Rig Rundown: Dethklok [2026]

Exploder

Small’s main machine is this early-2000s Gibson Explorer with jumbo frets and Burstbuckers. It’s tuned to C standard with D’Addario strings (.011–.052), and he plays with Dunlop Tortex Sharp .73mm picks.

Zebra

Small also travels with this Ernie Ball Music Man Jason Richardson Cutlass in custom matte black, which has white stock Ernie Ball pickups and Lumenlay side dots.

Brendan Small’s Rig

Small uses a Neural DSP Quad Cortex for all of his core tones, which come from a Peavey 5150 amp model. He keeps two Dunlop expression pedals on hand: one for volume control, one for wah and whammy effects.

Question and Answer

Brosh’s primary picker, at right, is her signature Ibanez guitar, dubbed “the Answer.” Introduced earlier this year, this RG-style electric has a basswood body, maple neck with exclamation mark inlays, and a Lo-Pro Edge trem system. It carries EMG H1 and S1 passive pickups, and Brosh plays it with Ernie Ball Burly Slinky strings (.011–.048) and Dunlop Big Stubby 3mm picks.

The Ibanez RG5170B Prestige at left is a backup, primed with active pickups.

Nili Brosh’s Rig

Brosh runs through a HeadRush Flex Prime unit, programmed with rhythm and lead patches.

Up Against the Wall

Griffin’s go-to bass is his Dingwall D-Roc Standard (left) with fanned frets, tuned to C standard. The Dunable on the right is on hand for backup service. Griffin uses Dunlop Heavy Gauge (.055–.115) strings and Dunlop Flow Standard 1.14mm picks.

Pete Griffin’s Rig

Like Small, Griffin runs through a Neural Quad Cortex, primarily using a patch modeled on his Ashdown amps. Also on his board are a Dunlop Justin Chancellor Cry Baby wah, a Sushi Box FX Finally tube DI, and a top-secret prototype of a distortion stomp that will be coming out in the future.