Ask Zac

Brent Mason, Redd Volkaert, Johnny Hiland, J.D. Simo, and Daniel Donato reunited with Don Kelley on August 5th 2024 for a one-time concert to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Robert's Western World. Besides being a fete for one of the longtime anchors of Broadway's club scene, it was also a celebration of Don Kelley, and the incredible alumni of his band over the last 40-years. Today, we discuss both the concert and Kelley's influence on Nashville guitarists.

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My interview with Don Kelley
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vZWFFIxn14

Strings: 
D'Addario NYXL 95-44
https://amzn.to/41rnl0V

1957 Esquire

2023 Headstrong Lil' King with 12" Eminence GA-SC64 speaker
https://headstrongamps.com/lil-king-amp

Mirage compressor pedal, Boss DM-3 delay

#askzac #reddvolkaert #donkelleyband

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In the Spring of 1956, Leo Fender introduced the greatest little solid body of all-time, the Fender Electric Mandolin. Nicknamed ,Mandocaster, by collectors, they were designed to replicate the sound of Tiny Moore, and Johnny Gimble, the fiery 4-string mandolin playing veterans of Bob Wills Texas Playboys Band. The instrument was not a success as Western Swing's popularity was waning by the time Leo introduced it, but it found new and exciting uses in the ensuing 70 years. Today we look at the instrument, and the inspiration behind it, with a look at the playing and influence of both Tiny Moore and Johnny Gimble.

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Gear Used:
1958 Fender Electric Mandolin
1959 Fender Harvard Amp

Thanks to the following sites
www.guitarhq.com
www.emando.com

Book Mentioned
Fender The Golden Age 1946-1970
https://amzn.to/4duer8P


#fendermandolin #mandocaster #askzac

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For years I went back and forth between 9s and 10s on my Telecaster, always frustrated with both gauges for different reasons. 9s, although easy to bend, were just not as full sounding, and I had to be careful not to "overplay" them, as they really needed to be played with a light touch. 10s, while certainly fatter sounding, always felt a bit too stiff for my liking. There just seemed to be to much of a difference in tension between the two sets. Finally, a friend clued me into the 9.5-44 D'Addario set, and I found to be the perfect happy-medium between the 9 and 10 gauges.    

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Strings: 
D'Addario NYXL 95-44
https://amzn.to/41rnl0V

2023 Danocaster single cut in Duco red

2023 Headstrong Lil' King with 12" Eminence GA-SC64 speaker
https://headstrongamps.com/lil-king-amp

Mirage compressor pedal

#askzac #guitarstrings  #daddariostrings

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In the summer of 1968, Fender released their most unconventional finishes to date, the Blue Flower & Paisley Red finishes. Available on only the Telecaster and Telecaster Bass, their striking appearance was made possible by a new product line from Borden Chemicals of Columbus, Ohio, "Cling Foil." This new "beautifully embossed" & "beautifully printed" foil was a product designed to go on refrigerators, tv-trays, cabinets, and boxes of all types to make them look more hip and modern. Somehow, Fender decided to take this existing product being sold in hardware stores and paint shops, and glue it to the front and back of their non-contoured Telecaster. Today we take a deep dive with an original 1968 Blue Flower Telecaster, and look at the differences between it and a standard Tele, detail the novel finishing process it required, and theorize as to why these are so much harder to find than their paisley brothers from 1968-69.

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The Blues Brothers movie was a blockbuster in the summer of 1980. Even with a 27.5 Million dollar budget, that's 102 million in 2024 money, it managed to make that back in a couple of weeks. A sequel was even being discussed, but plans were shelved when John Belushi passed away in 1982. Today we take a look at the impact of the movie on both viewers, and the careers of its musical stars, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Cab Calloway, and John Lee Hooker. We also take a look at the guitars used in the film by Steve Cropper, and Matt "Guitar" Murphy. We end with a short lesson showing how to play Murphy's intro to "Sweet Home Chicago."   

Strings: 
D'Addario NYXL 95-44
https://amzn.to/41rnl0V

1953 replica Telecaster

2023 Headstrong Lil' King with 12" Eminence GA-SC64 speaker
https://headstrongamps.com/lil-king-amp


#askzac #bluesbrothers #stevecropper

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Today we look back at Delbert McClinton's 1989 Alligator Records release, Live From Austin. The year it was released, I was 16 and a drummer friend gave me this album on cassette, and I completely wore it out. Having not been exposed to much besides top-40 of the 1980s, and the contemporary gospel music of the day, The Texas Roadhouse music of McClinton was a revelation with its big, sweaty horns, incredibly tight rhythm section, and fine harp work. The band also featured the guitar work of David Millsap and Stephen Bruton, who brilliantly complemented each other with both their tones and parts. In a conversation with another Delbert veteran, James Pennebaker, I was clued into the fact that Bruton was sitting in with the band for the Austin City Limits TV taping that was also used as the audio for the "Live From Austin" album. Besides diving in on this wonderful album, we also take a look at the influence of the late great Stephen Bruton.

Amazon Link to album
https://amzn.to/3Vg7fW2

Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/album/3G0J7CgCqslFZf9XMSimIj?si=zTuTt-_qRKWqIOwfToJ-8Q

Bruton playlist
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6MSreKA4PmWffPtJ1wJoZ3?si=96fc6ab90856495d

Strings: 
D'Addario NYXL 95-44
https://amzn.to/41rnl0V

2023 Headstrong Lil' King with 12" Eminence GA-SC64 speaker
https://headstrongamps.com/lil-king-amp


#askzac #stephenbruton #delbertmcclinton 

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Nashville is a "Telecaster-Town," a common phrase bandied about, and many will stress the  importance of Tele ownership if one wants to work as a pro guitarist in Music City.  Surprisingly, the Tele did not immediately earn this status the day Leo Fender introduced the Broadcaster in 1950. In fact, it took more than a decade after its release before it became an essential for 615-area session men. The trailblazers of the Tele include, Jabo Arrington, Billy Sanford, and Fred Carter Jr, though lesser known names, they made both the sound and the playing techniques associated with it Nashville essentials. 

A major sub-plot of this story takes place in Shreveport, LA, where Billy Sanford & Fred Carter Jr, along with James Burton, and Roy Buchanan were all performing and hanging out together in the late 1950s. Together, these players forged a style based around the use of the Telecaster, and utilizing a mix of Delta Blues, Rockabilly, Western Swing, and wild string bending allowed by their shared use of banjo strings.   

Jabo Arrington article from VG mag
https://www.vintageguitar.com/40127/jabo-vince-and-broadcaster-0048/

Strings: 
D'Addario NYXL 95-44
https://amzn.to/41rnl0V

2023 Headstrong Lil' King with 12" Eminence GA-SC64 speaker
https://headstrongamps.com/lil-king-amp


#askzac #telecaster

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A discussion with my friends, JD Simo, and Dan "Danocaster" Strain about how they set pickup height on Telecaster type guitars. The discussion begins with a look at Simo's 2nd Danocaster, and how he had just changed the pickups to a set of Budz 58s, that then evolves into a discussion on pickups as JD adjusts his new instrument. We also discuss pickups that favor harmonics over fundamental tones, and how JD and I love our Headstrong Lil King amps.

2023 Headstrong Lil' King with 12" Eminence GA-SC64 speaker
https://headstrongamps.com/lil-king-amp

Danocaster Guitars
https://danocaster.com/

#askzac #jdsimo #danocaster

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Tips and tricks to help you unlock a wider array of tones from your Telecaster. We look at a combination of picking hand placement, and some counter-intuitive pickup choices to create a wider array of sounds from the simple 2-pickup Tele. 

Rosanne Cash performing "500 Miles" with John Leventhal on guitar
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_XgghFZt1o

#askzac

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Today we look at forgotten R&B guitar greats Chips Moman, Tommy Cogbill, Booker T. Jones & Joe South. They each played on huge hits, yet are rarely hailed, and worse yet, many times their parts are credited to other players. We right this wrong by looking at Chip's part on "Respect," Tommy's on Seesaw," Booker's on "I Forgot To Be Your Lover," and Joe's work on "Chain Of Fools." 

CORRECTION Estelle, not Mae Axton founded STAX.

Playlist Chips Moman, Tommy Cogbill, Booker T. Jones & Joe South
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6m3jIsJDPv2YsxJaMDfZ23?si=b85ionyPTBekDoX20wYf0w&pi=u-fPRZ8oNKTjCz

1967 Fender Telecaster - stock except for compensated saddles. Refret by Nick at Glaser Instruments

More on the 1967 Maplecap Tele
https://youtu.be/K62c9ycOTlU

Amp:
2023 Headstrong Lil' King with 12" Eminence GA-SC64 speaker
https://headstrongamps.com/lil-king-amp

Strings: 
D'Addario NYXL 95-44
https://amzn.to/41rnl0V

#askzac #r&bguitar #telecaster

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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.

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If you play gigs with an electric guitar, you have most likely been told to "turn it down" multiple times in your performing career. To help you address this common problem, we look at a variety of methods for dealing with electric guitar volume, including the pros and cons of each. These include turning the amp around, having the amp behind the stage, using plexiglass shields that reflect sound, and the use of sound-absorbing baffles.

Speight Baffles
https://www.speightbaffle.com/

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Albert Lee shares the background and process of recording Emmylou's seminal Luxury Liner album released in December 1976. From the gear he used, to how the musicians were presented with the tunes before recording. This was taken from an informal discussion backstage with Albert at London's O2 arena.

#askzac #albertlee #emmylouharris

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Nacho Banos, the patron saint of the Telecaster, compares a 1950 Broadcaster and a 1953 Telecaster backstage at a Brad Paisley concert in Zurich, Switzerland. He takes us fully down the rabbit hole comparing electronics, finish, screws, neck shape, and everything else you can think of.

To dive deeper on this subject, check out Nacho's amazing Pinecaster Book.
https://pinecasterbook.com/

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My first memory of seeing a guitar in person was seeing a Buck Owens “American” guitar leaning against a couch at a neighbor’s house while visiting my grandmother in the mid-1970s. Soon after seeing it, I understood its significance by seeing Buck play an identical one on the Hee Haw television show. Later, via the influence of Dwight Yoakam, Emmylou Harris, and the Desert Rose Band in the 1980s, I would dig back and start listening to all of the great albums that Owens made through the 50s and 60s that in turn influenced my heroes. Through the years, I kept looking for one, but one was never up for sale nearby, as I really wanted to see what this Harmony-made mail-order guitar was like. It wasn’t until recently that I was able to test out and acquire one of these red, white, and blue beauties from one of the fine chaps at Glaser Instruments, and I was able to finally join the “Buck Club.” This of course threw me down the rabbit hole of finding out everything that I could online from sites like SilvertoneWorld.Net and even calling up Buckaroo Jim Shaw, who continues to run Buck’s Crystal Palace club in Bakersfield, CA to get the full low-down on the story behind it. And though Owens is certainly the star here, I have to give Pat Smear of Nirvana, and the great Ryan Adams credit for their role in raising the “cool” factor on these crazy 70s creations. To close the episode, I share the story that Jim Shaw shared with me that they sold hundreds of warehoused versions of the Buck models to cover their expenses during the pandemic. It was hard for me not to see this as Owens working things out from beyond the grave. 

Special thanks to Buckaroo Jim Shaw, and Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace.
www.BuckOwens.com

Also for the wonderful information gathered from Silvertone World.
https://www.silvertoneworld.net/acoustic/1219buckowens/1219_Buck_Owens_American.html

#askzac #buckowens #buckowensamerican

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One of my Patreon members offered to send me his PRS NF-53 to check out, as he was curious as to my take on Paul Smith's version of a Tele-Style guitar. Being both a Telecaster fan, and having a great appreciation for Paul's high level of fit and finish, I said yes to his proposition. The NF-53 is quite a well-built, and well-thought-out instrument, and while not truly traditional, it does offer features that would make it incredibly useful for those who are adverse to the vintage-style Telecaster family.

Thank you to Jesse.

2023 Paul Reed Smith NF-53

1965 Deluxe Reverb with a WGS ET65 speaker

#askzac #prsnf53

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Ever wondered how Leo Fender came around to making the G&L Broadcaster after a decade of Music Man guitars, and the early G&L designs with active electronics and too many knobs and switches? The truth is better than fiction here, and you're going to love to hear what motivated Leo to return to his roots, with a twist to save his pride. I also share the story of the early G&L ASAT I use in the video that was formerly owned by John Jorgenson and is now in the possession of Brad Paisley.

Gear used:

1987 G&L ASAT formerly owned by John Jorgenson, now owned by Brad Paisley

Strings: 

EB 10-46

Pick:
Pick Boy Small Jazz, Tortoise Shell, 1.00mm

Effects: Boss DM-3

Amp:
1964 Vox AC10.

#askzac #gandlguitars    #telecaster

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We kick the episode off with a direct comparison using my 2023 Danocaster guitar which is equipped with a bridge that handles both top loading and string thru. We then take a look at the history of Fender's top loader Telecasters, and the possible reasons for changing the construction of them during that era. To reveal Fender's pattern, we analyze the models that featured toploading bridges beforehand, the Musicmaster, Duo Sonic, and the revamped 1957 Precision Bass. 

Gear used:

2023 Danocaster Single-Cut with Budz 58 pickups. 6.4 pound, ash body, .91 maple V neck.

Strings: 
D'Addario NYXL 95-44
https://amzn.to/41rnl0V

Pick:
Pick Boy Small Jazz, Tortoise Shell, 1.00mm

Effects: Amp reverb

2023 Headstrong Lil King amp with a 12" Alessandro 64 Speaker

#askzac #danocaster   #toploader

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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


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#askzac #johnleventhal #rosannecash

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After rebuilding my board numerous times depending on if the gig was an amp or direct situation, I decided to have a pedalboard built that could easily do one or the other, or both if needed. I started off with my favorite pedals, then added the UA Dream 65 amp modeler, and a Walrus Audio Canvas Line Driver. This would allow me to go direct. To be amp-friendly, we needed a junction box that would bypass the Dream 65 and Canvas. Since we were adding the junction box, and there was space available,  we also included insert jacks (before delays, and after overdrives) to allow me to use a volume pedal or other effects in the right position in the signal chain.  

Gear used:
Turbo Tuner, Mirage Compressor, Analogman Boss TR-2, Ibanez Mostortion, Boss DM-3 analog delay, Line 6 Echo Park. UA Dream 65, Walrus Audio Canvas Line Driver, Metro 24 board, and a Truetone CS6 power supply.

#askzac #pedalboard  #Xacttonesolutions

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Eldon Shamblin was Leo Fender's favorite guitarist, playing in his favorite band, Bob Wills & The Texas Playboys. Fender supplied the Playboys with amps and steel guitars but he wanted badly to get his new Spanish guitar, the Broadcaster, in their guitarist's hands. Unfortunately, Eldon had no interest in the plank with strings and politely passed on the offer. A few short years later, Leo was still bent on converting Shamblin, so he had his crew build a one-of-a-kind gold Stratocaster in the summer of 1954, and gifted it to the Playboy guitarist during one of their regular visits to the Fender factory. Eldon at first refused the golden solid body, but Leo convinced him to take it with him and try it on the bandstand. Shamblin soon dropped his hollow-body Gibson and became a lifelong Stratocaster player, using them until his passing on August 4th, 1998. Today we take a look at Eldon Shamblin's importance as a guitarist and arranger for Bob Wills & The Texas Playboys, and the fantastically rare and beautiful golden 1954 Stratocaster that Leo Fender gave him. 

Photos and video on my site
www.askzac.com/post/eldon-shamblins-1954-gold-stratocaster

Playlist
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1efYMv1CjoK8jpJp7sqS55?si=77fd65af7a7b4568

Gear used:

2023 Headstrong Lil' King with 12" Eminence GA-SC64 speaker
https://headstrongamps.com/lil-king-amp

1955 Stratocaster built by my old college buddy, B. Paisley, using a mix of old and new parts. Ron Ellis 50/60 middle and neck, Duncan Twang banger in the bridge.

https://www.ronellispickups.com/

Strings: 
D'Addario NYXL 10-46
Affiliate link
https://amzn.to/494qQ1y

Pick:
Pick Boy Small Jazz, Tortoise Shell, 1.00mm

Effects: Amp reverb

#askzac #eldonshamblin #stratocaster

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What started as a walk-thru, became Dan Strain sharing a gold mine worth of tone-tips for Telecaster fans. We talk about tuners, string trees, saddles, bridges, pickups, neck pockets, swapping necks, and the Duco red color that was chosen for this guitar.

