Axe Lords

By Axe LordsComedy Society & Culture Music

Axe Lords episodes

February 23 Zakk Wylde on Riffs, Tone, and Heavy Guitar Lineage
First things first. In case you’ve ever wondered, Zakk Wylde… hard case or gig bag? The answer is, “Neither, motherf—ers, I carry my guitar around sub-freezing New York City in proper Bezerker fashion, like a norse, warrior’s cudgel, exposed to the elements and ready for combat.” This is only one of the many questions that are answered when the Black Label Society, Zakk Sabbath, Pantera, and of course, Ozzy Osbourne guitarist visits the Axe Lords keep for some tough talk and hand-to hand-tomfoolery.
And while he’s ostensibly doing the rounds to promote Black Label Society’s forthcoming Engines of Demolition album, this is conversation that is delightfully far reaching: First guitars and why not to sell them, the meaning of the mysterious rune fretboard inlays on his Wylde Audio guitars, why Tony Iommi is the Henry Ford of hard rock, and how Ozzy Osbourne liked his ham sandwiches prepared. It’s a season-closer that feels like a hang—equal parts reverent, ridiculous, and obsessively specific.
Axe Lords is presented in partnership with Witz Comedy Podcast Network and Premier Guitar. Hosted by Dave Hill, Cindy Hulej and Tom Beaujour. Produced by Studio Kairos. Executive Producer is Kirsten Cluthe. Edited by Justin Thomas (Revoice Media). Engineered by Patrick Samaha. Recorded at Kensaltown East. Artwork by Mark Dowd. Theme music by Valley Lodge.
Follow Zakk @zakkwyldebls
Follow @axelordspod for news, updates, and cool stuff!

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1 hr 13 min
February 05 Paul Gilbert: Power-Drill Picking, the Ibanez Fireman, and Go-To Guitar Techniques
It takes a lot to fluster an Axe Lord, but the prospect of talking to Paul Gilbert about designing his Fireman guitars, getting a guided tour through his collection of vintage Ibanez treasures, and finding out how to properly rig a power drill for speed picking is almost more than any fan of highly technical guitar wizardry could stand.
Gilbert, who is promoting his rifftastic new concept album WROC - based on the George Washington-penned tome Washington’s Rules of Civility, is also the first, but hopefully not the last, Axe Lords guest to introduce cosplay to the show. To whit, he appears sporting a revolutionary war-styled Tricorn hat, the perfect accessory for schooling us not just in arcane bits of American history but also in the finer points of high-stakes shred protocol.
Axe Lords is presented in partnership with Witz Comedy Podcast Network and Premier Guitar. Hosted by Dave Hill, Cindy Hulej and Tom Beaujour. Produced by Studio Kairos. Executive Producer is Kirsten Cluthe. Edited by Justin Thomas (Revoice Media). Engineered by Patrick Samaha. Recorded at Kensaltown East. Artwork by Mark Dowd. Theme music by Valley Lodge.
Follow @axelordspod for updates, news, and cool stuff.
Follow @paulgilbert_official

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55 min
January 30 Warren Haynes: Gov’t Mule, the Allman Brothers Band, and Volume Knob Secrets
Warren Haynes walks into Axe Lords HQ like he’s done this a thousand times—and within minutes we’re deep into the stuff that actually matters: how you develop a voice standing next to a guitarist as singular as Dickey Betts, why the volume knob is not a decoration, and how “improv” gets better the moment you stop trying to have a good idea.
Along the way, the Gov’t Mule frontman and solo artist unpacks the real-life chain of events that turned a 19-year-old kid into a professional musician: the surprise call from country provocateur David Allan Coe that turned him into a hardened rod dog almost overnight, the daily grind of being a Nashville session singer, and the long game of learning what he calls the golden rule of playing in a two-guitar band: respect what the other player is doing while still being unmistakably yourself.
And because this is Axe Lords, we also get fully nerdy: the story behind that three-pickup SG Custom that went from the cover of Guitar World magazine to the Big House Museum in Macon, the red Custom Shop Strat that got stolen, and why he tours with no less than 20 guitars.
Axe Lords is presented in partnership with Premier Guitar and the Witz Comedy Network. Hosted by Dave Hill, Cindy Hulej and Tom Beaujour. Produced by Studio Kairos. Executive Producer is Kirsten Cluthe. Edited by Justin Thomas (Revoice Media). Engineered by Patrick Samaha. Recorded at Kensaltown East. Artwork by Mark Dowd. Theme music by Valley Lodge.

