In Episode 15 of The No Cover Charge Podcast, Tyler Larson and Jared James Nichols break down every phase of a guitarist’s life — from the first moment music grabs you to the highs, lows, gear spirals, plateaus, breakthroughs, and the reality of becoming a career musician. Expect hilarious stories, inspiring advice, honest struggles, and spontaneous riffing as Tyler and Jared reveal the universal stages all guitar players experience.

Whether you’re in the pre-guitar awakening phase, deep in the obsession phase, stuck in the plateau phase, overwhelmed by gear acquisition syndrome, or pushing through the practice and discipline phase, this episode will feel like therapy… with more overdrive.

Sit back, plug in, and enjoy a guitarist’s journey we all share.

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TIMESTAMPS

0:12 – Opening Jam in D, the People's Key

1:37 – Introducing today’s topic: the phases of a guitarist’s life

3:13 – PRE-GUITAR AWAKENING PHASE

4:06 – Wanting to be a drummer first

5:23 – Getting talked into guitar instead

6:07 – Early sounds that “unlocked” the instrument

7:28 – Discovering open-string magic

9:03 – The Incubus/Mike Einziger influence

10:03 – OBSESSION PHASE begins

12:17 – Learning why players sound different

13:35 – Unlocking nuance and tone

16:20 – PLATEAU PHASE — when everything feels wrong

21:15 – Rut-busting tricks and new tunings

24:24 – Entering the GAS PHASE

26:50 – First pieces of gear that changed everything

29:20 – Gear expectations vs. reality

31:13 – PRACTICE & DISCIPLINE PHASE

33:55 – Berklee stories & formative experiences

37:01 – Leaving the comfort zone

39:01 – Jared’s Guitar Center “Horror Story”

43:37 – The phase of becoming a CAREER MUSICIAN

46:16 – Why we keep playing: the same feeling from day one

47:53 – Walrus Audio Melee joystick pedal demo

49:18 – Final jam & wrap-up

Buy a Walrus Audio Melee

The No Cover Charge Podcast with Tyler Larson & Jared James Nichols is your all-access backstage pass to the world of guitar—and there's never a cover at the proverbial door. Hosted by two of the most passionate guitarists you'll find, Tyler and Jared deliver a mix of electrifying interviews with legendary guitarists, laugh-out-loud tales from the road, deep dives into guitar culture, and no-holds-barred gear talk.

Whether you're a lifelong shredder or just love music, you'll find something unexpected in every episode—a hidden gem, a new perspective, an epic jam, or a story that'll stick with you. It’s always a good time, and best of all? No cover charge.

Plug in and hang out.

Join Tyler Larson ( ⁨@MusicisWin⁩ ) and Jared James Nichols ( ⁨@JJNicholsMusic⁩ ) as they dig deep into the strangest, wildest, most unexplainable guitar gear they've collected over the years. From synth pedals that instantly break your brain to haunted stompboxes, octave chaos machines, forgotten vintage oddities, and micro-guitars that refuse to stay in tune, this episode is pure gear-nerd comedy gold.If you love guitar tone experiments, unpredictable sounds, and two friends losing it on camera over bonkers gear… this is the episode for you.Expect laughs, real tone talk, surprising discoveries, and some truly cursed noises. And if you wanna buy any of the gear in this episode, you can actually find some of it below...

Wanna buy one of these pedals?

Source Audio C4 Synth

Korg MIKU: good luck finding one

Boss Enhancer: good luck finding one

MXR La Machine (is unavailable now but...)

Boss Metal Zone, baby

Copper Sound Pedals Triplegraph: good luck finding one

Fender mini Stratocaster

TIMESTAMPS

0:00 – The funniest episode yet begins

1:45 – Introducing the Weird Gear Episode

2:28 – The mysterious Dark Planet guitar appears

3:06 – Jared admits he’s scared of synth pedals

4:30 – The FUNNIEST moment in the history of the show

5:59 – Discovering legitimately cool tones by accident

7:13 – Linking all pedals below (and why you’ll want the C4)

7:30 – The infamous MIKU pedal makes its entrance

8:52 – “We’re getting censored for sure” – the pedal screams at us

9:16 – The Enhancer pedal: what exactly is it?

11:10 – Seriously… is this thing doing anything?

11:34 – The sea-monster pedal emerges

12:43 – Pure chaos tones: “This pedal might be broken… nope.”

14:09 – The Metal Zone test, 2025 edition

15:44 – Isolated metal tones: so bad it’s good?

