Burlington, Vermont’s Zach Nugent has made a successful career out of emulating the guitar playing of Jerry Garcia and the music of the Grateful Dead. To accomplish this feat, he amassed an incredible collection of vintage gear … allowing him to access whatever gear Jerry was playing during a particular era. Zach’s attention to detail is only matched by his work ethic: He takes the music of the Dead very seriously and, contrary to what one would assume about a Jerry Garcia disciple, he’s never touched drugs or even alcohol.
On today’s FJ Podcast, we talk to Zach about what it takes to be one of the most in-demand Dead-style guitarists, the gear that Jerry used over the years, why Zach hates 1/4″ cables, and so much more. We also talk about his recently released album Good So Far, which shows a completely different side of his playing and songwriting and features guest appearances by John Popper and Peter Rowan. It also boasts a rare re-appearance of Jerry Garcia’s Wolf guitar, built by Doug Irwin.
All told, it’s a great chat with a fanatical guitarist and guitar historian. We think you’ll love it.
Look for more on Zach and the guitar sounds of Jerry Garcia in our 51st issue, coming soon.
This Fretboard Journal Podcast is sponsored by Peghead Nation(use the promo code FRETBOARD and get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription); Izotope (use the coupon code FRET10 to save 10% off their plug-ins); Retrofret Vintage Guitars; Izotope (use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your Izotope purchase); and Calton Cases.
Order the Fretboard Journal here: http://fretboardjournal.com/subscribe and support this podcast and all that we do.
Above photo: Roger Gupta
