![Iris Guitar company MS-00 acoustic guitar](https://www.premierguitar.com/media-library/iris-guitar-company-ms-00-acoustic-guitar.jpg?id=52378412&width=1200&height=1797)
A stripped-down small-bodied acoustic that punches well above its price class.
Midrange-focused voice. Smaller body and scale delivers easy playability. Excellent craftsmanship.
If you love big, boomy jumbos and dreads, you might want to look at a different body style.
$2,450
Iris MS-00
irisguitarcompany.com
As much as I love fawning over expensive vintage and boutique gearāwhich is a lotāwhen it comes to spending my money, I look for the highest-end tone at the kind of prices my modest gigs can pay for. With vintage gear, I want to find āplayer-gradeā stuff: the amp that has some long-broken-up bandās logo spray-painted on it, totally devaluing it to collectors, or the guitar with a refin that was done by the last ownerās buddy who paints motorcycles. Sometimes, though, new gear is the only path to what you need. And once you enter the world of boutique, handmade instruments player-grade prices arenāt usually an option.
Since introducing their debut model, the OG, in 2018, Burlington, Vermontās Iris Guitar Companyās mission has been to carve out a space in a Venn diagram where craftsmanship, tone, and value come together. The team consists of builders who create top-notch, bespoke instruments and started Iris to make instruments at the same level of quality, stripped of most aesthetic accoutrements and customization, at prices working musicians can afford.
One of the newest models in Irisā expanding line is the MS-00. Inspired by the Gibson L-00, it was created in conjunction with vintage Gibson acoustic expert Mark Stutman of Folkway Music. The MS-00 captures the straightforward, unpretentious Great Depression-era aesthetic and sound of the L-00. And while not cheap, it offers the playing experience of a more expensive instrument.
Think: Sepia
In terms of looks, the simple, down-to-earth MS-00 doesnāt announce itself loudly, but rather invites you in and waits to be noticed. Diminutive fret markers along the MS-00ās Indian rosewood fretboardāwhich are sized to serve their function to the player but which might escape notice from across the roomācomplement the simple waterslide-decal Iris logo that adorns the headstock, along with vintage-style open-gear tuners. If thereās one bit of pizzazz, itās the beveled tortoise pickguard, which is hardly an indulgence. Together, these humble details deliver a warm, sepia-toned aesthetic harmony.
Measuring 19 1/2" long, 14 7/8" at its lower bout and 3 5/8" to 4 3/8" deep, the MS-00 is compact. The handsome, tobacco burst Sitka spruce is supported with Adirondack spruce X-bracing. Finished with a thin, satin nitrocellulose, the MS-00 is comfortable to cradle, too. The back and sides, along with the Honduran mahogany neck, are not treated with pore filler prior to finishing, exposing the grain and giving the guitar a refined but rugged feel. (Spruce doesnāt have deep pores, so the top is smooth.) I canāt help myself from getting poetic and thinking about how this also challenges us to find the beauty within. In a market where deeply figured woods are glamorized, the Iris finish helps us appreciate the beauty in the grain itself. And though the subject is a source of argument, I canāt help but think that the lack of pore filler has a sonic effect as well; the MS-00 practically rings like a bell with every strum.
Warm and Punchy
Like the small-bodied vintage Gibson acoustics that inspired it, the MS-00 sings with a plainspoken midrange-focused voice. Itās warm and inviting, and it feels instantly familiar if youāve spent time in vintage shops playing those Gibson models.
Gliding along the soft-C neck, which is attached via a more economical bolt-on, mortise and tenon joint, is a breeze. Its 24 3/4" scale length puts everything just a little more within reach than most acoustics, and that kept me busy across all 14 frets. (A 12-fret version can also be ordered as an upcharge.) The mid-focused sound of small-bodied acoustics always feels more natural to me than their bass-heavy counterparts, and this guitar is no exception. The easy-to-fret, midrange-focused formula had my initial playing gravitating toward early jazz chords and lines, both of which the MS-00 feels ideally voiced to handle. Thatās not to pigeonhole this guitar at all. I could, and did, have a great time simply strumming away in first position and running through all the Travis-picking tunes I could muster.
