Chasing Tone - Guitar Podcast About Gear, Effects, Amps and Tone

Wampler Pedals
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Welcome to the Chasing Tone Podcast! Join Brian Wampler, Blake Wyland, Richard Oliver, and a variety of special guests as they dive into the world of guitars, pedals, amps, and other guitar gear. From answering your burning questions to discussing bands, gigs, and the latest trends in the guitar world, we cover it all. Expect plenty of off-topic banter and a behind-the-scenes look at our work at Wampler Pedals. If you enjoy guitar podcasts that feel like hanging out with your musician friends, you'll love Chasing Tone.

  1. 4d ago

    637 - The worst time to start a pedal company, a Guitar Summit gear haul, and Fender cancels hum

    Brian, Blake, and Richard are back for Episode 637 of the Chasing Tone Podcast - The worst time to start a pedal company, a Guitar Summit gear haul, and Fender cancels hum Could you realistically start a pedal company and clear $50k in your first year? A Reddit thread and a 60 Cycle Hum livestream posed the question, and the guys have thoughts. Short version: this might be the worst possible moment to launch, but it doesn't matter if you love guitar gear. Speaking of falling in love with gear, Blake shows off a gorgeous player-worn 1965 Fender Mustang in Daphne Blue, and Richard gets genuinely misty-eyed over a 1992 Zoom 9002 ad that made him feel fifteen again. Then it's a proper Guitar Summit gear haul from Mannheim. Top of the pile is the Wampler Pedalhead, now tweaked and sounding mighty fine, alongside the upcoming Tone King Royce. The Boss EX-4 FX Expander gets the guys excited as a clever sidecar for small rigs - four effects at once, slow gear and slicer included - while the Two Notes Torpedo Captor X Pro is basically a Captor X thats been training with Arnie as it is pumped. There's also a jaw-dropping demo room that ping-pongs between sixteen heads and sixteen cabs at the flick of a switch - which Brian now needs in his life. Fender has announced it's "solved" single-coil hum with a secret metal plate under the pickguard - which, the guys note, looks an awful lot like a dummy coil that's been around for years (a humbucker plus twenty percent, as Blake puts it). Brian makes  a heartfelt pitch for a full retro mode on the Wampler website, complete with visitor counter and dancing baby Gifs. Knobless pedals, a skunk that smells like a Willie Nelson concert, missing out on both Google and Bitcoin, the BlackBerry movie, and Brian defending America's spelling one Reddit comment at a time...it's all in this week's Chasing Tone! We are on Patreon now too! Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/chasingtonepodcast) Courses and DIY mods: https://www.guitarpedalcourse.com https://www.bluesguitarmethod.com https://www.betterguitartone.com https://www.wamplerdiy.com Check out Oliver Effects: https://oliverfx.co.uk Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@chasingtonepodcast Find us at: https://www.wamplerpedals.com/ https://www.instagram.com/WamplerPedals/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/wamplerfanpage/ Support the show

  2. Sep 23

    636 - Brian meets one of his guitar heroes, the YouTube drama llama, and a groundhog the size of a dog

