Vol. 25, No. 5
March 2024
Players, Gear & Sound — The Inside
Guitar maestro Justin Stabler reflects on his diverse journey from Jersey to Red Rocks, sharing experiences as a tech for Trey Anastasio. Collaborating with James Finnerty, they craft acclaimed Rewind humbuckers. The ToneQuest Report also explores noteworthy gear, including the Retrovibe Mk.3, Rio Grande Pickups, and unique reverb creations.
PLAYERS, GEAR & SOUND
The Inside
Justin Stabler
By Riverhorse. Justin Stabler is Trey Anastasio's trusted guitar tech — a Jersey-raised musician, luthier, and tone obsessive who has worked the road with Lauryn Hill, Bon Jovi, Hall & Oates, and Phish, honing his craft under mentors like Joe Glaser and Matt at 30th Street Guitars. In this wide-ranging conversation he shares hard-won wisdom on setups, NOS tubes, Trainwreck amps, vintage pickups, and the beautiful chaos of life in service to great music.
JAMES FINNERTY REWIND
The Mojave Desert Fringes
By Riverhorse. James Finnerty of ReWind Electric discusses his journey from vintage Gibson collector's assistant to boutique pickup maker, sharing insights on PAFs, magnet types, and building custom pickups for Trey Anastasio of Phish.
ReWind Pickup Reviews
By Riverhorse. James Finnerty's ReWind humbuckers go under the microscope in a marathon listening session with nine pickups, two Les Pauls, and a spread of vintage amps — the verdict is that a rare few modern builders are finally getting it right, and Finnerty is one of them.
THE GIBSON PAF HUMBUCKING PICKUP
From Myth to Reality
By Riverhorse. Mario Milan and James Finnerty's 172-page deep dive into the Gibson PAF humbucker is a richly illustrated, essential read for anyone who cares about the pickup that defined an era.
JAM Retrovibe Mk.3
By Scott Ulrichs. The JAM Retrovibe Mk.3 is a beautifully built Univibe-style pedal that delivers creamy, mix-friendly modulation with no annoying high-end artifacts.
RIO MUY GRANDE & DIRTY HARRY
Hardtail Strat Evolutions & Revolutions
By Riverhorse. Rio Grande's Muy Grande single-coils and Dirty Harry P90s get a real-world workout in a hardtail Strat build, delivering Texas-sized punch, touch response, and a surprising tweed-like swagger that transformed a bright, thin-sounding guitar into a crusher.
PENNEBAKER’S ROAD CASE
The Jupiter 12LC Speaker Fits The Gig
By James Pennebaker. Grammy-winning guitarist James Pennebaker takes Jupiter Condenser's 12LC ceramic speaker on a six-week, 28-date bus tour with AJ Croce — and reports back on how it holds up through rehearsals, varied venues, and a rotating rig of vintage Fender amps.
Airport Runway Reverb & The Chrome Bigsby
By Riverhorse. Larry Pogreba's one-of-a-kind homegrown reverb unit — built around an actual airport runway landing light — arrives alongside a rare 1951 Bigsby Volume/Tone pedal, setting the stage for a sublime evening of cosmically charged tone in a Texas bungalow.
I was born with music inside of me. Music was one of my parts. Like my blood. It was a necessity for me—like food and water.
— Ray Charles
© 2024 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.