Artists / Players

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.

Plugged In With Underdog Amplifiers

By Scott Ulrichs

Guitarist Ryan Wariner talks touring with Heart, chasing vintage Hiwatts and Marshalls, and spending quality time with Dylan Kennedy's Underdog Amplifiers — handbuilt Tweed-inspired creations that left a serious impression.

The Wizardry Of Oz Noy: Bending Time, Tone And Harmony

By Jay Jay French

Guitarist Oz Noy has spent decades dissolving the boundaries between jazz, blues, and rock, forging a style instantly identifiable and unquestionably original. In this musician-to-musician conversation with Jay Jay French, Oz traces his journey from a classical guitar in Israel to the stages of New York City, exploring the gear, tone obsessions, and musical influences that shaped his singular voice.

Dann Huff - Heart, Hands and Heritage

By Gordon Kennedy

Grammy-winning guitarist and producer Gordon Kennedy sits down with his lifelong friend Dann Huff for a wide-ranging conversation covering tone, technique, gear, influences, and the legendary studio career that made Huff one of Nashville's most heralded players. The interview coincides with Huff's solo debut, When Words Aren't Enough, on Baked Alaska Records.

Enter The Gristle

By Oscar Jordan

Greg Koch returns with Blues, a retrospective album featuring Larry McCray, Jimmy Hall, the Memphis Horns, and more. Koch talks musical influences, his Reverend signature guitar, Fishman Fluence pickups, Tone King amps, and the JAM Pedals Koch Ness Monster Supreme pedalboard.

Going To The Depths With Charlie Starr

By Scott Ulrichs

Blackberry Smoke frontman Charlie Starr goes deep on vintage Les Paul Juniors, a serious amp bender spanning Fender, Vox, Germino, and Matchless, tube swapping, pedal order, acoustics, and the enduring spirit of the late Brit Turner.

My Journey To A Parts-Built Telecaster

By Jay Jay French

Twisted Sister co-founder Jay Jay French recounts a lifetime of guitar obsession — from buying his first Telecaster at Manny's Music on 48th Street in 1967 to hand-picking every part for a custom-built red Tele with help from Gleason Custom Necks, Warmoth, TonePros, DiMarzio, Seymour Duncan, and luthier Tom Crandall.

Luis Maldonado Weighs In On Fane

By Scott Ulrichs

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.

Elliot Easton - Electrifying The Cars

By Tom Guerra

Rock And Roll Hall of Famer Elliot Easton traces his journey from Long Island to Boston to The Cars, sharing the gear, influences, and studio stories behind some of the finest guitar work in popular music. Tom Guerra catches up with the founding Cars guitarist as he prepares to join The Immediate Family on tour.

Daniel Donato - The Cosmic Countryman

By Scott Ulrichs

Daniel Donato — Nashville's Cosmic Country bandleader — sits down for a wide-ranging conversation about his years with the Don Kelley Band, his surf-green custom-shop Telecaster, Seymour Duncan-wound pickups, vintage Fender Pro amp, and the philosophy of tone, touch, and improvisation that drives his music.

Wariner Wisdom & Amplified Six-String Pursuits

By Scott Ulrichs

Nashville guitarist Ryan Wariner — son of Steve Wariner, now touring with Ann Wilson's band — sits down with TQR for a deep dive into his vintage Strats and Les Pauls, wah pedal obsession, and the amps and pedals that define his hard-won tone.

Baring All With Steve Bartek & Ira Ingber

By Scott Ulrichs

Steve Bartek (Oingo Boingo) and Ira Ingber (Bob Dylan, Captain Beefheart's circle) sit down to discuss their collaborative album There Goes My Compass, released under the band name Baring All, along with decades of hard-won wisdom on guitars, vintage amps, speakers, voltage regulation, and the art of self-imposed creative limitations.

Home Studio Recording Adventures

By Riverhorse

One guitar-loving filmmaker-journalist recounts his late-night journey into home studio recording, navigating DAW software, the Universal Audio OX Box, and JBL monitors to finally capture his hard-won analog tones at home.

