Interviews 1
Paul Childers: Playing by his own rules
“Guitar-slinging superhero.” That’s how the venerable Nashville venue Acme Feed & Seed describes singer-songwriter Paul Childers – although you wouldn’t guess it from listening to Childers’ self-released 2017 debut, Naked Poetry. Stacked with soulful R&B influences and horn-fueled arrangements, the album serves its hot guitar licks — like the solo on “My Love of The […]
Eric Johnson on his Thinline Stratocaster
For over 40 years, Eric Johnson has dazzled audiences with his unique style of shredding. Throughout almost his entire career, he’s has used a Fender Stratocaster as his axe of choice. While he’s had his own signature Strat and pickups for some time now, Johnson and Fender have collaborated once again with stunning results. Introduced […]
Taylor Guitars V-Class: Stillness Meets
Motion
Taylor Guitars is shaking things up for 2018 (and beyond) with a completely redesigned bracing pattern called V-Class. Developed by Master Designer Andy Powers, this unique V-shaped bracing achieves two characteristics in acoustic guitar design: rigidity for sustain and flexibility for volume. The V-Class bracing creates strength and stability through the middle of the top, […]
Justin Meldal-Johnsen: A zZounds Exclusive Interview
As a master tonesmith both on stage and in the studio, Justin Meldal-Johnsen has worked with a number of acclaimed artists, showcasing his refined sense of sound in a variety of ways. From the hard electronic sound of Nine Inch Nails and the mellow grooves of Beck, to producing pop-punkers Paramore, JMJ’s versatility and vision […]
Rockers with a Cause: the Dayna Clay Project
“My music is the spiritual expression of what I am — my faith, my knowledge, my being…When you begin to see the possibilities of music, you desire to do something really good for people, to help humanity free itself from its hangups…” — John Coltrane When it comes to coping with feelings, many people turn […]
Adam Ezra on Making an Album with 400 Producers (and One Very Special Guest)
For folk-roots rocker Adam Ezra, music is a powerful force for bringing community together. So it’s no surprise that the Adam Ezra Group’s 2017 album Hurricane Wind is an all-hands-on-deck community effort, with some 400 fans playing a role in the production process — not only crowdfunding the project, but actually producing it. zZounds sat […]
Interview with Tom Jones of TV Jones
Tom “TV” Jones is one of a handful of elite luthiers and pickup winders guitarists know by name. His interpretation of the classic Filter’Tron pickups found in vintage Gretsch guitars are regarded as the best out there –Gretsch themselves commissioned Jones to develop pickups for their higher end models, and TV Jones pickups are loved by […]
Brad Paisley Interview at Summer NAMM 2017
This year’s Summer NAMM show was packed with incredible gear, but the highlight of our time in Nashville had to be meeting country and guitar superstar Brad Paisley. We were lucky enough to get to talk with him about his side gig in comedy, love of the Fender Telecaster, and of course, his new signature […]
Mojotone Pickup Designer David Shepherd
With a fascination for the playing techniques of Eddie Van Halen and an obsession with tinkering with guitars, David Shepherd was well on his way to a career in pickup design from an early age. Though he played in a few bands with friends in his native North Carolina, Shepherd said he wasn’t planning on […]
