Rig Rundown: Joe Bonamassa [2022]

Full Rig Details: bit.ly/JBonamassaRR
After moving back to New York City, Joe Bonamassa spent some lockdown time in Germano Studios in Manhattan’s NoHo neighborhood, tightly winding the music for his latest album, Time Clocks. His longtime producer Joe Shirley had to work with the powerhouse guitarist remotely, from his home in Australia. Yet the result is as seamlessly Bonamassa as ever, with riveting guitar work that has echoes ranging from Africa to Led Zeppelin. “My ADD transcends into my musical life,” the other JB told longtime Premier Guitar contributor Joe Charupakorn in our December feature. “It’s a very different record for me. It’s not a blues record, for sure. I just try to make records that don’t bore me all the way through-we’ve got this groove covered, we’ve got that groove covered, let’s put a sorbet in, something out of left field.”
They don’t serve sorbet at Nashville’s hallowed Ryman Auditorium music hall-although I’m putting that in their suggestion box. But Bonamassa did dish out plenty of guitar flambé at his August 2 headliner there. And melded the music of Time Clocks with a selection of some of his favorite classic and original blues. PG’s JB-that’s me-connected with Joe onstage before the show, where I also did a Rig Rundown with that other guy with my initials in 2018.
This time, there were some new members of Bonamassa’s ever-growing-and-shrinking collection of gear-which he spoke about at length earlier this year with Cory Wong on the rhythm guitar kingpin’s Wong Notes podcast for PG-pressed into service, including some recent-arrival Les Pauls, of course, and perhaps the most covetable collection of historic badass amps ever played on the Ryman stage. But rareness, novelty, or familiarity isn’t what determines which toys come out to play. Bonamassa starts by building a rough set list, and then chooses the right instrument and amps for each song. So, watch, look, and listen!
Full Rig Details: bit.ly/JBonamassaRR
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[Brought to you by D’Addario XPND Pedalboard: www.daddario.com/XPNDRR]
00:00 - D'Addario XPND Pedalboard
00:15 - Joe Bonamassa Guitar Solo Intro
01:28 - Joe Bonamassa Intro
01:56 - 1968 Fender Telecaster Thinline w/ B-Bender
05:01 - 1951 Fender “Nocaster”
07:32 - "The Best" 1955 Fender Stratocaster
08:49 - 1965 Fender Stratocaster
10:46 - 1955 Fender "Bonnie" Stratocaster
13:12 - 1976 Gibson Firebird Bicentennial
15:17 - Gibson Custom Shop "Amos" Flying V Replica
16:24 - 1964 Gibson ES-355
18:04 - 1960 Gibson Les Paul Standard
19:19 - 1958 Gibson Les Paul Standard
20:37 - 1960 Gibson Les Paul Standard "Royal Albert"
23:17 - 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard
24:26 - 1955 Fender Stratocaster
28:26 - Joe Bonamassa's Amps (Fenders, Dumbles, Marshalls)
40:08 - Joe Bonamassa's Pedalboard
#rigrundown #joebonamassa #guitar

[@premierguitar]

Full Rig Details: bit.ly/JBonamassaRR Win Guitar Gear: bit.ly/GiveawaysPG Subscribe to PG's Channel: bit.ly/SubscribePGKZbin Don't Miss a Rundown: bit.ly/RIgRundownENL Merch & Magazines: shop.premierguitar.com

[@artistlovepeace]

I love this show! Thank you for producing and posting!

[@tonypoore440]

Best Rig Rundown so far. Joe is so down to earth and willing to show off those (expensive) awesome guitars and still be humble enough to talk about his beginnings in New York. The Line 6 Variax line was priceless.

[@nicolasbeaudry6158]

No joke that was the best of the best rig rundown ever I blown away with joe and his collection like 5 millions worth of guitar in 45 min wow amazing for the truly guitar nerds only 😳👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻❤️❤️❤️💯💎💎💎

[@markuslakanen6173]

Joe's producers name is Kevin Shirley , not Joe :-)

[@FretsNirvana]

Thanks Joe for showing my 1960 Les Paul "Blessing" off in this rig rundown. very kind of you ...and you are putting it through its paces! Adding more value to it so that when we eventually donate the proceeds from the sale of it to Homes For Our Troops ...it will be adding even more blessings in life. You are a true "pay it forward" guy....keep on rocking.

