When we started making our latest album Family, I wanted the guitar sound to feel raw, alive, and soulful. We wanted the record to capture the energy of our live shows while still exploring new textures and dynamics. A huge part of achieving that sound was in my gear choices and approach to playing.
I wanted to write this to share my approach to three things that shaped both the album and our live show: the gear I used in the studio and now on stage, how I make it all work with one guitar and three tunings, and why I intentionally avoid bringing expensive or sentimental gear on the road.
Gear: Building a Rig That Works Everywhere
When recording Family, I focused a lot on blending electric and acoustic textures to create a rich, layered sound. I mainly used my Memphis-made Gibson ES-Les Paul, a standard Les Paul, a Sire Tele-style guitar, and a budget Gretsch parlor acoustic. To capture a warmer, smoother tone, I put flatwound strings on both the ES-Les Paul and the acoustic and played with my fingers instead of a pick. The goal was to bring that same depth and dynamic feel. On songs like Found A Friend In You and Sisters, I leaned into the warmth of my Gibson ES-Les Paul strung with flatwounds, blended with the raw, woody tone of my Gretsch Parlor acoustic. For tracks like So Much Love and Upside, I switched to my Sire Tele-style guitar to get that chime and high-end sparkle. A lot of the songs, like Rum Boogie and We Are Peace, have a mix of electric and acoustic textures. When we tracked them live, I mainly played electric and then overdubbed the acoustic wherever it felt right to bring in that extra depth and space. When we wrote the songs, the first thing we considered was which key would best capture the emotion of each moment. For the more upbeat, uplifting songs, Open D felt like the natural choice. For the deeper, more dramatic tracks, Open C really matched the energy we were going for. Since we wrote the album chronologically, the shifts in the story naturally influenced the key changes as well. At one point, we even considered using Open B, but I convinced the girls to let that idea go — mostly so my life wouldn’t turn into a nightmare trying to manage it all on stage!
But the real magic comes from blending the electric and acoustic textures, sometimes subtly and sometimes in a more obvious, dramatic way. That balance helps capture the feel of Family while keeping the live show raw and alive. For overdrive, I kept it pretty straightforward. My Analog Man King of Tone and JHS Morning Glory were always on, working together to create a clear, sustained clean tone with just the right amount of grit. I’d kick on an old Tube Screamer for solos, and for the solo on Long Is The Road, I used my red edition Zendrive, which really cut through the mix. Tremolo was a big part of the sound, too — I leaned heavily on my Analog Man-modded Boss Tremolo for most of the record, but on Sisters, I switched to the Strymon Flint for its warm, vintage feel. As far as amps, I kept it simple and used my Fender Vibrolux for the entire record — it just had the perfect balance of punch and warmth for what we were going for.
The Studio Challenge: First Time Making A Record W/ Three Tunings
For the recording session, I put a lot of thought into how to approach all the different tunings, which guitars to use for each, and what overall sonic aesthetic I wanted the record to have. The tracklist alone shows how much of a challenge this was:
Long Is The Road - G
Upside - G
Found A Friend In You - Open D
So Much Love - E
Family - Open C
Late Night Get Down - Open D
Rum Boogie - Open C
Gotta Keep The Love - E
Sisters - Open D
Kept On Moving On - Open C
Back To What Feels Right - Open C
Flying - C
Believe - Open C
We Are - Open C
After a few days of working through the parts, I had a bit of a breakthrough. I realized that if I tuned my E standard guitar down a whole step to D standard, I could play Long Is The Road and Upside using the same fingerings as if I were in A — except now, it had a deeper, richer resonance. It brought a whole new vibe to those songs that I wouldn’t have found in standard tuning. So I decided to keep my standard tuning guitar down a whole step for all the non-open tuning songs and just play everything a step higher on the fretboard.
For the Open D songs, I used my ES-Les Paul strung with DR 12-gauge flatwound strings, which gave me a warm, almost piano-like low-end while still feeling easy to play. I ended up juggling three guitars throughout the recording: one in Open D, one in Open D tuned a whole step down, and one in D standard. Looking back, I think it’s pretty poetic that an album filled with so much love, joy, and meaning for our family ended up living mostly in the key of D major. There’s something romantic about that to me.
The Live Challenge: One Guitar - Three Tunings
I tried using three guitars on stage early last year, and it was a nightmare. Without a tech behind me, I found that the show was constantly interrupted—whether it was switching guitars, tuning, or fixing my tone. It killed the flow, and I knew I needed to find a way to make it work without all the disruption. After a lot of thought, I had my second epiphany for this album and figured out how to make it work live, with minimal interruptions.
Now, I bring just one guitar: my Wilkinson Vintage LP, a budget LP-style guitar with mini humbuckers that I've always loved. I tune it to D standard on DR 11-gauge strings for most of the show, and when it's time to switch to Open D, I just tune my fifth and fourth strings up a step and the third string up a half-step—easy and quick. When it's time to switch back to D standard, it’s a simple mute, tune up, correct pitch, unmute—no hassle. For songs like Rum Boogie, Family, and Back To What Feels Right, I drop the sixth string a whole step down to C, and when I play a D shape, I’m actually playing a C chord. This opens up the ability to use slide and get the tone that works for those songs. For We Are and other Open C songs, I just adjust three strings to get to the right tuning.
To make it work with the acoustic tone, I installed a Piezo pickup on the Les Paul with a second output. This allows me to send the electric tone out to one amp in stereo, while sending the acoustic signal through a DI, creating that 3D sound with a blend of electric and acoustic tones. It's simple, but effective, and keeps the show moving without unnecessary interruptions.
I am currently playing through two identical Twin Reverb Amps with a DI going to the house for the Piezo pickup.
My Final Thoughts On Making Family
A big part of what makes Family special to me is how natural and honest it feels — in both the recording and the live show. The gear I use, the tunings I rely on, and the approach I take all come from a place of trying to serve the music, not the equipment. If you’re a guitarist struggling with setup choices, my advice is simple: find gear that inspires you but doesn’t own you. Prioritize sound over status. And most importantly, let your playing speak louder than your equipment.
I’m grateful to be out here every night, bringing Family to life on stage. And at the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about.
Comments