Ask Zac
by Zac Childs
Latest episode
Influential Albums - Ain't Living Long Like This - Rodney Crowell
Influential Albums - Ain't Living Long Like This - Rodney Crowell
About this podcast
Zac Childs is a music insider and historian. He is the host of the acclaimed Truetone Lounge interview series and contributed to Vintage Guitar Magazine for 15 years via his Ask Zac column, and numerous featured articles, product reviews, and cover stories. On his ASK ZAC channel, Zac takes a look at players and gear and also answers guitar-related questions in ways that were never possible via print.
Episodes
The newest 50 of 285 episodes
- Influential Albums - Ain't Living Long Like This - Rodney Crowell · 18 min · Episode 291In this episode of Ask Zac, we take a deep dive into an absolute masterclass of a record and one of my all-time favorite albums: Rodney Crowell’s 1978 debut, Ain't Livin' Long…
- Playing with William Shatner, Brad Paisley & Modding a Danelectro Double Neck · 22 min · Episode 290On today's episode of Ask Zac, we dive into the surreal experience of performing on Jimmy Kimmel Live! alongside William Shatner, Brad Paisley, Taylor Goldsmith (Dawes), and…
- 1960 Danelectro 3923 Double Neck: History, Design, and the SRV Mod · 31 min · Episode 289In this episode of Ask Zac, we take a deep dive into an unusual vintage instrument: the 1960 Danelectro 3923 Double Neck. From the early history of Danelectro to playing demos…
- A Look At The Fender Tone Master '59 Twin-Amp (Joe Bonamassa Edition) · 22 min · Episode 287Why would a legendary tone snob with Dumbles and real '59 Tweed Twins put his name on a digital amp? On today's episode of Ask Zac, we take a deep dive into the new Fender Joe…
- When and Why To Use A Guitar Wireless · 22 min · Episode 287On today’s episode of Ask Zac, we dive into the world of guitar wireless systems, specifically when and why you should consider ditching your instrument cable. From small casino…
- My 5 Favorite Delay Pedals (Plus an Honorable Mention) · 29 min · Episode 286Delay is hands down my favorite guitar effect. It’s the ultimate tool for adding space, fattening up your tone, and creating depth, whether you're playing fast country chicken…
- Richard Bennett's Genius on Steve Earle's “Guitar Town” · 19 min · Episode 285On this episode of Ask Zac, we take a deep dive into Steve Earle’s landmark 1986 album Guitar Town and, in particular, the incredible guitar work of Richard Bennett. Bennett’s…
- My Favorite Seymour Duncan Pickups · 42 min · Episode 284In honor of Seymour Duncan’s 50th anniversary, I’m taking a look at some of my favorite Seymour Duncan pickups, and the guitars I use them in. I’ll start with a little Seymour…
- Why My Baritone Tele Got a B-Bender · 19 min · Episode 283Eight months ago, I built a baritone Telecaster with some friends. Since then, it has traveled with me all over the United States and Europe on tours, stages, airplanes, and…
- Remembering Jerry Jones: The Guitar Builder Who Changed Nashville · 31 min · Episode 282In this episode of Ask Zac, I’m paying tribute to the late, great Jerry Jones, one of Nashville’s most respected guitar repairmen, builders, and innovators. Before becoming known…
- The Danelectro 6-String Bass I Used on the Today Show w/ Brad Paisley | "This Town" Breakdown · 20 min · Episode 281On today’s Ask Zac, I’m talking about playing in the context of a band, specifically how I used a Danelectro 6-String Bass (Tic-Tac Bass) with Brad Paisley on the Today Show. A…
- What It's Like Playing The Grand Ole Opry · 20 min · Episode 278Have you ever wondered what it's really like to play the Grand Ole Opry? In this episode, I share stories from my most recent appearance with Brad Paisley, including an…
- The Phil Kubicki Story - From Fender To Factor Bass · 19 min · Episode 276On today's episode of Ask Zac, we are diving deep into the life, career, and brilliant innovations of one of the most important former Fender employees and guitar builders in…
- The Album That Changed Eric Clapton Forever - J.J. Cale's Naturally · 20 min · Episode 280In this episode of Ask Zac, I take a deep dive into Naturally (1971), the landmark debut album that quietly shaped the playing of Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, Tom Petty, John…
- The Wicked Stepchildren of the Telecaster - The 70s Tele Custom & Telecaster Deluxe · 24 min · Episode 279Ever wondered why the 1970s Fender Telecaster Custom and Telecaster Deluxe are some of the most misunderstood guitars Fender ever built? In this episode of Ask Zac, we take a…
