Billy Strings Guitars & Gear: Preston Thompson, Martin and the Rig Behind the Flatpick
Billy Strings' documented guitars and rig: Preston Thompson, Martin signatures, K&K pickups, strings, picks and pedalboard, with dates for each source.
Billy Strings, 2017. Photo: Forrest L. Smith III, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Billy Strings plays a flat-top acoustic with a flatpick, and the interesting part of his documented rig is what is attached to that guitar. According to Premier Guitar’s 2023 Rig Rundown, his main touring acoustic carries three separate pickup and microphone sources, a switch that hands the guitar over to an electric-style effects rig, and a pedalboard that Premier Guitar counts at 21 pedals. The guitar underneath is a Preston Thompson dreadnought with a Brazilian rosewood back and sides, not a vintage Martin, although Martin has since put his name on two production models.
This guide sticks to rigs that have been documented in print: two Premier Guitar Rig Rundowns (August 2019 and July 2023), Martin’s own January 2025 announcement of his signature guitars, and Peghead Nation’s coverage of the Preston Thompson signature model. Where a detail is from one source only, the text says so. Everything dated here is as of 16 October 2026 unless a date is given, and touring rigs change, so treat each list as a snapshot of the date attached to it.
Background: From a Mahogany Dreadnought to “Frankenstein”
Premier Guitar’s 2019 rundown, written by Perry Bean, tells the instrument story in the writer’s words rather than Strings’ own. Strings first played a standard Preston Thompson dreadnought with mahogany back and sides for about two years, then in 2017 moved to a Thompson dreadnought with Brazilian rosewood back and sides. Thompson builds in Sisters, Oregon.
By the 2023 rundown that 2017 guitar had a name. Premier Guitar lists “Frankenstein” as a Preston Thompson DBA dreadnought from 2017 with a spruce top and Brazilian rosewood, and calls it his main touring acoustic. The 2023 piece also records that the K&K Double Helix soundhole pickup has been added since 2019, which is one reason we treat the 2019 and 2023 lists below as two separate snapshots rather than one rig.
A Martin that mattered to him was not on stage. Preston Thompson Guitars, writing on Peghead Nation in October 2018, says it interviewed Strings in Bend, Oregon, in 2017. In that piece his father sold a prized Martin D-93 to cover family living expenses, and Strings later found it for sale online and worked to buy it back. That is the maker’s account of what Strings told it. We did not find a source linking that guitar to the design of his Thompson signature model, so we do not claim a link.
The Rig: Billy Strings’ Guitars, Amps & Effects
Guitars
The main touring acoustic in the 2023 rundown. Premier Guitar lists a K&K Sound Pure pickup under the saddle, a K&K Double Helix soundhole pickup that was added after 2019, and a Shure WB98H/C clip-on microphone inside the top that feeds front of house and in-ear monitors. Signal passes through a Grace Design BiX. A switch on the top, installed by Dave Johnson of Scale Model Guitars, engages the soundhole pickup so the guitar can run through the electric side of the rig.
Premier Guitar gives it the same specs and electronics as Frankenstein, with a smoky charcoal sunburst finish, lightning bolts on the bridge and fretboard and a headstock image of the character originally played by Elsa Lanchester. The rundown says he often uses it in a lower tuning for the title track of the album Home.
Premier Guitar says this guitar has a pickup selector and that Dave Johnson installed pickups and mics, and that the Martin Custom Shop reshaped the neck to a modified-V profile. It was previously owned by Jody Payne, who died in 2013. Premier Guitar also reports that Mickey Raphael suggested adding some of Payne’s ashes to the guitar and that Strings obliged. That account comes from Premier Guitar alone, and we have not found it in a second source.
Premier Guitar lists a custom D-45 fitted with all of Strings’ microphones and pickups, with extensive decorative appointments. We found no further detail on it.
A pre-war guitar used for throwback band moments around a shared microphone, according to the 2023 rundown, which says it will never go near a drill press or Dremel tool. Martin’s January 2025 announcement identifies his prized guitar as a 1940 D-28, serial number 76283, and says the D-28 Billy Strings is a homage to it. Relix likewise describes the model as based on Strings’ own 1940 D-28.
There is no Collings in any of the rigs we opened. Collings is a reasonable guess for a bluegrass player, but none of the Premier Guitar, Martin or Thompson pages lists one, so we do not include one here.
Amps
In 2019 Premier Guitar reported that Strings engaged a Deluxe Reverb when he wanted more distortion, blending it with the original DI feed. The article says that for most of the night the audience hears “pure Preston Thompson tones”. Tone shaping for the amp came from a Chase Bliss Brothers distortion and a Boss GE-7 equalizer. Our own page on the Fender Deluxe Reverb covers the amp itself.
By July 2023 Premier Guitar’s rig list showed no Fender amp. It lists a Kemper running an SLO-100 profile, a high-gain model based on the Soldano sound, controlled from an RJM Mastermind GT MIDI switcher along with the pedals. Our Kemper Profiler guide covers the unit itself.
