Donny Garrett and the team at Tonesmiths are hands down the best guys I’ve worked with in buying gear. They genuinely care about what you are looking for and what will work best for your sound. When I was looking at getting my Bad Cat, they spent so much time with me on the phone or e-mail talking through ideas for what would work best with my set up. That’s the thing that really sets them apart… the personality of the team. Loved working with these guys!
-Mack Brock, Elevation Worship
Donny has been an amazing support and friend. He deeply cares about what he does and seeks out opportunities to serve his customers. His desire to help and willingness to go the extra mile is what sets Tonesmiths apart from the rest.
-James Duke, All The Bright Lights/ John Mark McMillan
Donny is the man! I am glad to be connected with this guy who believes in good business and relationship with his customers. Tonesmiths is a company I trust to get me to the right gear that I need.
-Jeffrey Kunde, Jesus Culture
This is what I think about “The Donny Garrett”…
Donny goes the extra mile and beyond to help. It doesn’t matter who you are, he strives to assist and consult in any way he possibly can. I’ve come to know Donny over the past year and I have mad respect for the guy. He simply cares about musicians. His love and dedication to the music community is über evident in how he speaks and what he does for you as a client, friend, or fellow musician. Donny exemplifies Christ in every way he possibly can. Whether it’s selling you a product, chatting for hours about the perfect guitar, or just life conversations… Donny is a good guy.
-Travis Motley, Motley Customs [pedalboard designs]
I really admire Donny Garrett because of his heart for musicians in the worship community and how genuine he is about taking care of them. Donny is always going out of his way to make sure I am completely satisfied with the gear I request, and I know he does the same for the others that work with him. He is very knowledgable and can always educate me on products I’m interested in, and will also let me know if there is anything new that I should have! I have been completely satisfied with all the amps, pedals, guitars that I have used through Donny. He is very passionate, kind, and is a great friend.
-Matt Podesla, Passion/ Matt Redman
I love how much of a heart you have for the worship community. I’ve always felt like it’s very personal when working with you. I’ve never met anyone that knows the product better than you. Everything I’ve gotten through you has been so top notch and such a blessing.Thank you Donny for all you’re doing!!! Love u bro!
-Lance Gatch, Elevation Worship
Donny was sent to me through a friend (James Duke) a couple of months ago, and I knew instantly that this was a guy I was going to like working with. His knowledge of gear and tone shaping was apparent right off the bat. He truly loves guitars and guitar players. I deal with so many brand reps and Donny is so much more- a friend first.
-Dusty Redmon, The Almost
I play full-time in a worship band called For All Seasons. And I’ve been looking for a new amp for sometime now. I just didn’t know what I really wanted… until Donny came along and helped/guided me to better tone. I just got my hands on my new Bad Cat “Classic 50” (first version of the Fat Cat 50) with the help of my new friend Donny Garrett. I got Donny’s number from a random guy I met at a coffee shop in Redlands, CA who had recently purchased an amp from him. I called Donny five minutes after getting his number and we talked tone for a half hour. Two weeks later I’m at the Bad Cat shop playing my new amp. This amp actually was a trade-in from Kid Rock. It’s a beast! Best sounding amp I’ve played so far. I’ve never heard an amplifier that can do so much with one channel. It blows me away how this amp responds to my guitars! From my Tele, to my Jaguar, to my hollow body, it sings with every note. I couldn’t be any happier with this amp. Can’t wait til it’s time to bring another Bad Cat into my rig! Thanks Donny!
-Randy Charlson, For All Seasons
I can remember being eight years old when I fell in love with the Stratocaster. It’s taken the rest of my forty years of life to find the tone that represents the beauty and style of that instrument. Tone takes practice, good pickups, acoustic sustain, a good sense of musicality and importantly a great amplifier. The magic of the Bad Cat Classic Deluxe paired with a great Stratocaster is unparalleled. The tone is woody and the amp is musical with great spank I also am particularly impressed with the amount of bass response which you don’t usually find in a 20 watt amp. The overdrive tone is very thick and clean tones are lush and beautiful and I fall into the mix with presence and clarity. The amplifier inspires you to play and the longer you play the better it sounds. Thank you so much Donny for understanding my playing style and applying your knowledge and passion to help me select the Classic Deluxe!! it gives my beloved Strats the best tone I’ve ever had!!!
-Paul Warner, Worship Guitarist at Sandals Church
My experience with Donny Garrett and Tonesmiths was great! They matched prices for me to make a dream come true. Donny is all about customer service and made me a priority. I received my amp a week ahead of schedule with a free effects loop installed. The open communication between Donny and Bad Cat was great. I’ll continue to buy any and all Bad Cat products through them.
