Rig Rundown - The Cult's Billy Duffy

Article and Photos: www.premierguit...

[@tattooedsailor8666]

"I like my guitars to be bomb proof. I'm not really a collector. The old ones don't always sound the best.." -Well said Mr. Duffy! I get so tired of vintage BS..

[@Pear_Trees]

Tattooedsailor exactly no crazy rare bs that was given to him from some hermit in a cave somewhere. Just shit you can pick up at guitar center like the rest of us. Truly a man of the people.

[@tysonrinker5958]

Me to.

[@calebproductions5970]

It's mostly about money plus they convince people what they think is worth thousands on a guitar

[@THEQueeferSutherland]

Exactly, so much bullshit out there about vintage "mojo." Yeah, no, a lot of those workers were just cranking out shit to get on their next smoke break, there's nothing magical about what they were doing. There are some real clunkers from that era, not everything is a gem.

[@bluespig1]

Yeah, but like old cars, you still look and think geez, I wouldn't mind one of those.

[@sgt.thundercok4704]

This guy is so damn real. No ego. Just pragmatic and respectful of those that inspired him.

[@catboi1188]

He's no joke 😮

[@brianmorecombe2726]

And he`s a manc.But a City fan.Not his fault

[@stallownedstallion825]

Billy doesnt shred because its not his thing...he has kept the classic rock/ blues based lead going since the 80s. One of my fav guitarists, prolific song creator...stacks of albums all relevant. Seen him 5 times live, truly an underrated axeman...and he doesnt care.

[@groovecat7]

"It's simple stuff.. the rest of it is down to attitude and in the fingers, you know?" Right on, Duff!

[@RockNJeep]

This is an awesome rundown with a massively underappreciated guitarist. He's a class act. But gear aside, he's dropping valuable pro tips here: Keep it minimal, simple, easily operated, and able to be fixed quickly or replaced.

[@stefanvanrensburg1436]

Like Neil Giraldo. Love them both

[@RandyFricke]

Billy's so generous. Always humble. Just a solid, working man's guitar player.

[@bluecollarbuddha948]

My favourite rig-rundown/interview. I really did not expect Billy Duffy to be so down-to-earth and self-deprecating. Very cool. :)

[@EdwoodCA]

+Mark Stratton British reserve is legendary, so he's an extrovert, compared others? haha And agreed. It's very cool how he is the way he is.

[@gustavomantovani8309]

Hey Mark! Trust me.....this WAS NOT one of his best days. There are so many others where Billy is just amazing and yes, down to earth and believe it or not, FUNNY! Love him too!

[@gustavomantovani8309]

Thought you would like this..... - kzbin.info/www/bejne/npjWpKadbtp4h80

[@bubbanderson]

What a pragmatic approach to playing ... love the dry Mancunian sense of humour. Top geezer.

[@cmikesmith664]

Billy is such a down to earth guy. Subtle sense of humor.

[@wndowpayne]

He doesnt laugh at his own jokes..you have to be listening

[@mikebrookfield]

Enjoyed this one, I like Duffy's practical no BS approach...

[@drakeonyou]

true

[@Rushscored4]

Me too

[@dmj09]

Manc..what more can you say...

[@Lance37a]

You can tell that in his playing as well.

[@badsanta518]

What a class act.. Billy Duffy rocks.

[@finlayhutchison3984]

badsanta518 i

[@Ticoboeren]

Probably the most underrated guitarist out there. In a perfect world he should've been as huge as players like Jimmy Page, Tony Iommi and Ritchie Blackmore.

[@noworries12]

haahahahaha,very good

[@vracan]

ok ok buddy lets not exagerate

[@skinnykarlos710]

He's certainly got the goods that's for sure !!

[@stefanvanrensburg1436]

Absolutely love Billy. He entertains his rig rundown in person, not via a technician

[@benallmark9671]

I agree 100% , he is in my mind , especially when it comes to writing rifts

[@map9956]

The Cult is on tour this year. Love the mention and heartfelt feelings for Mick Ronson!

[@Veaseify]

From an era when ordinary working class kids kind of fell into bands by accident, that accent is pure Manchester (for those of you not from the UK). Home of The Smiths, Joy Division/New Order, Oasis, The Stone Roses etc, etc.That's why he has no airs and graces, he probably still can't believe how many albums he's sold...

