Ask Zac

Have you ever had a home renovation or car repair where literally everything that could go wrong... went wrong? This is the guitar version of that story. In this episode of Ask Zac, I lay out the wild saga of my 1993 Jerry Jones Longhorn 6-String Bass. I fell in love with this copper-burst beauty on Reverb, bought it with overconfident assumptions, and quickly discovered a non-adjustable neck with severe relief. What started as a simple heat-press attempt spiraled into one of the most radica...

In this episode of Ask Zac, we take a deep dive into an absolute masterclass of a record and one of my all-time favorite albums: Rodney Crowell’s 1978 debut, Ain't Livin' Long Like This. While it wasn't a commercial smash upon its release, this album became a goldmine for the rest of Nashville, yielding huge hits for Waylon Jennings, Emmylou Harris, The Oak Ridge Boys, Alan Jackson, and The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Beyond the world-class songwriting, the record features an incredible all-sta...

On today's episode of Ask Zac, we dive into the surreal experience of performing on Jimmy Kimmel Live! alongside William Shatner, Brad Paisley, Taylor Goldsmith (Dawes), and Gordon Mote. Zac breaks down the backstory, from watching Monday Night Football at Shatner’s house 20 years ago, to recording an album of introspective spoken-word music with him in Nashville, and finally taking those tracks to late-night national television. Plus, a deep dive into the gear used for the performance, incl...

In this episode of Ask Zac, we take a deep dive into an unusual vintage instrument: the 1960 Danelectro 3923 Double Neck. From the early history of Danelectro to playing demos, modding options, and the famous Stevie Ray Vaughan connection, here is a full breakdown of this unique guitar/bass hybrid. Chapter Timestamps 0:00 – Introduction & Overview 1:54 – Channel Thanks 2:10 – The History of Danelectro & Nate Daniel 3:35 – The 1956 U2 Model & Innovation 4:16 – Unique Danelec...

Why would a legendary tone snob with Dumbles and real '59 Tweed Twins put his name on a digital amp? On today's episode of Ask Zac, we take a deep dive into the new Fender Joe Bonamassa Tone Master '59 High-Powered Tweed Twin, and what happened when I took it out on the road. Fender sent over one of these digital tweed powerhouses to review. As someone who uses digital and solid-state gear on stage (including recent televised Grand Ole Opry performances), I share my honest thoughts on why th...