Truetone Lounge

Luther Dickinson is an acclaimed sideman, solo artist, and producer, noted for his work with the North Mississippi Allstars, Phil Lesh, and the Black Crowes. We begin with a discussion of his legendary producer/musician father, Jim, and how he nurtured his son's playing and his work ethic. We also dive into how Luther became a devotee of open tunings via his dad's obsession with Bo Diddley. Dickinson is currently out playing shows with JD Simo and drummer Adam Abrashoff.

Today we sit down with the incredible father/son guitar team of Stuie and Sonny French, of The French Family Band. They tell their tale of how they moved from Australia to the United States in 2019, and quickly made an impact on the Nashville music scene through their shutdown era livestreams, and their more recent appearances on the Grand Ole Opry. Gear wise, Stuie shows us his modified Jason Isbell Tele and Gretsch, while Sonny shows off his Gibson Les Paul Special, and vintage Fender Coronado.

Today's episode features two legends of the Nashville music scene, Joe Glaser and Steve Wariner. Glaser's innovations include a neck plate mounted bender system, 3-pickup Tele-style builds, Plek fret leveling and nut cutting technology, Music City Bridge hardware and tool supply, and running the world-respected Glaser Instruments repair shop in Nashville. Steve Wariner is one of the most acclaimed singer/songwriters & guitarists to ever hit Music City. The 4-time Grammy Winner formed a guitar style using two Glaser Bender-equipped guitars, a Strat-style with beautiful neck inlays, and a red 3-pickup Tele. Both instruments became closely associated with Wariner via the many public appearances, videos, and photos featuring them. Today Joe and Steve discuss the inspiration and creation of these instruments, and how their collaboration helped shape their careers. We also look at Jeff Senn's painstakingly made copy of Steve's red 3-pickup Tele that was made for Wariner to fly with when he wants to leave the original at home.

John Leventhal returns to go in-depth on his first solo album, Rumble Strip. We discuss his process of composing, recording, and the gear he used to create the 16 poignant tracks on the album. Leventhal also discusses his signature acoustic guitar tones that utilize both the natural "acoustic" sound, plus an "electric" sound hole pickup run-through effects and a tube amplifier. He also weighs in on the 30th-anniversary re-release of The Wheel, his first collaboration with his wife, noted singer-songwriter, Rosanne Cash. John is a multi-Grammy Award-winning producer and musician. A short list of Leventhal's collaborators includes Marc Cohn, Shawn Colvin, Rosanne Cash, William Bell, and Sarah Jarosz. Rumble Strip - Release Date January 26th, 2024 https://music.apple.com/us/album/rumble-strip/1713810040

Duke Levine's resume is filled with a catalog of stellar solo albums, high-profile sideman gigs, and essential session work. We have Tom Bukovac to thank for making this interview happen, as he had requested Duke on a recent session here in Nashville, that gave us a chance to catch up in person with the Boston-area great. To kick off, we begin with a discussion of his latest gig, touring with Bonnie Raitt. Via the new gig, he has had his first experience with using in-ear monitors and having amps off-stage. We also cover his early gigs with Jonatha Brooke & The Story, Mary Chapin Carpenter, and how he got a record deal in the early 90s. Levine also talks about the eternal tone hunt, covering his move away from using compressor pedals to replacing them with low-gain overdrive pedals. We also cover his pedal board where he uses a Radial switcher to keep his tone as pure as possible by removing unused items from his chain.

Adam Levy has an established guitar voice that we first heard on Tracy Chapman's "Give Me One Reason," then on albums and tours with Norah Jones, and sharpened to a fine point on his latest release, Spry. Besides his work as a guitarist, Levy has also devoted himself to being an educator through his Guitar Tips channel, Truefire instructional courses, and time spent as the Guitar Dept. Chair at the Los Angeles College of Music. Additionally, Adam made great contributions to the world of guitar journalism as a staff writer for Guitar Player Magazine in the 90s. Today Adam shares his musical adventures, expresses his love for his 1964 Gibson ES-335, and his excitement in releasing the "jazz album of his dreams," Spry.