#askzac #telecaster   #danocaster

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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.

#askzac #dukelevine #telecaster

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For years I have had pedalboard envy. Not for a huge board with tons of effects, but for the super clean and buttoned-up look of the pro-built boards. Xact Tone Solutions has built my favorites, so I finally decided to have a larger board built around a UA Dream 65 amp modeler, yet that could also go to an amp, or both. I also decided to get the XTS treatment on my tried and true grab-go board. This is a walk-through of my board with Barry and Eric, who have no issues with adding their valuable input or giving me a hard time. 

Gear used:
Turbo Tuner, Mirage Compressor, Analogman Boss TR-2, Ibanez Mostortion rehoused by XTS, Boss DM-3 analog delay, Line 6 Echo Park. Mono board. Truetone CS6 power supply

#askzac #pedalboard  #Xacttonesolutions

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The Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive is one of the best overdrive pedals of all time due to its groundbreaking clean mix control. Released in December of 2000, it could cover the standard TS-type tones, yet also be the finest transparent overdrive due to its ability to mix one's dry signal back in. The ability to mix one's clean signal along with a Tube Screamer circuit allows for in James Santiago's words, "jangly highs, tight lows, and the overdriven midrange from the TS circuit."  

Today we revisit this classic effect and also get the full story of its creation from the guys who birthed it, Josh Fiden, Voodoo Lab Founder & CEO, and former Voodoo Lab VP, now UA Senior Product Designer, James Santiago. I also reveal a great setting for using the Sparkle Drive to warm up your tone.

Gear used:

2023 Headstrong Lil' King with 12" Eminence GA-SC64 speaker
https://headstrongamps.com/lil-king-amp

1955 Stratocaster crafted by my old college buddy, B. Paisley, using a mix of old and new parts. Ron Ellis 50/60 middle and neck, Duncan Twang banger in the bridge.

https://www.ronellispickups.com/

Affiliate link Seymour Duncan Twang Banger
https://amzn.to/3QG4vze

Strings: 
D'Addario NYXL 10-46
Affiliate link
https://amzn.to/494qQ1y

Pick:
Pick Boy Small Jazz, Tortoise Shell, 1.00mm

Effects:
Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive, Amp reverb, and Mad Professor Deep Blue Delay

#askzac #voodoolab #sparkledrive

Support the show

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The story of how JD Simo played the Ryman with Chris Isaak using my Stratocaster built by Brad Paisley. I also go in-depth on the Stratocaster that my old college buddy crafted for me. 

Gear used:

2023 Headstrong Lil' King with 12" Eminence GA-SC64 speaker
https://headstrongamps.com/lil-king-amp

1955 Stratocaster built by my old college buddy, B. Paisley, using a mix of old and new parts. Ron Ellis 50/60 middle and neck, Duncan Twang banger in the bridge.

https://www.ronellispickups.com/

Strings: 
D'Addario NYXL 10-46
Affiliate link
https://amzn.to/494qQ1y

Pick:
Pick Boy Small Jazz, Tortoise Shell, 1.00mm

Effects:
Amp reverb and Mad Professor Deep Blue Delay

#askzac #jdsimo #chrisisaak

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
Patreon  https://www.patreon.com/AskZac
Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
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Introduced in 1954, the Fender Stratocaster could have died a quick death if it had not caught on with key players on the music scene of the day. The guitarists who put it on the map, Ike Turner, Otis Rush, Pee Wee Crayton, Buddy Guy, Buddy Holly, Johnny Meeks, Eldon Shamblin, Buddy Merrill, and Neil LeVang, deserve credit for their important role in the success story of the Strat. Bill Carson & Rex Gallion also get special mention as the guys who pushed Leo Fender to create the Stratocaster because of their desire for an instrument with a built-in vibrato, a 6-piece bridge, 3 pickups, and a contoured body.  

Playlist
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4XGaErkuMmb0aa1tYu9jaE?si=cceae943364246dc

Doye O'Dell with Bill Carson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtuBYo3e9lQ

Deke's article on Rex Gallion and Strat 001
https://dekedickerson.com/musings/rex-gallion-and-stratocaster-serial-no-001/

Gear used:

2023 Headstrong Lil' King with 12" Eminence GA-SC64 speaker
https://headstrongamps.com/lil-king-amp

1955 Stratocaster built by my old college buddy, B. Paisley, using a mix of old and new parts. Ron Ellis 50/60 middle and neck, Duncan Twang banger in the bridge.

https://www.ronellispickups.com/

Strings: 
D'Addario NYXL 10-46
Affiliate link
https://amzn.to/494qQ1y

Pick:
Pick Boy Small Jazz, Tortoise Shell, 1.00mm

Effects: Amp reverb

#askzac #zacchilds #stratocaster

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
Patreon  https://www.patreon.com/AskZac
Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
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Today I look at my 2 favorite options for Strat tremolo setup, fully floating, or deck it and removing the bar. Also, we look at some handy tips for helping you stay in tune when floating the bridge, adjusting the string break angle at the headstock, using low-tension Raw Vintage springs, recommended string gauges, and lubing the nut slots and string tree. 

Affiliate link, Raw Vintage Springs
https://amzn.to/46VaG8Y

Gear used:

2023 Headstrong Lil' King with 12" Eminence GA-SC64 speaker
https://headstrongamps.com/lil-king-amp

1955 Stratocaster built by my old college buddy, B. Paisley, using a mix of old and new parts. Ron Ellis 50/60 middle and neck, Duncan Twang banger in the bridge.

https://www.ronellispickups.com/

Strings: 
D'Addario NYXL 10-46
Affiliate link
https://amzn.to/494qQ1y

Pick:
Pick Boy Small Jazz, Tortoise Shell, 1.00mm

Effects: Amp reverb

#askzac #zacchilds #stratocaster

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
Patreon  https://www.patreon.com/AskZac
Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
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Or check out my store for merch  - https://my-store-be0243.creator-spring.com/

Today, my old buddy Austin Skinner takes the helm of the show. While we were in Las Vegas doing a 7-night residency, Skinner filmed on the street, on the stage, and backstage during our time there. I hope you enjoy it as we talk about everything from parts guitars, parts coupling, neck pockets, using the UA Dream 65 modeler, pre-gig warm-up, and my recently acquired 53 Tele-style guitar. 

Gear used:

Mirage comp, XTS re-housed Mostortion, XTS modified GE-7, Mad Prof Deep Blue Delay, UA Dream 65, and Walrus Audio Canvas interface.

1953 Telecaster built by my old college buddy, B. Paisley, using a mix of old and new parts. Ron Ellis 52T and Standard Plus pickups

https://www.ronellispickups.com/

Strings: 
D'Addario NYXL 95-44
https://amzn.to/41rnl0V

Pick:
Pick Boy Small Jazz, Tortoise Shell, 1.00mm


#askzac #zacchilds #telecaster

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
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Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
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In 1986, Warner/Reprise took an indie-released EP, added 4 newly recorded tunes, and launched Dwight Yoakam into the stratosphere with the revamped version of Guitars Cadillacs Etc, Etc. The album's first single,  a cover of Johnny Horton's "Honky Tonk Man," was a clear message that this was a roots-influenced album, yet the energy and production made it also contemporary. Producer/Guitarist Pete Anderson took Dwight's tunes and added a modern take on the Bakersfield sound, that was the perfect nod to the past, but without becoming a pastiche of California Country styles of the 1960s.  Although Yoakam had 21 great original tunes in the bag, he and Pete agreed to mix 7 of the backlog of original tunes, along with 3 revved-up covers to fill out the album. This winning formula would also serve as the template for his next two releases, Hillbilly Deluxe, and Buenas Noches from a Lonely Room. Besides a history of the album, we will also look at some of Pete's parts, and the gear he used for the album.

Gear used:

2023 Headstrong Lil' King with 12" Eminence GA-SC64 speaker
https://headstrongamps.com/lil-king-amp

1953 Telecaster built by my old college buddy, B. Paisley, using a mix of old and new parts. Ron Ellis 52T and Standard Plus pickups

https://www.ronellispickups.com/

Strings: 
D'Addario NYXL 95-44
https://amzn.to/41rnl0V

Pick:
Pick Boy Small Jazz, Tortoise Shell, 1.00mm

Effects: Amp reverb

#askzac #peteanderson #dwightyoakam

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

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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.

#askzac #adamlevy

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

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A deep dive on Luxury Liner, the album that was my gateway drug for both the Telecaster and Country Music. My father bought the album for me on a road trip, and once I got home and placed the album on the turn table, I was hooked as soon as I heard the opening guitar riff from the title track. Luxury Liner is filled with top-notch songs, superb playing/singing, and beautiful production work from Brian Ahern. This album changed my musical direction.

Amazon link
https://amzn.to/46d1UCR

Emmylou Harris - Luxury Liner 
Released in 1977, by Warner Bros Records and Produced by Brian Ahern

Featuring:

The Hot Band
Albert Lee, Rodney Crowell, John Ware, Hank DeVito, Emory Gordy Jr, Glen D. Hardin 

Guests
Dolly Parton, James Burton, Ricky Skaggs, Herb Pedersen, Mickey Raphael, Rick Cunha, Mike Auldridge, Fayssoux Starling, Dianne Brooks, Nicolette Larson 


#askzac #albertlee #emmylouharris

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

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To Support the Channel:
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A look at the history of the G-Bender. From the Bigsby palm pedal to the modern Glaser convertible B/G Bender. We also discuss the major players to use the G-Bender, Jeff King, Jimmy Olander, and Brad Paisley.


Gear Used:

Crook Custom Paisley - Glaser Convertible Bender, Music City Bridge 3-string tree

Joe Glaser installs a Convertible Bender in the paisley
https://youtu.be/JLBKjRpRA7U

Amp:
2023 Headstrong Lil' King with 12" Eminence GA-SC64 speaker
https://headstrongamps.com/lil-king-amp

Strings: 
D'Addario NYXL 95-44
https://amzn.to/41rnl0V

Pick:
Blue Chip TPR 35

Effects: Amp reverb

#askzac #Diamondrio #bradpaisley

Support the show

Jimmy Olander, Diamond Rio founding member, and lead guitarist, and I sit down along with new drummer Micah Schweinsberg to discuss the backstory of their latest single "The Kick."

To Support the Channel:
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Or check out my store for merch  - https://my-store-be0243.creator-spring.com/


#askzac #Diamondrio #jimmyolander

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Support the show

Over the last 15 years, I have had numerous requests to assist buyers vette their alleged celebrity-owned instruments. Early on, I would try and help them out, tracking down high-profile guitarists, and sending photos to them of the guitars in question. What I ended up learning was that over 90% of the time, the artist would indicate that they never owned the instrument. Today's episode is a warning to anyone who's considering the purchase of a celebrity-owned instrument. Please buy from reputable dealers, and insist on true letters of authenticity and/or photographic proof. 

Thanks to Glaser Bender/Music City Bridge for sponsoring today's episode.

Music City Bridge Guitar Parts:
https://musiccitybridge.com/collections/guitar-parts

Glaser Benders
https://www.glaserbender.com/

To Support the Channel:
Patreon  https://www.patreon.com/AskZac
Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
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In our book nook segment, I talk about a favorite book on guitar setup and two Merle Haggard books; one to buy, and another to avoid. 

Dan Erlewine's Setup Book
https://amzn.to/3PYme5Z

David Cantwell's The Running Kind
https://amzn.to/3NWzsOl

#askzac #zacchilds #telecaster

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
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I recently got a call from the Chet Atkins Appreciation Society, asking me to speak at their annual event here in Nashville. Without hesitation, I agreed and was pleased to also get asked by Chet's grand-niece, Meagan Taylor Anderson, to perform with her at one of the evening concerts. Today you get the heart of my speech from the event, and a book nook segment on Pete Anderson's new release, "How To Produce A Record: A Players Philosophy For Making A Great Recording."

Pete Anderson's book:
How To Produce A Record: A Players Philosophy For Making A Great Recording
https://amzn.to/46ZJfvq

Chet Society
https://www.chetsociety.com/

The French Family Band on the Grand Ole Opry
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCpH_wXWHw4

#askzac #zacchilds #chetatkins

Support the show

Thanks to Truetone for sponsoring today's episode. 
Find your next pedal board power supply at:  www.truetone.com

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.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Support the show

Music City Bridge Guitar Parts:
https://musiccitybridge.com/collections/guitar-parts

Glaser Benders
https://www.glaserbender.com/

To Support the Channel:
Patreon  https://www.patreon.com/AskZac
Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
Venmo @AskZac  
Or check out my store for merch  - https://my-store-be0243.creator-spring.com/

A look at my 6 Telecasters:

1. 1982 Kubicki/Danocaster with Musi City Bridge 3-pickup blend wiring, Glaser convertible bender.

More on my Kubicki/Dano
https://youtu.be/F9fjUeQtjUM

2. 1967 Fender Telecaster - stock except for compensated saddles. Refret by Nick at Glaser Instruments

More on the 1967 Maplecap Tele
https://youtu.be/K62c9ycOTlU

3. Crook Custom Paisley - Glaser Convertible Bender, Music City Bridge 3-string tree

Joe Glaser installs a Convertible Bender in the paisley
https://youtu.be/JLBKjRpRA7U

4. 1957 Fender Esquire with a 1954 neck pickup, and original bridge pickup. Restoration and Aging on the Body by Dan "Danocaster" Strain. Refret by Nick at Glaser Instruments. Both pickups were rewound by Ron Ellis. Pickguard design by Jay & Kristi Smith of Juicebox Designs.

More on the 57 Esquire
https://youtu.be/VHVlD_Ut0OU

5. 1953 Telecaster - Ron Ellis 52T and Standard plus neck

6. 1967/69 Telecaster with factory Bigsby - Bill Lawrence A400 neck, Ron Ellis 60T bridge pickup. Aging by Dan Strain, and refret by Nick at Glaser Instruments

More on my Bigsby Tele
https://youtu.be/sKNXOCRlaiY

Amp:
2023 Headstrong Lil' King with 12" Eminence GA-SC64 speaker
https://headstrongamps.com/lil-king-amp

Strings: 
D'Addario NYXL 95-44
https://amzn.to/41rnl0V

Pick:
Blue Chip TPR 35

Effects: Amp reverb

#askzac #zacchilds #telecaster

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
Patreon  https://www.patreon.com/AskZac
Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
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Or check out my store for merch  - https://my-store-be0243.creator-spring.com/

video of show
https://youtu.be/IbWSeuLuj6A

I was about to put away all of my gear after a run of shows, and I decided to show my somewhat minimalist approach to what I take to gig with. Here, I show my pedalboard, amp, cables, and spares I take with me, including my direct amp rig I use as a backup to my Headstrong Lil King. In the pursuit of completeness, I even show the gig bag and amp cover I use, and the old Coca-Cola crate I use as an amp stand and transport for cables and gear. Also included are some clips of me playing from this last run of shows with Paul Bogart. 


