Rig Rundown: Converge’s Kurt Ballou & Nate Newton

Full Rig Details: Subscribe to PG’s Channel: Kurt Ballou takes tone very seriously. He’s been on the leading edge of aggressive guitar sounds since 1990 and Converge’s fourth album, 2001’s Jane Doe, is still seen as a game-changing release with its ferocious performance and masterful production. His sonic temple God City Studio is the destination for artists looking to make their rawest, heaviest, brutalist work. Ballou has even developed a gear brand (God City Instruments) that includes guitars, pedals, and pickups all in the pursuit of turning ideas into art. During our conversation before Converge’s sold-out performance at Nashville’s Basement East on May 22nd, Ballou dove into his Line 6 Helix spice rack and shared how 30 plus years as a guitarist and in-demand producer have informed his guitar-design philosophy. Plus, he detailed why his goal is to get to a place where “gear doesn’t matter.” And then longtime bassist Nate Newton joined the fun by showing off his “Riffblaster” setup and how a special P bass helps him honor a dear friend. Shop the Rig: Quilter Labs Overdrive 202 200-watt Head: Line 6 Helix Guitar Multi-effects Floor Processor: Fender American Professional II Precision Bass V: Orange AD200B MK 3 200-watt Bass Head: DOD Rubberneck Analog Delay Pedal with Tap Tempo: Dunlop CBM105Q Cry Baby Mini Bass Wah Pedal: TC Electronic PolyTune 3 Polyphonic LED Guitar Tuner Pedal with Buffer: Full Rig Details: Subscribe to PG’s Channel: Win Guitar Gear: Don’t Miss a Rundown: Merch & Magazines: PG’s Facebook: PG’s Instagram: PG’s Twitter: PG’s TikTok: @premierguitar *© Copyright Gearhead Communications LLC, 2023* [Brought to you by D’Addario String Finder: ] 00:00 - D’Addario String Finder 00:15 - Kurt Ballou Playing Intro 00:45 - Kurt Ballou & Chris Kies Intro 01:14 - God City Instruments Constructivist & GCI Soap Jammer Humbuckers 04:19 - Kurt Ballou’s String and Pick Preferences 05:10 - Kurt Ballou’s Guitar Gear Design Philosophy 07:05 - God City Instruments Craftsman 09:40 - Kurt Ballou on Using a Line 6 Helix 12:26 - Kurt Ballou on Organizing Helix Workflow 14:19 - Breaking Down Kurt Ballou’s Converge “Kvrt Preset V6“ 18:26 - Kurt Ballou’s Line 6 Helix Amp Models & Quilter Overdrive 202 heads 19:57 - Getting to a Point Where “Gear Doesn’t Matter“ 21:40 - Bad Cat 4x12s & Speakers 24:19 - Kurt Ballou’s Helix Channel 2 Settings 26:00 - Kurt Ballou’s Pet Peeves on the Helix 28:05 - More of Kurt Ballou’s Helix Channel 2 Settings 29:13 - Kurt Ballou’s In-Ear Monitor Blend 30:18 - Nate Newton’s Fender P Bass & Signature Lace Riffblaster Pickups 32:30 - Why Nate Newton Chose P over J Bass & Joining Converge 35:25 - Nate Newton on Touring with Cave In 36:31 - Nate Newton’s Orange AD 200 Bass MK3 37:55 - Nate Newton’s Pedalboard 44:45 - Playing Caleb Scofield’s P Bass in Cave In 46:00 - Converge Performs “Axe to Fall“ & “You Fail Me“ #guitar #rigrundown #converge #hardcore #kurtballou