Zac Childs is a music insider and historian. He is the host of the acclaimed Truetone Lounge interview series and contributed to Vintage Guitar Magazine for 15 years via his Ask Zac column, and numerous featured articles, product reviews, and cover stories. On his ASK ZAC channel, Zac takes a look at players and gear and also answers guitar-related questions in ways that were never possible via print.
The Album That Changed Eric Clapton Forever - J.J. Cale's Naturally
In this episode of Ask Zac, I take a deep dive into Naturally (1971), the landmark debut album that quietly shaped the playing of Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, Tom Petty, John Mayer, and countless others. We'll explore the story behind the album, how "After Midnight" and "Call Me the Breeze" helped launch J.J. Cale's career, and why his understated touch, groove, and phrasing became the foundation of what many call the "Tulsa Sound." I also demonstrate some of Cale's signature guitar licks and explain how his simple, tasteful approach influenced generations of players. Whether you're a longtime J.J. Cale fan or hearing Naturally for the first time, this album deserves a place on every guitarist's essential listening list. www.truetone.com To Support the Channel: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/AskZac https://ask-zac-shop.fourthwall.com Tip jar: https://paypal.me/AskZac Venmo @AskZac #JJCale #Naturally #EricClapton #MarkKnopfler #JohnMayer #TomPetty #Guitar #GuitarLessons #AskZac #VintageGuitar #TulsaSound #BluesGuitar #ClassicRock Support the show
The Wicked Stepchildren of the Telecaster - The 70s Tele Custom & Telecaster Deluxe
Ever wondered why the 1970s Fender Telecaster Custom and Telecaster Deluxe are some of the most misunderstood guitars Fender ever built? In this episode of Ask Zac, we take a deep dive into these "wicked stepchildren" of the Telecaster family and uncover what makes them so unique. We'll explore the fascinating story of Seth Lover's Wide Range Humbucker, why Fender hired the inventor of Gibson's legendary humbucker, and how these guitars were designed to compete directly with Gibson in the 1970s. Along the way, we'll compare the Telecaster Custom and Deluxe to a traditional Telecaster, discuss the CBS-era design changes, demonstrate their unique tones, and look at the famous players who made them part of their sound, including Keith Richards. In this video: • The history of Seth Lover's Wide Range Humbucker • Why Fender created the Telecaster Custom and Deluxe • CBS-era features: Micro-Tilt, bullet truss rod, and three-bolt necks • Gibson-style wiring and why it makes these guitars so versatile • Tone demonstrations and pickup blending • Keith Richards • What makes these once-overlooked guitars collectible today www.truetone.com To Support the Channel: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/AskZac https://ask-zac-shop.fourthwall.com Tip jar: https://paypal.me/AskZac Venmo @AskZac Thanks to my Patreon supporters and everyone who helps support the channel! #Telecaster #Fender #VintageGuitars #AskZack #GuitarHistory #WideRangeHumbucker #SethLover #KeithRichards #TelecasterCustom #TelecasterDeluxe #ElectricGuitar Support the show
What It's Like Playing The Grand Ole Opry
Have you ever wondered what it's really like to play the Grand Ole Opry? In this episode, I share stories from my most recent appearance with Brad Paisley, including an unexpected guitar solo, the history and traditions of the Opry, and the gear I used on stage. We'll talk about: • What it's like backstage at the Opry • How the Opry has changed from the Ryman Auditorium to today • Why the Opry once banned drums and horns • The incredible Opry staff band • The Fender Tone Master amps provided on stage • The guitars and pedals I used, including my Glaser Telecaster, B-to-B baritone, and custom Fender Electric XII • Breaking down my impromptu solo on "Out Behind the Barn" and the country guitar influences behind it • Stories from touring