-Colton Williams, Sound Engineer at Epipheo
Donny has been able to answer the most technical of questions about every product I have asked about with great ease and has been able to explain in real terms that a lay person could understand. He has always provided a high level of communication, making himself available when others wouldn’t be. It is clear that his chief concern is helping you achieve the tone you need with the right gear to accomplish it. He is an honest and honorable man who truly has your best interest at heart and will tell you the truth when you don’t need something. He has been able to effectively diagnose and assess my needs, and provided great and timely service while helping me meet them. Donny has proven time and time again to be a great person to work with, and he will be the first person I talk to for my gear and tone needs in the future.
~ Bradley Lussenheide, Worship Leader at Rock Valley Christian Church
Tonesmiths is not just another music store, it’s the place to go when you need a personable and knowledgeable sales staff, the best in pro gear, and a shared passion for music. Donny was great to deal with, and he responded to my questions and returned my emails promptly. And buying gear from them was easier than playing a Pentatonic Scale! They are all about great gear, great prices and great service. And the new Website is fantastic too.
-Herb Genelly III
As a serious recording and touring musician I can honestly say Donny over at Tonesmiths is the guy to go to if you want professional and very personalized service. One of the most easiest guys to work with, abs he really knows his stuff. He not only took the time to answer all my questions in an extremely detailed and timely manner, he was proactive in giving suggestions, and solutions. Seriously as a tone freak l was never satisfied with my tone. I can honestly say I’m truly happy with my tone now. I have played through countless amps and this Wild Cat 40R is everything I want in an amp. Absolutely floored with how it sounds and the versatility, its so easy to dial in a great tone! Thanks Donny
-Mark Sloss
For some time I had been eyeing up the Luca amp from Bad Cat. But since I’m from the UK, the likelihood of me ever owning one seemed like a pipe dream. That’s until I made contact with Donny via e-mail. Straight away I felt valued as a potential customer. He was extremely helpful and knowledgeable. But, on top of that I felt I was able to easily trust him with the potential purchase of my Bad Cat amp. He even got me a sweet deal on the amp and shipping as well. During the transition from purchasing and receiving the amp, Donny would respond immediately to any e-mail I sent with lots of helpful information. He even also sent me a couple of YouTube clips that he had made about the Luca amp which were incredibly useful to me specifically. All in all Donny would definitely be my first point of contact again should I need anything from the US and I would highly recommend him.
-Samuel Lane, Freedom Church of England
Donny has been such a pleasure to work with. His knowledge on amps, effects, and tubes has really helped me out in many instances. He has helped me find the missing pieces for my sound. I will be a long time customer for sure!
I can’t thank you enough Donny for all you’ve done. You have become a dear friend!
-Eric Kluksdahl, Touring/ Studio Musician
I have known Donny for a few years now. We met through a mutual friend in the P&W community. After knowing him for just a short period, some things became very clear.
1) He knows gear (he spends countless hours reading/researching/experimenting with amps/pedals/guitars/sounds).
2) He loves God, and he loves people. Donny takes great pleasure in serving both God and people… and he serves them really well!
I really appreciate the lengths that Donny has gone to to help me carve out a tone that I absolutely love. Every time I have a question about something, he’s on the case and will always give me the answer or at least point me in the right direction in my quest for that specific answer. But most of all I admire his character and integrity. I know he’s a good man, not because he says so, but because he shows it with his life. And I’m honored to witness it first hand. The P&W community has been tremendously blessed by Donny, and I don’t think it will ever be the same.
-Andrew Tremblay, Worship Leader @ Community Christian Church
Donny is an excellent individual to do business with. I ordered a Bad Cat product from him which was back ordered and he kept me in the loop concerning the status. Honesty and integrity are at the core of his decision process. I will continue to buy amps from him.
-Tony Daniell
Donny got me a great deal on a Bad Cat Cub X that had recently come back from one of Bad Cat’s endorsed artists, and did a great job working with the guys at Bad Cat to get all of the options and features that I needed set up. Great prices and top notch customer service from Tonesmiths.
– Jon Mindrup
Let me start off by saying that after working with Donny I have grown to be a life long fan and friend of his work, company, and his self! This guy is awesome! He has, and I believe always will, take every stride necessary to completely satisfy his customers. I have had nothing but great experiences in buying my amp and my friend’s amp through him. He took the time to listen to my needs and my friend’s (very long) list of needs and was very patient to answer each question and get us the best amps to suit our needs.
Great guy all around, Tonesmiths rocks! If you do business with anyone, do it with him! Bad Cats all the way! TMG all the way! Sooo overwhelmed by the blessing this company and Donny has been too me! He knows his stuff. So check them out and get you an amp or guitar that will change your life. You wont regret doing business with this guy. I’m very blessed to say I am a proud supporter of Tonesmiths and consider Donny a friend.
–Will Small, Studio & Church guitarist/ music producer/ all the rest
The Tonesmiths Report 