The Tone Mob Podcast

This is a very special episode of the show! Today I am talking with Jack Hetherington and Nick Conte who are key people in Guitar Center's Vintage department. We talk about their stories and how they came to be some of they key "point people" in the vintage guitar world. Topics include: Jack's journey from history major to vintage guitar expert. Nick's early exposure to vintage guitars through his father. The significance of stories behind vintage instruments. Being open to different eras of guitars. Affordable vintage guitars can still be high quality. The evolving definition of what constitutes a vintage guitar. The value of community and shared experiences in guitar collecting. The role of Guitar Center in the vintage guitar market. The personal connection to guitars and their histories. You can shop the Guitar Center vintage collection in-store or online at: Vintage Gear | Guitar Center For more info regarding trading in your used and vintage gear: Trade-In Trade-Up | Guitar Center Get in touch

Adrian Thorpe of ThorpyFx has returned to the podcast! On this episode of the show we get into some rather "heavy" methods that both Adrian and myself use to attempt to keep ourselves from going insane. (It might be a little weird, but it works!) We also discuss: The NAMM Show. Is Adrian attending? Is Blake? The strange struggle of finding time to PLAY the guitar while working in the guitar industry The importance (and unimportance) of ongoing instruction Are gear demos honest? Can someone be TOO good at making videos? STEAK!!!! BURGERS!! And a whole lot more! Make sure you check out Adrian's work HERE https://thorpyfx.com/ Support The Show And Connect! The Text Chat is back! Hit me up at (503) 751-8577 You can also help out with your gear buying habits by purchasing stuff from Tonemob.com/reverb Tonemob.com/sweetwater or grabbing your guitar/bass strings from Tonemob.com/stringjoy Release your music via DistroKid and save 30% by going to Tonemob.com/distrokid Learn more about your ad choices. Visit

As you have determined, on this episode I'm talking to Karl Sanders from the legendary band Nile! And we go places baby. We. Go. Places. We discuss the band's early days, and Karl's view on the evolving acceptance of extreme metal over the years. We, of course, talk about Karl's rig and why he says he'll never give up the tube amps. (It's a very good reason.) Karl and I also talk about the inspiration behind Nile's ancient Egyptian theme and how Karl's songwriting process is somewhat inverted from more "traditional" approaches. You are going to dig this one, so dive on in! Check out all things Nile HERE https://nile-official.com/ Give Karl a follow on Instagram HERE https://www.instagram.com/karlsandersofficial Support The Show And Connect! The Text Chat is back! Hit me up at (503) 751-8577 You can also help out with your gear buying habits by purchasing stuff from Tonemob.com/reverb Tonemob.com/sweetwater or grabbing your guitar/bass strings from Tonemob.com/stringjoy Release your music via DistroKid and sav

This a story you probably haven't heard before! Derek Kimball from Kimball Hardwoods shares his journey into the guitar industry and supplying high quality, and specific wood for high-end guitars. We discuss the importance of passion and perseverance in starting a business and the challenges of balancing work and personal life. Derek emphasizes the need for quality and excellent customer service in the industry, as well as the importance of communication and transparency. The conversation also touches on the controversial topic of "tone wood" and Derek's take on the debate. (The man makes some very interesting points!) We then shift to the discovery of a particular patch of timber in the Pacific Northwest that may have extremely positive ramifications on the global supply of quilted maple. You are really going to want top hear this! The problems with illegal harvesting, customers requesting fraud, guitar pedals, chasing your dreams, and a whole lot more on this episode of The Tone Mob Podcast! Check out Derek

This is one KILLER and super nerdy episode of the podcast! Today I am chatting with Frank Iero from My Chemical Romance and Jamesbowman of Bowman Audio Endeavors/ Against Me! The fellas came on to discuss the new pedal that BAE is producing for Frank, and we got really nerdy with it! We talk about a ton of different stuff including: The PULL that vintage guitars have. Why Frank plays so many different guitars James' signature Gibson that almost/kind of happened Frank's fling with digital amps (Did it last?) Novo Guitars and why they are awesome Go to food destinations around the country A WHOLE LOT MORE! Give Frank a follow on Instagram HERE https://www.instagram.com/frankieromustdie Check out the My Chemical Romance happenings HERE https://www.mychemicalromance.com Give James a follow on his Instagram HERE https://www.instagram.com/jimmyjamesb Check out the pedals HERE https://bowmanaudioendeavors.com/ Support The Show And Connect! The Text Chat is back! Hit me up at (503) 751-8577 You can also help

