Truetone Lounge

In our Holiday Recap and Viewer Favorites episode, we take a trip down memory lane and look back at some of the best moments of our first season of the Truetone Lounge.

Guthrie Trapp is one of the finest guitarists in Nashville, TN, a town known for its amazing musicians. In Part 2 our Truetone Lounge interview, we learn about his Country Guitar ArtistWorks lesson series, and how his students all over the world are able to share their videos with him and get personalized help with their playing. We also dive headfirst into gear talk, with Trapp sharing some of hi...

In the latest installment of the Truetone Lounge, Jedd Hughes sits down with us to amaze us with his playing and jaw-dropping stories. From growing up in the Australian outback to his “first gig” in Nashville being at the Grand Ole Opry, to his stellar work as a sideman, session work, and of course his deeply moving new album, West, it all gets covered here. Throughout the interview, Jedd’s singul...

We chat with our good buddy, JD Simo, and see what he has been up to in 2020. Simo also shares a lesson in the challenges of playing simple parts, and in arranging multiple guitar parts.

In our Truetone Lounge interview with session guitarist Jerry McPherson, we look at his beginnings in Texas, early tours and sessions with Amy Grant, and his transition to his current position as a full-time and in-demand session player. We also look at his favorite session tools, and his patented robot arm, that at the touch of a button, moves a set of microphones to various cabinets in Jerry's a...

Jeff Senn, renowned guitar builder and guitarist, is the second guest on our Truetone Lounge series. During the interview, Senn speaks in-depth on his beginnings as an instrument repairman, his years as a touring professional, his transition over a decade ago into a well-respected guitar builder, and his instrumental band, Crazy Aces. Interspersed, Jeff demonstrates 2 of his own Original Senn inst...

Grammy Award-winning producer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist, John Leventhal, shares what he has been up to in 2020, and clues us into his guitar part on Shawn Colvin's "Get Out Of This House."

In part 4 of our Truetone Lounge interview, John plays and tells the stories of some of his favorite guitars.

In the latest Truetone Lounge, we take a trip down to Muscle Shoals, Alabama, to meet up with Swamper, Jimmy Johnson at 3614 Jackson Highway, home of the Muscle Shoals Sound. In our interview, Johnson covered everything from his early days as Rick Hall’s first employee, through all of his groundbreaking work with Aretha Franklin, the Rolling Stones, Wilson Pickett, Paul Simon, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and...

In this Truetone Lounge episode, we present Justin Ostrander, part of the new crop of session guitarists in Nashville, TN.

In the latest Truetone Lounge, Kirk Fletcher shares the influences and experiences that have shaped him into one of the great modern bluesmen. Along the way, Fletcher recounts the thrills of gigging with blues greats like Charlie Musselwhite, and The Fabulous Thunderbirds, and of the challenges and rewards of launching a solo career. Kirk also clues us in to how he dials in his sterling tones usin...

Kenny Greenberg is equal parts session man, producer, songwriter, and touring pro. In our Truetone Lounge interview, we look at his multi-faceted career, and how he has continued to make his mark in Music City since his arrival in 1978. Along the way, Greenberg shows his appreciation for Richard Bennett and Tony Brown, two Nashville heavyweights who had a weighty impact on his career, and how his...

In Part 1 of our 3-part series with the Grammy award-winning producer John Leventhal, we discuss his early years, and why he picked up the guitar and began learning the craft of songwriting. He also describes the thrill of having his first outing as a producer result in a Grammy win for Shawn Colvin's 1989 album, Steady On. John also shares how a home studio demo tape led to him catching the atten...

We talk to Kirk Fletcher from his home in Switzerland and go way down the rabbit hole talking about everything from Ry Cooder and James Burton, to our love of Guitar Player magazines from the 70s and '80s. Kirk gives us a little lesson on "Memphis Soul Stew," and he talks about his new Youtube Channel.

In Part 2, we discuss John Leventhal's 23 years of musical collaboration with wife Rosanne Cash, and his recent work with Stax Records singer and songwriter, William Bell. We go in-depth on his philosophy behind the reimagining of classic country and folk tunes on Rosanne Cash's The List, the inspiration behind her "Southern" themed album, The River & The Thread, and the thrills and challenges of...

In Part 3, we discuss John Leventhal's gear. We cover the wealth of instruments and amps used in the studio, and the outright Spartan rig he uses on the road. Also, John plays a number of solo clips that both showcase his signature touch and tone, and pays homage to a number of his favorite guitarists. https://truetonelounge.com https://truetone.com

Pat Bergeson visits the Truetone Lounge to talk guitar and to share his experiences as a veteran touring and studio musician. Besides his past work with Chet Atkins, Lyle Lovett, Wynonna, and Madeleine Peyroux, Pat shares of his recent work with guitar legend Tommy Emmanuel, and touring with Les Brers, a group of former Allman Brothers that includes Butch Trucks, Jack Pearson, Otiel, and Jaimoe. T...

Paul Franklin is arguably the greatest modern innovator of the pedal steel guitar. In our Truetone Lounge interview, we cover both his work in country music, and his groundbreaking steel playing outside of the genre with artists as diverse as Dire Straits, Sting, Barbara Streisand, and Megadeth.

From touring with some of the biggest acts in the music business, to appearing in a music video with the legendary Miles Davis, guitarist Pat Buchanan has seemingly done it all. In our interview with Buchanan, we talk about his early years in Atlanta, his time touring with Cameo and Hall & Oats in the 1980's, his work with Cyndi Lauper in the early 90's, and his move to Nashville to become a part...

With Grammy's and millions of albums sales under his belt, Pete Anderson has nothing to prove. Anderson sits down with us to tell us his story, from sleeping in cars to incredible commercial success with Dwight Yoakam. Pete also reveals how much he was involved in the overall success of Yoakam, everything from getting he and the band's "look" together, to rehearsing the band until they could play...

In Part 2 our interview with Paul Franklin, we discuss his new streaming “The Paul Franklin Method” lesson system, Paul’s triadic approach to soloing, and some of the ins-and-outs for the beginner wanting to get into the pedal steel

In the latest installment of the Truetone Lounge, Redd Volkaert shares with us his journey from the bars of Vancouver, Canada, to the stages with Merle Haggard, to his Grammy win for his work with Brad Paisley, to his current status as one of the great Honky-Tonk guitar heroes. Along the way, Volkaert heaps praise on bandleader extraordinaire, Don Kelley, for his powerful influence, and the thrill...

In part 2, Pete talks about gear and how he produces records. He leads off by pulling out his 59 Esquire, and the parts guitar that he uses for sessions and club gigs. Anderson also goes in-depth on how he handles pre-production on an album, and the process he goes through in both tracking and overdubbing on a project. We also get useful insight on eq for guitars, and how to help your guitar sit i...

Part 3 covers Reggie's work in the 90's, all the way up to his just-released solo album, Forever Young. We then dive headlong into his gear.

In part 1 of our Truetone Lounge interview, we cover Reggie Young's early years in Memphis playing with the Bill Black Combo and sessions at Royal Studios, all the way up to his early work with Chips Moman at American Sound Studios.