Guitar Speak Podcast

Toto are back touring the globe in 2025 and Matt has tickets for the Sydney show! What better time to revisit Toto's smash hit fourth album? Matt, Rob & Gabor investigate the record featuring Steve Lukather at the top of his game. We bless the rains! ___________________________________   The  Guitar Speak Podcast  is produced and hosted by Matt Wakeling in Sydney, Australia. The show features...

NAMM 2025 - all the hits!! And a couple of misses... Matt, Gabor and Rob give their take on the biggest music trade show on planet Earth.   ___________________________________   The  Guitar Speak Podcast  is produced and hosted by Matt Wakeling in Sydney, Australia. The show features deep dive interviews with amazing guitarists from around the globe, occasional gear reviews and the Iconic Albums t...

Glyn Evans, of Mr Glyn's Pickups New Zealand, returns to answer your questions. After 30 years of full time pickup design and production, Glyn has a fantastic ability to decipher the science of pickups in distinctly musical terms. It's a fascinating Q & A! mrglynspickups.com   ____________________________________________________________   The  Guitar Speak Podcast  , launched in 2016, is produ...

Jerry Garcia's unique "Alligator Strat" holds legend status in Grateful Dead lore - and is arguably one of the first heavily modded Strat's to grace the stage of a high profile band. Ace Nashville guitar tech, Chad Winn, joins us to go deep on the history of this guitar from it's hybrid vintage heritage through to the extensive mods Garcia and the Dead techs performed on it. Chad also discusses hi...

Andy Scott has spent over 50 years - and counting - rocking as the lead guitarist of Sweet. The UK band has enjoyed phenomenal international chart success with hits like "Ballroom Blitz", "Fox on the Run" and "Love is Like Oxygen". Sweet influenced bands like Def Leppard, Kiss and the Scorpions to name but a few. Andy joins us to talk guitars, recording, tours, hangs with Jeff Beck and much more i...

2024 - what a year for guitar! The Iconic Albums team assemble to talk through all the good stuff. Matt, Rob & Gabor discuss favourite albums, gear, gigs, podcasts, books and more and debut the impromtu "what Rob said" segment \m/ _______________________________ The Guitar Speak Podcast is produced and hosted by Matt Wakeling in Sydney, Australia. The show features deep dive interviews with am...

Matt Bruck started working as Eddie Van Halen’s guitar tech in 1990, and was Eddie’s business partner at the inception of EVH Gear in 2004. After Eddie’s untimely passing in 2020 it was announced that Matt and Wolfgang Van Halen would be running the company, continuing its legacy and looking to the future. Matt joins us to talk about the launch of the long awaited SA126 - Wolfgang’s own model. The...

There is jamming and then there is collaboration. The Iconic Series Team assemble to discuss their favourite collaborative projects. Some are massive, others more intimate. Many of these projects were inspired by a greater cause. One in particular will require all the hairspray you can find and all the notes you can play! All of them feature amazing guitar playing and musical synergy. We had fun m...

Matt reviews the Artist AT73, test driving it in the studio and live on stage. This modern flavoured T-style six string features top end specs at a very friendly price. Is it too good to be true?   https://www.artistguitars.com.au/   This episode is brought to you by Fretboard Biology    Fretboard Biology - the online guitar college created by Joe Elliott, ex Head of Guitar at GIT and McNally Smit...

In this episode, we dive deep into rock 'n' roll history with none other than Tim Shaw, Chief Engineer Guitar at Fender, as our guide. Celebrating the 70th anniversary of the legendary Fender Stratocaster guitar, Shaw takes us on a journey through seven decades of Strat goodness. Drawing on decades of experience, Tim is warm and knowledgeable - a favourite here at the Guitar Speak Podcast. Want mo...

Happy May the Fourth!! Are there guitars in a galaxy far, far away? The answer is yes! Gabe Bott - musician, composer and co-host of the Blastpoints Podcast - joins us to talk about the use of guitars in the Star Wars cinematic and streaming releases, bands reinventing the classic John Williams themes, his own arrangements and compositions for Blastpoints and heaps of cool Star Wars guitar gear. T...

From Ace to Zorn and Adams to Zeppelin we check out our favorite 11 live albums with killer guitar playing...plus bonus Neil Diamond!   Rob Rhodes - www.rhodetripent.com Gabor Josika - SuperFunAwesomeHappyTime Pedal Show   This episode is brought to you by Fretboard Biology    Fretboard Biology - the online guitar college created by Joe Elliott, ex Head of Guitar at GIT and McNally Smith Music Col...

The Guitar Speak Podcast's 'Iconic Series' roundtable names the top nine motion pictures featuring cool guitar stuff. Good times! Please note - Matt's audio is a little sketchy at first but rapidly improves, Rob and Gabor sound delightful throughout as usual! Originally published Oct 2021.   Iconic Series Co-Hosts: Rob Rhodes  www.rhodetripent.com Gabor Josika SuperFunAwesomeHappyTime Pedal Show  ...

