Brian Ray (Guitarist for Paul McCartney)

I've got a hot one for you this week! On this episode I'm talking to none other than the legend himself, Mr. Brian Ray. Brian is best known for playing guitar with the absolute powerhouse that is Sir Paul McCartney for the last 20 years. But his credits don't stop there! Brian also played with the fabulous Etta James for 14 years and shared the stage or collaborated with the likes of Keith Richards, Carlos Santana, Bonnie Rait, Smokey Robinson, Peter Frampton and many, many more. On this episode, Brian gives us a bit of an inside scoop on his career, gives advice to up and coming musicians, shares some incredible stories and a whole lot more. Enjoy it folks! Get more info on Brian from his website HERE https://www.brianray.com/music 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

NAMM is officially over and I am releasing this before midnight Pacific time so I am still offically on schedule! On this episode, I am talking to my other business partner, Sean Arbow of Gunstreet to get into what the heck he's been up to the last few years. And let me tell you, it is a LOT of stuff. We chat about: The growth over the last two years. Solderless technology in guitars Understanding passive vs active circuits The evolution of humbuckers Magnetic field shape can drastically change a pickup's sound. Custom metric pots are now available for non-US guitars. Guitar wiring is often misunderstood by many players. Self-employment and the problems around it Rest and recovery are crucial for health and productivity. (In everything) Bend vs Portland Check out Sean's work on his website HERE https://gunstreet.co/ 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

Drayton Farley is an incredible musician from Alabama. His music and songwriting is definitely in the Americana/Country/Singer-Songwriter vein, but what I didn't know is that this dude is a legit metalhead. The conversation spans a great many subjects from Drayton's top 7 listened to songs, his compact pedalboard, the Kendrick vs Drake beef, how he got hooked up with Martin Guitars, how horrible the world is (or isn't?) knock off guitars, dressing like slobs, and WAY MORE! Check out his music on all platforms and check out his website for all of the latest news https://draytonfarley.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 megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode I am joined by Mark Turley and Steve Peterson from Summer School Electronics. They discuss the origins of their company, the challenges and excitement surrounding the NAMM show, and the complexities of explaining the music industry to outsiders. The conversation also touches on nostalgia for 90s music and the evolution of musical tastes over time. In this conversation, the speakers delve into their experiences with music, gear, and the creative process. We also explore experimenting with different musical genres, the importance of having the right equipment for performances, and the sentimental value attached to their instruments. The discussion also touches on the evolving landscape of the gear industry, the balance between digital and analog tools, and the dangers of accumulating too much recording gear. Check out their stuff on their website HERE https://www.summerschoolelectronics.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 megaphone.fm/adchoices

I have a very special guest on this episode of the podcast, and that guest is none other than Jordan Buckley of Better Lovers & Every Time I Die. We discuss a TON of things on this episode, and there is some fun gear chat at the end for us tone nerds. But the bulk of the episode revolves around things like: Processing massive personal challenges in the public eye The emotional challenges of the music industry Every Time I Die's unique approach to hardcore Creativity as a necessity, not a choice The transition to Better Lovers and how that occured The importance of community in music Of course we get into pizza, Boss pedals, JCM 800s, ESP Guitars, Gibson SGs and a whole lot more as well! Enjoy it folks! Check out Better Lovers on their website HERE https://betterloversband.com/ Give Jordan a follow HERE https://www.instagram.com/jordanfrombuffalo 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 special edition of the podcast, we have one more "Gift Swap" episode with my "other show", The Chasing Tone Podcast! Earlier this year, we had the opportunity to interview Gabe Dalporto, the current CEO of Guitar Center. As the head of the worlds largest music retail store he has probably seen more amazing string, valve, and transistor based toys than most of us can dream of. Gabe's story about his musical family roots, his rather excellent first guitar, and his passion for music is a great story you will want to listen to. Gabe tells us about his music tastes, his writing, and his gigging experiences before he reveals that he is in fact a complete gear nut just like all of us! This turns into a fascinating insight into how Gabe has not just analyzed the business he runs, but has lived and breathed Guitar Center since he joined it, and created a vision for a ground up rejuvenation of this retail behemoth.  We get a very candid and thoughtful appraisal of the business model of Guitar Center to date and then a glimpse of where it is going and how giant pedalboards will play a role. If you are interested in the music instrument business, heck if you are interested in musical instruments full stop, then this episode does not disappoint. Brian and Blake have some good ideas. Richard makes another Gilmour mistake when he mixes up one guitar with another. All of this and more on this special "gift swap edition" The Tone Mob/ Chasing Tone Podcast! Check out chasing tone wherever you get your podcasts, or scope it out right HERE https://www.wamplerpedals.com/podcast/ 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

Brent Mason is an absolute legend in the guitar world. Not only for his chameleon like ability to adapt to any song, but also for his technical precision and speed. He is also one of the most prolific guitarists on the planet having played on basically any 1990s country song that matters, and a whole bunch of songs you never would have expected. On top of all of that, he's a heck of a nice guy and hilarious! You are in for a real treat of an episode! One quick note: This episode was pulled from the other guitar podcast I record, The Chasing Tone Podcast. We are doing a "podcast gift exchange" these next couple weeks to celebrate the holiday season, and I thought this episode was perfect for sharing with Tone Mob listeners. Hope you enjoy! Check out The Chasing Tone Podcast HERE https://www.wamplerpedals.com/podcast/ or wherever you listen to Tone Mob. Get in touch with Brent Mason on his website HERE https://www.brentmason.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 megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you heard of Warm Audio? If you've been around the audio world for the last decade or so then I'm sure that answer is "Yes!" But what do you know about Warm Audio? Who is behind the company? How did they come to own a piece of the rack real estate inside almost every major studio? And they are making pedals now? What's up with that? Today I get into the Warm Audio story with the folks behind the brand. Bryce Young is the founder and CEO of the company. He tells the story of a young engineer who was dead set on sound, but had no resources to acquire those "must have" studio classics. So he built them himself, and then for others... and over time THOUSANDS of others! We get into all of that here. Matt Desilett (Dez) works on the marketing team, and like Bryce is similarly obsessed with sound. He helps craft the message to get these products out into the world, and has similarly interesting story with how he got involved with the company. I love it when folks come on the show to share their story, and its especially rewarding when it is a brand that is as ubiquitous as Warm. I think more folks need to hear their story, and this is he perfect place for it! Check out their stuff https://warmaudio.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 megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode I am sitting down and chewing the fat with Mike Poorman aka Woodshop Mike. I met Mike during a dinner with the StewMac folks at NAMM, and he had a different story than many other "guitar youtuber" friends of mine. So I knew I wanted to get him on the show to share his rather unique tale with all of you. Mike is a content creator who got his start in woodworking by building a neck-through, five-string, fretless bass while in high school. This eventually lead Mike to a career in custom cabinet making which ultimately dovetailed into making woodworking content for YouTube. Enjoy the episode folks! Check out Mike's website HERE https://woodshopmike.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 megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's episode I'm chatting with renowned guitarist Tim Pierce. (This is wildly exciting for me!) Some of the artists that Tim has worked with include Michael Jackson, Tina Turner, Phil Collins, The Goo Goo Dolls, Celine Dion, and many, many more. We discuss Tim's extensive career in the music industry, his early inspirations, the evolution of gear, the challenges of being a session musician today, the rise of online education through platforms like YouTube, and the importance of hearing health. Tim also shares insights on how to navigate the music industry, the significance of building relationships, and his current guitar preferences. This is one of the best conversations I've had in a very long time. You are going to love it! Check out Tim's incredible YouTube channel HERE https://www.youtube.com/@timpierceguitar Wanna learn from Tim? Check out the Masterclass HERE https://www.timpierce.com/masterclass-info 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