Rig Rundown: AFI [2025]

The long-running punk quartet pick prototypes, P basses, and Pauls for their latest live shows.On tour supporting their 12th full-length record, Silver Bleeds the Black Sun…, California rockers AFI rolled through Nashville’s Marathon Music Works in October. After first running down their rigs in 2017, PG’s Chris Kies linked up again with guitarist Jade Puget and bassist Hunter Burgan to see how their gear has evolved in the past eight years.Brought to you by D’Addario. Off the WallPuget found this Les Paul Standard hanging at Guitar Center 15 years ago, and it’s still his go-to live guitar. A surprisingly light specimen, it’s had a Seymour Duncan pickup swapped in, and it’s strung with Ernie Balls—usually.010s.Throughout AFI’s set, Puget switches between tunings: D sharp, drop C sharp, D standard, and E standard.Silver SurferThis new Schecter, a prototype made for Puget, is his first ever silverburst, which saw service in the music video for “Holy Visions.” It’s loaded with a Sustainiac system in the neck position.Willing and AbletonPuget has experimented a lot to get his rig to this point. His signal runs through a pair of rack-mounted Line 6 Helix units in a stereo configuration, and also through a computer running Ableton that triggers the exact sound designs he created while recording. The RJM Mastermind and Effect Gizmo are programmed to control all pedals, the Helix, and Ableton.Jade Puget’s PedalboardMost of Puget’s effects come from the Helix, but he also runs a few pedals in his rack, including an MXR EVH 5150 Overdrive and Carbon Copy, Boss DC-2W, RV-2, and BF-2, and a Keeley Compressor.Another board carries a Boss TU-3, TC Electronic Mimiq, EHX The Clone Theory, TC Electronic Arena, MXR Echoplex, and L.R. Baggs Venue DI.BlackoutIn live contexts, Burgan uses Fender P basses exclusively. This is his No. 1, which he’s had since 2012. PinkyThis dazzling Fender P was made custom for Burgan before this tour. Triples is BestBurgan runs this trio of Ampeg SVT Classics. Hunter Burgan’s Rack SetupBurgan uses a RJM Mastermind GT to control his in-show switching. In his backstage rack, there’s an EHX Bass Big Muff, Micro Synth, Satisfaction, Nano POG, Bass Clone, and Graphic Fuzz, and on a second shelf, there’s the rest of the collection: a Bass Soul Food, Battalion, Lizard King, Neo Mistress, and Memory Toy.Gibson Les Paul StandardErnie Ball StringsLine 6 HelixMXR EVH 5150 OverdriveMXR Carbon CopyBoss DC-2WKeeley CompressorBoss TU-3TC Electronic MimiqMXR EchoplexLR Baggs Venue DIAmpeg SVT ClassicEHX Bass Big MuffEHX Micro SynthEHX SatisfactionEHX Nano POGEHX Bass CloneEHX Bass Soul FoodEHX BattalionEHX Lizard KingEHX Neo MistressEHX Memory Toy