![Rig Rundown: Halestorm’s Lzzy Hale and Joe Hottinger [2021]](https://www.premierguitar.com/media-library/rig-rundown-halestorm.jpg?id=27242352&width=1245&height=700&quality=85&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0)
Lzzy Hale and Joe Hottinger of the Grammy-winning rock band Halestorm recently took a break from rehearsals for their 2021 tour to talk rigs with Premier Guitar's John Bohlinger.
Shortly before this interview, Hale had become the first woman to be named a brand ambassador by Gibson. With several signature models under her name, and Hottinger's apparent obsession with SGs, it's not surprising this rundown features some primo Gibsons.
[Brought to you by D'Addario XPND Pedalboard: https://www.daddario.com/XPNDRR]
Lzzy’s No. 1
The Halestorm frontwoman's top dog is her Lzzy Hale Explorer in alpine white with gold hardware, featuring '57 Classic humbuckers, a mahogany body/neck, a rosewood bound fretboard, three control knobs (independent volumes and a master tone), and a 3-way pickup switch.
Black Dog
A study in contrast to her No. 1, this Lzzy Hale Dark Explorer in black and gold has '57 Classic humbuckers, an ebony finish, block inlays, and a solid mahogany body.
Head's Up
And here's the distinctive Explorer headstock.
Up on the Low-Down
When Lzzy wants to go low and rumbly, she plays her Custom Baritone Gibson Explorer gold top. It's got a 28" scale neck and her preferred two-tone-one-volume control setup.
Lzzy Bird
For something truly different, Hale plays her custom Explorer with a Firebird headstock, decked in black and red, with gold hardware and a pair of humbuckers from the 1970s.
Rock x 2
This EDS-1275 is literally the heaviest guitar in the Halestorm arsenal, with a standard top and baritone bottom, in SG white. It's strung with Ernie Ball paradigms (.10–.52) on top and the company's Not Even Slinky .12s for the bari half. The pickups are her preferred '57 classics.
Anyone for Chess?
If amplification were a match game, Hale would be ready. She tours with two custom Marshall custom JCM800s—one white, one black.
White On
Here's one of her 4x12 cabinets—geared up in a finish to match the head that drives it.
Lzzy's Pedalstorm
The signal runs from Hale's guitars into a Jerry Cantrell JC95 Dunlop Cry Baby wah. Then it hits a Boss TU-3, an EHX POG2, an MXR/CAE Boost/Line Driver, a vintage Klon Centaur, and a Way Huge Aqua-Puss Analog Delay Pedal. The power supply is a Strymon Zuma.
You Want SGs?
Joe Hottinger's got SGs—a fat roadcase full when he tours. He bought this 2003 SG Standard new when he joined the band that year. The pickups were changed to Burstbuckers when the originals died while on tour in Europe.
The Green Monster
This is a great shade of green, allowing the character on the wood in this kornia-body SG to emerge. It's a 2001 Gibson Custom Shop creature with custom '57 Classic humbuckers.
Double ... or Something
Not to be outshined, Joe's EDS-1275 is in super-shiny Brunswick blue sparkle. The pickups on the 6-string side are a Burstbucker 1 and 2 set. On the 12-string side, they're a 2 and 3 set. Burstbuckers 1s are low output, 2s are medium output, and 3s are overwound and hot.
Give It Up for Lester
This white silverburst '61 reissue has a Maestro tailpiece and its design comes from the era when it was called the Les Paul SG. It is stock and was built in 2010.
It's Not Easy Being Green
But it rocks—at least on this 2020 Custom Shop '61/'59 Fat Neck SG Limited Edition with three humbuckers, just like Jimi's famed white "Dick Cavett" model.
Single-Coils Going Steady
When it's time for that P-90 sound, Hottinger reaches for his 2011 50th Anniversary Pete Townshend alpine white SG. Windmilling lessons not included!
Bari or Bust
This limited edition 2013 Gibson SG Baritone has a 27"-scale neck, a Richlite fretboard, 496R and 500T humbuckers, and push-pull volume pots.
