Zach Blair

Zach Blair
Zach Blair, guitarist for Rise Against
Background information
Birth name	Zachariah Joaquin Blair
Born	December 26, 1974 (age 41) Sherman, Texas, United States
Genres	Punk rock, Hardcore punk.
Occupation(s)	Musician, Songwriter, Composer
Instruments	Guitar, vocals
Years active	1991–present
Labels	Fat Wreck Chords (2003–2007) Geffen (2007) DGC/Interscope (since 2007)
Associated acts	Hagfish (1991–2001) GWAR (1999–2002) Armstrong (2002) Only Crime (2003–2007) Rise Against (2007–present) Vanishing Life (2014-present) The DRAKULAS (2013-present)
Website	http://www.riseagainst.com/
Notable instruments
Gibson Les Paul

Zach Blair (from Sherman, Texas) is the lead guitarist and backing vocalist for Chicago-based melodic hardcore band Rise Against.

Before joining Rise Against in early 2007, Blair was a member of hardcore punk group Only Crime along with his brother, Doni Blair, who currently plays with the Toadies. The brothers were founding members of the bands Hagfish and Armstrong. Blair was also Flattus Maximus of GWAR from 1999 to 2002. He made a return to GWAR as Splattus Maximus on the 2013 album Battle Maximus. He has also been a second touring guitarist for The Loved Ones and was second guitarist on the instrumental band The Mag Seven's album The Future Is Ours, If You Can Count.

Rise Against's fifth studio album, Appeal to Reason, released on October 7, 2008, was its first with Blair. He also appeared on the band's sixth studio album release, Endgame, which was released on March 15, 2011.

Rise Against's seventh studio album, The Black Market was released On July 15, 2014.

Blair currently resides in Austin, Texas. Blair is a Straight Edge and a vegetarian and animal rights advocate and actively promotes PETA with the other members of Rise Against.^[1]

Equipment

Zach Blair performing live in Budapest - 2011

Guitars

• Gibson Les Paul Custom (Black). Custom made for Blair by Gibson. Single humbucker (bridge), single knob (volume) and toggle switch middle and neck position made into kill switch
• Gibson Les Paul Classic (Black) w/Seymour Duncan JB pickups (with Motörhead symbol)
• Gibson Les Paul Goldtop Reissue (Chambered Body) w/Seymour Duncan Distortion Pickups
• Gibson Les Paul Standard (Black) w/ Seymour Duncan JB Pickups
• Gibson SG Standard (Black) w/ Seymour Duncan Distortion Pickups
• Gibson Les Paul '68 Custom (Black) w/ Seymour Duncan JB Pickups, without Pick-guard. (White)

Amps and Cabinets

• Marshall JCM900 4100 100watt Hi Gain Dual Reverb amp head (with 5881 Tubes)
• Mesa Boogie 4x12 Recto Cab with Celestion Vintage 30 speakers
• Mesa Boogie custom built Road Ready Cab with Celestion Vintage 30 speakers

Effects and More ^[2]

• Boss TU-2 pedal
• Lehle P-Split A/B/Y splitter
• Boss NS-2 pedal
• Line 6 Echo Park pedal
• Rivera Channel Switcher
• Furman Power Conditioner
• Shure ULX Wireless Receivers
• Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 Plus

Strings and Picks

• Ernie Ball Coated Slinky guitar strings (10-46 gauged)
• Ernie Ball Hybirds .10 - .52
• Dunlop Tortex Standard Guitar Picks (.50 .60 .73 .88)

Discography

With Hagfish Buick Men (1993) Rocks Your Lame Ass (1995) Hagfish (1998) Caught Live (1999) That was Then, This is Then (2001) With GWAR You're All Worthless and Weak (2000) Violence Has Arrived (2001) Battle Maximus (2013) With Armstrong Dick, the Lion-Hearted (2002)

With Only Crime To the Nines (2004) Virulence (2007) With The Mag Seven The Future is Ours, If You Can Count (2006) With Rise Against Appeal to Reason (2008) Endgame (2011)[3] The Black Market (2014)

References

1. PETA2 // Out There // Top 10 Reasons PETA2 Loves Rise Against
2. Zach Blair Guitar Gear List
3. Rise Against enter the studio to record next album

2011, Rise. = "Rise Against Live Make It Stop September's Children 10-08-2011 Sziget" Check |url= value (help). Retrieved December 31, 2011.