Vol. 23, No. 5
March 2022
Players, Gear & Sound — The Inside
Pete Townshend's Gretsch inspires a pairing of a 2005 Gretsch 6120 DSW with Lindy Fralin pickups and a kit-built Marshall JTM45. We look at which vintage gear is still worth chasing, and whether modern builders can bring back the sound of PAFs, with Tom Holmes and Lindy Fralin weighing in. James Pennebaker tells how he took up pedal steel, a Lollar-equipped Lap King gets a workout, and a Squier Classic Vibe Custom Esquire and a 1983 Ibanez Roadstar prove affordable guitars can deliver.
PLAYERS, GEAR & SOUND
The Inside
Rolling Thunder
A 2005 Gretsch 6120 DSW fitted with Lindy Fralin Hum-Cancelling DynaSonics meets a StewMac kit-built Marshall JTM45 — and the result is a revelation straight out of Pete Townshend's playbook. Along the way, Fralin shares deep insights on pickup design, Alnico magnets, and why clean tone will always win.
Who's Next
Inspired by Pete Townshend's Gretsch and a deep dive into classic gear, ToneQuest surveys the vintage amp, guitar, and effects landscape — asking what's really worth chasing next and what the market has done to those dreams.
PAFs… Definitely Maybe
Vintage PAF humbuckers remain the most treasured and elusive pickups ever wound — and the most misunderstood. ToneQuest digs into what makes a great PAF sound great, with insight from builders Tom Holmes and Lindy Fralin.
FROM THE '70s
Quotes To Remember
A curated collection of timeless observations from guitar legends — Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, Leo Fender, and many more — on tone, technique, gear, and the music business.
3-TONE COOL & CHEAP
Squier Classic Vibe Custom Esquire
The Squier Classic Vibe Custom Esquire delivers genuine Telecaster looks and tone at a fraction of the cost of a Fender Custom Shop model. ToneQuest puts this affordable standout through its paces — unplugged and plugged in.
James Pennebaker On Steel
James Pennebaker shares his journey from stumbling onto a pawn-shop pedal steel in 1975 to collecting rare lap steels, recounting the California country-rock and Texas progressive sounds that shaped his ear and the players — from Buddy Emmons to Hop Wilson — who deepened his obsession.
Lap King With Lollars
Jason Lollar's turquoise 10-string Lap King loaded with Console Grande pickups proves to be a tone monster, filling the room with ethereal slide sounds and tremendous sustain through a '72 Princeton Reverb or a Fender Blues Deluxe.
CHEAP THRILLS
The Ibanez Roadstar
ToneQuest takes a close look at a 1983 Ibanez Roadstar II Series — a Strat-influenced Japanese-built solid body that delivers surprisingly solid playability and usable '80s tones at a modest price point.
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