Rig Rundown - Guided by Voices

Article & photos: bit.ly/GuidedByVoicesRR
PG’s John Bohlinger met with Doug Gillard, Mark Shue, and Bobby Bare Jr. of Guided by Voices before their Basement East gig in Nashville where the indie stalwarts dished out deets on their gear.
For touring, Doug Gillard leaves his ’67 ES-330 and ’67 Jag at home, traveling with just two road axes. His No. 1 is a long-time favorite, a 1976 Gibson Les Paul Custom with a mid-’70s DiMarzio Super 2 humbucker in the bridge and an unknown brand humbucker in the neck. The LP stays strung with D'Addario XL .011-.052 strings.
Bobby Bare Jr.’s No. 1 is a 1964 Gibson SG Junior with a Badass bridge, a stock P-90 pickup, and a mysterious hole drilled through the top. The Jr is strung with D’Addario .010-gauge strings.
Mark Shue tours with two nearly identical Fender American Special P-basses. Both feature Fender ’62 P-Bass pickups, a Badass bridge, Hipshot tuners, and are strung with DR Hi Beams strings.
Continue reading: bit.ly/GuidedByVoicesRR

[@markparker9787]

Doug Gillard is an absolute bona fide rockdog ..a bloody legend genius in my eyes !!

[@thestuffmikedoes2309]

Mark Parker 100% true

[@yourejovian]

Didn’t talk about bob pollards shure SM58 and 48 pk of beer choice

[@themikepadua]

You're Jovian best comment right here.

[@ryanjohnson985]

Budweiser until they started to gain weight, then Bud Light. "It should be light, crisp with high drinkability for many, many hours." - Bob Pollard on what he likes in a beer.

[@NoCoverCharge]

Miller light

[@jeff7764]

Lolol

[@connorlucey8163]

Loved GBV for the past 15 or so years and finally saw them last month and they KILLED. Doug is just a mellow dude and talks like that. Heard he's super nice, sets up his own gear at shows even. Not sure what all the hates about! You ever see a J Mascis interview?

[@LemonMeIon]

Totally agree. It’s like people don’t understand there are different personality types. He’s a super interesting dude, just a quiet man of few words.

[@alaskatoburningmen4549]

@@LemonMeIon Yeah, he's the nicest, most humble guy and a guitar-god to boot, this man can play everything!

[@jenniferfedorink4130]

john bohlinger fucking rules. i love his rig rundowns. i've been a fan of gbv since the mid 90's. they're great but not a band that really shines for their gear or needs a RR. john was doing the very best with what he had. keep up the great work john. thanks PG!

[@jeff7764]

This is the second best episode of this series I’ve seen, my favorite was Propagandhi

[@SteelCitySH]

Wow I have to check that out

[@brandonutterback5383]

Just saw them a week ago. Best show of all time by the best band of all time. Played for 3 hours. Pollard is 60 and rocks harder than people 1/3 his age.

[@corinashley1128]

Bonus garage rock points for playing "Help You Anne" by the Lyres when demonstrating your tremolo pedal.

[@grandantenna]

Thanks. I was trying to figure that out.

[@classicentertainment4098]

Agreed. That was a pleasant surprise. Love that song.

[@lambrusco1970]

Good to see Doug, his playing, and his distinctive playing. Also, I can't imagine him NOT playing that Gibson!

[@TheErikrust]

Finally! Thank you PG for this. When I saw GBV last year, Bob Pollard introduced Doug by saying, “Well, I think he’s the best guitar player in the world.” He’s certainly one of my favorites. Seeing them a week from today! Just pure beautiful thunder live. 🤟

[@michaeldesmond5790]

That bass tone is killerrrrr. Mark Shue, great bass player. I love how clear you can hear his tone and articulation live, not just feel the bass through the subs. And antiquing your own guitars with nothing but time and your own hands is a fantastic and highly respectable hobby. Good on you, Bobby.

[@greacen]

Thank you PG for connecting with this important band on this tour - they sounded fantastic. The thing that hasn't come out in the interviews which has to be mentioned is that they're playing something like 50 songs over 2ish hours. These rigs are pretty straightforward & basic yet they keep it fresh and interesting throughout the show.

[@briandarabaca]

I check the PG every day, especially Rig Rundown, if it's John Bohlinger doing the interview, my day is made!

[@supersteveworld]

I love these rundowns...the presenter is awesome.

[@DistortionLTD]

Doug Gillard is a national goddamn treasure.

[@thepuppethead1188]

It warms my heart to know the geniuses at Distortion Ltd love Guided by voices as much as I do.

[@DistortionLTD]

Ahhh, thanks! Total GBV fanatics over here.

[@JCHaywire]

Amen. I know Bohlinger means well, but his approach is a tiny bit like he's working hard to sound cool. Perhaps it''s nervousness.

[@DistortionLTD]

I think the world of GBV is just not his area of expertise. Would have been better if they had used someone who was a real fan of the band, and knowledgeable about that scene.

[@30smsuperstrat]

@@JCHaywire I disagree. He was trying hard to engage someone who's not really gifted at explaining technical stuff. He was affirming and positive

[@thomasprice1760]

I watched all the rr downs...keep em coming...thanks.

