The 1950s Guild Aristocrat is one of those vintage guitars that somehow slipped through the cracks, and that’s exactly why it remains such a sleeper today.

Built during Guild’s early New York era, the Aristocrat was a serious professional instrument: a small, yet fully hollow body, carved spruce top, and the legendary Franz single-coil pickups that deliver clarity, punch, and a voice all their own. This was Guild's attempt at an improved Les Paul, that was lighter, and just enough wider to seem not like a toy.

www.truetone.com

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Baritone electric guitars live in that perfect middle ground between standard guitar and bass, and once you understand what they do best, it’s hard to live without one.

In this video, I’m diving into baritone guitars, why a typical 27” scale baritone is very different from a Bass VI (usually 29–30” scale), and how each one functions in a band context. While they can look similar at first glance, they play, feel, and sit in a mix very differently.

I also talk about classic effects choices for baritone, especially tremolo and vibrato, and why those sounds pair so perfectly with the baritone’s extended range and piano-like low end.

A huge influence for me was Pete Anderson, particularly his baritone work with Dwight Yoakam on tracks like “Little Ways” and "Buenos Noches From a Lonely Room." Seeing Pete on Austin City Limits in 1989, playing a baritone Telecaster, impacted me as a young player, as it was the first time I really understood how powerful a baritone could be in country music.

Fast-forward to touring with Brad Paisley, I was using a Bass VI on “Whiskey Lullaby”, but quickly realized it wasn’t quite right. Brad played a baritone on the original recording, and once you hear that, you can’t un-hear it. That experience really cemented the difference for me between the two instruments and when each one truly shines.

I also break down my personal baritone guitar, which is a bit of a Frankenstein in the best way possible:

Allparts baritone conversion neck
Music City Bridge saddles
Killer Vintage and Adder pickups
Custom Emerson wiring harness, with the tone control only on the bridge pickup
MJT pine body

A one-of-a-kind blue burst finish and relic paint job done by Brad Paisley himself

The final piece of the puzzle was the nut, fretwork, and setup, expertly handled by Aaron, Nick, and Max at Glaser Instruments, who absolutely nailed the feel and playability.

If you’ve ever wondered whether a baritone is right for you, how it differs from a Bass VI, or how players like Pete Anderson and Brad Paisley have used them so effectively, this one’s for you.

www.truetone.com

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The 1962 Brown Deluxe (6G3) sits in one of the most fascinating, and misunderstood, eras of Fender amplification. It’s often lumped in with other brownface amps, or treated as a short stop between tweed and blackface. But the truth is: the Brown Deluxe is its own animal.

In this video, we take a deep dive into what really sets the ’62 Brown Deluxe apart, sonically, electrically, and historically.

Brown Deluxe vs Tweed Deluxe (5E3)
Why the Brown Deluxe is tighter, punchier, and more controlled than the loose, saggy tweed, and how Fender was clearly responding to players wanting more headroom and definition.

Brown Deluxe vs Blackface Deluxe (AB763)
How the Brown Deluxe’s mid-forward voicing, earlier breakup, and raw edge contrast with the cleaner, scooped, hi-fi nature of the later blackface circuit.

Why the Brown Deluxe Does Not Sound Like Other 1962 Brownface Amps
The Brown Princeton and Vibrolux from the same year often get mentioned in the same breath, but they’re fundamentally different circuits, power sections, and feel. Same era, totally different results.

’62 Brown Deluxe vs ’65 Blackface Deluxe Reverb
A direct tonal comparison between grit and refinement:

Brown Deluxe: raw, aggressive, chewy mids

BF Deluxe Reverb: cleaner, wider, glassier, more polite
Two iconic Fender voices aimed at completely different players.

Bias Tremolo vs Photocell (Opto) Tremolo
Why the Brown Deluxe’s bias-vary tremolo feels deeper, swampier, and more organic than the photocell tremolo found in blackface amps—and why many players consider it Fender’s best tremolo design.

www.truetone.com

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