Vol. 24, No. 1
November 2022
Players, Gear & Sound — The Inside
Guitarist R.J. Ronquillo, whose credits include Stevie Wonder and Carlos Santana, talks about his Saturday Morning Coffee Q&A on YouTube and the life of a working player today. Riverhorse rounds up fuzz pedals and Univibes, Jay Jay French begins his Twisted Sister Tales from the Road, and Rick Moody keeps a listening diary of the Tedeschi Trucks Band's I Am the Moon. Raphael McGregor revisits the steel guitar cult classic Brisbane Bop, and photographer John Peden shares his stories.
PLAYERS, GEAR & SOUND
The Inside
R.J. Ronquillo
By Scott Ulrichs. Nashville-based guitarist R.J. Ronquillo has forged a modern career that blends touring credits with Stevie Wonder and Carlos Santana with a thriving YouTube presence, online guitar education, and a forthcoming instrumental record steeped in '80s LA session-player tone.
AND GOOD VIBES FOR ALL
Fuzzy Feelings
By Riverhorse. A roundup of essential fuzz pedals and Univibes — from the Kingtone Mini GE and Analog Pedals Sugar Buzz to a rare vintage Roger Mayer Octavia — for seekers of hairy, inspired tone.
BRISBANE BOP
A Cult Classic of Steel Guitar Players
By Raphael McGregor. Brisbane Bop, a collection of live recordings by Jimmie Rivers and the Cherokees from the notorious 23 Club in Brisbane, California, is a cult classic among steel guitar players and fans of Western Swing — and it comes with a great story. Guest contributor Raphael McGregor makes the case for why this scratchy, electrifying album still stands out after sixty years.
JAY JAY’S TALES FROM
The Twisted Road Part One
By Jay Jay French. Twisted Sister founder and guitarist Jay Jay French recounts the band's earliest days on the New Jersey club circuit in 1973, including a harrowing breakdown on the NY State Thruway that eerily mirrored a lie they'd told earlier that same night.
A LISTENING DIARY
I Am the Moon
By Rick Moody. Novelist and guitarist Rick Moody keeps a disc-by-disc listening diary of the Tedeschi Trucks Band's ambitious four-part album I Am the Moon, tracing its sweep from the Layla-inspired concept through Derek Trucks' otherworldly slide work and the band's vast songwriting collective.
Peden Shines A Light
By Riverhorse. Photographer and vintage-guitar enthusiast John Peden shares stories from decades spent shooting legends like Keith Richards, Roy Buchanan, and Buddy Guy, and reflects on his lifelong passion for vintage instruments, amplifiers, and the community that ToneQuest helped build.
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