Axe Lords

First things first. In case you’ve ever wondered, Zakk Wylde… hard case or gig bag? The answer is, “Neither, motherf—ers, I carry my guitar around sub-freezing New York City in proper Bezerker fashion, like a norse, warrior’s cudgel, exposed to the elements and ready for combat.” This is only one of the many questions that are answered when the Black Label Society, Zakk Sabbath, Pantera, and of co...

It takes a lot to fluster an Axe Lord, but the prospect of talking to Paul Gilbert about designing his Fireman guitars, getting a guided tour through his collection of vintage Ibanez treasures, and finding out how to properly rig a power drill for speed picking is almost more than any fan of highly technical guitar wizardry could stand. Gilbert, who is promoting his rifftastic new concept album WR...

Warren Haynes walks into Axe Lords HQ like he’s done this a thousand times—and within minutes we’re deep into the stuff that actually matters: how you develop a voice standing next to a guitarist as singular as Dickey Betts, why the volume knob is not a decoration, and how “improv” gets better the moment you stop trying to have a good idea. Along the way, the Gov’t Mule frontman and solo artist un...

Ty Tabor is one of those players whose unique tone has melted more message boards than you can shake a Strat Elite at, and whose lifelong commitment to solid-state amps is downright religious in its fervor. The Axe Lords show no mercy in their inquisition as they compel Tabor to break down the classic King’s X rig and ooh and ahh as he explains how transistors force a different kind of playing. We...

Captain” Kirk Douglas joins the Axe Lords for a wide-ranging conversation about how guitars shape a life—musically, culturally, and sometimes, literally. The longtime guitarist for The Roots (who also serve as the house band on the Tonight Show) traces his path from growing up with reggae, church music, metal, and soul to finding a musical voice that incorporates them all. Along the way, he reflec...

Burning Witches guitarist Courtney Cox joins the Axe Lords to talk guitar tone, technique, and the realities of life as a modern touring player. She breaks down how Burning Witches write and record across borders, work under tight studio timelines, and balance precision rhythm guitar with expressive lead playing. Cox traces her path from early touring and her years with Iron Maidens to designing m...

Chris Stein of Blondie joins the Axe Lords for a deep conversation about tone, technique, and the guitars that shaped Blondie’s sound from their early years at CBGBs to today. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer also explains why he dislikes relic guitars, how he came to his very un-punk fingerpicking picking technique and reveals that some of the band’s most iconic “synth” sounds were actually produced...

Neil Giraldo joins the Axe Lords for a deep dive into the guitars, amps, and outboard gear behind mega-hits like Pat Benatar’s “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” and Rick Springfield’s “Jessie’s Girl,” on which he nailed the legendary solo in one take, thank you very much. The Ohio native (just like Dave!) walks us through his go-to BC Rich Eagle and Marshall 2x12 combo rig, how a Schaefer-Vega wireless...

Designer, guitarist and certified culture tinkerer Billy Reid drops by Axe Lords to talk about the overlap between great guitars and great clothes — and why both have to look cool. Tom, Dave and Cindy grill Billy on the leather jacket he made for Jimmy Page, the custom Gibson Hummingbird he designed, and his deep obsession with ’70s Japanese acoustics like Yamaha “red labels” and Tokai Cat’s Eyes....

Larkin Poe’s Rebecca and Megan Lovell join Axe Lords to talk guitars, their new album Bloom, their blood-harmony superpowers, and how building a recording studio with your spouse is a terrific way to test the structural integrity of a relationship—not to mention your credit card limit.  Rebecca walks us through how she became the reluctant lead singer, why she mostly relies on the bridge humbucker...

Doug Gillard (Guided by Voices, Nada Surf) joins the Axe Lords to dissect his signature sound , explain why why he’s one of the few “indie rock guys” running a Mesa Dual Rectifier and—bonus!-gives the A-Lords a guided tour of his battle-worn ’76 Les Paul Custom. Doug — who also played bass in Dave’s Band Valley Lodge — breaks down his approach to composed solos, the harmony and capo tricks behind...

The legendary Lita Ford joins Axe Lords to break down the guitars that shaped her sound — including her infamous BC Rich Warlock “Maurice,” her iconic double-neck, and the tone secrets she’s carried from The Runaways to today. She shares wild road stories, rare gear, and even plays a live performance. Axe Lords is hosted by Dave Hill, Cindy Hulej, and Tom Beaujour. Produced by Studio Kairos. Recor...

