Rig Rundown: The Hives [2021]

The Hives are a ripping quintet that formed in Fagersta, Sweden, during the early ’90s. They exploded into American pop-culture consciousness during the garage-rock revival with a pair of chart-splashing, straight-forward stingers (2000’s Veni Vidi Vicious and 2004’s Tyrannosaurus Hives). And while they did take a hiatus in the mid-2010s, they’ve continued rocking the thin line between ragged and refined for nearly 30 years with a total of five albums, four EPs, and a 2020 live set recorded at Nashville’s Third Man Records.
Just after soundcheck wrapped at Nashville’s Brooklyn Bowl, the Hives’ redlining guitar duo of Nicholaus Arson and Vigilante Carlstroem welcomed PG’s Chris Kies onstage to talk gear. The resulting chat covered just how and why Carlstroem’s Flying V has split so many times (supposedly sounding better after each repair), and the reasons why Arson explains his vintage, bridge-pickup-only Fender Telecaster Custom is still the one. Both also quickly detail the torrid fuzzes that will never leave their respective boards.
Full Rig Details: bit.ly/TheHivesRR
Subscribe to PG's Channel: bit.ly/SubscribePGKZbin
Don't Miss a Rundown: bit.ly/RIgRundownENL
Merch & Magazines: shop.premierguitar.com
00:00 - D’Addario XPND Pedalboard
00:15 - Hate To Say I Told You So Intro
01:16 - Vigilante Carlstroem Intro
01:48 - Vigilante Carlstroem's 1959 Epiphone Coronet
05:43 - Vigilante Carlstroem's 1990s Gibson Flying V
07:09 - Vigilante Carlstroem's Amps
09:01 - Vigilante Carlstroem's Pedalboard
13:38 - Nicholaus Arson's 1970s Fender Tele Custom
17:20 - Nicholaus Arson Sundberg Arsonette T
19:48 - Nicholaus Arson's Fender Amps
22:26 - Nicholaus Arson's Pedalboard
[Brought to you by D’Addario XPND Pedalboard: www.daddario.com/XPNDRR]
#rigrundown #thehives #premierguitar

[@premierguitar]

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

[@rossco-dps5392]

I love how they really don't know all the details about their gear and how trashed it is. Real rock and roll.

[@shawnperico7221]

That Epiphone is around six grand right now😂like he said if you could even find it

[@IrLosin]

Punk attitude.

[@chadwickwright2833]

Gears not trashed, just reliced. Those instruments are well taken care of. You just don’t understand the difference.

[@rossco-dps5392]

@@chadwickwright2833 pretty sure I do chad. Perhaps I should have said their gear has been "played hard and seen many years of work." Would that appease your elevated and clearly superior stance?

[@itaintmebabe714]

​@@chadwickwright2833the guitars have been broken and glued a few times Chad

[@awbr1991]

The legends are rocking out with guitars held together with super glue. Lol Love these dudes

[@PintsofGuinness]

The hives episode from years ago with Rebecca dirks is still one of my favorites

[@bluemonster65]

Yeah! Great rundown - this one is almost a repeat, which is pretty funny. The Hives are great!

[@fede018]

Link?

[@bluemonster65]

@@fede018 kzbin.info/www/bejne/qXeceJuYr5iLmc0

[@JohnnyGuitaristOfficial]

Rebecca was such an awesome interviewer!

[@gregmize01]

RIP Rebecca

[@o.r.grinter7763]

I love how opposite the energy is when they sound check at the start

[@tabletop77]

I love the evolution of the wear and tear to Vigilate's Coronet since the last RR.

[@alexstewart839]

Nicholaus Arson has the perfect accent for that mustache.

[@vincenzoerriquenz2356]

The Hives guitar sound really refreshed the rock tones flavours when they came out, and still do!👌🏼

[@benedekgabor.]

What do you mean? This is straight up rock’n’roll. These are just cranked amp with boosts. I don’t say that their sound is not good, just there’s nothing new in their sound.

[@russfoulkes5490]

​@@benedekgabor. It was in 2001 when I first heard them. It was the days of Nu Metal. 👀😄

[@MrXignacioX]

It has been almost 10 years since the last Hives' studio album. We need some new music!!!

[@DJChipsandGarlic]

are you ready? :)

[@BLOCPARTY420]

Your in luck! 2023 is already becoming great!

[@larslarsman]

Great interview, give and take. Chris interviews then listens to the replies to his questions, doesn't interrupt mid sentence.

