Rig Rundown - The Black Keys' Dan Auerbach (2014)

Article and photos: bit.ly/BlackKey...
Premier Guitar’s Chris Kies is on location in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, at the BMO Bradley Center to get a rig reprisal on Akron’s favorite guitarist.
In typical Auerbach fashion, the guitar boat is stocked with forgotten oddballs, mostly built in the Chicago area during the ’50s and ’60s. His newest “main” axe is an emerald green ’60s Custom Kraft semi-hollowbody that Johnson found on eBay a few months ago. Auerbach bought it immediately. This beauty is used onstage to cover parts of the band’s two newest albums-El Camino and Turn Blue. To get this booger rocking, Johnson had to reset the neck because of a horrible backbow-he also added a two-way truss rod to help with future repairs. Johnson then installed new frets, replaced the nut, and added a Rickenbacker-style bridge for better intonation and so it could be pushed a bit off the bridge pickup. Lastly, he outfitted the trem with a “MacGyver”-style solution-an old bent hat rack. Johnson says that the original Valco single-coils in the guitar sound great and Auerbach loves to solo with it in the neck position, with the treble rolled off, and cranking through the Shin-ei Companion fuzz.
Another new addition is a mid-’30s Dobro spider-bridge brass resonator that Auerbach uses on the acoustic intro to “Little Black Submarines” off of El Camino. The brass body gives the guitar a more subdued sound so Auerbach prefers to use this on the beginning of the song rather than a traditional acoustic guitar thanks to the under-saddle B-Band pickup that gives it a very recognizable sound with added panache from the reso. Once the brooding intro is over, he quickly switches to the Guild Thunderbird to finish the raucous ending to the song.
The 1964 Guild Thunderbird is still in the mix. The only thing that’s been worked on since the last shoot was Johnson giving the axe a refret job to make it a tad easier to play. Original updates to the guitar included rewinding the bridge pickup-done by Lindy Fralin-and replacing bunk switches. The Thunderbird is the only guitar that is strung up with SIT Strings .010-.046 because Auerbach generally plays this guitar on the more reserved songs and prefers a lighter setup. (The other guitars feature regular SIT .011-.050 strings.)
To finish learning about Auerbach's rig, visit: bit.ly/BlackKey...

[@Tonetubbyspeakers]

"Tubby Tone"...close enough. Thanks for the shoutout!

[@bluewaterpig]

Tone Tubby Speakers Change your name...Tubby Tone is way better sounding.

[@Tonetubbyspeakers]

Well, considering Billy Gibbons picked our name, we think we'll stick with "Tone Tubby"!

[@haf816r]

Tone Tubby Speakers they sure sound nice!!M

[@whatyoumakeofit6635]

@I M ......the interpretation of the name that struck me initially was....tubby, big and heavy. As in : "those speakers sound thick and monstrous, man. They are so rich, full of tone, and massive sounding." I can hear Billy now.

[@patrickrosington1174]

@@Tonetubbyspeakers holy shit bill gibbons seriously picked your name??? can i get the story?

[@giulienk]

This guitar tech should have his own TV show.

[@ripplebear]

For real, he's awesome!

[@kellywelchanderson7620]

I agree

[@michaelcraft6391]

Dan's my favorite tech. He just seems like a cool guy and knows his stuff.

[@alexstewart839]

I really enjoy how enthusiastic he is about all of the gear. He seems like a tech who enjoys his work.

[@willschaumann3814]

In this current tour he also plays guitar on weight of love and he has the acoustic harmony and dan's national on at the same time when he plays it

[@thechannelforeverything2170]

This guy deserves a guitar tech of the year award

[@dmodjentdynasty]

This dude is like the greatest tech... One of the only ones that's like GENUINELY stoked on everything. He's the shit no doubt big ups Dan!!!!

[@aimDiego]

This rig ain't hipster, hipsters use new pedals built to sound and look old, and so the guitars and the amps, this guy uses his stuff based on the fact that he likes how stuff sounds, the amps modded to kick ass, the guitars rebuilt to a somewhat original state, and underrated brands, this is awesome. Different.

[@JAFOpty]

Damn, the only thing missing is a vintage sewing machine, a beer home brewing rig and Zooey Deschanel ....