[@onlyfromadistance7326]

Beautiful guitar sir!!! Had mine stolen many years ago.

[@booitsnick]

Dude that’s a hell of a way to raise some money. Much respect on using a burst for such a humble cause

[@FretsNirvana]

@@onlyfromadistance7326 Woah ...a vintage Les Paul stolen?? That guitar needs to be found and the criminal prosecuted.

[@davewestner]

very kind of you to do that Richard. Cheers!

[@FretsNirvana]

@@booitsnick Thanks ...it was a blessing to have this guitar through all these years ...and hopefully it will continue it's journey in providing good tidings in this crazy world with the money it brings. Homes for Our Troops is a great organization ....and our volunteer veterans with extreme injuries deserve the kind of support they deliver IMO.

[@RJRonquillo]

Thoughts and prayers to PG's single SM57 doing it's best to pick up the entire Amp Shanty sound lol.

[@ollieguitarman89]

😂😂😂

[@deadreckoning292]

Haha ha ha h durp durp

[@jipes]

Each time I hear Joe Bonamassa over the years he seems to be the most passionate and funny guy which possess an incredible talent and a ferocious determination !

[@jasonprewitt3244]

Not even a hint of snob in him!

[@RafaelCC20]

Humble as hell! Every time I hear him talking is like hearing an old friend!

[@thriftsnriffs291]

It’s from all the Simpsons he’s watched

[@Olysterz]

When you do your passion for a living ... And getting a very good paycheck!

[@Po1itica11yNcorrect]

Premier Guitar: "Hey Joe. Can you give us your rig rundown?" Joe Bonamassa: "You got a month to spare?"

[@dennisp3314]

Bohlinger - man ,he can be SO enthusiastic. It is fun to watch how excited he gets. He's also a good moderator. Doesn't usually step on the person he's interviewing.

[@abradfordajb]

totally agree. THE best rig rundowner on their staff.

[@kentfranklin736]

Yes we all daydream of Bohlinger asking about our rigs.. when you know you've made it

[@cedarbay3994]

There is such a thing as being overly effusive where you come off as nervous and insecure.

[@duderdudeedoo1984]

“Great, wow, beautiful” are obvious favorites of John’s

[@D1TemplarKnight]

And, 'Really!'

[@monkeybooby3]

This is why Joe is great. Look at some other rig rundowns (all are great for sure) but artists often have their techs talk. Then, you get Joe at the height of his career and enjoying talking about and playing his gear. He even lets John hold the Strat. Just s great guy.

[@theharvardyard2356]

One of the few "cork sniffers" who ACTUALLY makes the best use of all his expensive gear. No pretense, he really uses that stuff for all it's worth and sounds fantastic as a result! Always a treat to see.

[@luizdejesus6240]

JB rig rundowns are just the best (period)...

[@8sigreg]

Bonamassa is a wonderfully fun and funny, and so very talented, musician. I’m really glad to see these videos because they show us that he’s down to earth, just enjoying his time. Those Twins sound stunning!

[@abradfordajb]

" Bonamassa is a wonderfully fun and funny, ... " He knows how to have fun, which is the life blood of endurance.

[@My1reddog]

Joe's Nerdville interviews also show The Man. We get to really know more about Joe than most through his extensive KZbin catalog. It's awesome to have "everything Joe" accessible on KZbin. ❤️😎❤️

[@VonBluesman]

That was awesome. Total respect to Joe Bonamassa who not only is a great musician and person, he raises thousands of dollars for musicians, homeless people, provides instruments for school kids, and employees a lot of people. Thank you Joe.

[@jimwatson5977]

I think there's a market for Joe to do guitar oriented stand up comedy in the middle of his shows. If you've never seen him live, you're missing out. He's truly a devastating player.

[@My1reddog]

Agree - seeing and hearing him live is an APEX experience. Don't miss it!

