Shows / Ask Zac
Ask Zac
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
- Ask Zac
Joe Fick of Kelley's Heroes & The Don Kelley Band
Joe Fick, leader of Kelley's Heroes and alumnus of the Don Kelley Band, joins us today. He shares of his time with the Dempsey's, The Don Kelley Band, working…
- Ask Zac
Why Leo Fender Never Acknowledged The Influence of Paul Bigsby
Leo Fender was heavily influenced by the work of Paul Bigsby in the late 1940s, yet in all of the interviews he did, he never acknowledged it. Today we look at…
- Ask Zac
My Favorite Backup Amp - The 1985 Peavey Studio Pro 40
I love Peavey amps from the early-to-mid 1980s, because I grew up with them in my favorite music shop, Clawson's Music in Corpus Christi, TX. In my last 80s…
- Ask Zac
The Modified Broadcaster/Telecaster Blend Control & 2 YT Channels I love
With the recent visit with a real-deal 1950 Broadcaster, I had the chance to experience the unique tonal options that Leo Fender's original blend control…
- Ask Zac
Baxendale Harmony Conversion Guitars
Scott Baxendale sent me a 50s Harmony H-162 that he had done his conversion work on to check out. So we take a look at it, laying out the conversion process…
- Ask Zac
Meet Nashville Tele Slinger - Gabe Tonon
Today we get introduced to Gabe Tonon, and he shows off his 50s Esquire with a long throw Bender, and his two 60s maple-cap Fender Telecasters with Glaser…
- Ask Zac
The Fender Broadcaster Story
Today we look at one of the rarest and coolest members of the Telecaster family, a December 1950 Fender Broadcaster. To give some context, I cover what Fender…
- Ask Zac
A Glaser Strat With A B-Bender?
Today we look at this cool Glaser B-Bender equipped Strat that I put together using a Glaser made neck from the 80s, and a non-tremolo swamp ash body. We get…
- Ask Zac
Flat-Wound, Pure Nickel, and Ground-Wound Strings on my Telecaster
A comparison between flat wound, pure nickel, and ground wound strings on my Tele. I was inspired to do this by the back of a set of D'Addario strings, showing…
- Ask Zac
A Real Road Worn 1952 Telecaster
I love honest, beat-up, Telecasters. Today we tell the story of one of the most aged butterscotch Telecasters I have laid eyes on. Besides telling its story…
- Ask Zac
The Tim Lerch Interview
Today I sat down with one of the finest solo-Jazz guitarists of our time, Tim Lerch. We discuss how a non-jazz player might get into solo guitar, his…
- Ask Zac
The Resurrection of my 1970 Buck Owens "American" Guitar
Earlier this year, I did an episode on the Buck Owens "American" guitars made by Harmony from 1969-1971. Mine was in pretty good condition, but missing its…
- Ask Zac
Vintage Solid State? Lab Series Amps
Gibson has never been known for their amps. Though we may revere certain models, they pale in collectability with those made by Fender of the same era. After…
- Ask Zac
Tone Snob Confessions With Barry O'Neal of Xact Tone Solutions
We all have a tone obsession, but when is it healthy, and when is it not? I asked Barry O'Neal of Xact Tone Solutions to have a discussion on the "tone suck"…
- Ask Zac
Luther Dickinson Interview
Luther Dickinson is an acclaimed sideman, solo artist, and producer, noted for his work with the North Mississippi Allstars, Phil Lesh, and the Black Crowes…
- Ask Zac
A Look at the "Champ Killer" 1954 Wide-Panel Fender Princeton Amp
Built from 1953-55, the Wide-Panel Princeton was short-lived, yet in that brief time had 5B2, 5C2, and 5D2 iterations with earlier versions using octal preamp…
- Ask Zac
The Last Glaser Bender Guitar
In the mid 1980s, Ricky Skaggs and Steve Wariner were frequently seen on television playing eye-catching Tele-looking instruments equipped with B-Benders, in…
- Ask Zac
Playing The American Music Awards
Today I share the story of playing the American Music Awards 50th Anniversary Special with Brad Paisley. He had a new single, "Truck Still Works," and wanted…
- Ask Zac
Stuie & Sonny French of The French Family Band
Today we sit down with the incredible father/son guitar team of Stuie and Sonny French, of The French Family Band. They tell their tale of how they moved from…
- Ask Zac
Ricky Skaggs Highways & Heartaches And The Glaser Mandocaster
Ricky Skaggs released Highways & Heartaches in September 1982, and the album quickly moved to the number 1 spot on the Country Album chart, and spawned 3…
- Ask Zac
The Best Speaker For Your Deluxe Reverb
What is the best speaker for my Deluxe Reverb, is one of the most asked questions of all-time. A friend recently asked me about doing an episode on this topic…
- Ask Zac
That Famed EVM-12L Sound
In the 1960s and 70s, the JBL D120/K120 was the top choice for the touring pro who didn't want to worry about blowing a speaker on the road. However, in 1983…
- Ask Zac
Hardtail Stratocaster: The Lowdown
The hardtail Strat is a different beast from it's tremolo equipped brother, with a tone, and feel of it's own. Today we look at the history, and spotlight the…
- Ask Zac
The Vince Gill Interview
Vince Gill is at the top of his game. He recently completed a 4-night run at the Ryman where he played a three-and-a-half hour show each night, still singing &…