[@TheBlazingDead]

Met the band yesterday at a signing. Honestly never met a more engaging band, actually conversing with fans. Vigilante is a top bloke, and Chris and Johan were just casually walking around the town beforehand. Confused me when they walked past me in an alleyway 😅

[@ileutur6863]

A lot of people seem very insecure when playing on camera for a rig rundown, lots of noodling. Not this guy, this guy absolutely knew what he wanted to play

[@abrumtherealtor5030]

Love how Arson plays go right ahead, im alive, hate to say i told you so & hey little world in under 5 mins lol

[@PieterSneep]

Nu f's given about remembering names of songs and when to use what pedal XD. Great back-to-basics rock'n'roll stuff!!

[@millerpa06]

Love these guys. Beat up broken guitars that 'sound better when glued' with super heavy picks and strings.

[@lionmachine2337]

That vintage Epiphone so sick

[@Hi-Z_Lo-Z]

Love the rig rundowns!!!! Aw yeah!!! These guys are great!

[@davids736]

Can I swear? Absolutely! Brilliant!! 👍👍🤣🤣

[@bigjonradio]

Yes, goddamn it George, swear!

[@3603mailmaster]

Awesome Chris, we always learn from your great questions.

[@premierguitar]

Glad to help

[@pd2447]

One of the best shows I've ever seen was the Hives at the Metro in Chicago years ago. And that white tele! Always loved the look of that guitar.

[@daveclinton4945]

I was there with you.

[@melvined]

that was a great show too! Pelle really took it to the crowd!

[@bendavies8744]

Brilliant again.. Love PG.

[@Loxx_Sustainar]

Fantastic! Still almost exactly the same simple and awesome rigs as with Rebecca

[@Jacobcfuller]

Love these guys

[@allstopblue5717]

Those vibro kings are putting out some gnarly tones. Very nice.

[@HiHello-ku1fl]

I really like the tones these guy are getting. Both are great but that tele sounds really cool. Kind of sounded like a Marshall crunch but its Fender amps....maybe because of the greenbacks in the white 2x12? Love that tone. The guy with Epiphone also has great tone. Both very very good.

[@MeatVision]

That was freaking awesome

[@LehleSwitcher]

At 20:06 we spot a LEHLE P-SPLIT II, so the confidence that both amps are on at the same time is very high(ves)!

[@TheDeltaBombers]

Simple but badass!

[@wickedawesomeo]

Best answer I have ever heard when asked why you chose to continue to play an old guitar year after year... simply "It sounds good." Fuckin ay!

[@ak342593]

I love how battered Arson's Tele is. No pretense.

[@theWARMJET]

Great sounds

[@JohnnyGuitaristOfficial]

That '59 epiphone coronet is pretty sweet looking, would love to test/demo that guitar model!!

[@genomatic420]

More bass rigs!!!

[@davemckay4359]

That guitar is is awesome. Classy.

[@duncangoodall7108]

I love this….don’t need lots of guitars and not treat them like tiny porcelain dolls….

[@guitarnerd_luke]

Great Rigs! (And pretty much an anti-gas video for me. Thanks! ;-) )

[@andrearecchia8859]

You should really interview The Strokes and Interpol

[@ifgwelf]

Yess

[@Meddled]

Any other bands that haven't been relevant for 20 years that you want to add?

[@andrearecchia8859]

@@Meddled Yes, thank you. The Killers, Franz Ferdinand, Bloc Party, Arctic Monkeys, Pixies, Kings Of Leon. Do you think of others? Regards, Andrea.

[@lesbianmustardbottle957]

@@Meddled Wow. Edgy.

[@RobotReg]

Hey, Franz Ferdinand was at least good

[@DavidOakesMusic]

Sweeeeet !! A band i've actually heard of AND like !!!

[@goyatley]

Good luck with that POG2. I was a happy and proud camper for like 2 years and then it just gave up on me. Asked techs to fix it, but they can do nothing to a pedal like that. It's awesome as long as it lasts but very expensive to replace.

[@stanknugget]

You broke it.

[@DareBear2099]

.12’s in E standard?!?!? Jesus my fingers hurt just hearing him say that lol

[@Two_Seat_Pete_FatA55]

Try it, it’s pretty good when you get used to it. I use 12’s on my Jazzmasters and jaguars. That said, If you are doing lots of bluesy bending and stuff, it’s not very easy on the fingers. But if you play pretty straight like these guys with choppy rhythms and stuff then, it actually feels really nice to play heavy gauge strings

[@MichtersRyefan]

OH yeah that's a country setup if I have ever heard one

[@TheMusicalElitist]

The bass cab still has Dr. Matt's name on it :(

[@owenoneill8173]

The Hives are so cool.