Europe with Brad Paisley and meeting Ask Zac viewers along the way Playing the Grand Ole Opry is still one of the greatest honors a country musician can experience, and I hope this episode gives you a behind-the-scenes look at what makes it such a special place. Watch the full Grand Ole Opry performance here: https://www.youtube.com/live/Yyfjf8NPXhs Thanks for watching! If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a thumbs up, subscribe, and leave a comment letting me know about your own Opry memories, or what you'd like to see on Ask Zac next. #AskZac #GrandOleOpry #BradPaisley #Telecaster #CountryGuitar #Nashville #Guitar #Fender #BaritoneGuitar #GuitarHistory www.truetone.com To Support the Channel: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/AskZac https://ask-zac-shop.fourthwall.com Tip jar: https://paypal.me/AskZac Venmo @AskZac Support the show
My Frankenstein 12-String & Bass 6 Danelectro Double-Neck
When you get the gig playing auxiliary and utility guitar for a world-renowned Telecaster master like Brad Paisley, you run into a unique problem: How do you cover parts that include electric 12-string chime, and 6-string bass parts in a fast-paced live set without swapping guitars every single song? My solution? Build a monster, constructed out of late-90s Danelectro parts. In this video, I’m doing a deep-dive breakdown of my Frankenstein double-neck guitar. It features an electric 12-string on top and a baritone/6-string bass on the bottom. I’ll walk you through how I sourced the late-90s Danelectro components to get that authentic lipstick-pickup chime, the unique challenges of piecing it together, the electronics/switching setup, and exactly how I’m using it out on the road during Brad’s tour to fill out the live sonic landscape. GEAR & SPECS: Custom Double-Neck Specs: Built using late-90s Danelectro parts & lipstick pickups. Strings Used: D'Addario Signal Chain: Mirage Comp, Sawdust Overdrive, Boss TR-2, Strymon El Capistan, 1968 Fender Princeton Reverb. www.truetone.com To Support the Channel: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/AskZac https://ask-zac-shop.fourthwall.com Tip jar: https://paypal.me/AskZac Venmo @AskZac #DoubleNeckGuitar #Danelectro #BradPaisley #TourGear #GuitarBuild #12String #BaritoneGuitar #SixStringBass #Guitarist #GuitarTone #LiveMusic #GuitarDemo #Luthier Support the show
The Phil Kubicki Story - From Fender To Factor Bass
On today's episode of Ask Zac, we are diving deep into the life, career, and brilliant innovations of one of the most important former Fender employees and guitar builders in history: Phil Kubicki. While many modern bass players know him for his radical, headless Factor Bass from the 1985 era, Kubicki’s impact on the guitar world started decades earlier. We track his journey from building classical guitars at age 15 to walking into the Fender factory in January 1964, where he was hand-picked to help launch their new acoustic division. From there, Phil moved into Fender’s R&D department, where he had his hands on some of the company's most iconic historic releases, including the Telecaster Thinline, the Starcaster, the three-bolt neck micro-tilt system, and Fender’s high-end archtops like the LTD and Montego. Most famously, Phil is the man who hand-built the legendary All-Rosewood Telecaster used by George Harrison on the Apple Corps rooftop concert. We’ll also look at his post-Fender years in Santa Barbara, his fascinating early partnership with Seymour Duncan (the short-lived K&D Guitars), and look at some incredibly rare Kubicki instruments and parts up close—including a very unique short-scale travel guitar and my own personal 1982 Kubicki Telecaster body with a great country music pedigree. TIMESTAMPS 0:00 - Introduction to an Unsung Innovator: Phil Kubicki 1:59 - From Classical Guitars to the 1964 Fender Factory Tour 4:05 - The Fender R&D Era: Thinline, Starcaster, and Archtops 5:27 - Hand-Building George Harrison’s Iconic Rosewood Telecaster 6:02 - Leaving CBS Fender & The Seymour Duncan Connection (K&D Guitars) 7:32 - Gear Deep Dive: My Personal 1982 Custom Kubicki Tele Body 9:06 - High-Stakes Luthiery: Routing Albert Lee’s B-Bender 10:33 - The Rare Kubicki "Vintage Guitars" Tele Prototype 12:02 - Demo: The Early 80s Kubicki "Arrow" Short-Scale Travel Guitar 15:07 - John Fogerty’s Famous "Centerfield" Baseball Bat Guitar 16:26 - The 1985 Factor Bass, Later Years, and Phil’s Legacy GEAR FEATURED IN THIS VIDEO: 1982 Custom Phil Kubicki Telecaster Body (Swamp Ash, Single Bound) Early 1980s Phil Kubicki "Arrow" Mini Guitar (Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounder Pickup) Rare Kubicki "Vintage Guitars" Contoured Telecaster Prototype www.truetone.com SUPPORT THE CHANNEL: Pick up an Ask Zac T-Shirt or Coffee Mug: https://ask-zac-shop.fourthwall.com Join the Patreon Community: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/AskZac Tip Jar: https://paypal.me/AskZac Venmo @AskZac #PhilKubicki #FenderHistory #AskZac #GuitarHistory #GeorgeHarrison #SeymourDuncan #CustomGuitars #VintageFender #Guitarist #Luthier #FactorBass #JohnFogerty Support the show
Tracking Brad Paisley's Tackelbox Album & His 2026 European Tour
Brad Paisley recently started rolling out tracks for his ongoing project, Tacklebox, and I had the absolute honor of sitting in the studio to track these songs. But the craziest part of this project is the "butterfly effect" story of how it actually came to life. It all started in early 2025 during a random dinner with my buddy Dan Strain (Danocaster Guitars). A college-aged waiter recognized us, and fast forward a few months to the Nashville Vintage Guitar Show, I ran into him again. He was trying to sell his Brad Paisley Silver Sparkle Road Worn Telecaster to buy a much-needed acoustic guitar. I took him over to meet Brad to get it signed, and they ended up in a deep conversation. Turns out, this guy was a Belmont graduate who had interned at SeaGayle (Brad's publishing company). He started rattling off unreleased song titles from Brad’s massive '90s songwriting vault, tunes written back when Brad was a professional songwriter aiming for cuts by Brooks & Dunn, Alan Jackson, and George Strait. That conversation lit a spark, leading Brad to dig those tracks out of the archives, play them for the label, and head straight into the studio. In this video, I’m taking you behind the scenes of those tracking sessions at the historic Castle Recording Studio in Franklin, TN (a former Al Capone party house!). I break down the 1990s country session mindset, show you the handwritten legal-pad charts, and do a mini-guitar lesson on the actual fills, B-Bender licks, volume swells, and chorus-drenched parts I played on tracks like "Without You," "This Town" (where I played 6-string bass), and "Overnight Low." I also talk about tracking a wild harmony bender part with Brad on "High Ho Silverado" featuring David Lee Murphy. Plus, I give you a real-time studio floor tour showing off my rig, Randall Currie's steel setup, Kenny Lewis's bass rig, and Brad's legendary, re-covered red Vox AC30 from the 1960s. By the time you watch this, I’ll be out on the road with Brad across Europe for the month of June! TIMESTAMPS 0:00 - The "Butterfly Effect" Backstory: A Dinner with Danocaster 3:56 - The Nashville Vintage Guitar Show Encounter that Sparked Tacklebox 6:06 - Opening the 1990s Songwriting Vault (Writing for George Strait & Brooks & Dunn) 7:51 - The Call to Play & Tracking at Al Capone’s Old Castle Studio 9:58 - The '90s Country Session Mindset & Handwritten Charts 11:16 - Mini-Lesson: SWELLS & FILLS on "Without You" 14:55 - The Session Pedalboard: Original TC Chorus & Mirage Compressor 15:17 - 6-String Bass on "This Town" & Twin Harmony Benders on "High Hole Silverado" 16:42 - The Hallmark Christmas Movie Detour 17:55 - Heading to Europe: The June Tour Rig (Glazer Tele, Baritone, & Electric 12-String) 19:34 - BONUS: Exclusive Studio Room Tour (Brad's Red Vox AC30, Steel & Bass