Rig Rundown - Roger Waters' The Wall Tour- G.E. Smith

[@billthomas56]

G. E. is great about telling you the history of the guitars and basses he plays, and always crediting the luthiers who have worked on his instruments.

[@wodenoftheangles3339]

But not so great regarding his amps and pedals... lol

[@samumina4218]

G.E. is all class. Every interview with this guy is great.

[@BobMaulucci]

I worked in a vintage guitar shop here in Buffalo, and he would call about old bowl back mandolins we had. He’s a very nice guy who was real patient when young me didn’t always have the answers to his really insightful questions. He never got pissed at me when I had to ask the owner or get him on the phone. And when he called back, he never asked to just skip through to the boss. GE is a classy guy, and really knowledgeable as you can see in the interview. He knows his gear.

[@mattryan6886]

100% good Guy and great player. G.E did an incredible job on this gig and tour. That B.C bass(Bowery/Chelsea) has a telecaster guitar mate as well. The dry aged wood from those very old NYC buildings gives those instruments lots resonance and exceptional tonal quality. I personally love that 54’/55’ JR!!!!!!!! Single P-90 w/ simple volume and tone controls, In G.E’s hands……. Such beautiful noise!!!

[@ShiningEyeBrigade]

Really appreciate the interviewer’s super-low key style: Always manages to get the guests talking and giving great info without her talking much. First few times I saw her I just figured the guests were good, but I’ve see a bunch of her interviews now, over the last few years and every one is like this. If a guest does miss something, like the pickup on the bass with GE, she gives a gentle nudge to find it out. I’ve done a few interviews and it’s really hard for me to get info out of a guest without talking too much myself.

[@badkatrising3918]

I totally forgot how much I miss her rig rundowns. She is awesome. Hope she’s doin well

[@donnmontoya3397]

Met and hung out with G.E. and T-Bone Wolk during a Hall & Oates tour. Both were very cool down to earth guys. RIP T-Bone. We miss you.

[@greedyluigi]

GE is one of the best workman guitarists. I watched the whole SNL era when he was the band leader just to see what guitar he was playing. Not to mention for that 10 to 15 second spot he had the riffs he played were mind blowing. Not to mention I think he is a fellow Pennsylvania boy. Rock on GE.

[@TN-D18]

Cool guy. Honest answers, extremely low amount of BS.....great interview.

[@robertwittjr1198]

i respect how genuine he is in relating personal experiences in with his gear "i never used marshalls in a long time, i used them with hall and oats in japan and stuff". like to sit down and have a cup of whatever and listen to the man.

[@Rhythmicons]

This is the only guy who can say "Songy, song stuff" and not lose any cool points.

[@javiceres]

And make you feel like you're a little girl by his side.

[@Rhythmicons]

Javi, I'm going to have to part ways with you on that one.

[@ThomasWilliamsMusik]

Haha

[@matthewmello4493]

I was just about to comment that and saw you did it three years before

[@Yourbrotherfranio]

never had any "cool" to begin with

[@JKryanX]

every interview i see with G.E. he just seems like a really cool guy. i'd like to buy him a beer and jam with him someday

[@PPower23]

Back in the 80's, I had a girlfriend who wanted to see Hall & Oates in concert. Seriously that LAST group I wanted to see. But when we got to Oakland Arena, there they were, with G.E.Smith on guitar. I thought, man, what a nice treat that is. THEN - they turned around and rock the arena with all of there "pop" hits. What a surprise! Enjoyed the show. Thanks when I found out G.E.Smith was more than a face on Saturday Night Live...

[@kettlebellheaven6756]

I love everything about this interview. G. E. Smith is a true professional who played with EVERYONE and everywhere. You people who have to insult him because of his looks, you are going to grow up one day and be embarrassed at yourselves.

[@buckandotis]

it's amazing what people will be critical of.....i've seen him play live and he's a monster player, ain't no criticizing that....

[@BaByLaStrAnGe]

Kettlebell Heaven Also he was the head of the SNL band back in the days! great person!

