We love pedals, you love pedals, and even the most gifted players of this generation seem to be happy to load their 'boards up with true-bypass goodies – John Mayer, we're looking at you. But not everyone goes that way, and Christone 'Kingfish' Ingram is an astoundingly good guitarist who has gone back to the bare necessities for the stage.
His pedalboard consists of four pedals; a tuner, distortion, delay and a wah. His 'board – put together by Nashville's XAct Tone Solutions (XTS) – is so compact the delay pedal doesn't even fit on it.
"I wanted something I can put in my suitcase." Christone explains to Premier Guitar in their latest Rig Rundown above. And his choices are classic; the premium Waza Craft edition of the Boss TU-3, alongside the Dunlop Cry Baby Mini Wah pedal and Boss DD-3T delay pedal.
When it comes to overdrive or distortion, I like it at high gain
"I have used that wah so much I'm uncomfortable using a standard-sized wah," he adds before illustrating how he likes to park it for a fixed position Schenker-esque tone in solos. Pretty impressive moves with a Mini Wah for a man who wears size 13 Nike Air Jordans! We're more surprised to see the reissued Marshall Shredmaster distortion pedal on there though, especially over a more obviously blues-friendly Bluesbreaker or Guvnor. However, it all makes sense in the context of Christone's influences.
"When it comes to overdrive or distortion, I like it at high gain," Christone reasons. "It comes from listening to Gary Moore and Prince. That's just the sound I'm used to."
But other pedals have been in contention for that drive spot on the board too. Christone also has a Lil' Rat, XTS Custom Pedals Atomic Overdrive and a Tsakalis Six on the subs bench. But he went back to the Shredmaster.
"I've been using this going on a year," adds Christone of its hi-gain comfort zone, before proving just what he can do with it. He sets it with its Gain on max, Contour control rolled right down and the treble at 10 o'clock for a bassier tone.
His Boss DD-3 is a subtler setting where it's more like a reverb.
"I'm simple when it comes to pedals," says Christone, but he wasn't always so minimal. "I had my fun in the days of trying to be like Ernie Isley – phasers and rotovibes and shit!"
Check the full Rig Rundown video above and our own interview with Christone here.