The MS-00 feels particularly touch-sensitive, so I took delight in exploring its dynamic range. If you lean toward a softer playing style, itāll reward you with rich warmth and definition. But if youāre a strummer or just dig in hard, youāll find plenty of volume without compromising tone or over-compressing. When playing lines with a heavy pick, I was treated to plenty of attack and punch, which I found easy to dial up or back to taste. By applying a heavier hand, especially on the wound strings, I found the growly bite that I find an essential part of a vintage Gibsonās sonic fingerprint.
The Verdict
The MS-00, like every Iris model Iāve played, is a well-executed, simple formula. On a coffee scale, itās the equivalent of a pour-over made with single-origin beans and taken black. At $2,450, itās no impulse purchase, but for a U.S.-built, luthier-crafted instrument itās a serious deal. The MS-00 can go strum for strum with guitars that command much higher prices because itās designed with only the absolute essentials in mind: sound and playability. If youāre a fan of small-bodied vintage Gibsons, or if youāre simply looking for a dynamic, midrange-focused acoustic thatās fun to play for a little less, the MS-00 is worth your time. Itās going to compete with the best of them.
āBill Bassā Nelsonās playing on Fred Wesleyās Say Blow by Blow Backwards is distinct from that of his other P-Funk bassmates.
When columnist Bill Leigh played bass behind trombonist Fred Wesley, he got an up-close look at how P-Funk bassists helped define a sound.
Most of us are continually working to broaden our bass skills, from fretboard familiarity and technical mastery to specific musical competencies, like bass-line construction and development, walking, and soloing. Along the way, we may try to incorporate the tone and techniques of specific bassists into our playing, sometimes while learning their parts from songs they played on.
In so doing, we gather influences from here and there which gradually become part of our own individual style. All art borrows from whatās come before, and thatās certainly true when it comes to incorporating ingredients from other players into our personal playing approach.
Many of us, though, with practical concerns in mind, value versatility over developing a personal style. We work to enlarge our skill set, so we can have more opportunities to play. In our quest to be broadly knowledgeable and prepared for anything, we may not even think of ourselves as having a notable style. Marcus Miller has a style, we think. Players like Flea, Joe Dart, Steve Harrisāthose players have a style.
But having a personal playing style is like handwriting. You may write the same words as countless others, and maybe they even convey the same meaning. However, the flair with which you produce them is unmistakably yours, no matter how many different kinds of things you write. And the musical parallel is true whether you spend most of your time playing covers or coming up with original bass lines of your own. Maybe you have a tendency toward a certain kind of phrasing, or you lean toward shorter, punchier notes. Maybe you have a penchant for the pentatonic when soloing, or you instead opt for upper extensions and altered notes. The factors that make up your style might be much more subtle, but in aggregate you can tell when itās you on a recordingāand when itās not. You canāt help it: Youāre unique.
And you canāand perhaps shouldāhave it both ways. You can strive to be a versatile, flexible player and still cultivate a personal style. The trick is in being aware of the elements that define your playing personality, and yet not letting your understanding of them limit your playing choices. As double bassist and composer Edgar Meyer once said, āHaving a strong style is like having a big rut.ā
āGeorge Clinton described Billyās style as having āthe Motown flavor with the aggressive rock attitude.āā
One of the best ways to grasp the concept of individual bass style is to listen to bands that have had more than one bass player. I once had the opportunity to play behind legendary P-Funk and James Brown trombonist Fred Wesleyāa musician with a pretty strong style of his own. I had to learn several tunes, and was particularly struck by the bass on āHalf a Man,ā from Fred Wesley & the Horny Hornsā 1979 album, Say Blow by Blow Backwards. A growling string slide opens the track, followed by a couple of clipped root notes, another swoop, and an alternating eighth-note lick that eventually ladders its way back down to the tonic. I was intrigued. It didnāt sound at all like Bootsy Collins, whose swinging 16th-note rhythms with Parliament I was more familiar with. It wasnāt like the jazzier funk of Rodney āSkeetā Curtis, and it was more raw and bluesy than funkateer Cordell āBoogieā Mossonās work. And it was played with a pick.