Jeff King was raised in the Smokey Mountains of East Tennessee, where as a young boy, he found a guitar in an attic and was immediately hooked. Though he loved music and played frequent gigs, he did not study it in college, yet post-graduation, he decided to throw in his lot with a friend that moved to Nashville in the early 80s. With luck on his side, he fairly quickly hit the scene in a big way in 1985 by landing the lead guitar spot with the then-new artist, Patty Loveless. Jeff was soon riding the wave of success with Patty who was busy sending singles up the charts and wowing crowds and critics with her soulful Kentucky sound. This led to major screen time, as Loveless guested on the TV shows of the day, including Austin City Limits, The Tonight Show, Letterman, and the various music shows on The Nashville Network. Jeff was also getting to watch Patty make her records with guitarists Reggie Young, Ray Flacke, Albert Lee, Richard Bennett, and Steve Gibson. He soon was putting his watch-time lessons to use by working on demo sessions in-between road dates to the point that he was soon able to bid the road goodbye and focus completely on studio work. After decades of studio work, he was asked by one of his clients, Reba McIntire, to go out on the road with her, which lead to him also performing road dates with Brooks & Dunn. Jeff now tours with two legendary Country Music acts, and because of their less strenuous touring, he is able to keep his studio work thriving. On the gear front, King tells the backstory of his main guitar, a 1985 G-Bender equipped Glaser Tele-Style that is on its second neck. We also get a look at his Tom Anderson Strat, Gretsch Duo-Jet, studio pedal board, and his 1956 Fender Harvard amp.

Truetone Lounge Chris Scruggs is the host of his own WSM radio show that runs on Friday nights after the Grand Ole Opry, fronts his own band, The Stone Fox Five, and is a member of the white-hot group backing Marty Stuart, The Fabulous Superlatives. He is also a busy session man with everyone from up-and-comers to hitmakers Kacey Musgraves & Sierra Ferrell, and more recently, he was the youngest member inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame. In today's episode, Scruggs tells his own story and, along the way, shares plenty of country music lore and spotlights 4 of his favorite guitars, a 1962 Telecaster, a 50s Fender double-neck steel, a 1959 Martin D-18, and a 1938 Gibson L5.

Luke McQueary was Don Kelley's final guitarist in his long line of amazing players. Today we sit down and talk about his beginnings and the importance of Don's tutelage in his progression as a musician and performer. Though Don Kelley is now retired, the tradition lives on with Kelley's Heroes Wednesday through Saturday, 6:30 -10:30 PM at Robert's Western World. Luke also shows off his rig which includes a specially ordered Custom Shop Telecaster Thinline, vintage Deluxe Reverb, and a small pedalboard.

A short list of the veterans of Don Kelley's band includes Brent Mason, Redd Volkaert, Johnny Hiland, Guthrie Trapp, JD Simo, Daniel Donato, Porter McClister, and Luke McQueary. Kelley was bandleader and coach for these giants, helping each of them hone their playing and tone by playing 5-6 days of the week, 4 hours a night, under his watchful eye. As important as these players and their stories are, today we get to hear Don's story of growing up in Texas, serving in Vietnam, moving to Nashville to play with Joe Stampley, and how he came to lead his band and guide the careers of some of the finest guitarists in the world.

An unseen star of Baz Luhrmann's Elvis movie is guitarist JD Simo, who was tasked with replicating the original parts and tones played by Scotty Moore, James Burton, Hank Garland, Reggie Young, and Tommy Tedesco. In today's special collaboration with Ask Zac, we sit down with Simo, as he tells the tale of how he was asked to take part, and the gear he used to replicate the legendary guitarist's riffs. We also take a look at his soon-to-be-released album Songs From The House Of Grease. Recorded with his trio, the album features his recently acquired Danocaster Singel-Cut, along with an ancient Alamo amp and a venerable 1965 Deluxe Reverb. Simo also shows off his new Xact Tone Solutions built pedal board.

During David Hood's 50-plus-year career, he has played on more hits than just about any other bassist on the planet. From Bob Seger to Wilson Picket, and Rod Stewart to the Staple Singers, Hood provided the bass lines for countless Pop, Rock, and R&B hits that we all know and love. Many of us became aware of David through the beautifully made Muscle Shoals documentary from 2013, which focuses on the story of Rick Hall and his former proteges, the Swampers. Here, David, the last of the Swampers sits down with us at his former home away from home, Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, to lay down his own story.