[@irena7777777]

Prefer Petrucci

[@christopherpaluck737]

He's one of the best live players I've ever seen. Truly a master of his craft.

[@christopherpaluck737]

@@irena7777777 I love Petrucci too.

[@forddriver8827]

He blew my ears & all expectations in Sydney Australia a few years back. Great choice in venues as well.

[@thinkingjack]

John’s enthusiasm and Joe’s passion and comedy really really work off each other

[@johncrace911]

Joe seems like the nicest guy. He is like a kid at Christmas.He loves the guitars,amps and performing.I wish him much happiness pursuing his love for music.

[@ericgould435]

Joe is such a regular guy just geeking out over guitar gear, love it

[@tofromks]

Joe is one of those rare artists who are still just good dudes. He has every excuse to not be accessible yet he’s candid and willing to share his knowledge and talent with those of us who are simply in awe of his talent.

[@Tim_Duran]

I love how Joe knows everything about his guitars and that the story behind them is as important as the sound and how it plays.

[@2000om28v]

Dude tours with a ‘58, ‘59 & ‘60 LP. How cool is that?

[@tacratt6091]

And a vault full of 50’s-60’s Strats and Tele’s! Hell that Dumble is worth more than a lot makes in a year!

[@AndyCooper761]

Nothing better than listening to Joe walk us through his gear 😍🎸

[@christopher.k.guitar]

Yes, could listen to that all day long.

[@dharwood2727]

One thing better, IMHO, and that's a JB concert!

[@BubSands]

Joe is a great dude!

[@foesfly3047]

Joe’s modesty is so admirable. Someone listening from outside this blues-rock music generation, would never believe what an absolute monster he is, any time a guitar is in his hands. A brother of excellent character 😎🎩♠️💙

[@tonelok]

I could only watch 20 more hours of this. I love John's facial expressions because I was making the same ones.

[@2doobsmcjubes555]

The man is just a walking encyclopedia, great rundown as always.

[@TheTribute410]

He’s so genuine, so humble, and so hilarious. Awesome to listen to someone just be real about how much they love guitars and gear. Just bought my first Gibson Les Paul R8 Dirty lemon burst 2018 after 14 years of staring at them in magazines and KZbin. Got it with a Mesa boogie 22 caliber studio combo plus and it’s a dreamer egg. Sounds almost like Joe on stage. Love it

[@castleanthrax1833]

Very nice. I hope it's as good as you wanted. ✌️

[@TheTribute410]

@@castleanthrax1833 Beyond. And I’m usually pretty critical, brand names and the hype don’t sway my opinions but this is the real deal. Very proud of it and happy with it.

[@scottjerard1293]

Love it all more when the artist take the time to show there rigs Joe is above all others on his gear and the love of it

[@CargoShorts7]

JB's rig rundowns have to be my favorite

[@John_Doe657]

Rig rundown with Joe is always awsome. Such a cool and down to earth guy. Not to mentions his mental library of guitar knowledge 😁

[@Strumbum01]

I can listen to Joe go on for hours about his gear. Very passionate and entertaining….heck of a picker too!

[@michaeleaster1815]

Joe is one of those rare stars who is so self-depreating and warm that we could totally envision having a beer with him... another dandy rig rundown. I must have watched the first one 200 times

[@TOBORtheMighty]

When Joe and John are together you know it's going to be fun. PG could put out a JB rig rundown once a month and I'd still watch every time.

[@benlogan430]

Double JB run downs are actually the best! Good stuff indeed!

[@johnt.mickevich2772]

Joe is so generous with his enthusiasm. You can't beat that.

[@RexCars1]

Love ALL the Rig Run Downs.. BUT.. !!! The JB. Ones ?? are just THE BEST !!!

[@TrevBec]

John's enthusiasm and all round guitar geekery is a joy to behold!

[@ryanintopeka]

John's absolute kid in a candy store laughing and wide eyes is exactly how a person SHOULD feel standing in front of all of those amps. haha!

[@windowsoflife]

Yes! So much generous time given with all heart. Thanks, Joe!