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.

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.

Celebrating 25 Years Of Fuchs Amplifiers

By Scott Ulrichs

To celebrate 25 years of Fuchs Audio Technology, ToneQuest sits down with Joe Bonamassa to discuss his love of Dumble Overdrive Specials, his stage rig, and what makes Andy Fuchs' ODS-style amplifiers a cut above the rest.

Tales Of The Seventies Strat

By Pete Prown

The CBS-era Stratocaster has long carried an undeserved stigma, but as Pete Prown discovers through his own '75 hardtail purchase and the stories of players like Ed King, Jeff Beck, and Robin Trower, there are genuinely killer Strats hiding in the Me Decade.

Why It’s A Requirement In The Nashville Scene

By Ryan Madora

Nashville session and touring bassist Ryan Madora traces her conversion from Jazz Bass skeptic to devoted P Bass player, explaining why the Precision's simplicity, reliability, and iconic tone remain non-negotiable in country, Americana, and beyond.

A Great Song With Scott Sharrard

By Adam McIntyre

Scott Sharrard — guitarist, producer, and bandleader known for his decade with Gregg Allman and his current role in Little Feat — talks gear, influences, the state of the music business, and what's next for him and the band.

Exploring Jazz Guitar Tone

By Pete Prown

From archtops and flatwounds to fusion solidbodies and finger-style technique, TQR surveys the gear and philosophy behind jazz guitar tone through conversations with John Scofield, John McLaughlin, Matteo Mancuso, and more.

Michael Palmisano - Guitargate

By Riverhorse

Michael Palmisano of Guitargate talks building a half-million-strong YouTube community, teaching guitar online to players in 185 countries, and the creation of the Teleport — a Wi-Fi-enabled looper, drum machine, and music-sharing device designed to help players connect, collaborate, and get better.

Heartbreaker A Memoir By Mike Campbell

By Riverhorse

Mike Campbell's memoir about his decades-long journey with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers is a humble, candid, and riveting account of a band's rise and the gear, music, and brotherhood that defined them. A must-read for fans of great songs and the stories behind them.

Daniel Steinhardt, The GigRig & That Pedal Show

By Riverhorse

Daniel Steinhardt traces his journey from harmonizing with siblings in Brisbane to co-founding That Pedal Show and GigRig, sharing hard-won wisdom on tone, pedal order, and the gear that changed his musical life.

Two Guitars — One Sound

By Tom Guerra

When jazz/blues master Duke Robillard and reggae virtuoso Andy Bassford joined forces with Soulshot, the result was a seamless collision of ska, rock steady, and jazzy blues. TQ goes deep on the guitars, amps, and creative chemistry behind their new collaborative album.

6 Players Share Their Rig Tips

By Pete Prown

ToneQuest talks to six veterans of the classic rock era—including Chris Dreja, Cliff Goodwin, Adrian Smith, Adrian Belew, Bill Nelson, and Jeff Cease—about the guitars, amps, and pedals behind their iconic sounds. The reality, it turns out, is less about magic and mojo and more about sweat, experimentation, and simply good gear.

Painkiller Blues

By Pete Prown

West Coast blues guitarist Tommy Castro talks tone, guitars, and his latest Alligator Records release Closer To The Bone — a raw, authentic blues record made with producer Kid Andersen at Greaseland Studio.

Jim Weider's Masters Of The Telecaster Camp 2025

By Scott Ulrichs

ToneQuest sits down with Jim Weider — longtime friend of the TQ family and former Band guitarist — to discuss his favorite Telecasters, his modified Bassman, and the Masters of the Telecaster Guitar Camp returning to the Catskills September 29–October 3, 2025.

Eastern String-Trigue

By Pete Prown

A look at the Coral Sitar's cult history and its most famous surviving example — Steve Howe's personal instrument, now preserved at the Electronic Music Education and Preservation Project — alongside modern alternatives for players chasing that exotic electric-sitar tone.

