Top 5SponsoredSeen using
Solar Guitars
E1.6KW“A signature guitar designed in conjunction with YouTube sensation Ola Englund's Solar guitar company”
Seen in Mixdown: Gear Rundown, Kirk Windstein of Crowbar, June 2025
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Independent research by truerecs. Not affiliated with, endorsed or verified by Kirk Windstein. Every item links to its public source.
13 items · Last checked What guitar does Kirk Windstein play?
Kirk Windstein uses a Solar signature guitar with a Seymour Duncan Invader in the bridge and a '59 in the neck, playing through a Neural DSP Quad Cortex and a Fryette Two/Ninety/Two power amp on Crowbar dates. Mixdown notes his long use of a Boss MT-2 Metal Zone as a clean boost and Marshall 1960B cabinets.
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Top 5
Where to start with Kirk Windstein's gear.
01
02
Top 5Uses
Seymour Duncan
Invader humbucker“a Seymour Duncan Invader in the bridge”
Said in Premier Guitar: Rig Rundown, Crowbar, May 2026
03
Top 5Uses
Seymour Duncan
'59 Model humbucker“a Seymour Duncan '59 in the neck”
Said in Premier Guitar: Rig Rundown, Crowbar, May 2026
04
Top 5Uses
Neural DSP
Quad Cortex“Windstein is running through a Neural Quad Cortex unit”
Said in Premier Guitar: Rig Rundown, Crowbar, May 2026
05
Top 5Uses
“working in tandem with a Fryette Two/Ninety/Two power amp”
Said in Premier Guitar: Rig Rundown, Crowbar, May 2026
What gear Kirk Windstein uses: a sourced gear guide
Independent research by truerecs: every item links to the public source it comes from.
Guitars
SponsoredSeen using
Solar Guitars
E1.6KW“A signature guitar designed in conjunction with YouTube sensation Ola Englund's Solar guitar company”
Seen in Mixdown: Gear Rundown, Kirk Windstein of Crowbar, June 2025
Pickups and strings
Uses
Seymour Duncan
Invader humbucker“a Seymour Duncan Invader in the bridge”
Said in Premier Guitar: Rig Rundown, Crowbar, May 2026
Uses
Seymour Duncan
'59 Model humbucker“a Seymour Duncan '59 in the neck”
Said in Premier Guitar: Rig Rundown, Crowbar, May 2026
Amps and cabinets
Uses
Neural DSP
Quad Cortex“Windstein is running through a Neural Quad Cortex unit”
Said in Premier Guitar: Rig Rundown, Crowbar, May 2026
Uses
“working in tandem with a Fryette Two/Ninety/Two power amp”
Said in Premier Guitar: Rig Rundown, Crowbar, May 2026
Seen using
Marshall
1960B 4x12 Cabinet“300 Watt Straight Front Marshal 1960b's have cropped up regularly in Kirk's rig”
Seen in Mixdown: Gear Rundown, Kirk Windstein of Crowbar, June 2025
Seen using
Celestion
Vintage 30“The Celestion vintage 30 speaker is a notable ingredient in Crowbar's sonic gumbo”
Seen in Mixdown: Gear Rundown, Kirk Windstein of Crowbar, June 2025
Pedals and effects
Seen using
BOSS
MT-2 Metal Zone“For his work in Crowbar, Kirk has been a long-time aficionado of the Boss Metal Zone.”
Seen in Mixdown: Gear Rundown, Kirk Windstein of Crowbar, June 2025
Records that shaped him
Has said they love
Kiss
Alive!“when the needle hit the vinyl and the opening chords of "Deuce" came screaming out of my speakers, my life was changed forever.”
Said in Decibel: Five Heavy Albums that Changed My Life with Kirk Windstein, February 2020
Has said they love
Van Halen
Van Halen“Of course, after hearing that song I was pretty excited to hear the rest of the record.”
Said in Decibel: Five Heavy Albums that Changed My Life with Kirk Windstein, February 2020
Has said they love
Motorhead
No Sleep 'til Hammersmith“I eventually started listening to the record on a daily basis, and was obsessed with every song on it.”
Said in Decibel: Five Heavy Albums that Changed My Life with Kirk Windstein, February 2020
No store page for this one.
Has said they love
Judas Priest
British Steel“In my opinion, this album really started the new wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM).”
Said in Decibel: Five Heavy Albums that Changed My Life with Kirk Windstein, February 2020
Has said they love
Carnivore
Retaliation“This album really changed my life musically.”
Said in Decibel: Five Heavy Albums that Changed My Life with Kirk Windstein, February 2020
No store page for this one.
Questions
About Kirk Windstein's gear.
What guitar does Kirk Windstein play?
In 2026 his go-to for Crowbar dates is his Solar signature X1.6KW in Mardi Gras purple, per Premier Guitar, strung with DR Strings .013 to .060. Mixdown also covers his Solar E1.6KW and the 1984 Charvel San Dimas he recorded Crowbar's early albums on.
What amp does Kirk Windstein use?
Premier Guitar's 2026 rundown shows a Neural DSP Quad Cortex with a Fryette Two/Ninety/Two power amp. Mixdown notes solid-state Randall heads, especially the RG100ES, and straight-front Marshall 1960B cabinets with Celestion Vintage 30s.
How does Kirk Windstein set his Boss Metal Zone?
Mixdown says he uses the MT-2 as a clean boost: level on maximum, distortion on zero and the EQ controls at 12 o'clock.
What albums changed Kirk Windstein's life?
He told Decibel: KISS Alive!, Van Halen's debut, Motorhead's No Sleep 'til Hammersmith, Judas Priest's British Steel and Carnivore's Retaliation, which he credits for Crowbar's low tuning.
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Named in this guide
KW
Kirk Windstein
About this guide · Last checked
Kirk Windstein is the founder, singer and guitarist of Crowbar, and a founding member of Down. This guide covers his Solar signature guitar, Seymour Duncan pickups, Quad Cortex and Fryette rig from Premier Guitar's 2026 Crowbar Rig Rundown and Mixdown's gear rundown, plus the five albums he told Decibel changed his life.
truerecs put this guide together from public videos, interviews and posts. Each item says how we know and links to the source. Kirk Windstein didn't write it or choose anything on it. How we source gear guides.
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