Gear used in the live clips:

2023 Headstrong Lil' King with 12" Eminence GA-SC64 speaker
https://headstrongamps.com/lil-king-amp

1957 Fender Esquire with a 1954 neck pickup, and original bridge pickup. Restoration and Aging on the Body by Dan "Danocaster" Strain. Refret by Nick at Glaser Instruments. Both pickups were rewound by Ron Ellis. Pickguard design by Jay & Kristi Smith of Juicebox Designs.

https://danocaster.com/

https://www.ronellispickups.com/

Strings: 
D'Addario NYXL 95-44
https://amzn.to/41rnl0V

Pick:
Blue Chip TPR 35

Effects: Amp reverb

#askzac #zacchilds #telecaster

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
 Patreon https://www.patreon.com/AskZac 
Tip jar: https://paypal.me/AskZac 
Venmo @AskZac 
Or check out my store for merch - https://my-store-be0243.creator-spring.com/

When Bill McCumber sent me his 1967 Telecaster, he knew it needed some work, as the high E-string was resting against the bridge pickup, and the action was already set fairly high. I raised the action and did a neck shim to help it, but I knew more work was needed to get it playing right for the long haul. As both Bill Lawrence pickups were non-adjustable, I knew some changes had to be made. I decided to keep the Lawrence neck pickup that I really loved and remove the bridge pickup and modified wiring. This allowed the Tele to have a nod to both eras of its past, by keeping some of the Bill Lawrence mods and installing a standard bridge plate, control plate, and Ron Ellis 60T bridge pickup. Now with at least one pickup height adjustable, the guitar's volume and tone could be set to be much more balanced.   
 
Today's Book Nook is for the Galaxy of Strats by Yashuhiro IWANADE It is on the expensive and hard-to-find side, but can be found on eBay or Amazon in Japan.  

Special thanks to Bill McCumber for the fabulous guitar, and for Dan Strain's restoration work and the use of his workbench.

#askzac #bigsbytelecaster #telecaster

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As soon as I got a second guitar amp in High School, I began experimenting with running both of them at the same time. In 1990 this usually meant a stereo chorus splitting the signal. An unwanted side-effect was that I found that my noise floor went way up, and sometimes, with certain pairings of amps, it seemed like my sound got smaller instead of bigger. It was not until almost two decades later, in 2002, I learned about the grounding and phase issues that have to be dealt with when running two amps simultaneously. Here, I show how to overcome these issues with an easy-to-find signal splitter that incorporates phase reversal controls, and safe ground lifting using an isolation transformer.

Full episode on Youtube
https://youtu.be/FZ__DCGIwDI

Amazon link to Lehle P-Split III
https://amzn.to/3MVoVU1

Book Nook Link - The Fender Archives, by Tom Wheeler
https://amzn.to/42fyZfi

The Stratocaster Chronicles, by Tom Wheeler
https://amzn.to/3WANkBE

Gear used:

1982 Kubicki body, 2022 Danocaster Neck, Glaser Convertible Bender, 80s Duncan middle, Ron Ellis 50/60 Tele pickup set. 

NYXL 9.5-44 Strings
https://amzn.to/3qbGGpp

1965 Deluxe Reverb with 12" Eminence GA-SC64 speaker

Link to 12" Eminence GA-SC64 speaker
https://amzn.to/427wpYr

2023 Headstrong Lil' King with 12" Eminence GA-SC64 speaker
https://headstrongamps.com/lil-king-amp

Effects used:
1981 TC Chorus 
Mad Professor Deep Blue Delay 
Truetone CS6 power supply  https://amzn.to/3WAMd4R


#askzac #princetonreverb  #telecaster

Support the show

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Tip jar: https://paypal.me/AskZac
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I recently had access to a variety of 1957-1974 Fender guitars, and I wanted to spotlight the change in finishes when Fender started using polyurethane on necks and bodies in mid-1968. That change did not mean the total elimination of lacquer/nitro finishes, it meant that nitro was used less, but at times was still used for topcoats, and it was nearly always used on the headstock after the CBS black logo was applied into the early 1980s.

Special thanks to Dan Strain for making his 1957 Telecaster, and 1972 Stratocaster available, and of course for the use of his workbench. 

#askzac #zacchilds #telecaster

Support the show

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For my 50th birthday, my wonderful wife, Amy, took me on a surprise trip to New Orleans to go to Jazz Fest and see Mavis Staples.

Through a twist of fate, Mavis played 2 nights later in Nashville, and I was able to have breakfast with Rick. At my studio, he showed off the modified Broadcaster/Nocaster blend wiring he was using in his 56-mongrel Tele, and I asked if I could film it. He obliged and also talked a bit about the joy of working with Mavis, and the fun of working in a 3-piece rhythm section with two vocalists.

Wiring info
https://www.askzac.com/post/rick-holm...

Gear used:

2023 Headstrong Lil' King with 12" Eminence GA-SC64 speaker
https://headstrongamps.com/lil-king-amp

https://www.ronellispickups.com/

#askzac #rickholmstrom #mavisstaples

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Support the show

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My dear friend and mentor, Bill McCumber, contacted me a couple of weeks ago saying he wanted to give me his 1967 factory-equipped Bigsby Telecaster. I was blown away, not just by the gift, but also remembering the many kindnesses Bill had done for me through the years. I share about Bill and the modifications that he had done to the guitar since he bought it from Clawson's Music in Corpus Christi, Texas in the mid-1960s. Through the years, it received an electronics upgrade from Bill Lawrence, who did the modifications himself, and a neck change to a mid-70s model.

I also show how Bill's Tele has aged differently from my 1967 Telecaster, as his 1967 has much less wear, yet is much darker due to the number of gigs he played in the smoke-filled Honky Tonks and Dance Halls of South Texas.

Book Nook Amazon link - Fender The Inside Story by Forrest White
https://amzn.to/3MidRQQ

Gear used:

1967 factory Bigsby-equipped Fender Telecaster with Bill Lawrence pickups, and a mid-70s neck.

2023 Headstrong Lil' King with 12" Eminence GA-SC64 speaker
https://headstrongamps.com/lil-king-amp

Effects used:
Mad Professor Deep Blue Delay


#askzac #billlawrence #bigsbytelecaster

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
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Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
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One of my Patreon supporters started playing with a new group, and they wanted to add some Western Swing numbers and he wanted some pointers for playing in that style. I thought this would be the perfect topic for a video. Here, I share some do's and don'ts along with harmonic & tonal concepts for sounding legit when performing Western Swing.

Junior Barnard playlist
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/11b...



Gear used:

2023 Headstrong Lil' King with 12" Eminence GA-SC64 speaker
https://headstrongamps.com/lil-king-amp

1957 Fender Esquire with a 1954 neck pickup, and original bridge pickup. Restoration and Aging on the Body by Dan "Danocaster" Strain. Refret by Nick at Glaser Instruments. Both pickups were rewound by Ron Ellis. Pickguard design by Jay & Kristi Smith of Juicebox Designs.

https://danocaster.com/

https://www.ronellispickups.com/

Strings:
D'Addario NYXL 95-44

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
Patreon  https://www.patreon.com/AskZac
Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
Venmo @AskZac 
Or check out my store for merch  - www.askzac.com

I have been struggling off and on with hand pain since 2019 but had been able to keep things under control until March 2023. Last month, my hand pain hit a new level, and I knew I needed to find out what was going on. Today's episode lays out my journey and my road forward.

FYI, I just played one of my gigs in Tulsa last night. All went well, just a bit sore, and going to ice it down some. Looking forward to the gig tonight, April 21, 2023.

Gear used:

2023 Headstrong Lil' King with 12" Eminence GA-SC64 speaker
https://headstrongamps.com/lil-king-amp

1957 Fender Esquire with a 1954 neck pickup, and original bridge pickup. Restoration and Aging on the Body by Dan "Danocaster" Strain. Refret by Nick at Glaser Instruments. Both pickups were rewound by Ron Ellis. Pickguard design by Jay & Kristi Smith of Juicebox Designs.

Strings:
D'Addario NYXL 95-44
https://amzn.to/41rnl0V

Pick:
Blue Chip TPR 35

#askzac #zacchilds #arthritis

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
Patreon  https://www.patreon.com/AskZac
Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
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In today’s Zac’s Hacks, I demonstrate the old-timey “bend the saddle screw” solution for better intonation using vintage saddles. To do this, one bends the long screw that attaches the saddle to the bridge. Also, I tell the story of how I learned how to do the modification while watching Joe Glaser work on Vince Gill’s prized 1953 Telecaster.

Saddle Driver
https://musiccitybridge.com/products/...

Book: Fender The Golden Age

https://amzn.to/43FGkXm



#askzac #telecaster #compensatedsaddles

Support the show

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Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
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I have bought and sold at least 10 Princeton Reverb-style amps over the last 30 years. I want to love them, but I hate the way most of them sound really small when dialed in clean with a Telecaster's bridge pickup. And as much as I love my old 1965 Deluxe Reverb amp, there are many times when I wish I had an amp that would hit the sweet spot at a lower volume, and be a bit easier to tote around.

Earlier this year, I was at JD Simo's studio, and he encouraged me to play through his Headstrong Lil' King. I was blown away and ordered one the next day. It arrived a couple of weeks later, handbuilt by Wayne, and it was no less stellar than Simo's amp. I took the amp on a gig 2-days later, and I kept looking back at it during the gig. I played at least half the time on the bridge pickup with a cleaner tone, and the Lil' King produced wonderfully fat tones. After many years of searching, I found my Princeton.

Gear used:

2023 Headstrong Lil' King with 12" Eminence GA-SC64 speaker
https://headstrongamps.com/lil-king-amp

1957 Fender Esquire with a 1954 neck pickup, and original bridge pickup. Restoration and Aging on the Body by Dan "Danocaster" Strain. Refret by Nick at Glaser Instruments. Both pickups were rewound by Ron Ellis. Pickguard design by Jay & Kristi Smith of Juicebox Designs.

Strings:
D'Addarion NYXL 95-44

Pick:
Blue Chip TPR 35

#askzac #princetonreverb #headstrongamps

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The bane of most Telecaster players is getting both the neck and bridge pickups to sound their best. It seems when you get the neck pickup sounding right, the bridge is too bright, or if reversed, the bridge sounds great, and the neck pickup is just too dark to cut through. The bridge pickup needs the amp to be set darker, and the neck pickup requires a brighter amp tone. After struggling with this for years, I decided to try wiring the tone pot to only the bridge pickup on my Telecaster. This was a total game-changer. Now I could set my amp's tone controls for a clear yet fat tone on the neck pickup, then move to the bridge setting and tone down the treble, to get it sounding twangy yet without any icepick-like highs.

Wiring Schematic
https://www.askzac.com/post/no-tone-o...

Note on the Bill Carson book. Unfortunately, this is another title that has drifted out-of-print and is hard to find. Perhaps Willie Moseley, Vintage Guitar Magazine, and Hal Leonard will bring it back in some form.

#askzac #zacchilds #telecastermods

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Many know Merle Travis simply as the name behind "Travis Picking," yet are unaware of his influence as a performer and songwriter. Perhaps even less known, is how in the late 40s he was one of the architects of the solid body guitar. It seems almost a deep dark secret that his Bigsby-made guitar was borrowed by Leo Fender in 1948, and it set the course for the Telecaster and Stratocaster. Today, we seek to spotlight this overlooked contribution by Merle and Paul Bigsby and to spotlight the incredible musical works of the great Merle Travis.


Sixteen Tons: The Merle Travis Story - By Merle Travis & Deke Dickerson
https://amzn.to/3YtybBl

To buy a copy autographed by Deke
https://dekedickerson.com/merch/sixte...

The Merle Travis Guitar Album
https://open.spotify.com/album/6Nq6eD...

#askzac #merletravis #bigsbyguitar

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Mike Eli LoPinto along with Derek Mixon, J.T. Cure, and Paul Franklin make up the stellar backing band for superstar Chris Stapleton. LoPinto stopped by for a hang, and he was kind enough to oblige me with a bit of playing and Q&A.

#askzac #mikelopinto #chrisstapleton

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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.

#askzac #chrisscruggs #martystuart

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The volume pedal was the first effect device created for the guitar. They were introduced in the mid-1930s, being offered by most major electric guitar makers, including Gibson & Rickenbacker, and pickup maker DeArmond. Although it was initially mainly used by steel guitarists from the 1930s-1960s, the 70s brought us 3 musicians that made it an important tool for guitarists, Reggie Young, Larry Carlton, and Mark Knopfler. These players used the volume pedal as an effect on numerous hit recordings, which caused it to finally take its place as a "must have" pedal. We also look at some important factors that one should consider when buying a volume pedal. Issues such as tone suck, buffers, pot taper, and more modern pot-less designs.

Spotify Playlist
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7Am...

Gear Used:
2008 R9 Les Paul

Amp:
1965 Deluxe Reverb with a GA-SC64 speaker

Effects used:
Amp reverb, Line 6 Echo Park, Dunlop Volume X

#askzac #volumepedal #zacchilds

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A visit to JD Simo's House of Grease to get a tweak done on my wah ends up leading him to demo his new fly board, talking about his love for StringJoy Broadway pure nickel strings, and us getting to hear his Headstrong Lil King (Princeton Reverb) amp that he has been relying on recently for shows and sessions. We also cover in-depth his Danocaster's wiring scheme, which features a Gibson humbucker, plus a Telecaster bridge, that has the tone control wired to only the bridge pickup.

No tone on the neck schematic
https://www.askzac.com/post/no-tone-o...

#stringjoy #jdsimo #headstrongamps

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I have loved the classic wah sound for years, but have never been able to find one I liked. Years of buying various models, and feeling like they had too wide of a tonal variance finally caused me to quit looking. Recently, a friend told me that old wahs had less travel and that 70s models were available for well under $200. I picked up a Thomas Organ Wah for $120 off reverb.com, and I was so pleasantly surprised to find out how much difference the lesser travel made. It was now more vocal sounding and more in the range of useability for me. Besides my wah journey, we also have Bill Keck modify the unit to be true bypass, and we follow up with our book nook segment.

Schematic to true bypass your old wah
https://www.wah-wah.co.uk/bypass.html

The proper switch for True Bypass Wah
https://www.amplifiedparts.com/produc...

Gibson Amp Book, which is unfortunately out of print:
https://amzn.to/3XG165R

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The low down on my 5 nights of gigging with @austinskinner  in Las Vegas. Being that the venue had a Boss Katana amp, I decided to leave the Strymon Iridium at home, and try it out. I also took a mid-70s Cry Baby Wah, and my 2008 R9 Les Paul to have more tonal offerings than just my '57 Esquire & my grab-and-go pedalboard. I also had a crazy adventure trying to visit J & E Guitars. I found out they were closed due to a robbery committed during business hours. The assailants used a crowd-control pepper spray device that coated all of the store's stock, rendering everything unsaleable.

#askzac #austinskinner #zacchilds

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Between my work with the Truetone Lounge and Vintage Guitar Magazine, I have interviewed many award-winning musicians with long and storied careers. It struck me recently that every one of them had a pivotal moment in their story where 3 important elements came together to launch their careers. These integral ingredients can be distilled down to hard work, risk-taking, and timing/luck. All 3 of these are incredibly important, and the house quickly falls if any one of these elements is absent. To illustrate, I share anecdotes from my interviews with John Jorgenson, Pete Anderson, and JD Simo showing how the elements of hard work, risk-taking, and luck played out in their careers.

Gear Used:

Baxendale Kay Mandocello

Pick:
Blue Chip TPR 35

Amp:
2021 Fender Handwired 64 Princeton Reverb with a Jensen Neo 10-100 speaker.

Effects:
Boss Analogman mod TR-2, MXR Reverb

#askzac #zacchilds

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Today we spotlight Clarence White's former #1 Telecaster, which he used on some of The Byrd's "Sweetheart of the Rodeo" tracks, and likely the "Nashville West" recordings. After Gene Parsons installed the B-Bender on his sunburst backup Tele, it knocked the white Tele to the #2 position, and it was soon traded to his bandmate Bob Warford for a Nobel acoustic guitar.  Wanting to also use a B-Bender, Warford & his dad engineered their own system based on Gene's original design, but with a few improvements including the allowance for a slimmer body to fit in a standard guitar case. Once learning the ropes of the mechanism, Bob would feature the B-Bender-equipped Tele with such greats as the Everly Brothers, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, Herb Pedersen, and Chris Hillman. Today's video drills down on the modifications done to it, and we look at the ingredients to his rig to produce the memorable tones he featured on Ronstadt's "Willin'" and "Dark End Of The Street."

Spotify Playlist
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2kK...

Bender plans and photos
https://www.askzac.com/post/bob-warfo...