[@TheEMOkid66613]

I'd love to see the Rig Rundown on the Brian Jonestown Massacre - this was amazing. GBV is an amazing band

[@Esquire-ul9xs]

GBV!!! Thanks PG - you've just reached a new level of awesomeness... or should I say: this one is better than ever!

[@thefriendlyfinger69]

this one is on the house

[@RAID5_Aesthetic]

Dude I grew up as a Bobby Bare fan because of my mom. Saw him perform at Navy Pier in Chicago, Country Fest!

[@worldnotworld]

Talk about a bare-bones rig-rundown! Two classic guitars, a classic amp, some EQ, boost, reverb, chorus, and basic distortion -- only the Acapulco Gold does anything really wild, and it suits Gillard's lead style here and there. How I'd love to see someone ultra-high-tech like Robert Fripp play live with a rig like this before he packs it in.

[@novatime59]

Great band! A must catch if you love live music.

[@Lanooski]

Between his tenure with GBV and his killer solo work, Doug's proven to be one of the quintessential power pop guitarists of our time. Also, and I'm only noticing this now, he kinda sounds like Hunter Thompson.

[@TheHighWaySuperstoned]

I love you GBV!

[@monkeyxx]

How could you not love this band?

[@alexblock3091]

If you are butthead you hate them.

[@randalclarke5487]

@@alexblock3091 no, that's not the way it goes. We've GOT to stop this nonsense. A pov or opinion can't be WRONG. this attitude is destroying our society

[@lukeskywalk9773]

Please do a rig rundown with Michael Landau! Love your show.

[@kflexpimp]

Didn't know Timothy Olyphant was working again. Cool.

[@JuanCarruyo]

it's funny because in the Nada Surf Rig Rundown, Doug was actually rather chipper. he's a bit muted here, but he's great. WFMU stickers on his Mesa Boogie too!

[@juanpablorb7150]

YES!!

[@yobhsiFehT]

"And here we have Markshue Ramone..."

[@PintsofGuinness]

one of the greatest bands of all time

[@anthonysclafani3963]

+Premier Guitar is the Edge's rig rundown still happening?

[@AndrewSmales]

Why do people love just talking over John Bollinger? It seems so weird. He could be like "Hey man, the building is on fire" and 50% of people in these videos would go "Yeah so that gives a chunkier kind of fuzz. Joe Grunk in Idaho made that for me, he has a little shop he runs with his wife, really nice people"

[@dh-_1011]

I saw gbv at the metro some years ago and Gillard had a fender of some sort (twin, super reverb) and he had that bitch cranked! We stood right in front of him, now I’m deaf.

[@whatisthis__95]

It sounds pretty harsh, I wonder if it was like that or due to the mic placement

[@visitorq2130]

was this at the Grog Shop?????

[@jaygreen1359]

The mesa dual rectifier looks so punk rock, awsome

[@ArthurStephenHicks]

That pedal in the end advertisement for the website looked lopsided

[@lastjedi6239]

Im in Heaven 🙌

[@quicklynamed]

John B. is the shiznit. In other news, Guided by Voices is also the shiznit.

[@ajitpieboi4888]

you should interview the French band Phoenix

[@iwillnevergetone5]

@17:30 I'm not sure what he meant since a stock SG (and most gibsons) do have a designated volume for each pickup to mix in as you like. maybe he meant to say something else?

[@rossharrell6218]

Darrien Day maybe he meant more of a blend control like on some basses?

[@iwillnevergetone5]

i agree. like the american deluxe p basses where you blend back n forth

[@kevinmurtagh4996]

He meant a master volume, he just didn’t word it correctly. Some guitars have a volume for each pickup, and then a master volume so you can turn the whole guitar down with only one knob.

[@lot2196]

Saw then August 19th Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

[@michaelwilkinson6598]

Maybe Bobby Bare is confused on the source of his butterfly sticker? A store that fits his description, "Big Fun," (not Mr Fun) used to be ( RIP) in Cleveland across from where the Grog Shop used to be (not RIP, but now just down the street and around the corner). Unless there really was/is a Mr Fun across from Shuba's in Chicago as he said, but quite a coincidence!

[@augusthasbirk5033]

Please do a Rig Rundown with Foo Fighters

[@andrew7911]

just a little crackle

[@norabarton]

Yeeah BB’s shout out to UNCLE FUN weirdest toy store ever. RIP 🤖

[@ifyoureinmarketing-killyou3111]

I didn't know that F Murray Abraham was in Guided By Voices

[@brandonutterback5383]

Pollard is starting to look a little like Rutger Hauer. Casting for GBV the movie is officially underway!

[@zordakAU]

I was thinking Teller from Penn & Teller 😃

[@leewestwoodmusic]

This guy's got 5 boosts, but he's concerned about keeping his chorus footprint nice and low...

[@ryecean9896]

Lee Westwood punk with a chorus pedal - a shame thing?

[@stagnatic]

#priorities

[@filmmaker89]

Do a Sloan Rig Rundown!

