Chad Jennings on Guitars, Growth & Staying Creative in a Weird Industry
Chad Jennings of Jennings Guitars returns to the pod after nearly seven years, and a lot has changed — finishes, neck shapes, and maybe even a few philosophical outlooks on life (and trucks). Blake and Chad catch up on what it means to keep building through hard seasons, why gloss finishes and roasted woods are calling his name, and how guitar design can be as much about patience as it is about precision.
They get into nerdy territory: un-potted pickups vs. potted, why baritones with single coils just hit different, and how slowing down production sometimes means getting more guitars done. There’s talk of Tone Shepherd amps, Lambertones pickups, flatwound string nightmares, old F-150s, and the sweet balance between staying inspired and staying in business.
It’s a wide-open chat about creativity, craftsmanship, and rediscovering the joy that got you into this world in the first place.
Check out Chad's work on his website HERE https://jenningsguitars.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
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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1:11:52
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1:11:52
Dave Hause on Long Games, Short Egos, and Good Songs
Dave Hause returns to teach a masterclass in “being an artist without losing your shirt, or your soul”.
We rewind to our last chat in February 2020, the night the NBA shut down while he was onstage, and how that chaos pushed him to build a label with his brother Tim.
We get into career math that actually works: why an email list beats the algorithm, the “bullseye” model for fans, and how to release music on your schedule without waiting for a mystery committee.
There are field notes on touring without wrecking your life, saying yes to the right weird opportunities (Springsteen on Broadway with a fan), and saying no to the ones that make you a wedding singer forever.
Dave’s advice for younger bands is simple: take care of yourself, your people, and your ego. Keep enough ego to step onstage. Not enough to ruin the van vibe.
Also discussed: Les Paul Juniors, Jubilee amps, tiny Whammy pedals, and how dad life keeps you honest. Fun, useful, slightly dangerous. Perfect.
Check out all things Dave on his website HERE https://www.davehause.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
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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1:09:29
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1:09:29
Broadway Will Eat You: Nashville Reality w/ Guthrie Trapp
This one’s for the lifers. Guthrie Trapp drops the polite industry brochure in the shredder and talks about building a real career in music. One you can live with and live on.
We get into session ceilings, artist freedom, and why “be present to win” beats waiting for permission.
Broadway bar marathons? Great for tips, terrible for souls. Social media mirages? Entertaining, not a business plan.
Guthrie walks through how he pivoted from sideman to solo voice, why endurance eats “talent” for breakfast, and how education and entrepreneurship buy you time to make your music.
It’s straight talk, a little spicy, and weirdly hopeful: work hard, tell the truth, and stop pretending the rented Ferrari is yours.
What you’ll learn:
How to spot (and outgrow) the session-player ceiling
The “be present to win” rule: geography, community, and showing up
Saying no as a strategy (and when to disappear for a minute)
Turning skills into income without hating yourself
Why consistency beats virality (and what to build instead)
Health, burnout, and staying useful to your own art
Check out all things Guthrie on his website HERE https://guthrietrapp.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
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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1:12:04
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1:12:04
Tommy Emmanuel!!!!
This episode is sweat, wood, and wire. Tommy Emmanuel explains why he plays for the humans in the seats, not the guitar forum in the balcony. How youthful shred became musical conversation.
How he built an audience by hand with posters and tiny ads until the rooms couldn’t hold it. He tells the story of the exec who laughed at “no market for instrumental music,” then the John Denver arena run that shut everyone up. Then it gets legendary.
A kid from Australia writes Chet Atkins in 1966, lands in Nashville years later, and day one turns into a marathon jam with Chet and Lenny Breau.
Yes. That happened.
Along the way you’ll hear hard earned lessons on building a career, touring, tone, and trusting your gut. If you’re into acoustic fingerstyle guitar, Nashville stories, Chet Atkins lineage, or just a killer Tommy Emmanuel interview, you’re in the right place. Hit play, share it with a friend.
Check out Tommy’s new record Living in the Light.
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
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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1:00:18
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1:00:18
A Mall For Musicians?
This week on the podcast I'm talking to Ryan Lynn of Eastide Guitar Repair, Hank Failing of Hank's Music Exchange, and Brad Boynton of Rhythm Traders.
All of these exceptional musical entrepreneurs have com together under one collective roof here in Portland, OR to form a one of a kind independent Music Mall.
I sat down in their basement to get the story of how they came together and how they see this new endeavor serving the local music scene and beyond.
It is a really cool episode with some really cool dudes! I think you'll dig it, so dive in and listen!
Check Out Hank's HERE https://www.hanksmusicexchange.com/
Check out Eastside Guitar Repair HERE https://www.eastsideguitarrepair.com/
Check out Rhythm Traders HERE https://www.rhythmtraders.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
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The year was 2015. Show host Blake Wyland intended to start a podcast where he took a deep dive with his guests from the guitar world to explain their rigs. What happened was that, but also a whole lot more. The show quickly evolved into discussions about people's lives. Guitars, pedals, amps, etc. are the central hub of the show, but it really is more about the PEOPLE behind all of it. Both the musicians who use the gear, and the folks that create these magical tools of expression. You can expect chats about songwriting, favorite bands, family, loss, addiction, conspiracy theories, philosophy, and most of all....... food. This podcast goes all over the place. Come take a ride.