Gear Used:

Crook Paisley Tele.

Strings:
Webstrings pure nickel 9-42

Pick:
Blue Chip TPR 35

Amp:
2021 Fender Handwired 64 Princeton Reverb with a Jensen Neo 10-100 speaker.

#askzac #clarencewhite  #bobwarford

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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.

#askzac #donkelley #lukemcqueary

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In 1969, Burton put his 52 Telecaster into semi-retirement, and would use his 1969 paisley Telecaster all throughout the 70s and 80s playing on countless recordings, and touring with Elvis, Emmylou Harris, John Denver, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Elvis Costello. During that time, he made quite a few modifications to the instrument, including changing pickups, bridges, hardware, and even a neck swap or 2. Today's episode spotlight all the changes the guitar went through in the years he used it as his main guitar for both the studio and the road.

Spotify Playlist
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/47J...

Gear Used:

Crook Paisley Tele.

Strings:
Webstrings pure nickel 9-42

Pick:
Blue Chip TPR 35

Amp:
2021 Fender Handwired 64 Princeton Reverb with a Jensen Neo 10-100 speaker.

#askzac #jamesburton  #zacchilds

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The history of James Burton's iconic 1952 Telecaster. From his parent's purchase of it in 1952, through all of the aesthetic variations, it underwent until its current incarnation of a red finish and a white pickguard. 

Spotify Playlist
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/29f...

Gear Used:

1957 Fender Esquire with a 1954 neck pickup, and original bridge pickup. Restoration and aging on the body by Dan "Danocaster" Strain. Both pickups were rewound by Ron Ellis. Pickguard design by Jay & Kristi Smith of Juicebox Designs.

Strings:
D'Addario NYXL 10-46

Pick:
Blue Chip TPR 35

Amp:
2021 Fender Handwired 64 Princeton Reverb with a Jensen Neo 10-100 speaker.

#askzac #jamesburton  #zacchilds

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The tale of the greatest $200 amp on the planet, the 80s Peavey Special 130.

Amazon link to Peavey book  https://amzn.to/3F0YlFl

Gear Used:

1957 Fender Esquire with a 1954 neck pickup, and original bridge pickup. Restoration and aging on the body by Dan "Danocaster" Strain. Both pickups were rewound by Ron Ellis. Pickguard design by Jay & Kristi Smith of Juicebox Designs.

Strings:
D'Addarion NYXL 10-46

Pick:
Blue Chip TPR 35

Amp:
1984 Peavey Special 130

#askzac #peaveyspecial130 #zacchilds

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I recently went to the Musicians Hall of Fame with my friend JD Simo and was just gobsmacked the entire time as we walked through it. Today, I champion the Hall and tell a bit about its late founder, Joe Chambers. If you come to Nashville, this is an absolute must-do.

Also, you get a look at JD and I goofing on James Burton's 1952 and 1969 Telecasters.

Book link Memphis Boys https://amzn.to/3XdioY6

#askzac #musicianshalloffame #jamesburton

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Bernie Leadon played guitar, mandolin, banjo, pedal steel, and sang harmony vocals on the greatest-selling album of all time, Eagles Greatest Hits, Volume 1. For many guitarists, he is known as one of the earliest exponents of the B-Bender, a mechanical device that allows the "B" string to be raised a whole step via a system of cranks and levers. His work on "Peaceful Easy Feeling" is an excellent example of the sound the device allows and is by far the most accessible and most often heard example of a guitarist using it.  Today we take a look at Leadon's work through the years, spotlight some of his session work, and discuss his original Pull-String equipped Telecaster. We also cover how he ended up on the History of the Eagles tour, and the spartan setup that he used for the 170 dates back out on the road with his old band.

Buddy Emmons book - Amazon Affiliate link  https://amzn.to/3zHaqfy

Bernie Leadon Playlist
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/72M...

Gear Used:

Crook Paisley with Glaser B-Bender

1959 Harvard amp

Boss CS3 comp, MXR Reverb, MXR Looper

Bass - Danelectro Bass 6
Rhythm - Baxendale Kay Mandocello

#askzac #bernieleadon #eaglesband

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In August 1998, I was reading the latest Guitar Player Magazine and excitedly read a feature on the new guitarist for Merle Haggard's Strangers, Redd Volkaert. In the accompanying photo, he was captured holding a number of Roy Nichols-era Haggard albums, and cradling a number of vintage Telecasters, including a blackguard. In the article, Redd promoted his new "Telewacker" album and professed his love for Nichols, and I knew that this was the man that was going to bring the Telecaster sound back to the Hag's lead guitar spot. As much as I had loved the 1980s-era Roy and later Clint Strong with their Les Paul and Peavey Session 400 rigs, I had longed to hear the tunes played with a Tele and a JBL-equipped Fender amp. I soon learned that Haggard was playing nearby and I immediately bought a ticket to see Merle and the Strangers for their show on September 4th, 1998, in Corpus Christi, Texas. For the entire show, Redd was on-fire, as he paid homage to his predecessors, yet put his spin on the guitar parts to Merle's incredible catalog of hits. It was one of the best shows I have ever heard.

Today we look at Redd Volkaert and his huge influence on Telecaster players over the last 30 years. Also, we feature a new segment, Zac's book time.

Book link https://amzn.to/3T0g9DX

Playlist
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4DL...

Redd guests quite a bit with the Western Flyers
https://www.thewesternflyers.com/

Gear Used:

1957 Fender Esquire with a 1954 neck pickup, and original br

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On October 2nd, 2022, the Desert Rose Band played their final show at the Country Music Hall of Fame as the finale to the opening of the new exhibit, Western Edge: The Roots & Reverberations of Los Angeles Country-Rock. At this final show, Chris Hillman introduced guitarist John Jorgenson as the architect of the Desert Rose Band. This a true statement, as it was John that had the vision to see Hillman's material that was being performed by a small acoustic combo in the early 1980s, as full band California Country Rock, with dashes of Bluegrass, Bakersfield, and Byrds for good measure. But despite John's sizeable contributions, the group was a true sum of its parts; a father of Country Rock, the finest harmony singer on the planet, a wunderkind guitarist/multi-instrumentalist, a legendary steeler, and a veteran bassist and drummer of the highest order. Chris Hillman, Herb Pedersen, John Jorgenson, Jay Dee Maness, Bill Bryson, and Steve Duncan were the finest band to hit both the road and the airwaves since Emmylou's Hot Band, Buck Owen's Buckaroos or Merle Haggard's Strangers. Although their stint with the original lineup only existed from 1985-1991, they made an indelible impact on Country Music. Studio guitarists in Nashville pointed to Jorgenson's tones and began using real amps, electric 12-strings, and six-string basses, and being more adventurous with effects. Songwriters were encouraged to create honest material that focused on sometimes difficult subjects, and road bands everywhere rehearsed more, and still shuddered at the thought of following the Californians, with great songs, amazing harmonies, and top-drawer instrumentalists. The irony of their blowing the doors open in so many avenues was that the Desert Rose Band was soon overtaken in popularity by the "New Country" of the 1990s, which they helped lay the groundwork for.

This is my tribute to a band that has given me innumerable hours of enjoyment, challenged me, and is also the chief reason that I bonded with Brad Paisley during our University years. Later, during my time as Paisley's guitar tech, he would routinely tell me if we could not have a soundcheck to "Just make my guitar sound like "Hello Trouble.""

Thank you, Chris, Herb, John, Jay Dee, Steve, and the late Bill Bryson for the music that meant so much to me.

Jorgenson's gear notes
https://www.askzac.com/post/the-deser...

Their "Greatest Hits"
https://open.spotify.com/album/6HMY1K...

The Deep Dive

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The Telecaster Thinline story begins with Fender's engineers experimenting with the removal of wood under the pickguard to lighten the weight of heavy ash bodies. They found that the weight loss was insignificant, so Fender's engineers set out to make an entirely new model. The resulting Telecaster Thinline was a standard Telecaster, with a partially hollowed-out body, and a stylized Pearloid pickguard released in 1968. To spruce up the model in late 1971, the model was completely revamped with a new bridge, pickguard, Wide Range humbuckers, Bullet Truss Rod, and Micro-Tilt neck adjustment. In this episode, we will detail the differences between the standard Telecaster, and the version I & II Thinline models. We will also look at the important differences that Seth Lover engineered into his 50s Gibson PAF humbucker model, and the 70s Wide Range he later designed for Fender.

Gear Used:

2022 Vintage II Fender 72 Telecaster Thinline 
1967 Fender Telecaster

Pick:
D'Andrea Medium-Heavy

Amp:
1965 Deluxe Reverb with a 60s JBL D120F gray frame speaker with its original cone. Used with AmpRX Brown Box set to 113v

Effects used:
Amp reverb

#askzac #telecasterthinline #zacchilds

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Leo Fender spent a great amount of time and money to create a cover for the bridge and pickup assembly on his Esquire & Broadcaster guitars in 1950. It protected the bridge & pickup assembly from corrosion, it shielded it to help with noise, and it was an ornamental hand rest that made his guitar look more professional. Early players kept them on, but by even the mid-50s, players were taking them off to palm mute for chugga-chugga rhythms or swampy low-string licks. It soon became known as the ashtray, and Leo's functional and decorative cover was used by smokers who set them on their amps and knocked out the contents at the end of the night. Soon, most players retired them permanently to their case or lost them altogether. The lone exception to this was Iceman, Albert Collins, who not only kept his cover in place but decorated it with eye-catching reflective tape. Today we dive deep, into the story of Leo Fender's Telecaster bridge cover.

Gear Used:

1957 Fender Esquire with a 1954 neck pickup, and original bridge pickup. Restoration and aging on the body by Dan "Danocaster" Strain. Both pickups were rewound by Ron Ellis.

Strings:
StringJoy Pure Nickel Round Core 10-44 (10,12,16,24,34,44)

Pick:
D'Andrea Medium-Heavy

Amp:
1965 Deluxe Reverb with a 60s JBL D120F gray frame speaker with its original cone. Used with AmpRX Brown Box set to 113v

Effects used:
Amp reverb, MXR Clone Looper

#askzac #stringjoy #zacchilds

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JBL began producing efficient, high-wattage speakers in 1948 with the introduction of the D-130 model 15" speaker. The speaker was mainly used in public address (PA) systems until 1953 when Bob Crooks decided to spare no expense with his new Standel line of guitar amps, and factory install D-130's in them. Standel became the Dumble of the early 50s with their innovative cabinet and circuit designs, and also due to their use of a speaker that could produce a much clearer and louder tone than the less expensive pressed frame speakers being produced by Jensen and others. Stars from Chet Atkins to Speedy West began using Standel models over Fender, and the boys in Fullerton began to take note. Leo Fender, whose goal was always to make a great instrument at a more pocketbook-friendly price, continued to use lower-cost Jensen units until he finally relented in late 1959, producing the Vibrasonic amp, which was his first factory-equipped model with a JBL and the first Fender with Tolex covering and forward facing controls. 

In today's episode, we will look at some of the myths about them concerning brightness, the actual weight of the popular alnico magnet D120F & K120 models, and the differences between cast frame and pressed from speakers. Also, we will discuss the polarity issue and the frame thickness of the later D120F and K120 models that can require modifications to be utilized in some amps.   

A short list of guitarists that have used JBL speakers during important phases of their careers would include, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton, Albert Lee, Albert Collins, James Burton, Jerry Garcia, Roy Nichols, Duane Allman, Chet Atkins, Dickie Betts, Vince Gill, Mick Taylor, Keith Richards, Jesse Ed Davis, and Eric Johnson.

Gear Used:

1957 Fender Esquire with a 1954 neck pickup, and original bridge pickup. Restoration and aging on the body by Dan "Danocaster" Strain. Both pickups were rewound by Ron Ellis.

Strings:
D'Addario NYXL 10-44 (10,12,16,24,34,44)

Pick:
D'Andrea Medium-Heavy

Amp:
1965 Deluxe Reverb with a 60s JBL D120F gray frame speaker with its original cone. Used with AmpRX Brown Box set to 113v

Effects used:
Amp reverb

#askzac #jbld120f #zacchilds

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After last week's 2-hour interview with Don Kelley, I decided something shorter was in order.
My old Deluxe Reverb started exhibiting a funky rattle, and I had to fix it. Usually, I play while a friend pushes on the amp's tubes one at a time with a pencil eraser. I show how to use a looper pedal to help you find the rattle.

#askzac #guitartech #tuberattle

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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.

#askzac #donkelleyband #telecaster

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In today's video, Bill Keck and I re-install the 1954 neck pickup that was rewound by Ron Ellis. Bill passes on some important solder skills, and I show my hack for setting pickup height. To boot, you get a ton of under-the-hood shots of my 1957 Esquire.

Gear Used:

1957 Fender Esquire with a 1954 neck pickup, and original bridge pickup. Restoration and aging on the body by Dan "Danocaster" Strain. Both pickups were rewound by Ron Ellis.

Strings:
D'Addario NYXL 10-46 Amazon affiliate link https://amzn.to/3uD1WnZ

Pick:
D'Andrea Medium-Heavy

Amp:
1965 Deluxe Reverb with a V30 speaker. Used with AmpRX Brown Box set to 113v

Effects used:
Amp reverb

#askzac #guitartech  #telecaster

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

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https://www.patreon.com/AskZac
Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
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Today we take a look at the man who brought the Telecaster sound to Nashville, Fred Carter Jr. Besides being a Tele specialist, he was also one of the great session utility men, playing everything from bass to mandolin on tracks ranging from Muddy Waters to Willie Nelson. Many are only aware of him because of his daughter, Country star Deana Carter, or the footnote of him being Robbie Robertson's mentor in the Hawks. Today we bring Fred Carter's playing outside the shadows.

Johnny Darrell "Why You Been Gone So Long"
   • Johnny Darrell "W... 

Spotify Playlist
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1cD...

Additional photos of Fred through the years and all the links below are on my website
https://www.askzac.com/post/fred-cart...

Fred Carter Jr - "Voodoo Woman"
   • Fred Carter Jr. -... 

Fred Carter Jr. - Sitting on Mama's Knee - Nuggett
   • Fred Carter Jr. -... 

Fred Carter Jr. - River Boy - Nuggett
   • Fred Carter Jr. -... 

Gear Used:

1957 Fender Esquire with "New Tall" Ron Ellis neck pickup. Restoration and aging on the body by Dan "Danocaster" Strain. Rewind of bridge pickup by Ron Ellis.

Strings:
D'Addario NYXL 10-46 Amazon affiliate link

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
https://www.patreon.com/AskZac
Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
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I played a show in Norman, Oklahoma, on a Saturday, and everything sounded fantastic with my 1957 Esquire. I picked her up on Tuesday, and there was no sound when I went to the neck pickup. I checked solder joints and metered it, and sure enough, the Esquire's neck pickup was dead. This episode is about how Tele pickups die, and how to a degree it is a bit inevitable to the gigging Tele player.

Gear Used:

1957 Fender Esquire with "New Tall" Ron Ellis neck pickup. Restoration and aging on the body by Dan "Danocaster" Strain. Rewind of bridge pickup by Ron Ellis.

Strings:
D'Addario NYXL 10-46 Amazon affiliate link https://amzn.to/3uD1WnZ

Pick:
D'Andrea Medium-Heavy

Amp:
2021 Fender Vibro Champ Reverb

Effects used:
amp verb

#askzac #guitartech #telecaster

Support the show

To order Ron Ellis Pickups:  [email protected]

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Ron Ellis is one of the premier pickup winders, and a great friend to boot. I headed out to San Diego to see his new facility, and to meet the team he has put together to meet the high demand for his pickups. Ron kindly walks us through the pickup-making process and the guys that are responsible for each step of the process.

#askzac #ronellis #ronellispickups

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

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Steve Gibson has worked with everyone from Beatle George Harrison to Randy Travis. And if you have enjoyed George Strait's work since the early 90s, then that's Steve and Brent Mason covering all of the guitar work on the Texan's hits over the last 3 decades. In today's episode, we spotlight a guitarist whose style has always been to play precisely what the song needs.

