Rig Rundown - Sonny Landreth

[@lesharrison3739]

Sonny is incredibly humble and open with his time for being such an insanely brilliant player. He is articulate and knows his gear inside and out.

[@SixStringHarmonies]

Complete and utter legend. It's refreshing to see a player who values comfort and function over fashion, and isn't afraid to wear his guitar like a necklace....;) Super talented player.

[@jipes]

A true master of the tone and articulation, just amazing how clean each notes are coming out

[@MrJonguess]

Sonny is a gentleman and a scholar. Thanks so much enjoyed this piece and a great job Shawn. You dug up what we really want to know.

[@ronbennettmusic]

One of the most incredible musicians you will ever see live. The man is from another planet and has no peers on slide guitar, present or past. He's left me breathless and tears in my eyes. His originality and improvisational ability never seems to dry up. Please see this man live before either of you die.

[@DanielGacke]

Yeah, when it comes to slide guitar, you hear Derek Trucks’s name a lot, and for good reason, because he’s also an otherworldly player. But, I think Sonny is underrated. He’s one of those great players where you can instantly recognize that it’s him playing, because of his vibrato, his phrasing and note selection, his ability to fret behind the slide so fluidly. He’s just an absolutely brilliant musician.

[@SeeCSeesCC]

Sure is❤

[@boocho1]

It's great that Sonny has gotten such a boost since the Clapton Crossroads dvds..thats my opinion..an amazing talent..

[@4Bolter]

That's a great rig-rundown. thanks to Sonny for being so gracious and open... I'm blown away as well!

[@gregoryfortenberry741]

So cool that sonny is such a humble dude. Him and Dave lindly are the best to ever run a slide up&down the neck. Much respect

[@shannonhooge6241]

I swear, I learned more about setting up a guitar for slide tone from the offhand comment Sonny made about his strings and pickups that I have found hunting all over the internet. His tone just knocks me out.

[@chriscampbell9191]

Yeah, you can also see during the close-ups how high the action is on the Strats.

[@rocketrose2165]

His tone is just the right blend of filthy and bright. The first time I picked up a guitar at my friend's house in 1962 and slid his mom's lipstick over the strings I've been searching for the right mix of tone and playability. Still working on that last part many years later but like you Shannon, I've gotten so much closer to the tone as a result of Sonny's videos. He's so generous sharing this with us. Most guys guard their rig like they are government secrets.

[@chriscampbell9191]

@@rocketrose2165 A lot of the guys also use expensive equipment that is beyond the pale for most (or many of us). The best thing is to get good string action on your guitar, stick with one tuning for a while (the guitar will respond better while you're adjusting it for playability), and maybe a good overdrive box that give you a crunchy enough drive tone you like. A good overdrive can make even a marginal amp sound better, and most of the pro slide players either use a dirt box of some kind, or drive the gain on their amp. Even Boss OD's and Blues Drivers can sound good on slide (I use both) and they're decently priced. I incremented the action higher and higher on my guitars by thousandths of an inch until I got them sounding (and playing) good with a slide (i.e. good projection, no 'dead spots' on the strings where the notes sometimes want to die). Didn't pop strings that way.

[@Bodyknowledge77]

Saw Mr Landreth at BB King's in NYC a decade ago. Such a sound and talent !

[@GargoilNation]

Sonny Landreth - total guitar God. Thank you Sonny for sharing with us!

[@IamtheActionman]

One of the best interviews ever

[@LukeMaynard]

What a wonderful masterclass from one of the greats not just on what he uses, but WHY he uses it. I don't need him to tell me he uses a Strat. I need him to explain why his pickup choices make the guitar, how he handles hum, the relationship between his 13 gauge strings (the only non-slide player I know who used 13s was Stevie Ray Vaughan)... this is a very close and generous lesson in how to shape your rig. When I started playing slide in my teens, I learned all about fretting behind the slide from a fantastic old blues player my Dad worked with for many years. At the time, in the company I kept, being able to drop the strings under the slide and use both together made me feel like a superhero. It was certainly something other players had never mastered. Of course, of course I should have known Sonny would have better fretting behind the slide than anybody. You just get a glimpse of it here, but I'm confident that every single trick I've ever learned or will learn as a slide player, Sonny Landreth already knows.

