The Riffs, Beards & Gear Podcast

Kirk Windstein of Crowbar and DOWN joins us to talk tone, gear, and being willing to try whatever gets him the sound he wants. We get into using Kemper and Quad Cortex rigs in place of real amps when the situation calls for it, active versus passive pickups, tuning down, and old Charvel guitars.

From his approach to digital gear to the instruments that have stuck with him, there’s plenty here for anyone who loves heavy riffs and talking gear.

This week, we go behind the scenes of making The History of High Gain, share the travel nightmare that was getting to and from Sweetwater to make it happen, and celebrate a new guitar day for Fluff.
From high-gain history to travel chaos and fresh gear, there’s plenty to catch up on.
What’s your worst travel horror story—and what guitar did you pick up most recently? Let us know in the comments!

On this episode, we dig into SixStringTV getting cancelled, take the Darkglass Anagram on tour and talk all things Zakk Wylde. Plus, what’s it like jamming with powerhouse drummer Kenny Aronoff? Guitar talk, gear deep dives, and stories from the jam—you’re in the right place.

As always, expect plenty of guitar talk, industry stories, questionable opinions, and a few laughs along the way.

This week on the podcast, Mike and I talk about the gear we’re currently GASing for, whether big social media numbers actually translate to people showing up to your shows, and some of the absolute nightmare tours we’ve experienced over the years. Gear lust, life on the road, and the sometimes very weird reality of being in a band.

As always, expect plenty of guitar talk, industry stories, questionable opinions, and a few laughs along the way.

This week on the podcast, Mike and I dig into the recent D’Addario AI disaster, talk about why seemingly EVERYTHING in the guitar world has gotten so expensive, and ask an important question: if Mike could design his own signature guitar from scratch, what would it actually look like? AI controversy, gear prices, dream guitars and plenty of questionable opinions along the way.

As always, expect plenty of guitar talk, industry stories, questionable opinions, and a few laughs along the way.