[@christopherbrougham]

I couldn't agree with you more, Steve. Billy is extraordinary yet strangely ordinary when you consider the place of birth. I'm a NZer and every band you mention was hugely influential here when I was a kid. I really have trouble with the haters on youtube commentaries like this. The 'sound' is unique, regardless of the skill level. Billy Duffy and Ian Astbury have a Lennon/McCartney, Morrissey/Marr perfection between them. And thanks Premier for loading this.

[@jeremyv4636]

I take my hat off to the greats of the UK-all the way from the gulf coast in the US. We love ya’ll & your music CRUSHES. It’s a love our culture holds that tough to describe. We love our American icons but we definitely love our Brit-musical pals-we gotta bounce our ideas off each other or else it just wouldn’t be the same. However-the question is when will music take a new turn? What’s out there now is bland. Need’s a swift kick-LOL!

[@tocboot]

Billy went to the same Wythenshawe school as my missus so I can assure you they didn't teach airs and graces there ;-)

[@BassPhaze88]

Very underrated guitarist and seems like a great bloke as well. The Cult is a great band and the music absolutely fantastic. Thanks for having this rig rundown.

[@andrewrobinson3605]

I've seen the Cult live on several occasions and Billy's sound is fantastic. Brash, sharp, dirty - all the things rock and roll should be.

[@interruptor]

The thing about watching the cult live is that I'm not thinking about the sound at all, just enjoying the music and having pure fun!

[@sum1err]

20 minutes of sheer class and general awesomeness. Thanks PG.

[@sparkijones]

Billy’s a star! No pretensions just a straight-up guy who is practical and eschews fancy-shmancy for stuff he can replace wherever he is!

[@joshmartins560]

One of my favorite guitarists

[@timchurchill6975]

what a humble, knowledgeable, witty, comic, very interesting interview thanks

[@helpendthefed]

Duffy may technically be an avg player but he's still a musical genius. Malmsteen can technically play Duffy under the table and yet not one person could name one of his songs. Duffy simply rocks.

[@joshmartins560]

Technicality doesn't equal creativity and originality

[@MrSammy1776]

Josh Martins and especially soul and feel.

[@cabinetgod360]

helpendthefed Mainstring has his niche. I have Rock.

[@cabinetgod360]

Josh Martins WHITE

[@jburdsinfuse]

Agreed. I'll take a great song over a great solo every time.

[@kilts4u2]

Billy's freakin' AWESOME. What a down to earth dude. Willing to take the time to explain his guitars, his rigs and a lot of info about how he goes about his art. I've always admired Billy for his talent but I never knew he was this nice in person. Great interview. Joe Perry and Steven Tyler have nothing on Ian and Billy as a tandom. Just better known.

[@philc4520]

Agreed. Billy and Ian are an awesome musical combo. A powerhouse.

[@organicwest]

Run DMC saved Steve and Joe

[@Jllyrol311]

I like the Cult, but I don't pretend to be a superfan, but for some reason, I could listen to Billy talk all day.

[@ACERAMGAD]

+Dave Robles lol..yeh this should be like an hour long..very cool!

[@danschroeder9676]

same here! i've just watched like an hour of him talking

[@PEMAMETAL]

Love The guitar tone of Cult and Billy seems like a very cool guy. Very technical in details of equipament.

[@jeremyv4636]

Billy’s just awesome- great iconic tone immediately recognizable when ya hear ‘em with a wizard’s otherworldly sound.....yet he’s down-to-earth & practical as your neighborhood mechanic. LEGEND that CRUSHES!

[@TheMclaujo]

Billy is just a cool dude, talking about the tools of his trade. Tried and true over flashy and new. Wore out my Love cassette, it stretched and eventually broke inside my Alpine removable deck lol. When Electric came out in ‘87, holy shit I was blown away. I bought a red vinyl EP of Zap City, coolest thing ever. Still pissed to this day, someone stole it from me when we had a party at our place. I would pay up to find another just like it. The Cult left an unforgettable, in a great way, mark on my late teens and early 20s. Wish I could go back in a time capsule and feel that new excitement just one more time but cranking it up now through my ear buds still gives some if that feeling. Thanks Billy!!

