The veteran Canadian rocker and his wingman Keith Scott count on hybrid rigs and golden Gibsons for their recent tour.
Last year, Bryan Adams launched the Roll With the Punches Tour, a 40-show run across North America which marked his most significant outing in years. The production touched down at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena in early November. That’s where Adams’ tech Craig Pattison gave PG’s John Bohlinger a backstage tour of the gear used by Adams, and guitarist Keith Scott and his tech Dan Ely detailed what’s used on the other side of the stage. Peep the highlights below, and tune into our new Rig Rundown for more!
Adams has a few of these vintage Gibson ES-295s, loaded with P-90s, and treasures their expressiveness so highly that they’ve displaced the Stratocasters he used for much of his career. The original Kluson tuners were swapped out for Waverly machines. Another 295 stays on standby.
Adams’ guitars take custom La Bella strings (.012–.014–.017–.030–.040–.050). Second guitarist Keith Scott uses the same range, except with a .018 G string.
Adams’ Acoustic
Adams’ 1954 Martin D-18 uses a Fishman Natural 1 pickup—a model that Pattinson stocked up on to ensure they never have to go without. The guitar takes a set of La Bella 7GPS Phosphor Bronze strings (.012–.052).
Bryan Adams’ Pedalboard
This simple board helps Adams navigate effects on guitar, but it also carries his bass rig when he switches to the 4-string. In addition to the Fractal FC-6 and TC Electronic Polytune, there’s an Ampeg SGT-DI, Radial SGI-TX, Universal Audio Max Preamp and Dual Compressor, and an Axess Electronics IsoFormer RCV. A Truetone CS-7 1 Spot Pro keeps the lights on.
Bryan Adams’ Rack Setup
<p>Adams’ chain runs into a massive Pete Cornish Custom Design control unit, which is the heart and soul of his sound. Among its many functions, it features an integrated tuner, distortion, and Mu-Tron effect unit. A Fractal Axe-Fx III with models of a Vox AC30 and a Marshall JTM45 has replaced his amplifiers, and the Fractal FC-6 controller on his pedalboard handles Adams’ switching.</p>
Rock ’n’ Roll Relic
Scott’s main weapon is this 1963 FenderStratocaster. As you might guess, it came by its worn look very honestly.
A Gift to Remember
This 1954 Gibson Les Paul was gifted to Scott by Adams for Christmas in 1989. Over the years, it’s been refretted, and fitted with upgraded bridge, machine heads, and nut.
Paint it Black-Panel
In addition to a backstage rack setup, Scott runs a pair of black-panel Fender Bassman heads through matching cabinets.
Keith Scott’s Rack and Effects
<p>Scott, too, runs a Fractal Axe-Fx III system, housed in a rack alongside a Dunlop DCR-2SR Custom Shop Wah rack unit and a TC Electronic D-Two delay. His main tone comes from a cranked Ibanez Tube Screamer, and other pedals include a <a href="https://www.premierguitar.com/tag/boss?utm_source=website&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=Smartlinks">Boss</a> TR-2, Stone Deaf Noise Reaper, Darkglass Hyper Luminal, Boss CS-3, KingTone The Octaland, Ibanez AF-9, Lovetone Brown Source, Hughes & Kettner Tube Rotosphere, Subdecay Prometheus DLX, <a href="https://www.strymon.net/" target="_blank">Strymon</a> El Capistan, TC Electronic TC2290, and Boss CH-1.</p><p>An RJM Effect Gizmo and Mastermind GT help Scott navigate some switching, but tech Ely handles 80 percent of the work.</p>
The versatile, venerable guitar star sits down with PG contributor Nikos Arvanitis to discuss his thoughts on why streaming is for kids, the impacts of AI on music, how home studios dilute albums, reducing the PRS McCarty to its core, and what's on the horizon.
PG contributor Tom Butwin sits down with Dylana Nova Scott, president and amp designer at Third Power Amplification, to explore the all-new Highline series -- a flexible set of vertical combo configurations for 3rd Power's wide-ranging amplifier offerings. Dylana breaks down the design philosophy of the Highline Series, plus the innovative features and tonal possibilities of her hand-wired amps built for players who demand both classic voice and modern flexibility.
