This week’s episode is a state of the union on brick-and-mortar guitar retail stores. With news of the family-owned chain Sam Ash shutting down its operations and filing for bankruptcy, and Guitar Center CEO Gabe Dalporto’s recent comments indicating a giant shift for the company, it’s a touchy time for IRL guitar sales. Rhett and Zach agree that a…

Rhett and Zach end almost every episode of Dipped In Tone with a rig dip—where they discuss and rate a guitar, amp, and pedal setup submitted by a listener—but this time, they’re assembling and critiquing dream rigs of their own, on a budget. They each get to brainstorm a $1000 rig followed by a $10,000 rig, using toys and prices found on Reverb. W…

On this episode of Dipped in Tone, Rhett and Zack are joined by Wales-born guitarist Chris Buck. Buck is gearing up for a string of US tour dates with his fast-rising rock band Cardinal Black, including a date at Nashville’s Basement East after the original venue sold-out within a few hours. Buck starts off digging into the details of his custom Ya…

This time on Dipped In Tone, Rhett and Zach are digging into today’s best nitty-gritty gear news. Tired of trawling Reddit and forums to figure out what’s going on? Tune in for some authoritative takes from your two favorite tone fiends. First up are the new Line 6 modeling offerings, including the compact, affordable stompbox that’s making waves a…

Rhett and Zach are joined on this episode of Dipped In Tone by soft-spoken jazz guitar master Julian Lage. After Zach shares some last-minute production headaches with Mythos’ new Herculean Deluxe, Lage sits in for fascinating, spirited dive into how he thinks about tone, composition, and his new record, Speak To Me. The gang unpacks just about eve…

Our battle-weary hosts have returned from the scorched trenches and badge-strewn wastelands in Anaheim, California, and they’re ready to recount what they saw. Welcome to the NAMM 2024 airing of the grievances. Zach and Rhett are coming at this from two different angles: Zach as a vendor with Mythos Pedals, and Rhett as an attendee and noted YouTub…

Rhett and Zach kick off the new year with renewed commitment to an old habit: making a daily to-do list, or as Rhett calls it, “the shit list.” The guys debate the finer points of which stationary makes the best to-do list backdrop before they’re joined by Tom Murphy, the preeminent craftsman of guitar-aging and namesake of Gibson’s high-end Murphy…

Intervals bandleader Aaron Marshall joins Rhett and Zach for this installment of Dipped In Tone, which is essentially a crash-course in touring, merch design, road-ready rig planning, and keeping your head above water as an unsigned act. The trio start off with a deep dive into Intervals’ focus on high-quality merch, and Marshall outlines his desig…

It’s the most wonderful time of year: the “year in gear” season is finally upon us, and we’re celebrating with this special in-person episode of Dipped In Tone. Zach and Rhett gang up at Zach’s place to rundown the best of the best of musical excellence and oddities in 2023. The guys start in with their favorite stompboxes. Rhett tips his hat to Ol…

This episode of Dipped In Tone features Rhett flying solo with veteran jazz guitarist Oz Noy. Born in Israel, Noy started gigging at age 13, and 37 years later, he’s still going strong as a celebrated live musician—including a 17-year run at New York City club The Bitter End. Noy explains that he grew up with a foot in both jazz and rock music worl…

On this week’s Dipped In Tone, Rhett and Zack are joined by contemporary jazz guitar legend Adam Levy, the thoughtful, soft-spoken accompanist known for his work with Norah Jones and his own jazz trios. Levy’s new book, String Theories, which he co-authored with fellow sideman-to-the-stars Ethan Sherman, collects a series of tips, challenges, and r…

Zach goes it alone on this episode to interview session guitarist, 6-string storyteller, and prominent YouTuber and online guitar instructor Tim Pierce. As a player, Pierce’s guitar has spent decades at the top of the charts by way of songs by Bon Jovi, Goo Goo Dolls, Phil Collins, Madonna, Dave Matthews Band, Bob Dylan—whose recent Shadow Kingdom …

Rhett and Zack kick off the episode with a chat about which video games they’re loving and Rhett’s cross-country adventures with his wife before Eli Lester, owner of Two-Rock Amplification, joins them for an in-depth exploration of his amp-building philosophies. Lester walks Rhett and Zack through his origins in amp-building, repairing instruments …