17:47 – Why weird tones actually inspire better riffs

19:00 – Jared tries to channel James Hetfield with no pick

20:57 – The Triplegraph, tap-dancing into madness

23:02 – The German chaos delay pedal takes over the room

26:25 – The tiny guitar that refuses to stay in tune

30:51 – Wrapping up + should we do Weird Gear Part 2?

The No Cover Charge Podcast with Tyler Larson & Jared James Nichols is your all-access backstage pass to the world of guitar—and there's never a cover at the proverbial door. Hosted by two of the most passionate guitarists you'll find, Tyler and Jared deliver a mix of electrifying interviews with legendary guitarists, laugh-out-loud tales from the road, deep dives into guitar culture, and no-holds-barred gear talk.Whether you're a lifelong shredder or just love music, you'll find something unexpected in every episode—a hidden gem, a new perspective, an epic jam, or a story that'll stick with you. It’s always a good time, and best of all? No cover charge.Plug in and hang out.

Guitar phenom Angel Vivaldi ( ⁨@AngelVivaldi⁩ ) joins Tyler Larson ( ⁨@MusicisWin⁩ ) for Episode 13 of The No Cover Charge Podcast — and this one is packed with tone talk, tour stories, creative philosophy, and plenty of laughs. From joining the Steve Morse Band, to never having used a pedalboard (wtf?!), to carving out space as a genre-bending artist, Angel opens up about growth, humility, tone chasing, and what truly matters in a musician’s life. Expect deep insights, inspiring stories, killer playing, and a whole lot of guitar geekery.If you love guitar tone, creative evolution, progressive metal, Steve Morse, or Angel Vivaldi’s incredible artistry, this episode is for you.

For all things Angel Vivaldi

Angel's artistic management service, Xenith Counsel

Check out Jared on tour!

TIMESTAMPS

0:00 – Where’s Jared? (UK tour update)

0:24 – Why Steve Morse wanted Angel in his band

0:54 – Angel plugs into a pedalboard for the first time

1:48 – The Frusciante tuning method

4:05 – Angel joins the Steve Morse Band

5:49 – Tone, frequency targeting, and crafting patches on tour

8:05 – Angel’s Latin, jazz, funk, and acoustic background

9:00 – Growing up with salsa, dancing, and church music

10:46 – Why many metal musicians don’t listen to metal

12:48 – Conversation on grind culture and creative hiatus

14:53 – How gear, fashion, and symmetry communicate identity

16:01 – Why Angel moved from Ibanez to Charvel

19:57 – Perspective: what if you couldn’t play anymore?

25:03 – Angel & Tyler SHRED BATTLE

26:03 – How guitar scenes have merged into one digital world

27:13 – What Angel learned from Steve Morse about adapting

28:55 – Angel’s upcoming tours, records, Charvel 7-string, and Xenith Counsel

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The No Cover Charge Podcast with Tyler Larson & Jared James Nichols is your all-access backstage pass to the world of guitar—and there's never a cover at the proverbial door. Hosted by two of the most passionate guitarists you'll find, Tyler and Jared deliver a mix of electrifying interviews with legendary guitarists, laugh-out-loud tales from the road, deep dives into guitar culture, and no-holds-barred gear talk.Whether you're a lifelong shredder or just love music, you'll find something unexpected in every episode—a hidden gem, a new perspective, an epic jam, or a story that'll stick with you. It’s always a good time, and best of all?

No cover charge.

Plug in and hang out.

Join Tyler Larson ( ⁨@MusicisWin⁩ ) and Jared James Nichols ( ⁨@JJNicholsMusic⁩ ) as they sit down with blues titan Josh Smith ( ⁨@JoshSmithGuitar⁩ ) for one of the most inspiring guitarist deep-dives we’ve ever filmed, for real! In this episode of The No Cover Charge Podcast, Josh opens up about tone chasing, creativity, gear myths, BB King’s 100th birthday album, insane string gauges (yes… 13s in standard tuning), improvisation, career evolution, and the mindset required to survive as a lifelong musician. Expect jaw-dropping playing, hilarious moments, killer stories from the road and studio, and some of the most honest guitar philosophy you’ll hear anywhere. If you love guitar, blues, tone, Telecasters, or just watching masters talk shop—this episode is for you.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠

⁠⁠The No Cover Charge Podcast on Spotify⁠⁠

⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠

⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠

⁠⁠Facebook⁠

The No Cover Charge Podcast with Tyler Larson & Jared James Nichols is your all-access backstage pass to the world of guitar—and there's never a cover at the proverbial door. Hosted by two of the most passionate guitarists you'll find, Tyler and Jared deliver a mix of electrifying interviews with legendary guitarists, laugh-out-loud tales from the road, deep dives into guitar culture, and no-holds-barred gear talk.Whether you're a lifelong shredder or just love music, you'll find something unexpected in every episode—a hidden gem, a new perspective, an epic jam, or a story that'll stick with you. It’s always a good time, and best of all? No cover charge.Plug in and hang out.