[@bigleemac]

Billy Duffy, what a legend and very humble about gear, nice to see!

[@ApriliaRacer14]

What a Rock Stud. Love Billy's down to earth approach...raw, unfiltered and pushed.

[@Whiteyholmes08]

I’m watching this in 2024 and frigging Billy Duffy should be in charge of all world politics… This guy would set everything back to 1970 standards and the world would be a much better place…

[@russellfox8278]

Exactly

[@TheAdambee7]

When I was learning guitar in 1985 I wanted to be like Billy. Had the Theatre of Hate albums and all the Cult albums.

[@theyearoftherat]

seems like such a nice guy - no rush/no ego.

[@patrickkingsley402]

"It came out of the closet, even though it's straight" This dude is a legend

[@niroshanfernando4784]

Hell yeah mate!!! The Cult one of the most underrated bands in hard rock / alt Rock history and Billy Duffy one of the most underrated guitarists in that genre as well! ROCK ON & THANKS for the rig info! \m/

[@vousandi8673]

he REALLY knows his gear intimately. this is the best. billy duffy talking about how he makes guitar sounds that helped define 80s music.

[@ALANRMOREY]

Love it ! Best interview by Mr .B , cause he hardly spoke the entire video ! Love it

[@lonesomebillyvideo]

Why am I here ?...It's because I saw The Cult last night in Connecticut and Billy once again blew my mind. He's a true bad ass artist. Tone..melody..riffs and style.

[@mindwarp666]

Billy Duffy is an absolute legend. I don't care that he doesn't do the fiddly-widdly shredder stuff, his music doesn't need all that and The Cult are still going strong 30+ years after I first saw them. If I could play and sound like anyone it wouldn't be Malmsteen, Vai, Satriani, Van Halen et al, it would be just like Billy. What a thoroughly nice chap he is too.

[@soundgardener75]

Why would anyone unlike this video? If you don't like the Cult, or PG, move along, jeez... Anyway, great job on the Rig Rundown guys!

[@ShakeyNineteen64]

Legend! Top bloke, totally grounded and creator of some of the greatest riffs in rock!

[@paulsimmons5726]

Somewhere in Montana, there's a guitar and pedal guru who probably got offended by Duffy's comments about using simple gear. LOL! Duffy would be the guy to have a few beers with, just to hear some great stories! Great video!

[@petekitay]

Billy Duffy seriously knows how to play guitar and he knows what he's talking about, so listen up, children.

[@WilliamLithgowGuitars]

Pete Kitay RIGHT BEHIND YE THERE..! Somethings NEED to be said !

[@Les537]

The Cults Electric was what I learned guitar to a few hundred years ago on my department store Harmony plugged into the tape recorder mic jack of my dad's home stereo. Keep on rocking, Billy!

[@ganzyjam2602]

Those old pedals I have to say are built tough and sound amazing, I've upgraded twice over the years and now find myself pulling out my old Boss pedals and realizing how great they sound.

[@groovecat7]

Interviewer; "Do you ever run them both together?" Billy: "Only when I'm in a bad mood…" hahaha…

[@mike_w_21]

Huge Cult fan - love Billy! Such a genuine guy. Those Les Pauls look amazing too.

[@benlogan430]

He’s freaking the man! “lives in a castle in Scotland with great Irish wolf hounds” ahahaha

[@CurtHegel]

A good rigger rundown on of the best I've seen. Love Billy's humor.

[@chrisgrabowski2678]

I wish I had seen this one sooner! Great interview John. Billy is very entertaining, straight thinking and a helluva a player.

[@ganzyjam2602]

Love Billy's guitar style and he's always had a great guitar sound on all their albums, awesome interview.

[@pbracey1]

Fantastic interview! My favorite "less popular" Cult song...Love Trooper😀

[@guitarslinger48]

Billy Duffy...The man who put the rest the argument that hollow body guitars can't be used in heavy type rock.

[@puppylinuxer]

Are you nuts?His hollow bodies are filled with foam and all kinds of dampning materials to kill the feedback, and also he doesn't really play with high gain settings at all.