Rigs) GEAR USED IN THIS VIDEO / SESSION: Fender Custom 3-Pickup Telecaster (Seymour Duncan Pickups, Music City Wiring Blend Control, B-Bender) Vintage 1968 Fender Princeton Amp (Studio demo) / Headstrong Amp (Tracking session) Original TC Electronic Stereo Chorus Flanger (Modded for DC Power) Mirage Compressor, Line 6 Echo Park, & Strymon El Capistan Stream Brad Paisley's Tacklebox tracks here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/46ym8csh8mKzAia5pZikdu?si=53a544359fde4ee1 www.truetone.com To Support the Channel: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/AskZac https://ask-zac-shop.fourthwall.com Tip jar: https://paypal.me/AskZac Venmo @AskZac #BradPaisley #Tacklebox #AskZac #GuitarLesson #BBender #NashvilleSession #CountryGuitar #TheCastleStudio #VoxAC30 #Danocaster #Telecaster #Guitarist Support the show
Why I Don't Like Overdrive Pedals & The 4 That Make The Cut
If you grew up on the pristine, dynamic guitar tones of the 1950s and early 60s, standard overdrive pedals can often sound artificial, overly compressed, and flat-out unnatural. For years, I avoided them entirely because I preferred the sound of a guitar plugging straight into a great, clean tube amplifier. But sometimes, a little grit is totally necessary. Over the years, I’ve had to find overdrive pedals that actually work for a "clean tone purist." In this video, I’m breaking down the 4 overdrive pedals I’ve ever genuinely enjoyed, and exactly why they work where other dirt pedals fail. If you hate the typical "mid-hump" and compression of standard overdrives, this list is for you. Ibanez Mostortion (MT10): The secret weapon. Thanks to its unique CMOS circuit, it clips more like a real tube amp, and the 3-band EQ lets you dial out any artificial boxiness, and has a ton of tone shaping abilities Xotic RC Booster: A wonderful low gain drive/boost, with just a touch of mids Menatone Red Snapper (2004 3-Knob): An incredibly open, uncompressed, and amp-like low-to-mid gain drive with an upper presence that keeps your pick attack perfectly intact. Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive: A Tube Screamer for people who hate Tube Screamers. The magic clean-blend knob lets you layer your pristine clean tone directly over the grit. GEAR USED IN THIS VIDEO: Guitar: Fender Vintera rosewood Tele neck with ash body, Dimarzio Muscle T pickups Amp: Vintage Fender 1968 Princeton Reverb with Fat Jimmy C1025 speaker Cables/Power: D'Addario cables, Truetone CS6 power www.truetone.com To Support the Channel: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/AskZac https://ask-zac-shop.fourthwall.com Tip jar: https://paypal.me/AskZac Venmo @AskZac #GuitarPedals #OverdrivePedal #ToneChaser #IbanezMostortion #XoticRCBooster #Menatone #SparkleDrive #GuitarTone Support the show
Standel & The Tragic Genius of Bob Crooks - The Man Who Invented the Boutique Amp
The Man Who Invented the Boutique Amp: The Tragic Genius of Bob Crooks Before Dumble was a household name, and before Mesa/Boogie revolutionized the high-gain stack, there was Standel. In today’s video, we’re diving into the legendary twenty-year original run of Bob Crooks, the man who provided the sonic blueprint for the 1950s, yet spent his final years feeling like the industry had robbed him blind. High Fidelity in a Low-Fi World From his early days at Lockheed to his "almost" collaboration with Paul Bigsby, Bob Crooks didn't just build amplifiers; he engineered precision instruments. We explore how Standel became the "must-have" rig for the Mount Rushmore of 1950s legends, providing the pristine, hi-fi clarity demanded by icons like Merle Travis, Chet Atkins, Joe Maphis, Speedy West, and Buddy Emmons. The Innovations Leo Fender "Borrowed" According to guitar historian Deke Dickerson, Crooks was a man fueled by deep-seated bitterness in his later years. The reason? Many of the features we now consider "Golden Era" standards were pioneered in the Standel workshop long before they appeared in Fullerton. We're