[@cliftontorrence839]

After Katrina I spent a couple of years in NOLA, and had the great opportunity to hear this wonderful man play his music maybe 7-8 times. Couldn't get enough. One evening at the famous and original upstairs Rock N Bowl, SL put out a set that practically drove the crowd to screaming madness. A singular massive wall of wonder occurred that pulled everyone to their feet. Every time the crowd felt the crescendo had been reached, SL would bring us back around and give a bit more. What a talent, what a player, such a musician.

[@JediGuitarMaster429]

You know what you should've ask him? You should ask him why he isn't using his Dumble.

[@actionjacksondan]

Literally asked that in the first three minutes….. Ah sorry, after 20 more dumble questions I caught the sarcasm in your comment from 11 years ago! 😂😂😂

[@1blastman]

Sonny's best work is always the next time he steps up to do a live show. I've been watching him since the late 80's and he keeps getting better. Looking forward to his Jazzfest gigs around town.

[@waynejordan2863]

What a cool sounding guitar player! I need to listen to more of his music,great guy, and a good interview.

[@terrydavid4008]

Wayne Jordan from my hometown in Cajun country.

[@jst601]

A superb musician & such nice guy.

[@JaySon33883]

By far my favorite rig rundown, so complete, so interesting, and best of all: SONNY LANDRETH

[@Spuzzmacher]

It’s really cool to see Sonny isn’t just the most incredible master of the slide, he’s also a brilliant master of kit!

[@JohnnyCarvin]

Very impressive! Great to see an artist take the time to demo his rig and the style of his playing. Great rundown!

[@AMPSHOWS]

I spent some time with Sonny in New Orleans during this years Jazz fest and he is a true master of his guitar as well as a super friendly guy. This was one of the best interviews Shawn has done, even though you could tell he was a bit nervous and in awe at the beginning. Sonny was using a Bludotone amp instead of a Fender,and also used the Demeter head. This was a great rig rundown. Thanx PG!

[@josephfuller7008]

I’ve seen him three times and he is the only musician that can put me in a trance like state. I saw him with Cindy Cashdollar and once they got into it I did not want it to end. It was incredible.

[@m0j0b0ne]

At about 6:30 something really important happens, and it's one of the many reasons Sonny doesn't sound like a lot of other slide masters. That's right, you can see his thumbpick, which is a hybrid flat/thumbpick. It's no different than a standard thumbpick, except it's wider, and works like a flatpick, when you pinch it between your thumb and forefinger. That means you can backstroke it, without it flying off of your thumb. Now, should you ever feel the need to wear a thumbpick but still pull off backstrokes WITHOUT support from your picking-hand index finger, there's this thing called a Saddle Pick, which doesn't have an open end and will NOT come off of your thumb, meaning you are free to do upstrokes as well as downstrokes with the remaining fingers, as well as your thumb. You can freely mix traditional banjo rolls, Travis-picking and clawhammer banjo patterns, in other words. Earl Scruggs invented a whole new banjo style with less ammunition than this, and mark my words, somebody has yet to take full advantage of this.

[@Sonicblue1922]

Awesome player. Saw him live with John Hiatt and he just slays. Nice to see that he is a great guy too.

[@Blanchefort1]

Sonny is so cool. I met him after a John Hiatt gig in 1989 and we talked guitar stuff. A very pure man.

[@1blastman]

No, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. He plays in the Blues tent the first day and will be all over New Orleans during the week. Wouldn't be surprised if he guests with some artist's sets. Living in South Louisiana, we get to see him quite a bit and feel blessed. He is constantly striving to stretch the limits of slide guitar and it's always a treat to see him live. His Rock and Bowl set the last day of Jazzfest is always a highlight.

