Ask Zac

My 5 Favorite Delay Pedals (Plus an Honorable Mention)

Delay is hands down my favorite guitar effect. It’s the ultimate tool for adding space, fattening up your tone, and creating depth, whether you're playing fast count

Richard Bennett's Genius on Steve Earle's “Guitar Town”

On this episode of Ask Zac, we take a deep dive into Steve Earle’s landmark 1986 album Guitar Town and, in particular, the incredible guitar work of Richard Bennett. Ben

My Favorite Seymour Duncan Pickups

In honor of Seymour Duncan’s 50th anniversary, I’m taking a look at some of my favorite Seymour Duncan pickups, and the guitars I use them in. I’ll start with a little S

Why My Baritone Tele Got a B-Bender

Eight months ago, I built a baritone Telecaster with some friends. Since then, it has traveled with me all over the United States and Europe on tours, stages, airplanes,

Remembering Jerry Jones: The Guitar Builder Who Changed Nashville

In this episode of Ask Zac, I’m paying tribute to the late, great Jerry Jones, one of Nashville’s most respected guitar repairmen, builders, and innovators. Before becom

The Danelectro 6-String Bass I Used on the Today Show w/ Brad Paisley | "This Town" Breakdown

On today’s Ask Zac, I’m talking about playing in the context of a band, specifically how I used a Danelectro 6-String Bass (Tic-Tac Bass) with Brad Paisley on the Today S

Why I Don't Like Overdrive Pedals & The 4 That Make The Cut

If you grew up on the pristine, dynamic guitar tones of the 1950s and early 60s, standard overdrive pedals can often sound artificial, overly compressed, and flat-out unn

Tracking Brad Paisley's Tackelbox Album & His 2026 European Tour

Brad Paisley recently started rolling out tracks for his ongoing project, Tacklebox, and I had the absolute honor of sitting in the studio to track these songs. But the c

The Phil Kubicki Story - From Fender To Factor Bass

On today's episode of Ask Zac, we are diving deep into the life, career, and brilliant innovations of one of the most important former Fender employees and guitar bu

My Frankenstein 12-String & Bass 6 Danelectro Double-Neck

When you get the gig playing auxiliary and utility guitar for a world-renowned Telecaster master like Brad Paisley, you run into a unique problem: How do you cover parts

What It's Like Playing The Grand Ole Opry

Have you ever wondered what it's really like to play the Grand Ole Opry? In this episode, I share stories from my most recent appearance with Brad Paisley, including

The Wicked Stepchildren of the Telecaster - The 70s Tele Custom & Telecaster Deluxe

Ever wondered why the 1970s Fender Telecaster Custom and Telecaster Deluxe are some of the most misunderstood guitars Fender ever built? In this episode of Ask Zac, we ta

The Album That Changed Eric Clapton Forever - J.J. Cale's Naturally

In this episode of Ask Zac, I take a deep dive into Naturally (1971), the landmark debut album that quietly shaped the playing of Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, Tom Petty,

Learn to Feed Yourself Musically (Don't Be Spoon-Fed)

Most players hit a wall the same way, cycling through the same licks, searching for something new, and ending up lost in endless videos. Here’s a better way. In this vi

Tales From The Tele Town Concert

The lowdown on Fender's concert at the historic Ryman Auditorium to celebrate the Telecaster's 75th Anniversary.   What a night at the Mother Church of Country

Standel & The Tragic Genius of Bob Crooks - The Man Who Invented the Boutique Amp

The Man Who Invented the Boutique Amp: The Tragic Genius of Bob Crooks Before Dumble was a household name, and before Mesa/Boogie revolutionized the high-gain stack, ther

I Built My Perfect String Sets For My Telecaster & Baritone With D'Addario

Most players settle for whatever string set is on the shelf, but I’ve been piecing together custom sets since the early ’90s. In this video, I build my perfect custom str

A Look At A 1949 Bigsby Guitar - Rarer Than Rare!

Before the Telecaster… before the Les Paul & the Strat… there was Bigsby. In this video, we take a deep dive into a 1949 Bigsby electric guitar, one of the earliest soli

James Pennebaker Interview

Best known for his longtime work with Delbert McClinton, James Pennebaker has been one of the most tasteful and versatile guitarists in Nashville for decades. Starting hi

The Gibson ES-335 - Their Best Design

The only Gibson model I’ve ever really connected with is the ES-335. While I’ve always gravitated toward Fender, the 335 is one Gibson that I think absolutely got right.