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The Tour From Hell: My First Time on the Road
04 Nov 2025
00:33:35
When you’re young and dreaming about hitting the road, touring sounds like the ultimate adventure, until you actually do it.
In this episode, I look back on my first tour experience with the long drives, bad gigs, and all the hard lessons that came with it. It wasn’t glamorous, but it taught me things I still carry with me every time I step onstage.
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Telecaster Bridge Shootout! 3-Saddle vs 6-Saddle on My 1957 Esquire
21 Oct 2025
00:19:10
In this episode of Ask Zac, I put my 1957 Fender Esquire through a true bridge showdown, comparing the classic 3-saddle setup that defined early Tele tone with a modern 6-saddle bridge known for better intonation, and for beefing-up the sound.
We’ll dig into: The history of Fender bridge designs, and why Leo Fender stuck with 3 saddles The tonal differences between the two setups Direct sound samples recorded on the same guitar for an honest comparison My verdict after playing both
How Eric Clapton (and Albert Lee) Got Me Into Country Music – Just One Night
22 Jul 2025
00:17:42
In this video, I share how Eric Clapton’s Just One Night album completely shifted my musical direction, and how the real surprise was Albert Lee. Clapton’s fiery playing grabbed my attention, but it was Albert’s Telecaster tone, precision, and country-infused style that opened the door to a whole new world of music for me. In the episode, I forget the names of 1985 tour members Shawn Murphy and Tim Renwick.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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."
Luke McQueary - Don Kelley’s Last Hero - Ask Zac 145
24 Aug 2023
01:10:22
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Alnico 2 and Alnico 5 are the two most common magnet types used in Telecaster pickups, but how much do they really change the tone? In this video, I compare them in the exact same Telecaster, using pickups with identical windings, wire, and build—only the magnet type is different. We’ll listen to tapped and full output, and both clean and dirty tones, of these Seymour Duncan 53 Tapped Custom Shop Pickups. The clips were recorded in a professional recording studio using a Bruno version of a Deluxe Reverb with an EVM 12L, for maximum transparency.
https://truetone.com/
Thanks to MJ at Seymour Duncan, for winding these pickups for me.
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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.
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.
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'Addarion NYXL 10-46
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
Texas Toast The #1 Country Music Podcast in Texas!
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.
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
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Ricky Skaggs’ Telecaster Masterclass on "I’m Tired." - Lesson
08 Jul 2025
00:23:37
Ricky Skaggs is mostly known for his mandolin and bluegrass chops, but on “I’m Tired,” he rips a Telecaster solo that deserves a spot in the Tele Hall of Fame. In this video, we break down the legendary Tele/B-Bender solo from his 1987 tune “I’m Tired,” a Ray Price/Mell Tillis shuffle, that blends Bluegrass, Honky Tonk, and hardcore twang. I breakdown the solo, and show you why it works so well, the phrasing, the pedal steel illusions, and how Skaggs used the B-bender as an essential part of his electric guitar style.
Ricky playing the tune on the Opry in 1987 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGUg2AqpkAw
Full ACL performance from 1987 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJho_B-r1aw&t=1595s
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
How Reggie Young Reshaped Merle Haggard’s Sound with a Strat
27 Jun 2025
00:17:22
Reggie Young may be one of the most recorded guitarists in history—but did you know he played a 1957 Stratocaster on Merle Haggard’s Back to the Barrooms album? In this video, we dig into Reggie's tasteful, understated Strat work that helped shape the tone and feel of one of Haggard’s most emotional and booze-soaked records.
We'll talk about: The tone Reggie got from his Strat How his playing elevated tracks like “Makeup & Faded Blue Jeans” “I Think I’ll Just Stay Here and Drink,” and “Leonard.”
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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.
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://a
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)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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
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.
I didn’t think I’d be adding a chorus pedal back to my board… until a recent session totally changed my mind.
In this video, I talk about the TC Electronic Stereo Chorus Flanger — a pedal that quietly shaped the Nashville sound in the '80s and '90s. It was originally built in Denmark back in 1976 as a studio-friendly chorus with super low noise and a clean, transparent sound. Turns out, that clarity is exactly what made it a favorite for tons of session players — and even guys like Eric Johnson for his legendary clean tone.
After dusting one off in the studio recently, I remembered why this thing was so loved — and now it’s officially earned its spot back on my board.
If you’re into that classic shimmer or just curious why chorus is cool again, stick around.
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Danelectro Baritone - VS - Fender Squier Bass VI - Which is best for you? - Ask Zac 109
08 Jul 2023
00:21:06
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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.
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.
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.