3rd Power Amplification
Highline Series
When the amp stands taller, the sound meets you halfway. The HIGHLINE Series is a reimagining of how a guitar amplifier occupies space - visually, physically, and sonically. Inspired by the tall "player-facing" combos of the early 1970s, this vertically oriented enclosure lifts the sound field off the floor and places it where it belongs: directly in front of the player, with the controls at natural standing height. The result is a commanding, immersive wall of sound that feels bigger, clearer, and more immediate - and much easier to use. With flexible speaker configurations including dual 12", triple 10, or a 15"/10" pairing, the HIGHLINESERIES delivers classic authority with modern versatility, wrapped in timeless design. This is not a new amplifier - it's a new way to experience one.
Lab Series amps, Orange CR120s, and that little knob inside his Strat.
Ty Tabor is one of those players whose unique tone has melted more message boards than you can shake a Strat Elite at, and whose lifelong commitment to solid-state amps is downright religious in its fervor.
The Axe Lords show no mercy in their inquisition as they compel Tabor to break down the classic King’s X rig and ooh and ahh as he explains how transistors force a different kind of playing. We also talk about how Tabor succumbed to tube temptation on Dogman — a move that almost gave a young Tom Beaujour a nervous breakdown, how he “floats” between major and minor, and what he’s fixing most often as a mastering engineer.
The episode ends on a more personal note as Ty shares how a serious accident derailed his ability to write music for years—and how he’s finally feeling those neural networks repair themselves as he works on a long-delayed solo album.
Axe Lords is presented in partnership with Premier Guitar. Hosted by Dave Hill, Cindy Hulej and Tom Beaujour. Produced by Studio Kairos. Executive Producer is Kirsten Cluthe. Edited by Justin Thomas (Revoice Media). Engineered by Patrick Samaha. Recorded at Kensaltown East. Artwork by Mark Dowd. Theme music by Valley Lodge.
Follow @axelordspod for updates, news, and cool stuff.
America’s most beloved and immature pop-punks Blink 182 set off on their Missionary Impossible Tour last summer, and along the way, they stopped at the Orion Amphitheater in Huntsville, Alabama. That’s where PG’s Chris Kies connected with Justin Sweet, guitarist Tom DeLonge’s tech, and Brian Diaz, bassist Mark Hoppus’ tech. They took us backstage for a tour of the guitars and rack equipment that DeLonge and Hoppus brought out with them last year in this new Rig Rundown!
This Fender Tom DeLonge Starcaster, like the others in DeLonge’s arsenal, was built by Brian Thrasher for Blink’s 2023 tour, and it’s been in service ever since. It’s got a single Seymour Duncan SH-5 Duncan Custom pickup and a lone volume knob. DeLonge runs it with a set of Ernie Ball Paradigm strings (.011–.052) with a wound G.
After receiving the guitar, DeLonge asked Sweet for some gaff tape, which resulted in the stunning look and breathtaking poetry featured here.
Tom DeLonge: The Next Michaelangelo?
Within a day of receiving it, DeLonge also subjected this guitar, nicknamed “Milo,” to an aesthetic overhaul via stickers and some Louvre-worthy Sharpie work.
Tom DeLonge’s Signal Chain
DeLonge has left the Mesas, Marshalls, and Voxes behind for now and uses a Fractal Axe-FX III unit on the road. His main sound is based on a jumpered Marshall plexi amp and a Soldano X88-IR. For clean sounds, DeLonge goes for a hybrid sound of a CA3+ (Custom Audio Amplifiers 3+ SE) and a Fender Deluxe Reverb. The drive sounds are pushed through a model of a Marshall 4x12 cabinet loaded with Celestion Vintage 30s, and the cleans crank through a Vox AC-30 IR. A Rupert Neve Designs 5211 preamp helps bring the tones to life.
Changes are handled by a Fractal FC-12 backstage, and a FC-6 for DeLonge onstage.
Green Ray
Only played a few times on this tour, this Ernie Ball Music Man StingRay bass was used to record Blink’s 1999 breakout record, Enema of the State.
Take Off Your Pants and Jag-et
According to Diaz, Hoppus will message artists he likes on Instagram to ask them to paint his basses, like this commission from Ohio-based artist Burrito Breath. Nicknamed “Stoned Fruit,” this Fender Jaguar bass—now a Limited Edition signature model for Hoppus—carries Hoppus’ now-signature “reversed P” pickup configuration of a set of Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound P-bass pickups.
Mark Hoppus’ Signal Chain
Check out Mark Hoppus’ rack! He rolls with this Neural DSP Quad Cortex unit. His main sound is based off of an Ampeg SVT, and other key modeled sounds include a Keeley Noble Screamer, an Orange Terror amp, and a JHS 424 Gain Stage.
Also in the rack are a Radial JX 44, Fretronics RSW switching system, and a Rupert Neve Designs 5211 preamp.