Vol. 27, No. 9
July-August 2026
Players, Gear & Sound — The Inside
Andy Timmons shares his musical influences, practice habits, gear discoveries, and lifelong commitment to learning that continues to shape his artistry and sound. Matthew Dunne and C.J. Landry explore the enduring fascination of fuzz circuits, transistor selection, and the elusive magic hidden within great Fuzz Faces. Marco Brunetti reveals engineering philosophy to unlock the sounds players hear in their heads, while his Mercury1 demonstrates how great amplifier design gives voice to the musician’s soul. Along the way, we examine Evidence Audio’s Forte cable and the science behind the proximity effect, Carondelet’s OTB Ultimate humbuckers and the blueprinting of a modern pickup recipe, Pete Flynn’s Duane A3 and T-Top humbuckers in Jonn Richardson’s road-tested Novo, and the ideas, techniques, and lessons that inspire the passionate pursuit of guitar tone.
PLAYERS, GEAR & SOUND
The Inside
Andy Timmons
By Scott Ulrichs. Andy Timmons, guitarist and bandleader for over three decades, sits down for a wide-ranging conversation covering his love of vintage Telecasters, the vinyl that shaped his ears, gear-staging epiphanies, and the ongoing tone quest that still drives him to experiment every day.
MATTHEW DUNNE ON CHASING STELLAR FUZZ
The SAG BC108 Silicon & NKT275 Germanium
By Riverhorse. ToneQuest sits down with fuzz builder Matthew Dunne to explore the art and obsession behind his SAG BC108 Silicon and NKT275 Germanium fuzz pedals — from reverse-engineering vintage Fuzz Faces to hunting NOS transistors worldwide. A hands-on review of both fuzzes follows, delivering a verdict that's hard to argue with.
THE TEXAS HOME BREW TRANSISTOR MAGIC
And Fuzz Face Treasure Hunting
By CJ Landry. Builder CJ Landry dives into the art and science of constructing original PNP germanium and NPN silicon Fuzz Faces — hunting for the rare transistors and elusive mojo that made Jimi Hendrix and Eric Johnson's fuzz tones legendary.
Fuzzy Feelings Deux
By Riverhorse. No overdrive will ever match the harmonic complexity or magical bloom of a great fuzz — a deep dive into germanium fuzz options, from the KingTone mini-GE to TQR's own homebrew builds.
MARCO BRUNETTI & THE BRUNETTI PERSPECTIVE
The Amp That Becomes Your Soul
ToneQuest sits down with Marco Brunetti of Brunetti Amplifiers in Modena, Italy, for a deep dive into his life in electronics, his obsession with tube tone, and the remarkable Mercury1 — an amp the editors call worth thousands more than its asking price.
THE PATH TO THE MERCURY1
A Signal From Finland
By Riverhorse. Finnish guitarist Sam Vilo shares his path to music and how a visit to Brunetti's workshop in Italy led to the creation of the Mercury1 amp — now the centerpiece of his recording rig.
THE PROXIMITY EFFECT
Evidence Audio’s Inspired Development Of The Forte Cable
By Riverhorse. Evidence Audio's Tony Farinella explains how the Forte cable delivers the same acclaimed sound as the Lyric HG — but with enamel-coated strands that make it far more flexible and road-ready. A field report and conversation covering why David Gilmour, Trey Anastasio, and Billy Corgan trust EA cables above all others.
CARONDELET’S JEFF RICHARD—BLUEPRINTING OUR OWN CUSTOM RECIPE
The OTB Ultimates Among The Few Top Tier
By Riverhorse. With the great pickups every component matters.
TWO ROADS THROUGH A NOVO
Pete Flynn’s Duane A3s Alongside The T-Tops
By Jonn Del Toro Richardson. Guitarist Jonn Del Toro Richardson puts Pete Flynn's A3 Duane Cherry Burst humbuckers and T-Top pickups head-to-head in his road-worn Novo, discovering two very different — and equally compelling — voices for gigging life.
Actually, greatly preferred it with the treble bleed. Running my current Fuzz Face [Dunlop Jimi Hendrix with BC108 silicon transistors] into a Suhr Plexi on the edge of breakup, it does the cleanup thing way better than without treble bleed.
— Andy Timmons
© 2026 Mountainview Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. The ToneQuest Report® is presented as a collective work. Individual contributions may be separately protected by copyrights held by their respective authors.