The rockabilly icon struts onstage with a trio of Gretsch 6120s, a pair of early ’60s Fender Bassmans, and a silky Roland 301 Chorus-Echo.
Two-time Grammy Award-winning rockabilly hero Brian Setzer recently played a sold-out show at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium in support of his new solo album, The Devil Always Collects. Tyler Sweet, who has teched for Setzer for 17 years, took PG’s John Bohlinger through the rig that rocked this town, and just about every other town in the world over Setzer’s 40 years of twanging and sanging.
Brought to you by D'Addario XSRR Strings.
With his recognizable arsenal of plucky semi-hollows, Setzer has probably done more for the Gretsch brand than any other player in the last half-century. On this tour, Setzer brought out some old friends, like this 1959 Gretsch G6120 with gold hardware, rebuilt and restored by TV Jones. Jones treated it to a total overhaul, including a neck reset, a refret with a new radius, new inlays in the upper register, fresh binding side dots on the bass side and lacquer on the neck, a new bridge, reversed toggle switches, and an upgraded Wilkinson Delrin nut—plus, he removed the zero and fret-fill behind the nut. Like all of Setzer’s guitars, this supercharged swing machine stays strung with D’Addario EXL 110s (.010-.046), which Setzer strikes with medium celluloid picks.
In a 2014 interview with Setzer, PG featured had a sidebar with guitar guru TV Jones who detailed what he did to Brian’s guitars and how he created his signature pickup: “TV Jones mastermind Tom Jones—who’s been rehabilitating old pickups and winding new ones for Brian Setzer for 20+ years—explains the process behind the Stray Cat’s new signature pickups.
“It’s my job to ensure that all of Brian’s guitars play and sound the absolute best they can possibly be,” says Jones, who debuted the pickups at the March 2014 Musikmesse gear show in Frankfurt, Germany. “A few years back, I found that a few of Brian’s new Hot Rod signature guitars—which were sent to me by Gretsch to set up for his upcoming tours—sounded slightly brighter acoustically. So I decided to design a new pickup to bring out the best in these guitars—higher fidelity on top, with a slight punch in the bottom end—by using sonically unmatched coils and custom steel-alloy pole screws. The results were beyond my expectations.”
Jones also reworked this 1960 Gretsch G6120, which bears nickel hardware. He scraped a new shape in the neck, then refinished the lacquered neck and face cap. Like his work on the ’59, Jones also removed the zero fret and filled behind the nut (another Wilkoloid Delrin), manipulated the pickups, replaced the fretboard binding and inlays with side dots, fit a new bridge, turned around the toggle switches, and gave it a refret and new conical fretboard radius.
For a more modern accent, Setzer plays his 2004 Gretsch G6120T-HR Brian Setzer Signature Hot Rod in magenta sparkle. This guitar is all stock.
Setzer tours with two blonde Bassmans—one from 1962 and the other from ’63, but both with a 6G6-B circuit. They run into matching Bassman 2x12 cabs, which run 12" Oxford speakers. Setzer usually uses one amp and has the other as a backup, but has been known to run both when it makes sense for the venue.
Setzer has a Boss TR-2 Tremolo in his line for the occasional tremolo, and brings as many as six of the stompboxes on the road with him, just in case. Ditto his Roland 301 Chorus-Echos, which range between 1983 and 1986. The units are old and fragile, so in case one taps out, there’s another to take its place. Setzer wires his set up with Mogami cables, with Amphenol silent ends.
- TV Jones Announces Brian Setzer Signature Pickups ›
- Rhythm Rules: Brian Setzer’s Rockabilly Antics ›
- Brian Setzer: The Thrill Is Anything But Gone ›
Watch John Bohlinger and Fender’s mad scientists dissect and rip away at Jack White’s new trio of visionary, eclectic, and multi-dimensionally magical electric, amp, and acoustic-electric.
Fender Jack White Triplecaster Telecaster Electric Guitar - Black
Jack White Triplecaster, BlkFender Limited-edition Jack White Triplesonic Acoustasonic Telecaster - Blacktop Arctic White
Jack White Am Acous Tele LTD, Satin ArMade in close collaboration and with significant input from Jimmy Page, the Jimmy Page EDS-1275 uses new 3D scanning technology to aid in handcrafting an effective clone of his original EDS-1275.
