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Join us on a journey into the living language of guitar tone across five player-driven features shaped by player experience, great gear, and the endless pursuit of inspiring sound. Ryan Wariner plugs into Dylan Kennedy’s Underdog Amplifiers while reflecting on touring with Heart, vintage Marshalls, Hiwatts, Greenbacks, and the realities of stage tone. Dylan Kennedy follows with insights into tweed simplicity, hardwood cabinetry, and amplifier craft shaped by Leo Fender’s original spirit. Riverhorse then goes deep with Ron Ellis on the Ellis 54S and FP 64S pickups, vintage Strat DNA, and the elusive sweet spot serious players chase for years. Mojotone’s Anthem speakers are explored through their vintage Jensen-inspired voice and later pushed hard inside a 100-year-old Pogreba pine 4×10 cabinet loaded for serious tone chasing. And… The ToneQuest SoundBetterPlayBetter® Resource Directory.
Ryan Wariner and Dylan Kennedy
Scott Ulrichs
Ryan Wariner joins ToneQuest from the road with Heart for a wide-ranging discussion covering Dylan Kennedy’s Underdog Amplifiers, vintage Marshalls, Hiwatts, Greenbacks, Jose-modded Super Leads, Klons, Collectors Choice Les Pauls, and the realities of chasing stage tone night after night. Along the way, Ryan reflects on what makes a great amp respond, why certain rigs survive the road, and why Dylan’s tweed-inspired OG and Pup amplifiers impressed him immediately. This is player-to-player insight grounded in onstage experience, instinct, and the search for inspiring tone.
Dylan Kennedy On Craft, Simplicity And Tweed Tone
Scott Ulrichs
Dylan Kennedy discusses the philosophy behind Underdog Amplifiers, tracing his path from the Galloup School of Lutherie to building tweed-inspired amps focused on simplicity, musicality, and craftsmanship. Kennedy reflects on the influence of Leo Fender, the legacy of his grandfather Jerry Kennedy and father Gordon Kennedy, and why hardwood cabinetry, turret-board wiring, alnico speakers, and carefully selected components matter in the final voice of an amp. A thoughtful look at balancing vintage inspiration with the needs of serious modern players.
The Strat 54S & FP 64S Pickup Reviews
Riverhorse
Vintage Fender history, magnetic pull, winding balance, flat poles, and the elusive sweet spot serious Strat players chase for years all come into focus with Ron Ellis of RE Pickups. The Ellis 54S and FP 64S pickups are explored through firsthand playing impressions, vintage references, and the importance of clarity, bloom, note separation, and balance across all five positions. Along the way, Ellis discusses old-growth materials, Alnico formulas, CBS-era changes, and why the right pickup should ultimately let the guitar itself speak.
Mojotone’s Michael McWhorter And Andrew Simmons
Scott Ulrichs
Vintage Jensen alnicos, cone design, breakup character, motor structure, and the overlooked beauty of 10-inch speakers fuel this inside look at Mojotone’s Anthem Series speakers. Michael McWhorter and Andrew Simmons break down the challenge of capturing the warmth, balance, and musicality of old American-voiced drivers while refining them for modern players and modern rigs. Along the way, the feature explores how speakers shape punch, growl, harmonic texture, and the final voice of an amplifier.
The Pogreba 4×10 Rocks!
Scott Ulrichs
A 100-year-old Larry Pogreba pine 4×10 cabinet becomes the proving ground for Mojotone’s Anthem Series speakers alongside vintage Juniors, Vibrolux Reverbs, Germinos, and Benson amps pushed hard in search of rich breakup, harmonic texture, note retention, grind, and musical balance. What emerges is a revealing look at why the Anthems capture the warmth and character of broken-in vintage Jensens while delivering the reliability, touch sensitivity, and dimensional response serious guitar players and amp builders appreciate.