Spotify Playlist
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1EZ...

Our Truetone Lounge interview with Steve
   • Truetone Lounge |... 

Gear Used:
1982 Kubicki body, 2022 Danocaster Neck, Glaser Convertible Bender, 80s Duncan middle, Ron Ellis 50/60 Tele pickup set.

Amp:
1965 Deluxe Reverb with Celestion Vintage 30 speaker, and bright cap clipped on the vibrato channel.

Effects used:
amp verb, Boss DD-2

#askzac #guitartech #telecaster

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
https://www.patreon.com/AskZac
Tip jar: https://paypal.me/AskZac
Venmo @AskZac
Or check out my store for merch - www.askzac.com

Use the code ASKZAC to get $20 off B-Stock. They also have a mailing list signup code for free shipping.
https://www.brownbox.rocks/shop/p/sal...

In 2002, Brad Paisley introduced me to the idea that old tube amps require lower voltages to sound their best. He showed me how to use a Variac and a voltmeter to set the voltage going into his 1962 Vox AC30 at the "sweet spot" of 110 volts. The variac, plus voltmeter, and 4 spot ac plug was a clunky unit, but it did its job. Fast forward to 2015, and Pat Geraghty contacts me to review the AmpRx Brown Box for Vintage Guitar Magazine. It was a brilliant take on Brad's variac rig, that was sleek, elegant, and much easier and safer to use.

Today we look at the Brown Box, and its benefits to tube amp users.

Brown Box's site  https://www.brownbox.rocks/

Gear for this video:

2014 Crook Custom Vintage Paisley - APC Adder (Neck) Peter Florance TE-60 (Bridge)
Glaser B-Bender
http://www.crookcustomguitars.com/
https://www.glaserbender.com/

Strings:
D'Addario NYXL 10-46

Pick:
D'Andrea Medium-Heavy

Amp:
1964 Vox JMI AC10 with 12" Celestion Blue Alnico Speaker in a custom cab built by Kyle Bollendorf.

#askzac #brownbox #telecaster

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
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Baz Luhrmann's Elvis movie stars Austin Butler, Tom Hanks, and Presley's timeless music. The unseen star of the music is guitarist JD Simo, who was tasked by Lurhmann and Dave Cobb to replicate the original parts and tones played by Scotty Moore, James Burton, Hank Garland, Reggie Young, and Tommy Tedesco. In today's special collaboration with Truetone, 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 built pedal board.

#askzac #JDSimo #elvis

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The late Andrew Gold was a mere pup when he walked into the studio with Linda Ronstadt to jumpstart her career with the tracks "You're No Good," and "When Will I Be Loved." His arrangement ideas, harmony vocals, and most noticeably his iconic guitar work, placed the "Gold" stamp on what would end up being two of her greatest hits. Today we will look at both tracks, and lay out the gear he used for both tracks. We will also look at Andrew's career, and how his guitar playing influenced the sound of pop guitar in the 80s and 90s.

Early clip of "You're No Good."
   • Video 

Spotify Playlist
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7cn...

Gear Used:
1982 Kubicki body, 2022 Danocaster Neck, Glaser Convertible Bender, 80s Duncan middle, Ron Ellis 50/60 Tele pickup set.

Strings: D'Addario NYXL 10-46 Amazon affiliate link https://amzn.to/3uD1WnZ

Pick: D'Andrea Medium-Heavy

Amp: 2021 Fender Vibro Champ Reverb

Effects used: amp verb & Ibanez Mostortion

#askzac #guitartech #telecaster

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
https://www.patreon.com/AskZac
Tip jar: https://paypal.me/AskZac
Venmo @AskZac
Or check out my store for merch - www.askzac.com

Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” is one of the most well-known songs of the last 50-years. She recorded the tune in the summer of 1973 and it has continued to be a perennial favorite, from one of the world’s favorite singers. Today we get the rare privilege of hearing the two main guitar tracks isolated from the original 16-track master recording. The track spotlights guitarists Chip Young and Wayne Moss, who worked out their intertwining guitar arrangement beforehand.

This track was initially played for me as there was some mystery as to who actually played the gut-string part, as the master had it labeled “Jimmy.” I went down a long rabbit trail to see if Jimmy Colvard, who had played on a number of other cuts off the same album had been the guitarist in question. It ended with the master being mislabeled, as Jimmy Colvard had played on some earlier sessions, but not on the track in question, “Jolene.”

A deep dive into the beautiful guitar tracks on Dolly Parton's "Jolene." From the isolated tracks, we get to hear the intertwining arrangement created by Chip Young & Wayne Moss.

Guitarist Jimmy Colvard's "Caravan."
   • Ferlin Husky - Ca... 

Gear Used:

1983 Takamine EC132 Classical Guitar

DeAndrea thumbpick

#askzac #guitartech #telecaster

Support the show

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I bought a Kubicki Telecaster out of a local Nashville Buy/Sell paper called the Trader’s Post in 1997. The purchase was to replace my 52 reissue Telecaster that had just been stolen. I thought the single-bound body was cool, but the ebony fretboard neck was not my cup of tea. At $350, it was all I could afford at the time, and I knew I could hot-rod it when I had more discretionary funds. Over the last 25-years, the guitar has had 7 different necks, 2 different B-bender systems, set up as everything from an Esquire to having a mini-humbucker in the neck, and had a wide variety of wiring harnesses. In today’s episode, I show its latest incarnation with a new Danocaster neck, based on the one on my 57 Esquire, an 80s Seymour Duncan Hot Strat Stack middle pickup, new Glaser convertible bender, Ron Ellis 50/60 neck and bridge pickups, and Joe Glaser’s new 3-pickup wiring with a middle pickup blend control. The Franken-Tele lives!

Gear Used:
1982 Kubicki body, 2022 Danocaster Neck, Glaser Convertible Bender, 80s Duncan middle, Ron Ellis 50/60 Tele pickup set.

Strings: D'Addario NYXL 10-46 Amazon affiliate link https://amzn.to/3uD1WnZ

Pick: D'Andrea Medium-Heavy

Amp: 2021 Fender Vibro Champ Reverb Effects used: amp verb

#askzac #guitartech #telecaster

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
https://www.patreon.com/AskZac
Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
Venmo @AskZac 
Or check out my store for merch  - www.askzac.com

In life, you are blessed to have great teachers. Sometimes teachers go above and beyond and become mentors. My musical mentor, Pat Grogan, took me on his gigs, watched me play, and then we worked on my shortcomings in our weekly lessons. He was also a former Big D Jamboree staff guitarist,  played on Bruce Chanel's huge hit "Hey Baby," and performed in Willie Nelson's band in his pre-outlaw days. We had many great musical adventures together, and I always knew he was looking out for me. Along the way, I tell the tale of us performing a pair of shows with a Country Music Legend, who was too drunk to remember me when I got my photo with him afterward. I learned so much from Pat, and today's episode is a tribute to my friend and teacher who will probably still be gigging at 90.

Gear Used:

1957 Fender Esquire with an added vintage neck pickup. Restoration and aging on the body by Dan "Danocaster" Strain. Rewind of bridge pickup by Ron Ellis.

Strings:
D'Addario NYXL 10-46 Amazon affiliate link https://amzn.to/3uD1WnZ

Pick:
D'Andrea Medium-Heavy

Amp:
2021 Fender Vibro Champ Reverb

Effects used:
amp verb

#askzac #guitartech #telecaster

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
https://www.patreon.com/AskZac
Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
Venmo @AskZac 
Or check out my store for merch  - www.askzac.com

In 1990, Guitar Player Magazine released an amazing series of albums through a partnership with Rhino Records titled The Legends of Guitar. The series covered Blues, Rock, Jazz, Classical, and Country. I picked up vol 1 & 2 of the Country series, and my eyes were opened to the founders of the style. These albums launched me down many rabbit holes, gaining a greater appreciation for cats like Chet Atkins, and Albert Lee, and a new appreciation for lesser-known players such as Junior Barnard, Roy Lanham, and Jimmy Colvard. These 2 albums have been in constant rotation in my car for 30 years, hence an episode to spotlight their importance.

Special thanks to Rich Kienzle, who was very instrumental in these compilation albums, and has been a personal music journalism hero of mine.

Spotify playlist with most of the songs of both volumes
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2t7...

#askzac #guitartech #telecaster

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
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While there have been many great Western Swing guitarists, Junior Barnard was one of the most exciting players of the genre with his ear-catching style and aggressive tone. Today, we look at how of all the swing guitarists, Barnard is the most accessible to modern players, and how you can steal from him to add some spice to your playing.

Spotify playlist
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/11b...

Links to more on Junior:

https://www.adioslounge.com/get-it-lo...

https://www.fretboardjournal.com/colu...

https://mentmorris.podia.com/lead-gui...

Damien Bacci
   • Fat Boy Rag - Jun... 

Tommy Harkenrider Lesson
   • Tiny Grimes compi... 


Gear Used:

1957 Fender Esquire with an added vintage neck pickup. Restoration and aging on the body by Dan "Danocaster" Strain. Rewind of bridge pickup by Ron Ellis.

Strings:
D'Addario NYXL 10-46 Amazon affiliate link

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
https://www.patreon.com/AskZac
Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
Venmo @AskZac 
Or check out my store for merch  - www.askzac.com

My 1981 Martin HD-28 has been by my side for close to 30-years. It's seen time in bars, churches, studios, and even a time or two on the Grand Ole Opry. Today, I look a bit at the history of the D-28/HD-28 Martins and then tell the story of how I bought my HD-28, and some of the gigs I have used it on, including one with JD Simo that included an interesting clothing accessory. I end with a tonal comparison between the HD-28, a mid-30s Gibson L-OO, and a Waterloo WL-14.

Gear Used:

1981 Martin HD-28, 1935 Gibson L-OO, Waterloo WL-14 (ladder braced)

#askzac #guitartech #HD28

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
https://www.patreon.com/AskZac
Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
Venmo @AskZac 
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Guitarists have been personalizing or branding their guitars for many years. Some simply used their guitars as portable billboards, like a young BB King, who had his name along with the radio station he played at emblazoned on the top of his guitar. Others just wanted to make sure the audience knew who the hot cat was on guitar. While this has come and gone as far as being the in-style thing to do for the average player, it has always been a part of the showmanship of guitarists. Look at guitar heroes, Stevie Ray Vaughan or Eddie Van Halen. We rarely saw either of them without a guitar branded with "SRV" or "5150" in plain view. In this episode, I give the inspiration behind my personalized pickguard, and how I got help from some artist friends in creating it. The wonderful thing about doing this is that it is fun, and if you grow tired of it, you can easily remove it, and go back to the plain old plastic pickguard you had before.

Gear Used:

1957 Fender Esquire with an added vintage neck pickup. Restoration and aging on the body by Dan "Danocaster" Strain. Rewind of bridge pickup by Ron Ellis.

Strings:
D'Addario NYXL 10-46 Amazon affiliate link https://amzn.to/3uD1WnZ

Pick:
D'Andrea Medium-Heavy

Amp:
2021 Fender Vibro Champ Reverb

Effects used:
amp verb

#askzac #guitartech #telecaster

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
https://www.patreon.com/AskZac
Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
Venmo @AskZac 
Or check out my store for merch  - www.askzac.com

Spotlight on the greatest unknown Memphis guitarist, Clarence Nelson. He was a major influence in both style and tone on Steve Cropper, Reggie Young, and Chips Moman. Clarence was an African-American guitarist who worked with bandleader, Ben Branch, and from there influenced the younger players that saw him live, or watched him in the studio on early Stax, American, and Hi/Royal sessions. Nelson also toured with both James Carr and William Bell in the 60s and 70s. He should be credited as an early adopter of the Telecaster in Memphis, and how he paved the way for others with his funky low string licks, and stuttering bends.

Much thanks to Red Kelly's excellent detective work on Clarence which can be found here.
http://souldetective.com/case8part1.html

Also, check out my interview with Reggie Young where we discuss Clarence Nelson later in the video
   • Reggie Young | Tr... 

Michael Ross mentioned Clarence in his piece on Reggie
https://www.premierguitar.com/artists...

Gear Used:

1957 Fender Esquire with an added vintage neck pickup. Restoration and aging on the body by Dan "Danocaster" Strain. Rewind of bridge pickup by Ron Ellis.

Strings:
D'Addario NYXL 10-46 Amazon affiliate link https://amzn.to/3uD1WnZ

Pick:
D'Andrea Medium-Heavy

Amp:
2021 Fender Vibro Champ Reverb

Effects used:
amp verb

#askzac #guitartech #telecaster

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
https://www.patreon.com/AskZac
Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
Venmo @AskZac 
Or check out my store for merch  - www.askzac.com

The pick is how many of us strike the string and create a sound with the guitar. Like most of you, I have been on a pick journey for many years, and I must say an enjoyable one, as most picks cost a dollar or less. The pick we choose makes a huge difference in our tone, and also changes the way we feel and experience the guitar. Today I walk through the various picks that I have used over my 37-years of playing the guitar. What made each one good, but also why I moved on. I end on my favorite pick, a celluloid Medium-Heavy pick made by one of the original pick makers, D'Andrea. 

These guys have some of the D'Andrea MH .84 picks

https://www.stringsbymail.com/dandrea...

Gear Used:

1957 Fender Esquire with an added vintage neck pickup. Restoration and aging on the body by Dan "Danocaster" Strain. Rewind of bridge pickup by Ron Ellis.

Strings:
D'Addario NYXL 10-46 Amazon affiliate link https://amzn.to/3uD1WnZ

Pick:
D'Andrea Medium-Heavy

Amp:
1964 Vox AC10

Effects used:
MXR M300 Reverb on the Spring setting

#askzac #guitartech #guitarpicks

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
https://www.patreon.com/AskZac
Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
Venmo @AskZac 
Or check out my store for merch  - www.askzac.com

I have gotten numerous questions over the past 2-years about the Ask Zac theme. Here I show both how to play it, and the story about how it came about. I touch on the hand pain issues I have dealt with over the past 3 years, and how the theme came about as a way for me to both strengthen my hands, and be musical.

Here is a link to the tab
https://www.askzac.com/post/ask-zac-t...

Gear Used:

1957 Fender Esquire with an added vintage neck pickup. Restoration and aging on the body by Dan "Danocaster" Strain. Rewind of bridge pickup by Ron Ellis.

Strings:
D'Addario NYXL 10-46 Amazon affiliate link https://amzn.to/3uD1WnZ

Pick:
D'Andrea Medium-Heavy

Amp:
2021 Fender Vibro Champ Reverb

Effects used:
amp verb

#askzac #guitartech #telecaster  #guthrietrapp

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
https://www.patreon.com/AskZac
Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
Venmo @AskZac 
Or check out my store for merch  - www.askzac.com

Anyone playing Delta-Blues with deep tremolo, whether on an album or as frequently used in soundtrack work, owes much to Pops Staples's groundbreaking guitar style. His spooky and tremolo-soaked guitar set the mood for the Staple Singers brand of Gospel and Protest tunes that put them on the map in the 50s and 60s. In this episode, we take a look at his upbringing in the Jim Crow south, and how he moved to Chicago to find better opportunities for his family. In this episode, we look at both the incredible musical influence that Pops had and also how his guitar work was sadly hidden away to pave the way for their Stax R&B hits.

Spotify Playlist
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4dX...

More great info on Pops from my friend Michael Ross
https://www.premierguitar.com/artists...

Amazon link to Greg Kot's book on Mavis and the Staples  https://amzn.to/3is2HJz

1957 Fender Esquire with an added vintage neck pickup. Restoration and aging on the body by Dan "Danocaster" Strain. Rewind of bridge pickup by Ron Ellis.