There are very few guitars that can claim to be as instantly recognizable and iconic as Jimmy Page’s 1969 EDS-1275 Doubleneck. The photos of him playing it on stage with Led Zeppelin are indelible to rock ’n’ roll history. While Gibson has been making doubleneck electric guitars since 1958, Jimmy was the player who defined the EDS-1275 from the day it was delivered to him. Introducing the Jimmy Page EDS-1275 Doubleneck VOS, now part of the Gibson Custom core lineup and built to the exact specifications of Jimmy’s iconic EDS-1275 Doubleneck.
The Jimmy Page EDS-1275 features a double-cutaway one-piece mahogany body that provides exceptional access to the full length of both the12-string and six-string mahogany necks. Both necks have long tenons and are hide glue fit, and the neck profiles are recreated from 3D scans of the necks on the original guitar. The necks are both capped with bound Indian rosewood fretboards. Each fretboard is equipped with 20 authentic medium jumbo frets and adorned with aged cellulose nitrate parallelogram inlays. The fretboards of both necks have a 12” radius, which is perfect for both playing chords as well as for string bending while soloing. The 18 tuners are Kluson double line, double ring style, just like those found on the original guitar, and even the headstocks feature the correct 17-degree angle and specific logo stylization found on Jimmy’s EDS-1275. The electronics are just as authentic and deliver all of the sonic character of Jimmy’s legendary EDS-1275. Two uncovered Jimmy Page EDS-1275 Custombuckers with double black bobbins and Alnico 5 magnets are used for the two six-string pickups, while a covered pair is installed on the 12-string neck. Of course, the two volume and two tone controls use CTS potentiometers and period-correct ceramic disc capacitors, and the pickup select switch, neck select switch, and output jack are all from Switchcraft.
Here is your opportunity to own a clone of Jimmy Page’s famous EDS-1275, identical to how it appeared on the day that Jimmy first received the guitar. A Gibson Custom hardshell case is included, along with a vintage leather strap, and a certificate of authenticity with a photo from famed photographer Barrie Wentzell.
Jimmy Page EDS-1275 Doubleneck VOS '69 Cherry
Recreation of the EDS-1275 used by Jimmy Page made using 3D scans of the original guitar, one piece mahogany body, mahogany six and 12-string necks with custom Jimmy Page profiles, Indian rosewood fretboards, Jimmy Page Custombucker pickups with Alnico 5 magnets and double black bobbins, Gibson Custom hardshell case
Reader: Daniel Switkin
Hometown: Oakland, California
Guitar: Doublecaster
Here’s the doubleneck dream realized, even if it weighs 9 pounds, 5 ounces.
Taking a Squier Affinity Stratocaster and Mini Precision Bass, one reader created a super-versatile instrument for looping that he can pick, pluck, tap, and slap.
I've been using a multitrack looper with a guitar and an octave pedal, which was okay for simple bass parts, but didn’t give me thick strings and I couldn’t slap with it. So I decided to build a double-neck prototype specifically for looping, with a 6-string guitar and a 4-string bass.
Since building the necks would be the hardest part, I looked around for instruments with bolt-on necks I could reuse. Squier makes an Affinity Stratocaster and a Mini Precision Bass which were affordable and had matching fretboards, so I bought those. It was also cheaper to reuse the electronics and hardware that came with them, rather than buying everything separately.
Using two precut instrument bodies saved the burden of having to route cavities for the electronics.
My plan was to design my own body from scratch. As I debated which neck should go on top, how far apart they should be, and whether to line up the nuts or the saddles, I realized there was actually enough wood there to make a double neck body, which saved me the work of recreating the neck pockets, etc. Putting the guitar on top made barre chords much more comfortable, and the 28.6" bass scale meant I could still reach the first fret easily.
After stripping the paint with a heat gun, I ran both bodies through a table saw, glued them together, and thinned them to 1 3/8". Then I created an offset body shape, a new arm bevel, and reshaped the three cutaways. The pickguards are both original, with the guitar side cut down to make a yin and yang shape. The controls are volume and tone for each neck, using the original knobs. I moved the jack to the back and upgraded it to stereo so the guitar and bass signals can run through separate effects chains.
Note the location of the jack on the back of the extended-shape body. It’s unconventional but practical.