    Brian, Blake, and Richard are back for Episode 636 of the Chasing Tone Podcast - Brian meets one of his guitar heroes, the YouTube drama llama, and a groundhog the size of a dog Never meet your heroes - unless you're Brian, who finally got to hang out with George Lynch this week. Even better, Brian handed George a Terraform to cover chorus duty, and George promptly threw it straight into his chain and out onto the stage before a gig, leaving Brian sweating bullets that his own duct-taped personal unit would pick that exact moment to misbehave. It didn't, the crowd loved it, and the guys land on a new mantra: distortion plus chorus equals glorious.  That opens up a wider chat about meeting your idols... Then Richard breaks out the drama llama. A guitar-YouTube storm has been brewing around negative reviews, clickbait, and undisclosed business interests, and it's snowballed into a whole situation. The guys pick it apart thoughtfully: whether building a brand on negativity is a slow-motion soul-crush, why you have to be upfront about the companies you're tied to once you're a public figure, and how algorithmic slop (Richard's phrase, and he's sticking to it) rewards exactly the wrong instincts. Blake offers the brand's-eye view - you pay a creator for their time, skills, and audience, never for a glowing review - and Richard, naturally, invents a website called Guitar Mafia to fix the whole thing. He's joking. Mostly. But definitely.  There's plenty more where that came from: PRS rolling out Land Rover Defender-inspired Silver Sky guitars, Guitar Summit season descending on Germany, a tiny new Vox AC mini amp begging to live in a camper van, and an Electro-Harmonix Echoflanger with Adrian Belew's name on it. There are also rumblings of new amps on the horizon that we can't say too much about just yet... Tiny Terraform typefaces, groundhog day, skunk squatting, Shatner of puppets, a Tesla driver busted for shredding, and the great A-Team van color debate...it's all in this week's Chasing Tone! We are on Patreon now too! Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/chasingtonepodcast) Courses and DIY mods: https://www.bluesguitarmethod.com https://www.betterguitartone.com https://www.wamplerdiy.com https://www.guitarpedalcourse.com Check out Oliver Effects: https://oliverfx.co.uk Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@chasingtonepodcast Find us at: https://www.wamplerpedals.com/ https://www.instagram.com/WamplerPedals/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/wamplerfanpage/ Support the show

  3. Sep 16

    635 - Killer guitar songs, app overload, and the mixing trick that shouldn't work

    Brian, Blake, and Richard are back for Episode 635 of the Chasing Tone Podcast - Killer guitar songs, app overload, and the mixing trick that shouldn't work The guys kick off with the hardest songs they've ever had to learn as Richard's wrestling with The Killers' "Mr. Brightside," a deceptively simple arpeggiated riff up at the 17th fret that turns out to be an absolute finger-twister at 150 BPM. He panics when his pro-guitarist mate describes the song using a four-letter word unfit for any broadcast medium. Brian reminisces about slinging down a Steve Vai song at a high-school band tryout and never going back. Blake digs into some Bullet for My Valentine, and everyone marvels at Geddy Lee somehow playing wild Rush bass lines while singing a completely different melody on top. Then the guys look at this week's big debate: are apps ruining guitar gear? Richard makes the case that the moment an app sits between you and the pedal, it kills the experience - a pedal has five knobs, so why reach for your phone? Modelers, amps and power amps get a pass, but single pedals should just work under your feet.  There's talk of younger players going more analog than the hosts - buying tapes, old cars and Boss pedals - and whether modern rock has tipped into full cosplay, from Greta Van Fleet to costumed acts like Castle Rat, Ghost and Sleep Token, where the image increasingly outweighs the music. Richard geeks out over a production trick he found via Matt Berry on That Pedal Show. James Blunt, Flanders and Swann, The rest is a monopoly, the jet engine turning 100, and dancing widdershins round the maypole...it's all in this week's Chasing Tone! Support the show

  4. Sep 10

    634 - Marcus King melting faces, the great acoustic guitar rabbit hole, and Ola Englund's Pedalhead preview

    Brian, Blake, and Richard are back for Episode 634 of the Chasing Tone Podcast - Marcus King melting faces, the great acoustic guitar rabbit hole, and Ola Englund's Pedalhead preview Brian's hair may have entered a new era, so naturally the guys workshop his new mullet before anyone's allowed near a guitar. Once they get there, Richard is buzzing about Atomic Habitz at the Newport Jazz Festival - how could you not love Marcus King ripping through Funkadelic's "Red Hot Mama?" Turns out the kids really are gonna be alright.  Then it's down the acoustic rabbit hole: jangly Taylors, warm Gibsons, giant SJ-200s, and why buying an acoustic is a far more personal affair than grabbing a Strat online - though Richard's happy with his Acoustasonic Jazzmaster for now. His new, rockier, punkier band has also left him with an actual blister on his picking finger from blasting Green Day's "Basket Case" at 170-plus BPM, which of course means a proper chat about Helter Skelter, Ringo's blisters, and whether that little band from the UK ever amounted to much. Gear-wise, Ola Englund's tasty preview of the Pedalhead has everyone chomping at the bit, the new ToneX board gets a bigger screen, and there is Bullshine talk. Richard also somehow bends his high E clean over the pickup, and the eternal "how many guitars do you take to a gig" debate rages on. Brian gives us his signature hotdog eating impersonation.  The demented Tele, your custard is our pudding, 50p Oreos, Stevie Wonder, Shotguns fired...it's all in this week's Chasing Tone! We are on Patreon now too! Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/chasingtonepodcast) Courses and DIY mods: https://www.bluesguitarmethod.com https://www.betterguitartone.com https://www.wamplerdiy.com https://www.guitarpedalcourse.com Check out Oliver Effects: https://oliverfx.co.uk Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@chasingtonepodcast Find us at: https://www.wamplerpedals.com/ https://www.instagram.com/WamplerPedals/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/wamplerfanpage/ Support the show