1937 Rickenbacker B6

By Riverhorse

A deep dive into a pristine 1937 Rickenbacker lap steel — the legendary pre-War horseshoe pickup instrument prized by Lindley and Cooder — paired with an equally enthusiastic survey of Rocky Mountain Slides tone bars.

The Tools For The Trade

By Scott Ulrichs

ToneQuest sits down with Josh Olken of Terrapin Flyer to explore his guitar rigs, signal chain, and the art of channeling Jerry Garcia's tone while finding his own voice in Chicago's long-running Grateful Dead tribute band.

Allen Collins 1977 Les Paul Special Limited Edition

By Scott Ulrichs

A deep dive into the restoration of Allen Collins's cherry red 1977 Gibson Les Paul Special Limited Edition — told through conversations with Jacksonville music historian Brandon Campbell, longtime tech Mikey Sparks, current owner Lloyd Beasley, drummer Steve Reynolds, and luthier Dale Roberts.

Nashville Session Legend

By Scott Ulrichs

Nashville session guitarist Jerry McPherson has tracked on over 900 albums across 35-plus years, working with everyone from Dolly Parton to Chris Cornell. In this wide-ranging conversation he shares hard-won insights on amp tone, studio psychology, speaker choices, and the guitars that have defined his career.

Adult Guitar

By Oscar Jordan

Touring pro and session guitarist Duke Levine discusses his lifelong musical journey — from early influences like Jerry Garcia and Ry Cooder to supporting Bonnie Raitt — and the "adult guitar" philosophy that defines his approach to tone, gear, and backing great artists.

The Intervention

By Riverhorse

A guitarist's self-imposed intervention leads to a disciplined practice regimen: five complete songs a week, from the Hollies to Pink Floyd, in pursuit of real creative growth beyond noodling on familiar riffs.

The Axis Of Soul

By Tom Guerra

Grammy-nominated guitarist Jon Butcher discusses his new soul-infused album Nuthin' but SOUL, sharing the gear, influences, and inspirations behind one of his most personal recordings to date.

25th Anniversary Greatest Hits

ToneQuest marks 25 years of publication with a curated "Greatest Hits" drawn from past anniversary issues and recent features — celebrating the players, gear, and singular voices that have defined the Quest for Tone.

Amps!

A collection of candid reflections on amplifier tone, design, and feel from notable guitarists and amp builders, drawn from ToneQuest Report interviews spanning 2000–2007. From Andy Marshall's philosophy on consistency and circuit boards to Anson Funderburgh's discovery of Dr. Z, these voices capture the enduring pursuit of great amp sound.

Recording

Candid reflections on the challenges of recording, featuring Eric Johnson on studio self-sabotage and Tom Dowd on the debate between tube warmth and modern technology.

Diamonds and Pearls

A curated collection of memorable quotes from guitar legends including Joe Bonamassa, Henry McCullough, David Lindley, and Sonny Landreth, reflecting on tone, originality, and the art of finding one's own voice on the instrument.

Our Most Intense Rants

A collection of ToneQuest Report's most memorable interviews, featuring candid recollections from César Díaz on Stevie Ray Vaughan's tone secrets, Tom Dowd on recording Cream and Derek & the Dominos, and Hubert Sumlin on his journey from an $8 guitar to playing with Howlin' Wolf.

Dweezil Zappa

By Scott Ulrichs

ToneQuest sits down with Portland amp builder Chris Benson for a wide-ranging conversation covering the origins of the Monarch Reverb, the new Monarch Reverb+, cabinet design, transformers, and the philosophy behind one of the most sought-after boutique amp lines in the world — plus a bonus chat with Dweezil Zappa on his experience with the amp.

Masters Of The Telecaster Guitar Camp

By Oscar Jordan

Telecaster disciple Jim Weider discusses the Masters Of The Telecaster Guitar Camp, a four-day immersive event featuring instructors like G.E. Smith, Albert Lee, Bill Frisell, and Brent Mason. Weider shares his deep love of the Telecaster, his gear, and what students can expect from the camp.