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1 hr 10 min
January 22 How Ty Tabor Gets That King’s X Sound (It’s Not Tubes)
Ty Tabor is one of those players whose unique tone has melted more message boards than you can shake a Strat Elite at, and whose lifelong commitment to solid-state amps is downright religious in its fervor.
The Axe Lords show no mercy in their inquisition as they compel Tabor to break down the classic King’s X rig and ooh and ahh as he explains how transistors force a different kind of playing. We also talk about how Tabor succumbed to tube temptation on Dogman — a move that almost gave a young Tom Beaujour a nervous breakdown, how he “floats” between major and minor, and what he’s fixing most often as a mastering engineer.
The episode ends on a more personal note as Ty shares how a serious accident derailed his ability to write music for years—and how he’s finally feeling those neural networks repair themselves as he works on a long-delayed solo album.
Axe Lords is presented in partnership with Witz Comedy Podcast Network and Premier Guitar. Hosted by Dave Hill, Cindy Hulej and Tom Beaujour. Produced by Studio Kairos. Executive Producer is Kirsten Cluthe. Edited by Justin Thomas (Revoice Media). Engineered by Patrick Samaha. Recorded at Kensaltown East. Artwork by Mark Dowd. Theme music by Valley Lodge.
Follow @axelordspod for updates, news, and cool stuff.
Follow Ty @tytabor and KingsX @kingsxofficial

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54 min
January 15 Captain Kirk Douglas of The Roots and the Guitar That Prince Destroyed
Captain” Kirk Douglas joins the Axe Lords for a wide-ranging conversation about how guitars shape a life—musically, culturally, and sometimes, literally. The longtime guitarist for The Roots (who also serve as the house band on the Tonight Show) traces his path from growing up with reggae, church music, metal, and soul to finding a musical voice that incorporates them all. Along the way, he reflects on the profound effect that Ozzy Osbourne had on his young psyche, how the music that we consume in our youth has an impact that never really fades, real amps versus modeling rigs, and the many wonders of Gibson SG. As an excruciating bonus, the episode also includes the unbelievable story of the vintage Epiphone Crestwood Prince borrowed from him for a live performance on the Tonight Show—and then proceeded to destroy right in front of Douglas’ eyes in an astonishing display of music royalty privilege run amok. Beam us up!
Axe Lords is presented in partnership with the Witz Comedy Network and Premier Guitar. Hosted by Dave Hill, Cindy Hulej and Tom Beaujour. Produced by Studio Kairos. Executive Producer is Kirsten Cluthe. Edited by Justin Thomas (Revoice Media). Engineered by Patrick Samaha. Recorded at Kensaltown East. Artwork by Mark Dowd. Theme music by Valley Lodge.
Follow @axelordspod for news, updates, and other cool stuff.

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1 hr 1 min
January 09 Courtney Cox on Guitar Tone, Touring Rigs, and Burning Witches
Burning Witches guitarist Courtney Cox joins the Axe Lords to talk guitar tone, technique, and the realities of life as a modern touring player. She breaks down how Burning Witches write and record across borders, work under tight studio timelines, and balance precision rhythm guitar with expressive lead playing.
Cox traces her path from early touring and her years with Iron Maidens to designing multiple signature guitars built for extended range, lower tunings, and long tours. She explains why learning by ear—not regimented practice—has always been central to her playing, and how ADHD shapes her focus, discipline, and creativity.
The conversation also gets deep into gear, including Friedman-based live rigs, pedal fly-date setups, adapting tone to backline amps, and protecting guitars from airport damage.
Axe Lords is presented in partnership with the Witz Comedy Network and Premier Guitar. Hosted by Dave Hill, Cindy Hulej and Tom Beaujour. Produced by Studio Kairos. Executive Producer is Kirsten Cluthe. Edited by Justin Thomas (Revoice Media). Engineered by Patrick Samaha. Recorded at Kensaltown East. Artwork by Mark Dowd. Theme music by Valley Lodge.

