Monday, January 6, 2025
GuitarGuitar Effects

Rig Rundown – Carolyn Wonderland


Austin, Texas, has been a fertile proving ground for legendary blues guitarists. Some, most notably Stevie Ray Vaughan, have emerged to international acclaim. Others, like Derek O’Brien, make a living and earn the respect of their peers while mostly playing in the city’s many clubs and studios. In recent years, Carolyn Wonderland—a revered player on the local scene since her arrival in 2001—has become a rising global star in the genre.

In 2018, this incandescent electric fingerstyle guitarist became the first woman to play lead guitar in John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, following such luminary musicians as Eric Clapton, Peter Green, Mick Taylor, Walter Trout, Coco Montoya, and Buddy Whittington in that role. And while she’s made more than a dozen albums under her own name and with collaborators over the years, her next album, slated for early fall release, will be issued by Alligator Records, the world’s largest indie blues label, and was produced by the brilliant songwriter and 6-string deadeye Dave Alvin.

At Nashville’s City Winery, Wonderland demoed and talked about her main guitar, Patty the Blueshawk, an Austin-built Tone I/O amp, her approach to lap steel, the genesis behind her aggressive fingerstyle approach, and much more. Take a look.

Full Rig Details: https://bit.ly/CarolynWonderlandRR
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Don’t Miss a Rundown: http://bit.ly/RIgRundownENL
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[Brought to you by D’Addario Auto-Lock Straps: https://ddar.io/AutoLockRR]

00:00 – Intro
01:19 – Gibson Blueshawk
02:55 – 1954 Gibson ES-125
05:26 – “Lappy” Morrell Lap Steel
08:16 – Amps
11:00 – Pedalboard

#rigrundown #carolynwonderland #premierguitar

#Rig #Rundown #Carolyn #Wonderland

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

37 thoughts on “Rig Rundown – Carolyn Wonderland

  • Saw her twice . Once at the neighborhood South Austin 'Barn Dance's potluck done monthly. And secondly at a record store in Houston. Both small venues with no screaming crowds just the way I like it. And boy that girl can sing.

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  • This is a mistake people make about the Blues Hawk: The pickups are NOT P-90s. They use individual alnico rod magnets as pole pieces, like a regular Fender single-coil, not a P-90 with its bar magnets and screw pole pieces. Their construction is more like a Telecaster bridge pickup inside a P-90 housing, plus some further changes to the signal that come from the hum-canceling dummy coil. (The later Epiphone reissues have actual P-90s, plus the dummy coil.)

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  • The Blueshawk does not have P-90's. They are a special pickup made for the guitar called a Blues 90. One would think Premier guitar would get some info like that correct on their video.

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  • This is the most underrated singer songwriter guitar player but she is one of the best.

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  • The slide look s like a Diamond Slide, made by Ian McWee over in England-looks a lot like my Doug MacLeod model (different color though!) Likely made out of crystal, not glass, it has a different tone than glass or metal…

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  • Actually not P-90's, Blues 90's if I remember right, made special for the Blues Hawk, they also have a third dummy coil on back that acts as a humbucker when in single coil mode, with a push/pull to turn the selectomatic off and on. As far as Carolyn saw her first around 2000 and fell in love instantly, so sweet, humble and absolute beast on guitar and very approachable!

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  • That was a fun Rig Rundown, thanks!! Looking at the Tone I/O, I presume that the A20 is like the Vibrato channel of a Deluxe Reverb (or a 20 watt Princeton Reverb with a 12 in. speaker). Their website doesn't really say much.

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  • I just downloaded Carolyn's album "Moon Goes Missing!" I'm in love all over again! So glad to discover you Carolyn! I will share your music with everyone I know! Absolutely great Rig Rundown!

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  • Best interviewer at Premier! The others aren't even close. Great questions, demeanor, very informative and he actually knows about guitar. Fine job, just like the old days…

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  • I sold Gibson Nighthawks back in the 90's. They were always a curiosity, but they played and sounded great.

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  • "Just a little stabby stabby" XD what a lovely woman. Didn't know her, a wonderful discovery for sure!

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  • I was privledged to see Carolyn with John Mayall at the Rialto Theater in Tucson in February 2020, one of the last concerts I saw before everything shut down. I saw Mayal twice back in '68 and '70 in Germany and he still has his chops, amazing for his age. But Carolyn blew me away, i was so impressed by her technique and the tones she wrung out of that little guiitar, I figured out what it was and bought one jusdt like it on line. Thanks PG for profiling her, she is deserving of more recognition! I look forward to her new album.

    Reply
  • This guy has come straight from the kids section at Cotton On and bought the T, Jeans, undies combo. The Fedora is from D&D night though.
    'Hi fellow teens'

    Reply

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