My top concerns were weight and ergonomics. Many doublenecks are around 12 to 13 pounds and 18" wide. I knew I would never play something that big, no matter how good it sounded. To that end, I saved weight everywhere and tracked everything to the gram in a spreadsheet. (That’s also the reason I chose a fixed bridge instead of a vibrato.) I ultimately used a wipe-on gel stain to keep the weight down further. Stripping the paint from the factory saved 5 ounces! The final playable weight is 9 pounds, 5 ounces, and 15 1/4" wide at the lower bout. This has been pretty manageable, however, there is some neck dive because of the tuners. I’m taking everything I’ve learned from this prototype and designing a new doubleneck, which will be headless. I believe I can shed another pound and eliminate the neck dive that way. You can watch my entire build on YouTube.
Twenty-seven-time Grammy winner Alison Krauss reveals new tour featuring Jerry Douglas. Their first tour together in a decade next year.
The Arcadia 2025 Tour will see the acclaimed group playing 73 dates across the United States and Canada in 2025. They are also set to release new music next year.
Krauss has also announced that legendary vocalist and guitarist Russell Moore has joined the ranks of Union Station. Best known as the frontman for chart-topping group IIIrd Tyme Out, Moore is the most awarded male vocalist in the history of the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA), with six total wins, and has guided his group to more than 50 industry honors including seven IBMA Vocal Group of the Year titles. He joins longtime Union Station members - Ron Block (banjo, guitar, vocals), Barry Bales (bass, vocals) and newly inducted Bluegrass Hall of Fame member Jerry Douglas (Dobro, lap steel, vocals).
“I’m so grateful to get to make music again with my comrades of 40 years,” says Alison Krauss. “They’ve always accomplished incredible work individually and have been constantly traveling because of it. We’re very inspired to experience this new exciting chapter in the band’s history.”
"To say I'm excited about recording and touring with Alison Krauss & Union Station would be a huge understatement,” adds Russell Moore. “After 40 years of playing music full-time and leading my own group for 34 years, this opportunity is among the few things at the top of the list that my music career has offered me. My hopes and desires are to fill this spot in AKUS with the same professionalism, precision, and thoughtfulness as other members who have held this position before me, and I'm looking forward to the 'ride’!”
The 73-date tour, which features special guest Willie Watson, kicks off on Thursday, April 17th in Louisville, KY and includes iconic venues like Red Rocks Amphitheatre (Morris, CO), the Greek Theatre (Los Angeles, CA), the Beacon Theatre (New York, NY), and more. Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Friday, December 6th, with presales available from Wednesday, December 4th at 10AM local through Thursday, December 5th at 10PM local.
Next year, fans can expect to hear new music from AKUS for the first time since the band’s 2011 masterpiece Paper Airplane, an album hailed as “shining, dramatic, and beautiful” by NPR Music, which debuted at #1 on the Billboard Country, Bluegrass, and Folk Album charts.
Website: alisonkrauss.com.
Upcoming Tour Dates:
Thursday, April 17, 2025 | The Louisville Palace | Louisville, KY*
Friday, April 18, 2025 | The Louisville Palace | Louisville, KY*
Saturday, April 19, 2025 | Mershon Auditorium | Columbus, OH*
Friday, April 25, 2025 | Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park | Atlanta, GA
Saturday, April 26, 2025 | Live Oak Bank Pavilion | Wilmington, NC
Sunday, April 27, 2025 | Koka Booth Amphitheatre | Cary, NC
Tuesday, April 29, 2025 | Bell Auditorium | Augusta, GA
Wednesday, April 30, 2025 | The Adderley Amphitheater | Tallahassee, FL
Friday, May 2, 2025 | The Wharf Amphitheater | Orange Beach, AL
Saturday, May 3, 2025 | Brandon Amphitheater | Brandon, MS
Sunday, May 4, 2025 | BJCC Concert Hall | Birmingham, AL
Tuesday, May 6, 2025 | Orpheum Theatre | Memphis, TN
Monday, May 12, 2025 | First Security Amphitheater | Little Rock, AR