Strings:
D'Addario NYXL 10-46 Amazon affiliate link https://amzn.to/3uD1WnZ

Pick:
D'Andrea Medium-Heavy

Amp:
2021 Fender Vibro Champ Reverb

Effects used:
amp verb and tremolo

#askzac #guitartech #telecaster 

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
https://www.patreon.com/AskZac
Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
Venmo @AskZac 
Or check out my store for merch  - www.askzac.com

In a recent Livestream, I was asked if there was any certain piece of gear I was looking for, and I responded that I would love to find a good old (1930s-50s) acoustic guitar. I then followed with that I was not in a position to afford something like that, and someone mentioned Baxendale Conversions. I found that Scott Baxendale takes old Kay, Harmony, Silvertone, and Regal acoustics from the 1940s-1960s, and converts them into instruments that are scarily similar to same era Gibson and Martins. In today's video, I lay out what Scott Baxendale does to these vintage budget instruments to make them take flight with much greater volume, tonal range, and much better playability. In the video, I am playing a 1950s Kay, that has been converted into an 8-string mandocello, but I hope to find a 6-string conversion soon.

Gear used in this video:

2021 Baxendale Mandocello conversion of a 1950s Kay acoustic.


#askzac #guitartech #telecaster

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
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Or check out my store for merch  - www.askzac.com

When LEGO released their Fender Stratocaster and Princeton Reverb amp set, my childhood and adult obsessions collided. As a child, I was given LEGO sets for Christmas and birthdays throughout the late 70s and early 80s. By 1985, I was 13 years old and had switched gears from LEGO to the guitar, so the little bricks went into the attic for close to 20 years. When my children were born, the LEGOs came out of hiding, and I began to enjoy building with my kids, and recently began getting sets of my own like the UCS Snowspeeder, and Slave I. With the release of this LEGO/Fender collaboration, my obsession with building bricks and electric guitars collided head-on.

Amazon affiliate link to the Fender Stratocaster LEGO® Ideas Fender® Stratocaster™
https://amzn.to/3s64Ksp

#askzac #lego #fender #askzac #guitartech #telecaster

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
Patreon  https://www.patreon.com/AskZac
Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
Venmo @AskZac 
Or check out my store for merch  - www.askzac.com

In this episode, I walk through the process I use for stringing, stretching, and tuning on a vintage-style Telecaster. These methods are geared towards Telecasters with split-shaft tuners and 3-saddle bridges. These methods were learned from gurus like Joe Glaser, Dan Erlewine, and Lindy Fralin, and during my tenure as Brad Paisley's guitar tech. 

I cover the following:

1. Importance of winding as little string as possible on the tuner shafts.
2. How to lock unwound strings in place on vintage split-shaft tuners.
3. How to fix a saddle with a burr, causing the "sitar' effect.
4. Why you should be conservative with nut lubricant.
5. How to stretch the strings to promote tuning stability.

Amazon affiliate link for D'Addario NYXL 10-46 strings
https://amzn.to/3uD1WnZ

#askzac #guitartech #telecaster

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
Venmo @AskZac 
Or check out my store for merch  - www.askzac.com

Being a huge Bass 6 fan, there are 2 major types, the Danelectro and the Fender. And of course, being fully immersed into the "sickness" I had to finally have one of each. In today's episode, I look at the strengths and weaknesses of both designs. Not really a shootout, but more of a look at which might be more suited to you, unless of course you are like me and need both types.

Gear for this video:

2000 Danelectro Hodad Bass 6 Baritone six-string bass
2018 Squier Bass VI

Strings:
La'Bella flat wound BassVI - Amazon affiliate link -  https://amzn.to/3rvJY57
Ernie Ball Bass 6 strings round wound - https://amzn.to/34z5exR

Pick:
D'Andrea Medium-Heavy

Amp:
1964 Vox JMI AC10 with 12" Celestion Blue Alnico Speaker in a custom cab built by Kyle Bollendorf.

Effects used:
Boss RV-2
Analog Man Sunface 2N Fuzz
Amp tremolo

six-string bass baritone guitar tic tac

#askzac #guitartech #telecaster #askzac #guitartech #telecaster

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
Patreon  https://www.patreon.com/AskZac
Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
Venmo @AskZac 
Or check out my store for merch  - www.askzac.com

One of the biggest questions you should ask yourself when setting up in a room is "How should I position my amp for the best tone?" This is the struggle of every guitarist, as they strive to get a good tone to inspire themselves, and hopefully put on a better show. In this video, I explain a number of key positioning and baffling concepts that will help you get great sounds, and will hopefully keep the soundman happy too.

Here are some of the issues addressed:

1. Multiple ways to baffle your amp depending on how much reduction is required
2. Pros and cons of the amp on the floor.
3. leaning back the amp.
4. Turning the amp around.
5. Amp on a chair to hear yourself better, and reduce low-end rumble
6. What to do in an overly reverberant room

1957 Fender Esquire with added vintage neck pickup. Restoration and aging on the body by Dan "Danocaster" Strain. Rewind of bridge pickup by Ron Ellis.

Strings:
D'Addario NYXL 10-46

Pick:
D'Andrea Medium-Heavy

Amp:
1965 Deluxe Reverb with Celestion Vintage 30 speaker, and bright cap clipped on the vibrato channel.

Effects used:
amp verb and tremolo

#askzac #guitartech #telecaster #askzac #guitartech #telecaster

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Duane Allman wasn't always a Gibson/Marshall guy. In today's episode, we cover the era while he was with the Allman Joys, The Hourglass, and his much-celebrated session career in Muscle Shoals. During this era, he mainly played a Telecaster with a homemade fuzz unit attached to the instrument, or a Strat with a Fuzz Face through Fender amps. It is also during this time period that he saw Jesse Ed Davis playing slide with Taj Mahal, causing him to pursue slide with a vengeance.

Gear for this video:

1957 Fender Esquire with added vintage neck pickup. Restoration and aging on the body by Dan "Danocaster" Strain. Rewind of bridge pickup by Ron Ellis.

Strings:
D'Addario NYXL 10-46

Pick:
D'Andrea Medium-Heavy

Amp:
1965 Deluxe Reverb with Celestion Vintage 30 speaker, and bright cap clipped on the vibrato channel.

Effects used:
amp verb
Analogman Sun Face 2N Fuzz

#askzac #duaneallman  #telecaster

Support the show

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Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
Venmo @AskZac 
Or check out my store for merch  - www.askzac.com

I did another run of shows with the Paul Bogart Band, including a New Year's Eve show in Wichita, Kansas. This run had me playing with Paul's regular guitarist, Nick Palmer, instead of filling in for him, which necessitated me taking a different approach to the set. In this video, I show how I learned different guitar parts and used my Mandolin, and Danelectro Bass 6 to come up with complementary parts. To give a concrete example, I play the parts and solos I played on "All That Cowboy Jazz" on my Breedlove Mandolin. There is also a bit of live footage of me playing at the end of the video.

Paul's original recording of "All That Cowboy Jazz"    • Paul Bogart I All... 

His latest single, "While She's Mine."     • Paul Bogart • Whi... 

Gear for this video:

2000 Danelectro Hodad Bass 6 Baritone six-string bass
Late 90s Breedlove K5 Mandolin

Strings:
D'Addario Mandolin
Ernie Ball Bass 6 strings

Pick:
D'Andrea Medium-Heavy

Amp:
1964 Vox JMI AC10 with 12" Celestion Blue Alnico Speaker in a custom cab built by Kyle Bollendorf.

Effects used:
Turbo Tuner
XTS mod Boss GE7
Karma MTN-10 Mostortion
AnalogMan Boss TR-2
Boss VB-2W
Boss DD-2
Boss RV-2
9v power via Truetone CS6  https://amzn.to/3gnJQPW

#askzac #guitartech #telecaster #askzac #guitartech #telecaster

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As I was contemplating my last AZ episode of 2021, I realized that 4 out of 5 of my top videos of the year were all focused on amps. So this episode both looks at the importance of amps and lends some additional insight into those amp videos. I take a look at my videos featuring the Deluxe Reverb, Tone Master Deluxe, Vibro Champ Reverb, and the episode on how small amps got big.

Gear for this video:

1957 Fender Esquire with added vintage neck pickup. Restoration and aging on the body by Dan "Danocaster" Strain. Rewind of bridge pickup by Ron Ellis.

Strings:
D'Addario NYXL 10-46

Pick:
D'Andrea Medium-Heavy

Amp:
1965 Deluxe Reverb with Celestion Vintage 30 speaker, and bright cap clipped on the vibrato channel.

Effects used:
amp verb

#askzac #guitartech #telecaster #askzac #guitartech #telecaster

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
Patreon  https://www.patreon.com/AskZac
Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
Venmo @AskZac 
Or check out my store for merch  - www.askzac.com

You don't change until you have to.....

I have always been an amp guy, and have always had a preference for tube amps. With a recent fly date I did with Paul Bogart, I ran into a situation that caused me to finally make the jump to using a direct setup. In the video, I cover how I began to see more and more of my friends and heroes go direct when the situation called for it. My solution was the Strymon Iridium with a Tone Junkie Celestion Vintage 30 IR pack. With it, I could get a nice BF Deluxe Reverb sound, along with the V30 IR to give me a sound I was comfortable with. Though others I spoke with used the Kemper or Line 6 HX, I chose the Strymon as it had actual knobs, and was much easier for me to use on the gig. 

This is my beginner's guide to going direct. 

Gear for this video
1957 Fender Esquire with an added neck pickup. Restoration and aging on the body by Dan "Danocaster" Strain. Bridge pickup re-wind by Ron Ellis

Strings:
D'Addario NYXL 10-46

Pick:
D'Andrea MH 351

Pedalboard
Turbo Tuner
Mirage Compressor
Karma MTN-10 Mostortion
Boss DM-3
Strymon Flint
Line 6 Echo Park
Strymon Iridium
9v power via Truetone CS6

JBL powered speakers for this video #askzac #guitartech #telecaster

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
Patreon  https://www.patreon.com/AskZac
Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
Venmo @AskZac 
Or check out my store for merch  - www.askzac.com

Robbie Robertson and The Band turned the music world on its collective ear with the release of Music From Big Pink. Extended guitar solos, fuzz, psychedelic references, and screaming vocals were nowhere to be found. Instead, the listener found the understated guitar, storytelling songs, thoughtful arrangements, and brother-like vocal harmonies. In today's player spotlight, we take a look at Robertson's early days with the Hawk, through the mid-era of The Band, mainly focusing on the period of time that Robertson played a Telecaster. We also take a look at the black Tele he was gifted by Dylan, which was modified through the years and was his main guitar through much of the Band era.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/65w...

Gear used:
1959 Fender Harvard with stock Jensen P10R

1957 Fender Esquire with added neck pickup. Restoration and aging on the body by Dan "Danocaster" Strain. Bridge re-wind by Ron Ellis

Strings:
D'Addario NYXL 10-46

Pick:
Medium-Heavy
#askzac  #robbierobertson  #telecaster

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
Patreon  https://www.patreon.com/AskZac
Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
Venmo @AskZac 
Or check out my store for merch  - www.askzac.com

Ever wondered why the amp world shifted from 100-watt amps to 25-watts or less? The short answer is the advancement of P.A. systems. In the not-so-distant past, the typical P.A.  was only capable of handling 2-3 vocal mics. Because of this, the guitar amp, and it alone, had to make the guitarist heard in whatever venue or situation they were in. This "amp dependency" was most often the case all the way up until the 1980s when it began to become more common for instrument amps to be reinforced through the more advanced P.A. systems that could handle the additional work. Thus the shift to smaller amps allowed the stage volume to be lowered and gave the vocalists a much-needed break.

A Celestion Blue Alnico speaker is in the amp for the entire video

Gear for this video
1957 Fender Esquire with an added neck pickup. Restoration and aging on the body by Dan "Danocaster" Strain. Bridge pickup re-wind by Ron Ellis

Strings:
D'Addario NYXL 10-46

Pick:
D'Andrea MH 351

Amp:
Fender '62 Princeton Amp - Chris Stapleton Edition #askzac #guitartech #telecaster

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
Venmo @AskZac 
Or check out my store for merch  - www.askzac.com

I couldn't help myself, I had to mess with the amp that really did not to be messed with. In this video, I tell how using different tubes and speakers in the Chris Stapleton Princeton changed the sound. Just to be clear, I thought it was great out of the box, I just wanted to hear how the amp could be steered differently both in its gain, and tone.

An Eminence GB128 speaker is in the amp for the entire video

Gear for this video
1957 Fender Esquire with an added neck pickup. Restoration and aging on the body by Dan "Danocaster" Strain. Bridge pickup re-wind by Ron Ellis

Strings:
D'Addario NYXL 10-46

Pick:
D'Andrea MH 351

Amp:
Fender '62 Princeton Amp - Chris Stapleton Edition #askzac #guitartech #telecaster

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
Patreon  https://www.patreon.com/AskZac
Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
Venmo @AskZac 
Or check out my store for merch  - www.askzac.com

Owning and loving both a 1965 Deluxe Reverb and a 1959 Harvard has caused me to become more and more curious about revisiting the brownface amps of 1960-1963. The last time I owned a brown amp, I was in High School. I looked around and realized that Fender had recently released a hand-wired 62 Princeton. Kindly, they sent me one to check out. In this video, I take a look at the history of the Princeton from the tweeds through the BF model, and of course, put Fender's new Chris Stapleton Edition amp through its paces. 

Gear for this video
1957 Fender Esquire with an added neck pickup. Restoration and aging on the body by Dan "Danocaster" Strain. Bridge pickup re-wind by Ron Ellis

Strings:
D'Addario NYXL 10-46

Pick:
D'Andrea MH 351

Amp:
Fender '62 Princeton Amp - Chris Stapleton Edition

Effects used:
Boss DM-2 Delay
Boss RV-2 Reverb on PLATE setting
#askzac #chrisstapletonprinceton #telecaster

Support the show

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Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
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NRBQ was one of the most talented, versatile, and wacky groups to ever play together. From 1971-1994, Big Al Anderson held the guitar seat, usually with a Telecaster in hand. Al's singing, writing, and playing helped define the group during his 23-year stay, yet he was to go on to even greater heights as a hit songwriter in Nashville, TN. In today's spotlight, we cover his story, some bits of his playing, and the gear he has used through the years.

Tom Bukovac demonstrating Al's rhythm guitar style
   • Homeskoolin’ Volu... 

Spotify Playlist
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2p6...

Gear for this video
1957 Fender Esquire with an added neck pickup. Restoration and aging on the body by Dan "Danocaster" Strain. Bridge pickup re-wind by Ron Ellis

Strings:
D'Addario NYXL 10-46

Pick:
D'Andrea MH 351

Amp:
Fender '62 Princeton Amp - Chris Stapleton Edition

Effects used:
Boss DM-2 Delay
Boss VB-2W  Vibrato #askzac #guitartech #telecaster

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
Venmo @AskZac 
Or check out my store for merch  - www.askzac.com

The Fender tweeds from1947 thru 1960 are some of the finest guitar amps ever made. They are simple and raw sounding, and their job was mainly to make the guitar louder, not to do much tone sculpting. My favorites are the narrow panel 1955-1960 models, and today we are going to take a look at the best of the mid-sized (30-40 watt) tweeds, the 5F4 (2-10) Super amp. Besides its lineage, we will also look at how to get the most out of these amps by knowing how to use the Bass control, and jumpering the instrument and mic channels.

Gear for this video
1957 Fender Esquire with an added neck pickup. Restoration and aging on the body by Dan "Danocaster" Strain. Bridge pickup re-wind by Ron Ellis

Strings:
D'Addario NYXL 10-46

Pick:
D'Andrea MH 351

Amp:
1959 Fender Super with Mather cab and Vintone alnico speakers. #askzac #guitartech #telecaster

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
Venmo @AskZac 
Or check out my store for merch  - www.askzac.com

Here is the tale of my trip to Tulsa, to play some shows with my good friend, Paul Bogart. Besides the road story, I also talk about the gear I took with me, and how I used my 1964 Vox AC10 and the new Fender Tone Master Blonde Deluxe amp in a stereo setup. To do this, and to do it quietly, I used a buffered splitter box with a phase reversal switch and an isolation transformer. This allowed me to have my amps in phase, and to be a quiet as possible, and to not use a 3-to-2 prong adaptor, which is frankly dangerous.

Here is the full side-stage footage from Tulsa:
   • Live in Tulsa! (r... 


