Tracking Brad Paisley's Tackelbox Album & His 2026 European Tour

Brad Paisley recently started rolling out tracks for his ongoing project, Tacklebox, and I had the absolute honor of sitting in the studio to track these songs. But the craziest part of this project is the "butterfly effect" story of how it actually came to life.It all started in early 2025 during a random dinner with my buddy Dan Strain (Danocaster Guitars). A college-aged waiter recognized us, and fast forward a few months to the Nashville Vintage Guitar Show, I ran into him again. He was trying to sell his Brad Paisley Silver Sparkle Road Worn Telecaster to buy a much-needed acoustic guitar. I took him over to meet Brad to get it signed, and they ended up in a deep conversation.Turns out, this guy was a Belmont graduate who had interned at SeaGayle (Brad's publishing company). He started rattling off unreleased song titles from Brad’s massive '90s songwriting vault, tunes written back when Brad was a professional songwriter aiming for cuts by Brooks & Dunn, Alan Jackson, and George Strait. That conversation lit a spark, leading Brad to dig those tracks out of the archives, play them for the label, and head straight into the studio.In this video, I’m taking you behind the scenes of those tracking sessions at the historic Castle Recording Studio in Franklin, TN (a former Al Capone party house!). I break down the 1990s country session mindset, show you the handwritten legal-pad charts, and do a mini-guitar lesson on the actual fills, B-Bender licks, volume swells, and chorus-drenched parts I played on tracks like "Without You," "This Town" (where I played 6-string bass), and "Overnight Low." I also talk about tracking a wild harmony bender part with Brad on "High Ho Silverado" featuring David Lee Murphy.Plus, I give you a real-time studio floor tour showing off my rig, Randall Currie's steel setup, Kenny Lewis's bass rig, and Brad's legendary, re-covered red Vox AC30 from the 1960s.By the time you watch this, I’ll be out on the road with Brad across Europe for the month of June! TIMESTAMPS0:00 - The "Butterfly Effect" Backstory: A Dinner with Danocaster3:56 - The Nashville Vintage Guitar Show Encounter that Sparked Tacklebox6:06 - Opening the 1990s Songwriting Vault (Writing for George Strait & Brooks & Dunn)7:51 - The Call to Play & Tracking at Al Capone’s Old Castle Studio9:58 - The '90s Country Session Mindset & Handwritten Charts11:16 - Mini-Lesson: SWELLS & FILLS on "Without You"14:55 - The Session Pedalboard: Original TC Chorus & Mirage Compressor15:17 - 6-String Bass on "This Town" & Twin Harmony Benders on "High Hole Silverado"16:42 - The Hallmark Christmas Movie Detour17:55 - Heading to Europe: The June Tour Rig (Glazer Tele, Baritone, & Electric 12-String)19:34 - BONUS: Exclusive Studio Room Tour (Brad's Red Vox AC30, Steel & Bass Rigs)GEAR USED IN THIS VIDEO / SESSION:Fender Custom 3-Pickup Telecaster (Seymour Duncan Pickups, Music City Wiring Blend Control, B-Bender)Vintage 1968 Fender Princeton Amp (Studio demo) / Headstrong Amp (Tracking session)Original TC Electronic Stereo Chorus Flanger (Modded for DC Power)Mirage Compressor, Line 6 Echo Park, & Strymon El CapistanStream Brad Paisley's Tacklebox tracks here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/46ym8csh8mKzAia5pZikdu?si=53a544359fde4ee1www.truetone.comTo Support the Channel:Patreon  https://www.patreon.com/AskZachttps://ask-zac-shop.fourthwall.comTip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZacVenmo @AskZac#BradPaisley #Tacklebox #AskZac #GuitarLesson #BBender #NashvilleSession #CountryGuitar #TheCastleStudio #VoxAC30 #Danocaster #Telecaster #GuitaristSupport the show