[@Redhotchilipprs]

Or a vintage expresso machine

[@Pierrot110194]

Jose Venegas *s

[@motnosniv]

+JAFO-PTY I have a 1930s Kenmore (w/ cabinet) for sale. 100.00 OBO.

[@kayakchrispy]

Dude was glowing and giggling cuz he gets to play guitar on stage So cool So lucky I’d love my job too

[@anthonysclafani3963]

Give this guy a raise, he knows his stuff. Seems like a cool guy & a great tech

[@dereklepiesza5022]

I really like how Dan doesn't use a lot of the super big name guitar brands (Fender, Gibson...) that a lot of people use. All the guitars look so cool!

[@offdutyjie]

Dan Johnson is the man! Love his insight and his enthusiasm when he talks about these things. Really inspring and kick ass!

[@matthewcurtiss7557]

Their tech is a wizard

[@liamdowling14]

best guitar tech i've seen on here so far. brilliant for him he's getting to play with his mates now as well.

[@godface81]

My favorite Rig Rundown yet! Dan the man Johnson.. really skilled guy cool vid. peace

[@gazzbryant]

I have been watching the 2011 Rig Rundown and wishing there was an up-to-date one for the new tour. This has made my day! It's nice to catch up with Dan Johnson...

[@joshfrenier6599]

I saw them live a few days ago and me and my friend agreed the live tone was AMAZING!

[@iJohnnyZac]

We need a tame rundown bro

[@dragooz8859]

This guy is cool - seems like he really likes his job - nice guy.

[@PaulRoseMusic]

SO COOL!! LOVE The Black Keys and Dan!!! Glad to see Chris again, too!

[@KazKasozi]

Love this guy. He knows his stuff and is really excited about the work.

[@davidsnow6171]

damn man........thats like the best guitar tech ever

[@tobyzxcd]

I love his tech- he’s such an endearing and lovely guy

[@AJEdward]

The nicest tech.He knows what he's talking about and he's not a boring sod at the same time!

[@Mindartcreativity]

This is my favorite rig rundown and watched it a few times. In fact, this rundown got me into The Black Keys haha. I thought, if a guy has such an awesome rig with vintage guitars and a pretty simple board but still impressive with vintage pedals the music must be good. Also Dan (the tech) seems like a friendly and funny guy. He knows his stuff.

[@chrishinsdale]

This grimy soul sound with a big vintage kick, fender reverbs, and a hollowbody bass groove, is swears at baby. Chasing this funky smell myself.

[@shaneedmundson7506]

I'd love to see a Rig Rundown on THE KILLERS, but I'm sure this has been posted a lot. I love these videos, PG!!!

[@FelipeAkira42]

I could listen to this dude talking about gear all day

[@Rzap100]

A knowledgeable man

[@CircusHerse]

How about a Jack White Rundown by God!

[@jay68869]

I second that

[@jackb5524]

for real.

[@austinhedman3499]

Yes!!!!!

[@rrobhughes]

Absolutely!

[@tytheguy007]

5 years late just to give you an upvote and say BY GOD, YES!

[@davidwantsahug]

Dan is such a cool, chilled tech that knows what he's talking about!

[@mrnicholasgray]

Love both of these dudes!

[@yestoES355]

Anyone here excited for a update rundown now that they’re touring again soon?? I met Dan the technician last year during the easy eye tour. He’s such an amazing guy.

[@triplesevensix291]

From The Big Come Up Dan & Pat really have taken over the world! Shows what folks can do with a bit of front & some boss musical chops. All power to them. Fuckin' boss! Love this series too. Dang!! ;) Music......

[@collinbirkett2568]

Dan, is the man! Holy crap. What a wealth of knowledge.

[@lefthandluke8923]

This guy is by far my favorite guitar tech of all time.

[@connorbuckinghamstudios6227]

"It's like an EQ pedal, but it can boost and cut" So it's like every other EQ.

[@cactus-mcjacktus]

i mean EQ pedals are mostly designed like that, but there are a lot of EQs that are boost/cut only and not both.

[@KJB484]

I love Dan's guitars!! They seem so rare!!

[@spicecrop]

String changes only a couple times a tour? That is insane.

[@Greenplantsky]

Well, I've just realized that one thing I actually really like about The Black Keys is this guy! It's like a hundred times more interesting to listen to him explaining the band's rig than to actually listen to the band's songs (especially their new stuff). I really wish I had the same guitar tech for my gigs one day.