[@thatcoyote8088]

What rock do you live under if you’ve never heard of the EQD transmisser? I thought he was the “expert”. I find that he does this often. Doesn’t really know gear. Which he should, considering that’s the point of the show.

[@Rigel7WasAlreadyUsed]

And he's wearing late model Adidas Campus sneakers.

[@lastjedi6239]

G&L! Guitar Gods know the commandments.

[@matrtdc]

Guided By Voices Rules! or at least should.

[@SpookyApparition]

GBV is probably my favorite band, but they're not a gear band and don't make the best subject for a gear video. it's cool to see the guys in a video like this though.

[@dreamkrushgaming9907]

At the start, Doug plays space gun

[@jackperri3186]

What is he playing the beginning?

[@mirandanoel89]

Jack Perri Sounds like “space gun” from the album of the same name. Check it out, probably my favorite GBV song

[@sandwichyourself4481]

Do you know what the 2nd riff was from? ​@@mirandanoel89

[@phawinp]

Michael Landau Please !!!!

[@iwillnevergetone5]

@15:49 i know it was all in good fun, but Premier Guitar y'all KNOW a new guitar with polyurethane all over it isn't gonna age in the same way the older nitro would

[@6AM_YT]

Gibson still uses nitro, but yeah... newer Fenders aren't going to age like the old ones.

[@iwillnevergetone5]

the nitro that Gibson USA uses today is highly plasticized. better than poly, but still won't age like these vintage Gibby's will

[@iwillnevergetone5]

Toxic Potato exactly! us broke musicians just want our gear to look cool and old too, but without the vintage-nitro price tag

[@michaeltherion7459]

Guided by kids!

[@absolving]

Did John call GBV a punk band?

[@markeggins890]

Yeah, they have never been punk!

[@MackTheKnifeSlowly]

What dimarzio model is that in the bridge of Gillard's LP?

[@Eli-C-]

Dimarzio Super 2. One of the older ones, from about 70's-80's.

[@thisnameiseitherrestricted6270]

I've always wondered what Teller's voice sounded like...

[@annabagwell7965]

Damn. Gibson is so different than my fender.

[@annabagwell7965]

I know...no shit, Sherlock! Beat you to the punch enroute to the auditorium.

[@KevinBrighton]

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Um. Yeah. Yeah. Yeahhh. Yeah. Yeah. Um.

[@o.r.grinter7763]

hell yeah GBV rule

[@jonny1251]

"Flint Strymon"

[@Krung0401]

Uhhhhh...did I just see Doug's home address?

[@drillbag]

where?

[@NoCoverCharge]

Gods among devils

[@random3785]

Did he just mispernounce the name “guided” at the very beginning?

[@Anson120]

I hope they get to the beer cooler! They get fuked up during the show!

[@washingmachine122]

Doug sorta reminds me of Tommy Lee Jones

[@michaelii635]

Might need to name a band 'Delightfully Trashy'

[@rgbsam]

What do we call a fake fender? Chender? I wonder what Fender thinks about this...

[@PintsofGuinness]

i have a hard time believing bobby bare jr cant spare 3 or 4 hundo for a mexi fender

[@JackstandJohnny]

Pints of Guinness These guys arent the Rolling Stones. Most touring musicians stay pretty broke.

[@CCNutritionist]

@@JackstandJohnny Yah, they all travel in the same white van with no roadies to speak of. Was surprised, but not that surprised.

[@frankmedina4230]

Sorry Doug, but can you say awkward! Yikes!!! Well, John you sure tried heard!

[@Go_EZ-ier_On_Us_And_Enjoy]

GBV! GBV! GBV! 🍒 The world needs a double header tour of the Doug Gillard lineup as the opener and the Classic 90s lineup to close the show with a bang! Let's get the tour going - and Bring the Fire to fans new and old!! GBV! GBV! GBV! GBV - Always sooooo cherry! 🍒

[@Schlumbucketreturns]

I don't think that guitar has ever been cleaned. Looks like 30 yrs of grime on that top.

[@allenbrady8071]

zzzzzzzzzzz what a buzz kill. dude should drink more coffee

[@SpookyApparition]

the Bobby Bare part was great! Doug is definitely not talkative in this video though

[@mattaki]

Doug is a chill dude. He's as friendly as they come.

[@lonboomer8147]

man i had to skip over dillard. great guitarist and songwriter but don't ask about his equipment.

[@niptodstan]

True bypass. What a load of bollocks. I’ve never heard such rubbish, just plug it in and play it.

[@thepuppethead1188]

true bypass is so overused as a buzzword that it stopped having any meaning a while ago. It just means there isn't a buffer in the circuit,which is only really important if you're using a fuzz face or something similar.

[@AnthonyMonaghan]

This was awkward....GBV are great, this presenter though, if he says 'cool' one more effin time!

[@snuffy166]

wow what a boring rig rundown

[@deengew]

Hey DOUG! Say that shit not on guitar see what happens! Comin for you, Doug!

[@absolutelynonameslef]

Huh?

[@bivvystridents3752]

The interviewer is such a dork. I get the impression he's never even heard GBV.