Russ Pahl is one of the busiest guitarists and pedal steelers in Nashville, with credits ranging from Robert Plant to Carrie Underwood. He is a multi-instrumentalist, who moves between both instruments and musical genres in such a fluid manner, that he is just at home playing lead guitar with Dan Auerbach on Austin City Limits, as he is playing hardcore country pedal steel in Vince Gill's touring unit. In our Truetone Lounge interview, Russ covers his career, what he feels has kept him in demand over the last 30-years, and his highly customized guitar and pedal steel rig. #truetonelounge #truetone #russpahl

Carl Rydlund is the guitarist you are hearing on many of the movies you have watched over the last 20-years. Major films he has worked on with famed film composer, Hans Zimmer, all feature Carl's guitar work. Today we sit down with one of the soundtrack kings, who recently moved to Nashville to continue his film work, and to take a teaching position at the renowned music-focused Belmont University. In our interview, Rydlund discusses his musical upbringing, his move to Los Angeles, and how his work as a copyist and guitarist on Hanna-Barbera cartoons turned into the soundtrack work that has defined him over the last 20-years. Rydlund also shares very practical advice for those wanting to get into soundtrack work, and also takes a very sensible look at gear, and what one actually needs to get the job done.

Kenny Vaughan is the perpetually calm and composed guitar slinger that is just as at home touring with Marty Stuart as he is fronting his trio in a club or recording in a studio with the likes of everyone from Lucinda Williams to the Pretenders. With an extensive background in rock, punk, country, and jazz, Vaughan brings a seemingly never-ending bag of tricks to every musical situation he participates in. In our Truetone Lounge, we drill down as to how he seamlessly moves between various genres, how he has held his gig with Marty Stuart for over 20 years, and his seemingly utilitarian view on gear.

In today's Truetone Lounge interview with Lindy Fralin, the pickup man shares how repairs and rewinding in the 1980s led to the creation of his own pickups and how he eventually earned his current position as one of the industry leaders in both vintage replicas and groundbreaking original designs.

Jason Lollar is one of the premier pickup makers in the world, and even wrote a book on the basics of winding, and how to turn your mother's sewing machine into the perfect winder. In our Truetone Lounge interview, Jason takes us through his schooling at the Roberto-Venn School of Lutherie, and how he transitioned from guitar builder to pickup winder for many of the great guitar builders of today. Lollar also reveals the R&D that is involved in birthing new pickup designs, and how his work has influenced an entire generation of winders.

Jimmy Olander's opening lick on Diamond Rio's "Meet In The Middle," let the listener know that they were about to hear something new. His double-bender meets banjo fingerstyle sensibilities created a singular sound that would lead off most of the band's hits over the next 3 decades. Today, we sit down with Jimmy in his home studio and get the full story of his climb from out-of-work banjo player, to double bender Tele man with multi-platinum success. Jimmy also gives us the inside scoop on his Joe Glaser-built Telecaster style guitars, and how he began using Matchless amps.

Truetone Lounge | Ron Ellis Ron Ellis, fueled by his love of great tone, and enabled by his background as a scientist, broke the code and began producing some of the most vintage authentic electric guitar pickups a little over a decade ago. Via his thorough research and analysis of working and broken vintage pickups, he discovered both the recipe and the proper ingredients to replicate various eras of holy-grail winds. Soon, he was breaking those rules to create modern interpretations to meet the very specific tonal demands of virtuoso players such as Julian Lage, Brad Paisley, and Josh Smith. In Today’s Truetone Lounge, we get his back story and all of the serendipitous turns that led to his involvement in The Blackguard Book and to eventually becoming one of the great modern pickup winders.

We had tons of comments on Ray's first episode, and additional questions posted, so we followed up with a second spot with Ray. In this episode, he talks about his playing style, gigging with the Everly Brothers because he "needed the money," interviewing Deep Purple's Ritchie Blackmore, and his acoustic instrumental recordings, including his take on Paganini's 5th Caprice.

Steuart Smith is best known for having toured with the Eagles for the last 20 years, and for co-producing their "Long Road Out of Eden" album. His story begins long before in the Washington DC club scene, then expanding to the national scene through a band showcase for Colombia Record's Senior VP of A&R, Rick Chertoff. This led to collaborations with Rodney Crowell and Rosanne Cash on top-selling and award-winning albums, tours and production work with Shawn Colvin, and sessions with everyone from Vince Gill to Joni Mitchell. In our 2-hour interview, we cover his entire career as a session man, producer, touring sideman, and his ongoing role with the Eagles. We also cover his gear through the years, including what he currently uses on the road with the Eagles.