[@sweethands4328]

I love how much Joe loves guitars. Its infectious!

[@Lunamist72]

Joe is a riot. He has the most expensive gear on earth, but is so down to earth. Love him!

[@beyondthegong]

What a gem of a dude. Had me laughing so hard. Sick gear and sick playing! Keep stoking us, Joe.

[@sixty4guitars]

Joe just gets better and better.... love him, happy to learn from everyone and passionate beyond belief

[@SophisticatedBob]

I've followed Joe for years. Seen him a lot. Met him once. He seems so relaxed and funny in this interview, like the joy is back somehow. Glad to see it.

[@workingnights84]

Two of the nicest people in the whole guitar world talking guitars and geeking out.. It doesn’t get better than this 👏🏻❤️

[@holmes1978]

Joe is the best and the appreciation he has been giving is priceless

[@bwall615]

I’m thrilled that pedals are cool again. Joe is amazing. Another one I’ll watch 5 or 6 times.

[@Sensates85]

Joe's rundown with John is always the best!

[@Redhotchilipprs]

I could watch his rig rundowns forever man. Living the dream Joe!

[@MichaelSorensen-bl3ec]

Been fortunate enough to see Joe live a few times now, he never disappoints. Monster player with monster tone. Really hits you hard.

[@JoshGordonGuitar]

I love these rig rundowns...and always enjoy the one's with Joe. So many guitars, so many amps....a dream to be able to have all these choices for every song. But in reality, playing the bar and theatre gigs I do it's also nice to just bring a couple of guitars, make them work for what's needed, focus on the music, and pack up relatively quickly at the end of the night. Sure, if I was on a tour like Joe's I would bring all the gear I could and have the roadies take care of the load in/load out. Again, love these Joe rig rundowns and love the stories behind the gear!

[@Ytsejam007]

Joe is on top form! Fantastic work as always

[@booitsnick]

Pure unadulterated nerd. Joe lives for making these. Thank you again

[@ph0kused]

Joes the best man. His rig rundowns are always amazing. Whata class act.

[@sionmichel]

OMG and Beyond!!! Old School Blues Powerhouse Rocker! Keeping the Faith. Thank you Joe for sharing your passion and John for poking and prodding and laughter and awe.

[@daviddegagatem]

What a true joy to have watched these two enthousiast, never grown up geeks. So talented en pure. They made my day today.

[@michaelthompson3286]

JB rig rundowns are always so good, love it.

[@NoNorhyme]

Bonamassas expertise and gear are amazing and he seems to be a really nice guy. To play these guitars and amps on tour is really cool. Thank you John for this rig rundown !

[@DavidOakesMusic]

Something to watch over dinner ! ;)

[@tapilaha]

I could watch these two do rig rundowns all day

[@edward4670]

Man, Joe gets some of the best sounds... Genuine rock star ! Love it that he, himself, walks us through his rig... Keep the rig rundowns PG 🔥🔥

[@stevestarr6395]

Thanks Joe for bringing back the great British Blues!

[@HectorBadillaOfficial]

You can tell John is having a blast. Love it

[@adamfairweather1729]

Joe is such an amazing player. Amazing technique and unbelievable clarity in his picking. Also super down to earth. Love watching his videos. Also love the fact that he has 3 dumbles in his rig!

[@PublicDove]

You know he's serious about tone when the pedalboard is stereo mic'd.

[@dummy0000000]

These are probably the audience mics Monitor Engineer is using to feed some ambience to IEM’s

[@RichBischoff]

I love that as many rig rundowns John has done with Joe, the look on his face like he is just crapping his pants, never changes. He must just be in awe of the volume! I like that Joe seems like just a dude you could hang out with. Doesn't take himself to serious till he has to.

[@John_Doe657]

I think it’s time for a new JB rig rundown in 2024. Joe is to cool 🤘

[@marcosbrun7376]

Joe Bonamassa is the best! Beyond the legendary gear, the great songs, sings very well, plays guitar like a monster, and he is still a such a nice and funny guy.

[@marcosbrun7376]

He could just let his gear/guitar tech do this rig rundown like a lot of others "Rock Stars" have done.