Jedd Hughes A Desert River

By Riverhorse

Australian guitarist Jedd Hughes has carved an improbable path from the outback to Nashville's inner circle, touring with Patty Loveless, Emmylou Harris, Vince Gill, and Rodney Crowell while building a reputation as one of the most soulful, technically gifted players in country and Americana music. ToneQuest sits down with Hughes for a wide-ranging conversation on his origins, gear, and the long road to finding his own voice.

The Wizard Of Nashville

By Oscar Jordan

Multi-Grammy Award-winning producer, songwriter, and guitarist Gordon Kennedy discusses his new relationship with Wizard Amplification and how their handcrafted heads have transformed his tone on the road with Garth Brooks.

The Players And Guitars That Shaped The Music

By Tom Guerra

Veteran guitar author Pete Prown discusses his latest book, a sweeping survey of over 150 blues and blues-rock guitarists spanning a century of music, covering the players, instruments, and tones that shaped the genre.

Chris Leuzinger

By Oscar Jordan

Nashville session veteran Chris Leuzinger has played on over 130 million albums with artists from Garth Brooks to Emmylou Harris, and here he reflects on four decades of tone, taste, and the art of playing for the song.

One Last Train by Andy Summers

By Riverhorse

A warm recommendation for Andy Summers' memoir, tracing the Police guitarist's long road through tone-chasing, classic gear, Hendrix jams, and the rise and fall of one of rock's greatest bands.

Carl Verheyen

By Rick Cuilty

Carl Verheyen — guitarist for Supertramp and in-demand session ace — reflects on his earliest musical influences, breaking into the Hollywood studio scene, and building a twenty-five-year solo career without sacrificing family or artistic integrity.

The LSL CV Special Strat

By George Gomez

Guitarist Carl Verheyen traces the origins of his signature CV Special Strat built by LSL Instruments, detailing the specs, tone philosophy, and collaborative process behind one of the most player-focused boutique Stratocasters on the market.

My Custom LSL CV

By George Gomez

George Gomez shares his experience with a custom LSL CV Special guitar — a lightly reliced 3-tone sunburst Strat-style instrument built around the specs of Carl Verheyen's '61 Fender — and explores its tone through a range of amps and pedals.

The Twisted Road Part Three

By Jay Jay French

Jay Jay French, founder and guitarist of Twisted Sister, recalls the band's grueling early years on the tri-state club circuit — and one unforgettable night in 1977 when a drunk fan got duct-taped to a Marshall stack and loved every minute of it.

Tennessee Smoke Signals - Corey Congilio

By Riverhorse

Zac DelVecchio

By Scott Ulrichs

Punk, Loud, and Proud - James Williamson

By Dwight Devereaux

James Williamson, original guitar force of Iggy and The Stooges, shares his remarkable journey from the rowdy stages of early punk rock to Silicon Valley engineering — and back again to a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction.

New Wave Vintage

By Greg Talley

Oklahoma-raised guitarist and YouTuber Matthew Scott talks vintage gear hunting, building an audience of nearly 200,000 subscribers, and his journey from bedroom player to bandleader releasing original music.

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.

Tom Bukovac

By Scott Ulrichs

Nashville session legend Tom Bukovac — aka Uncle Larry — sits down to discuss his Duesenberg Session Man signature guitar, the philosophy of tone in the "knife fight" of a live gig, his love of tweed-and-blackface amp pairings, and the creative world behind his Homeskoolin' YouTube channel.

James Mastro

By Riverhorse

Guitarist James Mastro — veteran of Television's Richard Lloyd Group, The Bongos, and Ian Hunter's band — recounts a life shaped by great gear, storied NYC clubs, and the relentless pursuit of tone. He also shares the story behind Guitar Bar, his beloved Hoboken shop now in its twenty-fifth year.

Greg Martin A 100-Watt Stack Of Sincerity

By Riverhorse

Kentucky Headhunters guitarist Greg Martin talks vintage Marshalls, 1958 Les Pauls, surviving the pandemic, and the blues-soaked philosophy that has kept him and his bandmates playing together for over five decades.