On this episode of the Tone Mob Podcast, Blake and Scott discuss their shared love for Les Paul guitars. We talk about their personal experiences with Les Pauls, including the different models they own and the modifications they've made. We also discuss the ergonomics of Les Pauls and the pros and cons of having a pickguard. The conversation touches on the history of Epiphone and Gibson's acquisition of the brand. In this part of the conversation, Scott and Blake discuss the challenges of creating polished strings and the potential for a new piece of equipment. They also talk about the characteristics of flatwound strings and the differences between orchestral and guitar strings. It's a hyper nerdy conversation and I think you are going to love it! Also, we are GIVING AWAY A LES PAUL CUSTOM! Check it out at Stringjoy.com Support The Show And Connect! The Text Chat is back! Hit me up at (503) 751-8577 You can also help out with your gear buying habits by purchasing stuff from Tonemob.com/reverb Tonemob.com/swe

Gear, gear and MOAR GEAR talk on this episode. Mike and I dive into his journey from a biomedical professional to full time musician in popular rock act, Boston Manor. It's a more sudden change in fields than I would have expected! After that we dive immediately into the pedalboard, why he believes he'll always play genuine tube amplifiers (though we do touch on the digital modeling world as well). Marshall, Gibson, Fender, Meris, Ibanez 7 series, and of course BOSS are all gushed about on this episode quite extensively. You might just learn something! Give Mike a follow on his Instagram HERE https://www.instagram.com/mikebstnmnr/ Check out Boston Manor's tour, new record and all that jazz HERE https://www.bostonmanorband.com/ Support The Show And Connect! The Text Chat is back! Hit me up at (503) 751-8577 You can also help out with your gear buying habits by purchasing stuff from Tonemob.com/reverb Tonemob.com/sweetwater or grabbing your guitar/bass strings from Tonemob.com/stringjoy Release your music via D

As I'm sure you have heard, I was recently in Nashville again. While there, I figured doing some LIVE IN PERSON PODCASTING was in order. So I took a little drive to my buddy Robert Baker's studio and we got into a a conversation about... conversations! We talked about: His interview with Vince Gill, Brent Mason, and other guitar greats. His current favorite telecaster (it probably isn't what you think) Vintage Firebird pickups His move to Nashville Indian food And a whole lot more! Give Robert a subscribe on the ole YouTube HERE https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfeviwU6C7kEjpOK4C6myuQ And a follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robertbakerguitar Support The Show And Connect! The Text Chat is back! Hit me up at (503) 751-8577 You can also help out with your gear buying habits by purchasing stuff from Tonemob.com/reverb Tonemob.com/sweetwater or grabbing your guitar/bass strings from Tonemob.com/stringjoy Release your music via DistroKid and save 30% by going to Tonemob.com/distrokid Learn more

We've got another heavy hitter for you on this episode! Today I'm talking with Yohan Reinholdz of the band Dark Tranquility (and formerly of Andromeda). We talk gear, the evolution of his process, the Swedish music scene, his daily routine, inspirations, and a whole lot more. You are going to dig this one for sure! Check out Dark Tranquility on their website HERE https://www.darktranquillity.com/ Give Yohan a follow on his Instagram HERE https://www.instagram.com/johan_reinholdz Support The Show And Connect! The Text Chat is back! Hit me up at (503) 751-8577 You can also help out with your gear buying habits by purchasing stuff from Tonemob.com/reverb Tonemob.com/sweetwater or grabbing your guitar/bass strings from Tonemob.com/stringjoy Release your music via DistroKid and save 30% by going to Tonemob.com/distrokid Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this very special episode of The Tone Mob Podcast I sat down with my new buddy Travis Stever of Coheed & Cambria and L.S. Dunes! It turned out absolutely wonderful and Travis even let me share some of his music with you that most people have not heard! We had an absolute blast nerding out on all things music and we covered things like: Travis's deep love for Les Pauls, and the influence of Jimmy Page, Neil Young, Tony Iommi and more. Travis shares his perspective on collaboration and the importance of serving the song.  Some Jason Isbell Telecaster love The amps used on "Good Apollo" When to "take a knee" as bandmate Frank Iero says. The differences in songwriting approaches between Coheed and L.S. Dunes The debut (sort of) of some NEW MUSIC! (It's on the podcast!) A whole lot more! You are really going to enjoy this episode whether you are a diehard Coheed/Dunes fan or you've never heard of them before. Travis's enthusiasm for music as a whole is absolutely infectious and it will make you want t