Danocaster Guitars is one of the most beloved and in-demand small-shop builders, yet next to nothing is known about Dan Strain and his small team that builds solid-bodies in Nashville, TN. After much prodding, Dan finally agreed to sit down and tell us about himself, his team, and the chain of events that led to the formation of Danocaster Guitars.

Elliot Easton's well-constructed solos with The Cars were integral to their hits and were in many ways mini compositions within the songs. In our Truetone Lounge, we dive into how the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member constructed those solos, and look deeply into the recording process of those seminal albums. Easton also thoroughly contrasts the producing styles of Roy Thomas Baker (Queen) and Mutt Lang (Def Leppard, AC/DC) on the various Car's albums and the hard work, and eye for detail that both producers shared. He also discusses his involvement with Gibson, Kramer signature models, and his custom orders with John Page that influenced the creation of the Fender Custom Shop in 1985. Elliot also discusses having Ringo Starr play on a track for The Empty Hearts, his supergroup that includes members from the Romantics, and Blondie.

TruetoneLounge | Ray Flacke We are so honored to have one of the all-time Telecaster greats, Ray Flacke, sit down with us to tell his story, after a long season of staying under the radar. Those not familiar with him should know that Flacke's influence runs deep on just about any player willing to pick up a Tele and play with gusto. With equal parts Ritchie Blackmore, Chet Atkins, and Roy Nichols, Flacke grabbed everyone's attention by the collar with his aggressive and staccato guitar work on the back-to-basics radio hits of Ricky Skaggs of the early to mid-1980s. After his stint with Ricky, he moved on to session work, and a return to touring with Marty Stuart in the early 90s, and the Jamie Hartford Band in the late 90s to early 2000s. After a stint out of the music limelight, Ray has a new passion, writing. He has just published a children's book entitled "The Boy Who Would Be Birds," and is in the process of completing his tongue-in-cheek autobiography, 'Kin 'Ell, Fired Again. Flacke also discusses his gear through the years, and how he has used super glue to save his right-hand nails, and baby powder on the neck of his guitar for left-hand precision. To order his children's book, send an email to rayflackenhauser@protonmail.com

Rick Holmstrom is an esteemed blues artist with a new solo album, See That Light, releasing on February 26th. Besides his esteemed solo work, he is also the bandleader and guitarist for legendary Gospel/R&B singer, Mavis Staples. In our Lounge interview, we cover how he got the Mavis gig at the urging of Ry Cooder, the low down on his new solo album, and an amazing walk-through of his favorite guitars including his 1953 Telecaster, Harmony Stratotone, and Danelectro double cutaway.

Jim Campilongo is one of the finest Telecaster players of the modern era. On his many great albums, Jim brings his beautifully unique approach to everything from honky-tonk, to jazz. In our Truetone Lounge discussion, we cover everything from his history as a player, inspirations, to his current practice regimen. We also could not help but talk of his love for late 50s Telecasters and Princeton Reverb amps.

Famed Guitarist, and groundbreaking guitar educator, Arlen Roth, is our guest for the latest Truetone Lounge. We cover his touring days with John Prine, Phoebe Snow, and Simon & Garfunkel, and how his side hustle as a guitar teacher transitioned into authoring books. Those books turned to audiotapes, and then after his work with Ralph Macchio on the movie Crossroads, he turned to guitar instructional videos. The Hot Licks videos that were made from the mid-1980s through the 90s featured an amazing assortment of guitarists, from Andy Summers to Cornell Dupree. Roth continues to record and perform, and we discuss his recent Tele-Masters album, and what's on the horizon for him.

Gordon Kennedy is a 2-time Grammy Award-winning musician, songwriter, and producer who happens to also have an amazing musical pedigree. His mother was a regular on the Louisiana Hayride with a recording contract, and his father was a member of the famed Nashville A-Team and ran Mercury Records’ Nashville division for 21-years. The stories abound about his musical upbringing, as he watches his record exec father steer the careers of Roger Miller, Jerry Lee Lewis, and the Statler Brothers, yet the pace doesn't slow a bit as it moves into his storied career. Multiple Grammy wins, working with Frampton, Clapton, Garth, Skaggs and so many other musical legends show that Kennedy is his own man, with his own incredible story. We also take a look at some of his stunning collection of instruments that includes two that are part of the Gibson Custom Shop Collector's Series; his father's b-bender equipped 1961 ES-335, and his 1959 Les Paul, formerly owned by John Sebastian.