  5. Sep 2

    633 - Nashville Bound: Boot Scootin' Boogie, Musical Deepfakes, and Eternal Glitter

    Brian, Blake, and Richard are back for Episode 633 of the Chasing Tone Podcast - Nashville Bound: Brooks and Dunn, Musical Deepfakes and Eternal Glitter   Brian is Nashville-bound to record his debut album, hang out at a Brooks and Dunn rehearsal, but the big question is whether he can get through it without kicking over another microphone (like he did with Brad Paisley). Before he sets off, the guys get into AI deepfakes, after a friend cloned Brian into saying unspeakable things about country music. That leads into discussion of a new guitar innovation - a guitar with an integrated fold-out kickstand - clever engineering, or a solution in search of a problem? Richard then confesses that he let Gemini set up ten presets on his floor modeler and came away a little shaken by how good the results were, which reopens the big question of whether outsourcing your tone quietly kills the fun of chasing it. The guys look at accessible guitars with Braille-friendly controls, Brian shows off a fake Marshall he insists on calling a "farshall," and Richard makes the case for the seatbelt guitar strap that 100% needs to exist. Also Brian is plagued by eternal glitter that still haunts his garage six years on. Pedal Coin, the Tupac case, GTA 6, cowboy boots on Broadway, Married with Children reruns, the windiest gig ever played...it's all in this week's Chasing Tone! We are on Patreon now too! Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/chasingtonepodcast) Courses and DIY mods: https://www.bluesguitarmethod.com https://www.betterguitartone.com https://www.wamplerdiy.com https://www.guitarpedalcourse.com Check out Oliver Effects: https://oliverfx.co.uk Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@chasingtonepodcast Find us at: https://www.wamplerpedals.com/ https://www.instagram.com/WamplerPedals/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/wamplerfanpage/ Support the show

  6. Aug 28

    632 - Brian gets attacked by a country legend, bats in the belfry, and a sad farewell

    Brian, Blake, and Richard are back for Episode 632 of the Chasing Tone Podcast - Brian gets attacked by a country legend, bats in the belfry, and a sad farewell Blake returns from the Fretboard Summit in Chicago which may have become his favorite city. He has a suprise but very welcome Chris Martin history lesson and a Mexican-Japanese omakase he can't stop thinking about, which somehow leads to skateboard-wheel pedal toppers and the world's longest string. Then Brian takes one on the forehead when a Garth Brooks water bottle finds its mark from twenty feet. The guys also pause as news breaks about the passing of Dolly Parton which genuinely shocks the guys and they struggle for words. Richard shares a couple of goosebump moments including an out-of-the-blue call from a guitarist who played on the first Bowie single he ever bought, and a lovely tale of David Gilmour personally helping hunt for lost gear at an eclipse-watching party. There's plenty more to get through, too. Richard reckons he has bats living in his chimney, JHS have shrunk the Andy Timmons into a curious new mini enclosure, and King Gizzard have turned up with an amp destroyer of a pedal. The guys also tease a Friedman release. Brian's Yoghurt Factory, The World's shortest string, Weeks versus days, RIP Frank Beard, Mini pedals...it's all in this week's Chasing Tone! We are on Patreon now too! Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/chasingtonepodcast) Courses and DIY mods: https://www.bluesguitarmethod.com https://www.betterguitartone.com https://www.wamplerdiy.com https://www.guitarpedalcourse.com Check out Oliver Effects: https://oliverfx.co.uk Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@chasingtonepodcast Find us at: https://www.wamplerpedals.com/ https://www.instagram.com/WamplerPedals/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/wamplerfanpage/ Support the show

