Editorial Advisory Board

Scott Ulrichs Headshot

Scott Ulrichs

Associate Editor

Scott Ulrichs first picked up the guitar in 1982. That cheap copy of a Tele Thinline with a loose-leaf paper shim under the bridge to make it playable became the inspiration that launched the journey. In those early days it was Hendrix, Lifeson and Howe that fueled the fire. Scott joins the TQ family to help carry on David’s legacy and vision. He brings a compelling enthusiasm to the quest and shares a thoughtful voice within these pages that broaden the musical palate. He probes for answers that shed light on our collective pursuit of the magic that motivates us to play our best. Many believe that everything in the universe is made up of molecules that vibrate at different speeds. This includes trees, bodies of water, rocks, animals, thoughts, emotions, as well as guitars, amps, speakers, pickups, and the like. Playing guitar and creating music is a gift that gives rise to these vibrations often at enhanced volumes and for the receiver is often an encounter without interpretation. Where simplicity meets fanaticism, he chases those tonally enhanced frequencies which best reflect what we’re trying to convey and make us feel good. Scott has been a TQ tonefreak since 2002 and has an inherent grasp of the importance of reinforcing, informing, and in sharing the pursuit of perfect tone. For inspiration beyond the music, you’ll find him ski touring, mountain biking, One Wheeling and playing gigs around the beautiful town of Bozeman, Montana.

Mark Baier Headshot

Mark Baier

Victoria Amps

https://www.victoriaamp.com/

Mark resurrected the vaunted tweed Fender amps of the ’50s when he launched Victoria Amplifier at a time when the only way you could play a tweed was to buy an old beater. Mark dramatically changed the landscape of “boutique” amps and he has been a great resource for us in our examination and discussion of “vintage” tone.

Nacho Baños

NachoGuitars

https://www.nachoguitars.com/

Nacho started making his Nachoguitars in 2009, setting out to create a worthy replica of the legendary Blackguard Telecaster. “Loving music and guitars the way I do, trying to figure out how to build a good functional guitar was a natural step for me. After thirty-plus years of playing, building, and collecting guitars, I’ve never lost one bit of excitement. It is a passion turned into an obsession. For the last eight years, I’ve been working on a new interactive book collection and APP called The Pinecaster. I believe it’s important for new generations to have access to vintage guitars and the knowledge of great musical instruments. The ToneQuest Report is such an invaluable source of information for all musicians and guitars lovers out there. I feel lucky and honored to be part of this community.”

Dick Boak Headshot

Dick Boak

Dick began his 42 year career at the C.F. Martin Company in 1976, and we recently interviewed him in the April 2020 issue of TQR on ’70s Martin guitars. As head of Martin’s Artist Relations Dick was instrumental in developing over one hundred and forty artist model Martin guitars in addition to writing six books on his experiences working at Martin. He remains an invaluable resource on acoustic guitar building.

Jeff Bakos Headshot

Jeff Bakos

Bakos Amp Works

https://facebook.com/BakosAmpWorks

404-607-8426

Jeff is a very talented bass player, studio owner and engineer, and a deeply experienced amp tech whom we have relied on for the entire twenty years we have published TQR. His knowledge of new and vintage amps is exhaustive to say the least, and every vintage amp we have acquired for review has been serviced and expertly restored by Jeff.

Steve Carr

Steve Carr

Carr Amplification

https://carramps.com

Founder of Carr Amplifers, Steve is a brilliant amp designer and builder based in Pittsboro, NC. We first interviewed Steve in 2000 and have featured many subsequent interviews in which Steve has described the process of designing and building truly great and toneful amplifiers.

Erick Coleman

Stewart-MacDonald

http://stewmac.com/

Erick is a long-time industry pro, senior technical advisor at Stewart-MacDonald, and he has been repairing guitars in his shop in Athens, OH for twenty five years. When we have questions about tools and accessories needed to upgrade the many used guitars we acquire for review, we consult Erick.

Clancey Compton Headshot

Clancey Compton

Premier Guitar Repair

https://www.instagram.com/premierguitarrepair/

Clancey Compton is a native of Nacogdoches, Texas who honed his craft at the Roberto Venn School of Luthiery as a graduate and went on to tech for major artists and select guitar shops. He has an affinity for the most challenging woodworking repairs, the tougher the work, the more he enjoys it. He’s a bluegrass player yet enjoys various types of music. Clancey has been the go-to for years of ToneQuest custom builds like the infamous Oklahoma Barncaster, endless pickup swaps for stories, let alone being able to take care of everything we drop on his workbench as well as with anyone we have ever worked.