Welcome to the Truetone Lounge. We are kicking off this show with the legendary Al Perkins. Al sits down with Truetone's Zac Childs (also a columnist for Vintage Guitar Magazine) for a casual and informative chat with Al about his life, career, and tools of his craft.

Andy Reiss is one of the true western swing and jazz guitar greats in Nashville and can be seen just about every Monday night with the amazing Time Jumpers. In our Truetone Lounge interview, Andy discusses his time in San Francisco during the height of the hippy movement, his move to Nashville and mentorship with Harold Bradley, and how he ended up on tours with everyone from Slim Whitman to Reba McEntire. Reiss also educates us in the traditional 1950's-60's guitar styles utilized by the Nashville A-Team using a 1959 ES-335, 1958 Danelectro 6-string Bass, Waterloo WL-14, and a 1941 Stromberg archtop. For good measure, he also discusses and demonstrates his 1952 Les Paul, incredibly rare blond 1966 Barney Kessel Custom, and his 1964 Fender Pro amp.

Audley Freed’s musicality and easy-going attitude have garnered him gigs with Cry of Love, The Black Crows, Peter Frampton, Dixie Chicks, Joe Perry, Sheryl Crow, and, many many others. In our Truetone Lounge interview, Audley shares everything from riding to gigs in vans with his early band, Cry of Love, to playing with Jimmy Page at the Greek Theatre, to his current position as one of the most in-demand sidemen in the world. Freed also talks gear, with his Senn Pomona, 1965 SG Special, B-Bender equipped Pomona, Lazy J amp, and his minimalistic pedalboard.

Bill Crook is one of the most respected electric guitar builders of the modern era. Bill shares his guitar building philosophies, and how his days touring with the group, America, influenced the features and functionality of every Crook Custom Guitar.

Bob Britt is a true journeyman guitarist who has played with a veritable who's who of legendary musical artists.

Bob Britt is a true journeyman guitarist who has played with a veritable who's who of legendary musical artists.

To celebrate Truetone’s 25th Anniversary, we sit down with founder and president, Bob Weil, to tell both his own story and that of the company he launched in 1995. The idea to launch a business began to germinate when Weil was using an off-the-shelf volume pedal that he wished had some sort of a visual indicator. Finding that no such pedal existed, he began learning about electronics, eventually starting Visual Sound and releasing the Visual Volume pedal in 1995. In Bob and Truetone’s joint 25-year story, we get everything from their first NAMM show, bankruptcy and rebirth, to the release of the flagship products Jekyll & Hyde, Route 66, H2O, and the 1 SPOT, as well as the eventual name change from Visual Sound to Truetone, the launch of the 1 SPOT Pro series, and why Bob decided to introduce the Truetone Lounge video series. We hope that after telling other's stories for years through the Truetone Lounge, you will enjoy getting to hear ours.

Brent Mason is one of the titans of the Nashville studio scene whose impact on the "Nashville Sound" cannot be overstated. His versatile and ear-catching guitar work has helped define the works of some of the greatest Country Music Artists of all time.

In part 3 of our Truetone Lounge interview, Brent talks about the psychology of working in the studio and gives great advice to the aspiring session guitarist.

Brent Mason is one of the titans of the Nashville studio scene whose impact on the "Nashville Sound" cannot be overstated. In part 2 of our Truetone Lounge interview, Brent discusses his iconic Tele playing...

Chad Jeffers is currently celebrating his 13th year playing arenas with Carrie Underwood. Prior to Miss Underwood, he toured with Keith Urban, Kenny Loggins, and was a member of a band signed to RCA Records. In this Truetone Lounge, Jeffers shares volumes of great advice for the up-and-coming players, coming from both the position of the artist and the sideman. He also stresses the importance of networking, hard work, and the willingness to take chances as recipes for success. Jeffers also illustrates how both being a multi-instrumentalist, and his willingness to learn has kept him working in a very competitive environment.

Chris Rodriguez is one of the most in-demand sidemen in the music business. In our Truetone Lounge interview, Chris talks about an exceptional career playing music with some of the world's most beloved artists.

