They say less is more, though anyone who’s familiar with electric guitars or acoustic guitars knows that simply isn’t true. More often than not, more really is more.
Kiko Loureiro is clearly an advocate of such a school of thought – so much so that he’s revealed he’s taken 13 (!) guitars of varying type and style on the road with him for Megadeth’s ongoing tour.
And, while usually we’d have to accept the fact we’d only be able to see these axes from afar via grainy online footage from various live shows, Loureiro – who has quite the YouTube presence – has released a video that lets us get up-close-and-personal with his catalog of tour instruments.
Joined by guitar tech Keaton Rich, the pair pick apart the well-stocked guitar stand, which, in total, features 11 electrics and two acoustics.
Of course, Ibanez is very well-represented in Loureiro’s stand, with five signature Kiko models making the cut. The current tour’s opening axe is a Kiko200 in D-standard – used for the first four or five songs – which is swapped out for a lighter weight Kiko100 LA Custom.
The first Kiko100 LA Custom is brought on to the stage for Conquer Or Die at the same time as the Takamine TC 132, though a Yamaha NCX3 classical guitar – a recent acquisition for Loureiro – is set to take the Takamine’s place in upcoming shows.
A burst-finished Kiko200 LA Custom is next on the list, with Loureiro also giving us a teasing glimpse of his matte red AZ prototype model, selected for its different neck profile and 12” radius.
Further Ibanez guitars arrive in the form of a Red Kiko100, a low-action RG for tapping workouts, a “hotel room” Kiko200 standard and a super-thin S-Series, the latter two of which won’t be played on stage during the tour.
Finally, a fresh-out-the-box, budget-friendly Kiko Series SP2 model is also brought along for the ride, as is Loureiro’s Megadeth artwork-adorned “Burn” RGA LA Custom. Though it used to be his go-to guitar for Conquer Or Die, the tour’s tweaked setlist means it no longer gets any on-stage action.
Oh, and just for good measure, Loureiro has also made room for a red Gibson Les Paul Modern, which features a scooped, ergonomic neck heel.
The video also revealed Rich’s string-changing regiment, with the guitar tech explaining he routinely replaces Loureiro’s electric guitar strings every two or three shows, just to keep them fresh.
There you have it, folks. Anyone else now thinking about their own guitar collection with some serious gear envy? Yeah, us too.