Amps in the video:
Fender Tone Master Deluxe https://amzn.to/3eDEEX0.
1964 Vox JMI AC10 with 12" Celestion Blue Alnico Speaker in a custom cab built by Kyle Bollendorf.

Pedalboard
Turbo Tuner
Mirage Compressor
Analog Man Boss TR-2
XTS rehoused Mostortion
Boss FV30H Volume pedal
Boss DD-2 Delay
Line 6 Echo Park
9v power via Truetone CS6  https://amzn.to/3gnJQPW #askzac #guitartech #telecaster

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
Venmo @AskZac 
Or check out my store for merch  - www.askzac.com

Shots of Jerry Jones early builds, including the original Tuff Dog Tele for Merle Haggard.

https://www.askzac.com/post/the-histo...

In 2010, Jerry Jones auctioned the entire contents of his Nashville factory. Drill presses, unused custom fabricated parts, prototype instruments, and everything that was not part of the building itself were sold to the highest bidder. For a handful of years, his website was kept up, but finally, it too came down. Now the only information that can be found is from the descriptions on completed sales of used instruments. A recent email asked me for info on Jones, as the viewer had just bought one of his guitars and there was next to nothing about the guitars on the web. My own search ended up with the same results. So I reached out to Jerry Jones through a friend of his, and I was politely told "Jerry does not want to be interviewed, as he is retired, and to talk about this would be to come out of retirement, and he has no interest in doing so."  With that dead-end, I pieced together my own past interactions with Jerry and tracked down some of his friends and two of his former employees to put together this story. I also had the help of friends that let me borrow a bevy of wonderful Jones guitars, including the original factory prototype that was used to test pickups. So to the best of my ability, here is the history of Jerry Jones Guitars.

Jerry Jones:
12-String (Black)
Longhorn Bass 6 (SilverJones)
Baritone
12-String (Bronze)
Baby Sitar
Prototype Guitar

Silvertone Danelectro 1958 U2

Amp:
Fender Blonde Tone Master Deluxe Reverb https://amzn.to/3eDEEX0.

Pick:
D'Andrea MH 351

Effects used:
Mirage compressor
Line 6 Echo Park Delay
9v power via Truetone CS6  https://amzn.to/3gnJQPW #askzac #guitartech #telecaster

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
Venmo @AskZac 
Or check out my store for merch  - www.askzac.com

How you prepare for a gig dictates whether you will be asked to work with that client/artist again in the future. In this episode, I show how I prepare musically, what questions I ask the client, how I choose what gear to take, and the importance of having backups for everything. A very practical AZ episode.


Gear for this video
1957 Fender Esquire with an added neck pickup. Restoration and aging on the body by Dan "Danocaster" Strain. Bridge pickup re-wind by Ron Ellis

Strings:
D'Addario Pure Nickel 10-45

Pick:
D'Andrea MH 351

Amp:
1964 Vox JMI AC10 with 12" Celestion Blue Alnico Speaker in a custom cab built by Kyle Bollendorf.

Effects used:
Boss DD-2
9v power via Truetone CS6  https://amzn.to/3gnJQPW #askzac #guitartech #telecaster

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
Patreon  https://www.patreon.com/AskZac
Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
Venmo @AskZac 
Or check out my store for merch  - www.askzac.com

When Leo Fender released the Broadcaster, he was laughed at by his competitors. His detractors claimed that no serious guitarist would be seen playing Fender's "boat paddle" with strings. But old Leo knew just the guitarist that could give his new plank some respect, Jimmy Bryant. What many are not aware of is that after working all day at the factory, Leo Fender would moonlight as the sound man for the popular Cliffie Stone's Hometown Jamboree show. On a break, Leo anxiously handed his new Broadcaster to Hometown guitarist, Jimmy Bryant, who was by all accounts the hottest picker in L.A. at the time. To his great delight, Bryant loved the fast action, clear tone, lack of unwanted feedback, and the comfort of Leo's new guitar. Soon Jimmy and his sparring partner, Speedy West, had their own recording contract with Capitol Records, and their first LP, with Jimmy proudly holding his Broadcaster, acted as a huge Fender ad in record stores across the United States. The new Fender guitar now was seen as the one to have.

Jimmy was one of the finest guitarists in the history of American Music, and although he is not forgotten, he is often underappreciated. With this episode, I will do my best to rectify that with a healthy dose of his story, and a look at the gear he used to create his decidedly "Fender" tone.

In the video, I spotlight how his use of the Broadcaster, 12-52 pure nickel strings, jazz picks, and an early "woody" Fender Pro influenced his sound. Also, I discuss the blend control, and how Broadcaster wiring was different than what was later used on the Telecaster.

Gear for this video
1957 Fender Esquire with an added neck pickup. Restoration and aging on the body by Dan "Danocaster" Strain. Bridge pickup re-wind by Ron Ellis

Strings:
D'Addario Pure Nickle 10-45

Pick:
D'Andrea Medium Heavy

Amp:
1959 Fender Super

No effects
#askzac  #guitartech #telecaster

Support the show

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Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
Venmo @AskZac 
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I started my channel in January of 2020 with 70 subscribers, and a year and a half later have over 20,000 subs. I have gotten many questions about how I create my show, including people wanting to know the specifics of how I capture my guitar sounds. Well here it is, and even a bit of the "why" I started doing my show. And to everyone that has subscribed and supported me, THANK YOU!!

Gear for this video
1957 Fender Esquire with an added neck pickup. Restoration and aging on the body by Dan "Danocaster" Strain. Bridge pickup re-wind by Ron Ellis

Strings:
D'Addario NYXL 10-46

Pick:
Fender Medium

Amp:
1964 Vox JMI AC10 with 12" Celestion Blue Alnico Speaker in a custom cab built by Kyle Bollendorf.

Effects used:
Boss RV-2 on plate setting
Amp tremolo
9v power via Truetone CS6  https://amzn.to/3gnJQPW #askzac #guitartech #telecaster

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
Venmo @AskZac 
Or check out my store for merch  - www.askzac.com

Today I take a long-overdue look at questions that have arisen over the last couple of months. I cover the common questions I get about Princeton Reverb amps, the Tele body thickness question that was repeatedly asked concerning my 57 vs 67 Tele video, and I cover how Guthrie Trapp has influenced my playing, and how one of his exercises influenced the "Ask Zac" theme.

Gear for this video
1957 Fender Esquire with an added neck pickup. Restoration and aging on the body by Dan "Danocaster" Strain. Bridge pickup re-wind by Ron Ellis

Strings:
D'Addario NYXL 10-46

Pick:
Fender Medium

Amp:
1964 Vox JMI AC10 with 12" Celestion Blue Alnico Speaker in a custom cab built by Kyle Bollendorf.

Effects used:
Boss RV-2 on plate setting
9v power via Truetone CS6  https://amzn.to/3gnJQPW #askzac #guitartech #telecaster

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
Venmo @AskZac 
Or check out my store for merch  - www.askzac.com

Fender tweeds are some of the most desirable vintage amps, especially the late 50s designs, which are considered by many as the pinnacle of Leo Fender's work. Today, I look at 2 of the most revered of the smaller tweeds, the 1959 Harvard, and the 1960 Deluxe. The 2 amps are similar in many ways, sharing even some of the same iron, yet different in their cabinet size, speaker size, and perhaps most importantly the Deluxe having cathode versus the fixed power tube bias of the Harvard. From clean to cranked, you hear it all paired with my 1957 Esquire.

Vintage Amp comparison - Tweed Shootout

Gear used:
1959 Fender Harvard with stock Jensen P10R
1960 Fender Deluxe with Jensen P12Q

1957 Fender Esquire with added neck pickup. Restoration and aging on the body by Dan "Danocaster" Strain. Bridge re-wind by Ron Ellis

Strings:
D'Addario NYXL 10,12,16,24,34,44

Pick:
Medium

Effects:
None - though a Live Wire ABC switch was used to select each amp. #askzac #guitartech #telecaster

Support the show

Check out the opening Squier Bass VI lick played with Fuzz!
 
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Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
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Did you know that the fuzz pedal was born because a Danelectro Bass 6 was recorded using a faulty channel on a studio mixing console? The part, played by the great Grady Martin, was a hit for Marty Robbins in 1961, and the requests to replicate the sound led the studio engineer, Glenn Snoddy, to design the Maestro Fuzz-Tone for Gibson in 1962. Unfortunately for Gibson, the pedal was not a hit right away. They had to wait till Keith Richards used one on "Satisfaction" in 1965, which led to them quickly reissuing the product. To boot, Keith had used the device only to mimic a horn, as he thought his fuzz guitar part was just a guide for the horn part to be overdubbed later. The horns were never added, the fuzz part was kept, and the fuzz craze was born.

Marty Robbins "Don't Worry About Me."
   • Marty Robbins - D... 

Grady Martin on "The Fuzz"
   • 1961 Grady Martin... 

James Burton on Bass VI with fuzz
   • Jimmy Burton - Ji... 

More of what Keith envisioned for "Satisfaction."
   • [I Can't Get No] ... 

Gear Used:
2018 Fender Squier Vintage Modified Bass VI
Strings: La Bella Flatwound 767-6F  https://amzn.to/2Wio3iu

1957 Fender Esquire with added neck pickup. Restoration and aging on the body by Dan "Danocaster" Strain. Bridge re-wind by Ron Ellis

Strings:
D'Addario NYXL 10,12,16,24,34,44

Pick:
Medium

Amp:
1965 Deluxe Reverb with Celestion Vintage 30 speaker, and bright cap clipped on the vibrato channel.

Effects used:
Analog Man Sunface 2N
#askzac #guitartech #telecaster

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
Patreon  https://www.patreon.com/AskZac
Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
Venmo @AskZac 
Or check out my store for merch  - www.askzac.com

Fender has made the Telecaster for longer than many of us have been alive. The elegant, yet simple instrument has evolved and had many variations over the past 70 years. Today, I take a 1957 and 1967 Telecaster and show how the instrument changed from the heart of the Leo years, to firmly in the CBS era. From headstock to pickups, the comparison is quite enlightening, and I finish the video with head-to-head tone examples. To finish the video, I give a quick lesson on the playing examples I used for both instruments.

Gear for this video
1957 Fender Esquire with added vintage neck pickup. Restoration and aging on the body by Dan "Danocaster" Strain. Rewind of bridge pickup by Ron Ellis.

1967 Telecaster - stock except for steel compensated saddles, and the tone control is wired to the bridge pickup only.

Strings:
D'Addario NYXL 10,12,16,24,34,44

Pick:
Danocaster Medium

Amp:
1965 Deluxe Reverb with Celestion Vintage 30 speaker, and bright cap clipped on the vibrato channel.

Effects used:
amp verb #askzac #guitartech #telecaster

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
Venmo - AskZac
Or check out my store at  - www.askzac.com

Learning to play guitar in the 80s, my only reference to fuzz was articles about Jimi Hendrix, SRV, and Eric Johnson in either Guitar World or Guitar Player magazines. When I finally got to play the fuzz pedals that became available in the 90s, like those made by Fulltone, they were just not to my liking. They seemed way over the top, and not useable in the music that I was playing. I lost interest in fuzz until my good buddy Austin showed me his Analog Man Sun Face Fuzz, and I immediately ordered one from Mike. Besides fuzz, I also hit on some pointers on using capos with electric guitar after pushing them in my John Leventhal episode.

Gear for this video
1957 Fender Esquire with added neck pickup. Restoration and aging on the body by Dan "Danocaster" Strain.

Strings:
Gabriel Tenorio NíquelPuro Pure Nickel Strings 10-46

Pick:
Blue Chip TPR 35

Amp:
1965 Deluxe Reverb with Celestion Vintage 30 speaker, and bright cap clipped on the vibrato channel.

Effects used:
Analog Man Sunface 2N #askzac #guitartech #telecaster

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
Venmo - AskZac
Or check out my store at  - www.askzac.com

John Leventhal is a favorite, and his work in the early 90s acted as a musical roadmap for a young Texas Honky Tonk guitarist trying to stay afloat in the world of pop/folk/singer-songwriter music. In this episode, I look at 7 concepts that I have stolen from Leventhal, that are very worthy of checking out for yourself.

Print interview with JL
https://www.askzac.com/post/john-leve...

Truetone Lounge video interview with JL
   • John Leventhal | ... 
 
JL Playlist
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/68D...

Gear for this video
1957 Fender Esquire with added neck pickup. Restoration and aging on the body by Dan "Danocaster" Strain.

Strings:
Gabriel Tenorio NíquelPuro Pure Nickel Strings 10-46

Pick:
Blue Chip TPR 35

Amp:
1964 Vox JMI AC10 with 12" Celestion Blue Alnico Speaker in a custom cab built by Kyle Bollendorf.

Effects used:
Mirage compressor pedal
Line 6 Echo Park
9v power via Truetone CS6  https://amzn.to/3gnJQPW
Amp Tremolo #askzac #guitartech #telecaster

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
Patreon  https://www.patreon.com/AskZac
Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
Venmo @AskZac 
Or check out my store for merch  - www.askzac.com

An old friend texted me on a Saturday morning to see if I was available to play at one of the big clubs in downtown Nashville from 2-6 pm that day. I absolutely said "yes," as I had not played in the downtown area since 2003. It was loads of fun, but also quite the eye-opener to how much Nashville had changed in the last 18 years. Besides the fun story, I also go into the gear I used, including my Waterloo WL-14 acoustic guitar, and the things I did right, and how I should have brought a better tuner pedal.

Gear used:

Waterloo WL-14 Ladder Braced guitar
D'Addario EJ26 Phosphor Bronze Custom Light Acoustic Strings
Medium Gauge pick #askzac #guitartech #telecaster

Support the show

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My son told me, "Dad, you ought to do a video on your favorite Telecaster licks." So here are my 10 favorite Telecaster licks of all time.

1. Cornell Dupree "Rainy Night in Georgia."
2. Reggie Young "Memphis Soul Stew."
3. James Burton "Suzy Q."
4. Jesse Ed Davis "Six Days On The Road."
5. Pete Anderson "Guitars Cadillacs."
6. Bobby Womack "I'm In Love."
7. Clarence White "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere."
8. John Jorgenson "Highlander Boogie."
9. Luther Perkins "Folsom Prison Blues."
10. James Honeyman-Scott "Kid."
Bonus lick
11. Jimmy Olander "Meet In The Middle."

Spotify playlist:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1au...

Gear for this video:

1957 Fender Esquire with added neck pickup. Restoration and aging on the body by Dan "Danocaster" Strain.

Strings:
Gabriel Tenorio NíquelPuro Pure Nickel Strings 10-46

Pick:
Blue Chip TPR 35

Amp:
1965 Deluxe Reverb with Celestion Vintage 30 speaker, and bright cap clipped on the vibrato channel.

Effects used:
Amp Verb. #askzac #guitartech #telecaster

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
Or check out my store at  - www.askzac.com

After getting numerous emails about doing a B-Bender lesson, here it finally is. In this AZ, I show some of my favorite chord voicings and licks for the B-Bender that you can add to your string bender vocabulary.

Gear Used:
2014 Crook Custom Vintage Paisley - APC Adder (Neck) Peter Florance TE-60 (Bridge)
Glaser B-Bender
http://www.crookcustomguitars.com/
https://www.glaserbender.com/

Pick:
Blue Chip TPR 35

Strings:
D'Addario NYXL 10,12,16,24,34,44

Amp:
1965 Deluxe Reverb with Celestion Vintage 30 speaker, and bright cap clipped on the vibrato channel.

Effects used:
Mirage Comp
Boss DM-3 Delay
9v power via Truetone CS6  https://amzn.to/3gnJQPW #askzac #guitartech #telecaster

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
Or check out my store at  - www.askzac.com

Spotlight on Frank Reckard, Emmylou's Hot Band lead guitarist from 1978-1990. A great player, who is sometimes overlooked as he left the music business after his tenure in the Hot Band to go to law school. Taking the position once held by both James Burton & Albert Lee was a task that Reckard took on ably with talent, hard work, and a fat Les Paul TV P90 tone. In today's episode, we spotlight his history as a player, gear used through the years, and have a mini-lesson covering the wonderful intro to his signature tune with  Emmylou, "Restless."   

