Converge

<p><a href="https://www.premierguitar.com/videos/rig-rundowns/kurt-ballou" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Kurt Ballou</a>&nbsp;takes tone very seriously. He’s been on the leading edge of aggressive guitar sounds since 1990, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.premierguitar.com/artists/converge-kurt-ballous-second-nature" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Converge</a>’s fourth album, 2001’s&nbsp;<em>Jane Doe</em>, is still seen as a game-changing release, with its ferocious performances and masterful production. His sonic temple,&nbsp;<a href="https://godcitystudio.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">God City Studio</a>, is&nbsp;<em>the&nbsp;</em>destination for artists looking to make their rawest, heaviest, brutalist work. Ballou has even developed a gear brand (<a href="https://www.godcityinstruments.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">God City Instruments</a>) that includes guitars, pedals, and pickups, all in the pursuit of turning ideas into art.</p><p>During our conversation before Converge’s sold-out performance at Nashville’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thebasementnashville.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Basement East</a>&nbsp;on May 22nd, Ballou dove into his Line 6 Helix spice rack and shared how 30 plus years as a guitarist and in-demand producer have informed his guitar-design philosophy. Plus, he detailed why his goal is to get to a place where “gear doesn’t matter.” And then, longtime bassist Nate Newton joined the fun by showing off his “Riffblaster” setup and how a special P-Bass helps him honor a dear friend.</p><p><em>Brought to you by&nbsp;</em><a href="https://www.daddario.com/StringFinderRR" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>D’Addario String Finder</em></a><em>.</em></p><p><br></p>