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59 min
January 02 Chris Stein on Guitars, Vintage Gear, and Blondie’s Sound
Chris Stein of Blondie joins the Axe Lords for a deep conversation about tone, technique, and the guitars that shaped Blondie’s sound from their early years at CBGBs to today. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer also explains why he dislikes relic guitars, how he came to his very un-punk fingerpicking picking technique and reveals that some of the band’s most iconic “synth” sounds were actually produced by guitars.
A thoughtful, opinionated, and unrelentingly wise-cracking look at creativity by a punk and new wave legend who Dave says is basically his best friend.
Make sure to stick around through the end of the episode for a deep dive into the design and build of Cindy’s D&D guitar.
Follow Chris @christein
Follow Cindy @cindyguitars
Follow @axelordspod for updates, news, and cool stuff.
Axe Lords is presented in partnership with the Witz Comedy Network and Premier Guitar. Hosted by Dave Hill, Cindy Hulej and Tom Beaujour. Produced by Studio Kairos. Executive Producer is Kirsten Cluthe. Edited by Justin Thomas (Revoice Media). Engineered by Patrick Samaha. Recorded at Kensaltown East. Artwork by Mark Dowd. Theme music by Valley Lodge.

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1 hr 2 min
December 18, 2025 How Pat Benatar guitarist Neil Giraldo took over the ‘80s airwaves
Neil Giraldo joins the Axe Lords for a deep dive into the guitars, amps, and outboard gear behind mega-hits like Pat Benatar’s “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” and Rick Springfield’s “Jessie’s Girl,” on which he nailed the legendary solo in one take, thank you very much.
The Ohio native (just like Dave!) walks us through his go-to BC Rich Eagle and Marshall 2x12 combo rig, how a Schaefer-Vega wireless feeding an Eventide H949 became his signature stereo sound, and why he leans on heavy strings, aggressive muting, and low gain instead of shred-style distortion. Neil also talks about how music grounded him as a kid, discusses his touring rig, and shares some of the secret recording tricks he uses to shape his tone in the studio.
Along with his musical partner and wife Pat Benatar, Neil is also the author of best-selling children’s book My Grandma and Grandpa Rock!
Follow @neilgiraldoofficial and @benatargiraldo for news, tour dates, and more.
Axe Lords is presented in partnership with the Witz Comedy Network and Premier Guitar. Hosted by Dave Hill, Cindy Hulej and Tom Beaujour. Produced by Studio Kairos. Executive Producer is Kirsten Cluthe. Edited by Justin Thomas at Revoice Media. Engineered by Patrick Samaha. Recorded at Kensaltown East. Artwork by Mark Dowd. Theme music by Valley Lodge.
Follow @axelordspod for updates, news, and cool stuff.

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55 min
December 11, 2025 From Muscle Shoals to Bond Street: Billy Reid’s Guitar-Obsessed Style
Designer, guitarist and certified culture tinkerer Billy Reid drops by Axe Lords to talk about the overlap between great guitars and great clothes — and why both have to look cool.
Tom, Dave and Cindy grill Billy on the leather jacket he made for Jimmy Page, the custom Gibson Hummingbird he designed, and his deep obsession with ’70s Japanese acoustics like Yamaha “red labels” and Tokai Cat’s Eyes.
Billy breaks down how Japanese builders and denim heads chase “perfect imitation,” how he hides signature details inside garments, and why some designs bomb at first only to become cult favorites — including wool shorts.
Axe Lords is hosted by Dave Hill, Cindy Hulej and Tom Beaujour. Produced by Studio Kairos. Executive Producer is Kirsten Cluthe. Edited by Justin Thomas at Revoice Media. Engineered by Patrick Samaha. Recorded at Kensaltown East, NYC. Artwork by Mark Dowd. Theme music by Valley Lodge. Follow @axelordspod for updates, news, and cool stuff.

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1 hr 4 min
December 04, 2025 Custom Lap Steel to Hot-Rod Strats: Larkin Poe’s Guitar Evolution
Larkin Poe’s Rebecca and Megan Lovell join Axe Lords to talk guitars, their new album Bloom, their blood-harmony superpowers, and how building a recording studio with your spouse is a terrific way to test the structural integrity of a relationship—not to mention your credit card limit.
Rebecca walks us through how she became the reluctant lead singer, why she mostly relies on the bridge humbucker in her Strat, and how open tunings both elevate your riffs and ruin your life onstage. Meanwhile, Megan traces her lap-steel journey from a back-breaking vintage Rickenbacker to her signature model Electro-Liege. Warning: You may think you suck at music after she rips an improvised episode outro for us!
Axe Lords is presented in partnership with Premier Guitar. Hosted by Dave Hill, Cindy Hulej and Tom Beaujour. Produced by Studio Kairos. Executive Producer is Kirsten Cluthe. Edited by Justin Thomas at Revoice Media. Engineered by Patrick Samaha. Recorded at Kensaltown East. Artwork by Mark Dowd. Theme music by Valley Lodge.
Follow @axelordspod for updates, news, and cool stuff.
Follow Larkin Poe @larkinpoe

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1 hr 3 min