[@EphemeralProductions]

dbltrplx: yup! just what I was gonna say! :)

[@dthellland9738]

didn't realize he was ugly.

[@obscurebandfan]

He just looks like a regular dude in his 60s. He looks actually pretty good for his age, he's hung on to most his hair.

[@dirtydave2691]

This young lady knows her stuff. Great guitar oriented interview.

[@voskresene]

GE Smith is a cool cat and a great guitar player. I grew up watching him on Saturday Night Live in the 80's.

[@Hurtcules]

Man, I enjoy hearing G.E. Smith being interviewed. Such a relatable dude. Always so giving and generous with praise for the behind the scenes support folks. A wealth of knowledge!

[@long-timelistenerfirst-t-us2yy]

great interviewer, she really knows how to interview musicians!

[@yungsheldon6732]

i love GE Smith. he’s just so cool and laid back. excellent guitarist and bassist. that first bass he showed off was insane!

[@MarvinSheats]

I love G.E. Smith. He's been one of my favorites and loved seeing him on SNL.

[@theHAL9000]

GE tends to be a great interview. Interesting stories about himself and other guitarists, and then of course that he is a killer guitarist adds to the discussion. Kudos to the interviewer ... really presses on crucial sound/tone details with deep knowledge based questions and elevates the entire interview.

[@JeevesReturns]

Glad to see that G.E. is showing more of what an informed artist he is beyond the SNL days! Brilliant and passionate musician. Humble man as well.

[@reginaldfitzpatrick8681]

A guy with his repertoire and modesty is seriously so impressive. He has no problems taking 10 mins to do an interview that he didnt have to do. You wont ever see Roger Waters do that! This guy had such a passion for the gear, the history and the stories. Thats what its all about.

[@tevinchidester9681]

This Guy - GE Smith is true and so is Roger. If Roger is asked he will do what you ask. Roger Waters is the most heart filled peace committed musician in the world. David doesn't care.

[@muhrvis]

A great guy, tremendous guitar player, nice person, love his knowledge and generosity -- "I try to play like Ry Cooder. I can't but I try..."

[@stfuthefonz]

I was wondering who he was talking about. Googled ‘Cooter guitar’ and just got a bunch of confederate flag guitar picks.

[@tose917]

@@stfuthefonz lol!!!🤣🤣🤣

[@Hexspa]

@@stfuthefonz Ry Cooder was involved with Buena Vista Social Club.

[@RyanMcQuen]

Ry Cooder is a musician's musician.

[@JamesBanner]

Great to see two people who know what they're talking about discussing guitars.

[@markkickmark]

This guy is so pleasant and easy to understand. Should have his own show.

[@jodiallardice1500]

This guy lives in my local area and i see him live a lot, and the dude is probably the best session player I’ve seen, he just plays with anyone anywhere

[@dlarovere]

This has been my favorite of all the rig rundowns so far. All the right questions and all the cool answers! It's like a guitar player's field trip with G.E. and Rebecca. Cool gig, y'all.

[@tticomdmg]

I love a musician who doesn't try to impress me with model numbers and a bunch of tech talk... "I don't know what it is, but it sounds great!" lol.

[@gettafeelofthis]

I remember watching this guy front the SNL band for years. I always dug his style, his guitars and the tone he would get. Each week it was something totally different. Simply a great musician.

[@scotty3034]

Thank you for having an interviewer who knows how to ask the questions we all would ask.

[@AgentXPQ]

I've watched a few interviews with G.E. Smith the last few days, and it's hard not to notice that he rarely looks at the camera, or at the person he's talking to for that matter. Were I to speculate, I would guess that despite his success, he's still a little shy.

[@chasegaddis418]

no he's just a jack ass

[@RWulff007]

Why comment on that thing? We are all different.

[@martimdesouzajunior7585]

Chase Gaddis You're the jackass, loser.

[@jondunmore4268]

Or he's a serial axe murderer.