[@luizspindola]

True! I found The Black Keys very boring

[@FabianSalomonsson]

Please do a Franz Ferdinand Rig Rundown.

[@CesarRomeroTheOriginal]

That is a lot of stuff to keep up with

[@royboltz6945]

It takes some gumption to mix old technology with new and make it work.This is a tech with gumption.

[@Youreallysuckguy]

That is a rig rundown !!! Thanks !

[@jacobkirkbride1581]

Woot more Akron stuff with the Earthquaker Devices pedals!

[@SeanPierceJohnson]

Chris Kies!!! Bring back the old gang!

[@WillCorg]

That’s awesome! I have the exact same 1996 green BigMuff shown at 7:55. I remember initially buying it because Billy Corgan used a “BigMuff”, but I was disappointed cause it sounds nothing like the one he used on Siamese Dream. Later I finally bought a 1976 vintage BigMuff Op Amp version... it sounds exactly like the album. Then when the Black Keys came around, I recognized the distortion tone he was using. Billy Corgan was one of the main artists to cause the prices of vintage BigMuff’s to skyrocket, now Dan Auerbach helped the green BigMuff prices to skyrocket! Ironically the green BigMuff sells for more money than the Op Amp version does on reverb.com!

[@davidv1880]

I just need a BOSS DS-1 to get down son.

[@spartacus2296]

I use a digitech whammy and an electro harmonix black russian big muff. Thats all i need.

[@jonwarner1762]

"I'm here with Dan...... Diane how ya doin'?

[@SmkdGtarPlyr]

WHAT'S THAT!??! Awesome rundown. So much cool new stuff.

[@aidensaroka7268]

There better be a rig rundown for The Keys’ “Let’s Rock” tour...

[@ORDER4STU]

Rig Rundown - Mac DeMarco??

[@rageage77]

Rig Rundown Tame Impala PLEASEEEEEE! :(

[@danielallan5058]

I think the voltage regulator is a good move.I noticed years ago that my amps and pedals sounded starved of voltage sometimes and it greatly effects the sound.I worked out it only happens when the local power sations runs at half power or. when there's a run on the grid..I guess most people don't notice it but when your playing valve amps and running your pedals out of the wall,you can really tell...anyway I'm just surprised other players don't notice that more!

[@___IG]

What an awesome tech...!

[@dyangordon6151]

The fy6 uses diodes to highlight the upper partial..there's a trimmer in some fy6s that you can use to dail the octave in..some pedals use an audio transformer to split the signal,.pedals like the V2 Roger Mayer Octavia,Tyhco Octave etc..

[@ndup89]

What an awesome dude

[@-suphur]

Great rundown!

[@yief84]

What a cool bloke Dan is!

[@Wheels_Unlimited]

For heaven's sake, get some freaking clip on mics so you don't have to keep going back and forth!

[@LotusMkV]

I think he may have misspoke at one point?? I remember that Dan's old touring telecaster was a Jerry Donahue model, and had Dimarzio Twin Blades in it. Dan here speaks of a James Burton Tele with DiMarzios?? Is he speaking of the same guitar?

[@megasauce6468]

Tell Dan to get reissue everything so that everything is more reliable and not as easy to break.

[@RhythmGrizz]

eastwood/airline guitars fo sho

[@theslayerofgoblins849]

I love how these rock stars that have the money for all the boutique pedals in the world always have a pedal board full of boss pedals.

[@eevee_p]

Chappers at Andersons TV mentioned it was a bit of advice he got from someone at a workshop. The idea was if you're in the ass end of nowhere and your gear fails, if you can approximate your sound on BOSS pedals you can pretty much get those anywhere.

[@patrickrosington1174]

That could be it. But these dudes are worth millions. They can and do have multiple backups of every pedal. So i don't think thats it. Boss makes some good pedals. I have 12k between my 3 boards. And some of the rarest pedals. And still have some boss and other cheap pedals. Hell my arion sad-1 is my favorite delay. Over my timefaxtor. Timeline. Vintage dmm etc

[@markferguson3745]

Never really found that; they DO use the couple of Boss pedals that still work best for them.Or, they simply grew up in a time when they were all that was available. Boss are only rarely the best choice these days, but they are still the easiest to find, wherever you are.