- Tracking Brad Paisley's Tackelbox Album & His 2026 European Tour · 24 min · Episode 275Brad Paisley recently started rolling out tracks for his ongoing project, Tacklebox, and I had the absolute honor of sitting in the studio to track these songs. But the craziest…
- Why I Don't Like Overdrive Pedals & The 4 That Make The Cut · 22 min · Episode 274If you grew up on the pristine, dynamic guitar tones of the 1950s and early 60s, standard overdrive pedals can often sound artificial, overly compressed, and flat-out unnatural…
- My Frankenstein 12-String & Bass 6 Danelectro Double-Neck · 17 min · Episode 277When you get the gig playing auxiliary and utility guitar for a world-renowned Telecaster master like Brad Paisley, you run into a unique problem: How do you cover parts that…
- Learn to Feed Yourself Musically (Don't Be Spoon-Fed) · 21 min · Episode 270Most players hit a wall the same way, cycling through the same licks, searching for something new, and ending up lost in endless videos. Here’s a better way. In this video, we…
- Standel & The Tragic Genius of Bob Crooks - The Man Who Invented the Boutique Amp · 26 min · Episode 273The Man Who Invented the Boutique Amp: The Tragic Genius of Bob Crooks Before Dumble was a household name, and before Mesa/Boogie revolutionized the high-gain stack, there was…
- Tales From The Tele Town Concert · 31 min · Episode 272The lowdown on Fender's concert at the historic Ryman Auditorium to celebrate the Telecaster's 75th Anniversary. What a night at the Mother Church of Country Music. On May 4th, I…
- I Built My Perfect String Sets For My Telecaster & Baritone With D'Addario · 20 min · Episode 268Most players settle for whatever string set is on the shelf, but I’ve been piecing together custom sets since the early ’90s. In this video, I build my perfect custom string sets…
- A Look At A 1949 Bigsby Guitar - Rarer Than Rare! · 13 min · Episode 267Before the Telecaster… before the Les Paul & the Strat… there was Bigsby. In this video, we take a deep dive into a 1949 Bigsby electric guitar, one of the earliest solid-body…
- James Pennebaker Interview · 2 h 7 min · Episode 266Best known for his longtime work with Delbert McClinton, James Pennebaker has been one of the most tasteful and versatile guitarists in Nashville for decades. Starting his…
- The Gibson ES-335 - Their Best Design · 24 min · Episode 265The only Gibson model I’ve ever really connected with is the ES-335. While I’ve always gravitated toward Fender, the 335 is one Gibson that I think absolutely got right. Much…
- Don Rich, Buck Owens & the Telecaster That Vanished · 38 min · Episode 264In this episode, Joe Spann and I dive deep into the legacy of Don Rich and one of the most fascinating lost instruments in Fender history, his 1964 Gold Sparkle Fender Custom…
- The Holy Grail Telecasters At Gruhn Guitars with Joe Spann · 34 min · Episode 263We went behind the scenes at Gruhn Guitars in Nashville for a tour of the 'Tele Vault' with legendary vintage archivist and researcher Joe Spann. We aren't just looking at…
- The Octave 12-String Mando-Guitar - The Tool For Jangle Magic! - · 17 min · Episode 262Ever heard a song that has a shimmering, "angelic" jangle that sits perfectly above a mix? Or how Buddy Miller creates those haunting, rootsy textures on songs like Lucinda…
- Why Even "Clean" Tones Need Some Hair & Grit · 17 min · Episode 261Think your clean tone should be 100% pure? Think again. In this video, we’re looking at why "perfectly clean" guitars often sound thin in a mix and why adding a little "hair" or…
- 50s Guild Aristocrat - A Vintage Sleeper - (It's Not A Tele Vol 1) · 13 min · Episode 260The 1950s Guild Aristocrat is one of those vintage guitars that somehow slipped through the cracks, and that’s exactly why it remains such a sleeper today. Built during Guild’s…
- Why I Needed a Baritone Telecaster Guitar · 31 min · Episode 259Baritone electric guitars live in that perfect middle ground between standard guitar and bass, and once you understand what they do best, it’s hard to live without one. In this…
- Inside the 1962 Fender 6G3 "Brown" Deluxe Amp · 27 min · Episode 258The 1962 Brown Deluxe (6G3) sits in one of the most fascinating, and misunderstood, eras of Fender amplification. It’s often lumped in with other brownface amps, or treated as a…
- Why The Telecaster Bridge Is the Heart & Soul of the Tele · 16 min · Episode 257If you want to understand why a Telecaster sounds and feels like a Telecaster, you have to start with the bridge. The Tele bridge isn’t just a place where the strings anchor…