Josh Scott drops in to chat about all things JHS, going back to his early days doing debunking deep-dives into vintage gear—“I love the mythbusting element of this stuff,” he says. “I love telling people … this is not witchcraft…. The tech of a Big Muff is from the ’50s.” He continues: “I know that we need to feel magic. I like it too.… But I love …

Zach and Rhett kick things off with a catch-up on recent projects. Rhett celebrates his new 100 watt Two Rock Classic Reverb Signature, which recently terrorized a couple sitting in the front row of one of his gigs. Then guitarist Ariel Posen logs on to, first and foremost, clear up how to pronounce his name. He gives a quick tutorial: just say gui…

On this episode of Dipped In Tone, Rhett and Zach chat with special guest Warren Haynes. The Gov’t Mule leader talks about the band’s latest, Peace… Like a River. This record of originals was recorded simultaneously with 2021’s Heavy Load Blues, in the same studio, using a completely different set of gear. “We setup all our normal Mule toys in the …

This episode starts off with Zach and Rhett catching each other up on their 4th of July festivities. Rhett’s was classic: he treated some visiting European friends to fireworks off a dock, barbecue, smoked wings, more fireworks, and a bunch of beer. Zach, meanwhile, was knocking on doors to tell neighbors to knock off the mortar shelling in the mid…

After Rhett shares his childhood trauma of riding an immersive horror coaster at Tomorrowland and Zach recovers from the emotional experience of viewing the Millennium Falcon in person on a family vacation, Texas-born guitarist Eric Johnson joins them for a revelatory discussion on tone, gear, and the never-ending hunt for creative inspiration. Rhe…

On this episode, Rhett and Zach discuss the relationship that they each have with the guitar at this point in their careers. Making a living doing the thing you love is great—in fact, it’s something that so many players aspire to. But it changes the relationship between player and instrument when the instrument is a source of work. How do they stay…

The new DIT episode kicks off as Rhett and Zack celebrate Zack’s close encounter with special effects mogul Adam Savage, of Star Wars, Ghostbusters, Matrix, and Tested fame. (Nerd alert: Zack and his wife have Ghostbusters uniforms—which they wore that day. There’s a photo. Take a screenshot it in case you need to blackmail him later.) Rhett talks …

Rhett and Zach are rolling old school. No guests today, just our two hosts, chatting about all things gear and tone. Today, the guys are talking about modern pedals. These days, pedals are getting weirder and more complicated than we could have ever imagined, even just a few years ago, as loads of new models draw inspiration from modular synthesis,…

"There's no money in non-diatonic notes!"—a validating cheeky word to the minor-pentatonic shredder guests at NAMM. In this ep, Rhett and Zach sit down with "Danish Pete" Honoré to talk NAMM highlights, geek out on Pete's new Chapman T-style signature guitar—it has a neck profile based on a 3D scan of his favorite—and discuss maintaining integrity …

Rhett returns from Europe to chat with “guitar player’s guitar player” Sadler Vaden of Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit. The trio jump right into their takes on the whole Bad Monkey saga, then dig into a detailed interview about how a Crazy Horse concert changed Sadler’s life, some tips for guitarists (spoiler alert: rhythm guitar is important!), and …

Mick Taylor, cohost of That Pedal Show, joins Zach on this episode, where they cover a whole lot of ground talking pedals, mental health, and more. The two discuss what it's like to have Mick's level of influence on the industry and how to overcome various forms of stage fright, before dipping a rig where some "shots" are fired. Thanks to Sweetwate…

Zach flies Rhett-less on this episode that features an interview with Joey Landreth. Joey shares on his Grammy award-winning success with Bonnie Raitt, how the amp he released with Two-Rock came about, and how parenting has informed his guitar playing. You'll also hear about a rig that gets quite a high Shoyles rating, thanks in part to its envelop…

One of the guitarists of "little-known" jazz-fusion outfit Snarky Puppy, Mark Lettieri, joins the guys on this episode of Dipped in Tone. They talk scheduling committed creative time for songwriting, Lettieri's basic preferences on setting up baritone tones, and how he approaches dirt as a mostly clean player. Win Zach's or Rhett's Rig! Go here to …