So at soundcheck, when I finally had the opportunity to meet Fred Wesley, one of the first things I asked him was who was that bassist? āOh, thatās Billyās bass,ā he replied, referring to original Funkadelic bassist āBilly Bassā Nelson. It was Nelson who played the understated groove of āCan You Get to Thatā and the bluesy unison lick from āHit It and Quit It,ā both from Funkadelicās classic 1971 album, Maggot Brain. But thereās nothing understated about his prominent part on āHalf a Man,ā which features swift chromatic runs through the chorus changes. George Clinton described Billyās style as having āthe Motown flavor with the aggressive rock attitude.ā
I encourage you to explore the different playing personalities of the P-Funk pantheon as a primer in the potential of a personal style. To guide your journey, I recommend following along in Jimmy Leslieās āBassists of P-Funkā chapter in The Funky Bass Book, which is available on Amazon.
So, how do you balance versatility and cultivating a style? The key is in not settling. Always be listening, learning, and practicing as a means of expanding your bass playing vocabulary. Challenge your assumptions about yourself and your playing. Try new things. Play with different people. And remember that you donāt have to try to be unique and original; you simply are.
With new features like the Aguilar Cabinet Suite, dual XLR outputs, and upgraded power sections, these amplifiers are designed to meet the exacting standards of todayās bassists.
The latest innovations in the Tone Hammer and AG series include the introduction of the Aguilar Cabinet Suite, dual XLR outputs, expanded connectivity options, and power section upgrades.
Key features of the next-generation amplifiers:
Aguilar Cabinet Suite: This new software allows players to load Aguilarās custom-designed SL/DB cabinet impulse responses (IRs), or their own custom IR files. This feature is available through both XLR and headphone outputs, offering new tone shaping and cabinet emulation options.
Dual XLR Outputs & Expanded Connectivity: Musicians can now tailor their tone and utilize cabinet IRs for their monitor mix, while also sending a pre-EQ ād signal directly to the front-of-house. This dual functionality ensures optimal sound for both the artist and front-of-house. The new amplifiers include auxiliary input and headphone output options for silent practice. They also feature mix controls to fine-tune the listening experience, ideal for both practice and performance.
Upgraded Power Sections: Previously exclusive to Aguilarās 700-series, the upgraded power sections in the Tone Hammer and AG 500 now support a 2.67 ohm load and include universal mains. These enhancements make the amplifiers perfect for international touring, offering seamless voltage adaptation.
āThe new Tone Hammer and AG series amplifiers are a testament to Aguilar ās commitment to world-class sound and performance, providing bassists with the tools they need to define their sound on the global stage,ā remarks Jordan Cortese, Brand Manager, Aguilar Musical Instruments.
The next-generation Tone Hammer and AG series amplifiers are available for purchase through aguilaramp.com and Aguilarās extensive dealer network worldwide.
For more information, please visit aguilaramp.com.
Introducing the next generation in Aguilar Amplification!
Aguilar TH500V2 Tone Hammer Gen 2 500-watt Bass Amplifier Head
Gen 2 TH 500w Bass AmpSee how three different gear philosophiesāpowered by crunchy combos, classic guitars, piles of pedals, studio outboard gear, and a Beatles DI console fuzzāwork together to bridge the bandās brash, punkified roots with their polished pop hooks.
Cage the Elephant was formed nearly 20 years ago in Bowling Green by vocalist Matt Shultz, guitarists Brad Shultz and Lincoln Parish, drummer Jared Champion, and bassist Daniel Tichenor. That core lineup has only changed once, with Nick Bockrath replacing Parish onstage in 2013 and officially in 2017. CTEās earliest albumsā2008ās Cage the Elephant and 2011ās Thank You, Happy Birthdayācaptured their punk-rock pandemonium that turned venues into hurricanes. Cageās mayhem cloaked melodies, like a Trojan horse creating early-career earworms and sing-alongs out of hits āIn One Ear,ā āAin't No Rest for the Wicked,ā āShake Me Down,ā and āAberdeen.ā
2013ās Melophobia brandished a trio of mellower, melodious singles: āCome A Little Closer,ā āTake It or Leave It,ā and āCigarette Daydreams.ā Then, 2015ās Tell Me Iām Pretty saw the band enter Easy Eye Sound to work with Dan Auerbach, sending the bandās sonics back to the ā60s with an emphasis on direct, pointed performances and console-driven fuzz. Their last two albums, 2019ās Social Cues and 2024ās Neon Pill, partnered them with producer John Hill, who helped wrap their memorable hooks in a smokier, after-hours backdrop that incorporated ā80s sheen with drum machines, shifting synth textures, and sleek production that pulses with flow and emotion.