Corey Congilio Headshot

For over 25 years, Corey Congilio has immersed himself in a rich and diverse musical career. His experience as a touring guitarist, session musician, educator, and presenter has proven invaluable in connecting with audiences worldwide. As a guitarist versed in all contemporary styles, Corey has supported artists of all genres, from Blues, Rock, Country, RnB, and Jazz. He’s performed with Joss Stone, David Lee Murphy, Lucie Silvas, Radney Foster, Cassadee Pope, Derek St. Holmes, Danielle Bradberry, Laura Bell Bundy, Barbara Blue, and others. In addition to his work as a session musician, Corey writes and performs his own music and, in 2016 released his first EP “Well Suited.”

Since 2010, Corey has authored over 30 instructional guitar courses. His teaching platform WorkingClassGuitar.com and YouTube channel host weekly lessons, performances, and gear reviews. At the heart of Corey’s work is the blues. Having been a lifelong sideman and hired gun, Corey has recently begun his journey as a solo artist. He is currently writing and recording new music that is rooted in the blues while retaining his original voice.

Larry Cragg Headshot

Larry Cragg

Vintage Instrument Rental

http://vintageinstrumentrental.com/

Larry was the guitar and amp tech and magician for Neil Young for decades, and he operates Vintage Instrument Rental in San Anselmo, CA, where he rents hundreds of vintage guitars and amplifiers for studio projects and tours. Larry is also a fine musician, proficient enough on guitar and pedal steel to have played with Neil on many tours. Larry’s interviews with us are legendary. He pulls no punches.

Terry Dobbs Headshot

Terry Dobbs

Valco Amp

https://www.valcoamp.com/

Terry Dobbs, AKA Mr. Valco, is a world-class legendary vintage amplifier tone connoisseur and repair authority. Here at the ToneQuest Report, we have relied on him for years to restore and also upgrade many of our amps, as well as to supply wisdom and deep factual knowledge regarding circuits and how they bring the ever-righteous sounds we all seek. He has owned hundreds of vintage amps and has worked on them for decades, having devoted his life to the art of restoration. Dobbs has been a guitarist for over 50 years, a working musician for 40, and an amplifier expert for 30. We have shared some road trip adventures with him through the years, many of which have been written about in the magazine. He is the best of the best, that’s all there is to it. When he’s not working on amps or hanging out with his family and being a wild and rowdy proud grandpa, he can be found gigging all through his home state of Indiana.

Ronnie is a dear friend and an incredibly gifted blues guitarist with roots in the vaunted Roomful of Blues band. When it comes to tone, Ronnie has long set the gold standard with his traditional us of old Stratocasters and Super Reverb amps. Catch Ronnie and the Broadcasters on their latest album, “Beyond the Blue Door” which debuted at Number 5 on the Billboard Blues Chart.

Ron Ellis Headshot

Ron Ellis

Ron Ellis Pickups

https://www.ronellispickups.com

Ron has over four decades of expertise in the National Magnetic Fusion Energy Program at Lawrence Livermore National Labs. With a foundation in engineering, materials analysis, and diagnostic design, he has transitioned his knowledge to his obsession of vintage-accurate pickup research and design. What began as a garage hobby has grown into a rapidly growing business in Carlsbad, CA collaborating with a long list of leading guitarists and builders.

Dan Erlewine Headshot

Dan Erlewine

Erlewine Guitars

http://danerlewine.com/

Dan has been working as an expert guitar repairman and builder since 1963 and operates Erlewine’s Guitar Shop in Athens, OH. He is the author of many books on guitar repair including, “Guitar Player Repair Guide,” “How to Make Your Electric Guitar Play Great,” and “Gibson’s Fabulous Flattops.”

Tony Farinella Headshot

Tony Farinella

Evidence Audio

https://www.evidenceaudio.com

For 25 years, Tony has designed cables and connectors that preserve the quality of sound as it passes through the electric domain. Everything is designed to “disappear” without imparting its own signature on the signal path. His innovation and next-level thinking continue to deliver precisely engineered products for the best Musicians, Producers, Engineers, Guitar Techs, and Rig Builders Worldwide.

Larry Fishman

Fishman Transducers

http://fishman.com/

Larry is president and founder of Fishman Transducers which began in his garage shop in 1981. He holds more than thirty patents for transducer and musical instrument design, and Larry has been a frequent contributor to TQR with his honest and insightful interviews. When we delve into acoustic pickups and amplification, we call Larry.