Chet's Mix
Yes, this is also a Gibson—a 1999 Custom Shop Chet Atkins SST. It has a solid top and a mahogany body, and a bridge transducer with an active preamp. Strings: Ernie Ball Acoustic Paradigm .12 sets. His electric guitars have Paradigm .10–.52 sets, mostly, and the company's Not Even Slinky .12s are on the baritone.
Amps? You Betcha
These two 2020 Marshall SV20H Studio Vintage plexi-style heads are just the tip of the iceberg of Joe's amplification setup.
Blasting from the Past
These two Marshall Super Leads are also in the game. The red one is from 1971 and the purple head is from 1973. Note the jumped inputs.
Big, Bad Bogner
This Bogner 4x12—one of two in Joe's rig—features Beyma Liberty 8-ohm speakers, which are super versatile, sonically.
Clean Stomp Space
Hottinger keeps a neat pedalboard, running cable into an Xotic XW1 wah to a Xotic XVP 250K High Impedance Volume Pedal. From there, it's a Tru-Fi Octavia Fuzz, Bogner La Grange, overdrive, Tru-Fi Colordriver 18V, Keely 30 ms Automatic Double Tracker, Electro-Harmonix POG2, Earthquaker Devices Afterneath, and Strymon TimeLine. It's all juiced by a Strymon Zuma power box.
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- Lzzy Hale's Signature Kramer Voyager Guitar ›
Effects Bakery MECHA-PAN BAKERY Series MECHA-BAGEL OVERDRIVE
Konnichiwa, guitar lovers! 🎸✨
Are you ready to add some sweetness to your pedalboard? Let’s dive into the adorable world of the Effects Bakery Mecha-Pan Overdrive, part of the super kawaii Mecha-Pan Bakery Series!
🍩 Sweet Treats for Your Ears! 🍩
The Mecha-Pan Overdrive is like a delicious bagel for your guitar tone, but it’s been upgraded to a new level of cuteness and functionality!
Effects Bakery has taken their popular Bagel OverDrive and given it a magical makeover. Imagine your favorite overdrive sound but with more elegance and warmth – it’s like hugging a fluffy cat while playing your guitar!
Resistance to digital amps might just be futile at this point. Many tunes you hear—and an increasing number of live gigs—feature a bit of faux-tube tone somewhere in the mix. But while the sound of pro-level modelers can be nearly indistinguishable from their analog counterparts in a mix, the feel and simplicity of a real amplifiers remain appealing and even indispensable to many players. That said, modelers that make usability, convenience, and price priorities can convince even die-hard tube users to see what’s on the other side of the fence. IK Multimedia’s TONEX ONE is one modeling device that might make the cut. It’s likely the smallest, most portable modeler out there. And at $179, it’s easily the most affordable.
Big Tones, Tiny Controls
The TONEX ONE isn’t designed to put a million different options at your feet, and that economy may be the unit’s strongest feature. It features several different modes, but the primary operating mode allows you to either switch between two different models, or simply use the unit as a stompbox. Each model can be an amp, an amp and cab, a pedal, or a pedal driving an amp and cab. Judging by how deep the online repository tone.net is for user-created presets, the options are nearly endless, which speaks to the already sizable user base. It’s a little strange to consider a modeler in a package this small with so few controls. There’s a large main knob that controls volume and gain (when you’re in ALT mode), and above that are three illuminated mini knobs that control the 3-band EQ, gate, compression, and reverb. You can also plug your headphones directly into the pedal, which makes it a dynamite silent practice amp.
My experience with modelers is that high-gain tones and clean tones are relatively easy to achieve and typically very good. After unboxing the TONEX ONE, I loaded up a slightly dirty Vox-style amp to evaluate the edge-of-breakup tones. I paired the pedal with humbuckers (with a coil split option), Stratocaster single coils, and P-90s in a T-style solidbody. With each one, the Vox-style amp was punchy and clear but could also range to very nice higher-gain sounds. Naturally, each version of a modeled amp offers different gain structures, so it pays to experiment. Combining the humbuckers in a PRS SE DGT with a few hot-rodded Marshall emulations and the growl offered tones nearly as good as those from much more expensive modelers. In a blind test, I’m not sure I could hear—or feel—much of a difference. As I explored further and fine-tuned things a bit more, the ToneX One felt more alive in my hand,s and sounded much less shrill in the top end than other digital solutions I’ve encountered.
