This past weekend, Vola Guitars had the distinct pleasure of traveling to the music capital of the USA - Nashville, Tennessee, to make some sounds with three outstanding musicians. After packing the car full to the brim with guitars and camera equipment, we set out to meet up with longtime Vola artist Josh Sneed, his wife and avid bassist Sarina Ivory, and guitarist and educator extraordinaire Kent Crawley. The first stop of the trip led us to the world famous Broadway Street in downtown Nashville. Illuminated from top to bottom in bright neon signage, there was a tangible electricity in the air, and not just in a literal sense. Towards the base of Broadway lies Barstool Nashville, a central hub for locals and visitors alike to catch some amazing live music and experience the depth of music culture that is underlying at the city’s heart.

As the venue filled, Josh Sneed took the stage with a Quantum Industries case packed full of his favorite Vola guitars. For this particular gig, he packed the Vasti KJM, JZ FRO, and the Vasti MC, all worthy candidates for the evening. With an efficiency that is characteristic only of professional acts, the band was set within moments and took off into their set with an energy indicative of the weekend.  Sneed single-handedly manned the guitar responsibilities, and with a commanding presence. The rotation of Billboard-topping covers were met with an equal rotation of Vola guitars to fit the vibe. Some Funk, Soul, and Classic Rock songs were channeled into the JZ. The country tunes aptly found their home in the Vasti MC. Yet, there is rarely a show that goes by that Josh doesn’t bring out his Vasti KJM, arguably the most versatile of the bunch with its HSH pick up configuration.

Across the street, Sarina just so happened to be playing a gig at the locally owned and renowned Acme Feed and Seed Bar. Convenient, right? She was part of a collective that had clearly spent a lot of time on stage together. Her Vola of choice for the evening was the ZVA 5, which complimented the style of music perfectly. Her band leaned more into the Rock, R&B, and even Pop Punk realms, among many others. We even caught Sarina throwing down some backing vocals every now and again. The extended range of the ZVA lent itself to a deep resonance that she commanded throughout the multiple hours they played. Once the gig was up, the stage was broken down and packed up. After realizing the late hour, everyone departed for the evening, preparing for an early start the next day.

After brushing off the cobwebs, the morning rendezvous consisted of an early set up at Josh and Sarina‘s home studio. Both are lovers of Japan and its culture, their walls reflected that adoration with pictures from their travels and an array of art. Once everything was in its place for the shoot, the crew set off for some creative fuel at a local haunt called Ruby Sunshine. The New Orleans style food was hearty and wholesome, and gave the energy needed to get to business. Joined by new friends Kent Crawley and his partner Molly, everyone made one another’s acquaintance and shared some stories. Kent has been a growing presence in the guitar community as of late. His superior knowledge of the instrument, theory, and widely diverse stylistic range are a few factors that play into his recent success. So to have him involved in the day’s shoot was a real treat. The meal concluded and once a game plan was laid out, it was time to lock in.

We set off back to the studio, and for the next 5 to 6 hours, notes were flying left and right. The three uber talented musicians cycled through a wide selection of Vola models, cycling through an array of genres and styles. Kent started things off strong with some country stylings on the Vasti MC, followed by Josh then jumping in for some lines on the OZ TNC. One by one, new tones were dialed and followed by a flurry of intuitive guitar mastery by each one of the players. Sarina made quick work of a series of classic bass lines, which she performed effortlessly. Then, the duets began. Josh and Sarina, sharing a clear (and unsurprising) synchronicity, jammed through an incredible cover of Cheryl Lynn’s “To Be Real”, barely needing two takes to nail it. Then, Kent subbed in for Sarina and he and Josh found a similar wavelength. This time, with a backing track and dueling guitar soloes. It was quite baffling to watch the two so easily and intuitively trade lines back and forth, feeding off of one another at every turn. The day concluded with that take and cathartic sigh to signify a long day of solid work completed. All in all, it was a tremendously productive trip and we are thankful for our friend’s hospitality. Stay tuned for a ton of great videos from the shoot!