Vol. 25, No. 2
December 2023
Players, Gear & Sound — The Inside
Bill Asher tells the story of Wolf 2.0 with Doug Irwin, from Asher Guitars' early days in the SoCal scene and first builds and influences, including Rick Turner and a Red Tail Hawk, to the wood and electronics, John Mayer at the shop and on the stage, and what's next for Asher-Irwin. Mike Wald of Waldotronics explains his buffers, a key component of Jerry Garcia's sound. Jannis Anastasakis of JAM Pedals recalls early days chasing Gilmour and Latimer, and covers the Retrovibe, Fuzz Phrase LTD, Wahcko, multipedals and a new silicon fuzz.
PLAYERS, GEAR & SOUND
The Inside
Asher-Irwin And The Story Of Wolf 2.0
By Scott Ulrichs. Bill Asher tells the story of his collaboration with Doug Irwin on Wolf 2.0, from his early days as a luthier to John Mayer taking the guitar onstage.
WALDOTRONICS BUFFERS
Key Component of Jerry Garcia's Sound
By Scott Ulrichs. ToneQuest sits down with Mike Wald of Waldotronics, the obsessive tone-seeker who reverse-engineered Jerry Garcia's on-board buffer and OBEL circuitry to build the Spud and Spud II buffers now found in guitars throughout the Dead-inspired scene. From cracking open Tiger's electronics cavity to schooling players on McIntosh power amps and JBL speakers, Waldo goes deep on what it really takes to cop Jerry's tone.
JANNIS ANASTASAKIS
JAM Pedals The Real Grecian Formula
By Scott Ulrichs. ToneQuest sits down with Jannis Anastasakis, founder of Athens-based JAM Pedals, to explore the hand-built, NOS-component-driven philosophy behind beloved effects like the Retrovibe, Fuzz Phrase, and Wahcko. From sourcing CV7003 transistors to solving the photocell puzzle in their Univibe clone, JAM's obsession with vintage tone and meticulous craftsmanship has earned them a place on boards belonging to Bill Frisell, John Scofield, and beyond.
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