ThroBak Guitar Lounge

Why Heritage Guitars Are Giving Gibson a Run for Their Money
Is Heritage the best value in USA-made guitars today?
Upgrade your guitar with ThroBak Pickups 👉 https://www.throbak.com/

Are Heritage Guitars really giving Gibson a run for their money?
In Episode 032 of the ThroBak Guitar Lounge Podcast, Jon Gundry and Matthew Quail put modern USA-made guitars to the test with a live A/B comparison between a Heritage H-150 Custom Core and a Gibson Custom Shop 1950s Les Paul Reissue.

If you’re wondering which guitar delivers the best tone-per-dollar, build quality, and long-term value, this episode breaks it all down.

📬 The ThroBak Mailbox

Jon and Matthew answer real-world player questions, including:

• How to properly humidify guitars during winter
• String choice and how it affects tone and feel
• Community-driven guitar tone debates

🎸 Player-Grade Vintage: Future Vintage?

Are some new guitars of today destined to become tomorrow’s player-grade vintage collectibles?
Jon explains how he identifies guitars with long-term desirability and what separates future classics from short-term hype.

🔥 Guitargument: Heritage vs. Gibson

Is Heritage’s Custom Core lineup challenging Gibson’s Historic reissues for ownership of Kalamazoo’s guitar legacy?
Jon and Matthew take opposing sides in a spirited debate over:

• Build quality
• Tone authenticity
• Brand heritage and more

Cooler heads prevail in the Cool Down… or do they?

🎵 Rorschach Riffs & Musical Musings

Four new Rorschach Riffs to test Jon — and you

Musical Musings covering:

• Famous guitarist birthdays
• Rolling Stones tour news

🎥 WATCH • COMMENT • SUBSCRIBE

Which would you choose — Heritage or Gibson?
Drop your take in the comments and subscribe for more vintage-inspired guitar tone, industry debate, and real-world comparisons.

#HeritageGuitars #Gibson #LesPaul #ThroBak #GuitarTone #GuitarPodcast #BoutiqueGuitars #KalamazooGuitars #USA-MadeGuitars #Guitargument
Why Heritage Guitars Are Giving Gibson A Run For Their Money
Upgrade your guitar with ThroBak Pickups 👉 https://www.throbak.com/

🎸 Gear Used in This Episode

Guitars:
• 2025 Heritage H-150 Custom Core
• 2023 Gibson 1958 Les Paul Reissue

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

Restoring a Vintage Gibson ES-335 - Reclaiming the Tone & Mojo
Upgrade your guitar with ThroBak Pickups 👉 https://www.throbak.com/

Is owning a vintage Gibson ES-335 out of reach? In this episode of the ThroBak Guitar Lounge Podcast #031, Jon Gundry and Matthew Quail show how a player-grade vintage electric guitar can be carefully restored to reclaim its original tone, feel, and mojo—with patience, knowledge, and the right parts.

📬 The ThroBak Mailbox

The show kicks off with unfiltered viewer comments and questions, as Jon and Matthew dig into real-world guitar tone debates from the ThroBak community.

🎸 Player-Grade Vintage: 1968 Gibson ES-335

Next, we dive deep into a 1968 Gibson ES-335 that’s been thoughtfully returned to its natural state.

• Correct Patent Sticker early T-Top pickups
• Player-grade authenticity vs collector perfection
• Hear the guitar come alive in a classic ThroBak jam
• Is restoration about originality, tone, or both? We break it all down.

⚡ Lightning Round Guitargument

• Another fast-paced Lightning Round Guitargument fires up:
• Fender vs Gibson
• Strings, tone myths, and guitar lore
• Strong opinions, hotter takes

Cooler heads prevail in the Cool Down… or do they?

🎵 Rorschach Riffs & Musical Musings

Matthew challenges Jon and the audience with four new Rorschach Riffs.
Then it’s time for Musical Musings, covering:

• Famous guitarist birthdays
• Dave Stewart
• AI licensing and the future of music rights

Subscribe for weekly guitar tone debates, vintage gear deep dives, pickup comparisons, and industry insights from the ThroBak Guitar Lounge Podcast.

🎸 Gear Used in This Episode

Guitars:
• 1968 Gibson ES-335 - With Original T-Top Patent # Pickups
• Fender 70th Anniversary Fender Broadcaster — With ThroBak Nocaster- A3 Classic Pickups 
• 2025 Fender Squier Telecaster Custom

Amp:
• 1979 Fender Deluxe Reverb

Pedal:
• Nobels ODR-1 Overdrive

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.

Right Guitar or Right Pickups? How to Spend Your Money Smartly!
Upgrade your guitar with ThroBak Pickups: https://www.throbak.com/

Is your bad guitar tone caused by the wrong guitar or the wrong pickups? In ThroBak Guitar Lounge Podcast Episode 030, Jon Gundry and Matthew Quail break down one of the most common questions players ask: Should you buy the right guitar, or buy the right pickups?

📬 Viewer Mail & Vintage Gear Deep Dive

The episode kicks off with Jon answering viewer questions, followed by another Player Grade Vintage segment. Jon and Matthew explore the 1979 Fender Deluxe Reverb, discussing why it has a bad reputation among some players—and why pros like Marty Stuart swear by it. How can one amp be both underrated and iconic? We explain.

⚔️ Guitargument: Right Guitar vs Right Pickups

Matthew argues that pickups are the perfect tool to tailor and refine your tone, while Jon insists the guitar itself is the real culprit behind bad sound. Who’s right? Tune in to hear the debate.

😌 Cool Down + Black Friday Gear

In the Cool Down segment, Jon reveals his new Fender Squier Telecaster Custom, proving great guitars don’t have to cost a fortune and are deserving of great guitar pickup upgrades.

🎵 Rorschach Riffs + Musical Musings

Matthew challenges Jon and the audience with four new Rorschach Riffs, followed by his musical musings on concert films and why they matter to guitarists.

🎸 Gear Used in This Episode

Guitars:
• 2004 Gibson R7 Historic Reissue Les Paul — ThroBak '57 SteelHead MXV pickups
• 2006 Heritage H-150 — ThroBak SLE-101 MXV pickups
• 2024 Fender Squier Telecaster Custom

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 Black Friday Mega Sale! INSANE Deals on PAFs, Tele Pickups & More (Limited Time!)
🔥 Upgrade your guitar with ThroBak Pickups: https://www.throbak.com/

🎸 BLACK FRIDAY THROUGH CYBER MONDAY — 20% OFF Select ThroBak Gear!

Use coupon code: THANKS20 at checkout.

Sale Items (20% OFF):
• SLE-101 MXV P.A.F. Repros https://www.throbak.com/paf-style-pickups-throbak-sle-101-mxv.html
• T-’59 MXV Telecaster Pickups https://www.throbak.com/throbak-t-59-telecaster-pickups.html
• StrangeMaster Germanium/Silicon Treble Booster https://www.throbak.com/strange-master-rangemaster.html

This is our once-a-year Black Friday–Cyber Monday sale, so grab these deals before they disappear!

🎧 Inside This Black Friday Edition of the ThroBak Guitar Lounge Podcast:

Jon Gundry and Matthew Quail demo three of our most requested pickups and pedals—all included in the 20% off sale.

1️⃣ SLE-101 MXV P.A.F. Reproduction Pickups

Hear these vintage-correct P.A.F. repros in:
• A Heritage H-150 Les Paul-style guitar
• A Gibson ES-335
Played clean and dirty so you can hear how the SLE-101 MXV responds in two classic P.A.F.-equipped body styles.

2️⃣ T-’59 MXV Telecaster Pickups

Demoed in a Jimmy Page Signature Fender Telecaster, both clean and overdriven.
These hand-wound Alnico 5 Tele pickups deliver the punchy, articulate tones that make the T-’59 MXV one of our most popular Tele sets.

3️⃣ StrangeMaster Treble Booster

Our tribute to the legendary Germanium Dallas Rangemaster, expanded with a Silicon mode inspired by the Zonk Machine and similar boosters used by:
Eric Clapton • Tony Iommi • Rory Gallagher • Brian May • Marc Bolan • Ritchie Blackmore

Hear how the StrangeMaster nails those classic treble-boosted rock tones—with even more flexibility.

🎵 Rorschach Riffs: Treble Booster Edition

Matthew takes you through iconic riffs associated with booster-driven tones—your chance to hear the StrangeMaster shine once again.

🗞 Plus: Matthew’s Musical Musings

A closing segment of thoughts, news, and commentary from the world of music and guitar culture.

🔔 Don’t Miss Out — Black Friday Deals End Cyber Monday!

If you’ve been waiting to upgrade your guitar with authentic vintage tone, this is the biggest ThroBak discount of the year.

ThroBak Black Friday Mega Sale! INSANE Deals on PAFs, Tele Pickups & More (Limited Time!)
Upgrade your guitar with ThroBak Pickups: https://www.throbak.com/

Gear used in video: 
Guitars:
2006 Heritage H-150 with ThroBak SLE-101 MXV pickups installed
1989 Gibson ES-335 with ThroBak SLE-101 MXV Pickups installed
2019 Fender Jimmy Page Signature Telecaster with ThroBak T-'59 MXV Telecaster pickups installed

Amp:
1979 Fender Deluxe Reverb
Pedal: Nobels ODR-1 Overdrive, ThroBak StrangeMaster

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.

Will Tariffs & Modelers Destroy USA-Made Boutique Guitar Pedals? 🎸🇺🇸
Upgrade your tone with ThroBak Pickups ➜ https://www.throbak.com/

Are rising U.S. import tariffs, skyrocketing component costs, and the explosive growth of digital modelers putting the American boutique guitar pedal industry at risk? In this episode of the ThroBak Guitar Lounge Podcast, Jon Gundry and Matthew Quail break down whether U.S. pedal builders can survive — or if the future of guitar effects is heading overseas.

Inside This Episode

• Viewer Mail – ES-335 + ThroBak PG-102 MXV Demo
We kick things off with a deep dive into the tones of the ThroBak PG-102 MXV P.A.F. humbuckers loaded into a 1967 Gibson ES-335. Jon and Matthew jam, answer viewer questions, and explore why the PG-102 is one of the most accurate PAF reproductions available today.

• Player Grade Vintage – Inside a 1967 Gibson ES-335
Jon gives a detailed look at an incredible player-grade vintage ES-335, sharing history, features, and what makes this particular 1967 model so special.

• Guitargument – Will Tariffs & Modelers Crush U.S. Pedal Makers?
We debate the big question:
👉 Are tariffs driving up pedal-building costs?
👉 Will boutique pedal makers be forced overseas?
👉 Can analog stompboxes compete with digital modelers and multi-FX units?
If you care about USA-made gear, this is a must-watch.

• Lightning Round – Guess the Riff!
Matthew brings four iconic riffs, played back-to-back. Can YOU identify all of them?

• Matthew’s Musical Musing
We close out with thoughts on the Gary Moore gear auction, plus a quick trip through Cars (the band) history.

Gear used in video: 
Guitars:
1967 Gibson ES-335 with ThroBak PG-102 MXV pickups installed
1963 Epiphone Newport Custom bass

Pickups:
ThroBak PG-102 MXV P.A.F. Repro Pickups
https://www.throbak.com/peter-green-paf-style-pickups.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.

Hand Wound vs Machine Wound Telecaster Pickups THE ULTIMATE Tone Test
Upgrade your guitar with ThroBak Pickups: https://www.throbak.com/

Hand wound vs machine wound Telecaster pickups, which has the best tone? Find out in today's ThroBak Guitar Lounge podcast when Jon Gundry and Matthew Quail do a live pickup tone test with two Telecasters. What are the benefits of hand wound pickups and machine wound pickups and does one win the day. Tell us your favorite choice in the comments.

Jon and Matthew follow up with their industry insights about the closing of G&L guitars. Jon also shows photos of the aftermath of the Dean Markley Vicksburg Michigan factory closing in 2016.

Then another Guitargument lightning round!

Following the Guitargument Matthew once again tries his best to stump the audience with four famous riffs played back to back.

Lastly Matthew muses musical about Rush tickets and David Coverdale's retirement.

Gear used in video: 
Guitars:
Jimmy Page Signature 1959 Fender Telecaster with ThroBak T-'59 MXV pickups
50's Fender Baja Telecaster with ThroBak T-'65 MXV pickups
1963 Epiphone Newport Custom bass

Pickups:
ThroBak T-'59 MXV pickups
ThroBak T-'65 MXV pickups
https://www.throbak.com/telecaster-pickups.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.

Upgrade your guitar with ThroBak Pickups. https://www.throbak.com/
ThroBak P.A.F. Repro Showdown: Alnico 4 vs Alnico 2 Tone Battle! Do you ever find yourself asking how different Alnico magnets affect the tone of a P.A.F. pickup? In this video hear an A/B comparison of ThroBak USA cast long A4 magnets vs ThroBak USA cast "Dry" long A2 magnets in ThroBak's new low output '57 SteelHead MXV P.A.F. reproduction pickups. Hear these pickups being compared in two Gibson Les Paul Goldtops and decide which Alnico magnet tone is best for you.

In the industry insights segment of this podcast Jon and Matthew talk about the start of the Holiday guitar sale season and what may be in store for guitar players. Also find out about ThroBak's plans for a Black Friday through Cyber Monday sale this season.

New Guitargument Lightning Round! Jon and Matthew take a rapid fire approach to the Guitargument with quick takes on guitar topics of the day.

Jon and the audience are in the hot seat again with another segment of Matthew's Rorschach Riffs where we name the songs that go with each riff.

In the Matthew's Musical Musings he asks viewers for advice about whether or not to attend the new Rush concert tour.

Gear used in video: 

Guitars:
2004 Gibson Les Paul Historic Reissue R7 
1968 Gibson Les paul Standard Goldtop converted to humbuckers
2020 Fender 70th Anniversary Broadcaster

Pickups:
ThroBak '57 SteelHead MXV P.A.F. Repros with Long A4 Magnets
https://www.throbak.com/paf-style-pickups-throbak-57-steelhead-mxv.html
ThroBak Nocaster - A3 Classic MXV, NC-A3 pickups

Amp:
1979 Fender Deluxe Reverb
Pedal: Nobels ODR-1 Overdrive Anniversary Edition

Make sure to watch the ThroBak Guitar Lounge Podcast each Saturday on YouTube.

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.

Upgrade your guitar with ThroBak Pickups. https://www.throbak.com/
Guitar Face: Secret Weapon or Useless Grimace?

In today's Guitargument and Cool Down Jon Gundry and Matthew Quail of ThroBak Electronics argue whether the guitar face is an essential part of a professional guitar player's repertoire or if is just a phony side show meant to deceive the audience into thinking the performance is harder than it is?

The podcast starts with questions from the ThroBak Mailbox about magnet choices for the new ThroBak '57 Steelhead P.A.F. repro pickups.

In the Industry Insights segment Jon Gundry and Matthew Quail talk about the possible degree of expected 2026 price increases in the guitar industry.

In a special visual Rorschach Riffs segment Matthew mimics a serious of four guitar faces of famous guitar  players. Jon and the rest of the audience must guess which artist is associated with a specific guitar face.

Following this Matthew shares more musical musings.

Make sure to watch the ThroBak Guitar Lounge Podcast each Saturday on YouTube.

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

Upgrade your guitar with ThroBak Pickups. https://www.throbak.com/
Fender vs Gibson: The Guitar Class War Nobody Talks About!
Is a Fender the guitar of the working man? Is a Gibson the guitar of the elite? Find out in episode 24 of the ThroBak Guitar Lounge Podcast.

In today's Guitargument and Cool Down Jon Gundry and Matthew Quail of ThroBak Electronics take sides in the age old battle of Fender vs Gibson electric guitars. Can the conflict between the working man's guitar and and the guitar of the blues lawyer be settled in the Guitargument? Jon and Matthew  try their best to defend each side of the Fender vs Gibson feud. In the Cool Down an epic guitar battle ensues in the ThroBak Guitar Lounge.

The podcast starts with the questions from the ThroBak Mailbox about the signs and affects of a failing Meteor-301 pickup winder friction disc. To watch the full video of Jon Gundry repairing a vintage Meteor ME-301 pickup winder the link.https://youtu.be/0CvfWEEPUlk?si=-cjteGoHHuQWtv7m

In the Industry Insights segment Jon Gundry and Matthew Quail talk about Ace Frehley. Layoffs at PRS are also discussed.

In the Rorschach Riffs segment Matthew plays four guitar riffs that Jon, Paul and the rest of the audience must identify.

Following this Matthew shares more Kisstory.

Guitars:
2004 Gibson Les Paul Historic Reissue R7 
2020 Fender 70th Anniversary Broadcaster

Pickups:
ThroBak '57 SteelHead MXV P.A.F. Repros with Long A4 Magnets
https://www.throbak.com/paf-style-pickups-throbak-57-steelhead-mxv.html
ThroBak Nocaster - A3 Classic MXV, NC-A3 pickups

Amp:
1979 Fender Deluxe Reverb
Pedal: Nobels ODR-1 Overdrive

Make sure to watch the ThroBak Guitar Lounge Podcast each Saturday on YouTube.

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.

Upgrade your guitar with ThroBak Pickups. https://www.throbak.com/
Mass-Produced Mayhem! -- Are Cheap Guitars The Fast Food of Tone?
Is the availability of new, cheap, high quality guitars creating a glut of guitars that the industry can't handle without some guitar makers going out of business?

In today's Guitargument and Cool Down Jon Gundry and Matthew Quail of ThroBak Electronics argue whether or not there are just too many guitars on the market. What are the implications for the guitar player and guitar makers when the availability of high quality cheap new guitars leads to an ever growing choice of guitar models and brands as well as an ever growing number of used guitars to choose from?

The podcast starts with ThroBak News concerning the repair of a vintage P.A.F. pickup winder at ThroBak. To watch the full video of Jon Gundry repairing a vintage Meteor ME-301 pickup winder the link.https://youtu.be/0CvfWEEPUlk?si=-cjteGoHHuQWtv7m

In the Industry Insights segment Jon Gundry and Matthew Quail talk about the potential future of G&L guitars and who they think could benefit from purchasing the company.

Before the Guitargument ThroBak's own Paul Hudson quizzes Matthew and Jon about the history of the band Kiss and their fans in the state of Michigan.

In the Rorschach Riffs segment Jon plays four guitar riffs that Matthew and the rest of the audience must identify.

Following this Matthew muses musical about his visit to a historical Kisstory location on the state of Michigan.

Guitars:
2004 Gibson Les Paul Historic Reissue R7 

Pickups:
ThroBak '57 SteelHead MXV P.A.F. Repros with Long A4 Magnets
https://www.throbak.com/paf-style-pickups-throbak-57-steelhead-mxv.html

Amp:
1979 Fender Deluxe Reverb
Pedal: Nobels ODR-1 Overdrive

Make sure to watch the ThroBak Guitar Lounge Podcast each Saturday on YouTube.

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.