[@Psyfonify]

josh homme of queens of the stone age uses quite high gain (fuzztortion) at times and often uses hollow or semi-hollow bodies.

[@joshmartins560]

Ted Nugent might have something to say about that....

[@shockwave113]

guitarslinger48 tell that to izzy stradlin!

[@alejandrohualdez5550]

guitarslinger48 And Silvain Silvain from The New York Dolls...

[@ech0naught]

I like how he's so chill about his gear, not pretentious, nor super flashy. Such a legend!

[@dannyinaus]

Billy Duffy actually inspired me to play lead guitar back in 1984! He is one the the most underrated guitar geniuses of all time.

[@barryengle12666]

So much I absolutely love about Billy Duffy, how I just happened upon this video is truly amazing, thankfully I finally did. But wow, what a fantastic guy to listen to talking about his gear, love this

[@timj41]

Nice and refreshing to hear him acknowledge the cost of stuff and admitting he uses an off the shelf mass produced Vox amp. Very humble guy talking about his influences and idols.

[@davidtaylor6793]

My first gig..... sliced off skool to see the heavy metal kids sounds tour 1975 shrewsbury music hall and it hooked me for a life of live music. Rock on.

[@dannyinaus]

Billy Duffy is one of my all time favourite guitar players from the 1980's. I actually based a lot of my own playing on his style in my early days. I can still listen to Cult songs for hours on end, and I know every note by heart. Thanks for this upload - made an oldish guitar man very happy!

[@tadsomato1940]

Always liked his playing style, and seems like a cool, down to earth guy.

[@theartist124]

I met Billy one time, he is a funny guy, thanks for posting this, very cool to see!!!

[@pedrohnqtoledo]

The best rig rundown I've seen!!! He's awesome!! Great rig, soft spoken, calm, not cocky, the guy knows what he's talking about. In love with him. I'm sick of shitty bands with infinite and expensive gear, cocky/trying hard to be funny attitude. Billy, you're the man!!!

[@bubbanderson]

I'm with you all the way on that . Saw the Cult in the 80's when I was a student and the man with the White Falcon was so cool. Kinda surprised by the modesty of his rig but it all makes good sense. It's all very well having a board full of boutique pedals and obscure amps but when they screw up after a flight to Moldavia or wherever you want to be able to replace them ... and you can get Boss pedals anywhere. This was a chat with a true professional !

[@playAgainMe]

One of the best unsung guitar player. Great interview. I cant believe The Cult came to where I live and missed it.

[@glisparisopraedintorni-cov2455]

Nice to see a lot of Boss pedals!

[@bernabas73]

Great!! Love Billy & the cult. . Im 45..got into them in 87 ..to me love..electric .. Sonic temple & that 1994 album.. are masterpieces.

[@henryschroeder749]

What do you think about Ceremony? I love that record also

[@Pulse2AM]

What a cool guy! Great songs too.

[@losrogers13]

Excellent Rundown to get 2014 rolling. Thanks, PG

[@reggiehobbs8800]

Why do people hate on the interviewer? The guy plays better than most of the people he interviews. He seems like a good guy and knows his shit. What the problem?

[@tysonrinker5958]

John is the best interviewer

[@gilguajardo7808]

Legend. Absolutely love that he did his own rig rundown. Definitely expected his tech was gonna go it. Also, funny to remember the days when a Klon Centaur was $1000. Anyway, tons of Klone options out today.

[@gmund317]

Electric and Sonic Temple are 2 of my favorite albums ever. Billy seems like a regular guy who just happens to be a kick ass guitarist.

[@OldSethOnetooth]

That was excellent and also well done to John Bollinger for just letting it flow

[@Reallaw-p8o]

William Henry Duffy. possibly the most underrated rock guitar player on the planet.

[@aramzulumyan6380]

shy but still confident, very informative and still trying to put the message out of the box. Billy is very cool! Thanx for the interview!

[@danjryankee5]

I was at that Memphis show 12/15/13... and it rocked, too!!! Billy's a rock god!!! Love him... love the Cult!!!