- Ask Zac
Celebrating the Don Kelley Band
Brent Mason, Redd Volkaert, Johnny Hiland, J.D. Simo, and Daniel Donato reunited with Don Kelley on August 5th 2024 for a one-time concert to celebrate the…
- Ask Zac
Fender's Marvelous Mandocaster - The Vintage Fender Electric Mandolin
In the Spring of 1956, Leo Fender introduced the greatest little solid body of all-time, the Fender Electric Mandolin. Nicknamed ,Mandocaster, by collectors…
- Ask Zac
The Birth of Light-Gauge Strings
Have you ever wondered how we got light gauge strings? To give some context, until 1962, strings were 12-52, or heavier, with a wound third, and nothing…
- Ask Zac
The Most Underrated Electric Guitar String Gauge - 9.5-44
For years I went back and forth between 9s and 10s on my Telecaster, always frustrated with both gauges for different reasons. 9s, although easy to bend, were…
- Ask Zac
The Story of Cling Foil & the Blue Flower Telecaster
In the summer of 1968, Fender released their most unconventional finishes to date, the Blue Flower & Paisley Red finishes. Available on only the Telecaster and…
- Ask Zac
The Impact of The Blues Brothers Movie
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- Ask Zac
Delbert McClinton "Live From Austin" Influential Albums
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- Ask Zac
How The Telecaster Came To Nashville
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- Ask Zac
Tele Pickup Height with JD Simo and Dan Strain
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- Ask Zac
Iconic Riffs by Forgotten R&B Guitar Greats
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- Ask Zac
Tele Tone Tricks
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- Ask Zac
A Conversation With Joe Glaser & Steve Wariner
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- Ask Zac
Baffled? How To Baffle Your Amp & Not get Fired
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- Ask Zac
Albert Lee Talks Emmylou Harris & Her Luxury Liner Album
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- Ask Zac
1950 Broadcaster VS 1953 Telecaster - A Comparison by Nacho Banos
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- Ask Zac
The Story Of The 1970s Buck Owens American Guitar by Harmony
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- Ask Zac
A Telecaster Fanatic Looks at the PRS NF-53
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- Ask Zac
Leo Fender and the Birth of the G&L Broadcaster/ASAT
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- Ask Zac
Top Loader Telecaster History & Comparison with String-Thru
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John Leventhal Talks First Solo Album, Rumble Strip
John Leventhal returns to go in-depth on his first solo album, Rumble Strip. We discuss his process of composing, recording, and the gear he used to create the…
- Ask Zac
My Direct + Amp Pedalboard Built By XTS
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- Ask Zac
Eldon Shamblin & His Gold 1954 Stratocaster
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- Ask Zac
Danocaster Talks Telecaster Tone
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- Ask Zac
Duke Levine Talks Touring with Bonnie Raitt & the Eternal Tone Hunt
Duke Levine's resume is filled with a catalog of stellar solo albums, high-profile sideman gigs, and essential session work. We have Tom Bukovac to thank for…
- Ask Zac
My Pedalboard Gets The Xact Tone Solutions Makeover
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- Ask Zac
The Inspired Story of the Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive
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- Ask Zac
How Did My Stratocaster End Up Playing "Wicked Game" With Chris Isaak?
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- Ask Zac
Stratocaster Pioneers Of The 1950s
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- Ask Zac
To Float, Or Not To Float, Strats The Question
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- Ask Zac
Las Vegas Street Talk
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- Ask Zac
Influential Albums - Guitars Cadillacs Etc, Etc. - Dwight Yoakam & Pete Anderson
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- Ask Zac
Adam Levy - Jazz Guitarist & Sideman to the Stars
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- Ask Zac
Influential Albums - Luxury Liner Emmylou Harris
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- Ask Zac
G-Bender History and the Major Players (Jimmy Olander, Jeff King & Brad Paisley)
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- Ask Zac
Diamond Rio Talk New Members & New Music In 2023
Jimmy Olander, Diamond Rio founding member, and lead guitarist, and I sit down along with new drummer Micah Schweinsberg to discuss the backstory of their…
- Ask Zac
The Dangers of Buying Celebrity-Owned Instruments
Over the last 15 years, I have had numerous requests to assist buyers vette their alleged celebrity-owned instruments. Early on, I would try and help them out…