This is the plugged in review of the new Gretsch Broadkaster Jr Chris Rocha Model! Matt reports back from the studio and live arena with the rundown of this new Gretsch signature guitar.   Also check out our interview with Chris himself, talking us through the process of working with Gretsch: https://www.guitarspeakpodcast.com/e/chris-rocha-interview-his-new-signature-gretsch-gsp-244/ Matt's 2023...

Chris Rocha is an American Christian producer, Guitarist, Entrepreneur and pioneer in the Spanish Christian music industry. He is a two-time Dove Award winner, worked on two Grammy Award-winning albums and numerous Grammy nominated projects. Gretsch has just released the Chris Rocha Signature Broadkaster Jr and we hear all about it from Chris. This episode is brought to you by Fretboard Biology  F...

What albums surprised you with unexpected yet glorious guitars?! Matt, Rob and Gabor name their favourite three (accidental) Iconic Guitar Albums...starring Harry Connick Jr, The Chicks and Jamiroquai.   Rob Rhodes -  www.rhodetripent.com Gabor Josika -  SuperFunAwesomeHappyTime Pedal Show This episode is brought to you by Fretboard Biology  Fretboard Biology - the online guitar college created by...

Alrighty, who doesn't love a good spinoff? Introducing 'The Guitar Quiz Podcast', a rapid fire 20 question quiz about guitar stuff. Good times! The Guitar Quiz Podcast is produced by the Guitar Speak Podcast. The quiz has it's own podcast platform to follow and subscribe to, but we will also publish some episodes here at GSP to start with. All of the regular Guitar Speak Podcast content - intervie...

Bud Cole, Fender's President for the Asia Pacific region, takes us inside the company's first ever 'flagship' store, launched in Tokyo. The store boasts four levels of Fender goodness, from merch to custom shop and all points in between. Bud also explains Fender Japan's unique position in the organisation's picture and how this allows autonomy in creating the super cool instruments MIJ Fenders are...

NAMM 2024 was massive! Matt is joined by Rob Rhodes and Gabor Josika in another 'Iconic Series' roundtable discussing the biggest hits at NAMM, honourable mentions and couple of recent 'not exactly NAMM releases'. Rob Rhodes -  www.rhodetripent.com Gabor Josika -  SuperFunAwesomeHappyTime Pedal Show This episode is brought to you by Fretboard Biology  Fretboard Biology - the online guitar college...

On this Iconic Series episode Matt, Rob & Gabor choose six guitarists known for crafting unique tones. Zappa, The Edge, Santana, Stevens, Knopfler and May all get a run with honourable mentions to Young, Slash and an excellent list of suggestions from GSP listeners.  Rob Rhodes -  www.rhodetripent.com Gabor Josika -  SuperFunAwesomeHappyTime Pedal Show This episode is brought to you by Fretboa...

Matt takes Fender's Player series Jazzmaster for a spin on stage and in the studio for this Guitar Speak Podcast review. Thanks to Fender Australia, we are giving away this very guitar. Entries close Jan 30 AEST. This episode is brought to you by Fretboard Biology  Fretboard Biology - the online guitar college created by Joe Elliott, ex Head of Guitar at GIT and McNally Smith Music College. www.fr...

The GSP Iconic Series team of Matt, Rob and Gabor are back with a sprawling look back over 2023. We're talking favorite albums, gigs, gear, The Rollings Stones (the band and the similarly named publication), gig disasters, 'new' Beatles, Satriani jamming EVH, Notaklon, new and old school musical AI and much more.  We outraged at the outrage! Rob Rhodes -  www.rhodetripent.com Gabor Josika -  Super...

Fender's California Series of acoustic guitars marries Leo Fender's early '60s acoustic designs with modern features. Does this 'back to the future' plan work out? Matt test drives a couple of models live and in the studio to find out. This episode is brought to you by Fretboard Biology  Fretboard Biology - the online guitar college created by Joe Elliott, ex Head of Guitar at GIT and McNally Smit...

The 'Iconic Series' team assemble to talk about those who have influenced guitar gear trends in a massive way. We're not talking about the YouTube or Instagram cats. We are talking PLAYERS who through the force of their style and tonecraft have made a lasting and ongoing impression on the world of guitar gear.   Rob Rhodes -  www.rhodetripent.com Gabor Josika -  SuperFunAwesomeHappyTime Pedal Show...

Fender is taking on the digital modelling floorboard heavyweights with the launch of its Tone Master Pro. Fender spent over four years in development and the final product boasts over 100 amps, cabs and effects, touchscreen, integrated rotary footswitches/parameter controls and extensive IO. Matt, leaves his beloved pedalboard at home and gives the Tone Master Pro a run live and in the studio - wh...