Stocktone Pickups

By Riverhorse

Sherman Stockton of Stocktone Pickups in New Castle, Indiana talks about his journey from biker rally gigs and truck driver recording sessions to building world-class vintage-voiced humbuckers with artists like Greg Martin of the Kentucky Headhunters. A must-read for tone chasers obsessed with PAFs, aging magnets, and the magic pickups from Duane Allman's legendary Les Pauls.

The Pinecaster

By Riverhorse

Ignacio "Nacho" Baños, author of the landmark Blackguard book, spent eight years creating The Pinecaster — a four-volume limited-edition collection documenting early electric guitars from 1920–1955, complete with thousands of photos, specs, and over seventy video demos accessible via a dedicated app. ToneQuest sits down with Nacho, Redd Volkaert, Lynn Wheelwright, and Billy F Gibbons to get the full story.

Kashiah Hunter

By David Wilson

Kashiah Hunter's story is one built on faith and nurtured by the deep tradition of sacred steel — from hiding his uncle's Guyatone lap steel as a boy in New Jersey to being inducted into the Sacred Strings Hall of Fame in 2016. In this wide-ranging conversation, Hunter talks tunings, amps, mentors, and the enduring vitality of the sacred steel tradition.

Vibrolux Deaux

By Riverhorse

Riverhorse tells the story of hunting down a pristine 1966 Fender Vibrolux Reverb and enlisting legendary amp tech Terry "Mr. Valco" Dobbs to restore it and add three reversible mods — a RAW control, a tremolo intensity lift, and a variable negative feedback switch — that unlock new voices without harming the vintage circuit.

Sentimental Junk

Connecticut-based songwriter and former Mambo Sons guitarist Tom Guerra talks about his fifth solo album, <em>Sentimental Junk</em> — a raucous return to electric guitars, classic tones, and the beat 1957 Stratocaster that inspired most of the record.

The Author of Tone

What a gift. A friendship that stands the test of time, if we are lucky enough to have them, is immeasurably life changing.

Head, Hands, Knees and Feet…

David Wilson traces the arc from Renaissance orchestras to the golden age of pedal steel guitar, documenting his own quest to acquire a vintage 1973 ShoBud and a matching Fender Vibrosonic amp. A tribute note from the ToneQuest family opens the issue, marking the passing of the magazine's beloved publisher and editor.

Albert King Bio

A concise biography of blues guitar giant Albert King, tracing his origins on a Mississippi cotton plantation through his landmark recordings for Stax and his signature approach to the upside-down Flying V.

Lonnie Mack

A portrait of Lonnie Mack — the Indiana-born Flying V maestro who scorched the charts with "Memphis" in 1963 and later recorded <em>Strike Like Lightning</em> with Stevie Ray Vaughan — drawn from a rare interview conducted shortly after SRV's passing.

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.

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.

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.

Al Perkins – A Pedal Steel Legend

Pedal steel legend Al Perkins traces his journey from childhood lessons in Odessa, Texas, through stints with the Flying Burrito Brothers, Manassas, the Rolling Stones, and the Eagles, sharing memories of the gear, the sessions, and the artists that shaped one of country rock's most storied careers.

The Wah Master

Geoffrey Teese returns following his April 2002 TQR deep dive into the world of wahs, now up to the RMC11. He discusses every model in his lineup, component sourcing challenges, and what keeps him building after more than 20,000 pedals.

The Covid Chronicles

Guitarist Jim Campilongo opens up about life in Brooklyn during the pandemic — from the eerie early days of Covid to reorganizing his archives, releasing vinyl reissues, writing a new record, and finding unlikely inspiration in classic rock morning walks.

The Mother Hips

By Scott Ulrichs

ToneQuest sits down with Tim Bluhm and Greg Loiacono of The Mother Hips — California's best-kept rock secret — for a deep dive into their vintage Gibson 335s, Fender Strats, pedalboards, and thirty years of writing, touring, and recording together.

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.

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.