Rig Rundown - Stone Sour's Josh Rand, Christian Martucci & Johny Chow

Article & photos: bit.ly/StoneSourRR
Guitarists Josh Rand, Christian Martucci, and bassist Johny Chow spent over an hour with PG’s Chris Kies before the band’s gig at Nashville’s War Memorial Auditorium. Josh and Christian show off a whole new lineup of gear including cherry axes making their live debut and revamps on their boards, while Johny proves you don’t need amps to rock out the low-end rumble.
Meet Shandy, Stone Sour guitarist Christian Martucci’s main baby-a 1980 Gibson Les Paul Custom that actually came to his quiver by way of Nashville guitarist RJ Ronquillo. He’s updated it with a DiMarzio Super Distortion in the bridge, an Air Norton in the neck, and increased its playability with jumbo frets. This is his go-to for songs that are tuned down a half-step to Eb. All of his Eb axes use D’Addario NYXL .010-.046 strings.
Bassist Johny Chow covers the low end with just two Warwick basses. His main one for drop-C and drop-B songs is this Warwick Custom Shop Streamer Stage II model that has a few Chow-approved tweaks like different tonewoods (bubinga, wenge, rosewood) and a neck-through design he went with because he feels it upholds the note definition when played in dropped tunings.
Co-founding guitarist Josh Rand started with Ibanez, dabbled with some other brands, but came back home to Ibanez a few years ago. His main C# guitar is this Ibanez Custom Shop Talman that was painted by hot-rod mastermind Dan Lawrence. This one he calls Rizzo 2.0. (Rizzo 1.0 was an RG and was busted on ShipRocked a few years ago-it’s named after the character in Grease, not the Chicago Cubs first baseman.) After being a longtime user of EMGs, Rand outfitted all his guitars with DiMarzio pickups (this one features Steve Vai Evolution humbuckers) and all his guitars have been upgraded with Gotoh locking tuners. All his shred machines, regardless of tunings, use D’Addario NYXL .011-056 strings.
Continue reading: bit.ly/StoneSourRR

[@vyrus24]

Christian is such a quirky guy, i love him.

[@iannolan2979]

I really love guys like Christian that are so down to earth and so normal that they’re surprised people know things about them. Seems like a super cool dude

[@richardadams9977]

Christian reminds me of a crazy mad scientist. Genuine, hilarious, and knows his gear. One of my favorite rig rundowns.

[@SoMyungJung]

Christian seems like a cool guy! And props to Josh for putting awareness with the Jasper guitar. Respect. Awesome rig rundown as always \m/

[@DBSG1976]

So Myung Jung Absolutely great story and Jasper has my co-favorite guitar color, Surf Green! Daphne Blue is my other fav...

[@luciencrestfallen1143]

I was really bummed when Jim left, but Christian seems like a cool guy, definitely different from Jim, but that is a good thing, brings new influences to the band. I still like Jim's playing too.

[@leebill100]

First interview I've seen with Christian martucci and he seems a sound, genuine guy. Much like Jim root. No ego. Just genuine. 😀 😀

[@BoyAditya]

I've watched this three times. Really love this rig rundown.

[@shannonjones3714]

Excellent video! I really enjoyed the segment with Christian! Thanks for sharing this with us!

[@BrianRussell37]

Totally inspiring vid. More so than many RR I've seen recently. Love Martucci's attitude and mind about guitars. Learned a good bit.

[@LouSassles]

I miss Jim :(

[@fernie2583]

noskilz04 Yeah me too, he provided a different sound to the band which I actually preferred!

[@andy_182]

fernie2583 wrong

[@tobinwasabi]

I love how happy Christian always looks

[@hisbloodband]

Great rundown thank you!

[@jvillegromlin]

Yes!! I’ve been waiting for this one for so long!

[@ehambright]

Great interview!!

[@michaelgallegos8811]

Awesome rig rundown 🎸🎛🍻

[@nicolas.grisanti]

Johny seems a really cooly guy! Love his gear, Warwick + Darkglass = amazing sound

[@marvelharris9540]

Great gear.... JCM 800's and les pauls- cant go wrong

[@Colin.W]

Love Christian's taste and style. Need an update with him since he's with Dean ;)

[@kowalguitarlife9119]

soooooo good i just love eveary rig rundown ....thanks guys,,,,,

[@josephscalone5402]

can we have a rig rundown of ghost please. \m/

[@jamiecook4289]

Wow These guys are insanely into gear and know their shit.

