When you’ve run out of playlists to shuffle, it’s time to give these guitar podcasts a listen.

Amplify your commute with interviews with all-time guitar legends like ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons, deep conversations featuring boutique guitar, amp and pedal builders, epic documentary-style podcasts about the life and work of your favorite artists, track-by-track breakdowns of your favorite recordings and more.

So, let’s tune up and get amplified to rock with our top seven podcasts for guitarists to listen to on your commute.

The Guitar Knobs

Whether you’re on the hunt for detailed interviews with the latest up-and-coming boutique luthiers and effects pedal builders or hungry for a two-hour deep dive into the annals of Rickenbacker history, The Guitar Knobs podcast goes to eleven.

Each week, The Guitar Knobs podcast talks with the makers, demo artists and players of the boutique gear world to amplify the voices behind the small brands and indie builders doing innovative things in the guitar community.

For vintage gear enthusiasts and fans of handmade guitars, pedals and amps, The Guitar Knobs podcast is a must-listen. From the correct pronunciation of “Rickenbacker,” the unlikely inspiration behind your favorite gear to fascinating behind-the-scenes stories about the musical instrument industry, there’s a lot to learn on The Guitar Knobs podcast.

Get Offset

Tuning into the Get Offset podcast is like sitting down for happy hour with your two closest guitar-obsessed friends to discuss anything (and everything) from craft beer to pickup swaps, gear reviews, music-related social media trends and much, much more.

Each week, hosts Emily Harris and Andrew Rinard sound off on new guitar models, the latest effects pedal releases and the online gear culture (plus some occasional hockey talk) with candor, humor and wit. Nothing is off-limits, as Get Offset’s dynamic duo often dives deep into the YouTube and Instagram comment sections to find the best, worst, funniest and most bizarre guitar opinions on the web.

In addition to weekly podcast episodes, host Emily Harris is a prolific presence on YouTube, where she uploads in-depth gear demos, tutorials, and reviews; plus guitar lessons, reaction videos, home recording tips, full-length podcast episodes and more. If you’re looking for a fun, friendly guitar podcast for guitar players of any skill level, consider adding Get Offset to your “to listen” list.

Song Exploder

On Song Exploder, host Hrishikesh Hirway guides musicians through a step-by-step breakdown of their most popular songs, using a combination of interviews, isolated tracks and groundbreaking podcast production techniques to discover what makes a hit song tick.

Across 224 episodes, artists like Cheap Trick, Lucy Dacus, the Deftones and others de-mix their classic albums in real time, showcasing the lyrical inspiration, wicked guitar riffs, chance gear encounters and studio magic behind the music.

In this context, songs you’ve already heard a million times sound completely fresh. Take the episode about “Closing Time” by Semisonic, for example. Songwriter Dan Wilson shares the unlikely literary influence behind the lyrics’ double meaning—the parallels between last call and the meaning of life. And pedal nerds will want to stick around for the story about how “Closing Time” features the first recorded appearance of the now iconic Z.Vex Fuzz Factory.

Cocaine & Rhinestones

What do bullfighting, renaissance art and Alexander Hamilton have in common with George Jones? Tyler Mahan Coe has all the answers on Cocaine & Rhinestones, his impeccably researched podcast about the secret history of country music.

Cocaine & Rhinestones’ first season debuted in 2017, with Coe using his detective skills along with his country music bona fides to reveal the truth behind such burning questions as “Why did Bobbie Gentry vanish after ‘Ode to Billie Joe?’” In an episode that’s part music history lesson and part physics lab, Coe dissects the Louvin Brothers’ otherworldly “blood harmony” and the sibling rivalry and addiction issues that tore them apart.

In the second season of Cocaine & Rhinestones, Coe dedicates thirteen episodes to the untouchable George Jones, the iconic country crooner whose seven-decade career makes up a large portion of the classic country songbook. But you don’t have to be a No-Show Jones die-hard to enjoy the second season. Coe dives into topics adjacent to The Possum’s career, including recording techniques (ever wonder how to get that tic-tac vibe?), a breakdown of the “Nashville Sound” and more.

The Trap Set

Though initially a drummers-only podcast, Joe Wong’s The Trap Set podcast has in recent years expanded its focus to include “singers, guitarists, bassists, keyboardists, harpists, etc.” in wide-ranging conversations about the lives of musicians.

Wong is an accomplished drummer, having occupied the drum throne with indie rock mainstays Marnie Stern, Parts & Labor and Mary Timony (Ex Hex, Helium), but the show’s topics veer away from technical gear snobbery in favor of wide-reaching human interest stories.

If you’ve ever wondered what Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top) thinks of Fugazi, how Bully’s Alicia Bognanno balances dual careers as a touring musician and recording engineer or how Creedence Clearwater Revival drummer Doug “Cosmo” Clifford finished his lost album Magic Window after rediscovering the missing master tapes, The Trap Set is an engaging listen for musicians, non-musicians and fans alike.

Object of Sound

On Object of Sound, the poet and critic Hanif Abdurraqib (A Little Devil in America, They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us) sits down with artists and songwriters across all genres for eclectic, freeform conversations about the creative process.

In each brief half-hour episode, guests like Sharon Van Etten, Jeff Tweedy (Wilco), Brittany Howard, Questlove and others unpack the importance of lyrics, what it takes to make a great cover song, band relationship dynamics and the sad-but-true reality of balancing being a musician with working a day job.

Abdurraqib accompanies each episode with thoughtful observations and personal stories, plus a curated playlist for enhanced context and a deeper insight into the inner workings of today’s top musical talents.

No Dogs In Space

On No Dogs In Space, Marcus Parks and Carolina Hidalgo suit up and explore the outer limits of punk and alternative music.

Through deeply researched multipart episodes, No Dogs In Space chronicles the DIY spaces and dive bars haunted by punk guitar antiheroes like Ron Asheton (the Stooges), Johnny Ramone, Poison Ivy (the Cramps) and East Bay Ray (Dead Kennedys) to unpack the messy, complicated history of punk rock.

In its second season, No Dogs In Space sniffs around the five boroughs of New York City to tell the story of the Beastie Boys and how a scrappy hardcore punk band from Brooklyn pivoted to hip-hop, and the rest is history.

Wong Notes

Okay, we know we said top seven but here’s our favorite bonus pick! Cory Wong is a Grammy-nominated guitarist, bassist, podcast host and producer from Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is a full-time guitarist for Vulfpeck, The Fearless Flyers and has a signature Fender Stratocaster with Seymour Duncan Clean Machine single-coil pickups (pickups available separately in the near future). 

Cory started a podcast, Wong Notes, in May of 2020 presented by Premier Guitar, DistroKid and Fender. Now in its 4th season, Cory has had the chance to speak to players like Yvette Young, Joe Bonamassa, Peter Frampton, Pat Metheny, George Benson and more about their personal tricks of the trade and never-before-heard stories. 

You can find the “Wong Notes” podcast anywhere you find podcasts and at Premier Guitar.

Let’s Talk Tone

Remember to sign up for Seymour Duncan’s free Pickup Installation 101 online course for more in-depth information, tips, and tricks.

SIGN ME UP!

Any other product questions, comments or feedback? Let us know!