Gear Review: Love and Death lead guitarist JR Bareis on his Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier and PRS guitars

I recently had the opportunity to speak with JR Bareis, guitarist for the band Love and Death, about his favorite piece of gear used while recording the band’s newest effort, Between Here & Lost. Here’s what Bareis had to say his gear, including amp and guitars.

What kind of gear did you use when you were recording the upcoming Between Here & Lost CD (guitar and amp setup)?
JR: I used PRS and Ibanez guitars. For amps I used a Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier, Bogner Uberschall, and a Diezel vh4s.

Besides guitar, what other instruments do you play?
JR: Bass, vocals, and a little bit of drums.

How many guitars do you own?
JR: 3 for now. I have a PRS SE Singlecut, PRS SE Mike Mushok Baritone, and a 1987 PRS Standard 24. The ’87 model is my favorite. Only 12 were ever made!

Do you use special tunings on the guitar?
JR: Yeah our tuning is Drop G#.

What is the most difficult aspect of recording your distinctive guitar sound?
JR: Dialing in different tones and making them sound good. Takes a while sometimes!

Overall, which guitarists have you been the most inspired by?
JR: I was greatly influenced by Noah Henson of Pillar. It’s crazy because we are really good friends now!

Past or present, other than Love and Death, if you could be a guitarist for any other band, which band would it be?
JR: Sent By Ravens!

Did you have formal education on the guitar?
JR: Nope! I’m self taught.

Do you think about distinguishing the guitar performances and sounds from release to release?
JR: Not really. I just try to stay as true to the record as I can. It’s more challenging!

Check out the song: “The Abandoning”