Jayce Levi is the owner of The "World Famous" Repairland down in Indio California. His videos have absolutely exploded in the last few years and it's not hard to see why. He is an extremely skilled repair tech, but his videos also showcase his comedic sensibilities and wholesome approach to life. I wanted to get him on the show to tell his story, and he DID NOT disappoint! From repairing a guitar owned by Jerry Garcia (that was brought in by a Hells Angel), to a ukulele with a flying bridge, we all the details about Jayce's crazy career. Give Jayce a follow HERE https://www.instagram.com/worldfamousrepairland Support The Show And Connect! The Text Chat is back! Hit me up at (503) 751-8577 You can also help out with your gear buying habits by purchasing stuff from Tonemob.com/reverb Tonemob.com/sweetwater or grabbing your guitar/bass strings from Tonemob.com/stringjoy Release your music via DistroKid and save 30% by going to Tonemob.com/distrokid Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"It's very painful for my wallet to be a musician and not a lawyer." - Dante Frisiello This conversation is very much based around finding whatever it is that you love. Dante delivers a very, very empowering message about this on this episode and you do not want to miss it! But this isn't just a self help episode, we get into his love for both modeling and tube amps, his love for flashy guitars, mic placement, Impulse Responses, hybrid rigs, structuring your creative space and a whole lot more! Check out Dante's music on his website https://www.dantefrisiello.com/ Give him a follow on his Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dantefrisiello/ Support The Show And Connect! The Text Chat is back! Hit me up at (503) 751-8577 You can also help out with your gear buying habits by purchasing stuff from Tonemob.com/reverb Tonemob.com/sweetwater or grabbing your guitar/bass strings from Tonemob.com/stringjoy Release your music via DistroKid and save 30% by going to Tonemob.com/distrokid Learn more about your ad choices.

We have got a good one for you this week! Clark and Cassandra from AmpRx (the makers of BrownBox) share the story of how they met on stage in Nashville as professional musicians, and eventually how they came to run the company. It is definitely not a traditional route to owning a music gear company! (You are going to like this.) We discuss the clean/dirty power, what problems their products address, troubleshooting noise issues, ELECTRIC VIOLIN, power conditioners, MYSTERY NOISES, favorite pedals, VINTAGE BASS, and a whole lot more! Check out the AmpRx lineup HERE https://www.brownbox.rocks/ Check out Cassandra's Instagram HERE https://www.instagram.com/cassandrasotos Check out Clark's Instagram HERE https://www.instagram.com/clarksingleton_ Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Weather in Tennessee 01:37 The Story of Brown Box and Clark and Cassandra's Involvement 06:16 Acquiring Brown Box and Moving to Nashville 07:24 Having Engineering Background and the Decision to Run Brown Box 10:54 Clark and Cassandra's Back

On today's episode I'm talking to Jack Brunson, the founder and owner of one the country's raddest guitar stores in the country, Jack's Guitarcheology. We dive right into his story and Jack shares his journey from growing up in rural Kentucky, to working at Mario Guitars and eventually starting his own guitar store. We chat talk about their eclectic tastes in guitars and the joy of finding unique and unusual gear. Jack also reflects on the challenges and rewards of running a guitar business and offers advice for aspiring guitar store owners. Guitar stores can become hubs for their local music communities and we discuss the importance of building a community around a music retail store and how important that is to focus on for success in music retail. Rubber bridges, making the switch to full time self employment, and a whole lot more on this episode. Enjoy! Check out Jack's website HERE: https://www.jacksguitarcheology.com/ Support The Show And Connect! The Text Chat is back! Hit me up at (503) 751-8577 You c

This week I have a long overdue episode out for you with my dude Phillip Carter from The 40 Watt Podcast. Phillip and I have recorded on numerous occasions on both his show, and as guests on The Guitar Nerds. So I actually knew Phillip's personality pretty well, but what I didn't know was his story, so we dive right into that on this episode! The conversation covers the topics of self-perception as a musician, redefining success, finding passion, and the art of podcasting. We get into into the mindset of musicians, the concept of success, and the importance of pursuing one's true passion. Check out Phillip on The 40 Watt Podcast HERE https://40wattpodcast.com/ Support The Show And Connect! The Text Chat is back! Hit me up at (503) 751-8577 You can also help out with your gear buying habits by purchasing stuff from Tonemob.com/reverb Tonemob.com/sweetwater or grabbing your guitar/bass strings from Tonemob.com/stringjoy Release your music via DistroKid and save 30% by going to Tonemob.com/distrokid Learn more a

