Ask Zac

When Fender switched the Telecaster from one-piece maple necks to rosewood fingerboards in 1959, the guitar’s sound and feel changed forever. In this video, I take a close look at the history of rosewood-board Telecasters, why Fender made the switch, and what makes them unique. I’ll also share my theory: it’s not just the rosewood itself, but the stiffness of the rosewood plus maple neck construct...

Albert Lee is one of the most inventive B-bender players in history. Today we look at Albert’s gear, his trademark Telecaster tone, and the 4 basic shapes he uses to create many of those flowing, pedal steel–like lines. To bring it to life, I’ll play and break down examples from: 1. C’est La Vie – Emmylou Harris 2. Don’t Cheat in Our Hometown – Ricky Skaggs 3. Pancho & Lefty – Emmylou Harris h...

Three outdoor Georgia/Florida gigs with Brad Paisley in August , 90°+ heat, swampy humidity, and sweat everywhere. Normally, that’s when strings go dead and feel sluggish, but my D’Addario XS coated strings didn’t just survive, they crushed it. After all three gigs, I used the same guitar and same set of strings for two recording sessions, and they still sounded and felt fresh. In this video, I’ll...

Ever picked up a guitar and thought, “This just doesn’t feel right?” It might be the nut width, the measurement that directly impacts string spacing and left-hand comfort. In this video, we break down the most common nut widths found in the wild, and look at how the various widths affects chord shapes, lead playing and string separation. We also take a hard look at the 1.625 nut width used on the...

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 Ti...

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...

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, t...

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 pl...

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,...

I’m excited to finally share the story behind the Fender Limited Edition 1967 Lost Paisley Telecaster—Brad Paisley’s stunning new signature model—and my journey helping bring it to life. This project has been a true labor of love. From digging into vintage inspiration to fine-tuning the smallest details, The Lost Paisley Telecaster blends history, tone, and style in a way that truly honors Brad’s...

In 1969, Fender offered a little-known custom option: factory-personalized neck inlays. In this video, we dive into the rare story of a father and son who took Fender up on that offer—ordering two Telecasters inlaid with their names: "Bubba" and "Bob Clawson." These guitars were custom-made at the Fender factory and delivered to Clawson's Music in Corpus Christi, Texas, a...

Meet Nashville Guitar Great: Matthew Lee If you’ve strolled down Broadway in Nashville, chances are you have heard the unmistakable sound of Matthew Lee—an exceptional guitarist whose chops are as sharp as his tone. Matthew shares the story of how music first grabbed hold of him, what led him to Music City, and the major influences that shaped his sound. He also gives us a look at some of his favo...

My favorite acoustic guitar—a 1981 Martin HD-28—just received a full upgrade while also bringing it a little closer  to the timeless tone and vintage character of a true 1940s Martin. In this video, I walk you through the complete restoration and customization process, including: • Fresh frets for smoother playability, improved tone, and better intonation. .085X.050 Fretwire • Waverly open-back tu...

The #1 Question I Get: “What Pickups Should I Put in My Telecaster?” In this video, I break down the key questions you should ask yourself before buying pickups — whether you're upgrading or starting from scratch. This guide will help you make smarter choices and communicate more effectively with pickup winders. I also cover: The differences between flat pole ’50s-style and staggered pole ’60...

Since the DGT was released by PRS in 2007, I have been a fan. I didn't buy one then because I foolishly decided to get a more vintage-flavored reissue 1959 Les Paul, but have regretted that purchase ever since. With the new SE PRS DGT, I was able to scratch that humbucker with trem itch, but at an incredibly affordable price. The PRS DGT SE is a fantastic instrument that can really fill out y...

Mike Campbell is one of the most significant guitarists of our time as a result of his 40-year stint with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, and guesting with everyone from Don Henley, to George Harrison. He recently released his memoir, Heartbreaker, a lovingly honest telling of his life with the help of author Ari Surdoval. We take a look at the compelling story it tells, and the incredible lega...

Joe Fick, leader of Kelley's Heroes and alumnus of the Don Kelley Band, joins us today. He shares of his time with the Dempsey's, The Don Kelley Band, working movies Walk The Line, and Baz Luhrmann's Elvis, to currently leading Kelley's Heroes. We also discuss the history of the upright slap style, challenges of transitioning from electric to upright bass, and a variety of upri...

Leo Fender was heavily influenced by the work of Paul Bigsby in the late 1940s, yet in all of the interviews he did, he never acknowledged it. Today we look at both the influences, and the reasons why Leo did not give the credit that Paul Bigsby deserved for his innovations that filtered into every Fender guitar.  To help us, we have an amazing copy of the 1948 Bigsby "Merle Travis" guit...

I love Peavey amps from the early-to-mid 1980s, because I grew up with them in my favorite music shop, Clawson's Music in Corpus Christi, TX. In my last 80s Peavey episode, I looked at the Special 130, that is a killer amp, but is heavy, way too loud for most gigs, and at times a bit non-intuitive due to the mid-shift and multiple gain controls. My buddy, Mike LoPinto, who plays with Chris St...

With the recent visit  with a real-deal 1950 Broadcaster, I had the chance to experience the unique tonal options that Leo Fender's original blend control offered over your run-off-the-mill tone control. The only problem, was that awful #1 position, that put a suffocating blanket over the neck pickup. I started searching for a modified wiring scheme, and I found my episode from a couple of ye...

Scott Baxendale sent me a 50s Harmony H-162 that he had done his conversion work on to check out. So we take a look at it, laying out the conversion process, and also looking at my Baxendale mandocello, and my Dan Lambert converted/repaired Buck Owens American. We end with a look at my refinished Waterloo WL-14, that also has a dual pickup system, and under-saddle, and a magnetic sound hole unit....

Today we get introduced to Gabe Tonon, and he shows off his 50s Esquire with a long throw Bender, and his two 60s maple-cap Fender Telecasters with Glaser B-Benders. Gabe is a wonderful player you can see opening for Zach Top in 2025 with Jake Worthington.  Find Gabe here: https://www.instagram.com/gabe_tone_on/ Follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/askzac/ To Support the Channel: Patre...

Today we look at one of the rarest and coolest members of the Telecaster family, a December 1950 Fender Broadcaster. To  give some context, I cover what Fender was up to in late 1949 through the Summer of 1950 with the single and dual pickup Esquire, and how the addition of a truss rod caused the Broadcaster to be born. We also take a look at what makes the Broadcaster different feature wise from...

Today we look at this cool Glaser B-Bender equipped Strat that I put together using a Glaser made neck from the 80s, and a non-tremolo swamp ash body. We get to hear the Seymour Duncan Hot Strat Stack pickups, and get a bit of history along the way.  Much thanks to Jason Cornelius for the buddy deal on the Glaser neck, and to Brad Paisley for donating and painting the body. Get a Glaser bender on...

A comparison between flat wound, pure nickel, and ground wound strings on my Tele. I was inspired to do this by the back of a set of D'Addario strings, showing a chart of their string offerings, from mellow to bright. Today, we start at the mellow end of the spectrum with the flat wound, going mid-way through the chart to the all-steel half-round set.  Thanks to Andy Pitcher at D'Addario...