[@skinnykarlos710]

Good stuff, Billy Duffy. Down to earth, no airs and graces. Just bare bones rockin' explained from a man who's had one heck of a long career. Remember that bleached blonde youngster in the "She sell Sanctuary" video? All of the guitarists that actually do ( talk to and interact with the Interviewer) their own rig rundowns have my respect far more so than those who leave it to their guitar techs. Obviously there will be those who have time constraints - interviews and other work commitments so I try not to judge the absentees poorly but those who are there to explain their gear get a kudos star from me. Great stuff, Billy Duffy.

[@OnfloorAudio]

I love his minamal aproach of sometimes less is more !! He's a smart guy as you can tell by listening to him talk ...

[@tornmask1]

Billy "The CULT" Duffy is an amazing guitarist along with his beautiful axes!

[@duncanhowarth9514]

Nice guy! I was expecting F's and Jeff's every other word but I was pleasantly surprised to not hear one. Loved The Cult from the early days, back in the 80's.

[@derekstocker6661]

Absolutely fascinating, thanks Billy for some wonderful playing and fabulous sounds! Keep up the excellent work....

[@kendo5862]

“Seymour Duncan who was a mate of mine made me one ...” lol

[@RichM0410]

I don’t play (wish I did...is what it is) but l love this KZbin channel. VERY cool to hear Duffy in this interview. The Cult one of my TOP favorite bands.

[@tcfween]

Easily one of the best Rig Rundowns I've ever seen. Sonic Temple was one the most important albums of my teenage years.

[@jonesygw]

Very cool guy, awesome down to earth , highly talented song writer and player. Thanks for the rundown.

[@boldstrike]

That's a musician, humble and down to earth. Less is more, that's why his sound now is so powerful and awesome.

[@1toots]

Dry wit master! what a card :D had me in stitches... only wish i could buy a Billy Duffy to have at home to keep my laughin', and the jams wld be fab.

[@fastra3621]

Manchester humour. You should try living here! :)

[@CarlosCostaX]

Saw this guy live last week. Rasor sharp as always. Great show ✌️🇵🇹

[@ebeep]

A legend. This is awesome! Thanks PG!

[@scottnapier943]

A very underrated British Guitar Hero, and a true Manchester lad!

[@profxpedals2009]

What a great attirude and humble approach. Excellent Rig Rundown.

[@PaulRoneClarke]

Been my favourite guitarist for 40 years at this point. Whenever i hear the phrase "Guitar Hero".. I add the words "Billy Duffy" in my head,

[@notyrants]

I love his British humor. Great player. Ceremony is a top ten album for me.

[@brianwood7237]

THAT...just made my day. The Cult w/GnR opening in '87...Still one the BEST freakin' rawk shows ever

[@electrolinks]

Legend. Saw them live in Dublin. Great show. Great Guitarist.

[@MarkFromHawaii]

Love it! No nonsense, workingman's guitarist! Bless you Billy.

[@sh4rkbyt3]

I just saved up for one and received it last week (G7593T-BD). What a great and amazing tone as compared to other Gretschs and even more so, compared to other brand guitars. Flawless finish and has that new "Gretsch" smell also :). I think some people get turned off by the percieved size but it's actually super compfortable to play. Billy rules!

[@frslas]

Great interview with Billy Duffy. Now Premier Guitar need to interview another vastly underrated legend, Geordie from Killing Joke!

[@aquabot]

This. Just this. That would make my day if they did that.

[@caseyhallman8787]

LedFingers F*ck yeah, Dude!

[@2confrontational]

Geordie and Johnny Marr!!! How many greats coming from the UK...

[@Mattnh]

One of the guys that got me into playing guitar. And apparently a cool dude. Nice rundown.

[@briandarabaca]

Simplest set-up I've seen but very effective.

[@TheScaredofsilence]

Good interview. Very cool dude. Thanks PG.

[@kendo5862]

Love his closer “happy to talk through my not very deep guitar rig”!! ... lesson for many ... it’s what you play and how play, not what you play with that defines long lasting talent

[@funeralbillii9172]

Billy is awesome!! I learned so much from Sonic Temple when I was first learning guitar.

[@SteveAshcraft]

one of my all time favs.. that Roland was my first amp... damn i wish i still had it lol

[@BerndThomasSchuller]

What a boss. Loved Sonic Temple and Electric