Krank wishes to say a huge congrats to the Eric Church Band for their recent album “CHIEF” debuting at #1! This is near and dear to everyone at Krank as one of our own is featured in the band, guitarist Driver Williams who was an original Team Krank member when the company started. Also featured in the band is original Black Crowes guitarist Jeff Cease. For all you gearheads Driver rocks a Krank Nineteen80 and Chadwick.

The band is currently on tour with Toby Keith but stopped in Phoenix to do a one-off date at the Marquee Theater. Below are some photos from the show as well as their current video “Homeboy” and footage of their Jimmy Kimmel appearance the day after.

All photos by David Burgess.

“Homeboy” Video

Jimmy Kimmel Appearance

Eric Church and Driver Williams

Jeff Cease

Driver Williams and Jeff Cease

The Nineteen80 cab offers a different 4×12 tone to players with it’s construction of 13-ply Baltic birch wood, a premium choice of woods that matches well with the Eminence Governor speakers it’s loaded with, very classic midrange in nature while being able to handle high gain equally as well! This versatile cab gives not only Nineteen80 head users an affordable and perfectly matched cab but also provides a nice tonal option for users of the Rev+ and Krankenstein+ and is a great 4×12 option for owners of the Rev Jr. and Krankenstein Jr. 50W heads. The cab features the same dimensions and removable style grill as the Rev and Krankenstein cabs and comes wired 16 ohms standard.

* 4×12 cabinet, 13-ply Baltic birch wood construction
* Loaded with premium Eminence Governor speakers, standard in 4 ohms
* Oversized cab for greater bass response, measurements 29 ¾” W x 31 13/16” H x 14” D
* grill available in black or tan/pepper grill cloth, metal grill also available in black or chrome

The Jr. cabs are some versatile little cabs! They were originally designed as a studio cab prototype at the Krank factory and used a lot during the development of the Jr. heads. We liked the look and sound so much what was going to be a combo became a stack!

It features the same construction as the Nineteen80 4×12, using a 13-ply baltic birch shell and is loaded with the same premium Eminence Governor speakers. Because the Governor is rated at 75W this cab easily handles full size heads as well and is ideal for home rehearsal, studio use, club gigs, or personal onstage monitoring.

* 1×12 cabinet, shell 13-ply baltic birch wood construction
* Loaded with premium Eminence Governor speakers 16 ohms
* Measurements 15 1/2″ x 15 1/2″ x 12″
* Removable grill available in black grill cloth, tan/pepper grill cloth, black metal or chrome

These amps are excellent studio amps as well as being ideal for band rehearsal and club gigging. The matching 1×12 cabs and great for practice as well as miking up nicely in the studio, giving you great separation without the phasing that can accompany miking a 4×12. Also another great choice to match with the 50W head are the Nineteen80 and Rev SST cab, giving you a high quality gigging rig at an affordable price!!!

* Two channel, footswitchable in either a 20W or 50W version
* Preamp three 12AX7 tubes, power section two Sovtek 5881 tubes
* Krank channel: sweep control, 3 band eq, gain, master, Kleen channel: volume, 2 band eq
* Active effects loop, 8 and 16 ohm selector, worldwide voltage use, footswitch included
* Available in black or tan/pepper grill cloth

Jeff Duncan (pictured left) of Armored Saint using the Nineteen80 Jr. along with bandmate Phil Sandoval using a Rev Jr. Pro at the 2011 NAMM show:

Toby Keith guitarist Joey Floyd demoing the Nineteen80 Jr. at the 2011 Winter NAMM show:

The Winter NAMM Show is always the “must attend” convention of the year for musician and music fan alike and the 2011 edition was as exciting as ever! At the Krank booth we debuted the new Jr. combo, had numerous performances including Michael Wilton of Queensrcyhe, Jeff Young (ex-Megadeth) playing Mega riffs from his past for the first time in years as well as debuting a Dime-inspired instrumental, Jeff Duncan and Phil Sandoval from Armored Saint jamming thru a medley of their greatest riffs, Steve Brown of Trixter lighting up the stage as well as the U.S. debut of Aussie shredder Michael Katselos. Sliding thru the booth throughout the show was a who’s who of players including legendary Adicts guitarist Pete Dee, Bobzilla of Hellyeah announcing his new Krank endorsement, Tommy Victor of Prong/Danzig, Dave Lombardo of Slayer, Joey Floyd of Toby Keith/Willie Nelson’s bands, and many more.

