Rig Rundown: Blink-182

Laughing Gaff

This Fender Tom DeLonge Starcaster, like the others in DeLonge’s arsenal, was built by Brian Thrasher for Blink’s 2023 tour, and it’s been in service ever since. It’s got a single Seymour Duncan SH-5 Duncan Custom pickup and a lone volume knob. DeLonge runs it with a set of Ernie Ball Paradigm strings (.011–.052) with a wound G.

After receiving the guitar, DeLonge asked Sweet for some gaff tape, which resulted in the stunning look and breathtaking poetry featured here.

Tom DeLonge: The Next Michaelangelo?

Within a day of receiving it, DeLonge also subjected this guitar, nicknamed “Milo,” to an aesthetic overhaul via stickers and some Louvre-worthy Sharpie work.

Tom DeLonge’s Signal Chain

DeLonge has left the Mesas, Marshalls, and Voxes behind for now and uses a Fractal Axe-FX III unit on the road. His main sound is based on a jumpered Marshall plexi amp and a Soldano X88-IR. For clean sounds, DeLonge goes for a hybrid sound of a CA3+ (Custom Audio Amplifiers 3+ SE) and a Fender Deluxe Reverb. The drive sounds are pushed through a model of a Marshall 4x12 cabinet loaded with Celestion Vintage 30s, and the cleans crank through a Vox AC-30 IR. A Rupert Neve Designs 5211 preamp helps bring the tones to life.

Changes are handled by a Fractal FC-12 backstage, and a FC-6 for DeLonge onstage.

Green Ray

Only played a few times on this tour, this Ernie Ball Music Man StingRay bass was used to record Blink’s 1999 breakout record, Enema of the State.

Take Off Your Pants and Jag-et

According to Diaz, Hoppus will message artists he likes on Instagram to ask them to paint his basses, like this commission from Ohio-based artist Burrito Breath. Nicknamed “Stoned Fruit,” this Fender Jaguar bass—now a Limited Edition signature model for Hoppus—carries Hoppus’ now-signature “reversed P” pickup configuration of a set of Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound P-bass pickups.

Mark Hoppus’ Signal Chain

Check out Mark Hoppus’ rack! He rolls with this Neural DSP Quad Cortex unit. His main sound is based off of an Ampeg SVT, and other key modeled sounds include a Keeley Noble Screamer, an Orange Terror amp, and a JHS 424 Gain Stage.

Also in the rack are a Radial JX 44, Fretronics RSW switching system, and a Rupert Neve Designs 5211 preamp.

Ernie Ball StingRay Bass

Neural Quad Cortex

Fender Starcaster

Ernie Ball StingRay Bass
Neural Quad Cortex
Fender Starcaster
Fender Tom DeLonge Starcaster
Seymour Duncan SPB-3
Ernie Ball 2834 Super Slinky Strings
Radial JX44
Rupert Neve Designs 5211
Shure AD4Q
Radial JR5
Blackstar Live Logic 6-button MIDI Footcontroller