For almost 40 years, Frank Hannon has enjoyed success as co-founder and lead guitarist of hard-rockers Tesla. He has also released a few solo albums, none of which are more emotional than Reflections, his new release consisting of 12 original guitar instrumentals in a variety of styles inspired by personal difficulties including the April ’24 passing of his father-in-law, Allman Brothers Band guitarist/co-founder Dickey Betts.
Did you think of the songs you were writing as therapy, or that they would turn into an album?
Absolutely not. I wasn’t planning an album. It happened by accident, but I’ve found over my career that the best things really do happen that way. Even with Tesla and other projects, usually the unplanned albums are the best; Tesla’s Five Man Acoustical Jam, wasn’t planned. We just happened to record it live in a club.
With Reflections, I rediscovered my passion for guitar, just simply guitar as a voice, in a way. I came home after a couple years living in Florida, where for the last year, in particular, my wife and I experienced some major stressful events that included the loss of her dad, the loss of a couple of other friends who passed away, turmoil with some family members, and hurricanes that forced us to evacuate with our animals and drive across the country, back home to California. Once we got back, we lost my wife’s prize horse that she loved dearly, after it got sick in Florida. It was very traumatic and painful. Once we were finally home, I took a deep breath and exhaled, thinking, “All I want to do is not do anything but recover and play my guitar.”
I was writing little tunes with my TC Electronic Ditto Looper pedal just to showcase my guitar collection, then I started making videos about my guitars to post on Instagram. My wife took notice and told me I should make an album and not just throw those songs out there.
Did events affect the way you played guitar?
I took a melodic “singing” approach to my playing – from the heart, slow and melodic, which can be much harder than shredding – putting notes in just the right spot to discover my sound and voice. My goal was to write guitar music that emoted like a vocal, keeping it pure and simple. It was very therapeutic and healing after the hardships.
You used several guitars, including a Gretsch Brian Setzer signature Hot Rod originally owned by him.
That was given to me by a friend who is no longer with us, so it has a lot of sentimental value. Brian had given it to my friend, and he gave it to me. I’d played it in the past, but not really appreciated it like I do now.
Some others I played include a ’58 reissue Bourbon Burst Les Paul, a couple of SGs, one with a Bigsby, a ’24 Gibson Custom Flying V, and J-50 and Dove, and a Martin D-45. The basses were Gibson EB-0, Rickenbacker 4001, and a Höfner Beatle bass.
Did you write and record the lead or rhythm guitar first?
It varied. For “Our Father’s Love,” I wrote the lead melody first. “Walking in the Rain” was the chord progression I was hearing in my head first – kind of Dire Straits’ “Sultans of Swing.” “San Francisco” is one song that I recorded the whole thing with just the bass first. Nothing else except my imagination, thinking, “What would the guitar sound like over it?” That one was an accident I didn’t think was going to be usable. I was noodling on the EB-0 and it got this vintage Jack Casady tone. I spent two hours layering guitars then decided to play flamenco-sounding guitar in the middle, using my Dove, strictly as a joke. But when I listened back to it, I thought, “This isn’t bad!”
How did you record Reflections?
I recorded the whole album with the Audigo app and microphone on my iPhone. It’s a little cellphone mic that happens to sound really good. You can’t punch in on it, and you can’t copy and paste like you can on the computer, so you have to play the whole way through. But it has record and mix functions, compression, reverb, delay, and all that. I was very happy with the way it recorded my Deluxe Reverb, which I used the most. – Bret Adams
This article originally appeared in VG’s July 2025 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
Facts Only
Frank Hannon is the co-founder and lead guitarist of the hard rock band Tesla.
He released a solo album titled *Reflections* in 2025, consisting of 12 original guitar instrumentals.
The album was inspired by personal difficulties, including the April 2024 death of his father-in-law, Dickey Betts, co-founder of the Allman Brothers Band.
Hannon and his wife experienced multiple stressors in Florida, including family losses, hurricanes, and the death of a prized horse.
The album was recorded using an iPhone and the Audigo app, with no post-production editing like punch-ins or copy-pasting.
Hannon used guitars including a Gretsch Brian Setzer signature Hot Rod, a ’58 reissue Les Paul, SGs, a Gibson Flying V, and Martin acoustics.