[@andrewt248]

I'll tell you what, Demeter amps are nothing to sneeze at. Really a great sounding amp; the foundation of one of my favorite live rock tones - Dean Deleo.

[@BossHossStudios]

I see sonny every year. He is a cool guy and has signed two of my guitars!!

[@RicardoGrilli]

This is hysterical... Won't shut up about the Dumble ahahaha... Sonny is really patient.

[@BryanDenham]

i love his guitar work.

[@viniciusbraga5698]

the best rig rundown so far!

[@iagobroxado]

great rundown, thanks Shawn and PG.

[@TheHumbuckerboy]

Mark Knopfler once described Sonny as being " the best live guitarist in the world" .

[@jakesnake66]

Who did he describe as the best dead one?

[@TheHumbuckerboy]

Some American dude by the name of something that sounded like 'Hendrix' (?) Of course , being as thick as so many barrels of pigswill , I hadn't even recalled hearing that particular name ever before. Then after some pretty shrewd ' Private Investigations' of my own I managed to view several images on Google of this Hendrix cat and I have to admit that my respect for Mr Knopfler only increased when I appreciated how good Knopfler was at describing guitarists, both living and also dead. Perhaps it's a much cherished hobby of his ?

[@jakesnake66]

lol....certainly doesn't surprise me that Mr Knopfler would possess extraordinary powers of observation. That quantity of talent likely manifests in countless ways. I bet he can quilt and whip up a mean Yorkshire Pudding.

[@TheHumbuckerboy]

... Whilst casually playing a nifty lead break no doubt .

[@dennyaudio]

Eric Clapton said that Sonny is the most underrated musician on the planet. I know why - first hand - as having been the front of house sound engineer for Sonny for several years. The simple facts that he knows how to 'listen', he knows 'what the song needs', he has incredibly good 'ears', and he allows the music to 'breathe'. Sonny knows where music actually 'comes from'. I used to love listening to how Sonny would interact with fellow musicians. Never 'stepping on toes' - because that never helps the music. Sonny always respected the music...and his fellow musicians.

[@chrisadkison6450]

Sonny has put a lot thought in every component of his sound. Love that mosferatta.

[@LucDaRocka1]

I met Sonny a couple times... He actually used to work in the music shop down the the street from where I live.... He is a cool guy...

[@pennyroyaI]

saw him at the triple door in seattle. Unbelievable show.

[@JohnWayneDIMREC]

agreed.

[@SeeCSeesCC]

❤saw him at JazzAlley, sat RIGHT in from of him

[@janstaugaard4098]

One of the absolut greatest slide players and such a nice person.

[@tommyskyridge]

Wow, good questions by Shawn, awesome job. Sonny rules.

[@lastdaysguitar]

Interesting compressor location - post drive pedals, and you can't argue with Sonny - he's a tone guy... I'm going to have to try this.

[@bobrat]

Love your sound!

[@stratorarious]

Coolest interview yet!

[@LOVECHILDAUSTRALIA]

What a great player!!

[@rhysschanneldotcom]

That was awesome. Keep on with the rig rundowns!!!

[@Josiahjjr]

Fantastic rundown! This guy knows his stuff!

[@ryan.1357]

"You don't have your Dumble for this gig?" "I have my Demeter with me, which is a great amp." "I have this friend... who completely can't believe that you're not using your Dumble." "Well, this Demeter is a really decent amp, I use it on my records as well as live." "WHAT!? I mean... my friend... he... doesn't understand why you would use your Demeter instead of the amazing incredible Dumble on records." "Well, I use them both, but they have different sounds and I like different sounds." "Dumbles are magical." "..." "Can I have your Dumble... for my friend...?" "No."

[@bumpdunlop]

I opened shows for Sonny twice. We provided his backline for one of the shows, and someone else provided it on the second. They just showed up with their guitars. They asked for an SVT w/ 8X10 and a Fender Twin. I guess Ludwig drums were just fine with them.