Axe Lords is back with its biggest season yet—featuring guitar legends from Warren Haynes and Lita Ford to Chris Stein, Paul Gilbert, Larkin Poe, Doug Gillard, and more. Tune in on the Witz Comedy Network for the wildest, fastest, most riff-packed season of the best guitar podcast around. Axe Lords is hosted by Dave Hill, Cindy Hulej, and Tom Beaujour. Produced by Studio Kairos. Recorded at Kensal...

Blues-rock virtuoso and legendary collector Joe Bonamassa joins Axe Lords for an episode that dives deep into the wild, weird, and sometimes downright wicked world of vintage guitars. Buckle up as Joe tries to convince Tom to stop weighing his instruments, expounds on the mythology of double-white PAFs, explains why taking a Flying V into a motel room is “sick and wrong,” and reveals that having a...

The legendary Kerry King visits the Axe Lords studio and it’s raining blood - and, of course, laughs. Kerry tells us about the craziest thing he’s seen at a Slayer show, how he keeps track of his massive library of riffs, and explains the architecture of his current live rig. We talk mastering right-hand technique, Mercyful Fate, custom Kahlers, and unleash the madness of his signature Dean’s Sust...

Since breaking onto the scene in 1991 with the Washington, DC group Autoclave, Mary Timony has become recognized as one indie rock’s most influential guitarists. Her work with Helium, Ex Hex, the supergroup Wild Flag, and as a solo artist have already earned her a spot on Rolling Stone’s “250 Greatest Guitarists of all Time” list, but she shows no signs of resting on her laurels: her 2024 album Un...

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve seen the inimitable Greg Koch do one of his viral video instrument demos for Wildwood Guitars, shred his derrière off in one of his “Gristletime” livestreams from the Orange Room, or even learned to play reading his Hal Leonard books or watching his TrueFire instructional videos. In this raucous episode, Greg reveals all to the Axe Lords, including ta...

Even though he plays in one of the world’s biggest rock bands, is an active solo performer and hosts two podcasts (the second- and third-best podcasts ever), Foo Fighters guitarist Chris Shiflett found the time to convene with the Axe Lords to discuss his remarkable career, punk and glam-metal roots, signature Fender guitars, the relentless quest for an original sound, and why a sweaty club gig ca...

By the time he was old enough to drink (legally), Trixter founder and guitarist Steve Brown had put his hometown of Paramus, NJ on the rock and roll map, released a gold record, starred in a string of hit MTV videos and performed on arena tours supporting Kiss, Poison and the Scorpions. He hasn’t slowed down much since the Eighties, producing albums by such icons as Ace Frehley, filling in for bot...

Matthew Caws has been the frontman and guitarist of Nada Surf for more than three decades, during which time he and his group transcended their status as an alternative rock “one hit wonder” to become one of indie rock’s most respected and resilient bands. As a guitarist, he draws as much from Crosby, Stills and Nash as Echo and Bunnymen and has developed an instantly recognizable right-hand appro...

Kid Congo Powers started his rock and roll journey as the president of the Ramones’ fan club, and then helped redefine rock himself with seminal bands like the Gun Club, the Cramps, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and now with his own Kid Congo and the Pink Monkey Birds. As a guitarist, he blends raw, emotive rock with punk, glam, and blues influences, creating sounds that are both intense and deeply...

The Axe Lords crank it up this week with Mike Hickey, former in-house shredder for Venom, Carcass, Cathedral, and Cronos; guitar tech to the stars, and legendary gear hunter. Known as one of the world's leading Charvel historians, Mike dishes out his wisdom to the crew, trading stories of daring feats of guitar acquisition, the great Kahler-Floyd Rose debate, and how signature models have changed...

Karina Rykman, bass virtuoso, part-time guitarist, and all-around force of nature brings her unstoppable energy to Axe Lords. She dives into her switch from guitar to bass, discusses the personal connection she has to her instruments, and Karina and Tom reminisce about growing up as New York City kids. Karina explains how she's going to buy everyone a boat, and offers her hot take on the controver...

The legendary Steve Vai dials in to join Dave, Cindy, and Tom for a conversation about his genre-spanning career and the many ways in which he’s impacted the world of guitar. From learning under Joe Satriani to gigs with Frank Zappa and David Lee Roth, Vai shares unforgettable stories from the 80s and beyond. They dive into his latest project, the Beat Tour with King Crimson’s Adrian Belew and Ton...

In the very first episode of Axe Lords, we're kicking things off with none other than Alex Skolnick—a guy who’s gone from shredding thrash metal stages to throwing down jazz riffs without missing a beat. Alex talks about his journey, from learning guitar with one of guitar’s greatest players to dropping jaws with his solos in one of metal’s most iconic bands. We get into the nitty-gritty of thrash...