No Cover Charge Podcast

4d ago

Looking for the perfect gift for the guitarist in your life? In this holiday-themed episode of the No Cover Charge Podcast, Tyler Larson and Jared James Nichols are joined by very special guest Marty Schwartz to share genuinely useful, fun, and inspiring guitar gift ideas at every price point. From must-have pedals and practice tools to clever stocking stuffers and tone-shaping essentials, this is not your typical guitar gift guide. Expect real talk, great stories, live playing, and thoughtful recommendations that guitar players will actually use. Perfect for beginners, serious players, and anyone shopping for a guitarist who already “has everything.” Thank you to the sponsor of our show, Roswell Pro Audio! 0:00 - Holiday Episode Kickoff 0:43 - Our first sponsor, Roswell Pro Audio 2:45 - Why This Isn’t a Typical Guitar Gift Guide 5:15 - Our VERY Special Guest Marty Schwartz Joins Us 6:34 - Worst Guitar Gifts Ever (And Why They Miss) 12:32 - Gift #1: Joe Bonamassa Guitar Back Scratcher 14:57 - Gift #2: Guitar Technique & Exercise Books 17:53 - Gift #3: This Precious Guitar Pick 20:32 - Gift #4: Stylish Capos That Don’t Suck 22:58 - Gift #5: Source Audio C4 Synth Pedal 25:24 - Gift #6: Gristle King Dual-Gain Overdrive 27:23 - Gift #7: Walrus Audio Jupiter Fuzz 28:52 - Gift #8: D’Addario Micro Headstock Tuner 31:09 - Should You Ever Buy a Guitar as a Gift? Wrap-Up & Reflections 32:15 - Marty Schwartz on Gratitude and Teaching Guitar 34:21 - The Real Impact of Guitar Education 36:57 - Final JAM Session GIFT LINKS! Source Audio C4 Synth Gristle King Dual-Gain Overdrive Walrus Audio Jupiter Fuzz D’Addario Micro Headstock Tuner Joe Bonamassa Blues Rock Backscratcher 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.

Dec 8

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. ⁠Subscribe on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠The No Cover Charge Podcast on Spotify⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠ 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.

Dec 1

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.

Nov 24

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 ⁠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.

Nov 18

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

Nov 10

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 ⁠Instagram⁠ ⁠TikTok⁠ ⁠Facebook⁠ 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.

Nov 3

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 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts The No Cover Charge Podcast on Spotify Instagram TikTok 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.

Oct 28

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 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/no-cover-charge-podcast/id1837018751 The No Cover Charge Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1etwgleKExKzncMWSeSqe6?si=a22394d8374542a1 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nocoverchargepodcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nocoverchargepodFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61579811813164 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.