talking about: Separate Treble and Bass controls (at a time when most amps had a single "Tone" knob). Forward-facing controls for ease of use on stage. Tolex covering and Piggyback head/cab designs. The integration of premium JBL speakers as a standard. The Great Pivot: Tubes to Transistors We also examine Crooks’ controversial shift in the early 1960s. As an early adopter of hybrid and eventually full solid-state circuitry, Crooks inadvertently chased "perfect" clean headroom just as the rest of the world was falling in love with the warmth of tube distortion. It was a classic case of a genius being too right for the wrong era. The Rebirth: 1997 to Today Finally, we cover the modern resurrection of the brand. 1997: The initial rebirth with Danny McKinney and Bob Crooks himself back at the helm, focusing on the legendary 25L15. 2023: The new chapter under Owen Duffy, who has begun producing reissues of Standel’s later catalog, bringing much-needed attention to the overlooked masterpieces of the brand’s twilight years. Support the show
Tales From The Tele Town Concert
The lowdown on Fender's concert at the historic Ryman Auditorium to celebrate the Telecaster's 75th Anniversary. What a night at the Mother Church of Country Music. On May 4th, I had the honor of hosting and performing at the Tele Town concert celebrating 75 years of the legendary Fender Telecaster at the historic Ryman Auditorium. This recap captures some of the unforgettable moments from an incredible evening filled with world-class players, iconic tones, deep musical history, and a whole lot of Telecaster magic. From blazing solos to emotional tributes, the night brought together generations of artists who have helped shape the sound of modern guitar music. Featuring performances and appearances from an all-star lineup including Brad Paisley, Brent Mason, Brothers Osborne, James Burton, Ricky Skaggs, Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, Zach Top, Guthrie Trapp, Trey Hensley, Jack White, Billy Gibbons, and many more. Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate the instrument that changed music forever. The Telecaster’s story is still being written, and this night was proof that its spirit is alive and well. Support the show
Learn to Feed Yourself Musically (Don't Be Spoon-Fed)
Most players hit a wall the same way, cycling through the same licks, searching for something new, and ending up lost in endless videos. Here’s a better way. In this video, we break out of that loop by using a simple, lifelong skill: take a song you love, learn the melody, and learn how to harmonize it. No tabs. No shortcuts. No spoon-feeding. This is how you build real musical independence, and actually start growing every time you pick up the guitar. Support the show
I Built My Perfect String Sets For My Telecaster & Baritone With D'Addario
Most players settle for whatever string set is on the shelf, but I’ve been piecing together custom sets since the early ’90s. In this video, I build my perfect custom string sets using my preferred D'Addario NYXL strings through their Custom String Shop. For my 1957 Fender Esquire, I dialed in a set gauged 10, 12, 16, 24, 34, 44 balanced for feel, tension, and snap. It’s based on their NYXL 9.5–44 set, but with slightly more robust high E and B strings. Then I went further, building a baritone NYXL set that doesn’t normally exist, with gauges 14, 18, 24, 44, 56, 70, including an unwound 3rd string for better bending and overall playability. The best part? D'Addario’s Custom String Shop lets you spec everything exactly how you want, and the sets show up beautifully packaged with your name on them. If you’ve ever thought, “these strings are close… but not quite right,” this is how you fix it. www.truetone.com To Support the Channel: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/AskZac https://ask-zac-shop.fourthwall.com Tip jar: https://paypal.me/AskZac Venmo @AskZac Support the show
A Look At A 1949 Bigsby Guitar - Rarer Than Rare!