[@ripplebear]

@@chasegaddis418 your name is like a set of instructions, Chase Gaddis, around the rose garden. No thanks! Your parents loved you! Lol

[@jasondesjardins7371]

G.E. is a monster player and such a cool cat.

[@radiok2ua]

"It's been through everything with me. Hall and Oates, Bob Dylan, Saturday Night Live . . .." "Is everything stock on it?" Hahaha--great moment. She's so focused that she is somehow not totally blown away by the idea of this guitar being in GE Smith's hands, at the center of all of that!

[@user-wq5km7uq1s]

"Loud, no treble."

[@RyanMcQuen]

Hell yes.

[@davidfreeborg]

I thought that was interesting also.. so it's mic'd right on the cone..

[@terebrate]

7:49 "I dunno, maybe if I was in Korn or something I could use it..." lol

[@claychitwood]

Started keeping up with GE after seeing him on SNL , He turned me on to tone and the tele . Thanks sir !

[@pauloquist6150]

I learned so much about guitars and guitar playing by studying this guy on SNL over the years. There a ton of talented guitar players but very few that could fill this guy's shoes and his accomplishments!

[@MattFoleysGhost]

My dream rig would be to have GE Smith as a personal shopper. Anything this guy digs and I would play it no questions asked.

[@theatomicpunkkk]

Such a cool guy. He's always been down to earth in every interview that I have seen with him.

[@chuckmauller6101]

Love listening to GE talk about his guitars.

[@DiedrichKnickerbocker1783]

Alittle bit of knowledge and alot of enthusiasm is powerful combination. Rock on, Mr. Smith.

[@MisterTee]

I got to meet GE once. Probably the coolest musician I have ever had the honour of meeting.

[@harpguy1]

Humble guy & very knowledgeable & respected by the top tier players he has toured with. He was the musical director for the Bob Dylan tribute & just looking around that stage & the players on it says a whole lot about the respect he is given.

[@nated.8709]

Engaging interview. GE Smith is a class act and the interviewer really makes the interview by asking some excellent questions to a guy who has forgotten more about guitars and guitar playing than most people will ever know.

[@quicksite]

Such an awesome interview- gotta praise Rebecca Dirks for impeccable questions, timing, everything- staying background, but bringing out the very best of G.E.'s expertise by being totally in sync with him. Such a different feel than more typical interviews with musicians which have fawning qualities. You can tell G.E. just flows with her no-nonsense down to brass tacks approach. Thanks for this interview!

[@josephfinn9569]

You are so right Quicksite!

[@jonnybeck6723]

Aaw you just want her body... admit it...

[@niptodstan]

She's the best interviewer on the net. She knows her stuff and she obviously likes her job. She gets the best from the players and crew.

[@jeffreybiscoe6]

Just always enjoy GE when he is interviewed,love the Kelly bass too .

[@alext9067]

I've seen Rebecca before. She is fantastic. She controls the interview totally and knows where to go and what to ask. If you've got Rebecca doing it for you, you've got the best.

[@GuitarBob6]

Freakin' cool how good his memory is about where he bought the guitars and what's in them. Cool guy.

[@shaunybenso]

She's a good interviewer

[@fuckassnumberone]

Agreed. She doesn’t fan out like the rest of the PG nerds.

[@HiBot69]

She's alot better than that tall, awkward, half hearted guy.

[@CoffeeAndPaul]

It's great that she knows a broad range of products and what they can do. She's an honest scholar of guitar. I bet she can shred.

[@paulmattle6683]

She actually asked questions that I was interested in hearing. I remember G.E. Smith from SNL, then started seeing him playing with Roger Waters.

[@RMoore-zt7zs]

I love the Rig Rundowns that Rebecca Dirks did; she's by far their best interviewer that Premier Guitar has had. And then there's the uber modest G.E. Smith. That guy has done so much in his career and has never been one to showboat or steal anyone's thunder; he just goes about the business with a genuine smile on his face. He has some great gear and is not overly absorbed with the geeky side of the process. He just likes stuff that works and gives him the sounds that he hears in his head that fit the song and the band he's supporting.

