Inside The Noise with Gabe Dalporto

Our debut episode of Guitar Center’s Plugged-In with Gabe Dalporto begins with a moment nearly all guitarists share when they hang out with other guitar players—the unveiling of their prized gear.In this instance, Dalporto shows Fender CEO Andy Mooney his first guitar—the 1964 Stratocaster his father gave him when he was 12 years old. After trading a few licks on the ’64 Strat, the two business leaders and musicians discuss the enduring legacy of Leo Fender and his “form follows function” philosophy, the critical importance of listening to the needs of players, embracing technology and more.NOTE: This episode was filmed prior to the news that Andy Mooney was retiring as CEO of Fender after 10 years leading the company. We hope you enjoy the episode and we congratulate him on Fender’s achievements under his leadership.Chapters00:00 – Welcome to Inside the Noise00:47 – Why Guitar Center Is Pulling Back the Curtain on the Music Industry01:21 – A 1964 Fender Stratocaster: Gabe Dalporto’s First Guitar Story02:49 – Meet Andy Mooney, CEO of Fender03:01 – Leo Fender’s Legacy and the Birth of the Electric Guitar04:16 – Form Follows Function: How Leo Fender Designed for Musicians05:51 – Fender and Apple: Building Iconic Brands Through Innovation06:35 – Every Product Is a Deposit or Withdrawal in Brand Equity07:19 – Expanding Fender Beyond Guitars: Pedals, Acoustasonic, and More07:52 – Reimagining the Acoustic Guitar the Leo Fender Way09:14 – The Fender Acoustasonic: Blending Acoustic and Electric Worlds10:30 – Inside Fender Factories: Craftsmanship Behind Every Instrument11:03 – Fender Custom Shop Stories and One-of-a-Kind Guitars13:27 – Why Tinkering and Experimentation Still Define Fender13:44 – Fender’s Vision: Respecting the Past While Designing the Future14:50 – How Modern Artists Are Shaping Fender Guitar Innovation15:04 – Digital Amps, Silent Stages, and the Future of Live Guitar Rigs16:18 – Fender Tone Master Pro and Designing for Simplicity17:23 – Andy Mooney’s Favorite Guitars and Playing Styles19:23 – Why Fender Employees Still Gig and Play Live Music21:01 – What Fender and Guitar Center Share in Company Culture22:13 – Optimism for the Guitar Industry and the Future of Music23:39 – Final Takeaways: Innovation, Legacy, and the Enduring Power of Music24:35 – Subscribe for More Inside the Noise Episodes

In this episode of Guitar Center’s Inside the Noise with Gabe Dalporto, our CEO sits down with legendary drummer Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers for a candid, funny, and deeply insightful conversation about creativity, collaboration, and longevity. From Chad’s first real Guitar Center Hollywood purchase after joining RHCP to the band’s famously organic songwriting process, the two explore how trust, chemistry, and a willingness to experiment have fueled more than 35 years of iconic music.Chapters00:00 – Inside the Noise with Gabe Dalporto (Guitar Center)00:11 – Meet Chad Smith: Red Hot Chili Peppers Drummer00:20 – Swearing, the “F-bomb jar,” and breaking the ice00:45 – Chad Smith’s career highlights + Chad Smith Music Foundation01:28 – Chad’s first Guitar Center Hollywood trip (1988)02:21 – “It’s like Christmas”: Why new gear never stops feeling exciting03:03 – How Chad got into drumming (Detroit, pots & pans origin story)04:02 – The Baskin-Robbins drum kit and early DIY beginnings04:49 – Learning drums in school: reading notation and band programs05:15 – Choosing music over sports (and chasing rock ’n’ roll dreams)06:25 – Building a signature style: Bonham, Moon, Baker, and more07:14 – First “real” kit: Slingerland gold sparkle (and earning it)08:01 – Motown, funk, and swing: what shaped Chad’s groove09:40 – Joining RHCP: the funk-punk-rap palette that fit his style10:16 – Why Chad moved to L.A. (and the late-’80s club scene)12:27 – The RHCP audition: how it happened and why it clicked14:04 – First jam with Flea, John, and Anthony (chemistry wins)16:51 – Michael Beinhorn’s verdict: “That’s your guy”19:21 – The call back… and the head-shaving ultimatum20:37 – RHCP songwriting: how the band writes collaboratively21:25 – “Under the Bridge” + “Californication”: Anthony’s early seeds22:10 – Turning jams into songs: finding parts that lock together24:12 – Creative trust: trying “bad ideas” until they spark something25:13 – Working with Rick Rubin: taste, restraint, and arrangement26:41 – Recording live as a band: no click, chase the performance arc27:27 – Band chemistry and longevity: why it matters in the studio28:24 – When John left: how guitar changes affected the band’s sound28:50 – Dave Navarro era: different approach, different chemistry29:53 – Josh Klinghoffer era: new textures, new feel30:31 – Why RHCP chemistry is rare (and why they protect it)31:03 – Session work stories: the artists Chad’s played with31:55 – The Johnny Cash session: meeting an icon at Ocean Way35:13 – “Hi, I’m Johnny Cash”: the moment Chad won’t forget36:44 – Recording with Cash: humility, musicianship, and a legendary night38:27 – Elton John session: pressure, speed, and “no fills”43:25 – Chad Smith Music Foundation: why he started it44:00 – Scholarships + music education: Minnesota & Michigan programs45:24 – The missing piece: teachers, access, and keeping programs alive47:06 – Guitar Center donates $25,000 to the Chad Smith Foundation48:45 – Why arts programs matter: “shoulder pads vs. snare drums”49:54 – Outro: key takeaways on creativity, collaboration, and giving back50:53 – RHCP’s jam-driven process + the Elton story