[@damondowns1786]

I fricking love you Christian, you speak the same language! I hear ya man. Your gear approach is dead on. I'm with you on pick ups and guitars...Hey, i'm 40 and still fighting against the single coil to the humbucker....I'll get there. Awesome stuff stuff man...Look forward to seeing in June at Rock City. Damon

[@DBSG1976]

Damon Downs I hear ya (42 year old just learning guitar) and I'm convinced that you can thicken a single coil to sound like a Humbucker, but splitting the coil does not sound like a legit single coil.

[@boofert.washington2499]

I like the part where you think that dude is gonna read your comment lol.

[@DavidGoodland]

Josh Rand talking about Metallica as his favourite band and all the ibanez guitars. He just became my hero hahaha. Love it.

[@mhsigrist]

What a beautiful, insane, piece of engineering.

[@JesseLeeKing]

I like that he uses several different guitars and I'm glad he mentioned the bc rich guitar I was considering getting one but I hate neck dives.. I cant play too heavy of guitars with my snapping scapula syndrome.

[@ThomasDiSanto]

Christian is like Boris Karloffs twin! Great Dude. Cheers!

[@bigdaddy1001rules]

I like this guy cool interview !

[@tudobem12]

I miss Jim Root so much, stone sour was a lot better in his era

[@MisterTee]

MauRodrgues I agree. But they are still pretty good.

[@SawyerSmoak]

Glad someone else agrees.

[@SawyerSmoak]

Considering Jim was fired/quit to write Slipknot's ".5 The Gray Chapter", I doubt drugs were the reasoning for his replacement.

[@lawsont4396]

Judging by the sound of Hydrograd I think Jim didn't want to make a more light-hearted record which I can respect, but yeah I miss his solos

[@annetteslife]

MauRodrgues but Stone Sour is still good and I happen to have met Christian and he was so sweet

[@Ducatiti]

Where's Cory's gear? I believe he plays guitar while singing too.

[@imcnblu]

Jepfrankie only for a few songs. 3/4 of the set he's only singing.

[@jaked7163]

Corey plays novo guitars. Custom brand

[@Syphilon]

Jake Douglas he has a SG and a firebird as well though, which are from Gibson so not all custom brands.

[@jaked7163]

AnXSanity yeah he loves SGs. I guess novo give him free gear for the publicity of their instruments

[@bucket303]

Corey's guitars change a lot. He plays what he feels like. Then its Shure UR4D ---> Seymour Duncan 805 ---> JCM800 ---> Palmer PGA04. That's It.

[@paradigmshiftz7]

After hearing his backup vocals live on Get Inside, I was definitely not expecting Christian's voice to sound like that

[@robertpurdy4452]

Another Iowan here. Awesome to see some Iowans doing good. :)

[@bryancontreras2892]

Christian kind of sounds like Jim Root haha

[@samsondaniel399]

Yeah actually

[@jg932]

I was thinking the same thing!

[@FunkVT]

"You know" lmao

[@Udzir]

Bryan Contreras Yeah Man I Was Thinking The Same Thing!!!

[@SrDeMaFp]

I'd love to hang out with Christian. He seems like such a cool guy!

[@JesseLeeKing]

I love my charvel pro San dimas, I have an Ibanez neck through guitar with DiMarcio's in it.

[@jaygottfried4279]

34:43 is where Josh talks about Jasper. Commenting this so I can easily come back to it when I need some inspiration.

[@lueyteledeluxe7457]

That purple Les Moserite...?? Oh yess! Indeed, Yes ! Oh.. Yess..

[@Krufs]

Josh is such a cool guy

[@jessiepalermo7234]

Did Christian get picked to replace James because they have the have the same speaking voice? lol

[@JosvaKMller]

Wat

[@Takaichi666-]

Jim has that deep voice straight forward with ya know added to every sentence Christian has that 70s stoner voice

[@joepro182]

He sounds like Kurt Cobain

[@charliebowen5071]

He literally sounds absolutely and completely nothing like James root!!? Are you smoking something?

[@officialmetalwill]

@@charliebowen5071 You must be deaf. They sound very similar.

[@coversinc.2207]

Very nice! Would have liked to see Corey's rig too though...