[@franciscomarin6493]

I called Lindy twice. about two years apart, for two guitars. he picked up the phone both times. cool guy and great pickups.

[@gravy_brain]

Love G.E. and miss seeing Rebecca's interviews.

[@lourdes-amaliatalbert748]

Until a few months ago, didn't know who G.E. was. This guys great. I thoroughly enjoy watching him strum his guitar; he's a great talent.

[@JesseENew]

G E is too cool

[@keysersoze3977]

I could watch this over and over...G.E. is amazing..

[@philreeves2404]

Enjoyed the interview. The cat's a true musician worthy of our awe. 🎉❤

[@SoftwareAgentsTV]

Excited to see him as part of Roger Water's new stage show! -- AT

[@glassslide]

GE is the coolest. Awesome rig rundown.

[@patrickingram7343]

Awesome. Got to meet G.E. after a gig in Georgia when I was 18. It was a blues and BBQ festival actually, he was cool!

[@Me-kv8vu]

I'm not a guitar player although I GREATLY appreciate the skill and sounds. But G.E. seems like a truly good dude. I've watched a bunch of interviews with him. Regular decent fellow..thanks for posting

[@TheRamsberg]

Straight up, Rebecca Dirks is the best guitarist interviewer I've heard.

[@tomcoryell]

TheRamsberg I do so miss Rebecca.

[@j_freed]

I think GE Smith and Nicko McBrain from Iron Maiden should have an outdoor TV show all about fishing.

[@kevyd1929]

G.E, how cool, a scholar and a gentleman

[@geraldwest3428]

G. E. Smith is one great cat, and one helluva musician with an actual personality.

[@BryanSmith66]

GE Smith is the MAN! Love my Fralin tele pups. Just ordered a set of no hum Lindy Fralin P90's.

[@georgewaters8592]

wow... seeing a beer on the stage - totally old school, brought back some good memories....!! Seriously though, I love that he's using a lot of vintage gear here, as to me there is no substitute for real good old instruments.

[@monmixer]

I had the pleasure of working on the momentary lapse of reason tour on a few shows. Way before GE Smith played. It was the tour when Carmine Appice played drums. he was the second drummer. He actually recorded on the album with them. Momentary Lapse Of reason tour. I miked his drum kit up in Columbus Ohio. I was checking out Gilmours pedal board. It was custom made and each button simply had the name of the song under it. His guitar tech did what ever switching and his guitar techs area had what looked like a train table. It was as big a a full size parlor pool table just laid out with all sort of different vintage pedals with a lot of the same ones hooked up in different series. Remember this was before we had modeling amps and all of these different multi program affects units. Everything was huge. Of course at that time it was still Pink Floyd with Roger and David both way before the split. Incredible stuff . I think i have seen it all in my life. I'm not complaining. so much has changed in the industry now. It's good in ways and bad in ways. Not good for performers still doing it who want to stay old school. Most have adapted that are still doing it.

[@gdasilva]

The guy with the middle HB closer to the bridge may have been Andy Fairweather Low who for years played a Strat with two HB's, one at the bridge and one right next to it; Andy played with Roger Waters for a while, and I saw that guitar on the Dark Side of the Moon tour a few years back.

[@mikewallace1270]

I found this truly enjoyable and very interesting. Great questions from the girl!

[@tricko2286]

Good interview.. interviewer gets alot of great info out of G.E. - most of us would be like Chris Farley interviewing Paul McCartney on SNL ...."agh I'm sooo STUPID"!

[@HarrrySpider]

+Tricko totally right. She did a GREAT job of getting information out of him that is actually interesting to guitar / gear folks... well done Rebecca

[@PlanetRockJesus]

+Tricko I love your post here. Thanks for the laugh.

[@randyfloyd7535]

Remember when you were with the Beatles? That was cool

[@DerekBallesty]

His chorus pedal is the same age as I am. Lovely guitars, great rig rundown.