  7. Aug 20

    631 - The cheat code for tonechasers and Brian gets heated and drops an f-bomb

    Brian and Richard are back for Episode 631 of the Chasing Tone Podcast - The cheat code for tonechasers and Brian get's heated and drops an f-bomb With Blake away eating pizza at the Fretboard Summit, Brian and Richard are left holding the baby, and swear they won't open with AI...yeah, right....Richard professes that a possibly-AI peppered piano playlist pervaded his daughter's wedding (say that after a couple of ales), and Brian floats a theory about record labels, capitalism and the Dark Side of the Pop Tart.  From the enshittification of everything to personalized audio recommendations, the guys land on the big question: if a machine just hands you Gilmour's tone from a single prompt, have you cheated the whole game? This somehow turns into a conversation about Brian's very specific coffee tastes. Brian also swears as he becomes heated and blows a gasket.  Richard shares a genuine "they're using my stuff" moment as his Fuzz pedal gets complements from a band that Richard covers in his own band and he also discovers a piece of hardware that Brian needs to own. The Illuminati, self-leveling frets, a Bass VI worth selling a kidney for, and the reason Brian should never set up his own guitar...it's all in this week's Chasing Tone! We are on Patreon now too! Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/chasingtonepodcast) Courses and DIY mods: https://www.bluesguitarmethod.com https://www.betterguitartone.com https://www.wamplerdiy.com https://www.guitarpedalcourse.com Check out Oliver Effects: https://oliverfx.co.uk Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@chasingtonepodcast Find us at: https://www.wamplerpedals.com/ https://www.instagram.com/WamplerPedals/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/wamplerfanpage/ Support the show

  8. Aug 13

    630 - Why do some people fake playing guitar, AI stupidity, and That Pedal Show made us do it

    Brian, Blake, and Richard are back for Episode 630 of the Chasing Tone Podcast - Why do some people fake playing guitar, AI stupidity, and That Pedal Show made us do it The heat is on, Brian may or may not have melted into a puddle of tiny miniature Brians, and the guys are wrestling with the big question: is AI going to save music or just set the whole planet on fire a bit faster? In gear terms it all loops back to captures: NAM A2 models are coming to affordable floor modelers, which is wonderful news...just please don't buy a boutique pedal, capture it, and send it back. It's on the street... Richard unveils his new guiding philosophy, the Rule of Tens - everything makes you ten times less than you hoped and takes ten times longer than you feared - survives his very first return with all the grace of a wounded schoolboy, and reminds everyone that this industry is pure, unglamorous hustle. Meanwhile Keeley has dropped a new tube-based pedal - and yes, it sold out before Blake could get his wallet out. Elsewhere, it is not a great week to own a YouTube channel. Friend of the show Henning Pauly got hacked and watched his entire channel vanish into a live crypto webinar, which sparks a proper rant about why the platforms that hand out shiny silver plaques cannot be bothered to protect the creators who earn them... And then there is the D'Addario AI debacle: after denying it, then producing receipts, they have now admitted the guitars in that video were faked with Suno. Skynet 3000, Justice for HP42, Tube-Based Vapes, Richard's Withered Plums, Buy It, Capture It, Send It Back...it's all in this week's Chasing Tone! We are on Patreon now too! Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/chasingtonepodcast) Courses and DIY mods: https://www.bluesguitarmethod.com https://www.betterguitartone.com https://www.wamplerdiy.com https://www.guitarpedalcourse.com Check out Oliver Effects: https://oliverfx.co.uk Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@chasingtonepodcast Find us at: https://www.wamplerpedals.com/ https://www.instagram.com/WamplerPedals/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/wamplerfanpage/ Support the show

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About

Welcome to the Chasing Tone Podcast! Join Brian Wampler, Blake Wyland, Richard Oliver, and a variety of special guests as they dive into the world of guitars, pedals, amps, and other guitar gear. From answering your burning questions to discussing bands, gigs, and the latest trends in the guitar world, we cover it all. Expect plenty of off-topic banter and a behind-the-scenes look at our work at Wampler Pedals. If you enjoy guitar podcasts that feel like hanging out with your musician friends, you'll love Chasing Tone.

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