In this episode of Guitar Center’s Inside the Noise with Gabe Dalporto, our CEO travels to the PRS Guitars headquarters in Stevensville, Maryland to tour the manufacturing facility and have a casual and informative chat with founder Paul Reed Smith. The two leaders detail business struggles and successes and dig into Smith’s enthusiasm for “just wanting a chance” when artists try his guitars. Smith kicks things off by having Dalparto tap a block of tonewood to experience its bell-like resonance. PAUL REED SMITH ON WHY HE STARTED PRS GUITARS“I had prototypes, and I wanted the guitars made. I went to piles of companies to get them to do it, and it became very clear that unless we did it ourselves it wasn’t going to happen. What you’re looking at engineering-wise didn’t happen in one day. It wasn’t some grand plan to make Cogswell’s Cogs like in The Jetsons, where you put the stuff in one end and it comes out the other. This has been a really long journey, and the fascinating about it is that so many people have joined together to try to make nothing into something.” PAUL REED SMITH ON HIS TOUGHEST DAY AT PRS“There was a time when there were 400 guitars in the hall and we had no home for them. I told Warren Esanu—our Chairman of the Board—that we had a big problem. He said, ‘I don’t even know how I know this, but I think you can muddle through and somehow put it together.’ I took him at his word, kept swinging and we got out of it. How did it happen? It was done with an incredibly determined teamwork of people who kept their heads down to find a way.”Follow Guitar Center:https://www.instagram.com/guitarcenterFollow PRS Guitars:https://www.instagram.com/prsguitars#prsguitar #paulreedsmith #guitarcenterpodcast #gabedalporto #guitarcentersinsidethenoiseChapters00:00 – Inside the Noise at the PRS Guitars Factory00:26 – Inside PRS Private Stock: Choosing Wood with Paul Reed Smith01:05 – How PRS Private Stock Guitars Are Born01:40 – Burl Tops, Figured Maple, and Rare Tonewoods Explained02:15 – How Private Stock Became a Core Part of PRS02:36 – Tap Tones, Harmonics, and Why Wood Rings02:55 – Meet Paul Reed Smith, Founder of PRS Guitars03:18 – Why Paul Reed Smith Started PRS Guitars03:39 – Early Prototypes, Rejection, and the Decision to Go Independent04:27 – Raising Capital and Taking PRS on the Road05:20 – Building PRS One Baby Step at a Time06:08 – Carlos Santana’s Endorsement and the Turning Point for PRS07:50 – Earning Trust: What It Took to Win Santana Over08:24 – Why Great Artists Decide for Themselves09:16 – The Reality of Building a Guitar Company09:53 – Stone Soup: How PRS Was Built by a Community11:12 – Longtime Employees and a Culture of Innovation12:16 – The Hardest Moments in PRS History13:12 – Leadership, Teamwork, and Finding a Way Forward14:17 – Solving Problems When There Is No Obvious Solution15:12 – Why Listening Inside the Factory Matters16:34 – Execution, Strategy, and Building Great Teams17:00 – Continuous Improvement and Engineering at PRS18:13 – The Future of PRS Guitars and Industry Innovation18:36 – What Paul Reed Smith Wants for PRS Customers19:07 – Chasing Better Tone and Playability: PRS's Approach20:06 – New PRS Tones, Prototypes, and Sonic Innovation20:48 – Hendrix Amps, Transparency, and Letting Artists Be Themselves<

Further expanding our commitment to elevate the experiences, education and growth opportunities for musicians at every level, Guitar Center is launching a new music industry podcast series, Inside the Noise. Mark your calendars for January 6, when the season’s first three episodes will drop. Hosted by Guitar Center CEO Gabe Dalporto, the podcast features insightful and inspirational conversations with music-industry leaders, legendary artists and visionaries of all types.  “Since joining Guitar Center, I found myself spending significant time with the artists, innovators and executives shaping the future of instruments, performance and music culture,” said Dalporto. “These conversations were highly insightful, and I thought it was a shame everyone couldn’t be in them. So, we created Inside the Noise to rip open the curtain and give everyone direct access to the people shaping the future of music.”  Episode 1: Fender CEO Andy Mooney  Dalporto and Mooney explore how founder Leo Fender’s innovative approach to tinkering and experimentation continues to inform the brand today and into the future.  Episode 2: PRS Guitars Founder Paul Reed Smith  Smith shares how a “kid with a prototype guitar” transformed PRS into one of the top guitar brands on the planet.  Episode 3: Red Hot Chili Peppers Drummer Chad Smith  The legendary drummer discusses his investment in the next generation of musicians via the Chad Smith Foundation with Dalporto, who also asks the drummer about band chemistry, musical roots and more.Upcoming Episodes There’s so much more to explore in the coming weeks. Future episodes of Inside the Noise will feature Dalporto sitting down with Martin Guitar CEO Thomas Ripsam, legendary drummer and raconteur Kenny Aronoff, Reverb founder and former CEO Dave Kalt, renowned bassist Blu DeTiger and other guests sharing knowledge to motivate, educate and inspire players. Listen to Inside the Noise With Gabe Dalporto on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and all major platforms, and subscribe to get new episodes every Tuesday at 3 p.m. PT. Also, keep your eyes and ears open for a special edition at the end of season one, where Dalporto will reflect on the series’ guests, read viewer comments and engage, AMA-style, with the community.