This week we’re checking out a fuzz that’s been on Joe’s radar for a while — the Isle of Tone Haze 67, a boutique, late-’60s-inspired Fuzz Face-style pedal from our buddies at Isle of Tone in Austria. If you’ve ever wondered what happens when vintage-nerd obsession meets “let’s build it properly,” this one’s for you.

We crack it open, nerd out on what’s inside (yes, it’s a Hammond box, yes, we’re those guys), talk germanium vs silicon myths, and mess with the pedal’s resistor control to change the feel and saturation. Then we do what we always do: play it, argue about it, accidentally turn it into a Hendrix conversation, and somehow end up talking about Slash, Fortis, and why tone rabbit holes are a real condition.

Expect:

Isle of Tone Haze 67 fuzz tones + how it reacts to touch and pickups
Why this fuzz can sound less fuzzy than you expect (until it doesn’t)
A quick look at the guts (Germanium life)
Hendrix detours, Slash detours, and general unprofessionalism
The eternal question: are you becoming a fuzz person… whether you like it or not?

Drop a comment: What’s your favorite Hendrix tune? And are you a fuzz all-day person, or a “fuzz once a year and panic” person like… some of us?

And if you’re new here — hit subscribe, ring the bell, and welcome to the chaos.

If you’ve ever gone down the rabbit hole of elite session guitar tones, you’ve definitely heard a James Tyler guitar — even if you didn’t know it.

Built by master luthier James Tyler, James Tyler Guitars have earned a near-mythical reputation among professional players. These instruments aren’t just boutique — they’re legendary. Known for their bold aesthetics, ultra-playable necks, and incredibly versatile electronics, Tyler guitars have become a secret weapon for some of the greatest session musicians in the world.
Players like Dan Huff and Michael Landau have relied on James Tyler guitars to deliver world-class tones across countless recordings. From pristine cleans to soaring fusion leads to studio-tight rhythm tracks, these guitars consistently rise to the occasion. When the red light turns on, they simply work.

Yes — they are expensive. But there’s a reason. Every James Tyler guitar is meticulously crafted for tone, feel, and reliability at the highest professional level. The pickup configurations are wildly musical. The switching systems are incredibly flexible. And the responsiveness under your fingers is something you have to experience to fully understand.

These aren’t just guitars — they’re precision musical instruments designed for players who demand everything: clarity, power, nuance, and versatility. In this video, we’re diving into what makes James Tyler guitars so special, why top-tier session legends swear by them, and whether they truly live up to their iconic status.

If you love high-end guitars, legendary tones, and the artistry behind truly world-class instruments, make sure to watch this one!

In this episode of The Golden Age of Gear, we’re diving deep into the world of guitar speakers with the launch of the new Revv Amplification Classic Series speakers. Join us as we discuss the extensive prototyping process behind the RV90 and RV30, developed in collaboration with WGS to capture the best qualities of our favorite vintage and modern speakers. We’ll break down the sonic differences between the two, share the story of how a year of blind testing led to their creation, and put them to the test with a side-by-side audio comparison using the D20 MK2 and Joey Landreth series D20JL. Plus, we settle the debate on what to call a knit cap (spoiler: it's a toque).

In this episode of The Golden Age of Gear, we go deep into Gretsch land. Joey pulls out his vintage 1964 Chet Atkins Tennessean—a family heirloom from his dad, who modded it with TV Jones pickups, different wiring, and those famously cheesy-but-awesome painted-on F-holes. Derek brings in his modern White Falcon, a guitar he originally didn’t even want (he was chasing the classic orange 6120) until this one completely changed his mind the second he picked it up.

In this episode we’re talking dream guitars: the ones we obsessed over as teenagers, the ones we finally managed to buy, and the ones that still haunt our wishlists. We dig into a 1998 USA Peavey Wolfgang that served as a number one guitar for years, how it compares to the Ernie Ball/Music Man Van Halen model (now the Axis), and where the EVH Wolfgang and the striped Frankenstein-style Strat fit into Eddie’s signature lineage. Along the way we get into neck shapes, bird’s-eye maple, Floyd Roses, blocked vs floating trems, the D-Tuna, and why this particular Wolfgang has been one of the most stable instruments ever owned. We also talk honestly about string gauge myths (8s vs 9s vs 10–52 and even 19–68), tone, tuning, technique, and whether you should be “fighting” your guitar or making it as easy to play as possible. There’s some gear philosophy too: high-end custom shop pieces vs lots of mid/high-tier guitars, sentimental “case queens” vs daily drivers, and how our idea of a “dream guitar” has changed over time. Let us know in the comments what your dream guitar was as a kid, what it is now, and what string gauges and tunings you’re using—and if you enjoy hanging out and talking gear with us, hit subscribe and tell us what you’d like to see next.

