U2's The Edge Rig Rundown

This past June, PG traveled to the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia to catch U2’s eXPERIENCE & iNNOCENCE Tour.  Before the band’s soundcheck, John Bohlinger hung with Dallas Schoo, who has been taking care of The Edge’s ever-changing collection for over 30 years.  

The Edge tours with 45 guitars. He performs with 18 to 20 different guitars every show and has a backup for every one of them. The Edge does not endorse any string company but has Dallas Schoo constantly experimenting with different brands and gauges for each guitar and tuning.

In 1978, on a trip to the United States with his family, a seventeen-year-old Edge bought this 1976 Gibson Explorer. This guitar was there for the birth of U2 and has been part of nearly every tour and session since. Edge now owns eleven ’76 Explorers and currently tours with three of them. They are all stock and nearly identical. And to be clear, Dallas Schoo is always on the look for more.

Fender approached The Edge about a signature model based on some of his old favorite Strats. This namesake model features a large headstock, a Dimarzio FS-1 bridge pickup, and two custom staggered Fat ’50s Fender single-coil pickups. The strap on was designed by The Edge.

#guitar #rigrundown #u2 #theedge #guitarist #guitarplayer

[josephcotten]

Been working for the same guy for 33 years and still talks him up as a great human being. That’s incredible. How many employees can say they love their boss after 33 years working for him?

[gvstavofabian]

The amount of positive comments on this video is amazing. About Dallas, about The Edge, Bono, U2, this channel, the music, etc., so lovely. This is what Internet wasmade for!

[sn_mustang_garage]

People get down on The Edge because of all the effects but sonically he definitely was a pioneer of a special tone. You don’t get all these hits and still going 40 years later by accident.

[bobbysbackingtracks]

This has to be The BEST Rig Rundown ever. Thank you Dallas, John and The Edge. What a job and HUGE responsibility.

[CircumferencePI]

It's no wonder why The Edge keeps Dallas around. His enthusiasm and passion is phenomenal. One of the best gig rundowns! You rock, Dallas!

[TheTwangKings]

Wow. It's not about playing a 100 notes per second... it's about hearing what each instrument can bring to a specific song. Hearing each guitar and understanding what it does in a song... That's true musicianship!

[LD-bvpm]

Dallas is a walking guitar encyclopedia. Impressive. And it is so obvious how fond he is of Edge, it's adorable.

[dtmateo]

I have suddenly developed an appreciation for the Edge and his guitar tech. Such passion.

[lewisgeyer]

True story: Two years ago, riding my bike past a small country market north of Boulder, CO. In the parking lot is a 65-66 Shelby Mustang. My jaw drops. Being a vintage Ford nut I have to stop and talk to the owner. He comes out a minute later and I start pestering him about the car. I asked where he found it and he said he and his band were traveling through Georgia (???...somewhere in the southern U.S.) a few years back and saw it for sale locally so he bought it. "What's the name of your band?", I asked. "I belong to a band called U2, " he said. "I'm the Edge's guitar tech, my name is Dallas." My jaw drops a second, third, and fourth time. Trying to act as normal as I could I muttered something about a Squire Strat I found at a garage sale the day before. We chatted for about 10 minutes. Mr. Schoo was very accommodating and patient with all my questions. He's like the next door neighbor you can share a beer with...and he has great taste in cars.

[RagdollOC]

I've never understood other guitarist hate for The Edge. He has a very identifiable style and his total sound is amazing. I tend to like the guitar players that I can name after just a few notes, and Edge is one of them.

[tigerbaitcom]

Love Dallas. Nothing better than hearing a guy who has a love and passion for his job.

[hwy]

“People won’t remember what you played…..but how you made them feel”…..not sure who said that, but applies to The Edge, IMO. Such beautiful simple melodies that touch your soul.

[mikeadams]

That was the gold standard of Rig others are measured against that one. Dallas is the best.

[negativeyoda]

I used to work at the Starbucks in south Philly and when U2 came through years back some guy came in wearing a Vertigo jacket with the laminate and everything. I struck up a conversation since it was obvious he was on their crew and he asked if I was going to the show or if I was a fan. I told him (honestly) that I didn't listen to a lot of U2 despite respecting them, but the Edge always had an unmistakable tone. Anyhow, it was Dallas I was talking to. He lit up, told me some stories about finding the settings with the Edge for "Mysterious Ways" and some other songs and was a super friendly guy. As he left he gave me a one of the Edge's picks when he left with a tray of drinks he'd picked up. I hate to say that I later ebayed the pick so I could buy a guitar that just happened to be an Explorer. Anyhow, if you see this, Thank you Dallas! I still have my Explorer a decade on and you helped facilitate that

[TheOdditee]

Best. Rundown. Ever. I grew up in the 80s and never got in to U2. This guy, and his enthusiasm for The Edge's playing, and gear, has literally just made me a fan. What a cool guy and great friend to The Edge. I'm hearing the music completely differently now. Wow.

[MNWTube]

Never heard of Dallas but he seems to be the coolest, most enthusiastic, and gracious guy in the music biz. I'm not a U2 or Edge fan, but this is by far my favourite rig rundown.

[bobayersquebec]

This guy is the coolest and passionate tech of all the Rig Rundown episodes

[anthonysilva]

Dear Edge:
Give this guy a raise!!!!

[arielsolerno]

Watched this with beer and pizza. Top tier. Dallas is the Man.

[ziggylayneable]

I went to see them in concert last year. He played a different guitar for every song. Every guitar sounded completely different. It was one of the best live guitar sounds I ever heard. (I've done hundreds of shows too, so from me that's a bold statement).