1. Rely on the amp and less on pedals

Jake Kiszka says playing directly to the amp creates purity and heart without distractions.

2. Start acoustically

Jake Kiszka recalls his father taking his electric guitar away, which taught him the foundation for tone.

“My father took away my electric guitar when I'd first gotten it, which was a bummer. I thank him for that now because it taught me the foundation”

3. Choose your guitars wisely

Jake Kiszka advises picking guitars that serve the soul of playing, not just collecting.

“There are many different ways of looking at this. There's the guitarist, the guitar player, the collector, and there's the dentist.”

4. Use combo amps

Jake Kiszka recommends combo amps for their simplicity and ability to magnify the player's nuance.

“I actually would suggest combo amps overall, in general. Period.”

5. Pull the mic off your amp

Jake Kiszka says embracing room sound adds depth when recording in a home space.

“Pull the mic back and embrace the room! Embrace the breathing of it, you know?”