The constant glue that holds these albums together (aside from the members' cohesive creativity) is the constant applicationāin varied amountsāof garage rock, psychedelia, and a little bit of danger. Even their softest, smoothest work portrays these gripping vibes. And while the velvet packaging of their songs have them sounding more Abbey Road than Albiniāearning the group back-to-back Grammys for Best Rock Album for Tell Me Iām Pretty and Social Cuesāthe Shultz brothers still bring their signature piss-and-vinegar performances to the stage, where the front row will likely play host to both throughout any given setlist.
Before the bandās Bonnaroo set on Saturday June 15, Cage the Elephant invited PGās video team to their rehearsals inside East Nashvilleās Steel Mill space to cover the gear theyād be touring with in support of their sixth album, Neon Pill. On guitar, lap steel, and pedal steel, Nick Bockrath starts off the Rundown going through his sizzling setup that includes custom guitars, a bountiful pedalboard, and a special instrument from a deceased friend and Nashville legend. Then, tech Mason Osman details how Brad Shultz transformed his rig to mimic his preferred recording setup that relies on studio tube preamps and compressors for a direct, broiling sound. Lastly, tech Bailey Griffith shows a simplified-but-tsunami-sounding bass setup that includes two Fender 4-strings and 300W tube heads that kick like a mule.
Brought to you by DāAddario
Some Like It Hot
Guitarist Nick Bockrath was approached by luthier Jacob Harper to collaborate on his ādreamā guitar. The fellas landed on Harperās existing Marilyn model with some key requests: a Bigsby vibrato, gold hardware, a Bockrath-drawn dude on the truss-rod cover, and the striking red-sparkle finish. Harper was the brains behind the pinball-flapper-button kill switch (with Bockrathās blessing). The semi-hollow has a chimey, jangly tone thanks to its TV Jones FilterāTron pickups. All the knobs were originally identical, but as Nick says, āwe just keep it moving,ā so heās been replacing the road thrash with random knobs from his personal collection as needed. All his electrics take Ernie Ball Power Slinkys (.011ā.048).
Sniped
Los Angeles-based producer John Hill, who worked with Cage the Elephant on Social Cues and their brand-new Neon Pill, had his eye on this early 1990s GibsonĀ Les Paul Deluxe goldtop that was for sale at Carterās Vintage Guitars. He sent the listing link to Nick Bockrath, who was going to visit the store to inspect the goldie. Bockrath called Hill from the shop, who wondered how the guitar sounded. Nickās sly response: āIt sounds like Iām gonna buy it in five minutes [laughs].ā The previous owner removed the original pickups and dropped in a P-90 in the bridge and a gold-foil in the neck.
Torn and Frayed
Bockrath scooped this on a trade from Blues Vintage Guitars in Donelson. He canāt quite nail down its birth year, but from the serial number and similar online listings, heās been able to deduce that itās a SG Custom from 1969āā71. This is a bus companion that travels with Nick because he doesnāt want it out of his sight.
Trust in Russ
Russ Pahl is a pedal-steel guitar icon. Heās on a short list of first calls when an artist needs that classic country sound. On top of being an ace musician, Pahl builds partscaster guitars, and he assembled this mean T with Nick in mind. It has a standard T-style bridge pickup, but to give Bockrath a bit more bite, he opted for a Firebird-style mini humbucker for the neck slot.
Knockin' on Heaven's Door
Nickās early Nashville mentor and a friendās father William "Bucky" Baxter played lap- and pedal-steel guitar for Bob Dylan and Steve Earle. This century-old Gibson BR-6 lap steel toured with both iconic songwriters. Bucky sold this to Bockrath because, he said, āif you were ever gonna play lap steel in a rock ānā roll band, this would be the one,ā so Nick honors his old pal every night.
Steeler
Bucky Baxter got Bockrath hip to the GFI pedal-steel guitars when he first expressed interest in the slide instrument. Nick landed on the single-neck GFI Ultra 10-string model thatās added fresh elements to Cageās sound on their last two albums and subsequent tours.
