The Guitar Knobs

It's been a long time coming, but this week we are joined by Matt Hoopes, founder of 1981 Inventions and longtime guitarist for Relient K. Matt talks about launching the brand with the DRV, the inspiration behind it, and how it was received by the guitar community. He also digs into the follow-up LVL boost pedal and how versatile it is across a wide range of guitar rig setups. Hosted by Todd Novak...

All Them Witches guitarist Ben McLeod joins us as he gears up for their 2026 tour. Ben conjures atmospheric, almost meditative riffs one moment and unleashes soaring leads the next. His tone shifts constantly within a single song, from delicate and spacious to heavy and searing, but what really sets him apart is his timing and balance with the drums and bass.  Hosted by Todd Novak with Tony Dudzik...

Guitar builder Lazer Tyree joins us from Kobe, Japan, to share his story. We had lots of double-takes on this one because Lazer's California-based guitar journey is pretty remarkable, especially because of some truly top-shelf mentors. He is in Japan now, following his own path and putting his knowledge to work, and trying to learn the language ;-)   Hosted by Todd Novak with Tony Dudzik   #guitar...

Alex Guaraldi of Coppersound Pedals stops in again to share their newest edition in the DIY Cir-Kit series. The Boost-a-Drive-a-Fuzz, as seen on JHS’ Short Circuit with Josh Scott, is an incredibly fun build kit that covers sounds from Electra Distortion, the RAT, and the Fuzz Face. On top of that, the Coppersound team has probably spent even more time on a thorough and thoughtful step-by-step gui...

It's time for FOUR AT THE DOOR #2 in our new supporter reward program, based on our FOUR ON THE FLOOR segment of the podcast. Steve Keyes is a Grand Poohbah-level supporter on our Patreon and is the lucky one this time because he picked four AWESOME pedals!   Hosted by Todd Novak with Tony Dudzik   #guitarpodcast #electricguitar #pedaleffects #pedalfx #theguitarknobs #guitarknobs #guitarinterview...

As long as Chris Gill keeps writing guitar books and doing cool things, we're going to keep having him on the show. Chris' latest project — a writing partnership with industry veteran Brad Tolinski — is Blow By Blow: The Jeff Beck Story. As a personal friend of Jeff Beck, Chris got to hear all the great stories straight from the man himself, and now he's passing them on to you.   Hosted by Todd No...

Jack Bates of The Smashing Pumpkins and Peter Hook & The Light joins us for his 'Hat Trick' 3rd episode. As he is about to launch into dual US tours, Jack shares some of the interesting moments of the touring process from a seasoned bassist's perspective.  Hosted by Todd Novak with Tony Dudzik   #guitarpodcast #electricguitar #pedaleffects #pedalfx #theguitarknobs #guitarknobs #guitarinterview...

Randy King of King Electric Guitars joins us from Georgia to discuss his line of handmade guitars and the inspiration behind his original designs.    Hosted by Todd Novak with Tony Dudzik   #guitarpodcast #electricguitar #pedaleffects #pedalfx #theguitarknobs #guitarknobs #guitarinterview #guitaramplifier #guitarpickups #guitarsetup #fuzz #overdrive #reverb #distortion #guitartips    Visit us at t...

"THE" John Snyder of Electronic Audio Experiments joins us again to discuss the upcoming release of his new pedal. John is well known in the guitar gear industry for his high bar of excellence and imagination, but his generosity in helping other builders of all levels achieve their technical goals just may start to overshadow that. Oh yeah, and he is an actual quantum physicist, so he has that goi...

Max Lord of Reflective Digital joins us to discuss his upcoming guitar pedal release of Chambers C2. Max shared the prototype, which he calls a 'Portable Resonant Environment,' with us, and we couldn't stop playing it. He has a pretty incredible backstory too, and we hope you like it as much as we did.     Hosted by Todd Novak with Tony Dudzik   #guitarpodcast #electricguitar #pedaleffects #pedalf...

X James Beardmore of Normal Devices joins us this week to talk about his fantastic Decay Cascade pedal, which he describes as a 'Layering Reverb Distorter'. James is another innovative Canadian builder with a unique approach to pedal design, creating effects that inspire guitarists to think—and play—a little differently.   Hosted by Todd Novak with Tony Dudzik   #guitarpodcast #electricguitar #ped...

Zak Sherman of Audio Cultivation Project joins us to discuss his new highly versatile drive pedal FOURTH, as well as his decision to wipe the slate clean and rebrand. Spoiler alert—it worked very well!   Hosted by Todd Novak with Tony Dudzik   #guitarpodcast #electricguitar #pedaleffects #pedalfx #theguitarknobs #guitarknobs #guitarinterview #guitaramplifier #guitarpickups #guitarsetup #fuzz #over...

