We are absolutely thrilled to welcome back slide guitar legend Derek Trucks for his second appearance on the show. In this episode, we dive deep into the Tedeski Trucks Band's incredible new album, Future Soul, and discuss what it was like shaking things up with versatile producer Mike Elizondo. Derek also shares wild behind-the-scenes stories from their epic 10-night residency at the Beacon Theatre, including surprise sit-ins from icons like Cyndi Lauper and Jaimoe.
Guitar nerds, you won't want to miss this part: Derek tells us what it was actually like to play Jerry Garcia's legendary "Tiger" guitar and Frank Zappa’s fast-playing "Baby Snakes" guitar live on stage. We also swap stories from the Sun, Sand and Soul Festival, explore the true meaning of musical mastery, and discuss the physical toll of his unique hand-playing style. Tune in for a masterclass on the guitar and an unforgettable hang!
John Bohlinger puts the 3Bender SteelMaster through its paces on bass, a high-string, and an offset. This palm-bending device installs in minutes with no routing, plays nice with your whammy bar, and covers everything from ambient textures to pedal-steel country licks.
3Bender
SteelMaster
The SteelMaster™️ is a new string bender design that can be mounted to a JM Offset style guitar vibrato without the need for drilling any new mounting holes. It can be used on any string to add a smooth and in tune glissando to the music. The bender levers can also be stacked to move chord voicings by bending notes a half tone or full tone.
If you are searching for a no rout/no drill string bending option for your Stoptail G style guitar, reach out at info@3Bender.com. We may have a solution for you and the website is not updated just yet.
Monolord, who are currently in the midst of a U.S. tour following the release of their new album, Neverending, have partnered with Dunable Guitars for a pair of signature model instruments: Dunable USA Custom Gnarwhal and R2 Bass.
Monolord have been great friends of Dunable Guitars for almost a decade, using the brand’s guitars and basses as weapons of choice for their torrential downpour of heavy tones and catchy hooks live and in the studio. Neverending is a perfect showcase of their mastery in blending loud metal with great songwriting, and similarly an encapsulation of what Dunable instruments were built for.
Artist signature models for Thomas Jäger and Mika Hakki are long overdue, and Dunable is happy to finally present their Dunable USA Custom Gnarwhal and R2 Bass signature instruments, limited to only six of each model.
“Mika and I have been playing our Dunables for a couple of years now and to get your own instrument with your own specifications, it’s pure magic,” Jäger says. “These instruments came out great and we’re absolutely stoked.”
Hakki adds: “After years of using and owning several Dunable Guitars, it’s a great privilege to be part of the Dunable team with this amazing instrument. When Sacha Dunable asked us what color options we wanted for the instruments, I just saw this sick scorched bass in my mind, and he got probably equally as stoked on the idea as we did. Great minds twist alike!”
These guitars and basses feature a custom Monolord Icon graphic on the headstock, tuxedo stripe pickguard, and a charred Swamp Ash body, giving a classy yet grizzled look to these weapons of doom.
The single High-Wind P90 pickup in Jäger's Gnarwhal comes from Lollar Pickups, a company whose founder literally wrote the book on pickup winding. The P90 lends itself incredibly well to all applicable tones, from loud cleans to ultra heavy fuzz and distortion.
Hakki’s R2 Bass comes in two pickup variants - one with dual Dunable Katana pickups, for a hot output, but sharp attack, and one with a Dunable D-Split and D-J pickup combo, for a more traditional sound.
Grab one of these unique instruments while you can. Orders are live at this link: https://dunableguitars.com/
Most pickups treat your strings as a group. The 3rd Power MagFRAG platform treats them as individuals, using string-specific Alnico magnets tuned to the unique demands of each pair so every note arrives with the clarity, balance, and dynamic response it deserves.
This week's winner takes home a complete PraXIS set — the PraXIS Reveal in the neck position for maximum articulation and harmonic transparency, paired with the PraXIS Reference at the bridge for foundational authority and broad adaptability across any rig or playing style. Together they cover serious ground, from glassy cleans to full-throttle overdrive, without ever losing the feel of your instrument underneath it all.
MagFRAG™ pickups from 3rd Power Amplification introduce a new approach to passive pickup design by using a multi-magnet architecture instead of the traditional single bar magnet. Each pair of strings is voiced with a specific Alnico magnet type - Alnico II for the high strings, Alnico IV for the middle strings, and Alnico V for the bass strings - allowing each register of the guitar to respond with optimal clarity, balance, and dynamic feel.
This string-specific magnetic platform creates a pickup that remains open, articulate, and dynamically responsive, allowing the guitar, amplifier, and pedals to contribute more naturally to the overall tone. Rather than forcing a strong tonal color at the pickup itself, MagFRAG pickups are designed to act as a high-resolution interface between the player and the entire signal chain, revealing the instrument’s natural voice while preserving touch sensitivity across a wide range of gain structures.
The MagFRAG system is organized into two main families:
PraXIS™ Series – Designed as a balanced, open-sounding foundation that lets players shape tone primarily with their amplifier and pedals.
DriVE™ Series – A more assertive voice designed to generate additional harmonic energy and push the front end of modern rigs.
MagFRAG pickups are hand-built and offered in multiple configurations including humbuckers and single-coil formats, with standard and F-spacing options, multiple finishes, and four-conductor wiring for flexible installation.