The crowds were large and we saw thousands of faces over the four day event! Here’s a few pics from the Krank staff’s perspective of the show, enjoy!

Setting up for the show…

Crowd packing in to see Armored Saint’s performance:

Jeff Duncan and Phil Sandoval of Armored Saint post performance with Krank’s artist relations Chris Catero:

Inside the soundbooth:

Jeff Young (ex-Megadeth, Souls on 11) performing:

Krank Addicts! Jeff Duncan of Armored Saint, Aussie shredder Michael Katselos and Phil Sandoval of Armored Saint:

Packed crowd for Queenryche’s Michael Wilton doing a demo and discussion of the Krank Nineteen80 amp:

Krankers Jeromy Graves and Brian Abell having a rare moment of peace early in the day at the booth:

The performance stage at the booth:

Another packed house for Krank artist performances:

The Dirty Valve bass head and Bobzilla of Hellyeah’s display on the booth:

Queensrcyhe’s Michael Wilton talking about the Nineteen80:

The new Jr. combos gracing the stage:

Brian Abell ready to tear into a crazy dessert tray at Anaheim’s famous The Whitehouse:

Another busy NAMM Show!

Here’s the collection of videos we shot that the 2011 Winter NAMM show…enjoy!

Jeff Young (ex-Megadeth, Souls on 11) playing at the booth, interview with Bobzilla of Hellyeah

Michael Wilton of Queensryche’s demo and discussion of the Nineteen80 amp and cab

Australian shredder Michael Katselos’ booth demo

Armored Saint’s Jeff Duncan and Phil Sandoval demoing the new Jr. combos

Joey Floyd of Toby Keith and Willie Nelson’s bands demoing the Nineteen80 Jr. in the sound booth

Interview with Pete Dee of The Adicts

The Seattle Seahawks football team made history the season by becoming the first division winner with a losing record to make the NFL playoffs then promptly sent the defending Superbowl champions New Orleans Saints packing by upsetting them in what was one of the best upset stories in NFL history. So it was a fitting stage to also provide the Seattle faithful with another electrifying moment during the halftime show, the reunion onstage of two of their best loved rock-n-roll sons Michael Wilton and Chris DeGarmo of Queensryche.

DeGarmo left the band in the ’90′s and this was the first time the two had played together in 13 years. Rounding out the rhythm section was Alice In Chain’s Mike Inez and Heart’s Ben Smith. They performed a medley of classic rock anthems with a literal “army of guitars” on the field as part of the team’s halftime festivities. No word of if the two will perform again in the future. Wilton’s next performance is the Krank booth at the 2011 Winter NAMM Show. Check out some fan shot footage of the event below:

Our new Nineteen80 amp just got it’s first official review in the October 2010 issue of Premier Guitar Magazine and the feedback is awesome! The staff at Premier Guitar have long been known for their expertise and taste when it comes to gear and we’re thrilled to hear how much they dug the amp.

An excerpt from the article reads “The Krank channel does not disappoint. It absolutely bristles with gain punch and harmonic overtones. The tone is, in fact, very reminiscent of the older modified amps I have played. The controls are wide ranging. Players who scoop the mids a bit will love the tightness this amp provides when scooped, while players who like the mids will find the midrange right where they want it to be. Krank seems to have found the magic frequency for the voicing of their Midrange control to please pretty much everyone.” It’s a very comprehensive review and soundclips available for download. To read the entire article click the link below!

CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE PREMIER GUITAR REVIEW OF THE NINETEEN80

Check out Steve Brown and Michael Wilton rockin’ the Nineteen80 at Winter NAMM 2010:

For info on Wratchet Head go here: http://ratpakrecordsamerica.com/wratchethead.cfm

Congrats to Krank endorsee In This Moment as their new release “A Star-Crossed Wasteland” debuted this week at #40 on the Billboard charts! This is the band’s third album and their highest chart debut, selling 10,500 copies it’s first week. In This Moment are currently out on the Mayhem Tour with Korn, Rob Zombie, Lamb of God and Five Finger Death Punch and the tour is selling briskly as well.