[@silverpairaducks]

I like 90s carbon tweeds and their 4x10... guess I'm stupid for not having a 100k amp

[@bayougtr]

I never saw Sonny live with a Dumble. Outdoor festivals, clubs, always the Demeter. Saw some amazing special shows at Jazz Fest and in Lafayette. A Machless now and then...

[@onoyudont]

There ya go. i would've been the bad cop here,and asked the interviewer , "you dig the sounds I'm making ?It's the Demeter.Boom, end of discussion.

[@ShiningEyeBrigade]

Would like to here his reason for choosing the Demeter yellow,channel for the live gigs. My total guess is it might be about presence/ less compressed more open sound.

[@apolloc.vermouth5672]

Cool little venue too...

[@-suphur]

Really great rundown! I enjoyed that one, thanks!

[@ascendedmastersclub]

That's a really cool Strat medallion that Sonny has on his thick leather necklace!

[@jeffbrassard1268]

Wonderful guitar player, as a slide player I feel he is up there with Derek Trucks and Duane Allman. Sonny’s style is unique. I have been fortunate enough to see him live a couple times. He is fantastic live.

[@Sixtytwo-56]

I came here looking for some information on what compressor he uses, as I'm playing more slide lately and don't have one in my signal chain. But I have to agree with some earlier comments about him playing the same sounding phrasing in his songs and improvisations. But that's what identifies one from another; you can say the same thing about dozens of perceived and honestly brilliant guitarists. That's what makes them "them". But one thing really stood clear for me was his attention to calling up different pedal voicings and playing articulations to introduce and identify new passages and movements within a piece. He's not just playing the guitar, he's engineering and producing the piece and himself as well. Every position in the band needs to be doing the very same thing. I've been playing in bands for decades and I can't count enough times, the number of instances where no one in the group had that mentality or training/experience; whatever. And the resistance to embrace it was amazing. It makes the difference between a good band and a great band i.m.h.o.

[@drvogel1]

I saw Sonny a few years ago with a three piece band that was phenomenal.

[@Guitarmike]

That was very cool! A hero to me and wonderful musician.

[@andrewryan9212]

What glass slide company is he talking about @ 13:12?

[@stanislouse4168]

Solid info on the sound. Love to have heard the height requirements in detail though.

[@gdasilva]

i think this is the first time i have seen Shawn a bit, I don't know, maybe star-struck... I know I would be in the presence of Sonny. Hell, I feel that way every time I see him live.

[@Dragitall]

Landreth, given his virtuosity, is one of the nicest, most decent and patient guys in the music industry...even with silly slobs who don't listen to what he's saying so he has to say almost everything twice.

[@jakestewartmusic]

"But u haz dumble, y dont u dumble?" - Shawn Hammond

[@Deltroyer1963]

Thanks! Very useful information from Sonny about the s.o.u.n.d. !!!

[@Utubestir]

very very cool! thnx Sonny!

[@LiberTBo]

I see, thats a vastly illuminating comment concerning Sonny Landreth's lengthy career, were you refering to Eric Clapton's 2013 Crossroads Guitar Festival that started yesterday and runs through Saturday April 13, 2013 at Madison Square Garden in NYC features Jeff Beck, Sonny Landerth, John Mayer, Buddy Guy along with some of the best guitarist worldwide.

[@PaulBinghamguitar]

Probably the worlds best slide guitar player!

[@juhanleemet]

hist own unique style and technique, not sure he can be compared with other "slide players"?

[@maxwhitten8376]

Awesome. Thanks

[@BigBlackPug]

Nice interview. Nice guy.

[@tamirke74]

Great rig rundown:,Thanks .

[@CR0SSJ]

Legend tone :) love sonny's slide sound

[@NintendoSinceBirth1]

and ive been expieramenting with sonnys playing style lately and its actually essential your guitar be up high because your hand has to be almost completely straight to slight and fret clearly

[@wilcoxblues27]

We need a Derek Trucks Rig Rundown!!!!! Please?