The result is a pickup system that blends vintage construction methods with modern magnetic engineering, delivering exceptional note separation, balanced output across the strings, and a wide dynamic range that responds directly to the player’s touch.
Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC) announces the James Jamerson 1962 Precision Bass®, an era-correct tribute tothe bass that was nearly as iconic as the motown monolith who used it to redefine what the low end was capable of.
“From R&B, to Rock, to Jazz, Country and Reggae music… everyone owes a debt to James Jamerson. What he did on the 1962 P Bass has never been done. I am so honored to acknowledge that Fender changed everything with the 1962 Precision Bass,” said Raphael Saadiq.
James Jamerson was a phenom in the studio and the stage all throughout the 60s and 70s but more importantly, he drew the blueprint for how a bass part shouldfeel, groove and swagger in order to turn a song into a hit and thereby inspired generations of players to come. Such an indelible impact is impossible without the proper tools, and as far as Jamerson was concerned, none did the job quite like his trusty P Bass®. Its effortless playability, sleek design and undeniable low-end response was and is the path of least resistance between a killer idea and a polished, pitch perfect bassline that can tie an entire song together. This signature instrument harnesses the magic of the Jamerson’s own Precision Bass and offers it to players everywhere, giving them the opportunity to develop a style and tone that is entirely their own.
Born in 1936, Jamerson was introduced to live music through his grandmother and aunt, both church performers. Captivated by the energy of gospel and jazz, he taught himself piano and trombone before moving to Detroit at 18, where the downtown club scene pulled him toward the upright bass. After graduating high school, he began touring with local groups and by 1959 had become a fixture at Hitsville U.S.A., the recording studio that birthed Motown. It was there that Jamerson truly came into his own, laying down bass tracks for Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, John Lee Hooker and countless others, recordings now regarded as the foundation of modern electric bass playing.As a As a cornerstone of the Funk Brothers and throughout this storied catalog, one thing remains constant - the warm, polished sound of the Fender P Bass that would come to inspire greats like Geddy Lee, Pino Palladino, John Entwistle, Raphael Saadiq, Bootsy Collins, Leland Sklar, Nate Mendel, Geezer Butler, Tal Wilkenfeld, Freddie Washington, Bob Glaub, Matt Freeman, and countless musicians across the globe to pick up a bass and embark on their own journey towards greatness.
“I recalled saying to James as a teenager that he would be great one day! I am excited and happy those words have become a reality. James has received many awards, but the “P-Bass” is a tangible one. I hope you feel the funk and let the music play on!” said Annie Jamerson. “Thank you Fender, from my family and I, You Rock!”
The James Jamerson 1962 Precision Bass offers players all of the dynamic response, low end presence and stylish looks that helped elevate Jamerson to the top of his craft. This era-accurate instrument comes equipped with a custom split single-coil pickup that provides enough lush, low endfor any band but offers enough definition and punch so that fills, runs and embellishments won’t go unnoticed. The Heirloom sunburst nitro cellulose lacquer finish oozes with classic elegance and will patina gorgeously over time just like the real thing. A classic “C” shape neck, slab rosewood fingerboard, and chrome bridge and pickup cover all ensure that this bass plays, feels and looks like something that you would find in the live room at Hitsville circa 1963. This signature instrument gives players the unique opportunity to hold an integral piece of bass history in their hands and find the sound that speaks to them, just as Jamerson himself did nearly seventy years ago.
"Jamerson is the reason the bass is what it is today. His 1962 Precision Bass wasn't just an instrument, it was the heartbeat of an era," said Justin Norvell, Chief Product Officer, Fender Guitars. "As we continue celebrating 75 years of the P Bass, we wanted every player, from bedroom musicians to touring professionals, to be able to hold a piece of that legacy in their hands. From the Heirloom Nitrocellulose Lacquer finish to the custom James Jamerson '62 Precision Bass pickup, every detail was obsessed over to put that same magic in your hands. This recreation is our love letter to the man who made the groove non-negotiable."
James Jamerson 1962 Precision Bass®
(MSRP: $2,999.99 USD, £3249 GBP, €3799 EUR, $5,299 AUD, ¥478,500 JPY) James Jamerson is widely recognized as one of the most influential bassists of all time. Consistently ranked #1 on “greatest bassists” lists; Jamerson laid down the groove on dozens of hit songs that defined the Motown sound. His incredible musical prowess and signature style didn’t just define a genre, Jamerson rewrote the rulebook for what was possible on electric bass, influencing legends like Paul McCartney, Marcus Miller, John Entwistle, and Geddy Lee. Jamerson’s signature instrument was his beloved 1962 Precision Bass – the foundation beneath countless hits that shaped popular music forever. This stunning era-correct tribute instrument celebrates James’ legacy and his inseparable association with the Precision Bass, delivering the authentic vintage sound and feel that defined an era.
Every detail honors the original, from the premium Heirloom nitrocellulose lacquer finish to the era-correct neck shape that captures the feel of Jamerson’s legendary instrument. The custom James Jamerson ‘62 Precision Bass pickup celebrates those unmistakable tones that anchored the Motown hit factory. The Heirloom™ nitrocellulose lacquer finish delivers the authentic spirit and aging characteristics that made the original so special. The premium tone and meticulous attention to detail ensure this bass performs to the highest professional standards.