TIMESTAMPS

0:00 - Welcome to the first NIGHT pod!

1:29 - The jam warm-up

4:50 - Tyler predicts the World Series

5:27 - Who is the Shohei Ohtani of guitar?

7:30 - Electronic drums, The Who, and live performance quirks

9:05 - MIDI guitars and gear rabbit holes

10:30 - Improvisation vs. noodling

12:14 - Playing in time: the secret almost everyone learns late

13:26 - Following intuition and musical breadcrumbs

15:02 - What makes great solos connect

16:01 - Three-way rhythmic improvisation experiment

17:27 - Josh’s year producing the BB King 100th album

18:34 - Tracking 33 songs and wrangling 40 guest artists

20:56 - Paul Rodgers tracks Night Life on the BB King sessions

23:28 - Josh Smith uses 13 GAUGE STRINGS

24:40 - Trying Josh’s guitar out… ouch

27:36 - Roy Lanham and forgotten guitar influences

32:14 - Josh demonstrates how his style evolved

35:36 - Becoming yourself instead of copying your heroes

38:43 - Why the Telecaster unlocks Josh’s true voice

40:14 - The Telecaster is the ultimate apocalypse-proof guitar

41:44 - Tone is personal—and your gear should inspire you

44:45 - Amp vs. guitar: the eternal debate

47:29 - Josh’s new signature Ibanez Flat V2

56:12 - Life updates and reevaluating the dream

The holy grail of overdrives takes center stage in this episode of The No Cover Charge Podcast! Tyler Larson ( @MusicisWin ) and Jared James Nichols ( @JJNicholsMusic ) put an original Klon Centaur head-to-head with some of the most popular Klon clones on the market—from boutique builds to budget pedals—to find out if anything can match the legendary tone. Expect deep tone talk, epic shootouts, and plenty of guitar geekery (plus the story of how Jared became a dad mid-podcast).If you’ve ever wondered why the Klon is the most hyped overdrive pedal in history—or if the clones can truly hang—this is the shootout you’ve been waiting for. 🎸⁠Subscribe on Apple Podcasts⁠

⁠The No Cover Charge Podcast on Spotify⁠

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TIMESTAMPS

0:00 - The Legendary Klon Centaur Episode Begins... Again

1:06 - Jared’s Life-Changing Phone Call: Becoming a Dad Mid-Podcast

3:12 - “Dad Tone” and the Power of Rock

3:25 - Why Guitarists Obsess Over the Klon Centaur

4:05 - Jared’s First Encounter with the Klon Back at Berklee

5:59 – Discovering the Magic of the Original Klon Tone

6:13 – Tyler’s Pandemic-Era Obsession with Finding a Klon

7:28 – Why the Klon Is the “Charizard” of Guitar Pedals

8:02 – Joe Bonamassa’s Gift: The Story Behind Jared’s Klon

10:26 – The Klon as a Gift and a Legacy

11:18 – Breaking Down Klon Versions: Silver, Gold, Long Tail, Short Tail

12:18 – Time to Hear the Real Klon in Action

13:19 – Clean Tone Test: Fender Princeton vs. Klon Magic

16:40 – The Sweet Spot: Finding the Perfect Klon Gain Setting

19:16 – The First Boutique Pedal: Why the Klon Made History

20:25 – Klon Clone Shootout Setup: OG vs. Modern Imitations

25:14 – Comparing the Klon to Its Clones (JHS, Acorn, Wampler & More)

30:08 – High-Gain Madness: Maxing Out the Klon and Clones

37:12 – How Jared Dials In His Klon for Real-World Playing

40:13 – Final Thoughts: Do You Really Need a $5,000 Klon?The No Cover Charge Podcast with Tyler Larson & Jared James Nichols is your all-access backstage pass to the world of guitar—and there's never a cover at the proverbial door. Hosted by two of the most passionate guitarists you'll find, Tyler and Jared deliver a mix of electrifying interviews with legendary guitarists, laugh-out-loud tales from the road, deep dives into guitar culture, and no-holds-barred gear talk.Whether you're a lifelong shredder or just love music, you'll find something unexpected in every episode—a hidden gem, a new perspective, an epic jam, or a story that'll stick with you. It’s always a good time, and best of all? No cover charge.Plug in and hang out.