[@hchoe741]

23:16 he said doo doo lol

[@thepuppethead1188]

y'all ever think about doing a Neil Young rig rundown? I know his gear is well documented,but it's really only a surface thing,not a lotta specifics to it. Plus if y'all didn't get Neil to talk about his rig,you'd get to talk to his tech,who's a legend in his own right!

[@charliebowen5071]

The thing with old guitars is two fold.... things were built with more care in mass production terms and hours of vibration.... the wood is constantly changing.. drying and shrinking moisture and swelling, through the years of playing the strings vibration has resonated through the wood.. there’s a stabilising effect this vibration has.. the wood begins to ‘get used’ to those frequencies resonance becomes more harmonious between the notes playing and the nature timbre of the wood

[@graxjpg]

That energizer/Duracell quip gave me a good laugh

[@skollgreywolf315]

So... he's got a lot of gertars ...mainly Lers Pawls. Love his accent XD

[@shaneedmundson7506]

I've heard a bunch of rumors about Josh being the reason SS is no more, or not active. And he's why Jim quit. So much drama around that band, but this RR is fantastic and I enjoy it. I hope SS gets back together if they really feel it and want to!! As an Iowa guy, Im a bigger SS fan than Slipknot bc i've seen SS more live. Different beasts, bboth killer. Thanks PG!

[@andy_182]

Jim

[@CTL5150]

I thought Christian was only using charvels just a few months ago???

[@luistijerina]

Why does Christian talk like Lumpy Space Princess?

[@tobinwasabi]

Luis Tijerina That's What I was thinking

[@annetteslife]

Luis Tijerina you are perfect? I bet you sound like Pee Wee Herman

[@cluecumber]

drugs, probably

[@Deadletter6]

If Randy Blythe and Jim Root had a kid ......

[@aidensaroka7268]

Please do Jack White rig Rundown!!!

[@ballsoutfist]

Ha! Shandi! Nice Kiss reference

[@superTomwins]

i come from the hardcore and punk rock era where you plug your bass into whatever amp you have and make it work >Doesnt use an amp

[@firemarshal2629]

I mean it doesn’t get more punk than not using an amp at all lol

[@cardoz0rz]

Its a '97. Cool! What year is that? It's a '97

[@ziggy72170]

DUDE !!, Holy Sxxx, That Christian Cat, is Like Crazy Hideous Monster Look'ing !!.. LOL.. I mean a "Cool Monster-Looking Thou.. ( Rob Zombie, needs him in his next movie )

[@dansaghin1]

good video, you guys need to use compression and limiter on your microphones and it will be perfect...

[@tonnimoore]

"We use three tunings, so eh, I have three main guitars" *puts up four fingers*

[@iamyila]

that's my idea, junior with fender blue ;)

[@tylercrousore1311]

Why does Josh Rand have tape on the bottom of his front pickups on every guitar

[@charlesmasterson2131]

Tyler Crousore stops the string getting stuck

[@android9404]

I wonder if Stone Sour would ever considering letting Jim come back if he wanted to

[@EJ_Crough]

0:51 Three

[@chri0816]

Nice guys, these Sour Stones............

[@Khurrum07]

Chris sounds like the dude version Jim Root

[@pierre-claudemeriot6562]

I wanted to like their latest album but really can’t get into it. I love Jim’s solos and riffs and I didn’t know how much stone sour was him for me until he left. Hydrograde is not only not good, it’s plain bad.

[@AliceinCovers]

I waited a bit after it came out and tried to give it a fair chance. I made it all the way through most of the songs once and couldn't do it again. The writing is bad and the guitar tone is a fizzy mess. I don't like Jim because I like Jim, I like Jim because I love his writing.

[@morbida]

25" is extra long? :O

[@gregmize01]

👍🌟👍🌟

[@lueyteledeluxe7457]

I totally thought that pink polkadot guitar was a Novo! I mean.... I know Corey has a fluoro slime green Novo he plays with Stone Cold...so when I saw this fluoro pink number...in that kind've offset shape, I thought,, Novo, for sure! To think that it's an Ibanez...??! 🤯 Who'd have thunk it..??! 🤷‍♂️

[@Vig21]

“You know”

[@Razrback]

Dude sounds like he could be Jim roots brother

[@Default.Studios.]

