Tetrarch's Diamond Rowe became Jackson's first-ever female signature artist last year with the release of her highly lauded Monarkh guitar. When it landed, many fans were quick to notice that the guitar was missing its tone knobs – which, as Rowe explains, was a conscious decision.
“Honestly, the first adjustment I made when we were putting the specs together for this guitar was to get rid of the tone knobs,” she tells Guitar.com.
“It was like the very first thing I told them, because in all the years I’ve been playing since I was a child, I don’t remember ever adjusting a tone knob for literally anything. So, I’m like, you know what? Clearly, I’m not going to miss it. So, I just did two volume knobs.”
Tone knobs (or no tone knobs) aside, the guitar does come fully equipped with the classic metal pairing of the EMG 81 in the neck and EMG 85 in the bridge – and Rowe has a bone to pick with those who think active pickups can ruin your tone.
“I gravitated towards playing what my favorite bands played because when I was 11, I didn’t know anything about, you know, different pickups, active, passive, string gauges, nothing like that,” she continues.
“It was just like, oh, Kirk Hammet plays EMGs, so that’s what I want to play. So my first guitars had them in there. And I feel like it just became a part of my sound.
“Whenever I play EMGs, it just it’s that metal sound that everyone knows,” Rowe elaborates. “And some people like that about them and some people don’t. They feel like it might take away some of like the uniqueness of their playing or whatever. I don’t. I love them. I plug and play EMGs and I’m like, ‘Yeah, that’s what I need.’”
Earlier this year, the fast-rising guitar star revealed the name of the metal legend who asked her for a guitar lesson.
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