Guitar legend Dweezil Zappa ( @thedweezilzappa ) joins Tyler Larson ( @MusicisWin ) and Jared James Nichols ( @JJNicholsMusic ) on The No Cover Charge Podcast for an epic deep dive into guitar tone, technique, creativity, and life lessons from growing up Zappa. Dweezil shares rare insights on his dad Frank Zappa’s genius, the art of improvisation, tone chasing, recording tricks, and why the “mad scientist” mindset is the key to musical freedom. Expect jaw-dropping guitar demonstrations, stories from the road, and thought-provoking conversations every guitarist will love.For all things Dweezil, go to https://www.dweezilzappa.comDweezil's fan engagement platform builder: https://www.rewardmusic.comCheck out Jared on tour: https://www.jaredjamesnichols.com

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Instagram

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Facebook

TIMESTAMPS

0:00 - Hey Dweezil!

1:00 - Building a house, studio, and a new chapter

3:30 - Dweezil’s YouTube channel and creative freedom

5:00 - The science behind amp tone experiments

7:00 - The Sundragon amp test gone wild

8:50 - How volume changes your playing

9:50 - Taking breaks and musical resets

10:50 - Rediscovering inspiration after time off

11:40 - Dweezil’s guitar fundamentals and interval tips

13:00 - How to navigate the fretboard with confidence

15:00 - Turning wrong notes into right ones

17:00 - Improvisation and the art of risk-taking

18:00 - “Play your phone number” guitar technique explained

22:00 - How to create melodies from numbers

26:00 - Building a personal improvisation system

30:00 - Expanding your playing with permutations

33:00 - Using melodic minor and outside sounds

36:00 - Finding flow and emotional connection on stage

38:30 - Listening vs. overplaying

40:00 - What Dweezil learned from his dad Frank Zappa

42:00 - The story behind “The Black Page”

44:00 - Jared’s questions from tour

45:00 - Desert island gear picks

46:50 - The amp that melts faces

47:40 - The one pedal Dweezil can’t live without

49:00 - Favorite recorded guitar tone ever

50:00 - Inside jokes behind Frank Zappa’s song titles

53:00 - Tube tone myths and recording reality

54:30 - Jamming with Steve Vai and Chick Corea

58:00 - The legacy of Randy Rhoads

1:02:00 - How Zappa and Rhoads shaped modern guitar

1:05:00 - RewardMusic.com and empowering independent

artists

1:08:00 - Closing thoughts and guitar wisdom

The No Cover Charge Podcast with Tyler Larson & Jared James Nichols is your all-access backstage pass to the world of guitar—and there's never a cover at the proverbial door. Hosted by two of the most passionate guitarists you'll find, Tyler and Jared deliver a mix of electrifying interviews with legendary guitarists, laugh-out-loud tales from the road, deep dives into guitar culture, and no-holds-barred gear talk.Whether you're a lifelong shredder or just love music, you'll find something unexpected in every episode—a hidden gem, a new perspective, an epic jam, or a story that'll stick with you. It’s always a good time, and best of all? No cover charge.

Plug in and hang out.

Joel Hoekstra has played with everyone from Whitesnake and Night Ranger to Cher and Trans-Siberian Orchestra—and he’s here to tell the stories behind it all. In this episode of The No Cover Charge Podcast with Tyler Larson and Jared James Nichols, Joel breaks down his incredible career path, from Broadway pits in New York to arena stages across the globe. Joel also shares his secrets for longevity, versatility, and surviving the hustle of a professional guitar life. Expect inspiring lessons, guitar nerdery, and some unforgettable stories from one of rock’s most versatile players.

Pre-save Joel's new single, "The Fall"

His new album, 'Into the Fade' drops February 2026.

