Big tones for big rooms takes big gear. The Grammy-winning guitar-and-bass team of Jake and Sam Kiszka gives us a tour of their on- and offstage rigs.
Few rock bands have made a bigger splash over the past five years than Greta Van Fleet. Since their first full-length, From the Fires, won a Grammy for Best Rock Album, Jake and Sam Kiszka have constantly dug deeper to expand their band's sonic scope. GVF's latest, The Battle at Garden's Gate, is packed with deep, nuanced sounds that all need to be created live by a classic rock-trio lineup with an amazing singer.
The guitar-and-bass-playing team of brothers showed PG the gear they use to make it happen, at a recent tour stop at the FirstBank Amphitheater in Franklin, Tennessee. And special thanks to Greta Van Fleet's tech Bryan Manley for helping with the details.
[Brought to you by D'Addario XPND Pedalboard: https://www.daddario.com/XPNDRR]
Jake Kiszka’s No. 1
Jake's top dog hasn't changed from the band's first Rig Rundown in 2018. What is different about this guitar is that the crack around the control cavity he showed us then has been repaired, so duct tape is no longer this 1961 Gibson Les Paul's sole mod. (By the way, the SG name was adopted for this model in 1963.) Note the old-school sideways Vibrola whammy bar.
The Understudy
As a backup, Jake purchased a second all-stock 1961 Gibson Les Paul that has negligible signs of road wear or abuse.
Triple-Gainer
The updated whammy is the giveaway that the new, third Les Paul/SG you're looking at is a 1962 reissue. Jake uses Cleartone .010–.046 strings on all his electrics, plus Dunlop .60 mm picks and brass slides.
The Workhorse
Jake's main acoustic is a Gibson J-45 from the Bozeman, Montana, custom shop—a limited edition tobacco burst. This classic model has been a favorite for working musicians since back when Dylan hadn't plugged in yet.
High Flyer
His backup acoustic is a recent-year Gibson Hummingbird. This model was Gibson's first square-shouldered dreadnought, and debuted in 1960.
You Can See Us...
Onstage, Jake has a Marshall JCM800 and two matching 4x12 cabs, plus a vintage Selmer Zodiac Twin 30 amp that was once owned by Guns N' Roses' Richard Fortus. Looks good, sounds good!
...But Not Us
Onstage, Jake has a Marshall JCM800 and two matching 4x12 cabs, plus a vintage Selmer Zodiac Twin 30 amp that was once owned by Guns N' Roses' Richard Fortus. Looks good, sounds good!
The Keys to the Kingdom, Pt. 1
Here's where Jake keeps his Marshall Astorias set.
And zoom in to see how his Bletchley amps are dialed.
The Big Bad ’Board
First stop is a Dunlop Cry Baby wah wired to pan a wide sweep in stereo, in the PA and monitors. After that, an RJM Music Technology Mastermind GT controls the routing for all effects.
The Drawer-bridge
The bulk of the effects Jake needs to recreate his catalog of sounds live in three drawers. In the fullest, there are two TC Electronic Flashbacks, a Danelectro Back Talk, a EHX Mel9, a Jext Telez Range Van Lord, and a EXH Micro POG—all powered by an MXR Iso-Brick.
Inside Drawer Two Is...
The next drawer down includes an Electro-Harmonix Holy Grail, an MXR Micro Amp, a Fractal Audio FM3 Amp Modeler/FX Processor, and an MXR Iso-Brick.
Acoustic Doesn't Mean Unplugged
The final drawer is dedicated to acoustic effects—MXR Reverb, another EHX Holy Grail reverb, and a Line 6 HX Stomp.
Sam Kiszka’s Green Hybrid
Sam Kiszka's main axe is still his green Fender P bass with a Jazz bass neck. This bass stays strung with D'Addario flatwounds, .050–.105.
Plus One-Half
Fender built Sam a bass aiming to give him the same feel as his No. 1. This black P also features a Jazz bass neck, and it's tuned up a half step. For that higher tuning, the D'Addario flatwounds are a bit lighter: .045–.100.
And Plus One
As a backup, Sam tours with this 'burst finish Fender Jazz bass, in standard tuning, and strung with D'Addario flatwound .050–.105s.
Ready to Rumble
Sam thinks two heads are better than one. So here's his Fender Super Bassman, for starters. It's 300 watts and comes loaded with four 12AX7s and six 6550 power tubes. The Super Bassman hits a matching Fender Bassman 810 Neo 8x10 bass cabinet.