[@rainierstevens12]

that Supro looks SICK!

[@sleeplessintokyo]

Thanks.

[@kalannorman2529]

" I mean the paper didn't tear in the old ones, the coil just bound up " Lmao just the way he says it had my rolling 😂

[@kickit301]

SWEET QUICKSAND SHIRT!!

[@truejeagle]

That accordian amp is just like phil x's tonemaster or the new evilrobot SO COOL

[@TheGreensuperman]

Jack White please!!

[@harryscarry6064]

Dan is awesome. The other Dan should be very grateful. I’m sure he is.

[@julietveruasaquilapquilap1691]

Nice one

[@OPMatar]

Can someone explain to me, how there are two identical pedalboards that run at the same time? Like how does it even work?

[@Joemommas]

We need an update!

[@MoooseBlood]

Would you look at that Big Muff. Holy hell its old.

[@spartacus2296]

You think that's old you ought to see mine!

[@RhythmGrizz]

Marco Resendez Would ya just look at it?

[@tibasszf]

Thi tech guy is awesome

[@anderjl276ps]

Dan the Man!

[@jonathanalexis6692]

Jack White Rig Rundown PLEASE!!!!

[@jasonalex80]

Love the info in the rig. Anynone see the size of the drum fill? Yesss!

[@corvettecoupe3731]

When I was in high school, I picked up an ancient tube amp from a Salvation Army resale shop, sounded great when you floored it, but would knock the piss out of you if knelt down on cement...

[@DigBipper188]

All I could hear in this video was those Ampeg SVTs in the background XDDDD

[@Haiasiriku]

Yep

[@marchesi8]

You can tell Dan style even in his straps

[@SyaidanYakob97]

Vintage amp, pedal and guitar

[@TheChezkak]

pretty sure this video is why i play guitars for space age children so i thank it

[@Jonathan-to7xx]

You should do one with Yonatan Gat

[@leesmartin]

How fucken good is the Harmony acoustic!

[@jethgo]

nice!!!

[@dyangordon6151]

Is the echoplex going into the loop of the Marshall?...does anyone know?..ah they just said lol.

[@AlexMuccino]

Mac demarco! PLEASE

[@foofoos666]

yasss!!!

[@evetsiksatu]

How does Dan (or any gigging artist) stand a few feet from 4 amps that are dimed night after night and not go deaf? An hour of jamming with my 30 watt and my ears ring for hours....

[@TheCaptainIcarus]

The amps arent facing Dan and the sound spreads in the whole stadium/gig whereas your amp doesnt spread the sound in a big open space so it echoes back to you

[@InfernoLOF]

Earplugs...

[@mariussauer892]

Even at home turning up my 30 Amp i use wax

[@xeff3280]

Anyone know what kind of p90's he threw in Dan's H47?

[@joshbray7183]

Guitars! Yaaay! I win the comments.

[@triplesevensix291]

Boss man. ;)

[@davidwantsahug]

I'm so glad John Bollinger didn't do this one. He would have ruined this for me.

[@BoxcarBomber]

Ahh, I really like John. I thought he did a particularly good job in the rig rundown for Doyle from The Misfits. They had a good dialogue going.

[@ericward6919]

@@BoxcarBomber Not...that was a terrible run down....if it werent for Doyle it would have been worse

[@Valhalen716]

John Bollinger actually seems like a great dude and can really play!

[@casperjakobsen423]

Does anyone know what tuners he uses as replacement tuners?

[@frankschrodinger1424]

Didn’t know Jim Breuer was dan’s guitar tech

[@RationalGaze780]

No Fender, No Gibson but fantastic tone.

[@Samizsm23]

Dr. Funkenstein fender amp tho

[@ripplebear]

He used to play telecaster too

[@tonyvazquez9096]

I still don't know how they send the guitar signal through all the amps?

[@keiranbradley3222]

+Tony Vazquez Daisy-chain

[@NoOne-ye5jf]

+Tony Vazquez splitters and stuff, like pedals that have stereo outputs, but these are devices designed to only split the signal.

[@lloydledger]

sorry guys but whats a hipster?

[@sleepingpillband]

That $7,000 voltage regulator costs more than my whole rig...

[@neoaureus]

906 906 906....it’s fkn raining E906s there

[@Andrelix67]

The orange box is made by Palmer...