I know that you love guitar, but have you ever loved guitar so much that caused you to get a .9 GPA? Or were you ever voted "3rd most whipped" by your friends? (But not to a significant other, but to GUITAR?) Mike Cole suddenly fell in love with guitar seemingly out of nowhere, and when it happened, he knew he had found his life's work. That said, his story didn't shake out quite how he was imagining when he first started bending those six strings. On this episode, we discuss just HOW Mike got his start on guitar YouTube, what he's learned on that journey, the difficulties that come with it, the evils of telecom companies and a whole lot more! Check out Mike's YouTube channel HERE https://www.youtube.com/@mikecole4489 Support The Show And Connect! The Text Chat is back! Hit me up at (503) 751-8577 You can also help out with your gear buying habits by purchasing stuff from Tonemob.com/reverb Tonemob.com/sweetwater or grabbing your guitar/bass strings from Tonemob.com/stringjoy Release your music via DistroKid

The Mighty Joe Branton has returned to The Tone Mob Podcast! It is a happy occasion indeed! On this episode, Joe and Blake talk about the evolution of their podcasts and the importance of newer creators finding a niche. (Joe drops some good wisdom on that particular point). Somehow the dudes also touch on, of all things, SPORTS. (Don't worry, that is short lived.) Joe shares his current musical inspiration and his band's approach to writing and recording. They also discuss the use of vintage-inspired gear and the dynamics of bass in a band. In this conversation, Joe Branton and Blake discuss their preferences and experiences with bass guitars and amplifiers. They explore the different tones and effects they enjoy, as well as their favorite brands and models. Joe shares his love for vintage bass sounds and his desire to incorporate them into his music. Joe even goes as far as to help Blake out with a bass centric problem that many guitarists-turned-bassists run into... What bass amp to buy? All of this and mor

Mike Love shares his journey as a musician and how he got into live looping. He talks about the importance of being present and connected with the audience during performances. He also discusses the role of meditation in his music and how it helps him stay focused and centered. Michael emphasizes the power of music to bring people together and create a shared experience. In this conversation, Michael Love discusses the importance of physical, spiritual, and mental health in music. He shares how he incorporates warmups, meditation, and fasting into his routine to stay connected to his music and take care of himself. Michael also reflects on the self-destructive tendencies that many musicians experience and the importance of self-care. He talks about the evolution of his music from arranging for a big band to performing with a stripped-down setup and the impact it has had on his songwriting. Michael also shares details about his upcoming album trilogy and tours. Check out Mike's music on the usual streaming pla

Once in a while the Patrons of this podcast tell me that one of the bonus episodes NEEDS to be released publicly, and when Phil McKnight came on late last year that happened again! I received a bunch of messages telling me that this bonus episode should NOT be behind closed doors, and if the Patrons ask I need to deliver. If you aren't familiar with Phil, he is one of the most successful guitar gear content creators of our time, and has a wealth of knowledge about many aspects of this weird industry. You should definitely listen to his first appearance on the podcast. Just scroll back in your feed a bit, and it'll be there! So here is the Patreon bonus episode with Phil, and we get down to business on this one. The business of guitar stores, the business of guitar YouTube, the business of guitar brands. You are going to dig it! Make sure you check out Phil over on his YouTube channel HERE https://www.youtube.com/c/PhillipMcKnight Support The Show And Connect! The Text Chat is back! Hit me up at (503) 751-8577

Are bass players actually more important than guitarists? Do we need to thin out our guitar sound? Do thru-hole pedals sound better than SMT based guitar effect technology? Can you play music using a saw blade? On this episode Blake and Mr Glyn discuss their current projects and collaborations. We also into the world of guitar pickups, exploring topics such as different core types, the impact of string materials on tone, and the importance of context in shaping a guitar's sound. We also touch on the psychology of playing expensive guitars and the role of experimentation in finding the right instrument. In this conversation, Mr Glyn discusses his love for guitars, his move to New Zealand, and his experience as a guitar repairer. He shares his passion for different types of pickups and the importance of the magnetic field in shaping the sound. Oh yeah, and DOOM METAL. We get into that too. Check out Glyn's work on his website HERE: https://mrglynspickups.com/ Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Current Projects 10: