ThroBak Guitar Lounge

Is Your Guitar STILL Vintage… After All Those Repairs? Vintage Delusions!
The Guitar of Theseus – ThroBak Guitar Lounge Podcast Episode 042
Upgrade your guitar with ThroBak Pickups 👉 https://www.throbak.com/

At what point does a vintage guitar stop being vintage?

• If the finish has been stripped…
• If the neck has been replaced…
• If the pickups have been rewound…
• Is it still the same instrument — or just wearing the costume of one?

In Episode 042 of the ThroBak Guitar Lounge Podcast, Jon Gundry and Matthew Quail tackle the vintage guitar version of the Ship of Theseus — and along the way explore the tone, history, and mythology surrounding original P.A.F. pickups and unoriented Alnico 5 magnets.

🎙 Intro
Jon and Matthew set up the central question: authenticity versus continuity. In a market obsessed with “all original,” where exactly is the line? And who gets to draw it?

📬 ThroBak Mailbox
A listener writes in asking about the history of unoriented Alnico 5 magnets in vintage P.A.F. pickups.

• Were they used in the late 1950s?
• How do they differ from standard oriented A5?
• And why do they matter to tone chasers today?

Jon breaks down the metallurgy, magnet structure, and tonal implications behind this often misunderstood detail in late-50s humbuckers.

🎸 Pickups of the Week
This week we explore the tonal character of unoriented A5 magnets in:

• ThroBak SLE-101 Plus MXV
• ThroBak JW-102B MXV

Jon demonstrates how these pickups respond dynamically, comparing their attack, midrange texture, and harmonic bloom in two different Gibson Les Paul guitars.

⚡ The Guitargument
The Guitar of Theseus

The big debate:
If you replace the neck…
Refinish the body…
Swap the electronics…
At what point does a vintage guitar stop being vintage?

Is originality about wood and metal?
Or about continuity of ownership and history?

🧊 The Cool Down
How do collectors, players, and builders think differently about originality?
Does tone matter more than untouched solder joints?
And why does this debate refuse to die?

🎶 Rorschach Riffs — Electric Edition
Matthew returns with another electric installment of Rorschach Riffs — interpreting shapes and suggestions into spontaneous musical ideas. Pure instinct. No rehearsal. A tonal stress test for any “vintage” guitar.

🎬 Matthew’s Musical Musings
A follow-up to last week’s discussion: Matthew shares his full thoughts on the Elvis IMAX film EPIC, reflecting on spectacle, mythmaking, and how legacy is constructed — a fitting parallel to the vintage guitar conversation.

Gear used in this video:
Pickups:
ThroBak JW-102B MXV P.A.F. Repros 
https://www.throbak.com/paf-style-pickups-throbak-jw-102b.html
ThroBak SLE-101 Plus MXV P.A.F. Repros
https://www.throbak.com/paf-style-pickups-throbak-sle-101-plus.html

Guitars:
• 2023 Gibson 1958 Reisse Les Paul
• 1952/'57 Vintage Gibson Les paul Conversion
Amp:
• 1979 Fender Deluxe Reverb
Pedal:
• Nobels ODR-1 Overdrive
• Nobels ODR-1 Overdrive

ThroBak Electronics is a world leader in classic reproduction guitar pickups. To learn more visit.:
https://www.throbak.com/p90-pickup.html
https://www.throbak.com/paf-pickups.html
https://www.throbak.com/stratocaster-pickups.html
https://www.throbak.com/telecaster-pickups.html
https://www.throbak.com/alnico-magnets.html
https://www.throbak.com/pedals.html
https://www.throbak.com/strings.html

ThroBak Electronics, located in Grand Rapids Michigan, was established in 2002 to bring the best of vintage tone back to the guitar player of today.Make sure to watch the ThroBak Guitar Lounge Podcast each Saturday on YouTube.

The Perfect Score: Build a Gold Medal Guitar Rig (1 Guitar, 1 Amp, 2 Pedals)
Upgrade your guitar with ThroBak Pickups 👉 https://www.throbak.com/

Welcome to the ThroBak Guitar Lounge Podcast, where today we’re going for gold. 🥇 In this Olympic-themed episode, Jon Gundry and Matthew Quail take on the ultimate tone challenge: if you could only choose one guitar, one amp, and two pedals, could you build a rig worthy of a perfect score? No endless pedalboards. No studio trickery. Just four pieces of gear that have to cover clean, crunch, and full-tilt lead — and deliver true gold medal guitar tone. Let the Guitar Olympics begin.

🎙️ Introduction
The Guitar Olympics begin. Jon and Matthew lay out the rules of engagement: simplicity over excess, discipline over distraction. Can restraint actually unlock better tone?

📬 ThroBak Mailbox
Top-Wrapped Burst Meets Marshall. We hear a top-wrapped Gibson 1958 Reissue Les Paul through a Marshall SV20H Studio Vintage amplifier. Does the minimalist rig already sound medal-worthy? The raw response and dynamic feel set the benchmark.

🎸 Pickups of the Week
ThroBak ’57 SteelHead MXV (Alnico 4) P.A.F. Repros
We hear the ’57 SteelHead A4 set in a 2004 Gibson 1957 Reissue Goldtop Les Paul, again through the Marshall SV20H, exploring how magnet choice and pickup design influence response and harmonic bloom.

⚡ The Guitargument
Gold Medal Guitar Gear: What Wins?

Jon and Matthew debate their ultimate podium rig:
• The best single electric guitar
• The one amp that must do it all
• The two pedals that complete the system

🧊 The Cool Down
After the competition heats up, cooler heads evaluate the results. What actually matters when building a rig for the real world? Where do players overcomplicate things?

🎶 Rorschach Riffs — Electric Edition
Matthew plugs in and interprets tone on instinct alone. No prep. No rehearsal. Just feel and phrasing 

🎬 Matthew’s Musical Musings
Matthew shares thoughts on the new Elvis IMAX film EPIC, reflecting on spectacle, legacy, and the power of performance at scale.

Whether you’re chasing vintage P.A.F. tone, building a streamlined stage rig, or wondering if less really is more — this episode challenges you to rethink what “perfect” actually means.

🥇 If you had to choose only four pieces of gear, what would make your podium?

Subscribe, comment, and join the Guitar Olympics.

Gear used in this video:
Pickups:
ThroBak MT-102B P.A.F. Vintage Reproduction Pickups
https://www.throbak.com/paf-style-pickups-throbak-mt-102b.html
ThroBak '57 SteelHead P.A.F. Vintage Reproduction Pickups
https://www.throbak.com/paf-style-pickups-throbak-57-steelhead-mxv.html

Guitars:
• 2004 Gibson 1957 Reissue GoldTop Les Paul with ThroBak '57 SteelHead A4 Pickups
• 2023 Gibson 1958 Reissue Les Paul with ThroBak MT-102B MXV Pickups
• 2025 Heritage H-150 Custom Core
Amp:
• Marshall SV20H Studio Vintage 20-watt Amplifier
Pedals:
• Nobels ODR-1 Overdrive
• ThroBak Overdrive Boost
https://www.throbak.com/overdrive-boost-overdriver-power-boost.html

ThroBak Electronics is a world leader in classic reproduction guitar pickups. To learn more visit.:
https://www.throbak.com/p90-pickup.html
https://www.throbak.com/paf-pickups.html
https://www.throbak.com/stratocaster-pickups.html
https://www.throbak.com/telecaster-pickups.html
https://www.throbak.com/alnico-magnets.html
https://www.throbak.com/pedals.html
https://www.throbak.com/strings.html

ThroBak Electronics, located in Grand Rapids Michigan, was established in 2002 to bring the best of vintage tone back to the guitar player of today.Make sure to watch the ThroBak Guitar Lounge Podcast each Saturday on YouTube.

Is There Such a Thing as a Perfect Guitar? Myth vs Reality
👉 https://www.throbak.com/

Welcome to the ThroBak Guitar Lounge Podcast, where real-world guitar tone, vintage knowledge, and no-nonsense debate take center stage. In this episode, Jon Gundry and Matthew Quail dig into one of the most hotly debated questions in modern guitar culture: is it reasonable to expect a brand-new guitar to be perfect?

Here’s what’s covered in this episode, in order:

📬 Viewer Mailbox

We kick things off by answering a viewer question about how to decode the ThroBak guitar pickup naming system. Jon breaks down what the model numbers, letters, and suffixes actually mean—and how players can use that information to choose the right pickup for their guitar and playing style.

🎸 Pickups of the Week

Jon plugs in and plays ThroBak KZ-115 MXV P.A.F. reproduction pickups installed in a 2015 Heritage Guitars H-150, giving listeners a clear, real-world look at how these pickups respond in a classic single-cut style guitar.

Jon and Matthew also dive into the history of the vintage KZ/LP-115 pickup winder, the original Gibson Kalamazoo-era machine used to wind late-1950s P.A.F. pickups. This week marks the 11-year anniversary of ThroBak’s acquisition of this historic winding machine, now an integral part of ThroBak Electronics’ pursuit of historically accurate P.A.F. reproductions.

⚔️ Guitargument

Is There Such a Thing as a Perfect Guitar? Myth vs Reality
The main debate of the episode tackles whether it’s reasonable—or even realistic—to expect perfection when buying a new guitar, regardless of price. Jon and Matthew argue both sides, exploring manufacturing realities, player expectations, cosmetic flaws vs functional issues, and how the idea of “perfect” has evolved in the modern guitar market.

🧠 Rorschach Riffs (Electric Edition)

Matthew switches to electric guitar for this week’s Rorschach Riffs, challenging listeners to identify familiar musical ideas through abstract, tone-driven playing.

🎵 Matthew’s Musical Musings

Matthew closes the content portion of the show by breaking down how streaming versions of classic LPs have altered original album content, sequencing, and flow, and why these changes matter to listeners who grew up with the vinyl format in mind.

🔊 Outro Gear Peek

In the outro, Jon and Matthew reveal a new Marshall amplifier head from Marshall Amplification that will be used for future Pickups of the Week demonstrations, giving viewers a preview of what’s coming next on the show.

If you care about guitar tone, vintage accuracy, and honest conversations about the realities of modern guitar gear, you’re in the right place.
👍 Like, subscribe, and join the discussion—is the perfect guitar real, or just a myth we keep chasing?

Gear used in this video:
Guitars:
• 2015 Heritage H-150
• 2025 Heritage H-150 Custom Core
Amp:
• 1979 Fender Deluxe Reverb
Pedal:
• Nobels ODR-1 Overdrive

ThroBak Electronics is a world leader in classic reproduction guitar pickups. To learn more visit.:
https://www.throbak.com/p90-pickup.html
https://www.throbak.com/paf-pickups.html
https://www.throbak.com/stratocaster-pickups.html
https://www.throbak.com/telecaster-pickups.html
https://www.throbak.com/alnico-magnets.html
https://www.throbak.com/pedals.html
https://www.throbak.com/strings.html

ThroBak Electronics, located in Grand Rapids Michigan, was established in 2002 to bring the best of vintage tone back to the guitar player of today.Make sure to watch the ThroBak Guitar Lounge Podcast each Saturday on YouTube.

Boutique Guitar Pickups & Boutique Advice | ThroBak Guitar Lounge Podcast
👉 https://www.throbak.com/

What does boutique really mean in the guitar world—and does that idea extend beyond gear into broader guitar advice itself?
In this episode of the ThroBak Guitar Lounge Podcast, Jon Gundry and Matthew Quail explore the balance between generosity, expertise, and sustainability in today’s guitar community, alongside tone talk, jams, and listener favorites.

🎙️ Introduction

Jon and Matthew kick things off with a look at how boutique builders, players, and educators fit into a guitar world overflowing with information, opinions, and advice.

📬 Viewer Mailbox

A listener asks about our favorite non-Custom Shop Les Paul–style guitar, and the answer might surprise absolutely no one: the Heritage H-150 Custom Core. We break down why it continues to stand out for tone, build quality, and real-world value.

🎸 Pickups of the Week

This week’s spotlight is on the ThroBak MT-102B MXV P.A.F. replicas, faithfully derived from the original P.A.F. pickups found in Mick Taylor’s legendary 1959 Les Paul Burst from his time with The Rolling Stones.
Jon and Matthew put them to the test with a jam, featuring Jon on a Gibson 1958 Reissue Les Paul loaded with ThroBak MT-102B Custom pickups.

⚡ The Guitargument & Cool Down

Boutique Pickups & Boutique Advice
Time building vs. time with customers, Jon and Matthew take opposing views, debating how builders, shops, and experts can serve the community without burning out. The Cool Down brings perspective, nuance, and common ground.

🎶 Rorschach Riffs (Acoustic Edition)

Matthew switches things up with an acoustic guitar version of Rorschach Riffs. No pedals, no amps—just ears, instincts, and musical memory.

🎼 Matthew’s Musical Musings

Matthew reflects on Robbie Robertson’s memoir and its insights into creativity, collaboration, and leadership. He also discusses Joe Bonamassa’s new tribute album honoring B.B. King, released to commemorate what would have been B.B. King’s 100th birthday.

Whether you’re here for tone, gear, philosophy, or the joy of talking guitars, this episode invites everyone into the conversation—no boutique membership required.

🎸 Subscribe, comment, and tell us where you think the line should be drawn.

Gear used in this video:
Guitars:
• 2023 Gibson 1958 Reissue Custom Shop Les Paul
Amp:
• 1979 Fender Deluxe Reverb
Pedal:
• Nobels ODR-1 Overdrive

ThroBak Electronics is a world leader in classic reproduction guitar pickups. To learn more visit.:
https://www.throbak.com/p90-pickup.html
https://www.throbak.com/paf-pickups.html
https://www.throbak.com/stratocaster-pickups.html
https://www.throbak.com/telecaster-pickups.html
https://www.throbak.com/alnico-magnets.html
https://www.throbak.com/pedals.html
https://www.throbak.com/strings.html

ThroBak Electronics, located in Grand Rapids Michigan, was established in 2002 to bring the best of vintage tone back to the guitar player of today.Make sure to watch the ThroBak Guitar Lounge Podcast each Saturday on YouTube.

NAMM 2026 Verdict: Was the Show Actually Worth It? | Real Cost vs Real Value (Part 2)
Upgrade your guitar with ThroBak Pickups 👉 https://www.throbak.com/

In Episode 038 of the ThroBak Guitar Lounge Podcast, Jon Gundry and Matthew Quail deliver their final verdict on NAMM 2026 after actually walking the show floor. Is NAMM still worth the time, money, and effort for guitar players, builders, and industry insiders — or has the value equation changed for good?

🎸 ThroBak Viewer Mailbox
The episode kicks off with listener questions, including a deep dive into mixing Alnico magnet types in P-90 pickups, plus a discussion on correct vintage Gibson Les Paul M-69 pickup ring and pickguard colors and why those details still matter.

🔥 Pickups of the Week
Jon plugs in and plays the ThroBak ESG-102B MXV pickups installed in his Collings I-35LC, exploring tone, response, and why this set works so well in a semi-hollow guitar.

⚖️ The Guitargument: NAMM 2026
Jon and Matthew debate whether attending the 2026 NAMM Show was truly worth it for exhibitors, builders, and attendees — breaking down real costs versus real value now that the show is over.

❄️ Cool Down
Paul Hudson joins the conversation to share his first-time NAMM attendee impressions, offering a fresh perspective on the show.

🎸 Rorschach Riffs — Bass Edition
Matthew returns with another bass-focused round of Rorschach Riffs. Can you identify the songs just from the riffs?

🎵 Matthew’s Musical Musings
The episode wraps with photos and stories from the people we met at NAMM 2026, along with reflections on the personalities, conversations, and moments that made this year’s show memorable. Of special note Jon and Matthew discuss a new adjustable Amp Stand that will soon be available, the Amp Tiltor. https://amptiltor.com/

Whether you attended NAMM 2026 or stayed home, this episode gives you the honest, post-show reality check — no hype, just real talk from the floor.

👉 Subscribe for more real-world guitar tone, vintage insight, and industry debates from the ThroBak Guitar Lounge.

ThroBak Electronics is a world leader in classic reproduction guitar pickups. To learn more visit.:
https://www.throbak.com/p90-pickup.html
https://www.throbak.com/paf-pickups.html
https://www.throbak.com/stratocaster-pickups.html
https://www.throbak.com/telecaster-pickups.html
https://www.throbak.com/alnico-magnets.html
https://www.throbak.com/pedals.html
https://www.throbak.com/strings.html

ThroBak Electronics, located in Grand Rapids Michigan, was established in 2002 to bring the best of vintage tone back to the guitar player of today.Make sure to watch the ThroBak Guitar Lounge Podcast each Saturday on YouTube.

Are P.A.F. pickups foolproof? Why do so many P.A.F.-style humbuckers sound good—even inexpensive ones—while only a few sound truly great? In this episode of the ThroBak Guitar Lounge, Jon Gundry and Matthew Quail take on one of the most interesting tone debates yet.

We break down why the original P.A.F. humbucker design is so musically forgiving, how “good” is easy to achieve, and why the final leap to exceptional tone lives in the fine details most players never hear—or think about.

🎙️ Episode Segments

📬 Viewer Mailbox

Listener questions and comments.

🎸 Pickups of the Week

Jon and Matthew demo and discuss the ThroBak Koss-301 MXV post-repair-spec P.A.F. reproduction pickups, exploring:

• Why this spec exists
• What separates it from typical P.A.F. builds
• How subtle construction details affect feel, response, and harmonic complexity

⚔️ The Guitargument + Cool Down

“P.A.F. Pickups Are Foolproof”
We debate both sides:

• Why the P.A.F. design almost guarantees good tone

• Why great P.A.F. pickups are still rare

• Where the line between good and great actually lives

Then cooler heads prevail as we bring it all back to real-world playing and listening.

🧠 Rorschach Riffs

Matthew challenges Jon — and the audience — with short snippets of famous guitar riffs. Can you name them before Jon does?

🎶 Matthew’s Musical Musings

Matthew wraps the show with stories of memorable celebrity sightings at past NAMM shows, reflecting on how the industry—and the show itself—has changed over the years.

🔍 Topics Covered

P.A.F. pickups
Humbucker design
Vintage pickup tone
Good vs great guitar pickups
Pickup winding and materials
NAMM show memories
Guitar tone myths
Aftermarket pickups
ThroBak P.A.F. reproduction pickups

If you’ve ever wondered:

• Why cheap P.A.F. pickups can sound shockingly good

• Whether boutique pickups are worth it

• Or what really separates “close enough” from nailed it…this episode is for you.

👉 Upgrade your tone with ThroBak Pickups: https://www.throbak.com/

👍 Like, subscribe, and comment with your take: Is NAMM 2026 worth it — or are you sitting this one out?

ThroBak Electronics is a world leader in classic reproduction guitar pickups. To learn more visit.:
https://www.throbak.com/p90-pickup.html
https://www.throbak.com/paf-pickups.html
https://www.throbak.com/stratocaster-pickups.html
https://www.throbak.com/telecaster-pickups.html
https://www.throbak.com/alnico-magnets.html
https://www.throbak.com/pedals.html
https://www.throbak.com/strings.html

ThroBak Electronics, located in Grand Rapids Michigan, was established in 2002 to bring the best of vintage tone back to the guitar player of today.Make sure to watch the ThroBak Guitar Lounge Podcast each Saturday on YouTube.

Is NAMM 2026 Still Worth It? The Real Cost vs. Real Value. Is the NAMM Show still the best way to take the pulse of the guitar industry — or has the cost finally outweighed the value? 
Upgrade your guitar with ThroBak Pickups 👉 https://www.throbak.com/

Along the way, things get weird, informative, and very guitar-centric — just the way we like it.

🍩 Intro — Cinnamon Rolls & Nitrile Gloves

We kick things off with a fan-supplied box of cinnamon rolls. To protect the guitars (and maybe our dignity), nitrile gloves are deployed. A lighthearted, tongue-in-cheek start before diving into serious guitar talk.

📬 The ThroBak Mailbox

A viewer writes in with an unexpected benefit of the podcast: learning blues phrasing by playing along with our guitar jams.
We also discuss the new **Keith Richards signature Gibson ES-335 and what it represents in today’s market.

🎵 Pickups of the Week

Jon demonstrates the ThroBak ’55/’56-SB vintage P-90 Soapbar reproduction pickups installed in his 2009 Gibson R6 Historic Reissue Les Paul.
Classic Goldtop tones, real-world dynamics, and why early P-90 recipe details still matter.

🔥 The Guitargument & Cool Down

Is NAMM 2026 still worth traveling to Anaheim — or has it lost its role as the best gauge of the modern guitar market?
Jon and Matthew debate whether NAMM remains essential, or if builders and players now get better insight from direct-to-consumer sales, YouTube, and real customer feedback.

🧠 Rorschach Riffs

Matthew challenges Jon — and the audience — with short snippets of famous guitar riffs. Can you name them before Jon does?

📖 Matthew’s Musical Musings

Matthew reviews Last Rites, reflecting on legacy, honesty, and what it means when icons take one final look back.

🎸 About the ThroBak Guitar Lounge

The ThroBak Guitar Lounge is a weekly guitar podcast where tone, history, and real-world experience collide — no hype, no influencer fluff, just honest conversation about guitars, pickups, and the music that drives us.

👉 Upgrade your tone with ThroBak Pickups: https://www.throbak.com/

👍 Like, subscribe, and comment with your take: Is NAMM 2026 worth it — or are you sitting this one out?

ThroBak Electronics is a world leader in classic reproduction guitar pickups. To learn more visit.:
https://www.throbak.com/p90-pickup.html
https://www.throbak.com/paf-pickups.html
https://www.throbak.com/stratocaster-pickups.html
https://www.throbak.com/telecaster-pickups.html
https://www.throbak.com/alnico-magnets.html
https://www.throbak.com/pedals.html
https://www.throbak.com/strings.html

ThroBak Electronics, located in Grand Rapids Michigan, was established in 2002 to bring the best of vintage tone back to the guitar player of today.Make sure to watch the ThroBak Guitar Lounge Podcast each Saturday on YouTube.

The PAF Pickup Scam Nobody Warns You About — Paid, Waiting, Never Delivered
ThroBak Guitar Lounge Podcast

Upgrade your guitar with ThroBak Pickups 👉 https://www.throbak.com

What if the biggest danger in the vintage-style pickup world isn’t fake tone… but never getting your pickups at all?

In this episode of the ThroBak Guitar Lounge Podcast, Jon Gundry and Matthew Quail expose one of the most damaging and least discussed problems in the boutique pickup world: P.A.F. reproduction pickup scams built around endless delays, prepaid orders, and sellers who never deliver.

This isn’t about fake parts — it’s about real money, real players, and real orders that sit unfulfilled for 1–3 years while new buyers keep sending cash.

🎸 Why Guitar Scams Keep Happening

Scams have always been part of guitar culture. From finish and repair "experts" ghosting customers for refinishing, Les Pauls neck reset. To parts swapping and counterfeit guitars, high-value vintage gear has always attracted bad actors.

P.A.F. reproduction pickups are especially vulnerable to scams because for following reasons:

• Original vintage P.A.F.s sell for museum-level prices
• Players desperately want the tone
• Scarcity creates emotional buying decisions
• That combination makes it the perfect environment for a “paid, waiting, never delivered” scam.