Royale with Cheese
Nick Bockrath's Pedalboard
Bockrath has everything but the kitchen sink on his stomp station, but he assured us that each pedal has its role and itās all very organized. Starting on the left there are four separate time machinesāa duo of Boss DD-8 Digital Delays, EarthQuaker Devices Disaster Transport, and a Death By Audio Echo Dream 2. Modulation and weirdo effects include a Moog Moogerfooger MF-108M Cluster Flux, a Boss TR-2 Tremolo, an Electro-Harmonix Mel9, and a Malekko Omicron Vibrato. His pair of fuzzes are the single-knob Big Ear Pedals Betty White and the Malekko Diabolik. Reverb comes from the amps and the Malekko Spring Chicken, pitch-shifting is handled by the venerable DigiTech Whammy, and spicing up his signal is either an Analog Man Comprossor or a Pedal Projects Growly boost. All the pedals are routed through the GigRig G2, a Lehle 3at1 Instrument Switcher allows him to quickly bounce around his three string-bending roles, and a Boss TU-3S keeps his guitars in check.
Tuxedo
When we last spoke with Cage in 2014 and for most of the bandās earliest years, Brad Shultz destroyed and revived import Fender Mustangs. He preferred the short-scale studs for their thin, bright sound, compact frame, and their ability to handle several surgeries. Since working with Dan Auerbach and John Hill in the studio, Shultz has broadened his stable to include models from Gretsch, Kay, Gibson, and others depending on what the song needs. For the bandās summer tour, heās slimmed down his options to three main instruments. First up is a Silvertone 1449 BSF that employs the companyās ālipstickā single-coils that offer Brad a similar bitey, high-end snarl heās used to with the Mustangs. Both of Shultzās electrics take Ernie Ball Power Slinkys (.011ā.048) and he hits them with Dunlop Tortex .50 mm picks.
Spacely Space Sprockets
If his Silvertone 1449 is a blast from the past, this Baranik RE-1 is one of the most futuristic designs guitardom has seen in years. Luthier Mike Baranik specializes in refurbishing and repurposing recycled parts with a modern eye, while maintaining a strict focus on tone and playability. This RE-1 features his handwound gold-foil pickup that slides, in real time, to provide maximum sonic flexibility. Other interesting bits include a wood-intonated saddle, glow-in-the-dark fret markers, illuminated control pod, and a total weight of six pounds.
Bell Curve
A handful of songs during Cage shows will put Shultz on this Gibson J-45 Standard, including āAināt No Rest for the Wicked,ā āTrouble,ā and the title track off their newest album Neon Pill. To avoid any feedback or howling buzz, his tech Mason Osman slid in a DāAddario Screeching Halt Soundhole Plug. And this burst beauty takes Ernie Ball 2004 Earthwood 80/20 Bronze strings (.011ā.052).
From the Studio to the Stage
We interviewed Brad around the Tell Me Iām Pretty sessions that were recorded with Dan Auerbach in his Nashville Easy Eye Studio, and thatās where the band first explored plugging straight into a console. āAs a guitarist, the whole approach of going direct really appealed to me, and I got that from [ā60s] bands. A lot of them did the exact same thingāwent right into the console. But I think the thing that influenced us the most about those bands was the separation of their tracks. When you sit and really listen to their recordings, you notice how each instrument is doing something very specific. Each part is so thought-out and placed so deliberately. I really drew from that.ā
That immediate connection between instrument and player resonated with Shultz so much that he revamped his live rig to include studio gear. He tours with no amps and no modelers; instead, he plugs his guitars into a pair of rack-mounted Thermionic Culture devices for his pure, lively toneāa Phoenix SB stereo valve compressor and The Rooster 2 preamp.
Back in 2016, Shultz explained that this synergy provides a different playing experience. āIt feels more human. When I hear that, I really hear the person playing, not so much this amp sound. The strings speak for themselves, almost, if that makes any sense. You can hear the pick actually hitting each individual string as you strum a chord, or you can hear each individual stroke of a lead part. So that was really appealing to me, maybe because I'm such a raw player. I basically beat the shit out of a guitar. I'm very heavy-handed. I want to hear the separation between each string when I'm strumming a chord.ā
Brad Shultz's Pedalboard
All his filth, fury, and ferociousness come from hitting the rack gear with as much input signal as possible. The incremental levels of destruction are handled by five agitatorsāa JHS Colour Box V1, a JHS Crayon, a JHS Colour Box V2, an EarthQuaker Devices Tone Job, and a Jext Telez White Pedal. The rest of his pedal roster contains a Boss DD-7 Digital Delay, MXR Phase 100, a pair of MXR Reverbs, Caroline Kilobyte lo-fi delay, and a Boss AW-3 Dynamic Wah. Shultzās utility boxes are a Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor, a couple of Boss TU-3 Chromatic Tuners, a Radial Engineering BigShot ABY, and a Voodoo Labs PX-8 switcher simplifies all his changes.
