Deftones guitarist Stephen Carpenter has shown off his various guitars and explained the stories behind them during a newly debuted rig rundown video for Premier Guitar. Filmed during the band’s August 30th, 2025 stop in Milwaukee, WI, the influential alternative metal musician revealed his favorite guitars and detailed his evolution as a musician. He also provided an intimate behind-the-scenes look at the arsenal of instruments and gear he brings along to each Deftones show.
During the chat, Carpenter also touched upon more personal issues, including his health, and what bands he has been listening to lately. British alternative metal stars Sleep Token and avant-garde metal, country, etc. artist Bilmuri came first to mind for him. Carpenter went on to gush about the latter, offering [transcribed by theprp.com]:
“I love Bilmuri. Bilmuri is amazing. All bangers, as stated. I’ma tell ya, the latest record [‘AMERICAN MOTOR SPORTS‘], I never turned it off for maybe two or three months. I’ve been going through some health struggles over the past couple years — basically I’m type 2 diabetic, that’s what I’m dealing with — and you know, I’m 55, I’m getting old right?
So there was a time when that record came out and I listened to it so much, that the songs were just so, so catchy. Like, I’d wake up in the middle of the night and go use the bathroom or whatever, but I couldn’t get to sleep because the song would keep going.
I’d have to put something on that made me hear something else in my head. I stopped listening to it for awhile, because it was too much. But now I can listen to it without it disrupting my sleep.”
Later in the conversation, Carpenter circled back to his health issues while discussing his contributions to Deftones‘ latest full-length release, ‘private music‘. According to Carpenter his struggles in getting a handle on the above-mentioned disease led to some diminished involvement from him at first on the record. In turn, vocalist/guitarist Chino Moreno stepped up to contribute a substantial amount of guitar parts. Carpenter explained:
“On this record, Chino really came and showed up with the riffs. There’s aa lot of riffs on this record that are ones that he came up with. Good on him, man. I’m stoked and proud, and he inspires me right now. Because, again, like I said, I’ve been going through these health things now, for the last couple years.
I’ve been diabetic, probably longer than I than I knew, and deteriorating because of it. And it was only this year that I finally accepted it and have engaged in actively handling it, because otherwise I’m going to die from it. I don’t want to die from it.
And I got compassion for every person out there that that is experiencing this kind of stuff, and I will speak for those people. Our food supply is toxic. I mean, we are all just sugar-poisoned. And if you’re a person of color, you’re at an elevated risk for diabetes. But every one of us is getting affected by the substance in just different ways. Whatever your DNA is, your problems are still sourced to the same problems as mine. It’s just this is what’s got me.
And going through this record, like I said, back to [what] you asked me, what did I contribute? You know, I struggled going through this record. I’m very grateful that when it was time for me to track my guitars, that I was physically able to do it, because up until that point in time, there were songs I hadn’t even engaged in yet.
Like the song, ‘I think about you every day‘, right? I didn’t even play one thing on that song, literally, until it was time for me to record. I literally wrote, and I say, wrote, I recorded my part, literally, in the moment of recording that song. Effects, everything. It all happened when it was time. Otherwise I didn’t have anything.”
Speaking further of how the “private music” sessions played out, he added:
“Everybody was pumped. I was having a good time. I was engaged as I could be. But like I said, I’ve been going… I still have my [health] struggles, but I was going through a lot then. And last year was when I hit the bottom — or the bottom as I wanted to hit it.
And so I’ve been getting my medical help, and seeking information, just dealing… just being accountable for my own personal situation. Otherwise, I’ve just been like everyone else out there, ignoring it, acting like it’s nothing, self-medicating and failing.”
While Carpenter made the decision to stop touring internationally with the band back in back in 2022, he revealed last year that his issues with anxiety and air travel have played a large factor in remaining absent from overseas shows with the group. You can catch him out playing with the alternative metal titans at the following shows across the upcoming months:
With IDLES & The Barbarians Of California:
09/17 Kansas City, MO – T-Mobile Center
Deftones:
09/19 Atlanta, GA – Shaky Knees
09/20 Louisville, KY – Louder Than Life
10/03 Sacramento, CA – Aftershock
11/01 San Diego, CA – Dia de los Deftones
11/16 Mexico City, MEX – Corona Capital