Basses used included a Gibson EB-0, Rickenbacker 4001, and a Höfner Beatle bass.
The song “Our Father’s Love” was written with the lead melody first, while “San Francisco” began with a bass line.
Hannon’s wife suggested turning his looper pedal experiments into an album.
The album was recorded primarily through a Deluxe Reverb amplifier.
The project was not initially planned as an album but evolved organically.
Hannon’s playing style on the album is melodic and vocal-like, prioritizing emotional expression over technical speed.
Executive Summary
Frank Hannon, co-founder and lead guitarist of Tesla, has released a new solo album titled *Reflections*, featuring 12 original guitar instrumentals. The album was born out of personal hardships, including the death of his father-in-law, Allman Brothers Band guitarist Dickey Betts, in April 2024, as well as other family losses, health crises, and natural disasters. Hannon initially created the music as a form of therapy, using a looper pedal to experiment with melodies and showcase his guitar collection. His wife encouraged him to compile these recordings into an album, which he recorded entirely on his iPhone using the Audigo app. The album spans various styles, with Hannon emphasizing melodic, vocal-like guitar playing over technical shredding. He used a range of guitars, including a Gretsch Brian Setzer signature model and several Gibson and Martin instruments. The recording process was organic, with some tracks evolving from improvised bass lines or chord progressions. Hannon describes the project as deeply personal and healing, reflecting his emotional state during a turbulent period.
The album’s creation highlights the intersection of personal adversity and artistic expression, demonstrating how unplanned creative endeavors can yield meaningful results. Hannon’s approach—prioritizing emotional resonance over technical complexity—offers a contrast to conventional rock guitar aesthetics. The use of mobile recording technology also underscores how modern tools can facilitate high-quality, intimate music production outside traditional studio settings.
Full Take
**STEELMAN:** Frank Hannon’s *Reflections* stands as a testament to the therapeutic power of music, emerging from a period of profound personal loss and upheaval. The album’s organic creation—recorded on a smartphone, without the polish of traditional studio production—underscores its authenticity. Hannon’s shift toward melodic, heartfelt playing over virtuoso shredding reflects a deliberate artistic choice to channel emotion rather than technical prowess. The use of guitars with personal significance, like the Gretsch once owned by Dickey Betts, adds layers of sentimental depth. The narrative aligns with a broader cultural appreciation for raw, unfiltered artistic expression, especially in an era where overproduction can dilute emotional impact.
**PATTERN SCAN:** The article avoids overt manipulation, but it leans into a subtle emotional appeal—framing the album as a product of suffering and healing. This could resonate with audiences primed to valorize "authentic" art born from adversity. However, the piece stops short of exploiting grief for commercial gain, instead presenting Hannon’s process as genuine and unplanned. The focus on his wife’s role in encouraging the album adds a humanizing touch, reinforcing the narrative’s emotional credibility.
**ROOT CAUSE:** The paradigm here is the romanticization of art as catharsis—a longstanding cultural trope where creativity is framed as a response to pain. The unstated assumption is that unplanned, emotionally driven work is inherently more valuable than deliberate, polished output. This echoes historical patterns in music journalism, where "struggle narratives" often elevate an artist’s perceived authenticity.
**IMPLICATIONS:** For human agency, this narrative empowers the idea that creativity can be a tool for processing trauma, offering a counterpoint to the commodification of art. However, it also risks reinforcing the myth that suffering is a prerequisite for meaningful work—a notion that could pressure artists to perform their pain. The use of mobile recording technology democratizes music production, but it also raises questions about how accessibility shapes artistic standards.
**BRIDGE QUESTIONS:**
How might the expectation of "authenticity through suffering" limit artists who create from joy or curiosity rather than hardship?
If Hannon had recorded this album in a professional studio, would its emotional resonance be perceived differently?
What role does nostalgia (e.g., vintage guitars, analog tones) play in shaping the album’s reception?
**COUNTERSTRIKE SCAN:** A bad actor pushing this narrative might exaggerate the "tragedy-to-triumph" angle, framing Hannon’s work as a heroic overcoming of adversity to sell a sentimentalized product. They could also exploit the "DIY recording" aspect to undermine professional studios or promote specific tech brands. However, the actual content avoids these pitfalls, presenting the story as a personal journey rather than a marketing ploy. The focus remains on the music’s emotional core, not its commercial potential.
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