[@GuitarTimeWithBillyC]

JB is so much fun to listen to and John is great. Love these rundowns.

[@geneahart5607]

Joe's sound is like " rhino ' in a box " soaring on a cool desert wind " it's just killer and makes me love the electric guitar! Bring it on!

[@sinnertrain7405]

This was so much fun to watch. I love Joe's self-deprecating sense of humor. It's great to hear him play so much here. Of course John did a super job with interview.

[@chrisbarclay]

Always love his rig run downs. Great sense of humour

[@rustisamust9079]

Great to see the ATB 'Dirty Burst' up and rocking!

[@apianta56]

Joe never dissapointed to me, absolutely an star!!!, nice interview!! thanks John!!

[@Guitarjosii]

Oh I love the Bonnie Strat and the Royal Albert Burst

[@heymrguitarman7637]

The best thing about Joe is he just absolutely loved talking about this stuff just like any of us mere mortals would. You can sense him getting excited with John throughout which is so cool considering it's his stuff he plays every day

[@achill3usoverclocking874]

What an experience that could be to hear this rig on stage presented by Joe himself, god I'm so envy :D

[@hollowayjc]

this is my favorite rig rundown. its like Joe read every comment ever, and agreed, and said screw you, I'm doing it anyway... So great.

[@brucesguitardemos8197]

John just cant stop smiling 😊 brilliant dude

[@bks252]

Awesome rig rundown as usual. JB puts on an awesome live show. One of the best live performers I have ever seen.

[@dr.buzzvonjellar8862]

I love Joe and his way of doing things! Unbelievable

[@kylekawolski5174]

Saw Joe with my dad on the 13th. Best concert I've ever been to!

[@lucasbelloni]

Insane rig, insane tone. Gotta love Joe and his passion for guitar and amps

[@johnnyresistance]

Sounds killer, thanks Joe for sharing

[@Joe-mz6dc]

Joe's one of the absolute best guys out there to do a rig rundown. He knows guitars.

[@14lamnc1]

Sounds absolutely incredible, as always.

[@robertiola88]

Thanks John and Joe for another great rig rundown. I could just put the first 1:30 on an endless loop. Glorious.

[@jammergreg]

Joe is fantastic…and he cracks me up!

[@Mmmbeacon]

Biggest guitar show on planet today. Thx Joe.

[@karelchudej]

"You only need just one guitar." Joe: "You mean like for one song, right?"

[@fotog04]

Love seeing Joe on this show! Such a humble guy funny guy. Nice work John!!

[@cpk313]

Two 60's, a 58 and a 59.......that's beyond eyewatering....and then at the end we have a Zack shout out, this RR has had everything.

[@RollieFingers59]

Love it. One cannot understand how difficult it is to keep that all under sonic control.

[@cashxavilanrmn6146]

Best rig rundown best blues player nowdays truly legend bonamassa rulesss

[@Mcfly0856]

This was so epic, thank's again John & Joe!

[@gustavvader2207]

Just another great rig rundown. You guys all rock.

[@billtice5057]

Glad to see you back with the pedals, Marshall’s, Dumbles and Tweeds. It’s you! Great Rig Rundown.

[@MichaelWolfrom]

This is amazing. John is amazing and Joe is an amazing guest. Perfect!

[@forddriver8827]

My two favourite JB's. Joe's guitars & John's DLR level enthusiasm, these two guys could get up to some serious mischief.

[@leftwrite]

Great job John. You bring the best out of Joe.

[@FGg503]

Thanks guys! That REALLY was a treat! Saw you in Aberdeen Scotland many years ago, Joe, and I sure as hell wasn't disappointed! Would so loved to have been able to fly 10,000 miles to see you at the Ryan, but hey, dreams are ten a penny! I'm sure all the shows were an absolute blast, and and that the audiences just loved you. Take care and keep the fire burning!

[@davidkenneth3983]

No

[@christopherpaluck737]

Joe is the best! If I could only listen to one guitar player for the rest of my life...he's the guy.

[@ajaykumargoel9398]

Good to see Joe again!