We are thrilled to announce our first FOUR AT THE DOOR series episode featuring our first recipient, Michael Vanzandt. We took our original FOUR ON THE FLOOR podcast segment to a completely new level! Each Patreon Patrons at the Grand Poohbah level get to choose FOUR from our library of pedals, consisting mostly of our podcast guests' pedals. We send them out, they get played and returned, and the...

Tom Butler joins us to talk about his incredible career in rock radio, the story behind his vinyl record store, and, of course, the guitar gear that he has obsessed over since he first picked up the instrument as a kid. At the radio microphone, Tom has spent decades not only living rock and roll but helping countless bands get their first shot and find their audience—my band included. Thank you To...

Kenny Howes joins us again to share his latest famous VOX obsession that turned into a major acquisition. We also cover lots of Rickenbacker stuff aided by Kenny's past work experience at the famed guitar company. Ricken-back-er. Hosted by Todd Novak with Tony Dudzik   #guitarpodcast #electricguitar #pedaleffects #pedalfx #theguitarknobs #guitarknobs #guitarinterview #guitaramplifier #guitarpickup...

Chris Cassone, author of Art of the Stompbox, joins us to discuss the inspiration and backstory behind his new book. While many stompbox books focus on circuitry, history, or technical details, Chris shines a spotlight on the art and design of some of the most visually captivating guitar pedals ever made.   Hosted by Todd Novak with Tony Dudzik   #guitarpodcast #electricguitar #pedaleffects #pedal...

Barton McGuire of Cosmodio Instruments joins us again for a long-awaited update, including a dazzling new release, Splinter Twin, and tales of what's next for Cosmodio.   Hosted by Todd Novak with Tony Dudzik   #guitarpodcast #electricguitar #pedaleffects #pedalfx #theguitarknobs #guitarknobs #guitarinterview #guitaramplifier #guitarpickups #guitarsetup #fuzz #overdrive #reverb #distortion #guitar...

Ken Haas of Reverend Guitars joins us again to share a big product line update and tips his hat to a few more exciting things that Reverend Guitars is up to. Speaking of that, be sure to check out the Reverend Circle R sessions on YouTube for a ton of live up-and-coming artists, as well as plenty of established heavy hitters on guitar.   Hosted by Todd Novak with Tony Dudzik   #guitarpodcast #elec...

Chase Gullett of Gullett Guitars joins us again to introduce a new guitar model to his outstanding line of guitar designs, and a massive announcement for the show and all of you amazing listeners. Trust me, you are going to want to get in on this one.    Hosted by Todd Novak with Tony Dudzik   #guitarpodcast #electricguitar #pedaleffects #pedalfx #theguitarknobs #guitarknobs #guitarinterview #guit...

Dave Jordan, founder of Non-Human Audio, joins us again for the release of his new pedal dubbed Regrets. Dave calls this pedal a "resonant reverb" and gives us the story behind it as well as his incredible Kim Chi - "textural fuzz drive. Dave is a vital builder in the guitar world as he always takes something familiar and makes us reconsider it, and is a helluva good dude, too.  Hosted by Todd Nov...

Asheville Music Tools founder Rick "Hawker" Shaich joins us to share his highly regarded line of pedal effects. Rick is a profound technician with one of the more notable career paths in the guitar industry, which ultimately led him to found his own pedal company. 

Our friend Brandon Wilson of Sketchy Sounds joins us for a substantial update to his guitar pedal line. Brandon's passion for the guitar community comes out in the pedals he creates. He also shares the pedals he provided for our 10th anniversary giveaways. Thanks Brandon!   Hosted by Todd Novak with Tony Dudzik   #guitarpodcast #electricguitar #pedaleffects #pedalfx #theguitarknobs #guitarknobs #g...

Tony and I share our thoughts on the show's 10th Anniversary, as well as a bunch of awesome giveaways and new ways to share our love of guitar gear with you. We are grateful you've been on the ride with us. Here's to 10 more!   Hosted by Todd Novak with Tony Dudzik   #guitarpodcast #electricguitar #pedaleffects #pedalfx #theguitarknobs #guitarknobs #guitarinterview #guitaramplifier #guitarpickups...

Our 10th Anniversary episode features our friend, the one-and-only Dr. No, for his third visit. We’re incredibly grateful for your support over the years—it’s what’s made conversations like this possible. Dr. No joins us to share his latest creation and dive into the mindset and process behind bringing creative ideas to life.   Hosted by Todd Novak with Tony Dudzik   #guitarpodcast #electricguitar...

Our guest this week is Mike Wohl of Lollar Pickups, one of the most well-known and respected builders in the guitar business. Mike pulls us into the brand's grounding philosophy and how it guides their craft and commitment to guitar players.    Hosted by Todd Novak with Tony Dudzik   #guitarpodcast #electricguitar #pedaleffects #pedalfx #theguitarknobs #guitarknobs #guitarinterview #guitaramplifie...