Guitarist, producer, songwriter and synthesist Jade Puget is best known as one quarter of hardcore punk revivalists AFI (A Fire Inside). Since ’91, AFI have amassed a huge global following, played numerous worldwide tours and released 10 studio albums – ranging in genre.
Last year we got acquainted with Jade and introduced him to the Revstar range, resulting in the RSP20 becoming an essential part of his live set up.
I love the feel of the Revstar. In a live setting it has to be more than just tone because of how much I move onstage. The Revstar has a nice balanced weight to it and a sound that makes it an indispensable piece of my live arsenal.”
With this relationship underway and Jade feeling at home with the stock guitar pretty quickly, when looking for a custom model to add to his collection, we were more than happy to oblige. Sticking with the basic design of his RSP20, Jade’s request was a guitar inspired by the band’s most recent album ‘AFI (The Blood Album)’, plus a few tweaks. We spoke to Yamaha Guitar Designer and Luthier Pat Campolattano for the story on how he realized this.
Pat Campolattano: When working on a project with an artist like Jade, who is so intimately familiar with his sound, the feel, and balance of his instrument, we really had to be sure to hit our marks right out of the gate. Jade has been playing a stock 2 Humbucker guitar for years with AFI, and it has shaped the sound of his playing and the band for years.
Jade had taken a few of the Revstars out on the road, putting them through the paces and really liking them, but we still wanted to make him his own custom Revstar. We went over some ideas together and landed on something pretty close to the stock guitar.
The most significant changes were swapping the wraparound bridge for a more traditional 2 piece Tune-o-matic style, and the custom graphic for the body and headstock based on the AFI album artwork. Jade wanted clean and simple functionality, so he opted for a single stock Bridge pickup that he loved from the original RSP20, and single volume control only. Then we dressed the guitar with black hardware, and a satin finish on the back of the neck and body.
The result is a no-frills guitar that can cover lots of ground on the stage and in the studio. Working with Jade was great, and he is such a pro, so it came together very quickly with his help! Can’t wait to hear him play it live!
Pleased with the finished result, Jade’s feedback: “I’ve always wanted to have an album themed guitar and the Blood Album wrap came out gorgeous. Now I want one for every album!”
Photo by Josh Massie (@scatteredpictures87)