Before the Telecaster… before the Les Paul & the Strat… there was Bigsby. In this video, we take a deep dive into a 1949 Bigsby electric guitar, one of the earliest solid-body electrics ever made, and a true cornerstone in the evolution of the modern guitar. Built by Paul Bigsby, these instruments weren’t mass-produced, they were individually handcrafted works of art. Bigsby guitars are incredibly rare, as he built around 27 guitars from the mid-1940s through the late 1950s. Each one was custom-made, often for top-tier players, making them some of the most elusive and historically significant electric guitars in existence. Most famously associated with Merle Travis, Bigsby’s designs introduced features that would later define the electric guitar as we know it, including a solid body, a six-on-a-side headstock, and a sleek, functional aesthetic that clearly influenced Leo Fender and the birth of the Fender Telecaster. This particular instrument has its own incredible story. Created on August 7, 1949, this guitar was built by Paul specifically to be photographed for one of his early catalogs. Because of that, collectors have long referred to it as “the catalog guitar.” Even more special, the owner generously allowed me to take the instrument to my studio for a couple of hours so I could film this episode. Getting hands-on time with a guitar like this is a rare opportunity, and I’m excited to share it with you. www.truetone.com To Support the Channel: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/AskZac https://ask-zac-shop.fourthwall.com Tip jar: https://paypal.me/AskZac Venmo @AskZac Support the show
James Pennebaker Interview
Best known for his longtime work with Delbert McClinton, James Pennebaker has been one of the most tasteful and versatile guitarists in Nashville for decades. Starting his professional career at just 19 years old with McClinton, he went on to become a key part of the band on and off for more than forty years. But Pennebaker is far more than just a sideman. He’s a true multi-instrumentalist—equally comfortable on electric guitar, acoustic guitar, pedal steel, fiddle, mandolin, and more. Over the years he’s recorded and performed with artists like John Fogerty, Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson, Lee Roy Parnell, and many others. Support the show
The Gibson ES-335 - Their Best Design
The only Gibson model I’ve ever really connected with is the ES-335. While I’ve always gravitated toward Fender, the 335 is one Gibson that I think absolutely got right. Much like the Fender Telecaster, it’s simply a brilliant piece of guitar design. The magic of the 335 is in how balanced the concept is. The semi-hollow body combined with the center block gives you the warmth and air of a hollowbody while still delivering the sustain, focus, and feedback resistance of a solidbody. The result is a guitar that can cover an incredible amount of musical ground. Blues, jazz, country, rock, a great 335 seems to sit comfortably in all of those spaces. In this video, I spend some time talking about what makes the ES-335 such a successful design and why it continues to be one of the most versatile electric guitars ever built. I’m using a vintage 1964 ES-335 as the reference point, a guitar from Gibson’s golden era that really shows the design at its best. We also compare it to a more recent ’63 reissue built during the Gibson Memphis years to see how modern versions stack up against a true vintage example. And because not everyone is shopping in the vintage market, we also talk about some of the more affordable ES-335-style options out there today that capture a lot of the same spirit and sound without the vintage price tag. Support the show
Don Rich, Buck Owens & the Telecaster That Vanished
In this episode, Joe Spann and I dive deep into the legacy of Don Rich and one of the most fascinating lost instruments in Fender history, his 1964 Gold Sparkle Fender Custom Telecaster. Joe breaks down exactly how Fender created the Gold Sparkle finish using crushed mirror material, why it was so visually striking under stage lights, and how unusual the process was for the era. We also discuss the many Buck Owens hits Don Rich recorded while using this Telecaster, and how central it was to his tone, image, and the Bakersfield sound. Finally, we explore the leading theories behind how the guitar disappeared, when it was last seen, why it was likely never recovered, and what makes it one of the great “what if” stories in vintage guitar history. This is a deep-dive into Don Rich’s influence, Fender’s experimental finishes, and one legendary Telecaster that vanished without a trace. Support the show
The Holy Grail Telecasters At Gruhn Guitars with Joe Spann
We went behind the scenes at Gruhn Guitars in Nashville for a tour of the 'Tele Vault' with legendary vintage archivist and researcher Joe Spann. We aren't just looking at vintage guitars; we’re looking at the DNA of the Fender company. Joe walks us through the history and technical specs of some of the most significant instruments on the planet, including George Fullerton's personal 1949 prototype, a guitar that predates the Broadcaster and Telecaster as we know it. The Lineup: 1949 Fender Prototype: George Fullerton’s personal guitar. 1951 Nocaster: The bridge between the Broadcaster and the Telecaster. 1963 Custom Esquire: A minimalist masterpiece in rare Custom trim. 1967 Custom Telecaster: Featuring a rare factory-installed Bigsby. 1967 Telecaster: A pristine late-60s classic. Massive thanks to Joe Spann and the team at Gruhn Guitars for opening the vault for us. Support the show
The Octave 12-String Mando-Guitar - The Tool For Jangle Magic! -
Ever heard a song that has a shimmering, "angelic" jangle that sits perfectly above a mix? Or how Buddy Miller creates those haunting, rootsy textures on songs like Lucinda Williams' "Car Wheels on a Gravel Road," or Daniel Lanois on Emmylou's Wrecking Ball album? The answer isn't a mandolin, it’s the Octave 12-string guitar (often called a mando-guitar). In this video, we’re diving into the world of these high-tuned wonders, exploring the gear, the tuning, and the legendary players who made them a staple of modern atmospheric production. Support the show
Why Even "Clean" Tones Need Some Hair & Grit
Think your clean tone should be 100% pure? Think again. In this video, we’re looking at why "perfectly clean" guitars often sound thin in a mix and why adding a little "hair" or grit is the secret to a professional sound. There is a common "studio secret" that pro mixers have used for decades: subtle harmonic distortion makes everything sound better. Whether it’s a vocal, a drum bus, or a "clean" electric guitar, adding a touch of saturation provides the weight and character that a dry signal lacks. Support the show
50s Guild Aristocrat - A Vintage Sleeper - (It's Not A Tele Vol 1)
The 1950s Guild Aristocrat is one of those vintage guitars that somehow slipped through the cracks, and that’s exactly why it remains such a sleeper today. Built during Guild’s early New York era, the Aristocrat was a serious professional instrument: a small, yet fully hollow body, carved spruce top, and the legendary Franz single-coil pickups that deliver clarity, punch, and a voice all their own. This was Guild's attempt at an improved Les Paul, that was lighter, and just enough wider to seem not like a toy. www.truetone.com To Support the Channel: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/AskZac https://ask-zac-shop.fourthwall.com Tip jar: https://paypal.me/AskZac Venmo @AskZac Support the show
Why I Needed a Baritone Telecaster Guitar
Baritone electric guitars live in that perfect middle ground between standard guitar and bass, and once you understand what they do best, it’s hard to live without one. In this video, I’m diving into baritone guitars, why a typical 27” scale baritone is very different from a Bass VI (usually 29–30” scale), and how each one functions in a band context. While they can look similar at first glance, they play, feel, and sit in a mix very differently. I also talk about classic effects choices for baritone, especially tremolo and vibrato, and why those sounds pair so perfectly with the baritone’s extended range and piano-like low end. A huge influence for me was Pete Anderson, particularly his baritone work with Dwight Yoakam on tracks like “Little Ways” and "Buenos Noches From a Lonely Room." Seeing Pete on Austin City Limits in 1989, playing a baritone Telecaster, impacted me as a young player, as it was the first time I really understood how powerful a baritone could be in country music. Fast-forward to touring with Brad Paisley, I was using a Bass VI on “Whiskey Lullaby”, but quickly realized it wasn’t quite right. Brad played a baritone on the original recording, and once you hear that, you can’t un-hear it. That experience really cemented the difference for me between the two instruments and when each one truly shines. I also break down my personal baritone guitar, which is a bit of a Frankenstein in the best way possible: Allparts baritone conversion neck Music City Bridge saddles Killer Vintage and Adder pickups Custom Emerson wiring harness, with the tone control only on the bridge pickup MJT pine body A one-of-a-kind blue burst finish and relic paint job done by Brad Paisley himself The final piece of the puzzle was the nut, fretwork, and setup, expertly handled by Aaron, Nick, and Max at Glaser Instruments, who absolutely nailed the feel and playability. If you’ve ever wondered whether a baritone is right for you, how it differs from a Bass VI, or how players like Pete Anderson and Brad Paisley have used them so effectively, this one’s for you. www.truetone.com To Support the Channel: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/AskZac https://ask-zac-shop.fourthwall.com Tip jar: https://paypal.me/AskZac Venmo @AskZac Support the show