Check out the video for the band’s first single “The Gun Show”:

GEAR USED: Chadwick, Nineteen80, Rev Cab, Nineteen80 cab, Rev 2×12 cab

This 28-year-old Nashville native has over a decade’s worth of professional guitar work under his belt. Playing locally in rock and heavy metal bands since the age of 15, Driver began cutting his teeth in clubs and basements around Music City. By 17, he was an official road-dog, playing several radio tours across the nation with a country artist on RCA Records.

The fall of 2000 saw Driver in Tempe, Arizona at Arizona State University. Far removed from the verdant and laid back surroundings of the South, Driver found desert dwelling to be a welcome change and embraced his new locale. Over the next five years, an English Literature degree rode shotgun with a full on rock n’ roll way of life. In 2001, Driver co-founded Fallguy, a multi-faceted metal/hardcore outfit with moderate regional success (including two invitations to South-by-South West (SXSW), and opening slots for such heavy metal juggernauts as Hatebreed and Lamb of God). It was the Fallguy experience that sculpted Driver’s DIY attitude and thick skin needed to deal with the ruthless realities of life on the road.

Reading great novels, writing bad essays, cutting endless tracks, gigging around the southwest, all while maintaining a rigorous collegiate social life and getting into a healthy amount of trouble wasn’t enough for Driver at 22. In 2004, Driver joined the original crew of the fledgling Krank Amplification (an LLC based in Tempe specializing in high gain boutique guitar amps) stuffing chassis and cabinets full of tubes and speakers. Among Krank’s roster was the late “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott (legendary guitarist for Pantera). Already a hero of Driver’s, Dime also became a mentor to the aspiring guitar player. Driver’s time at Krank afforded him opportunities to mingle and jam with the “Guitar World” elite, and further cemented his fate as a professional musician.

In May of 2005, the diploma finally came and Driver returned to Nashville. He immediately started working at his father’s publishing company, Jody Williams Music, as catalog manager and song plugger. After a few months of hiring demo players and conducting pitch meetings, Driver was tapped by Eric Church, the highly celebrated rock infused writer/artist signed by Capitol Records, to play guitar in his road band. Also at that time, Driver’s father, Jody Williams, accepted the position of Vice President of writer and publisher relations at BMI Nashville. It was then that Driver took on both the responsibilities of running a full roster publishing company as well as being Eric’s “country-core” sideman.

About the time that the Jody Williams Music catalog sold, Driver’s road schedule was getting frantic. The Eric Church Band (or the ECB) toured relentlessly for the next five years, unleashing their rock-fueled performances to packed houses nationwide, and leaving sweat and whiskey-soaked stages in their wake. Tours with country chart toppers such as Brad Paisley and Rascal Flatts, wild 100+ degree festivals with renegade southern rock giants like Hank Jr. and Lynyrd Skynyrd, and opening sold out arena shows for Rock n’ Roll Hall of Famer, Bob Seger have molded Driver into the seasoned pro that he has become.

Recently, Driver contributed numerous guitar tracks to Eric’s album “Carolina” (Capital 2009), and penned a cut on the album with Eric as a co-writer. In September 2008, Driver married his love, Lacey. They reside in Nashville.

Check out more on Driver at:
www.ericchurch.com
www.myspace.com/ericchurch
www.myspace.com/driveroftheericchurchband

MUSIC:
“Smoke A Little Smoke” – Eric Church Band
VIDEO:

Fellow Krank artists Fozzy and Razer have teamed up for some special one-off dates, kicking off this weekend in Phoenix, AZ at Club Red in Tempe during wrestling’s biggest weekend. The second show is scheduled for Apr. 28th in New York City at the famous BB King’s venue.

Fozzy features WWE superstar Chris Jericho on vocals with Stuck Mojo’s mastermind Rich Ward on guitar as well as Sean Delson and Frank Fontsere from the Mojo camp. Fozzy’s “Chasing The Grail” came out in late January and is being touted as one of the year’s best metal releases thus far.

Razer features Kranks’ own artist relations director Chris Catero on bass and Guitar Hero video game singer Chris Powers on vocals as well as ex-Wardog members Paul Sullivan and Eric Bongiorno along with Jeromy Graves . Their album “Dark Devotion” has garnered rave reviews with the rock media and their single “Superpaun” has been a staple on Sirius XM’s Octane since it’s release.

Fozzy’s single “Martyr No More”
Fozzy – “Martyr No More”

Razer’s single “Superpaun”

Superpaun

RAZER | MySpace Music Videos