Effects
The 2019 board was controlled by a Boss ES-8 switching system. Premier Guitar’s list: Chase Bliss Wombtone MkII, Source Audio Nemesis Delay, Eventide H9, Strymon Lex, Electro-Harmonix Freeze, Electro-Harmonix Pitch Fork, Grace Design BiX DI and a D’Addario Planet Waves chromatic tuner. Under the board sat what the article calls his “secret weapons”, a DigiTech Polara and an Electro-Harmonix Micro POG, and a Strymon Zuma powered everything.
By 2023 the board had grown to what Premier Guitar describes as 21 pedals across four drawers. Highlights include a Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive, Boss DD-8 delay, Boss SY-1 synthesizer, Red Panda Raster and a Chase Bliss Automatone preamp. Several 2019 pedals carried over: the Nemesis, the H9, the Lex, the Freeze, the Pitch Fork and the Polara are all still listed. Power comes from a Strymon Ojai and Strymon Zuma units. Premier Guitar also lists two Mission Engineering SP-1 expression pedals, a TC Electronic Ditto looper and a Peterson StroboStompHD tuner.
We have separate pages on three of the pedals Strings is documented using: the Source Audio Nemesis Delay, the Eventide H9 and the DigiTech Polara. We have not stated a Zuma count for 2023, because the Premier Guitar page is inconsistent on it.
Pickups for Live Use: How the Acoustic Signal Is Built
Premier Guitar documents the pickup chain in two stages.
In 2019 the signal was a K&K Sound Pure under-saddle pickup plus an Audio-Technica ATM350 microphone taped below the soundhole; the 2019 board list also includes a Grace Design BiX DI. In our view the logic is the usual live-acoustic one: an under-saddle pickup for a stable signal, a microphone for the air and pick attack the pickup misses, blended at the DI.
By 2023 the microphone had become a Shure WB98H/C clip-on inside the top, and the Pure was joined by a K&K Double Helix soundhole pickup. Retailer listings (we could not open K&K’s own product page) describe the Double Helix as a hum-cancelling dual-coil magnetic pickup for steel-string acoustics with phase and tone switches, and say it can be used alone or with the Pure. A soundhole pickup is magnetic, so it behaves more like an electric guitar pickup, which is why it fits the electric-style effects rig. In our view that is the logic behind the top-mounted switch Premier Guitar describes: acoustic tone for most of a song, then a magnetic signal into the Kemper and the pedals when the music gets louder and stranger.
The Martin D-X2E Billy Strings comes with a Martin E1 pickup with built-in tuner and volume, tone and phase controls, according to Martin’s launch post. That is a standard factory system, not a copy of his stage setup.
Strings, Picks and Capos
Strings: D’Addario Phosphor Bronze medium gauge, .013 to .056, in 2019. The 2023 rundown lists D’Addario XS Phosphor Bronze medium, which is a coated string, in the same gauge on all of his guitars. The 2023 Premier Guitar video was sponsored by D’Addario XS strings, so that listing should be read with the sponsorship in mind.
Picks: Premier Guitar’s 2019 piece lists a BlueChip TD55. The 2023 rundown lists a BlueChip TP48 Speed Bevel for his right hand. These are two different models, so the pick appears to have changed between the two rundowns, or the shop sheet differs from what he plays that night. We cannot tell which from the sources.
Capos: Elliott, according to the 2023 rundown.
Neither rundown quotes Strings explaining why he chose these strings or picks, so we list them as documented gear and do not guess at his reasons.
The Preston Thompson Signature Model
The first signature guitar bearing his name that we found documented came from Preston Thompson, not Martin. In a partner post on Peghead Nation dated 9 March 2020, Preston Thompson Guitars said Strings surprised his father, Terry Barber, with the first guitar of the run, the DBS-EIA, during their Family Strings tour, and that Thompson was introducing a limited run of 33.
Teja Gerken reviewed number 16 for Peghead Nation on 3 May 2021 and reports it as sold out by then. The spec list in the review gives a 14-fret dreadnought with an Adirondack spruce top, prewar scalloped advanced-X bracing and a slightly reddish sunburst finish. The back and sides of the reviewed guitar are bookmatched Brazilian rosewood, though the run was offered in either Indian or Brazilian rosewood. The neck is mahogany with a soft V profile that Gerken says is slimmer than a vintage dreadnought, with an ebony fingerboard and bridge, a 25.4-inch scale and a 1 11/16-inch nut. The inlays pair green jade with mother-of-pearl, including a regency torch on the peghead. Gerken describes the feel as fast and the single notes as well defined and clear. Thompson supplied the guitar for the review, which is worth knowing when reading a favourable one.
The Martin Signature Models (January 2025)
Martin announced two Billy Strings guitars on 22 January 2025, according to Martin’s own post, “Full Circle: Billy Strings and His New Martin Signature Models”. Relix reported the same launch at NAMM.
