Rig Rundown: Acid Bath
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In this episode of Rig Rundown, Chris Keys visits Sammy of Acid Bath in a cave in Tennessee to explore the band's resurrected live rig. Sammy details his custom ESP EX prototype guitar, featuring Lawler Monolith pickups and a unique Andromeda color-shifting finish, emphasizing how the instrument's design and high-output pickups help him achieve the dark, heavy tones of Black Sabbath and Celtic Frost. He discusses his preference for Marshall JCM 2000s for their simplicity and raw power, as well as his pedalboard built around Michael Klein’s custom pedals like the Spire Overdrive and Torture Rack, which deliver both aggressive drive and haunting modulation. Mike, the band’s bassist, shares his rig built around a Sandberg 48 with a Mike Inez Fishman pickup, DR Black Beauty coated strings, and a complex pedal chain centered on the Caveman buffer and Neve compression, all designed to maintain tone integrity across rental gear. Shane, the new bassist, reveals his approach to tone shaping through a meticulous signal chain that prioritizes clarity and control, especially when using backline equipment. The episode captures the band’s joy in reuniting, their deep respect for their legacy, and their ongoing pursuit of the perfect tone through innovation and collaboration.
Use high-output passive pickups like Lawler Monoliths for heavy, clean-friendly distortion without needing batteries.
Prioritize amp simplicity—Marshall JCM 2000s offer clean/dirty switching without extra footswitches.
A buffer like the Caveman is essential when using complex pedalboards to prevent tone loss.
Coated strings (e.g., DR Black Beauties) help control high-end frequencies under heavy gain.
Custom pedalboards should be designed for reliability and ease of use, especially when playing with rented gear.
Intro & Setting the Scene
Chris Keys introduces the episode from a cave in Tennessee, setting the stage for the Acid Bath reunion and the unique environment of the interview.
Sammy’s Custom ESP Guitar & Pickups
“I want it to sound like Tom G Warrior from Celtic Frost. Yeah. Or Tony Iommi from Black Sabbath. Yeah. But, you know, that is hard to achieve when you don't have their hands.”
Amplification & Tone Philosophy
“I don't need three channels. I need a clean channel and a distorted channel. That's it.”
Pedalboard Deep Dive: Michael Klein’s Custom Gear
“Instead of like turning off the drive and hitting the clean button. Like double tap? Yeah. Nice.”
Mike’s Bass Rig & Signal Chain
Mike shares his Sandberg 48 bass, DR Black Beauty strings, and a complex pedal chain using the Caveman buffer and Neve compression to maintain tone integrity across rental gear.
“I want it to sound like Tom G Warrior from Celtic Frost. Yeah. Or Tony Iommi from Black Sabbath. Yeah. But, you know, that is hard to achieve when you don't have their hands.”
“We're not trying to recreate yourself? No, no. It's too old for that, you know? Yeah.”
“You're not trying to recreate yourself? No, no. It's too old for that, you know? Yeah.”
Host
Guests
Acid Bath
other
Sammy
person
Mike
person
Michael W. Klein
person
Shane
person
Marshall JCM 2000
brand
Lawler
brand
ESP
brand
Monoliths
product
Sandberg
brand
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