In this episode of Golden Age of Gear, Derek and Joey break down their latest collaboration: the Dirt Dog overdrive — a pedal designed to capture the amp-like overdrive tones Joey used while recording Dog Ear, and recreate them reliably on a pedalboard.

What started as a conversation about chasing specific record tones turned into a deep dive on touch response, gain structure, and flexibility. The goal wasn’t just “another overdrive” — it was something that could move from clean boost to saturated drive, clean up with your volume knob, and feel more like an amp than a pedal.

We talk about:

How the Dirt Dog came together from early prototypes to final tweaks
Why amp-style overdrive is harder to get right than people think
Gain staging, EQ balance, and dialing the “in-between” tones
The importance of touch sensitivity and volume-knob cleanup
Why this pedal isn’t tied to a specific amp model — and why that matters

Along the way, Derek and Joey get sidetracked (as usual) talking about guitar technique, right-hand struggles, Winnipeg’s absurd talent pool, and why some pedals just feel better the more you play them.

If you’re into amp-like overdrive pedals, signature collaborations, or understanding how great tones actually get built, this episode is for you.

👇 Let us know in the comments
What kind of overdrive do you reach for most? Do you prefer amp-style pedals or classic circuits? And what tones should we chase next?

DSM Humboldt Dumblifier | Golden Age of Gear Ep. 55

In this episode of Golden Age of Gear, Derek and Joey check out a brand-new release from DSM Humboldt — an analog Dumble-style amp simulator designed to capture classic ODS tones in a compact, pedalboard-friendly format.

Known for their Simplifier series, DSM Humboldt takes a different approach here: pure analog circuitry, dual channels, built-in reverb, cab simulation, and direct-out capability — all aimed at players who love Dumble-style amps but don’t love hauling (or affording) a six-figure amplifier.

We dig into:

What makes Dumble-style / ODS circuits feel and respond the way they do
Clean vs dirty channel interaction and gain staging
Power amp feel vs pedal feel
Analog cab simulation (and why most of them miss the mark)
Using this as an end-of-board solution or straight into a power amp
How this stacks up against other Dumble-style pedals and solutions

Most importantly, we talk about feel — how this responds under the fingers, how it handles single coils vs humbuckers, and whether it actually delivers the bloom, sustain, and midrange complexity people chase in Dumble-style amps.

If you’re into Dumble-style pedals, amp-less rigs, analog amp simulation, or pedalboard-based touring setups, this one’s worth watching.

👇 Let us know in the comments
What’s your favorite Dumble-style pedal or amp sim? Have you tried DSM Humboldt gear before? And what should we put into a full ODS shootout?

Like, subscribe, ring the bell — and we’ll see you next week.

Dan Armstrong Orange Squeezer | Golden Age of Gear Ep. 54

In this episode of Golden Age of Gear, Derek and Joey go deep on one of the most divisive effects in guitar history: compression. Starting with the famously weird Dan Armstrong Orange Squeezer (yes, the Lego-looking one), the conversation quickly turns into a real-world discussion about why players use compressors, when they actually make sense, and why so many guitarists (including us) have struggled to love them.

From vintage slide tones inspired by Lowell George, to modern pedalboard-friendly compressors like the Analog Man Bi-Comp, we explore how compression shapes sustain, attack, feel, and tone — and why it can be magical in one context and completely unbearable in another.

This episode isn’t about telling you what to like — it’s about figuring out what compression actually does, how players really use it, and whether there’s a version out there that adds sustain without killing your tone.

Along the way, we cover:
The Dan Armstrong Orange Squeezer and why it inspired so many modern compressors
Why compressors feel incredible for slide guitar (and awful for some players)
Compression as a solo boost vs always-on effect
Attack, sustain, and the dreaded “puffy” sound
Why some players swear by compression — and others can’t stand it
The never-ending hunt for a compressor that adds sustain without artifacts

As always, this episode is equal parts tone nerdery, real-world experience, and friendly disagreement — which is kind of the whole point of Golden Age of Gear.

👇 Let us know in the comments:
Do you love compressors? Hate them? Use one only for solos? Or have you found the compressor that does exactly what we’re talking about?

If you’re enjoying these conversations, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and ring the bell so you don’t miss future episodes. We’ve got a lot more gear debates coming.