Ask the Experts | April 30, 2025
Tobe Bean: Guitar Tech for Billy Strings
These questions aim to delve into various aspects of acoustic guitar care and maintenance, travel tips, unique situations, and funny stories from the road. We hope to offer insights and inspiration for both beginners and experienced players alike.
What is your official title?
My “official title” is guitar tech. Sometimes I’m an artist whisperer, therapist, guitar caddy, guitar manager, seeker of tones, etc.!
What artists have you worked with?
I’ve been really fortunate to work with some great artists. I’ve worked with The Eurythmics (Dave Stewart), Deftones, Alkaline Trio, Rancid, Justin Timberlake, Selena Gomez, John Mellencamp, Dispatch, The Cult, The Naked and Famous, Mastodon, Kings of Chaos (Billy Gibbons and Gilby Clarke), Descendents, and Billy Strings.
Can you share some insights into your daily responsibilities when working with high-profile artists and their acoustic guitars?
Man... it’s a lot. Easy answer is unpack and inspect all the guitars before cleaning and restringing. Acoustics are much more intense with the daily upkeep because they are so susceptible to the elements. Billy’s main guitar I spend a lot of time with daily inspecting fret wear/cleanliness, neck relief, action, the belly of the guitar, any play in the tuning heads, bridge pin wear and tear. There’s so much detail with the acoustics because all those things I’ve listed can change the tone or playability with even the slightest change. Billy is such a unique player and he’s micro-observant about the way his guitar feels and plays, so I’m constantly putting in work to maintain it. A lot of tours/techs strap the guitars in the vault for transit. For Billy’s, I actually pack them back in their individual cases and then back within the vault for added protection.
What are one or two essential tips you would give to beginner guitar players regarding acoustic guitar care and maintenance?
Monitor the humidity! That’s a big one that most people don’t realize how it can affect the guitar. From the way frets lay in the fretboard to the belly swelling or retraction and cracking. Don’t leave them out laying in stands if you're not going to be playing for a bit. Put that stick back in a case and depending on the humidity throw a humidifier in there. Keep your frets clean. You’ll find yourself surprised how much better clean frets will sound compared to dirty ones.
Could you elaborate on the common issues or challenges you encounter with acoustic guitars while on tour, and how you address them?
Humidity, sweat, and temperature changes. We have hygrometers all over the place and an abundant supply of humidifiers. They’re great for when it’s dry and/or cold. I won’t pack them in the cases when it’s humid to prevent a “wet guitar.” I’ve had shows in the Southeast where it’s so humid and Billy’s sweating so much that the belly of the guitar will swell and lift the action slightly. One show in particular in Cary, North Carolina, during intermission I rushed the guitar inside a room that had air conditioning and wiped it down and kept it in there just trying to get the swell down a little.
What specific steps do you take to protect acoustic guitars from environmental factors such as humidity and temperature changes, especially during travel?
See my previous response. I’m a nut though and have pitched some outlandish requests to management about getting a climate-controlled trailer for our backline. The biggest challenge for me that I can’t do too much about is the summer heat while the guitars are in transit. There’s literally nothing I can do about that. In some of the extreme cases I’ll just carry the guitars on the bus.
Can you share any memorable anecdotes or experiences you've had while working with touring musicians and their acoustic guitars?
Well, when I first started with Billy, he had just come back from playing with Willie Nelson at his 90th Birthday Celebration. I was handed a 1945 D-28 that he had played there and was told whatever you do… don’t vacuum out this guitar! I could hear something shaking around within the guitar. The guitar had formerly belonged to Jody Payne, Willie’s longtime guitar player. Jody had passed away some years ago. Well, at that birthday party Mickey Raphael, Willie’s harp player, put Jody’s ashes in the guitar. It’s wild! A few days ago, we played with Willie up in Washington. Waylon Payne, Jody’s son, was there. He walked up to my guitar vault and said, “Hi daddy!”
How do you approach troubleshooting and resolving technical issues with acoustic guitars during live performances or recording sessions?
Most technical issues come down to simple signal flow. Where is the problem happening and how do I bypass it or fix it on the fly. In a perfect world we build bulletproof rigs that don’t fail. That’s great until we put it all in trucks and shake it up and down the highway 400 miles at a time. I try to always have a “parachute” redundant rig or a get out of trouble option.
What advice would you give to aspiring guitar techs on how to get started in the role?
Read as much literature as you can and watch videos by the legends. I STILL constantly watch videos by Dan Erlewine. I think he’s such an amazing wealth of knowledge. Ask questions and don’t be afraid to say, “I don’t know… let me do some research.” I lean a lot on fellow techs for a different set of eyes on challenges. I especially lean a lot on luthier Dave Johnson at Scale Model Guitars and Barry Neal at XAct Tone Solutions.
What's the most valuable lesson you've learned throughout your career as a guitar tech, and how can it benefit guitar players of all levels?
Don’t over commit yourself to something that might be out of your skill level or wheelhouse. Don’t make big or crazy changes before big shows for fear of mid-show failure. Don’t change anything based on your preferences over your artist’s preferences. I see that a lot. A lot of these players are very particular and if their setup is the way they like it, even if it's wrong, accommodate that.
What's the most unusual or unconventional venue you've had to set up for a performance, and how did you adapt to the unique circumstances?
When I was with Justin Timberlake, we played a guy’s 50th birthday party in his backyard. I mean it was a massive yard and we brought a fairly large production in, but it was still a backyard in a neighborhood. The neighbors were tripping for sure.
What are some lesser-known factors or techniques that can significantly impact the tone and playability of acoustic guitars?
Making sure to bend the ball end of the string and using feel to get it to gently seat between the pins and the bridge plate is huge. I see people yanking their strings through the bridge holes to get it to seat. I just look at that like a buzz saw tearing apart that bridge plate. Don’t do it!
Can you recall a funny or lighthearted moment involving a famous musician and their acoustic guitar while on tour that still brings a smile to your face?
Well, one was getting to take some pictures with Willie’s guitar Trigger [his iconic Martin N-20]. Big smiles for sure. Another time Billy was sitting in with the Telluride House Band at Telluride Bluegrass Festival. The band consists of Sam Bush on mandolin, Béla Fleck on banjo, Stuart Duncan on fiddle, Jerry Douglas on dobro, Edgar Meyer on upright bass, and Bryan Sutton on guitar… KILLERS! Béla asked me to grab Billy’s guitar and come soundcheck with them to get proper levels. So here I am with a beautiful 1940 D-28 surrounded by these guys picking around a song I had recorded years ago because I was so nervous, that’s all I could think to play. In the moment I wanted to pass out but later I was all smiles. Such a cool experience.
What's the most unexpected or unconventional request you've received from a musician regarding their acoustic guitar setup or maintenance?
Please don’t vacuum Jody’s ashes out of the guitar.