Thank you to Dan Forte for his GP article on Frank from 1984.

Spotify Playlist for Reckard
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4w9...

Gear Used:
2014 Crook Custom Vintage Paisley - APC Adder (Neck) Peter Florance TE-60 (Bridge)
Glaser B-Bender
http://www.crookcustomguitars.com/

Pick:
Blue Chip TPR 35

Strings:
D'Addario NYXL 10,12,16,24,34,44

Amp:
1965 Deluxe Reverb with Celestion Vintage 30 speaker, and bright cap clipped on the vibrato channel.

Effects used:
Mirage Comp
Boss DM-3 Delay
9v power via Truetone CS6  https://amzn.to/3gnJQPW #askzac #guitartech #telecaster

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
Patreon  https://www.patreon.com/AskZac
Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
Venmo @AskZac 
Or check out my store for merch  - www.askzac.com

After the last video, I was hooked and wanted to have a new style Glaser B-Bender installed in one of my guitars. The Bill Crook-built Paisley seemed like the appropriate candidate, so I set up a time for an install, and Joe agreed to the entire process being filmed. Besides me removing the strings, and Joe removing the neck, this is the entire installation process from beginning to end. I hope through watching this you can see what would be involved in having one installed in your guitar, but more than that, I hope you can see both the brilliance of Glaser's design and how ingenious his installation procedure is. The reason for the new bender mechanism being so streamlined was that Joe had to develop a bender mechanism and installation procedures that could be used by large guitar manufacturers. This is the same mechanism that is installed by Fender USA into the Brent Mason Signature model, and by Fender's Custom Shop into some of their high-end models.

Joe also shows how he strings vintage-style tuners and locks the plain strings for greater tuning stability.

Gear Used:
2014 Crook Custom Vintage Paisley APC Adder (Neck) Peter Florance TE-60 (Bridge)
http://www.crookcustomguitars.com/

Pick:
Danocaster Medium

Amp:
1964 Vox JMI AC10 with 12" Celestion Blue Alnico Speaker in a custom cab built by Kyle Bollendorf.

Effects used:
Mirage Comp
Boss DM-3 Delay
9v power via Truetone CS6  https://amzn.to/3gnJQPW
#askzac  #glaserbender #telecaster

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
Or check out my store at  - www.askzac.com

Joe Glaser is the guru that has kept Nashville guitarists up and running since the early 80s. With help from Brent Mason, Steve Wariner, and Ricky Skaggs, his string benders and 3-pickup Telecaster setups became "must-haves" for anyone wanting to be seen as a serious guitarist in Music City. Today, we look at Joe's recently revamped string bender mechanism, which is now convertible between the B or G string, and his updated middle pickup blend control for 3-pickup Telecasters.

Find out more about Glaser's bender, and set up a time for an install.
https://www.glaserbender.com/

Gear for this video:

Will Barton's Birthday Caster
Brian Poe 1-piece swamp ash body, MJT finish, Marc Rutter's saddles, bridge, and hardware. Ron Ellis 50B, Tall Neck, and Duncan 80s Hot Strat Stack. Clive Brown neck re-shaped by Redd Volkaert.

https://ruttersguitars.com/

Pick: Fender Medium

Amp: 1965 Deluxe Reverb with Celestion Vintage 30 speaker, and bright cap clipped on the vibrato channel.

Effects used:
Amp Verb. #askzac #guitartech #telecaster

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
Patreon  https://www.patreon.com/AskZac
Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
Venmo @AskZac 
Or check out my store for merch  - www.askzac.com

I set up an AB switch with my 1965 Fender Deluxe Reverb, and 1964 Vox AC10, and I had so much fun switching in-between the 2 amps, that I decided to do a video to show the tonal differences between these two great amps. Fender and Vox have created two of the most iconic amp tones, that besides having different sounds, they also make you play differently because of the way they interact with your guitar.

Gear for this video
1957 Fender Esquire with added Ron Ellis "New Tall" neck pickup. Restoration and aging on the body by Dan "Danocaster" Strain.

Strings:
D'Addario NYXL 10-46  https://amzn.to/3bWYb1M

Pick:
Danocaster Medium

Amp:
1964 Vox JMI AC10 with 12" Celestion Blue Alnico Speaker in a custom cab built by Kyle Bollendorf.

1965 Deluxe Reverb with Celestion Vintage 30 speaker, and bright cap clipped on the vibrato channel.

Effects used:
Boss RV-2 Reverb on the "Plate" setting with Vox only.
Live Wire passive ABY box
Axcess electronics Buffer with isolation transformer - with Deluxe only
9v power via Truetone CS6  https://amzn.to/3gnJQPW #askzac #guitartech #telecaster

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
Patreon  https://www.patreon.com/AskZac
Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
Venmo @AskZac 
Or check out my store for merch  - www.askzac.com

Fender recently surprised me with a new '68 Custom Vibro Champ Reverb amp. I was honored, yet a little concerned as I had never really enjoyed single-ended (1 output tube) amps because they tended to sound small, boxy, and to have not-so-great clean sounds. I thought about contacting them to send it back, but decided I might as well plug it in. Surprise, Surprise, I was blown away by its big clean tones, fantastic tube tremolo, and sweet reverb. Fender got rid of that "little amp" sound by installing a well-voiced 10" Celestion, and further enhanced it by adding a digital reverb circuit that makes this Champ a killer grab-and-go amp.

To Support the Channel:
Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
Or check out my store at  - www.askzac.com

Gear for this video
1967 Telecaster

Pick:
Danocaster Medium

Amp:
2021 Fender '68 Custom Vibro Champ Reverb

Effects used:
Amp tremolo and reverb

#askzac #vibrochampreverb #telecaster

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
Or check out my store at  - www.askzac.com

Fred Newell is best known for his decade-long position as the lead guitarist on Nashville Now, the hugely popular flagship show of TNN, The Nashville Network. Few are aware of all the sessions he played on that were huge hits for Alabama, George Strait, Jerry Reed, and The Kendalls. In this episode, I cover his early days, move to Nashville, session career, a decade on Nashville Now, and his switch to pedal steel guitar and tours with Waylon Jennings. I also take a look at his iconic red-neck Tele that was silkscreened with the TNN logo and heavily featured during the run of the show from 1983-1993.

Detailed shots of the TNN guitar are on my site
https://www.askzac.com/post/fred-newe...

Gear for this video
1983 TNN Telecaster - Detailed photos here:
https://www.askzac.com/post/fred-newe...

Pick:
Danocaster Medium

Amp:
1964 Vox JMI AC10 with 12" Celestion Blue Alnico Speaker in a custom cab built by Kyle Bollendorf.

Effects used:
Boss RV-2 Reverb on the "Plate" setting.
Boss DD-2 Delay
Amp tremolo
9v power via Truetone CS6  https://amzn.to/3gnJQPW #askzac #guitartech #telecaster

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
Or check out my store at  - www.askzac.com

The Nashville Flood of 2010 was devastating. Lives, homes, businesses, and a huge amount of guitars were lost. The day the rain started, I took my pregnant wife and 1-year old son to a guitar festival in Leiper's Fork, TN, just south of Nashville. While there, I saw Larry Carlton, Reggie Young, Jack Pearson, and Robben Ford perform and had the chance to view some of the finest and rarest vintage guitars at an exhibit curated by Joe Glaser. But what started as a fun musical diversion for me and my "cabin fever" afflicted wife, ended with us being thankful to make it home unscathed after hours of being trapped in Leiper's Fork, and then a very long and scary trip home.


Gear for this video
1957 Fender Esquire with added Ron Ellis "New Tall" neck pickup. Restoration and aging on the body by Dan "Danocaster" Strain.

Strings:
D'Addario NYXL 10-46  https://amzn.to/3bWYb1M

Pick:
Danocaster Medium

Amp:
1964 Vox JMI AC10 with 12" Celestion Blue Alnico Speaker in a custom cab built by Kyle Bollendorf.

Effects used:
Boss RV-2 Reverb on the "Plate" setting.
9v power via Truetone CS6  https://amzn.to/3gnJQPW #askzac #guitartech #telecaster

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
Or check out my store at  - www.askzac.com

Since I first heard John Jorgenson with the Desert Rose Band, I have been a huge fan. I first saw John play in 1994 with the Hellecasters in Nashville, with Brad Paisley in tow. Brad was 21, and I was 20 with a fake I.D. Paisley told me as we got to the door, "If you don't get in, I'm going in without you." Many years later, I had the chance to interview Jorgenson for the Truetone Lounge, and then he kept being mentioned in my "Ask Zac" show, so I finally decided to dedicate a show to his huge influence in making Vox amps, 6-string basses, electric 12-string guitars, and bold effects popular in Country Music. He is also is a huge reason that Matchless amps ever got off the ground.

Special thanks to Willem van der Wagen, who runs the Desert Rose Band fan website, and YouTube page.

Jorgenson playlist
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6iR...

Additional photos of John, including some with a prototype Matchless amp
https://www.askzac.com/post/john-jorg...

Gear for this video
1957 Fender Esquire with added Ron Ellis "New Tall" neck pickup. Restoration and aging on the body by Dan "Danocaster" Strain.

Strings:
D'Addario NYXL 10-46  https://amzn.to/3bWYb1M

Pick:
Danocaster Medium

Amp:
1964 Vox JMI AC10 with 12" Celestion Blue Alnico Speaker in a custom cab built by Kyle Bollendorf.

Effects used:
Boss RV-2 Reverb on the "Plate" setting.
Boss DD-2
Boss DC-2 Dimension, the second mode
Boss VB-2w
9v power via Truetone CS6  https://amzn.to/3gnJQPW #askzac #guitartech #telecaster

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
Patreon  https://www.patreon.com/AskZac
Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
Venmo @AskZac 
Or check out my store for merch  - www.askzac.com

The 3 pickup Tele is commonplace now and is often referred to as the "Nashville" Tele setup. Joe Glaser pioneered it in the early 80s with the help of test pilots, Brent Mason, Ricky Skaggs, and Steve Wariner. For Mason, it was hot-rodding his 1967 Tele, for Skaggs and Wariner, Joe made the equivalent of formula one racers from the ground up with eye-catching finishes, flame maple necks, the aforementioned middle pickup, and his patented string benders. These were the very first Super Tele's, made to cover a wide variety of tones and get you noticed. Today, we have the rare opportunity to look at a pair of these extremely rare Glaser-built birds and see and hear what makes them so special that they almost never come up for sale.

Special thanks to Joe Glaser for his valuable input, and to John Thompson and John Stokes for the use of their Glaser guitars.

Gear for this video:
1986 Glaser Bender guitar. Fiesta red. Duncan vintage neck, hot strat stack, and Lollar 52 bridge
1986 Glaser Bender guitar. Purple. Duncan vintage neck, hot strat stack, and Duncan Alnico II bridge.

Pick: Fender Medium

Amp: 1965 Deluxe Reverb with Celestion Vintage 30 speaker, and bright cap clipped on the vibrato channel.

Effects used:
Amp Verb. #askzac #guitartech #telecaster

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
Patreon  https://www.patreon.com/AskZac
Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
Venmo @AskZac 
Or check out my store for merch  - www.askzac.com

Roy Buchanan took the Telecaster, and guitar playing in general to a new level with his groundbreaking use of volume swells, tone control "wah" simulations, pinch harmonics, and feedback. Although influenced by Buck Owens and Roy Nichols initially, while living near Bakersfield, he would go on to take in a host of diverse musical styles and influences. In today's episode, we look at his history, playing style, gear, and how he has in one way or another influenced legions of players. Also, we look at motifs of his tune "Cajun," including how to play the snaky intro lick.

Spotify Playlist for Buchanan
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6Ee...

1960 version of "After Hours," one of his first recordings using a Tele. His style is solidifying here.
   • Roy Buchanan - Af... 

"Potato Peeler" First use of pinch harmonics by Roy
   • Bobby Gregg and h... 

Gear for this video:
1957 Fender Esquire with added Ron Ellis "New Tall" neck pickup. Restoration and aging on the body by Dan "Danocaster" Strain.

Strings: D'Addario NYXL 10-46  https://amzn.to/3bWYb1M

Pick: Fender Heavy Jazz Pick 358

Amp: 1965 Deluxe Reverb with Celestion Vintage 30 speaker, and bright cap clipped on the vibrato channel.

Effects used:
Amp Verb. #askzac #guitartech #telecaster

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
Patreon  https://www.patreon.com/AskZac
Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
Venmo @AskZac 
Or check out my store for merch  - www.askzac.com

With the blessing of Redd Volkaert, who has an album by the same name, this Roy Nichols episode is titled "No Stranger To A Tele." Roy of course was the guitarist in Merle Haggard's band, The Strangers,  from 1965-1987, but there is so much more to his story than just his time with Merle. Today we look at his story that takes flight during the depression, going through his time with The Maddox Brothers and Rose, Lefty Frizzell, Wynn Stewart, Johnny Cash, and his seminal work with the Hag. Of course, we take a look at his gear, and specifically what he used on the Merle live records that are to many the "Nichols Bible" of licks and tone.

More information and photos of Roy through the years, including shots of him playing his main Tele, are at my site.
https://www.askzac.com/post/roy-nicho...

Spotify Playlist for Roy
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2Tb...

Gear for this video:

1957 Fender Esquire with added Ron Ellis "New Tall" neck pickup. Restoration and aging on the body by Dan "Danocaster" Strain.

Strings:
D'Addario NYXL 10-46  https://amzn.to/3bWYb1M

Pick:
Danocaster Medium

Amp:
1965 Deluxe Reverb with Celestion Vintage 30 speaker, and bright cap clipped on the vibrato channel.

Effects used:
Amp Verb. #askzac #guitartech #telecaster

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
Patreon  https://www.patreon.com/AskZac
Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
Venmo @AskZac 
Or check out my store for merch  - www.askzac.com

Buck Owens & Don Rich set the world on its ear with their bright, twangy guitars, and their incredibly tight vocals. In today's episode, I take a look at the Bakersfield Dynamic Duo that influenced everyone, including the Beatles. I also look at their gear, and elements of their playing styles.

Spotify Playlist
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/22q...

Gear for this video
1957 Fender Esquire with added Ron Ellis "New Tall" neck pickup. Restoration and aging on the body by Dan "Danocaster" Strain.

Strings:
D'Addario NYXL 10-46  https://amzn.to/3bWYb1M

Pick:
Danocaster Medium

Amp:
1965 Deluxe Reverb with Celestion Vintage 30 speaker, and bright cap clipped on the vibrato channel.

Effects used:
Amp Verb. #askzac #guitartech #telecaster

Support the show

To Support the Channel:
Patreon  https://www.patreon.com/AskZac
Tip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZac
Venmo @AskZac 
Or check out my store for merch  - www.askzac.com

In 2020, I checked out the original Black Tolex Fender Tone Master Deluxe Reverb and thought it was pretty good, but not great. In my video, I mentioned the virtual bright cap, the verb, and the speaker as being in need of upgrades. Well, Fender did just that with the new Blonde Tone Master Deluxe Reverb, hence "revenge" in the title. In this Deluxe fan's opinion, this is a much better amp, and much more fun to play through than the former model. I showcase the verb and tremolo and take the amp through some clean and overdriven sounds using the power attenuation that is built into the amp.

Gear for this video
1957 Fender Esquire with added Ron Ellis "New Tall" neck pickup. Restoration and aging on the body by Dan "Danocaster" Strain.

Some Amazon links below:

Strings:
D'Addario NYXL 10-46  https://amzn.to/3bWYb1M

Pick:
Danocaster Medium

Amp:
Fender Blonde Tone Master Deluxe Reverb https://amzn.to/3eDEEX0.
Celestion Neo Creamback (To upgrade the black Tolex version) https://amzn.to/3qAuAQZ

Effects used:
Amp's reverb and tremolo
#askzac  #tonemasterdeluxe #telecaster

Support the show