TIMESTAMPS

0:00 – Why Joel is the ultimate guitar chameleon

1:17 – Playing with Whitesnake, TSO, and Night Ranger

2:56 – Early guitar influences and discovering Angus Young

4:18 – Learning guitar in a pre-tab world

6:03 – Growing up blue-collar and developing work ethic

8:09 – Building a career as a sideman

10:02 – Breaking into the New York scene

11:18 – How Joel joined Night Ranger

13:05 – Broadway gigs and Rock of Ages

15:44 – Joining Trans-Siberian Orchestra

17:10 – The genius of Paul O’Neill

19:05 – Balancing gigs and finding your lane

20:00 – Inspiring kids through live performance

21:01 – Fear, stress, and motivation

22:03 – Playing with Cher & embracing new styles

24:16 – Lessons from playing with Foreigner

27:10 – The Night Ranger guitar team

29:57 – From Broadway to arenas

33:00 – Landing the Whitesnake gig

36:00 – Finding purpose and artistic balance

37:01 – Advice for young players

38:05 – Full-circle moments and staying open-minded

40:24 – Handling pressure and last-minute gigs

45:04 – Managing anxiety and performance stress

47:08 – Collaborating with legends like Satriani and Schenker

49:19 – Thoughts on online trolls and staying positive

51:01 – Joel’s tapping and legato fundamentals

57:24 – The art of phrasing and “money notes”

1:01:34 – Joel’s new album From the Fade

1:03:06 – Closing thoughts & gratitude

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The No Cover Charge Podcast with Tyler Larson & Jared James Nichols is your all-access backstage pass to the world of guitar—and there's never a cover at the proverbial door. Hosted by two of the most passionate guitarists you'll find, Tyler and Jared deliver a mix of electrifying interviews with legendary guitarists, laugh-out-loud tales from the road, deep dives into guitar culture, and no-holds-barred gear talk.Whether you're a lifelong shredder or just love music, you'll find something unexpected in every episode—a hidden gem, a new perspective, an epic jam, or a story that'll stick with you. It’s always a good time, and best of all? No cover charge.Plug in and hang out.

One of the guitar world's kings of tone, Joe Bonamassa joins Tyler Larson and Jared James Nichols for an unforgettable episode of The No Cover Charge Podcast! In this in-depth and hilarious chat, Joe opens up about his gear philosophy, vintage Les Pauls, touring stories, and the realities of being a modern guitar hero (though he won't call himself that).

Expect deep insight into tone chasing, amps and guitars, modelers vs. tube amps, lessons from Danny Gatton, and Joe’s honest take on the music industry, trolls, and staying inspired.Whether you’re a guitarist, gearhead, or Bonamassa fan, this episode is packed with laughs, wisdom, and killer guitar talk — no cover charge required.

Check out all things Joe Bonamassa here

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TIMESTAMPS

0:00 – We have a very special guitar rig for Joe

1:08 – Opening jam

2:01 – Joe's $450K Gibson Les Paul named "PJ"

3:36 - Comparing a 1958 Les Paul to a 2021 Les Paul

7:00 – The craftsmanship and electronics of vintage guitars

8:00 – Joe’s philosophy on touring with expensive gear

10:15 – Airline horror stories: traveling with guitars

13:30 – The rise of amp modelers and practicality on tour

15:00 – Why Joe avoids digital rigs and modeling amps

17:00 – When tech fails mid-gig is Joe’s nightmare

19:00 – Redundancy in rigs and surviving on stage

21:00 – Thoughts on gear demos and real-world tone

23:00 – Volume, speakers, and why wattage matters

25:00 – Inside Joe’s 7-amp live rig setup

27:30 – How Joe dials in his stage tone

30:00 – Adjusting tone on unfamiliar gear

33:00 – Joe's "time compression philosophy on stage

36:00 – Mastering dynamics and audience engagement

40:00 – How Danny Gatton shaped Joe’s playing

43:00 – Joe’s viral “Guitar Controls Lesson” explained

47:00 – Joe’s thoughts on online guitar culture & trolls

52:00 – Why music should stay fun and positive

55:00 – EPIC JAM WITH JOE

The No Cover Charge Podcast with Tyler Larson & Jared James Nichols is your all-access backstage pass to the world of guitar—and there's never a cover at the proverbial door. Hosted by two of the most passionate guitarists you'll find, Tyler and Jared deliver a mix of electrifying interviews with legendary guitarists, laugh-out-loud tales from the road, deep dives into guitar culture, and no-holds-barred gear talk.

Whether you're a lifelong shredder or just love music, you'll find something unexpected in every episode—a hidden gem, a new perspective, an epic jam, or a story that'll stick with you. It’s always a good time, and best of all? No cover charge.

Plug in and hang out.