[@LiberTBo]

OK, as I recall Sonny was born in Mississippi but grew up arund the Lafayette, Louisana. Unlike some of the other more renowned slide players like Trucks, Landreth's choice Fender Stratocaster guitars are fitted with DiMarzio and Lindy Fralin pickups, a special Suhr back plate system, and D'Addario medium nickel wound strings. His style different that most other slide players. Landreth plays with the slide on his little finger, so that his other fingers have more room to fret behind the slide.

[@shango02005]

That was awesome!

[@WilliamMusicEater]

Thanks for sharing it with the Slide master fans

[@SeeCSeesCC]

❤oh yeah Sonny!

[@NintendoSinceBirth1]

so whats the deal with that power supply? is it just wireless and rechargable?

[@MisterTee]

That is an unusually high level when you look at most guys out there. I do agree that a high position does give you much better control

[@wademosher]

I heard somewhere that Sonny has a Dumble amp.

[@g.graves8939]

Is the a strat or a necktie?

[@SkipLunch]

Do one on Dean Deleo of STP! Please!!!!

[@xxfaction6xx]

made my night man ! Thanks

[@hugsys01]

Sonny is a master !!

[@TotinosOtherBoy]

34:57 what song is that?

[@yaisum]

+Totino's Other Boy It's called Next of Kindred Spirit. It's incredible and packed full of brilliant techniques and tricks.

[@ledzeppelin174]

What was he playing at 32:06?

[@TheDuff69]

That's some badass tone :)

[@bluesguy0524]

That guy keeps Sonny sounding good. Relax, man.

[@StratsRgreat]

What's Suhr's trick? Special grounding or mini Faraday cage?

[@gwbenites]

StratsRgreat Don't know the electronics method, but Suhr just sells them. This is THE man www.ilitchelectronics.com

[@peeblesj1131]

Please, please, PLEEEEEAAAASE do a Coheed & Cambria rig rundown before the summer's over. Not doing one would be an outrage and a tragedy.

[@MichaelGrecoGuitar]

awesome setup. Who does this guy play for?

[@johncrace911]

There are great slide players and then there is Sonny Landreth. No body comes close.

[@olecap1]

I’ve seen the Dementor bounced around a bit at LFT…Sonny addressed the elderly baggage handler with “dam’ Billy, I might wanna use that again sometime…”

[@iwillnevergetone5]

Respect

[@reynataylor2538]

You guys should do a Gig Rundown for Ana Popovic. She's a great blues guitar player too. Do one with her next time :)

[@lxvmarkferguson7638]

Absolutely badass.Hard Rock?Metal? P-shaw!

[@LiberTBo]

Normally, Shawn’s RR’s are more interesting, It’s seems exceptionally redundant to watch two men work so hard to turn a simple demonstration into a "thesis" on slide guitar. If you want an interesting “slide guitar” interview call up Derek Trucks on Premier’s site. Landreth’s best work was when he played with John Hiatt on “Slow Turning,” - 88,’- Mark Knopfler’s “Golden Herat” LP in 96’ and “A Night in London,” in 96,’and Clapton’s 2007-10 “Crossroads Guitar Festival.”

[@SuperWh1t3y]

I love playing at this venue whenever I get the chance. Luckily it's within 5 minutes of my house.

[@acledfloyd]

His Stratocaster tuned to E sounds almost like a resonator, crazy.

[@JohanFransen]

He's a genius!!! #gtarking

[@hanifjones4914]

He actually left his finger tips on the fret board

[@DiedrichKnickerbocker1783]

Anyone else checkin out Demeter Amplification website?

[@lancethrustworthy]

I want the camera being's job. ;) Good video!

[@jameskey4633]

I would have asked " Can you explain the length of your guitar strap?" It's obviously integral to his sound

[@TheDelboyoelmundo]

+James Key yes its called Strangulation Setting.