Here Comes the Sunn
His other head is a classic: a vintage Sunn 2000S, with a potential total of 280 watts. It has a solid-state rectifier and four 6550 tubes. The 2000S runs into a vintage Sunn 2x15 cab.
Stage Dressing
Onstage, Sam stands in front of a trio of cool-looking Acoustic cabs and, when fully set up, an Acoustic 361 head. Currently, they're not actually being played through for shows.
Personal Effects
Down on the floor, Sam runs a Neo Instruments Mini Vent II rotary pedal, a Mooer Tender Octaver, and a TC Electronic PolyTune powered with an MXR Mini Iso-Brick.
All Keyed Up
Sam spends almost half the show on keyboards, running bass pedals with his feet. The pedal rig's a Hammond XPK-200GL.
The Right Spin
That Hammond runs through a Leslie 122 rotary speaker—perfect for classic '60s and '70s rock tones.
The keyboard rig is completed by a Mellotron M4000D Digital Mellotron on top of a super-versatile Nord Stage 3 keyboard. Down below there's another set of bass pedals, so he can make the bottom rumble from either keyboard deck.
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A reimagined classic S-style guitar with Fishman Greg Koch Signature pickups and a Wilkinson VS100N tremolo.
Designed to resonate with both tone and soul, this guitar boasts a slightly larger profile with a raised center section, offering superior dynamics and feel. A chamber beneath the pickguard enhances punch, while hum-free Fishman Greg Koch Signature Gristle-Tone pickups and a Wilkinson VS100N tremolo complete the package.
This marks the third signature model from Reverend Guitars for blues virtuoso Greg Koch, joining the revered Gristlemaster and Gristle-90. Each of these guitars, equipped with Fishman’s Greg Koch Signature pickups, embodies the relentless pursuit of tone, delivering inspiration to players who seek to push their own musical boundaries.
The Gristle ST has everything I need to engage in fiendish musical deeds. It has the classic sounds with a second voice to the pickups that adds more girthsome tones, a tremolo system that can take a licking and stay in tune, it’s a gorgeous looking and playing instrument that is just a little bit larger as to not look like a mandolin when played by a larger soul such as myself…I can dig it all! – Greg Koch
The Reverend Greg Koch Gristle ST is now available through any Reverend Authorized Dealer.
For more information, please visit reverendguitars.com.
Metallica's M72 World Tour will be extended into a third year with 21 North American shows spanning April, May, and June 2025.
The M72 World Tour’s 2025 itinerary will continue the hallowed No Repeat Weekend tradition, with each night of the two-show stands featuring entirely different setlists and support lineups. These will include the band’s first Nashville shows in five years on May 1 and 3 at Nissan Stadium, as well as Metallica’s return to Tampa after 15 years on June 6 and 8 at Raymond James Stadium. M72 has also confirmed its much anticipated Bay Area hometown play, to take place June 20 and 22 with the band’s debut performances at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara.
In a new twist, M72 2025 will feature several single shows bringing the tour’s full production, with its massive in-the-round stage, to venues including two college football stadiums: JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse, New York on April 19, and Metallica's first ever visit to Blacksburg, Virginia, home of the Virginia Tech Hokies. The May 7 show at Lane Stadium will mark the culmination of 20+ years of “Enter Sandman” playing as the Hokies take the field.
In addition to playing football stadiums across the nation, the M72 World Tour’s 2025 itinerary will also include two festival headlines—the first being the opening night of the run April 12 at Sick New World at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds. May 9 and 11 will then mark a festival/No Repeat Weekend combo as Metallica plays two headline sets at Sonic Temple at Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.
Support on M72’s 2025 North American run will come from Pantera, Limp Bizkit, Suicidal Tendencies and Ice Nine Kills. See below for specifics.
Additionally, M72 2025 will see Metallica’s long-awaited return to Australia and New Zealand.
M72’s 2025 North American leg is produced by Live Nation and presented by new sponsor inKind. inKind rewards diners with special offers and credit back when they use the app to pay at 2,000+ top-rated restaurants nationwide. The company provides innovative financing to participating restaurants in a way that enables new levels of sustainability and success. Metallica fans can learn more at inkind.com.
Citi is the official card of the M72 tour. Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets beginning Tuesday, September 24 at 10am local time until Thursday, September 26 at 10pm local time through the Citi Entertainment program.
