Luther Dickinson is an acclaimed sideman, solo artist, and producer, noted for his work with the North Mississippi Allstars, Phil Lesh, and the Black Crowes. We begin with a discussion of his legendary producer/musician father, Jim, and how he nurtured his son's playing and his work ethic. We also dive into how Luther became a devotee of open tunings via his dad's obsession with Bo Diddley. Dickinson is currently out playing shows with JD Simo and drummer Adam Abrashoff.
Dec 04, 2024•1 hr 16 min
Today we sit down with the incredible father/son guitar team of Stuie and Sonny French, of The French Family Band. They tell their tale of how they moved from Australia to the United States in 2019, and quickly made an impact on the Nashville music scene through their shutdown era livestreams, and their more recent appearances on the Grand Ole Opry. Gear wise, Stuie shows us his modified Jason Isbell Tele and Gretsch, while Sonny shows off his Gibson Les Paul Special, and vintage Fender Coronado...
Dec 04, 2024•1 hr 14 min
Today's episode features two legends of the Nashville music scene, Joe Glaser and Steve Wariner. Glaser's innovations include a neck plate mounted bender system, 3-pickup Tele-style builds, Plek fret leveling and nut cutting technology, Music City Bridge hardware and tool supply, and running the world-respected Glaser Instruments repair shop in Nashville. Steve Wariner is one of the most acclaimed singer/songwriters & guitarists to ever hit Music City. The 4-time Grammy Winner formed a guita...
Apr 09, 2024•1 hr 41 min
John Leventhal returns to go in-depth on his first solo album, Rumble Strip. We discuss his process of composing, recording, and the gear he used to create the 16 poignant tracks on the album. Leventhal also discusses his signature acoustic guitar tones that utilize both the natural "acoustic" sound, plus an "electric" sound hole pickup run-through effects and a tube amplifier. He also weighs in on the 30th-anniversary re-release of The Wheel, his first collaboration with his wife, noted singer-...
Jan 09, 2024•1 hr 3 min
Duke Levine's resume is filled with a catalog of stellar solo albums, high-profile sideman gigs, and essential session work. We have Tom Bukovac to thank for making this interview happen, as he had requested Duke on a recent session here in Nashville, that gave us a chance to catch up in person with the Boston-area great. To kick off, we begin with a discussion of his latest gig, touring with Bonnie Raitt. Via the new gig, he has had his first experience with using in-ear monitors and having amp...
Dec 04, 2023•1 hr 26 min
Adam Levy has an established guitar voice that we first heard on Tracy Chapman's "Give Me One Reason," then on albums and tours with Norah Jones, and sharpened to a fine point on his latest release, Spry. Besides his work as a guitarist, Levy has also devoted himself to being an educator through his Guitar Tips channel, Truefire instructional courses, and time spent as the Guitar Dept. Chair at the Los Angeles College of Music. Additionally, Adam made great contributions to the world of guitar j...
Sep 23, 2023•1 hr 29 min
Jeff King was raised in the Smokey Mountains of East Tennessee, where as a young boy, he found a guitar in an attic and was immediately hooked. Though he loved music and played frequent gigs, he did not study it in college, yet post-graduation, he decided to throw in his lot with a friend that moved to Nashville in the early 80s. With luck on his side, he fairly quickly hit the scene in a big way in 1985 by landing the lead guitar spot with the then-new artist, Patty Loveless. Jeff was soon ridi...
Aug 07, 2023•1 hr 44 min
Truetone Lounge Chris Scruggs is the host of his own WSM radio show that runs on Friday nights after the Grand Ole Opry, fronts his own band, The Stone Fox Five, and is a member of the white-hot group backing Marty Stuart, The Fabulous Superlatives. He is also a busy session man with everyone from up-and-comers to hitmakers Kacey Musgraves & Sierra Ferrell, and more recently, he was the youngest member inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame. In today's episode, Scruggs tells his own story ...
Mar 06, 2023•1 hr 45 min
Luke McQueary was Don Kelley's final guitarist in his long line of amazing players. Today we sit down and talk about his beginnings and the importance of Don's tutelage in his progression as a musician and performer. Though Don Kelley is now retired, the tradition lives on with Kelley's Heroes Wednesday through Saturday, 6:30 -10:30 PM at Robert's Western World. Luke also shows off his rig which includes a specially ordered Custom Shop Telecaster Thinline, vintage Deluxe Reverb, and a small peda...