Lindy designs and builds custom guitar pickups with his staff of expert winders in Richmond, VA. After well over 20 years Lindy can still be found winding pickups in his shop and his hands-on approach is unique in our industry— you can actually speak with him about your needs with a simple phone call. We speak with Lindy often when developing new pickup reviews.

Peter Frampton Headshot

Peter Frampton

https://www.frampton.com/

Peter has been a friend and an invaluable resource for us for many years, always willing to discuss guitars, amps and guitar tone. Peter’s obsessive approach to creating magical and uplifting sounds with the guitar are legendary, and we have featured illuminating interviews with him over the years. His take on the sounds we make with electric and acoustic guitars is always keenly instructive, clearly communicated and utterly priceless.

Billy F Gibbons

ZZ Top

https://www.zztop.com/

“The Rev” has been with us nearly from the beginning and we can certainly agree that Mr. Gibbons knows a little sumthin’ about tone. We’ve had the pleasure in spending time with Billy during his jaunts through Atlanta and he is without a doubt one of the most slick, toneful and influential guitarist in the history of the instrument, how, how, how, how…

Joe Glaser Headshot

Joe Glaser

Glaser Instruments

https://facebook.com/glaserinstruments

Joe is a brilliant guitar repair and restoration authority working in Nashville with a 40 year career repairing and optimizing new and vintage guitars. He was instrumental in bringing the Plek machine to dominance in the U.S., and he is widely known for his Glaser B-bender. Joe also brought many guitars back to life after the great Nashville flood. He continues to be a key resource for us at TQR.

Tom Guerra Headshot

Tom Guerra

Mambo Sons

https://www.tomguerra.com

Since the late 1970s, Tom has been a popular guitarist and songwriter playing with a host of leading blues, rock and roll and R&B acts including Rick Derringer, Jon Butcher, Jack Sonni of Dire Straits, The Dirty Bones Band and The Easton Brothers. In addition to his guitar skills Tom is an avid songwriter as well as a music journalist.

Cody Gleason

Cody Gleason

Gleason Finish & Aging

https://www.facebook.com/gleasonaging

Cody’s Gleason Finish & Aging offers the most concierge services anywhere in the aftermarket guitar parts industry. He provides custom aged guitar parts for customers all over the world. Having had the privilege of spending quality time with so many incredible high-end, vintage, boutique and rare guitars gives him a unique and broad perspective about quality and tone. He truly understands what makes a guitar “special.” Cody has produced noteworthy builds for ToneQuest and is a friend of invaluable support.

Gregg Hopkins

Vintage Amp Restoration

http://vintage-amp.com/

Gregg is an authority on amp and speaker cabinets of all types and eras, and if you need a cabinet built, repaired or restored, Gregg is it. We have had several new ‘aged’ cabs made for vintage Fender amps by Greg and his work is just incredibly fine, right down to the subtle aging he creates. He is a very talented and experienced bass player.

John Jorgenson

http://johnjorgenson.com/

John Jorgenson is an immensely talented musician and very successful guitarist in an amazing array of musical styles. John is renowned for his guitar work with the Desert Rose Band, the Hellecasters and his work with the John Jorgenson Quintet and his exploration of Gypsy Jazz. John is also proficient on mandolin, bouzouki, mandocello, Dobro, pedal steel, piano, upright bass, clarinet, bassoon, and saxophone. His collaborations include such stars as Earl Scruggs, Bonnie Raitt, Elton John, Luciano Pavarotti and Bob Dylan, among others.

Robert Keely Headshot

Robert Keeley

Robert Keeley Electronics

http://robertkeeley.com/

A fine, fine guitarist, composer and producer, Gordon is best known for having co-written Eric Clapton’s recording of “Change the World” for which he won a Grammy. Gordon also won a Grammy for his epic collaboration with Peter Frampton on the “Fingerprints” album. Gordon continues to be one of our most valued friends, advisors, and a frequent contributor to TQR.

Gordon Kennedy Headshot

A fine, fine guitarist, composer and producer, Gordon is best known for having co-written Eric Clapton’s recording of “Change the World” for which he won a Grammy. Gordon also won a Grammy for his epic collaboration with Peter Frampton on the “Fingerprints” album. Gordon continues to be one of our most valued friends, advisors, and a frequent contributor to TQR.

Mike Kropotkin Headshot

Mike Kropotkin

KCA NOS Tubes

http://kcanostubes.com/

Mike specializes in offering new and new old stock (NOS) tubes for vintage and new guitar amplifiers. His prices are always reasonable and you can depend on the quality of his tubes. There is no better way to optimize the tone of your amplifiers than by installing premium new or NOS tubes.

