This is the last episode of 2026!!! And just for that, I wanted to give you a special look at one of the other podcasts I do, Tape Spaghetti!

What happens when one of the biggest bands in the world takes on its industry’s Death Star?

In 1994, Pearl Jam was willing to find out. On this week’s Tape Spaghetti, Scott & Blake revisit the grunge-era showdown that pitted a group of scrappy rock idealists against Ticketmaster, the ultimate corporate monolith.

Having locked down every major venue in America, Ticketmaster strangled fans with specious “service charges” and squeezed bands with exclusivity contracts.

At the height of their popularity, Pearl Jam demanded fairer prices and more transparency. They even attempted to bypass Ticketmaster altogether by playing public spaces – but ultimately they had to put up with shady politics, convoluted permitting, and the reality that they were losing millions in revenue.

How did Ticketmaster go from a scrappy Arizona startup to a money-printing monopoly? In a world where we *still* pay $45 in convenience fees, this one hits home.

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I caught up with a good chunk of The Allegheny High boys in central Oregon while they were out doing what they do best: making Charles Wesley Godwin sound like a freight train and giving folks goosebumps.

We posted up near Bend for a hang that starts off with “are we about to get murdered?” energy… and quickly turns into a full-on origin story: the Beaver County scene that shaped them, jam nights that built their chops, and the larger-than-life local legends who taught them the most important rule of all: never take a gig off, even if a guitar ends up in a popcorn machine.

From there, we get nerdy in the best way: production philosophy (and why recording is basically 95% failure and 5% magic), the real behind-the-scenes of tracking big guitars, and that moment when a song hits so hard you have to sit in the dark and just… listen.

Also: stoner-rock riffs hiding inside “country,” touring gear that makes your heart do the pitter-patter thing, Boss pedal picks, and a Pittsburgh-area pizza style that sounds fake until you try it.

Keep up with the goings on here:

https://www.charleswgodwin.com/

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On this episode of The Tone Mob Podcast, Corey Congilio returns to hang out and pull back the curtain on what it actually looks like to build a modern guitar career in 2025.

We talk about trying to survive the algorithm game without losing your mind, why memes sometimes move the needle more than music, and how Corey is building his own tiny desk style live show right out of his studio – complete with a band, multiple cameras, a switcher, and a Zoom-powered hang so fans can ask questions in real time.

From there we get into the realities of being a working musician in Nashville: juggling sideman gigs, teaching, clinics, content, and trying to make the numbers add up when the live scene feels very different than it did pre-COVID. Corey shares stories from his years as a sideman, why he finally decided to step forward as an artist under his own name, and how he is approaching writing songs that are song-first with room for guitar, not just guitar-for-guitar’s-sake.

We also chat about music stores, good hangs, finding “your person” behind the counter, the coming wave of AI in music and lessons, and why real human connection is only getting more valuable. If you’re a player trying to navigate this weird era of online everything while still chasing good tones and good songs, this one is going to hit close to home.

Check out all things Corey on his website HERE https://coreycongilio.com/

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This time I am hanging out with Mike Leon, current bassist for CKY, and Igorrr. (Former member of Soulfly, Havok and The Absence.) We dig into how a kid who was obsessed with CKY movies and weird heavy bands ended up actually joining his favorite band, and how that path wound through DIY world tours, insane lineups and a whole lot of van miles.

Mike walks through his whole journey: discovering heavy music in the pre-internet days, cutting his teeth in The Absence, jumping into Havok, then getting the call from Soulfly, and finally landing in CKY literally days after leaving Soulfly. We get into the “law of attraction” side of all this, but with the real-world piece too, the boring but crucial part, consistency and doing the work for years when no one is watching.

Of course we nerd out on bass gear and tone. Mike talks about his first Fender PJ that felt like opening a treasure chest, his love affair with ESP basses, how his ESP MLB4 signature came to be, why longer scale lengths and heavier strings matter for low tunings, and how the humble Boss ODB-3 and a chorus pedal get you straight into Peter Steele territory. We also get into NAMM show chaos, what good artist relations actually looks like, and how his day job at Enki has him helping other artists solve real on-the-road problems.

We round it out with kids discovering heavy music, whether a new “Warped Tour era” is coming, and a spicy pizza take involving pineapple. If you are into CKY, Soulfly, metal bass tone, ESP gear, NAMM stories or just want to hear how sticking with it can literally change your life, this one is for you.

Give Mike a follow HERE https://www.instagram.com/mikeleonshreds

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Guitarist, songwriter, studio owner, guitar designer, Brian May collaborator, and professional bad record deal survivor Arielle stops by the show this week.

We get into how a shy, Queen-obsessed kid with doctor parents ended up moving to Hollywood at sixteen, landing at MI, meeting Brian May at a tiny bookstore, and eventually working with him on the West End production of We Will Rock You. From there we talk about touring with Eric Johnson, turning a Frankenstein “one guitar to rule them all” project into the Two-Tone model with Brian May Guitars, and why she keeps coming back to that original weird orangish color scheme.

Arielle also tells one of the gnarliest label stories ever heard on this podcast. We dig into the contract that owned her name and guitars, the lawyers who were not on her side, hiring a litigator she could not afford, being followed by a private investigator, going bankrupt just to get her art back, and how she rebuilt by slowly carving out her own path.

On the practical side, Arielle shares hard-earned advice for anyone trying to make a living in music right now: focusing on what you are actually extraordinary at, treating your art like a business, knowing when to say no, not chasing managers and labels before there is anything to manage, and remembering that in 2025 you often do not need a label to reach people. We also talk about fame being weirder than glamorous, Brian May and Eric Johnson as actual humans, a Metal Zone myth involving “Cliffs Of Dover,”

Check out all her stuff on her website HERE https://imarielle.com/

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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

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Coheed and Cambria’s low-end wizard, Zach Cooper, jumps on the pod to talk about how “sure, I’ll come play bass on that” somehow turned into 14 years inside one of rock’s most intense bands. We get into the strange chain of events that took him from a random studio call to full-time member status, plus what it really feels like when your life is buses, stages, foreign cities and a rotating cast of exhausted humans trying not to lose their minds together.

From there we talk survival: how to stay sane in the touring pressure cooker, why the gym can save your brain, giving people grace when everyone’s fried, and the moment you realize you’ve quietly become a grumpy dad yelling at traffic. There is dad energy, pineapple discourse, kid stories, and a lot of “okay, this is ridiculous but also kind of awesome” honesty about life on the road.

And yes, we absolutely nerd out on gear. Zach walks through his evolution from a sketchy catalog bass to the rig he drags around the world now, with enough fuzz, octave and delay options to rattle a starship. If you like Coheed, loud rigs, road stories, or just want to feel better about the state of your own messy music room, you’re gonna be into this one.

Follow Zach on Instagram HERE https://www.instagram.com/zacharyacooper

Check out all things Coheed HERE https://www.coheedandcambria.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

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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/

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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

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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/

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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

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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

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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

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