Big Cat Growl
Original bassist Daniel Tichenor has been a Fender-heavy thumper. When we saw his rig in 2014, he was using a Jazz and P basses; when he spoke with PG about Tell Me Iām Pretty, he recorded with P, Jag, and Mustang 4-stringers. For this 2024 run supporting Neon Pill, heās mainly laying down the groove with the above Fender American Standard Jaguar bass that uses La Bella RX-S4D Rx Stainless Roundwound Bass strings (.045ā.105). Tichenor bounces back and forth between fingerstyle and using a pick, but when he does the latter, he rakes the strings with Dunlop Tortex .88 mm picks.
'Stang Stinger
For Cageās mellower numbers, Tichenor will saddle up on this Fender Player Mustang bass that rides with La Bella 760FS Deep Talkin' Bass Flatwound strings (.045ā.105).
Tower of Power
The Jag and āStang go through a Fender Super Bassman 300W head (the second is a backup) that feeds two Fender Bassman 810 Neo cabinets.
Daniel Tichenor's Pedalboard
The lone effect that colors Tichās tone is a Fender Engager Boost that spurs the flatwound Mustang with a punch of dBs. The other boxes on the Pedaltrain Nano+ board are DIs for FOH, and the boost is powered with a Truetone 1 Spot Pro CS6.
Shop Cage the Elephant's Rig
Gibson Les Paul Deluxe Goldtop
Gibson Custom 1963 Les Paul SG Custom Reissue
Supro 1933R Royale 2x12 Combos
Boss DD-8 Digital Delay
EarthQuaker Devices Disaster Transport
Boss TR-2 Tremolo
Electro-Harmonix Mel9
Lehle 3at1 SGoS Instrument Switcher
Gibson J-45 Standard
JHS Colour Box V2 Preamp Pedal
EarthQuaker Devices Tone Job
MXR M107 Phase 100 Phaser Pedal
MXR Reverb
Boss AW-3 Dynamic Wah
Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor
Boss TU-3 Chromatic Tuner
Radial Engineering BigShot ABY
Voodoo Labs PX-8 Switcher
Fender Player Mustang Bass
Fender Engager Boost
Fender Super Bassman 300W Head
Fender Bassman 810 Neo Cabinet
Ernie Ball Power Slinkys (.011ā.048)
Ernie Ball 2004 Earthwood 80/20 Bronze Strings (.011ā.052)
La Bella RX-S4D Rx Stainless Roundwound Bass Strings (.045ā.105)
La Bella 760FS Deep Talkin' Bass Flatwound Strings (.045ā.105)
Available in 4-string and 5-string versions with unique finish options. Each purchase includes a certificate of authenticity signed by Wimbish.
Wimbish collaborated with Spector's USA Custom Shop to create the DW-4 and DW-5 models, echoing the iconic instruments that have been favored heavily throughout his recording and performing career.
These signature basses faithfully replicate Wimbish's originals, down to the smallest details like neck contours and nut widths. Customized EMG pickups, developed in collaboration with Wimbish, capture the distinctive sound that has shaped his monumental musical impact. These models invite players to explore the feel and response that have defined Wimbishās signature style over the years.
Available in 4-string and 5-string versions, each model boasts unique features & finish options. The DW-4 comes in Amber Stain Gloss and Black Stain Gloss options, while the DW-5 offers Dark Blue Stain Gloss and Faded Natural Gloss. Every purchase includes a certificate of authenticity signed by Doug Wimbish.
Wimbish comments, āSpector took the time to get every little nuance right, and that to me is dedication and being thoughtful enough to know āI want to nail it,ā and they did. Iām able to pick these instruments up for the first time and play them like Iāve already had them for years.ā
For more information, please visit spectorbass.com.