When I was younger I didn't understand why people would swap out their guitar pickups. If you liked the way a guitar sounds when you buy it, I thought, why change it?

It wasn't until a friend showed up at my studio with a guitar that had some hand-wound pickups in it that I had a revelation. It was quite the eye opener. There were elements of my guitar tone I wasn’t happy with but I couldn't put my finger on. I certainly didn’t think to consider my pickups.

Reverb is an effect guitarists use regularly but often don't understand the ins and outs of. For many, it’s an on-or-off effect on an amp. When confronted with more complex offerings of reverb they are struck with confusion.

It’s often debated whether the Big Muff circuit is distortion or fuzz. Although both distortion and fuzz are hard-clipping circuits, the Muff is definitely a fuzz. But it was the first step toward the distortion pedal.  

Once in a while a pedal company comes along that makes exceptional gear. This is not to say that other companies put out inferior products. It's just that sometimes someone is so dedicated to an idea or product that they spare no expense.

In 2001 I decided I wanted a Rickenbacker 12-string. It’s a sound I have long loved. I grew up listening to the Beatles. Tom Petty was also on the soundtrack to my childhood. How could a guitar collection that’s supposed to represent my influences not include a Rickenbacker 360/12? 

There are so many overdrive/distortion pedals on the market and most say the same thing in their description: “Overdriven tube amp sound.” Yet, when I’ve played through many, they don’t actually sound like an overdriven amp. That’s not to say they sound bad. Some sound nice, but not really like a cranked tube amp.

The Rat is one of the earliest distortion pedals, arriving on the market in 1978. Prior to that, there were only a few gain pedals: the Colorsound Power Boost, the Maestro Fuzz-Tone FZ-1, the Sola Sound Tone Bender, the Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face, the Dallas Rangemaster, and the Electro- Harmonix Big Muff. 

I’m a self-confessed vintage tone nut. I’m not hiding in the shadows. I’m fully public with my love of guitar tones of past. That doesn’t mean I don’t embrace new ideas.  I’m open—unless you bring Kemper or Fractal into the conversation. 

Solderless cables are not a new concept. They’ve been around for a few decades. George Ls were the first brand I was introduced to.  I tried George Ls a number of times but they’ve always been unreliable. 

I recently paid a visit to F.S. Lutherie in Brooklyn, NY. They are a small guitar custom shop specializing in repairs and builds, based in the borough’s Greenpoint section. Owner Farhad Soheili met with me to discuss his new line of custom guitars, FSC Guitars. 

If you chat with a guitarist and mention overdrives, you’ll need to pull up a chair and get comfy. You’re gonna be there for a while.  It’s a deep subject partly because there are so many overdrive pedals on the market. It’s flooded with overdrive options.

BrownBox Throughout my years of recording, gigging, and touring I would notice a strange occurrence. My amps seemed to sound different from night to night. At the time, I mostly attributed this to the varying acoustics from room to room. 

The Klon Centaur has become one of the most legendary pedals of all time. You can find originals going for over $2,500. That’s a lot of scratch for a guitar pedal. There are a few reasons for its inflated status. 

For some players, the sound of an acoustic guitar through a monitor or PA could be compared to nails on a chalkboard when plugged directly in. This has led to bad associations for many acoustic guitarists. I can’t say it has been my LEAST favorite experience. 

When it comes to compression, guitarists tend to have a narrow perspective on its uses. People seem to look at a compressor as a tool just to control dynamics.  That is what a compressor does—control dynamics.

Over the last year I’ve been looking for pedals that carve their own path. I have no problem with traditional effects. I own and adore a lot of them. However, I’ve been scoring music a lot for tv and film and I’ve been creating sounds less then typical. 

Tips For Touring Guitarists  When on tour, there is often an illusion of time. If you look at the tour book (a document handed out right before a tour that details hotels, travel, load ins, sound checks, amenities, etc.), it often appears you’ll have more time to soundcheck or run songs.

One frustrating thing about playing electric guitar live is the variation in tone from night to night. Rooms sizes change as does the materials the room is made from. Reflections can play a bigger role on some nights more then others.  The room sometimes can put handcuffs on our ideal amp tone. 

No matter how much experience you have, the inevitable gear failure is bound to happen at the least opportune time. It doesn’t matter how much you’ve tested your gear at home before you leave. Or how much time you spent in soundcheck making sure your signal path is clean and happy. 

Years ago, in a far away universe, I purchased my first fuzz pedal. It was a Dunlop Fuzz Face. When I got it, I was confused by the sound. It seemed kinda dead and lifeless. Rolling back the volume knob just made it sound more dead.