I saw Sebastian and Emerson from Palaye Royaleeeeee

[@Union.Of.The.666]

Wait... That's the same Chris Kies who interviewed Slipknot a few years ago? He's changed a fair bit

[@tobinwasabi]

keani watkinson He's swole

[@Joe.Howard11]

Would've loved a rundown of what Corey's playing :(

[@samueltractorton2088]

Christian is traveling with some expensive guitars.

[@lucianos1990]

shared homeland? which is?

[@johnnyleto]

Iowa

[@daleweber2579]

Nitro finish will fade when it's in a room of smokers, cigrette smoke fades paint finishes to besides naturally. Tallman needs a 24 fret neck if he went to Warmoth they could make one. Ibanez Tallman is underrated guitar a tele copy but a stock Tallman's clean is amazing. John Petrucci used a ibanez tallman for slide guitar during Fall Into Inifinity.

[@GrimKage]

It was so much better with Jim Root :(

[@andy_182]

So they use passive pickups lol

[@KRayxKodessA]

Call him up? Duuuuuuuuuude....

[@superblondeDotOrg]

awwwwwkkk...waaaarrddddd... right

[@nathanlevesque48]

K -Ray yeah, that wasn’t cool of him to say that

[@ryanringer9982]

Why is there tape on almost all of Josh's guitars rightnon the neck pickup???

[@davidphillips2366]

Ryan Ringer it stops the high e string getting stuck in the pickup when the action on the guitar is really low.

[@BEEPEE767]

That goodfellas shirt tho...

[@rickardonunes6745]

josh guitar looks like miraculous ladybug guitar. I Miss Jim

[@malcolmadams2105]

Adam Jones:/ note to self.

[@andrefreitas3907]

RIP Stone Sour without Jim Root

[@tobiasvogt1185]

Millencolin PLS

[@maxupp]

Completely skipped the amps Oo.

[@mark7166]

I thought Christian was all about Charvel guitars...

[@mark7166]

Haha, yeah. I guess, like all of us guitar nerds, his tastes can change with the wind.

[@tunesfromthebeardedman]

He Received his paycheck

[@DatMetalBoi75]

Jesus has Chris been lifting?

[@fequalsma8428]

Does anyone think that first guitar player has ever done drugs?

[@zachblackwell4365]

How is that relevant? Have you ever used drugs?

[@insightkobra2189]

He says 3 but holds up 4 fingers

[@bengalvin9932]

HOW RUDE IS PREMIER GUITAR! they didn't even let the first guy finish getting his hair cut NOT COOL!

[@patrickolivier1]

🙄

[@robertbarrass7519]

Introduces a 97 Les Paul Custom and informs interviewer it's age Interviewer-So is this an 80's? Gentle hint,if you want to interview ppl.listen to the answers?

[@grantbowers2319]

It's Howie Mandel!

[@alesruzicka5474]

the guy dont have right eye, i am sure

[@justinday2916]

How the hell are you going to have a poka dot guitar and not mention one bit of any kind of inspiration from Randy Rhoads?

[@themaggot8]

No Jim, no Stone Sour

[@xNimrod97x]

Juan José Fonseca Godoy lol dude I see you everywhere. Seems like mostly Mesa boogie videos?

[@Les537]

These guys have more guitars than songs. How do you even make money shipping that crap all over the place?

[@jonpaulling]

Americans! Warwick is pronounced 'Worrick' not 'War-wick' like it's spelt. It's the name of the county where I grew up in the Midlands of England. Very old-fashioned, almost medieval spellings/pronunciation to be fair. Don't get me started on Southwark and Leicestershire...

[@mmmusic89]

Nope... Warwick is a GERMAN company, the name is simply made up... so it's pronounced War-Wick...

[@DavidStockden]

They say it for Dionne Warwick too, I heard Bob Monkhouse introduce her War-wick once, grinds! I'm a Warks boy too.

[@patrickolivier1]

Drop B is not a low tunning in 2018. Pretty mainstream actually. But its ok they’re older guys 😂. Miss Jim, he got it.

[@charliecoe136]

Kick out Josh, get Jim back and let this whole Hydrograd fiasco blow over. St Marie sucks.

[@charlesmasterson2131]

Charlie I agree removing josh but I enjoyed hydrograd, hope they go back to their roots though for the next album

[@tobinwasabi]

Nah

[@scowlsandjowls]

Anyone else always fast forward through the bass player parts?

[@tobinwasabi]

upthepunxxx no

[@maribalam]

Stone Sour=Stone Shit without Jim Root