Jon and Matthew break down the anatomy of a scam step by step, showing how it usually unfolds:

• A builder claims to have “the best P.A.F. repro ever”
• Prices are high to signal exclusivity
• Guitar forum shills appear with glowing praise
• Real testimonials mix with planted ones
• Claims of secret specs, hidden sources, and magic formulas
• Pre-payment required instead of a normal waitlist
• Orders pile up into a massive backlog
• Customers start posting polite, apologetic complaints
• Shills reassure everyone it’s just “temporary delays”
• Seller blames illness, parts shortages, or unforeseen issues
• Meanwhile, the seller quietly lists “in-stock” pickups on Reverb, eBay, or Facebook
• Promises of a big comeback and exciting future plans
• More time passes… and nothing ships
• Buyers go through the 7 stages of grief
• Finally, the truth breaks
• Years of unpaid orders come out
• Pitchforks come out next

This cycle has repeated again and again in the boutique pickup world.

🛡️ How to Avoid P.A.F. Pickup Scams

Jon and Matthew provide a real-world checklist to help guitar players protect themselves:

✔ Never pre-pay for delayed orders that should be handled with a waitlist
✔ Look for proof of work — photos, videos, shipments, active production
✔ Check business traffic: YouTube views, Facebook activity, Reverb & eBay feedback
✔ Ask for specifics when you see “USA Made” vs “Assembled in America”
✔ Buy from builders with a long, verifiable track record
✔ Be wary of self-proclaimed experts who appear out of nowhere
✔ If a legit builder has a waitlist, wait until the bottleneck clears

🎙 Why This Matters

Scams don’t just hurt buyers — they:

• Damage trust in legitimate builders
• Scare players away from boutique pickups
• Poison the entire P.A.F. reproduction market

This episode is about protecting guitar players and keeping the boutique pickup world honest.

To lighten the mood we end the show with another bass edition of Rorschach Riffs.

ThroBak Electronics is a world leader in classic reproduction guitar pickups. To learn more visit.:
https://www.throbak.com/p90-pickup.html
https://www.throbak.com/paf-pickups.html
https://www.throbak.com/stratocaster-pickups.html
https://www.throbak.com/telecaster-pickups.html
https://www.throbak.com/alnico-magnets.html
https://www.throbak.com/pedals.html
https://www.throbak.com/strings.html

ThroBak 2026 Gear Preview – New Pickups, Tone Innovations & What’s Next

Start 2026 the right way with an inside look at new ThroBak guitar gear for 2026. In this episode of the ThroBak Guitar Lounge Podcast, Jon Gundry and Matthew Quail reveal upcoming pickup designs, wiring innovations, and tone-focused developments currently in the works at ThroBak Electronics.

The show opens with a call to the ThroBak community: What new pickups or gear do YOU want to see from ThroBak in 2026? Drop your ideas in the comments and help shape the future of ThroBak tone.

🎸 Player Grade Vintage

Jon asks for viewer help in completing his Corona-made, Fullerton-spec Fender Stratocaster collection (1985–1987) and discusses what makes these guitars special from a player-grade vintage perspective.

🔥 Guitargument + Cool Down

Jon and Matthew debate what 2026 may hold for the guitar industry, including trends, challenges, and opportunities facing builders, players, and collectors.

🎛️ New ThroBak Gear Demo

Jon demos the new ThroBak H/S Telecaster pickup set and wiring harness, designed to extract the best possible tone from a humbucker + single-coil Telecaster configuration—covering clarity, balance, and real-world usability.

🎵 Rorschach Riffs – Special Bass Guitar Edition

Matthew challenges the audience with a special Bess guitar edition of Rorschach Riffs. Can you identify the songs from the riffs alone?

🎶 Matthew’s Musical Musing

To wrap up the episode, Matthew looks ahead to concert tours coming in 2026 and what guitar fans should be watching for.

