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PG’s Chris Kies hangs with The Wild Feathers’ Ricky Young, Taylor Burns, Daniel Donato, and Joel King before their sold-out Ryman gig to chat about beat-up Gibson acoustics, road-worn hollowbodies, dreamy Telecasters, and rugged pawnshop basses.
Lead singer/guitarist Ricky Young dabbles in the electric world, but for the sold-out show at the church of country music he went strictly acoustic. Seen above is his “A-Team”-a 2000s Gibson Custom Shop Southern Jumbo. He’s only had it about two years, but claims to have logged over 200 gigs with it so far.
Guitarist Taylor Burns believes playing onstage is like going into battle, so his most trusted ally is his stock 2007 Gibson Custom Nashville 1963 Historic Block ES-335 reissue. He does own a vintage ’60s 335, but he feels this one plays better and stays in tune longer.
Guitar-slinging assassin Daniel Donato joined the band this year as lead guitarist and only needed this Fender Custom Shop ’63 Telecaster to rock the Ryman. He’s swapped in a Glendale Guitars bridge plate because it allows him to emulate Don Rich by picking closer to the saddles for more dynamic playing and tones. Another upgrade he opted for was implementing Emerson saddles because they’re indestructible and help intonation issues. And he also dropped in a pair of Seymour Duncan pickups-a BG1400 neck pickup and an Antiquity I bridge model. Donato uses Ernie Ball Cobalt .010-.046 strings.
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