Tuesday, May 13, 2025 | The Criterion | Oklahoma City, OK
Thursday, May 15, 2025 | Saint Louis Music Park | Maryland Heights, MO
Friday, May 16, 2025 | Walmart AMP | Rogers, AR
Saturday, May 17, 2025 | Starlight Theatre | Kansas City, MO
Thursday, May 29, 2025 | Smart Financial Centre | Sugar Land, TX
Friday, May 30, 2025 | Whitewater Amphitheater | New Braunfels, TX
Saturday, May 31, 2025 | The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory | Irving, TX
Tuesday, June 3, 2025 | PNC Pavilion | Cincinnati, OH
Wednesday, June 4, 2025 | Devon Lakeshore Amphitheater | Decatur, IL
Friday, June 6, 2025 | BMO Pavilion | Milwaukee, WI
Saturday, June 7, 2025 | The Chicago Theatre | Chicago, IL
Sunday, June 8, 2025 | The Ledge | Waite Park, MN
Tuesday, June 10, 2025 | Vetter Stone Amphitheater | Mankato, MN
Wednesday, June 11, 2025 | Bayfront Festival Park | Duluth, MN
Friday, June 13, 2025 | McGrath Amphitheatre | Cedar Rapids, IA
Saturday, June 14, 2025 | Denny Sanford Premier Center | Sioux Falls, SD
Sunday, June 15, 2025 | The Astro Amphitheater | Omaha, NE
Monday, June 16, 2025 | Hartman Arena | Park City, KS
Wednesday, June 18, 2025 | Red Rocks Amphitheatre | Morrison, CO
Friday, June 20, 2025 | Dillon Amphitheater | Dillon, CO
Saturday, June 21, 2025 | Kit Carson Park | Taos, NM
Friday, July 11, 2025 | Arizona Financial Theatre | Phoenix, AZ
Saturday, July 12, 2025 | The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park | San Diego, CA
Sunday, July 13, 2025 | Greek Theatre | Los Angeles, CA
Tuesday, July 15, 2025 | Santa Barbara Bowl | Santa Barbara, CA
Wednesday, July 16, 2025 | The Mountain Winery | Saratoga, CA
Friday, July 18, 2025 | Grand Theatre | Reno, NV
Saturday, July 19, 2025 | Redding Civic Auditorium | Redding, CA
Sunday, July 20, 2025 | Edgefield Amphitheater | Troutdale, OR
Tuesday, July 22, 2025 | Wine Country Amphitheater | Walla Walla, WA
Wednesday, July 23, 2025 | Outlaw Field at the Idaho Botanical Garden | Boise, ID
Saturday, July 26, 2025 | Theatre at the Brick | Bozeman, MT
Sunday, July 27, 2025 | BECU Live at Northern Quest | Airway Heights, WA
Tuesday, July 29, 2025 | Grey Eagle Resort & Casino | Calgary, AB
Thursday, July 31, 2025 | TCU Place | Saskatoon, SK
Friday, August 1, 2025 | Centennial Concert Hall | Winnipeg, MB
Tuesday, August 19, 2025 | Massey Hall | Toronto, ON
Thursday, August 21, 2025 | Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park | Indianapolis, IN
Friday, August 22, 2025 | Ascend Amphitheater | Nashville, TN
Saturday, August 23, 2025 | The Tennessee Theatre | Knoxville, TN
Sunday, August 24, 2025 | The Tennessee Theatre | Knoxville, TN
Tuesday, August 26, 2025 | Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium | Chattanooga, TN
Thursday, August 28, 2025 | The Dome | Virginia Beach, VA
Friday, August 29, 2025 | Allianz Amphitheater at Riverfront | Richmond, VA
Saturday, August 30, 2025 | Earl Scruggs Music Festival | Mill Spring, NC +
Saturday, September 6, 2025 | Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre | Sterling Heights, MI
Sunday, September 7, 2025 | Jacobs Pavilion | Cleveland, OH
Tuesday, September 9, 2025 | Wolf Trap | Vienna, VA++
Wednesday, September 10, 2025 | The Met Philadelphia presented by Highmark | Philadelphia, PA
Friday, September 12, 2025 | Beacon Theatre | New York, NY
Tuesday, September 16, 2025 | Veterans Memorial Auditorium | Providence, RI
Wednesday, September 17, 2025 | Leader Bank Pavilion | Boston, MA
Friday, September 19, 2025 | BankNH Pavilion | Gilford, NH
Saturday, September 20, 2025 | The Green at Shelburne Museum | Shelburne, VT
Sunday, September 21, 2025 | Artpark Mainstage Theater | Lewiston, NY
Tuesday, September 23, 2025 | Salem Civic Center | Salem, VA
Wednesday, September 24, 2025 | Credit One Stadium | Charleston, SC
Friday, September 26, 2025 | The Saint Augustine Amphitheatre | St. Augustine, FL
Saturday, September 27, 2025 | The BayCare Sound | Clearwater, FL
Sunday, September 28, 2025 | Hard Rock Live | Hollywood, FL
*denotes Special Guest TBD, all other dates featuring Special Guest Willie Watson
+denotes tickets already on sale on the festival website
++denotes artist pre-sale happening February 11, 2025 followed by public on-sale