D-28 Billy Strings: A 14-fret dreadnought with solid East Indian rosewood back and sides, a solid spruce top with scalloped X bracing, ebony fingerboard and modern belly bridge, abalone diamond-and-square inlays, herringbone trim and an antique toner top. Two details stand out. The scale length is 25.0 inches, where Martin says its dreadnoughts typically use 25.4 inches, and the nut is 1 23/32 inches wide. The neck is mahogany with a Modified Low Oval profile. Martin’s post quotes Strings on the shorter scale as giving the guitar a bit less string tension. No electronics are listed for this model.
D-X2E Billy Strings: The same 25-inch scale and nut width, with Brazilian rosewood-patterned high-pressure laminate back and sides, a solid spruce top, a select hardwood neck and faux abalone inlays. It carries the Martin E1 electronics and comes with a hemp softshell case. Martin says the D-X2E was designed with affordability and durability in mind, and Relix quotes Strings saying he wanted it to be affordable.
We have not quoted a price. The Martin post we opened gives no price, and dealer prices we saw vary by region. Dealer listings we saw also disagree on small points, such as nut material and the exact inlay description, so check Martin’s own specification page before buying. For the standard model both guitars are named after, our Martin D-28 guide covers the D-28 in general.
Playing Style and Tone: What the Gear Does
The sources we used document equipment, not technique, so this section stays with what the equipment shows. Strings plays with a flatpick: both rundowns list a BlueChip pick. For most of a night in 2019, Premier Guitar reports, the sound was the guitar itself, with the amp and effects added when he wanted more. Our pages on Doc Watson, Tony Rice and Clarence White cover earlier names in flatpicked and bluegrass-adjacent guitar, and Molly Tuttle, who according to our profile of her once lived with Strings in Nashville, has her own Martin signature model listed on Martin’s site.
In our view the notable part of his rig is the signal path. One flat-top is split into an under-saddle pickup, a microphone and, by 2023, a soundhole pickup, so that the guitar can sound like an acoustic or feed an electric-style Kemper and pedal rig from the same instrument.
How to Get Close to Billy Strings’ Rig
The documented core is small.
- Guitar: A rosewood dreadnought with a spruce top. The D-28 Billy Strings and the D-X2E are the officially sanctioned versions. Martin positions the D-X2E as the affordable one.
- Strings: D’Addario Phosphor Bronze mediums, .013 to .056.
- Pick: A BlueChip, either of the models above. We cannot say which he prefers.
- Pickup: A K&K Pure under the saddle, optionally with a Double Helix soundhole pickup if you want an electric-style signal.
- DI: A Grace Design BiX, which Premier Guitar lists in both rundowns.
- Effects: Start with delay and a harmoniser. Both rundowns list a Nemesis, an H9 and a Micro POG.
If you only change one thing, in our view change the signal path before the pedals. A good under-saddle pickup, a DI and a clean tone are what the rest of the rig assumes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What guitar does Billy Strings play?
As of Premier Guitar’s July 2023 rundown, his main touring acoustic is “Frankenstein”, a 2017 Preston Thompson DBA dreadnought with Brazilian rosewood and spruce. He also plays a second Thompson called “The Bride”, a 1945 Martin D-28, a custom Martin D-45 and an unmodified 1940 Martin D-28.
Does Billy Strings play a Collings?
Not in any rig we found documented. The Premier Guitar rundowns and Martin’s announcement list Preston Thompson and Martin instruments and no Collings. We cannot rule out a Collings off-stage, only say that these sources do not show one.
Does Billy Strings have a signature guitar?
Yes, more than one. Preston Thompson built a limited run of 33 DBS-EIA guitars, with the first one given to his father, as reported in March 2020, and the run described as sold out in a May 2021 review. Martin announced the D-28 Billy Strings and D-X2E Billy Strings on 22 January 2025.
What strings and picks does Billy Strings use?
Premier Guitar’s 2019 rundown lists D’Addario Phosphor Bronze mediums (.013 to .056) and a BlueChip TD55 pick. The 2023 rundown lists D’Addario XS Phosphor Bronze mediums in the same gauge and a BlueChip TP48 Speed Bevel.
What pickups does Billy Strings use live?
The 2023 rundown lists a K&K Sound Pure under-saddle pickup, a K&K Double Helix soundhole pickup and a Shure WB98H/C clip-on microphone inside the top. The 2019 rundown instead lists the Pure with an Audio-Technica ATM350 microphone below the soundhole.
Does Billy Strings use an amp?
Premier Guitar’s 2019 rundown lists a Fender Deluxe Reverb used for distortion, blended with the direct signal. The 2023 rundown lists a Kemper Profiler running an SLO-100 profile instead and lists no Fender amp.
Image credits
- Kemper Profiler: Vonvon, Wikimedia Commons, CC0.
- Top image: Forrest L. Smith III, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Fender Deluxe Reverb: DlxReverbFront, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
- Eventide H9 Harmonizer Effects Processor: GuitarGangsters AI-generated reference illustration, not a photograph.
- Kemper Profiler: Vonvon, Wikimedia Commons, CC0.
