Last week, the One Three crew was chatting about our various guitar rigs we had set up, and it was pretty facinating to learn about the different approaches we all took to accomplish our ideal tone.
We decided to do a “rig rundown” style event, where we’d set up our rig in the shop and share not only the gear, but what drove our decisions to build what we did.
Matt went first, so let’s get into it.
Guitars
Ibanez RG5121 (E Flat Standard)
D’addario EXL110 10-46
Epiphone Les Paul Custom Pro (D Standard / Drop C)
GHS Boomers 12-52
Wireless
Sennheiser EW-D CI1 Wireless Guitar System – Q1-Q6
Pedalboard
Voodoo Labs Dingbat Pedalboard
Voodoo Labs Pedal Power 3 Plus Power Supply
Hosa MHB-350 8-point 1/4″ TRS Balanced Patchbay Module
VOX Wah Pedal
NUX MG-30 Amp Modeler
NUX NMP-2 Dual Footswitch
Doremidi USB MIDI Host
Source Audio Soleman MIDI foot controller
Radial ProDI 1-channel Passive Instrument Direct Box
Stage Volume
Headrush FRFR-108
Matt has played rhythm guitar with local pop punk & emo cover band RVA’s What’s Our Age Again since 2018. Here’s what he has to say about his rig:
Once upon a time, a sound tech got mad at me because I couldn’t make my tube amp quieter. So, I decided it was time to go digital. The rig has changed over the years, but my overall goals (besides being able to play quieter) were ease of setup at live performances, portability, and disaster recovery.
The heart of the rig is the NUX MG-30 amp modeler. The MG-30 has been great to me, and though I’ve had to work around a few limitations, it’s been a joy to use. The price point is so good that I picked up a second so I always have a backup in the event of a failure.
Within the MG-30, I use a Marshall JTM45/100 amp, a Tube Screamer, and a V30 IR purchased directly from Celestion. With some additional gain staging and a compressor, I’m also happy with the lead tones when I do take a solo. This setup can go from clean(ish) to metal; helpful when on a given night I’m playing anything from Matchbox 20 to System of a Down.
I wasn’t particularly fond of the action of the wah pedal on the MG-30, so I blocked it off and added a VOX wah, which I probably use twice a night at most. I also needed additional scene switching, so I added the Soleman MIDI switcher (which requires the Doremidi MIDI Host and some MIDI programming).
The MG-30 also doesn’t have balanced output, so I use a Radial direct box to go direct to the PA.
We use a Behringer X Air and wireless IEMs for monitoring. The Headrush FRFR-108 provides just a bit of stage volume, but it’s really there for when I need to make some feedback.
Last but not least – my favorite guitar is my Ibanez RG5121, because I love the wizard neck. I’m an Ibanez convert because of the wizard neck! It’s super flat and the action is set low, to the point of almost being ill advised. I’m a lazy guitarist – I don’t want to work so hard when I’m playing. There’s no neck dive, and it’s light too.
Thanks for reading – you can expect another eposide of One Three Talks Tone in the next couple of weeks!
