Zach Person’s Fender Acoustasonic Duo
I got to meet Zach Person while he was opening up for Ariel Posen in Nashville at Cannery Hall. I’ll admit that I hadn’t heard his music before this, but I’m an instant fan. Zach typically plays with a full band but was a solo act on this tour. Being a solo act on a tour, especially when the headliner is a full-band, is a challenging feat. Zach Person has figured out a workflow that feels natural and sounds incredible, without sacrificing energy in the room itself. If you haven’t followed him yet, check out his instagram here. Ariel Posen and his team all reside in Canada. However, Zach is from the Atlanta area. I really enjoyed how Zach’s music fit with Ariel’s. I’ve seen too many shows that had a weird pairing of artists, and this wasn’t one of those. I think this was a great pair-up.
What’s in Zach Person’s Solo Rig?
I managed to get a photo of Zach’s solo rig and it’s a bit like flying an airplane. Somehow he manages to fly the ship effortlessly without sacrificing energy or quality of his performance. I’m not sure of how things are routed here but I did spot three pedalboards. Pedalboard one was a tiny board with a Line6 HX Stomp paired with a LUCE Transformer Based DI. Pedalboard 2 had his BOSS RC-300, two Radial DI Boxes, and a Boss CS-3 Compressor. Pedalboard 3 was a Vertex board with an Strymon El Capistan, Boss BF-2 Flanger, Boss TU-3, Mythos Herculean, Strymon Violet, Boss Poly Shifter XS-1, a Wah pedal, a Mythos Extra Hot, and an Argonaut Octave.
The Pair of Acoustasonic Guitars
One thing I noticed quickly with Zach was his pair of Fender Acousticasonic guitars. Zach is using two slightly different Acoustasonic guitars. The main guitar is the Strat version of the Acoustasonic and has a Fishman Matrix undersaddle system as well as a Fender dedicated body-top pickup. His backup guitar is a Telecaster version of the Acoustasonic equipped with the Fishman undersaddle system as well as Fender Shawbucker. Zach confirmed that he is using .11 Dunlop Acoustic strings on these guitars.
What’s The Deal with Acoustasonic Guitars Anyway?
These guitars can sometimes be polarizing as they are cool. There’s several reasons why this guitar could be a good fit for you though. The electric guitar feel, Acoustic & Electric in a single body, feedback resistance, weight, and managing guitar swaps in a setlist.
Acoustic & Electric In A Single Body?
It sounds too good to be true, I get it. However, this guitar is great if you need more bang for your buck or your limited to a single guitar for a gig. These guitars have so many sonic possibilities. The ability to swap between the acoustic and electric modes is like having a swiss army knife version of a guitar.
Feedback Resistance
The Stringed Instrument Resonance System (that spiral soundport) gives you real unplugged volume without the runaway feedback a thin-body acoustic-electric produces on a loud stage. This is a huge win for gigging.
Weight
Coming in at anywhere from 4.5 to 5lbs, this guitar is extremely comfortable and won’t break your back during a long gig. We all love a heavy guitar until we’ve had it on for 2 hours straight.
Managing Guitar Swaps
This goes back to my first point technically but I’ve personally been in situations that I needed to swap guitars in a short amount of time. So being able to swap from acoustic to electric really saves some time that could potentially make your life easier.
Gibson Murphy Lab Les Paul
No introduction needed. Zach Person’s Gibson Custom 1954 Les Paul Goldtop Reissue looks and sounds absolutely insane. Heavily aged Les Pauls are such a cool look. I’ve been a huge fan of the Murphy Lab lineup from Gibson. These guitars really check all of the boxes of what I’m looking for in a Les Paul Style guitar.
Check Out His Music
Zach has a good bit of songs available on all of the streaming platforms but one that stood out to me was his recently released single, “Tonight”. Zach has such a unique voice and really cool songs that really draw you in. He’s got the vintage feel of Jimi Hendrix while packing a modern punch that reminds me of Lenny Kravitz. I’d absolutely love to see Zach Person’s full band show next time they are in the Nashville area.
