7-string Dean Exile Select, kitted out with a burl poplar top, maple neck, and EMG 57/66 pickups. He digs these pickups for their vintage-voiced, cleaner sound, which pairs well with the band’s high-gain environment.
Kemper and Kab
Brunson is running through this Kemper Profiler MK2, primarily using the stock Diezel VH4 profile. He likes the ease of use and consistency he’s found in the digital platform. The Kemper runs through SonicTone Amplification cabinets loaded with Celestion Vintage 30 speakers.
From the Ashes
Bruders has used this EST LTD Phoenix II since 2005. It features active EMG pickups, and he runs it with DR Strings sets.
Extra-Large Amp
Bruders plays through a Darkglass Microtubes 900v2, often blending it with the signal from his Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Driver DI. His signal is pumped through an Eich Amplification XLCab cab, which is stocked with a range of speakers: two 15", two 12", four 10", and two NT1 tweeters.
Pat Bruders’ Pedalboard
Bruders’ DIY board couldn’t be simpler. It’s got a Boss TU-2, and the aforementioned Tech 21 Sans Amp DI unit.
Hot on the heels of their 12th studio record, Into Oblivion, American metal giants Lamb of God tore off across the continent on a tour that took them to Nashville’s Municipal Auditorium. That’s where PG’s Chris Kies reunited with Mark Morton, the band’s lead guitarist and one of the genre’s most influential riffers. In this new Rig Rundown, Morton walked us through the trusty tools he’s taken out on the road this spring. Tune in to the video for our interview with Morton, and scroll down for some key rig highlights.
This is one of Morton’s own, a Gibson Mark Morton Les Paul Modern. It’s got a gorgeous satin quilt top, slim taper neck, locking tuners, and custom pickups designed by Jim DeCola—at the moment, they’re only available in these LPs.
Morton strings his guitars with signature packs of Stringjoys. For drop D, he uses .0095-.050; for drop C#, .010–.052; and for drop C, .012–.054.
Custom Crusher
This 2022 Gibson Custom Shop ’60 Les Paul has seen plenty of playing time onstage.
Morton’s Mesas
<p>Morton blends Mesa/Boogie Mark V and Badlander amp heads. The Badlander is favored for its low-end response, while the Mark V brings out mid-range frequencies. They run to Mesa/Boogie 4x12 cabinets equipped with Vintage 30 speakers. An ISP Decimator Pro Rack G keeps out unwanted noise.</p>
Mark Morton’s Pedal Rig
<p>Onstage, Morton keeps only a TC Electronic PolyTune 3 and a Dunlop wah pedal. Backstage is where most of the magic happens. On one rack shelf sits a Neural QuadCortex used for switching, while another hosts a Maxon OD808 Overdrive, MXR Stereo Chorus, MXR Carbon Copy Deluxe, <a href="https://www.premierguitar.com/tag/boss?utm_source=website&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=Smartlinks">Boss</a> NS-2, and an Ebtech Hum Eliminator.</p>
John Bohlinger travels to the Land of 10,000 Lakes to check out the new home for 3rd Power Amps where founder Dylana Scott walks us through the builid process, 3rd Power's design ethos, and the metaphysical approach they put into their products giving players the ultimate tools for creativity.
The tour also covers cabinet acoustics, modular designs, and the company's MagFrag pickups. All of areas of production and innovation reinforce the 3rd Power’s mission to create highly-expressive, studio-quality gear that accentuates a player’s feel, dynamics, and emotions for an inspiring tone journey.
Sadler Vaden is a jack of all trades. He's a consummate pro musician that's spent nearly 15 years as Jason Isbell's stage-right, guitar-slingin' sideman. He's released four solo albums under his own banner [ 2012's Radio Road, 2016's Self-Titled, 2020's Anybody Out There? & 2024's Dad Rock] solidfying his spot as singer-songwriting, guitar-playing bandleader. He's becoming a fixture in the Nashville producer community including overseeing firebrand Morgan Wade's releases Reckless & Psychopath. And now acknowledging his talent, dedication and grind, Gibson has honored Vaden with his own SG that was based on his longtime No. 1 that was a gift after his previous Solid Guitar was stolen. PG host John Bohlinger explores all this in Sadler's journey while also picking his brain about slide guitar.
Introduced in 1951, the FenderTelecaster changed the course of music with a design that was bold in its simplicity. Unlike anything that came before it, the Telecaster was built from the ground up around the needs of working musicians — Leo Fender famously sought direct feedback from the players themselves, shaping every detail of the instrument around what artists actually wanted. The result was a guitar built with everything a player needed, unlocking a new level of expression. Its cutting tone, unmistakable silhouette, and workhorse reliability quickly made it the instrument of choice for artists across genres.
75th Anniversary American Ultra II Telecaster - The pinnacle of Telecaster evolution featuring a stunning Liquid Gold finish, ebony compound radius fingerboard, and advanced pickup system with dual S-1 switches. Combines 75th Anniversary Noiseless Single-Coil and Fastlane humbucker for unprecedented tonal versatility without hum.