One of the most obvious tone fixers in a modeler—and maybe one of the most underutilized—is the EQ section, and kudos are due to IK for placing those controls at the fore. Being able to adjust the most immediate tone-shaping options without having to dig through menus or touchscreens is a pleasure.
There are many possible uses for the TONEX ONE. It can serve as a high-quality direct solution on your pedalboard, a portable recording interface, and a plug-and-play practice solution when high volume is a no-go. One handy setup I tried was disabling the cabinet emulation in the pedal and then plugging into the effects return of a combo amp, in this case, a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. I immediately imagined many backline amp headaches being a thing of the past. You can always plug directly into a flat-response cabinet or PA system too.
Because it has such a small footprint and streamlined controls, harnessing the unit’s full potential, and accessing all the different modes, takes a bit of effort. You can store 20 different presets within the pedal and assign them to any of the three active slots (two for dual mode and one for stomp mode). And although doing this on the fly is handy, I found it much easier to program the presets via the easy-to-use desktop editor.
The Verdict
TONEX ONE benefits from a rather singular focus and its biggest advantage is that it’s not shrouded in unnecessary layers of tweakable options. You can simply load up a base sound or two, drop it at the end of your pedalboard, and go.The included software allows you create your own models and makes swapping presets easy. I did find the multitude of modes, and their color-coded indicators, a bit confusing at times, but IK’s documentation was very clear and got me through any trouble spots. The TONEX ONE would serve well to those who want to explore digital modeling but still hold on to their analog pedalboards, and at $179 it’s a steal.
If 3 Were 6
With six times the controls found on the 1 and 2 versions (if you discount the original’s on/off slider switch,) the LPB-3’s control complement offers pre-gain, boost, mid freq, bass, treble, and mid knobs, with a center detent on the latter three so you can find the midpoint easily. A mini-toggle labeled “max” selects between 20 dB and 33 dB of maximum gain, and another labeled “Q” flips the resonance of the mid EQ between high and low. Obviously, this represents a significant expansion of the LPB’s capabilities.
More than just a booster with a passive tone, the LPB-3 boasts a genuine active EQ stage plus parametric midrange section, comprising the two knobs with shaded legends, mid freq and mid level. The gain stages have also been reimagined to include a pre-gain stage before the EQ, which enables up to 20 dB of input gain. The boost stage that follows the EQ is essentially a level control with gain to allow for up to 33 dB of gain through the LPB-3 when the “max” mini toggle is set to 33dB
A slider switch accessible inside the pedal selects between buffered or true bypass for the hard-latch footswitch. An AC adapter is included, which supplies 200mA of DC at 9.6 volts to the center-negative power input, and EHX specifies that nothing supplying less than 120mA or more than 12 volts should be used. There’s no space for an internal battery.
Power-Boosted
The LPB-3 reveals boatloads of range that betters many linear boosts on the market. There’s lots of tone-shaping power here. Uncolored boost is available when you want it, and the preamp gain knob colors and fattens your signal as you crank it up—even before you tap into the massive flexibility in the EQ stage.
“The preamp gain knob colors and fattens your signal as you crank it up—even before you tap into the massive flexibility in the EQ stage.”
I found the two mid controls work best when used judiciously, and my guitars and amps preferred subtle changes pretty close to the midpoint on each. However, there are still tremendous variations in your mid boost (or scoop, for that matter) within just 15 or 20 percent range in either direction from the center detent. Pushing the boost and pre-gain too far, particularly with the 33 dB setting engaged, can lead to some harsh sounds, but they are easy to avoid and might even be desirable for some users that like to work at more creative extremes.
The Verdict
The new LPB-3 has much, much more range than its predecessors, providing flexible preamp, boost, and overdrive sounds that can be reshaped in significant ways via the powerful EQ. It gives precise tone-tuning flexibility to sticklers that like to match a guitar and amp to a song in a very precise way, but also opens up more radical paths for experimentalists. That it does all this at a $129 price is beyond reasonable.
Electro-Harmonix Lpb-3 Linear Power Booster & Eq Effect Pedal Silver And Blue