[@vminator]

Dang, still going.

[@aliamezcua9585]

I fucking love how teles look when they’re all worn and beat up. They look so sick. I feel like it adds character and grit to it. You can just tell when they play their music they play the fuck out of those things. That’s pretty punk rock if you ask me. I’m almost certain their sound was inspired by punk

[@bigjonradio]

Completely. The Sonics, Ramones & Kraftwerk (the latter two particularly for the unity of uniform). Also directly wanting to contrast with the low energy of 90s Indie bands wearing ripped jeans.

[@yomuthabyotch]

24:52 oh maaan my DOD env filter just broke yesterday! got me an EHX nano qtron coming.

[@thededoidheskey6128]

Really debating whether or not to get a coronet reissue

[@NelsonClick]

Vigilante has always been super cool man. He has mystique. He's a Scorpio. His English has become a lot better since I last heard an interview. His favorite past time when not performing is fishing. He's got a boat and everything.

[@jb909jb]

Cool pedalboard... but what boots are those?

[@michaelmastro9382]

I love all the squeaking the guitar is doing.

[@johnpedrosilva]

Missing again the bass 😞

[@turdferguson9190]

20:05 Hutch? As in Qotsa's old sound man?

[@moshlyfe]

Coolest band in the world.

[@yomuthabyotch]

they sound more relaxed in this RR compared to the rebecca dirks RR. either they've mellowed with age or they are more comf not being in the same room with a hot chick.

[@soeffingwhat]

What about the bass rig?

[@elmud]

Anyways, Vigilante must be Kid Andersen's alter ego.

[@donjuniper]

No bass?

[@coleemmersonhallman5329]

they barely ever do 🙄

[@elmud]

Dude, if did they got old...

[@Mistabutts]

Saw then in Dublin with the Offspring last month they were fantastic

[@NobodyNewsNetwork]

09:23 I hope he is joking and that big thing isn't just a buffer. He could have a little jhs buffer or even use a boss tuner.

[@MarchPancake]

Yaeh yeah I'm from Fägersta..

[@cloudedleopardeffects5010]

Are these guys sponsored by levi's?

[@Snazy30]

Hey little world Nicolás

[@morganghetti]

The Hives are rad as fuck.

[@shawnperico7221]

Gibsons shit always falling apart..so many stories I’ve heard

[@wizaxed]

Chris giving off Heisenberg vibes...

[@Morjensful]

Very punk attitude against equipment. I think too many people nerd out on gear, focus on the music and the show!!

[@billpholde4816]

The Original Schmenge Brothers!

[@michaeldumas9203]

No bass?!? You guys are so lame not to interview the bass player!

[@jeremyrafuse5330]

Is this your first rig rundown?

[@michaeldumas9203]

No, I've been watching them for years. They use to interview the bass player and show their rig too. But it seems that has been cut out.😭 You must be new to the program.

[@jeremyrafuse5330]

@@michaeldumas9203 bass is rarely ever done. Go and do a tally and get back to me hahaha maybe then you can actually watch them

[@TheM00ndawg]

low energy the hives is weird to see.

[@dinnerwithcats]

It was a soundcheck, dummy

[@TheM00ndawg]

@@dinnerwithcats yep understood that.

[@redbing1918]

Arctic monkeys next👍👍👍

[@mr.k905]

Haha, they really don't give a shit, I('m) like that. Way too many people are obsessed with their gear getting worse sounds out of their overrated, overpriced rigs. R'n'R!!

[@TheBoondoggler]

Ditto. Guitar culture has become so precious and curated in recent years. Love seeing bands with bareknuckle rock attitude that don't put shit like "gear" on a pedestal.

[@vxrdrummer]

Blimey. That is the worst maintained gear I have ever seen...but if it works, it works!

[@n_phaneuf]

Again no bass 🙄

[@judgy3]

Wah wahhh 😂

[@vminator]

I hope that was a sound check because that would be boring AF to watch.

[@allanmunro3893]

they couldn’t be more different live. KICK ASS live show

[@robertnosik6694]

Wow, watching my hives inflammation fade day after day until they completely vanished was such a relief, I went with what I pointed out and within the first 10 days or so the urticaria/angioedema was barely visible! I just go'ogled the latest by Shane Zormander and after 20 days my skin has never been healthier!

[@elbowache]

Oof, this interviewer.

[@cafestudiosinc.1702]

The HIV'S ?

[@jeremyrafuse5330]

Crickets