Wednesday, November 6, 2024
GuitarGuitar Effects

Rig Rundown – Brent Mason


Article and Photos: http://bit.ly/BrentMasonRR

Mason has delivered some of the most incredible Tele-whacking, chicken-pickin’, double-stopping, face-melting, mind-blowing solos in country music. For most of these sessions, he used a bastardized 1968 Fender Telecaster that he bought used in the ’80s for a few hundred dollars.

Sporting a car primer finish applied by the previous owner, this Tele has been customized with a Joe Glaser B-Bender and a Gibson mini-humbucker at the neck position. A standard Tele 3-way switch controls the neck humbucker and Tele bridge pickups, while a blend knob brings in a Seymour Duncan Vintage Stack that Mason added as a middle pickup.

The session great’s PRS Brent Mason Signature model is decidedly non-Tele-like. Featuring a bolt-on maple neck, a PRS tremolo, Phase III locking tuners, Narrow 408 humbuckers in the bridge and neck positions, and a 305 single-coil in the middle, this versatile guitar has coil-splitting options that let Mason dial in a huge variety of sounds.

For moody mellow tones, Mason goes to his stock, pre-Fender Gretsch 6120 Duane Eddy model. Mason takes advantage of the 6120’s Filter’Ttron pickups for twang and the stock Bigsby tremolo for vibe.

When he wants go low and rumbly, Mason plugs in his stock PRS SE Mike Mushok Baritone guitar. This mahogany-body beauty is usually tuned down to B.

For more info on Mason’s rig, visit: http://bit.ly/BrentMasonRR

#Rig #Rundown #Brent #Mason

Originally posted by UC5J-hZ4wNf7OlkzIn49LHoQ at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQW8yNP7vBs

45 thoughts on “Rig Rundown – Brent Mason

  • Watch Brent perform Working Man Blues live. He is the ultimate working man on the Telecaster.

    Reply
  • For those that criticize Brent's interview skills…

    Brent's just not a technical guy. He could easily say "I'm using a highly modified '67 Tele with a few Seymore Duncan pickups, a 'Blackface Deluxe Reverb, and here's my pedals. I don't really know the specifics of how they do what they do, but here are the amazing tones I get"

    Brent is not a gear snob or even a gear guy. As a session player, he's a tone guy. He might use a $50 pedal that gets him exactly what he's looking for on a specific recording. Doesn't seem to matter much to him.

    Physically demoing his rig is his way of talking about his rig. This is probably the way his heroes and mentors talked about their rigs, too; they just let their playing do the talking.

    Reply
  • That pickup in the neck position on Brent Mason's signature Telecaster is a Vintage Mini Humbucker pickup from Seymour Duncan.
    And I LOVE that pickup.

    Reply
  • Two things are for certain. Brent does not drive a big black pickup truck and tailgate people on the road, and the camera person for this video has a one track mind.

    Reply
  • These studio guitarists always blow me away. The understanding of tone and when and when not to add line is always inspiring and really can learn a lot from it.

    Reply
  • Brent Mason is the man.John is the best host that's why he has been working in Nashville for years. Great player also.He knows how to say just enough to keep the guest talking and stays out of the way.

    Reply
  • When they are both staring at the app and Brent is just like… Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh……. OMFG lolol

    Reply
  • A great reminder that these great, great players weren't playing custom shop 5k vintage guitars when they were cutting their teeth and blazing a trail. It was always a trade off here and there to make do, so they developed their own style and their own unique sound. Great interview

    Reply
  • I saw Brent with the Don Kelly Band In ‘82 when he first began playing at the Stagecoach on Murfreesboro rd in Nashville. It was a big club and very popular at the time. I remember Brent playing that tele.

    Reply
  • Mr. Mason is so clearly on a different level–he doesn't say humbucker, he says "double coil." Genius.

    Reply
  • is there an unwritten policy that these interviewers have to have f'd up hair. It's almost cliche'.

    Reply
  • Why are these presenters so naff,,,,heyyyy man,,,lurve your I mean you're so great I'm a big faaannn. They never look normal. Nodding donkeys. Ffs

    Reply
  • Interesting hearing Brent mention Don Kelly and the old Stagecoach bar. I remember those days… it was a big musician hangout back then.

    Reply
  • Man I have tried those mega switching axes, and they are like whip cream on steak:) I ALWAYS come back to H/S 🙂

    Reply
  • There is a name I remember setting a lot when I used to rip the liners it of CD cases as a kid. Right next to Rob Hajacos and Paul Franklin

    Reply
  • Brents hands are so good it undermines how versatile his guitar is supposed to be.

    Reply
  • Brent's is the Eddie van Halen of country playing…I think he just goes for it like Eddie does and killer stuff just flows out!!!

    Reply
  • Brent Mason is a serious guitar hero and with the guitar turned up he never fails to impress. However, when it comes to conversation he fails to 'serve the song' completely. I don't think I've ever seen someone talk over and interrupt another person so much in my life. I guess everybody has something in their life that should get a little woodshed time.

    Reply
  • Brett has a lot to say which is great for us players . Good interview , Rig Rundown folks do a great job handling these genius people .

    Reply
  • Such a great player who also has no real interest whatsoever in gear, (double coil)? The sheer destruction at 18:05 when he finds out john doesnt have this obscure prs amp.

    Reply
  • Bohlinger is such a pro with how he handled himself with all those interruptions and still made a good Interview

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *