Hot Takes, Dumb Opinions, Zero Apologies

This week, Dave sits down with Ryan Kiefer, guitarist for East Texas hard rockers Blacktop Mojo. Ryan talks about the band's journey from playing flatbed trailer shows in Palestine, TX to sharing stages with Sammy Hagar. We dig into Pollen, the band's most sonically adventurous record yet, the dual-guitar dynamic with Malcolm Booher, and how a band from a small Texas town keeps pushing their sound forward. We also "dad out" over their jaw-dropping cover of Aerosmith's "Dream On" — how they approached it, what it takes to do that song justice, and why it's become a fan favorite. Of course, we get into Ryan's gear as well, this is Guitar Dads and we can't help ourselves. Check out Blacktop Mojo here: Blacktop MojoPlease support our sponsor, Coppersound Pedals www.coppersoundpedals.com and use code DADPOD10 (THAT's a NEW CODE) to get 10% off your order, INCLUDING the MOD CLUB monthly box kit! 

This week on Guitar Dads, we're asking whether Gibson's relentless collector's edition releases are getting out of hand and putting the new JHS Double Dragon lo-fi octave pedal under the microscope. Alex from Coppersound Pedals stops by for our Quiz Eye segment, and in the Dadaverse we tackle two big conversations: whether the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has completely abandoned rock — with Outkast, Cyndi Lauper, and Chubby Checker all in the 2025 class — and whether Metallica's newly announced Sphere residency in Las Vegas is the ultimate live music experience or just expensive spectacle. Please support our sponsor, Coppersound Pedals www.coppersoundpedals.com and use code DADPOD10 (THAT's a NEW CODE) to get 10% off your order, INCLUDING the MOD CLUB monthly box kit! 

This week we dig into some spicy News & Notes — a private forensics team just dropped their own investigation into Kurt Cobain's death, and the Foos announced a new album called Your Favorite Toy (we had questions about that title). We also check out the Walrus Audio Mantle bass preamp and discuss some genuinely dumb guitar takes that we absolutely stand behind. Don't @ us. Please support our sponsor, Coppersound Pedals www.coppersoundpedals.com and use code DADPOD10 (THAT's a NEW CODE) to get 10% off your order, INCLUDING the MOD CLUB monthly mystery box kit! 

 The Dads welcome a double dose of pedal wizardry this week! Jamie Muir (Supercool Pedals) and Mark Turley (Summer School Pedals) join forces to reveal their new collaboration pedal, Smokin in the Boys Room—a love letter to 90s guitar tone. We explore the origin story behind this epic team-up, what makes the 90s sound so iconic, and why AI can't steal your creative spark. Plus, you get to hang with two of the coolest builders in the boutique scene. Please support our sponsor, Coppersound Pedals www.coppersoundpedals.com and use code DADPOD10 (THAT's a NEW CODE) to get 10% off your order, INCLUDING the new Foxcatcher V2 which is available NOW! 

The Dads are back with a special NAMM 2026 episode! We were not at NAMM this year, but it still brought the heat with some massive announcements. Neural DSP unveiled the Quad Cortex Mini, while Wampler dropped jaws with their Pedalhead—a revolutionary machine learning-powered power amp that's changing the game for direct recording. Gibson made their triumphant return to the NAMM show floor after years away and shocked with new Epiphones that are blurring the line between budget and premium instruments. On the amp front, Slash debuted a new signature Magnatone that's already turning heads, and Friedman added more fire to their lineup with several new amplifier models. It's shaping up to be an expensive year for gear heads—your wallet has been warned. Please support our sponsor, Coppersound Pedals www.coppersoundpedals.com and use code DADS10 to 10% off your order, INCLUDING the new Foxcatcher V2 which is available NOW! 

This week the Dads are all amped up with big industry news! We break down Fender's appointment of their new CEO and what it could mean for the iconic brand's future direction. Speaking of Fender, we also dive into their surprising new line of Bluetooth speakers—are they a hit or a miss?Special guest Alex Guaraldi from Coppersound Pedals joins us to put our pedal knowledge to the test with another round of "Quiz Eye for the Pedal Guy." Can we name the knobs, or will we completely embarrass ourselves? (Spoiler: probably the latter.)We also pay tribute to the legendary Bob Weir and reflect on his incredible contributions to music and guitar culture.Plus:  dad jokes, and the usual chaos. Tune in!Please support our sponsor, Coppersound Pedals www.coppersoundpedals.com and use code DADS10 to 10% off your order, INCLUDING the new Foxcatcher V2 which is available NOW! 

 The Guitar Dads kick off 2026 with news on the Lukather/Alex Van Halen tribute album honoring Eddie (can Luke really not play a note on it?), cryptic Aerosmith Instagram teases pointing back to their debut, and a debate on pedal board excess in our Utility Futility segment. Then we look ahead to pre-NAMM gear anticipation and discuss whether the used market is truly trash or just correcting from pandemic-era inflation. New year, new gear, same GAS problems. Check out the Reverb article about the market trends: https://reverb.com/featured/electric-guitars-reverb-price-indexPlease support our sponsor, Coppersound Pedals www.coppersoundpedals.com and use code DADS10 to 10% off your order, INCLUDING the new Foxcatcher V2 which is available NOW! 

That's right, it's the end of another year which means another Daddys! The Guitar Dads very own award show! Grab your tuxedos and gowns and buckle up to hear all about the Dads favorite music and gear things of 2025! Please support our sponsor, Coppersound Pedals www.coppersoundpedals.com and use code DADS10 to 10% off your order, INCLUDING the new Foxcatcher V2 which is available NOW! 

This week, we are once again joined by Alex Guaraldi of Coppersound Pedals and that means the return of Quiz Eye for the Pedal Guy! Can Matt and Dave name the controls of iconic pedals or are they just going to fall flat? Also, Guns N' Roses drops two new tracks, and we're asking the tough question: when does "music taste is subjective" stop being a valid defense? We break down why these might cross the line from mediocre to objectively questionable.Plus, fresh interview with Joe Perry reveals Aerosmith isn't quite done yet, but do we REALLY care at this point? Please support our sponsor, Coppersound Pedals www.coppersoundpedals.com and use code DADS10 to 10% off your order, INCLUDING the new Foxcatcher V2 which is available NOW! 

This week, the Dads are BACK and we cover Creed's return to writing new music, David Coverdale's official retirement announcement, and the electric Jack White/Eminem halftime performance at the Lions-Packers game. We break down Phil Collen's legendary Hysteria-era rig featuring his modded '78 Strat "Felix," Rockman amps, and that direct-to-board magic.In gear: We sample an amazing new pedal from Greer Amps, and the Line 6 Helix Stadium units are shipping with rave reviews—and some cool new features. But are we hitting diminishing returns with amp modelers? Please support our sponsor, Coppersound Pedals www.coppersoundpedals.com and use code DADS10 to 10% off your order, INCLUDING the new Foxcatcher V2 which is available NOW!