[@karose982]

I was not aware that G.E. Smith shops at Guitar Emporium so much. That's pretty good. I'm happy we have Guitar Emporium here in Louisville.

[@soylentgreen2065]

I've seen G.E. on tv and videos for literally decades and never knew his name until last night when I binge watched him in interviews. In one interview he remarked that people come up to him and say he inspired them to start playing guitar. I'm not surprised, but, I hope his humility, manners and kind-natured soul inspire people to be that person, too. Class act, historic musician....respect to you, Mr. Smith!

[@dunebats5357]

Well done, Ms Dirks, good questions, to-the-point.

[@bristolfashion4421]

That's one of the most humorous remarks I've heard on PG ! 0:31 Well Done Mr. Smith ! 🙂

[@3asAcouple]

This guy here is cyclopedia!!I met him in Athens during R.waters concert.Most cool guy Ive ever met!!Greetings G and don't forget SADE and come over to Greece for a concert!!!Gees ,your concert in Greece was awesome...

[@eyemnotu]

Cool professional! So lucky to be able to work with Roger and perform a masterpiece

[@dapperdanman1956]

The legendary G.E. smith,

[@fastguitars4380]

GE is so generous with himself......so laid back..... He's done it all and seen it all, yet he's like your favorite neighbor., ... nothing special, yet he really is special. He's a very deep pool.

[@juliethesoccermum1004]

Best way to describe him

[@bryanmannoia8410]

I met him 20 plus years ago in that used guitar store on 48th st. in n.y.c.. laid back and cool as hell, plus he's a great player. I doubt there is a more modest player out there.

[@docnasty74]

G.E. is so laidback and talented. Very cool guy.

[@blackmoremaniac]

Really cool ... nice to listen to G.E.Smith ! Great !!!

[@Ematched]

Rebecca was by far the best PG rig rundown interviewer.

[@ArtDonna84]

Outstanding, thanks for the interview with an awesome bass man in G.E. Smith.

[@LTRockabilly]

I've always wanted a '51-style P bass with Jazz pickups....good to see such an idea is possible.

[@ericboreen4040]

This is a nice one to come back to from time to time. Relaxing.

[@johnkraemer5505]

Wow! That was an awesome run down! 👍🏻😃

[@woodoven]

@6:20 his reverential demeanor while raving about the Les Paul Jr is notable. Makes me want one. Swore off buying guitars as a professional but then get this and says he can play the whole show with it. Crazy.

[@DeathNebula]

That interview completly changed my view of G.E.....for the better!!

[@drbilldc]

G,E, rocks!! was a big reason I wanted to see The Wall live! Did anybody catch what type of Acoustic guitar that was...Golden? Golden Gate he said?

[@tomcoryell]

drbilldc Godin

[@Ashstrodamus1]

Ha, I have that same type of Boogie cab. I bought that cab and my Mark IV brand new in '93(?I think).

[@lflowers230]

Ah. Mr. G.E. Smith. I remember watching him jam on SNL when I was a kid.

[@ericportillo8277]

So cool and simple. This is one of my fav episodes 👍🏻

[@misisipimike8020]

Rebecca is the best interviewer for PG, which is saying a lot. I don’t know but hopefully she is teching something big.

[@mvmmotovlogmusic2815]

This interview ranks a 10 of 10 for honesty and good information. 👍🏻🎼👍🏻

[@joezambrano9651]

Man great interview love ge smith very humble man thanks Rebecca for a great interview love the questions your asking great work gal peace

[@paulmattle6683]

Does anyone know more about the pickups he used. I'm interested in swapping pickups, and this seems like a great idea

[@tofty21]

I didn’t understand too much of that but all the same it was fascinating. I saw him a few times when he played with Dylan.

[@telecasterbear]

nice to hear from an artist who has done different gigs through his career.

[@MisterTee]

He actually tunes down to Eb with 8 gauge sets. When he uses 7's he is in regular A440

[@bigduke6702]

Nice interview, insightful questions from the interviewer.