🎥 Topics Covered in This Episode

• New ThroBak gear for 2026
• Pickup design & tone innovation
• H/S Telecaster pickup tone
• Vintage Fender Stratocasters (1985–1987)
• Guitar industry outlook for 2026
• Riff recognition challenge

👍 Like, subscribe, and comment to stay updated on ThroBak pickups, vintage-correct tone, and real-world guitar discussions—no hype, just tone.

Guitars:
• Fender Custom Shop H/S Telecaster

Amp:
• 1979 Fender Deluxe Reverb

Pedal:
• Nobels ODR-1 Overdrive

ThroBak Electronics is a world leader in classic reproduction guitar pickups. To learn more visit.:
https://www.throbak.com/p90-pickup.html
https://www.throbak.com/paf-pickups.html
https://www.throbak.com/stratocaster-pickups.html
https://www.throbak.com/telecaster-pickups.html
https://www.throbak.com/alnico-magnets.html
https://www.throbak.com/pedals.html
https://www.throbak.com/strings.html

ThroBak Electronics, located in Grand Rapids Michigan, was established in 2002 to bring the best of vintage tone back to the guitar player of today.Make sure to watch the ThroBak Guitar Lounge Podcast each Saturday on YouTube.

ThroBak Guitar Lounge 2025 Year in Guitar, our final podcast episode of the year. Join Jon Gundry and Matthew Quail as they look back on the biggest moments, surprises, wins, and disappointments in the guitar world throughout 2025 — with plenty of real-world tone talk along the way.

📬 Viewer Mail

The show kicks off with questions from the ThroBak community.
Jon dives into:

• Internal start wires and construction details in current production Gibson and Heritage  pickups
• How modern guitars compare to vintage specs
• His recent excellent buying experience with Eddie’s Guitars

🎸 Player-Grade Vintage

Jon breaks down the best (and worst) player-grade vintage guitar purchase of 2025:

• 1987 Lake Placid Blue AVRI ’62 Fender Stratocaster
• Where expectations met — and missed — reality

🔥 Guitargument & Cool Down

Jon and Matthew debate:

• The best things to happen in the guitar world in 2025
• The worst trends, products, and industry moves
• What these shifts mean for players, builders, and collectors going forward

🎵 Rorschach Riffs

Jon tries to stump Matthew and the audience with mystery riffs played on a:

• 2004 Gibson R7 ’57 Historic Reissue Les Paul
• Loaded with ThroBak ’57 SteelHead P.A.F. reproduction pickups

Can you name the riffs?

🎶 Matthew’s Musical Musing

Matthew wraps up the episode with thoughts on Höfner Guitars and the impact of their recent bankruptcy on the guitar industry.

If you love vintage guitars, modern guitar debates, pickup tone, Gibson vs Fender discussions, and real-world gear insights, this episode is a must-watch.

👉 Upgrade your guitar with ThroBak Pickups:
https://www.throbak.com/

👍 Like, subscribe, and join the conversation in the comments.
🎸 Gear Used in This Episode

Guitars:
• 1987 Lake Placid Blue AVRI '62 Fender Stratocaster
• 2004 Gibson R7 1957 Historic Reissue Les Paul with ThroBak '57 SteelHead pickups

Amp:
• 1979 Fender Deluxe Reverb

Pedal:
• Nobels ODR-1 Overdrive

ThroBak Electronics is a world leader in classic reproduction guitar pickups. To learn more visit.:
https://www.throbak.com/p90-pickup.html
https://www.throbak.com/paf-pickups.html
https://www.throbak.com/stratocaster-pickups.html
https://www.throbak.com/telecaster-pickups.html
https://www.throbak.com/alnico-magnets.html
https://www.throbak.com/pedals.html
https://www.throbak.com/strings.html

ThroBak Electronics, located in Grand Rapids Michigan, was established in 2002 to bring the best of vintage tone back to the guitar player of today.Make sure to watch the ThroBak Guitar Lounge Podcast each Saturday on YouTube.