Verizon will offer an exclusive presale for the M72 tour in the U.S through Verizon Access, just for being a customer. Verizon Access Presale tickets for select shows will begin Tuesday, September 24 at 10am local time until Thursday, September 26 at 10pm local time.
* Citi and Verizon presales will not be available for Sick New World, Sonic Temple or the Toronto dates. Verizon presale will not be available for the Nashville, Blacksburg or Landover shows.
As always, a portion of proceeds from every ticket sold will go to local charities via the band’s All Within My Hands foundation. Established in 2017 as a way to give back to communities that have supported Metallica over the years, All Within My Hands has raised over $15 million – providing $8.2 million in grants to career and technical education programs including the ground-breaking Metallica Scholars Initiative, now in its sixth year, over $3.6 million to combat food insecurity, more than $3.5 million to disaster relief efforts.
For more information, please visit metallica.com.
Metallica M72 North America 2025 Tour Dates
April 12 Las Vegas, NV Sick New World @ Las Vegas Festival Grounds
April 19 Syracuse, NY JMA Wireless Dome *
April 24 Toronto, ON Rogers Centre *
April 26 Toronto, ON Rogers Centre +
May 1 Nashville, TN Nissan Stadium *
May 3 Nashville, TN Nissan Stadium +
May 7 Blacksburg, VA Lane Stadium *
May 9 Columbus, OH Sonic Temple @ Historic Crew Stadium
May 11 Columbus, OH Sonic Temple @ Historic Crew Stadium
May 23 Philadelphia, PA Lincoln Financial Field +
May 25 Philadelphia, PA Lincoln Financial Field *
May 28 Landover, MD Northwest Stadium *
May 31 Charlotte, NC Bank of America Stadium *
June 3 Atlanta, GA Mercedes-Benz Stadium *
June 6 Tampa, FL Raymond James Stadium +
June 8 Tampa, FL Raymond James Stadium *
June 14 Houston, TX NRG Stadium *
June 20 Santa Clara, CA Levi's Stadium +
June 22 Santa Clara, CA Levi's Stadium *
June 27 Denver, CO Empower Field at Mile High +
June 29 Denver, CO Empower Field at Mile High *
* Pantera and Suicidal Tendencies support
+ Limp Bizkit and Ice Nine Kills supp
Beetronics FX Tuna Fuzz pedal offers vintage-style fuzz in a quirky tuna can enclosure.
With a single "Stinker" knob for volume control and adjustable fuzz gain from your guitar's volume knob, this pedal is both unique and versatile.
"The unique tuna can format embodies the creative spirit that has always been the heart of Beetronics, but don’t let the unusual package fool you: the Tuna Fuzz is a serious pedal with great tone. It offers a preset level of vintage-style fuzz in a super simple single-knob format. Its “Stinker” knob controls the amount of volume boost. You can control the amount of fuzz with your guitar’s volume knob, and the Tuna Fuzz cleans up amazingly well when you roll back the volume on your guitar. To top it off, Beetronics has added a cool Tunabee design on the PCB, visible through the plastic back cover."
The Tuna Fuzz draws inspiration from Beetronics founder Filipe's early days of tinkering, when limitedfunds led him to repurpose tuna cans as pedal enclosures. Filipe even shared his ingenuity by teachingclasses in Brazil, showing kids how to build pedals using these unconventional housings. Although Filipe eventually stopped making pedals with tuna cans, the early units were a hit on social media whenever photos were posted.
Tuna Fuzz features include:
- Single knob control – “Stinker” – for controlling output volume
- Preset fuzz gain, adjustable from your guitar’s volume knob
- 9-volt DC operation using standard external power supply – no battery compartment
- True bypass switching
One of the goals of this project was to offer an affordable price so that everyone could own a Beetronicspedal. For that reason, the pedal will be sold exclusively on beetronicsfx.com for a sweet $99.99.
For more information, please visit beetronicsfx.com.
What are Sadler’s favorite Oasis jams? And if he ever shares a bill with Oasis and they ask him onstage, what song does he want to join in on?
Once the news of the Oasis reunion got out, Sadler Vaden hit YouTube hard on the tour bus, driving his bandmates crazy. The Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit guitarist has been a Noel Gallagher mega-fan since he was a teenager, so he joined us to wax poetic about Oasis’ hooks, Noel’s guitar sound, and the band’s symphonic melodies. What are Sadler’s favorite Oasis jams? And if he ever shares a bill with Oasis and they ask him onstage, what song does he want to join in on?