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Rig Rundown: Eric Gales

A modern blues master takes us through his signature gear and gives some insight into his upside-down style.

Eric Gales, busy promoting his new album, Middle of The Road, took a break to hang with PG’s John Bohlinger at City Winery in Nashville. Gales, a master of melody, nuance, and flash, showed us his simple setup he uses both live and in the studio.

Gales’ No. 1 is this Sonnet Raw Dawg II signature model by Magneto Guitars. This S-style axe features a hard-rock maple neck, East Indian rosewood fretboard with an 11" radius, medium C-shape neck, 22 narrow jumbo frets, and Lollar Blackface pickups.

His backup is this Xotic XS-1 loaded with Fishman Fluence Single Width pickups and a Super-Vee BladeRunner whammy bar. Both guitars are strung with Dunlop strings (.010-.046) and tuned to Eb.

The bluesman runs his 100-watt Two-Rock Eric Gales signature amp into two Pure Sixty-Four 2x12 ported cabinets loaded with Celestion Vintage 30s.

Gales’ signal hits the Boss TU-2 tuner and then a DigiTech Whammy 5, a Mojo Hand FX Colossus Fuzz, a Custom Audio Electronics wah (bling'd-out by Dunlop), an E.W.S. Eric Gales Brute Drive, an MXR Bass Envelope Filter, and a Tech 21 Boost D.L.A. And though the MXR EVH Flanger is still on his board, Gales says he’s currently not using it.

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