- Lou Toomey Interview (Brooks & Dunn, Keith Whitley, Faith Hill) · 1 h 29 min · Episode 256Today we sit down with Lou Toomey, one of the most successful and enduring road guitarists in Country Music. In this conversation, Lou walks us through his unbelievable first pro…
- How I Ended Up Playing on Brad Paisley’s Snow Globe Town (and the Tonight Show!) · 17 min · Episode 255This year has been one for the books. In this video, I’m sharing the unbelievable story of how I ended up performing on Brad Paisley’s new Christmas album, Snow Globe Town, and…
- Early ’60s Telecasters: What Changed & Who Made Them Famous · 20 min · Episode 254Early ’60s Fender Telecasters are legendary, but what really changed between 1959 and 1964? From rosewood “slab boards” and “veneers” to pickguard and hardware tweaks, we break…
- Tele Gumbo: String Stretching, Bridge Covers, Book Review & Gig-Ready Gear · 15 min · Episode 253In this week’s Ask Zac, I’m cooking up a little Tele Gumbo, as today’s show is a mix of guitar talk, gear love, and practical tips: A better way to stretch your strings, one that…
- The Tour From Hell: My First Time on the Road · 34 min · Episode 252When you’re young and dreaming about hitting the road, touring sounds like the ultimate adventure, until you actually do it. In this episode, I look back on my first tour…
- Telecaster Bridge Shootout! 3-Saddle vs 6-Saddle on My 1957 Esquire · 19 min · Episode 251In this episode of Ask Zac, I put my 1957 Fender Esquire through a true bridge showdown, comparing the classic 3-saddle setup that defined early Tele tone with a modern 6-saddle…
- Those Infamous Fender F-Tuners (1967 – 1981) · 21 min · Episode 250From 1967 through 1981, Fender used the now-infamous F-stamped tuners on many Telecasters, Stratocasters, and the majority of their product line. For some players, they’re a…
- Everything You Wanted To Know About Bigsby-Equipped Fender Telecasters · 35 min · Episode 249The Telecaster is known for its twang and simplicity—but add a Bigsby, and it becomes something completely different. In this video, I explore the history of Bigsby-equipped…
- Fender’s Best Bang-for-Buck Telecaster Yet · 14 min · Episode 247The Fender Vintera II LE Road Worn ’60s Telecaster might be one of the best bang-for-your-buck guitars Fender has released in years. For the first time, Fender has made a…
- The Truth About Tough Gigs & The Difference Between "Shows" & "Gigs" · 21 min · Episode 248Not every gig goes the way you want it to. Technical issues, a rough mix, or even just playing for a crowd that couldn’t care less can be frustrating. In this video, I talk about…
- Rosewood Fretboard Telecasters: Tone, Feel & History · 20 min · Episode 246When Fender switched the Telecaster from one-piece maple necks to rosewood fingerboards in 1959, the guitar’s sound and feel changed forever. In this video, I take a close look…
- Albert Lee’s B-Bender Tricks You Can Steal · 22 min · Episode 245Albert Lee is one of the most inventive B-bender players in history. Today we look at Albert’s gear, his trademark Telecaster tone, and the 4 basic shapes he uses to create many…
- 3 Gigs, 2 Sessions, and a Lightning Strike — D'Addario XS Strings Still Going · 13 min · Episode 244Three outdoor Georgia/Florida gigs with Brad Paisley in August , 90°+ heat, swampy humidity, and sweat everywhere. Normally, that’s when strings go dead and feel sluggish, but my…
- Guitar Nut Width & Why It Matters · 22 min · Episode 243Ever picked up a guitar and thought, “This just doesn’t feel right?” It might be the nut width, the measurement that directly impacts string spacing and left-hand comfort. In…
- How Eric Clapton (and Albert Lee) Got Me Into Country Music – Just One Night · 18 min · Episode 242In this video, I share how Eric Clapton’s Just One Night album completely shifted my musical direction, and how the real surprise was Albert Lee. Clapton’s fiery playing grabbed…
- Alnico 2 vs Alnico 5: Telecaster Tone Showdown · 9 min · Episode 241Alnico 2 and Alnico 5 are the two most common magnet types used in Telecaster pickups, but how much do they really change the tone? In this video, I compare them in the exact…
- Ricky Skaggs’ Telecaster Masterclass on "I’m Tired." - Lesson · 24 min · Episode 240Ricky Skaggs is mostly known for his mandolin and bluegrass chops, but on “I’m Tired,” he rips a Telecaster solo that deserves a spot in the Tele Hall of Fame. In this video, we…
