Ask Zac

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....

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/ 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...

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/ 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...

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/ 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 th...

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...

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/ 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 finall...

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/ 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...

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/ 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 Head...

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/ 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,...

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/ 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, adjust...

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/ 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 y...

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/ 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 fi...

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/ 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 r...

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 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 t...

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 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 Paisl...

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: 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/ #askzac #Diamon...

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...

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/ 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 gra...

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...

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...

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/ 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 peda...

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 di...

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 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 no...

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-sprin... 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...

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 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 R...