John Kieltyka
The High GainEpisodes
Best Episodes of The High Gain
Mark All
Search Episodes...
Joe Knaggs spent many years at PRS, contributing guitar designs that came to be classics. So, of course, when he left those hallowed halls, Joe fired up his own shop and hung his shingle on a whole new family of instruments, this time bearing t
In the early 1980s, Gibson undertook an ad campaign, the slogan for which was “American made, world played”. It featured a photograph of a guitar cut into the shape of the continental United States. Visibility of that ad increased curiosity abo
One of the venerable companies that made guitars in Chicago at the middle of the last century was Kay. Their instruments provided tremendous value at an affordable price. One such instrument was the Barney Kessel Pro. These were recently reissu
The Rickenbacker 300 series of guitars was introduced in 1958. Designed by the esteemed Roger Rossmeisl, these guitars have changed little, but withstood the test of time. Just when we thjought we knew what we were dealing with, however, a 330
We’re pretty big fans of vintage Gretsch guitars over here at High Gain HQ. Especially the S-100, with its indispensable phase switch. If it’s good enough for Kim Thayil of Soundgarden it’s good enough for us. So when we got a line on the new G
When Ovation began making solidbody guitars, just about everything they came up with was full-featured, well-made and very playable. Their designs were perhaps a little forward thinking for most, however, and they didn’t fare too well in a mark
Carlos Lopez started his guitar-building journey on the production line at Fender. Before long he joined the Custom Shop. Not long after that he was apprenticing to become a Master Builder. You could say our man Carlos has the chops… So, it’s r
Robert Godin started his guitar-making journey in a small shop in La Patrie, Quebec, in 1972. Over the years he expanded into five factories, across six well-known brands, including, of course, Godin Instruments. The goal was/is to make quality
Graig Markel and Zera Marvel of Recovery Effects have been making some of our favorite effects for a long time. At any moment they can be found on our pedal boards, emitting the precise lushness Recovery has become known for. So when Graig stop
Among the first original designs Ibanez made after the famed Gibson lawsuit was the Musician Series. These were guitar re-thought from the ground up. They are still considered sturdy workhorses, and they mark a direction that would set Ibanez o
Paul Reed Smith, the man, has been creating the highest quality guitars ever since he made one for college credit, after which he dropped out to pursue the art fulltime. PRS instruments are known for their attention to detail, impeccable respon
Bernardo Chavez Rico grew up making classical guitars. He learned the craft from his father. Luckily for us, Bernardo decided to branch out into solidbody electrics. And the world was never the same, as musicians across all genres played his in
Before Rickenbacker, there was Rickenbacher, and they pioneered electric guitars with their clever use of electronics, materials and design. But one instrument, the Ken Roberts electro-Spanish guitar, introduced in the throes of the Great Depre
The fine folk over at Rock N Roll Relics continue to kick out some of the most beautiful ideas. We’ve been fans of theirs for quite some time, and the Lightning Junior, with its lightning bolt f-holes and single pickup, does nothing to dissuade
Our friend Iain Graham is at it again. THis time he’s loaned us a baritone guitar, fresh off the press. There are so many bespoke touches on this thing, we almost forgot to actually play it. And it did not disappoint. It was as easy as could be
Once upon a time, a man named Joe Hall learned how to make guitars at the foot of Semie Mosely. He then struck out on his own with Hallmark Guitars, before leaving the industry altogether. And that may have been the end of that, had not Bob Sha
Dave Dederer stopped by for a vast discussion about all things guitar, including his use of only three strings during his time with The Presidents of The United States of America. Dave has an encyclopedic knowledge of his instrument, even if he
In keeping with its tradition of mixing and matching designs from its own history, Fender introduced the “10 for ‘15” series of limited edition guitars. Rolled out in 2015, each model was limited to 500 instruments. One of the more unusual guit
Paul Hamer and Jol Dantzig were pioneers of what we know today as the boutique, or custom, guitar phenomenon. Many a touring band went to Hamer to get something that could not be had anywhere else. One such custom instrument is the Virtuoso. It
Jesse Herlitz couldn’t find a pedal that matched the sound he had in his head; brutal, sharp, cacophonous, loud. So he set about learning the pedal biz. The result is the Visceral, a saw tooth fuzz synth pedal. Jesse swung down from Canada to w
Ted McCarty resided over the most innovative period in Gibson history. Under his leadership, the company produced some of the most innovative designs to ever grace a guitar store wall. But what about the man himself? Ed has been reading up on T
Fender has two factories in North America - one in California, and one in Mexico. They share a lot of resources, both material and human. Is this why, more than ever before, it’s getting harder to choose between the two? We’re taking the new Vi
Epiphone was an instrument manufacturer founded 150 years ago in the Ottoman Empire. Upon emigrating to the United States, the Stathopoulos family continued their craft in New York. By the end of the 1950s the company belonged to CMI, owners of
As the hair metal wars shifted into high gear, Fender sought to up its own bling game by releasing a guitar with a marbled paint job. Only 300 were ever made; 225 of them were Stratocasters. Named Marble Strats, they became more commonly known
In 1950s America there were tons of instruments being made for the growing guitar market. As quickly as old companies disappeared, new ones were formed to give the people what they wanted. Many of these outsourced manufacturing to third parties
Join Podchaser to...
- Rate podcasts and episodes
- Follow podcasts and creators
- Create podcast and episode lists
- & much more
Unlock more with Podchaser Pro
- Audience Insights
- Contact Information
- Demographics
- Charts
- Sponsor History
- and More!
- Account
- Register
- Log In
- Find Friends
- Resources
- Help Center
- Blog
- API
Podchaser is the ultimate destination for podcast data, search, and discovery. Learn More
- © 2024 Podchaser, Inc.
- Privacy Policy
- Terms of Service
- Contact Us