Wondering how to join a band and get some sweet gigs? Then this ep’s for you. Rhett and Zach share their advice, from how to get in front of audiences and make more connections—if it’s all about who you know, how do you get to know the right people? And how do you impress them enough to hire you?—to the skills you’ll need to hone to get the job don…

Blues-rock guitarist and gearhead Greg Koch steps into Rhett and Zach's virtual studio to talk all things tone, including part of his personal amp journey—from solid-state to the Fender Super Reverb—the makeup of his current rig, and the power of the Strat middle pickup. Thanks to Sweetwater for sponsoring this video. Head to http://sweetwater.com/…

​This edition of Dipped In Tone has a great guest—Foo Fighters’ Chris Shiflett, but … wait! There’s more! Hosts Rhett Shull and Zach Broyles tackle a pressing question: What band has recorded the most songs that you—and they—first learned on guitar? The Beatles, Foo Fighters, Metallica, Nirvana, Zeppelin, the Stones....? Who gets your vote? Also, Z…

A Boss RE-202 Space Echo … on a vocal mix? A hot pink overdrive, treble boost, and echo in one pedal named SusMaryOsep—a word Filipino mothers shout at troublesome children? An Artificial Blonde—with hat’s off to Madison Cunningham—that’s a slightly pitched vibrato? Line 6’s Catalyst modeling amp—sexy or not? Amp plugins from Neural DSP and Line 6?…

Paul Reed Smith drops in to dip a rig and unpack the facets of tone—and why he unwound—and destroyed—a set of $10k vintage Fender pickups. Plus, all the fun stuff: What’s it like working with John Mayer? Does Santana’s guitar sound like a tenor sax? Why does David Grissom need every PRS on a music-store wall to play great? And the dudes argue over …

Rhett and Zach unpack the big news for secondhand guitar sellers and buyers: Sweetwater has launched their new Gear Exchange. How does it compare to Reverb, Craigslist, and Marketplace? To find out, Zach takes the site for a spin and buys a pedal. He calls the process both “very easy” and “normal.” They discuss the pros and cons of the various used…

10:19 We Dip Chris Shiflett’s Rig! 25:00 Zach’s New Pedal 28:29 Joe Bonamassa Live from Nerdville Big thanks to StewMac for sponsoring this episode. Head to http://stewmac.com/dippedintone to get 10% off! Go see Joe's Dumbles in person: https://jbonamassa.com/tour-dates/ Dipped In Tone begins its partnership with Premier Guitar with Rhett Shull and…

We have an announcement. Dipped in Tone is partnering with Premier Guitar! PG will be helping us on all fronts to help us deliver a better and more consistent DIT experience. Watch the video for all the details! Next episode drops on October 31st! Subscribe, like, and leave us a comment Sign up on our mailing list: http://eepurl.com/iaCee5 Support …

24:00 Main Topic In this episode of the Dipped in Tone podcast Rhett Shull and Zach Broyles talk about some big changes for the podcast, we dip an amp-less rig, and then dip each other's rigs and even play a little guitar! Subscribe, like, and leave us a comment Sign up on our mailing list: http://eepurl.com/iaCee5 Support us on Patreon for access …

33:30 Main Topic In this episode of the Dipped in Tone podcast Rhett Shull and Zach Broyles talk about Zach getting BBD Chips (this is a big deal), Rhett gets the run around on a new truck, we dip an awesome rig, and talk about YouTubers getting signature guitars and the importance of the YouTube guitar world. Subscribe, like, and leave us a commen…

25:30 Main Topic In this episode of the Dipped in Tone podcast Rhett Shull and Zach Broyles talk about Rhett opening with Noah for Willie Nelson and Zach's Dr. Z KT-45 coming back to life, we dip an rig, and we talk about Fender laying off 300 people and some how we talk about Gibson again. Subscribe, like, and leave us a comment Sign up on our mai…

34:12 Main Topic In this episode of the Dipped in Tone podcast Rhett Shull and Zach Broyles talk last minute plans, we dip an rig, coil split/tap discussion, more plugin talk, and talk about the crazy Instagram fuzz trends. Subscribe, like, and leave us a comment Sign up on our mailing list: http://eepurl.com/iaCee5 Support us on Patreon for access…

28:15 Main Topic In this episode of the Dipped in Tone podcast Rhett Shull and Zach Broyles talk a little about HOA pains, we dip an rig, and talk about the Sweetwater GearFest, Zach's JHS trip, and more! Subscribe, like, and leave us a comment Sign up on our mailing list: http://eepurl.com/iaCee5 Support us on Patreon for access to our discord ser…

Live from the Sweetwater Gearfest floor! Zach hangs and talks with James Santiago of Universal Audio. James is the man behind so many fantastic products from Universal Audio, the OX and the latest line of pedals being the most recent releases. We talk about design philosophies, approaches to tone and much more in this interview. You even get to hea…

In this episode of the Dipped in Tone podcast Rhett Shull and Zach Broyles are joined with some of the most well known faces from the guitar community. Pete Thorn, Tim Pierce, Ryan Burke, Corey Congilio and Phillip McKnight join us as we talk about Sweetwater GearFest, go deep with viewer questions, and figure out what Tim Pierce smells like. Subsc…

20:35 Main Topic In this episode of the Dipped in Tone podcast Rhett Shull and Zach Broyles talk a little about home repair, we dip an rig, and hear a cautionary tale from Zach about amp trading. Subscribe, like, and leave us a comment Sign up on our mailing list: http://eepurl.com/iaCee5 Support us on Patreon for access to our discord server and o…

23:00 Main Topic In this episode of the Dipped in Tone podcast Rhett Shull and Zach Broyles talk about the dangers of energy drinks, we dip an INCREDIBLE RIG, and discuss 2022 NAMM. Subscribe, like, and leave us a comment Sign up on our mailing list: http://eepurl.com/iaCee5 Support us on Patreon for access to our discord server and other perks! ht…

25:30 Main Topic In this episode of the Dipped in Tone podcast Rhett Shull and Zach Broyles talk about photoshop consent and Rhett's amazing roadtrip. The main topic is about amp in a box pedals vs modelers. Does it make sense to go for something like one of the new UA Pedals or stick to your Helix style modeler? Subscribe, like, and leave us a com…

40:00 Main Topic In this episode of the Dipped in Tone podcast Rhett Shull and Zach Broyles don't pull any punches and go head to head about pedals and fingerboard wood. The main topic is letting go of gear but we fight a lot in this one so buckle up! Subscribe, like, and leave us a comment Sign up on our mailing list: http://eepurl.com/iaCee5 Supp…

39:00 Main Topic In this episode of the Dipped in Tone podcast Rhett Shull and Zach Broyles talk about the new Yamaha Revstar, we dip a rig, discuss Zach's new .strandberg* Plini model and get into the meat of the podcast talking about what Gibson needs to do to be popular with younger guitar players. Subscribe, like, and leave us a comment Sign up…

29:30 Main Topic In this episode of the Dipped in Tone podcast Rhett Shull and Zach Broyles talk about breaking bones and avoid sweet jumps, dip a rig, and talk about the best guitar stores (in their opinion). Subscribe, like, and leave us a comment Sign up on our mailing list: http://eepurl.com/iaCee5 Support us on Patreon for access to our discor…

27:10 Main Topic In this episode of the Dipped in Tone podcast Rhett Shull and Zach Broyles talk about Rhett's jet setting and distaste for the beach, dip a rig, and talk about how HOPEFULLY tubes will be made in America once more but will we be able to afford them?! Subscribe, like, and leave us a comment Sign up on our mailing list: http://eepurl…

25:30 Main Topic In this episode of the Dipped in Tone podcast Rhett Shull and Zach Broyles talk about the Shoyles Fuzz Prototype, dip a rig, and talk about how to go about buying your first guitar. Subscribe, like, and leave us a comment Sign up on our mailing list: http://eepurl.com/iaCee5 Support us on Patreon for access to our discord server an…

22:00 Main Topic In this episode of the Dipped in Tone podcast Rhett Shull and Zach Broyles talk about impatience commenters and our overall attitudes, we dip a rig, and talk about a video that is reigniting the tonewood debate across the web. Subscribe, like, and leave us a comment Sign up on our mailing list: http://eepurl.com/iaCee5 Support us o…