Via Skype, we chat with Guthrie on what he has been up to. We start off talking about picks, but move on to his philosophy of using the right amp for the right venue. He then takes on a lesson talking about using chord notes when soloing, and some substitutions.

Daniel Carson is the long-standing studio and road guitarist with singer-songwriter, and Christian music artist, Chris Tomlin. In Our Truetone Lounge interview, Carson takes us from the Suburban to the tour bus on his career that started with Tomlin while Daniel was still in high school. Besides sharing his fascinating story, he also passes on important playing concepts, how he uses effects, and how he began learning the craft of songwriting from Tomlin and others.

In January of 2019, Daniel Tashian won the coveted Album of the Year award at the Grammy’s for his work on the Kacey Musgraves Golden Hour album. In our latest Truetone Lounge interview, we sit down with the award-winning producer/songwriter/guitarist to talk about the album, and how he began collaborating with Musgraves. He also shares how he was inspired by seeing his father perform with Emmylou Harris and the Hot Band, and his journey as an artist, songwriter, and producer. Daniel also talks about the ephemeral nature of inspiration, his attempts at capturing it, and how sounds and tones influence him.

David Grissom is one of the top American roots guitarists. His singular playing style and tone have garnered him multitudes of sessions, tours with acts from the Allman Brothers to John Mellencamp, and a long-running successful signature model from Paul Reed Smith Guitars. In our Truetone Lounge interview, Grissom takes us from his childhood in Kentucky and Indiana to the storied music hub he has called home for over 30-years, Austin, Texas. Along the way, David sheds light on his voracious appetite for music and the formidable work ethic that helped forge him into one of the most revered guitarists today.

Derek Wells is one of the top session guitarists in Nashville, TN. He has played on numerous top 10 albums, singles, and was recently nominated for the 2016 Academy of Country Music Musician of the year award, in the guitarist category. We talk with him about his beginnings as a touring guitarist in Part 1. https://truetone.com https://truetonelounge.com

In our visit with Derek in the Truetone Lounge, we talk with him about his gear, and he demonstrates some of his session tools in Part 3 of this 3 part series.

Derek Wells is one of the top session guitarists in Nashville, TN. In our visit with Derek in the Truetone Lounge, we talk with him about his break into the session world in Part 2 of this 3 part series.

Duke Levine is an in-demand sideman, solo artist, and is one of the foremost roots-based guitarists of that last 30-years. His well-crafted instrumental albums contain melodies and moods, which is why he has also done acclaimed soundtrack work with Mason Daring for many of the films of John Sales. Duke can also burn on the guitar when needed while playing with Peter Wolf, and the J. Geils Band, play Honky Tonk, or Country Soul guitar with his own combo. In today's Truetone Lounge, Levine walks us through his work with Mary Chapin Carpenter, Jonatha Brooke, Otis Rush, soundtrack work, his solo recordings, and covers his gear through the years. For all the serious gear heads, we look at Duke's 1953 and 1963 Telecasters, 1963 Stratocaster, and Relic Tele.

Guitarist Greg Martin lives at the intersection of hillbilly, blues, gospel, and rock, and is one of the greatest proponents of pure guitar and amp tones. In our Truetone Lounge interview, we cover his years of playing the club circuit, work with country star Ronnie McDowell, and his meteoric rise to fame with the Kentucky Headhunters.

Guthrie Trapp is one of the finest guitarists in Nashville, TN. In our Truetone Lounge interview, we talk with Trapp about his early playing experiences on the Gulf Coast, why he moved to Nashville, and how performing with the Don Kelley Band punched his career into overdrive. We also discuss his musically eclectic new album, Life After Dark, that features Vince Gill, Sam Bush, Stuart Duncan, Jimmy Hall, The McCrary Sisters, and Bekka Bramlett as guests.

Guthrie Trapp is one of the finest guitarists in Nashville, TN, a town known for its amazing musicians. In Part 2 our Truetone Lounge interview, we learn about his Country Guitar ArtistWorks lesson series, and how his students all over the world are able to share their videos with him and get personalized help with their playing. We also dive headfirst into gear talk, with Trapp sharing some of his tone concepts. These concepts include how he dials in his amps, and how he uses pedals to enhance an already great-sounding amp tone. Guthrie also showcases 3 of his favorite instruments, a 1969 Gibson ES-335, Russ Pahl Jr Tele-style, and his Danocaster Double-Cut Strat-style.