Dec 27, 2022•1 hr 9 min
A short list of the veterans of Don Kelley's band includes Brent Mason, Redd Volkaert, Johnny Hiland, Guthrie Trapp, JD Simo, Daniel Donato, Porter McClister, and Luke McQueary. Kelley was bandleader and coach for these giants, helping each of them hone their playing and tone by playing 5-6 days of the week, 4 hours a night, under his watchful eye. As important as these players and their stories are, today we get to hear Don's story of growing up in Texas, serving in Vietnam, moving to Nashville...
Oct 10, 2022•2 hr 18 min
An unseen star of Baz Luhrmann's Elvis movie is guitarist JD Simo, who was tasked with replicating the original parts and tones played by Scotty Moore, James Burton, Hank Garland, Reggie Young, and Tommy Tedesco. In today's special collaboration with Ask Zac, we sit down with Simo, as he tells the tale of how he was asked to take part, and the gear he used to replicate the legendary guitarist's riffs. We also take a look at his soon-to-be-released album Songs From The House Of Grease. Recorded w...
Aug 08, 2022•1 hr 32 min
During David Hood's 50-plus-year career, he has played on more hits than just about any other bassist on the planet. From Bob Seger to Wilson Picket, and Rod Stewart to the Staple Singers, Hood provided the bass lines for countless Pop, Rock, and R&B hits that we all know and love. Many of us became aware of David through the beautifully made Muscle Shoals documentary from 2013, which focuses on the story of Rick Hall and his former proteges, the Swampers. Here, David, the last of the Swampe...
Aug 08, 2022•46 min
Russ Pahl is one of the busiest guitarists and pedal steelers in Nashville, with credits ranging from Robert Plant to Carrie Underwood. He is a multi-instrumentalist, who moves between both instruments and musical genres in such a fluid manner, that he is just at home playing lead guitar with Dan Auerbach on Austin City Limits, as he is playing hardcore country pedal steel in Vince Gill's touring unit. In our Truetone Lounge interview, Russ covers his career, what he feels has kept him in demand...
Apr 22, 2022•1 hr 29 min
Carl Rydlund is the guitarist you are hearing on many of the movies you have watched over the last 20-years. Major films he has worked on with famed film composer, Hans Zimmer, all feature Carl's guitar work. Today we sit down with one of the soundtrack kings, who recently moved to Nashville to continue his film work, and to take a teaching position at the renowned music-focused Belmont University. In our interview, Rydlund discusses his musical upbringing, his move to Los Angeles, and how his w...
Oct 29, 2021•1 hr 16 min
Kenny Vaughan is the perpetually calm and composed guitar slinger that is just as at home touring with Marty Stuart as he is fronting his trio in a club or recording in a studio with the likes of everyone from Lucinda Williams to the Pretenders. With an extensive background in rock, punk, country, and jazz, Vaughan brings a seemingly never-ending bag of tricks to every musical situation he participates in. In our Truetone Lounge, we drill down as to how he seamlessly moves between various genres...
Sep 22, 2021•1 hr 35 min
In today's Truetone Lounge interview with Lindy Fralin, the pickup man shares how repairs and rewinding in the 1980s led to the creation of his own pickups and how he eventually earned his current position as one of the industry leaders in both vintage replicas and groundbreaking original designs.
Aug 26, 2021•45 min
Jason Lollar is one of the premier pickup makers in the world, and even wrote a book on the basics of winding, and how to turn your mother's sewing machine into the perfect winder. In our Truetone Lounge interview, Jason takes us through his schooling at the Roberto-Venn School of Lutherie, and how he transitioned from guitar builder to pickup winder for many of the great guitar builders of today. Lollar also reveals the R&D that is involved in birthing new pickup designs, and how his work h...
Aug 04, 2021•1 hr 1 min
Jimmy Olander's opening lick on Diamond Rio's "Meet In The Middle," let the listener know that they were about to hear something new. His double-bender meets banjo fingerstyle sensibilities created a singular sound that would lead off most of the band's hits over the next 3 decades. Today, we sit down with Jimmy in his home studio and get the full story of his climb from out-of-work banjo player, to double bender Tele man with multi-platinum success. Jimmy also gives us the inside scoop on his J...
Jun 22, 2021•2 hr 3 min
Truetone Lounge | Ron Ellis Ron Ellis, fueled by his love of great tone, and enabled by his background as a scientist, broke the code and began producing some of the most vintage authentic electric guitar pickups a little over a decade ago. Via his thorough research and analysis of working and broken vintage pickups, he discovered both the recipe and the proper ingredients to replicate various eras of holy-grail winds. Soon, he was breaking those rules to create modern interpretations to meet th...
Jun 03, 2021•1 hr 3 min
We had tons of comments on Ray's first episode, and additional questions posted, so we followed up with a second spot with Ray. In this episode, he talks about his playing style, gigging with the Everly Brothers because he "needed the money," interviewing Deep Purple's Ritchie Blackmore, and his acoustic instrumental recordings, including his take on Paganini's 5th Caprice.
