Zach Blair

Zach Blair

Zach Blair is the lead guitarist and co-composer for Chicago-based hardcore punk band Rise Against. Zach is originally from Sherman, Texas.

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. Zach was the founding member of Hagfish, and Armstrong also with his brother and was Flattus Maximus of GWAR from 1999-2002. He has also been a 2nd touring guitarist for The Loved Ones and was the 2nd guitarist on the instrumental band The Mag Seven's album The Future Is Ours, If You Can Count.

Blair is a vegetarian, an animal rights advocate and actively promotes PETA with the other members of Rise Against, who released their fifth album, Appeal to Reason, on October 7, 2008. This was Rise Against's first studio release with Blair. On the reverse of his Les Paul standard, there is a Bill Hicks sticker with a skull and cross bones on the left to it.

Zach currently resides in Austin, Texas. He lives the straight edge lifestyle, as do his bandmates Tim McIlrath and Joe Principe.

Equipment

Guitars

• Gibson Les Paul Classic (Black) w/Seymour Duncan JB pickups
• Gibson Les Paul Goldtop Reissue (Chambered Body) w/Seymour Duncan Distortion Pickups
• Gibson Les Paul Standard (black) w/ Seymour Duncan JB Pickups

Amps and Cabinets

• Marshall JCM900 4100 100watt Hi Gain Dual Reverb amp head (with 5881 Tubes)
• Rivera K120TRE Knuckledhead Tre amp
• Mesa Boogie 4x12 Recto Cab with Celestion Vintage 30 speakers
• Rivera 4x12 cab with EV75 speakers

Effects and More

• 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)
• Dunlop Tortex Standard Guitar Picks

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)

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)