Hey everyone—Russ here with an updated look at my live and studio rig. Things have really tightened up this summer as I shifted to a board-based setup that handles electric, acoustic, and vocals all in one place. Whether we’re ripping through a loud set or tracking ideas in the studio, this rig delivers.
🎸 Guitars
- 2006 MIJ Fender Jaguar HH – Tobacco burst, TOM bridge, and dual humbuckers. Perfect for the gritty alt-rock/grunge stuff.
- PRS McCarty 594 – Warm, articulate, and smooth. My go-to for anything that needs dynamics and class.
- Beater Mustang – AKA the GrungeBob Axe. Bright yellow with a Seymour Duncan JB humbucker and SB face sticker. Loud, proud, and matched to the rest of the aesthetic.
- Gibson J-45 – Acoustic/electric dreadnought. Great plugged in, even better tracked.
🎛️ Pedalboard (Multi-Instrument + Vocal Integration)
Everything runs through one board now—electric guitar, acoustic, and lead vocals. It’s streamlined, gig-ready, and powered by a Cioks DC7 mounted under a Pedaltrain Metro 20.
Signal Chain
- Mini Tuner
- Crybaby Mini Wah
- JHS Whitey Tighty – Mini compressor to keep the signal consistent.
- Ibanez TS9 Mini – My main overdrive. Does everything from edge-of-breakup to full crunch.
- Boss IR-2 – Amp/cab sim. Clean and dirty tones with an always-consistent direct output.
- Boss Super Chorus – A little shimmer to cut through the mix.
- Reecho Delay – Basic slapback or ambient echoes.
- EQ Pedal – For sculpting tone per guitar or room.
- Fishman Platinum Stage DI – Runs my Gibson J-45 acoustic straight into the board with tone shaping and gain control.
- TC Helicon Mic Mechanic 2 – Vocal reverb and pitch smoothing in one pedal. Clean, simple, and mounted right on the board.
🔊 Amps & Live Sound
- Fender FRFR-12 – My current main amp for live shows. Takes amp and cab sims beautifully and keeps my sound consistent at every venue.
- Mackie Thump Speakers – Our main monitoring system. We rum vox and drums for monitoring.
- Fender Blues Junior IV (Graffiti Yellow) – Currently set aside for studio and side project use, but still a killer tube combo with a Swamp Thang speaker when I need it.
🎤 Microphones
- Shure SM58 – Main live vocal mic. Nothing fancy, just proven.
- Shure SM57 – When I do mic a cab, this gets the job done.
- Groove Tubes Tube Condenser – My studio mic for vocals and acoustic tracking. Creamy top end, super responsive.
🧪 Studio Setup
In the studio, everything flows through this setup:
- Fender Tone Master Pro – Now a dedicated studio tool for silent recording and flexible tone sculpting.
- Tascam Model 12 – My command center for tracking and mixing.
- JBL LSR 308 Series 3 Monitors – Crisp and flat for mixing.
- 2017 MacBook Pro – Handles all DAW work and multi-track sessions.
Final Thoughts
This rig is all about flexibility. With electric, acoustic, and vocals all going through one board and a consistent amp/cab sim setup, I can load in fast and sound great on any stage. The studio gear keeps my tone dialed even when I’m working solo or tracking new material.
Drop me a line if you want a gear diagram or a stage plot—I’m always down to talk shop.
– Russ / GrungeBob