Apr 16, 2021•1 hr 22 min
Steuart Smith is best known for having toured with the Eagles for the last 20 years, and for co-producing their "Long Road Out of Eden" album. His story begins long before in the Washington DC club scene, then expanding to the national scene through a band showcase for Colombia Record's Senior VP of A&R, Rick Chertoff. This led to collaborations with Rodney Crowell and Rosanne Cash on top-selling and award-winning albums, tours and production work with Shawn Colvin, and sessions with everyon...
Mar 18, 2021•2 hr 19 min
Danocaster Guitars is one of the most beloved and in-demand small-shop builders, yet next to nothing is known about Dan Strain and his small team that builds solid-bodies in Nashville, TN. After much prodding, Dan finally agreed to sit down and tell us about himself, his team, and the chain of events that led to the formation of Danocaster Guitars.
Feb 25, 2021•1 hr 23 min
Elliot Easton's well-constructed solos with The Cars were integral to their hits and were in many ways mini compositions within the songs. In our Truetone Lounge, we dive into how the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member constructed those solos, and look deeply into the recording process of those seminal albums. Easton also thoroughly contrasts the producing styles of Roy Thomas Baker (Queen) and Mutt Lang (Def Leppard, AC/DC) on the various Car's albums and the hard work, and eye for detail that...
Feb 10, 2021•1 hr 47 min
TruetoneLounge | Ray Flacke We are so honored to have one of the all-time Telecaster greats, Ray Flacke, sit down with us to tell his story, after a long season of staying under the radar. Those not familiar with him should know that Flacke's influence runs deep on just about any player willing to pick up a Tele and play with gusto. With equal parts Ritchie Blackmore, Chet Atkins, and Roy Nichols, Flacke grabbed everyone's attention by the collar with his aggressive and staccato guitar work on t...
Jan 28, 2021•1 hr 53 min
Rick Holmstrom is an esteemed blues artist with a new solo album, See That Light, releasing on February 26th. Besides his esteemed solo work, he is also the bandleader and guitarist for legendary Gospel/R&B singer, Mavis Staples. In our Lounge interview, we cover how he got the Mavis gig at the urging of Ry Cooder, the low down on his new solo album, and an amazing walk-through of his favorite guitars including his 1953 Telecaster, Harmony Stratotone, and Danelectro double cutaway.
Dec 21, 2020•1 hr 34 min
Jim Campilongo is one of the finest Telecaster players of the modern era. On his many great albums, Jim brings his beautifully unique approach to everything from honky-tonk, to jazz. In our Truetone Lounge discussion, we cover everything from his history as a player, inspirations, to his current practice regimen. We also could not help but talk of his love for late 50s Telecasters and Princeton Reverb amps.
Nov 18, 2020•2 hr 8 min
Famed Guitarist, and groundbreaking guitar educator, Arlen Roth, is our guest for the latest Truetone Lounge. We cover his touring days with John Prine, Phoebe Snow, and Simon & Garfunkel, and how his side hustle as a guitar teacher transitioned into authoring books. Those books turned to audiotapes, and then after his work with Ralph Macchio on the movie Crossroads, he turned to guitar instructional videos. The Hot Licks videos that were made from the mid-1980s through the 90s featured an a...
Nov 17, 2020•1 hr 48 min
Gordon Kennedy is a 2-time Grammy Award-winning musician, songwriter, and producer who happens to also have an amazing musical pedigree. His mother was a regular on the Louisiana Hayride with a recording contract, and his father was a member of the famed Nashville A-Team and ran Mercury Records’ Nashville division for 21-years. The stories abound about his musical upbringing, as he watches his record exec father steer the careers of Roger Miller, Jerry Lee Lewis, and the Statler Brothers, yet th...
Nov 17, 2020•1 hr 54 min
Welcome to the Truetone Lounge. We are kicking off this show with the legendary Al Perkins. Al sits down with Truetone's Zac Childs (also a columnist for Vintage Guitar Magazine) for a casual and informative chat with Al about his life, career, and tools of his craft.
Nov 17, 2020•1 hr 2 min
Andy Reiss is one of the true western swing and jazz guitar greats in Nashville and can be seen just about every Monday night with the amazing Time Jumpers. In our Truetone Lounge interview, Andy discusses his time in San Francisco during the height of the hippy movement, his move to Nashville and mentorship with Harold Bradley, and how he ended up on tours with everyone from Slim Whitman to Reba McEntire. Reiss also educates us in the traditional 1950's-60's guitar styles utilized by the Nashvi...
Nov 17, 2020•1 hr 10 min
