A major contributor to the formation of Sludge Metal, “a meshing of Hardcore Punk and Doom,” New Orleans natives Crowbar rose from the murky swamps to gain considerable providence in the underground after forming in 1990.
While chance appearances on MTV via Mike Judges Beavis And Butthead and an eager Pantera frontman singing their praises helped bring attention to the band internationally, the band backed up the buzz with a slew of stellar LP’s. Starting with 1991’s “Obedience Through Suffering” and continuing through until now with 2022’s critically acclaimed “Zero And Below”, Crowbar have stood strong as a testament to longevity in an industry that at times can be very fickle. Since day one, Crowbar’s crushing vendetta has been led by founder and frontman Kirk Windstein at the helm. A self-proclaimed “billboard for heavy metal” with influences as broad as Gary Wright to Iron Maiden, let’s dive into the equipment that has been fuelling Kirk’s riffs over the years.
1984 Charvel San Dimas
This guitar is synonymous with Kirk Windstein, having been the instrument many saw him play when singles from “Crowbar” first began making the rounds on MTV back in the early ’90s.
The guitar itself is a 1984 pre-production San Dimas model built in Charvel’s small custom shop, which at the time was based in Glendora, California.
This is notable due to the fact that prior to introducing a production line of instruments in 1986, all Charvels were custom shop instruments built by hand in small facilities like the Glendora shop and the later Ontario facility.
Having been the first instrument Kirk ever bought with his own money, this Kahler-equipped San Dimas is a major player when it comes to recording Crowbar’s discography. Having been used on every song on every record from the debut right through to “Odd Fellows Rest” in 1998.
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Solar E1.6KW
A signature guitar designed in conjunction with YouTube sensation Ola Englund’s Solar guitar company, the E1.6KW is reminiscent of some of the guitars Kirk has played live in the past, including his white Gibson Explorer and Ibanez Destroyer.
A notable design feature of Kirk’s signature guitar is its incorporation of a string-thru bridge setup. Reportedly, Kirk prefers this type of bridge arrangement over a traditional stop bar tailpiece as he feels it promotes sustain.
ESP Viper
Prior to his endorsement with Solar, Kirk spent a period of time endorsed by ESP guitars during the 2000s.
Throughout this point in his career, he would regularly be spotted playing a custom shop Viper model painted with a special camouflage motif.
Aside from this, Kirk’s Vipers were a relatively standard affair. Being equipped with his usual EMG setup and Gotoh, and Sperzel hardware.
Boss Metal Zone MT-2
For his work in Crowbar, Kirk has been a long-time aficionado of the Boss Metal Zone.
He uses the MT-2 as a clean boost, similar to how many players employ an Ibanez Tubescreamer.
His settings are level on maximum, distortion on zero and all EQ controls left at 12 o’clock. When used in conjunction with his amplifiers of choice, this configuration works to tighten up the bottom end while also boosting the signal through the preamp.
EMG 81 humbucker
Many of Kirk’s guitars have been seen sporting EMG 81s over the years, dating back to his first Charvel San Dimas.
As a matter of fact, Kirk Windstein is an endorsed EMG artist and his current Solar signature guitars also come equipped with EMG 81s stock.
It’s safe to say that Kirk is a fan of the high output and smooth compression that the EMG 81 provides when used in the bridge position.
Randall RG100ES
Like many of Crowbar’s NOLA contemporaries, solid-state Randall amplifiers have served as the background for Kirk’s sound for decades.
The most notable of which is the RG100ES, a model that Kirk was introduced to by the late Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrell.
Packing 120 watts of solid-state punch, the RG100ES boasts a standardised 3-band EQ as well as dedicated presence and reverb controls.
Solid-state amplifiers are a popular choice amongst metal players due to the generous amounts of preamp gain and the saturation offered by such circuits, as well as the characteristically tight bottom end associated with solid-state power sections, “perfect for chugging riffs”.
Marshall 1960B Cabinets
300 Watt Straight Front Marshal 1960b’s have cropped up regularly in Kirk’s rig in both Crowbar and his side project, Down.
His preference for the straight-front cabs may be due to the fact that many people feel that cabs with this construction style tend to sound better than slanted cabinets, which some people tend to find easier to hear in live situations.
Celestion Vintage 30 Loudspeakers
The Celestion vintage 30 speaker is a notable ingredient in Crowbar’s sonic gumbo, appearing in both his vintage Marshall cabinets used on the road with Crowbar in the US as well as the modern Orange cabinets played abroad.
The Celestion V30 is actually a popular choice amongst metal players. This is due to the fact that the speakers’ notable mid spike makes it the perfect accompaniment to distorted electric guitars set up in low tunings.
The speaker’s tonal characteristics provide the required response and attack to ensure that guitars can remain present and cut through a mix, both live and in the studio.
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