Yungblud’s Guitar-Throwing Antics: A Game-Changer for His Guitarist’s Setup
Yungblud, the dynamic guitarist from Yorkshire, captures the essence of rock ‘n’ roll not just through his music but also through his electrifying stage presence. Though, his penchant for tossing guitars has led to some unexpected challenges for his band and crew.
As his standout performance at Back to the Beginning, Yungblud’s popularity has soared, even as he faced some playful jabs from Dan and Justin Hawkins during his MTV VMAs appearance.Yet, it’s his dramatic guitar-throwing that has become a talking point, causing a few headaches behind the scenes.
“The two heads we use on stage are now replicas because Dom [Harrison,Yungblud’s real name] has destroyed so many amps,” shares Adam Warrington,Yungblud’s touring guitarist. “He’s improved substantially over the years, but his habit of hurling guitars at my amps has led to a lot of broken Bluesbreakers and Plexi heads. We finally decided to switch to fakes!”
Warrington elaborates on the technical challenges: “We previously relied on the hughes and Kettner Red Box for cab simulation, but I didn’t realize it couldn’t handle the load. Dom’s amp was incredibly loud, and he often forgot to lower the volume. I ended up unplugging the speaker from his amp multiple times. Honestly, he probably fried every amp he used in the U.S.!”
When not in the act of throwing guitars, Yungblud primarily plays a Murphy Lab Les paul, which has quickly become his go-to instrument, alongside another Les Paul affectionately named ‘Casey Jones’. His signature SG Junior also makes regular appearances.
“the Murphy Lab is definitely my main guitar,” Warrington confirms. “Last year in America, we needed an additional guitar for the tour. We dropped Hello, Heaven down half a step to accommodate Dom’s vocal range. I visited Gibson, and the artist rep handed me that guitar. I played it for just one song and immediately knew it was the one. The other guitar can stay in D tuning.”
As for Casey Jones, presumably named after the iconic character from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, it has undergone some important upgrades. “We purchased it using Ben’s credit card during our first rehearsals together,” Warrington recalls. “I installed a [DiMarzio] Super Distortion pickup because the original PAF-style pickups weren’t delivering enough clarity in D standard tuning. The added gain from the Super Distortion really enhances the sound.”
Following his collaboration with Aerosmith, Yungblud has also teamed up with the Smashing Pumpkins, with Billy Corgan praising him as “a visionary.” Though, fans shouldn’t expect him to join a band anytime soon; he has his reasons for wanting to remain a solo artist.
stay tuned for Yungblud’s full interview with Warrington, which will be available online soon.