Sonny Landreth Headshot

Sonny Landreth

http://sonnylandreth.com/

The King of Slydeco. Sonny is another longtime friend and a brilliant guitarist with a slippery, greasy style of slide guitar that is simply the most unique and toneful in the long history of the guitar. His guitar work can be heard on hundreds of recordings from artists ranging from John Mayall to John Hiatt. Eric Clapton says, “Sonny Landreth is probably the most underestimated musician on the planet, and also probably one of the most advanced.” A frequent contributor, we can always depend on Sonny to holler back from Breaux Bridge, LA.

Albert is a veteran guitarist of great repute, having played in the legendary bands Head, Hands and Feet, and Emmylou Harris’ Hot Band, and with Eric Clapton, Ricky Skaggs, and Rodney Crowell. In 2002 Albert received a Grammy award for Best Country Instrumental Performance for “Foggy Mountain Breakdown.” Among Tele-styled players, Albert has no equal.

Adrian Legg Headshot

A brilliant guitarist with a unique fingerpicking style and a wily knack for dropping and raising pitch with his tuners on the fly, Adrian’s interviews with us have been nothing less than fascinating and supremely thought provoking. How he does what he does on the guitar is often mystifying he is exceptionally creative and inventive, and his many albums are not to be missed.

Jason Lollar Headshot

Jason Lollar

Lollar Pickups

https://www.lollarguitars.com

Jason Lollar built his first complete electric guitar in high school in 1974 and went on to study at Roberto Venn School of Lutherie in 1979. His interests and expertise go well beyond building guitars. In addition to designing and producing extraordinary archtop, solid-body electric and lap steel guitars, Jason is a noted authority on nearly everything related to electric pickups. Professional musicians and instrument manufacturers often turn to Jason’s products to get superior sound. His growing client list includes many internationally known artists. When he’s not winding pickups, building guitars, or writing books, Jason can be seen playing guitar or Hammond B3 with a variety of local musicians on his island home outside of Seattle, Washington.

Tim Marcus Headshot

Tim Marcus

Milkman Sound Amplifiers

https://www.milkmansound.com

From his small shop in San Francisco, Tim Marcus is known for taking some of the earliest Californian amplifier designs and putting a personal spin on them. His Milkman Sound is continually raising the bar with one-of-a-kind creations ranging from amplifier pedals to roaring 300-watt pedal steel amplifiers hitting all low wattage points in between. Tim personally hand-wires each amplifier and makes a point to utilize US made and the highest quality components available. He is known for building unique amplifiers which are played by some of the finest professional artists in the industry. Tim pours his heart and soul into Milkman and you can read the full story and interview about him in the April 2023 TQR cover feature.

James Mastro Headshot

JAMES MASTRO

The Guitar Bar

https://www.guitarbar.com/

[email protected]

James Mastro began his career during the height of the ‘70s New York punk scene at age seventeen playing at CBGBs, Max Kansas City and with Television’s Richard Lloyd. In the ‘80s Mastro honed his guitar songwriting skills while playing with the Bongos and contributed to launching the music scene at the legendary rock club Maxwell’s. He formed the Health & Happiness Show in the early ‘90s and was recognized as one of America’s best songwriters. Since 2001, James has performed with Mott the Hoople’s Ian Hunter and joined their 2019 reunion tour. He has played and recorded with Patti Smith, John Cale, the Jayhawks, Phoebe Snow, Butch Hancock, and Garland Jeffries. He owns Guitar Bar shops in Hoboken and Jersey City and has been helping musicians in the quest for tone for 25 years.

Greg Martin Headshot

Greg Martin

The Kentucky Headhunters

http://kentuckyheadhunters.net/

Greg is a great, hard rockin’ guitarist and a member of the equally outstanding Kentucky Headhunters. A frequent contributor to TQR, Greg is undoubtedly a tone freak with over 50 years of experience cranking out the mighty fine note. He also owns a killer ’58 Les Paul that he actually takes out on the road.

Lee Roy Parnell literally cut his teeth on the blues in his hometown of Stephenville, Texas, and he spent years playing clubs and bars throughout Lone Star state. Lee Roy is a dear friend introduced to us by his long time sidekick James Pennebaker, a truly great guitar player and singer, and a hopeless tone freak with many Top Ten hits and Grammy Award nominations.

