Guitars:

Ibanez RGR Custom

- Most of you know which guitar this is. This RGR was my first semi-custom from the Ibanez LACS. After trying to figure out how to make it work for a while, the Ibanez team and I figured out the details and made it come to life. It has a Half Pearl White finish. I wasn’t sure how the full pearl was going to look but It came out great. It also has a Maple neck and fretboard. Its loaded with a Seymour Duncan ’59 in the neck and a Distortion in the bridge. This is the set I always use.

Ibanez FR Custom

- After I received the RGR custom, I wanted to get my Iron Label FR refinished in Pearl White as well. It was hard because the original finish was a Dark Charcoal over a natural grain Ash top. The LACS pulled it off and sanded the top flat and refinished it. I also swapped out the neck for a Prestige Wizard 7 neck. The pickup situation was also sick because the body was routed for Active pickups. Luckily Derek from SD found a set of White active pickup covers and made it happen. 

Ibanez RG752

- For years I had seen a friend of mine playing this guitar. He’s a ripper of a player and I always busted his balls about having it. Every time I talked to him, I kept saying “If you sell this, it better go to me.” Sure as shit while I was in Europe, he hit me up. I made some money moves and made it happen. Its one of the only production Prestige 7 string finished in White. They were a super limited ZZSounds Exclusive. 

Ibanez S5527

- This was the first prestige that was given to me by the Ibanez camp. I wanted to step outside of the box as far as body shape goes since I had been playing Super Strat shapes for the last 8 years. I was worried about tone since the body is super thin but this guitar fucking rips. Its also loaded with my typical 59/Distortion pickup set. 

Amps & Cabs:

Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier (Multi-Watt)

- I grabbed this head from Mesa in 2017 for our run with Trivium and Arch Enemy. I had been using my mid 90’s Dual Rec for a while and I wanted to retire it. When I fired it up, I was blown away at how similar it sounded to my 2 channel. It wasn’t an exact replica, but it was damn close. I stick with Dual Rectifiers because I feel it best represents the sound I’m trying to achieve. 

Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier (2 Channel)

- Early 2009, I was on tour and I saw this band that used rack mount 2 Channel Dual Rectifiers. I was completely blown away. Through talking to their guitarist, I found one for sale for cheap. This head is honestly how I found the tone I go for live. I found a comfort zone that I still use today. If youre trying to get a similar tone to what I use, this is it. 

Mesa Boogie Oversized Recto Cab

- In my honest opinion, theres no better cab to pair with a Dual Rec. The clarity out of the V30 speakers is just prime. They’re extremely versatile in a sense that you can jam a live show and also use it in the studio. 

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Pedalboard & Rack (in order):

DBX266XL

- This is kind of my secret weapon. Its a two I use this as a small gate through the back of the head, but I use the second channel for an Output gain through the front of the head. 

Boss TU-2 Tuner

- I mean, theres not really much explaining for this one. Keep your shit in tune! hahahah

Seymour Duncan 805 Overdrive

- When SD started to come out with pedals, I got really excited. I saw the 805 Overdrive and fell in love. Mainly with the fact that its an OD pedal with a 3 band EQ. Theres so much control for just that single pedal. I love it. Whether you need a cool mid boost, or you want to pump the lows, its great. 

Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor 

- I feel that this pedal doesn’t really need any description. Its a staple in the live music world for a reason. Its not the best, but its damn good. 

Seymour Duncan Dark Sun Reverb/Delay

- I recently added this to my pedalboard. I loved the verb and delay I was running but I felt I wanted a single unit. I saw the Dark Sun at NAMM this year and was super interested. Duncan was nice enough to send me one to scope out. I fucking fell in love. Theres so much control. Cool for a smooth lead and also for weird spacy shit in your bedroom.

Big Joe Power Box Lithium

- I was in need of a replacement for my bullshit power supply. Luckily our bassist Blue turned us on to these bad boys. They’re a small battery pack that holds a damn good charge. Its great for travelling. I don’t have to worry about converters for my pedalboard since it charges via USB. Definitely a must have in my eyes. 

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Accessories:

Seymour Duncan Pickups

- I’ve been with Duncan for the better part of a decade. I’ve tried my hand at other pickups but they don’t really seem to capture what I love. SD will forever be my comfort zone. The 59/Distortion sets are what I use in all of my touring guitars. Whether they be stock or a custom color/configuration, you can always count on that being my favorite set. 

Richter Rubber Duck I Straps

- Another recent addition to my touring setup was this awesome strap from Richter. I found out about him from the Trivium boys. We met each other at NAMM this passed year and hit it off. His ideas for straps were out of this world and its something that I could 100% back. What I like about this strap is that it gives me the sturdiness of a thick strap but the adjustability of a Dimarzio Clip Lock. 

Dunlop Tortex Jazz III XL .88

- What can I say? This pick is my fucking jam. I’ve been playing these for years and I love them. The attack I get from the pointed tips is massive. It also allows me to pinpoint my strings a little easier. The .88s have just enough flexibility and stiffness for my personal liking. 

Ernie Ball Slinkys

- I’ve been messing around with string gauges recently and I’m really starting to dig these new sets I swapped to. Im using a 10-48 set with a 64 on the bottom for my guitars that are in A. For my G tuned guitars, I use a 11-54 set with a 70 on the bottom. It gives me just enough tension to where I’m comfortable. 

 

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Remember guys and gals, all of this stuff is personal preference. Kind of a guide to what I like and go for. Everyone is a different player. That means you can have my exact set up, but we wont sound exactly the same because gear can only do so much.