Grammy winning multi-Instrumentalist and active music industry veteran, James has been a key cog in the ToneQuest wheel since the very beginning. Supremely proficient on guitar, fiddle and pedal steel, James is also a tone head and his knowledge of old vintage gear is abundant, since he’s played just about everything you could name over his 50 year career that began with Delbert McClinton in Ft. Worth. When we need answers, we call James.

Mike Pierra

Analogman

http://www.analogman.com/

Mike Pierra is a wizard at building exceptional guitar effects and he is a long-standing member of our advisory board who has done much to educate us and our readers on the key to building great effects. His reputation as “Analogman” speaks for itself.

Chris Rose Headshot

Chris Rose

Eminence Speaker Corporation

http://eminence.com/

In 1966, Bob Gault founded what was to become the world’s largest loudspeaker manufacturing company. Chris Rose has been at Eminence for twenty three years and since 2009 serves as president and an avid guitar player with a great appreciation for the tradition first established by Bob Gault.

Juha Ruokangas

Ruokangas Guitars

http://ruokangas.com/

Building his signature guitars in Finland, Juha is a masterful builder of supremely designed and assembled works of art. Simply put, he has no equal, and our very detailed interviews with him have been inspiring and informative.

Todd Sharp

Nashville Amp Service

http://toddsharpamps.com/

Todd is one of the greatest guitar players we know, and he also happens to build some of the best sounding guitar amplifiers on the planet as well as operating Nashville Amplifier Service. With us from the beginning, Todd is a frequent contributor to TQR, he has taught us much about the mystery of what makes an amp sound great, and he backs it up with a long career having played the guitar with Hall and Oates, Rod Stewart, and Delbert McClinton.

Tim Shaw Headshot

Tim Shaw

Fender Musical Instruments Corporation

A 40 year veteran of Gibson Musical Instruments and now famous for the “Tim Shaw” vintage Gibson humbuckers he created, Tim knows just about everything you could possibly fathom about building guitars. He has been an invaluable resource for us for nearly twenty years.

Randall C. Smith

Mesa Boogie Amplification

http://mesaboogie.com/

Mesa Boogie… as founder of these great amps, Randall made history after working at Prune Music in the ’70s fixing and modifying amplifiers for the rock legends of the day. Randall remains very much hands-on and our interviews have been fascinating and supremely informative.

Peter Stroud Headshot

Guitarist and bank leader with Sheryl Crow, Peter has played on a host of hits, and he is an unapologetic gear hound and tone freak. Peter is a truly great rocker with magical tones, an enthusiastic amp collector, and he has always been willing and able to share his secrets with us.

Ryan Wariner Headshot

Ryan Wariner

Ryan Wariner has literally spent his entire life dedicated to all things guitar. Growing up in an environment that gave him access to some of the greatest guitar players of all time and their instruments, he developed a natural understanding of both the music and the gear and a benchmark was created for tone and expression that he uncompromisingly seeks to this day. A player since he was very young, he has forged a career both on stages and in studios from Nashville to Los Angeles and beyond. He currently resides in Nashville Tennessee and when not busy searching for a NOS set of 6CA7s he can be heard recording and playing with Ann Wilson and Tripsitter.

Among all the great guitar players from Texas, count Buddy as one of the greatest of all time. Backing John Mayall for years, Buddy has store us up on many an occasion and his playing is simply mystifying and magical. He is very much into tone, how to get it on stage and he succeeds.

Mike Voltz Headshot

Mike Voltz

Mike began his career at the Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery, followed by a stint at Sho-Bud while repairing and restoring vintage guitars. He joined Gibson in 1984 working closely with Earl Scruggs and Chet Atkins, while managing Chet’s product line. He then moved from Custom Shop Manager for Artist Relations, Acoustic Product Manager for Epiphone, the Gibson acoustic team in Bozeman, Montana, and then spent eight years in Memphis where he managed the recreation of Gibson’s ES models from the ’50s and ’60s. Mike just retired in December 2020 and remains an invaluable resource for us at TQR.

Christopher Young

Jupiter Speakers

https://www.jupiter-speakers.com

Christopher is the visionary founder of both Jupiter Condenser and Jupiter Speakers. Since embarking on his journey in 1999 with capacitors and later expanding into the realm of speakers in 2011, he has been unwavering in his dedication to perfecting the art of sound reproduction. With a deep-seated passion, Christopher is attuned to the myriad of colors and emotions that music brings to life. An avid collector, his discerning taste is evident in his collection of vintage audio from Western Electric and RCA. Away from the world of audio, he finds solace in the serene beauty of the Cuyahoga Valley, often immersing himself in its waterscapes and the tranquility they offer.

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