Player on Purpose - Zeph Whitt on Service, Sound, and a Life in Worship Guitar.
In the thriving worship community of Christ Community Church in St. Charles, Illinois, you’ll find Zeph Whitt, a seasoned guitar player whose journey is marked by his commitment to obedience, excellence, and a distinctive sound. Like so many worship guitar players, Zeph is someone who sees worship as a calling to serve both congregation and creator. WorshipGTR had the chance to interview Zeph and explore the winding road that led to becoming an impactful worship guitarist and musician.
“My job as an electric player is to serve the worship leader and the congregation by playing parts that are tasteful and help set the mood for the Spirit to move.”
From Drums to Delays: A Journey in Worship and Music
Zeph’s love for music started early—though not exactly on the guitar. “Believe it or not, I actually started off as a drummer,” he laughs. “I spent a couple years wailing away on my mom's pots and pans before joining my first worship team at the age of 13.” This initial rhythm-focused phase shaped his musical foundation. But it wasn’t until college that Zeph would discover the electric guitar—and more specifically, the allure of delay pedals. “I decided to learn electric guitar after falling in love with the sound of delay pedals,” he explains. “It’s a bit cliché, I know, but that sound really captivated me.”
After years of developing his electric guitar skills, Zeph returned to his home church as a worship leader, this time wielding his guitar. From there, his journey expanded, with him playing at several churches in the area. Today, his weekends are filled with worship at Christ Community Church, where he plays 1-2 times a month, along with gigs in cover bands and as a guitarist for Ben Mulwana and the Village, an innovative group blending jazz, African rhythms, and singer-songwriter vibes.
“In my experience, the best times of worship come from a band that has a strong sense of unity and camaraderie, which can only come from personal relationship.”
- Zeph
The Art of Obedience in Worship
Over the years, Zeph has come to understand the importance of “playing in submission.” He describes his approach to worship ministry as one of “service-oriented obedience,” and recalls how learning this lesson wasn’t easy. “Years ago at my old church, I was just learning to play guitar with a band, and I had to be told by senior members of the team to turn down or not play as loudly,” he says. He admits he didn’t always listen. “Eventually, this led to a church meeting about respect, where leaders emphasized that we should ‘respect the position, regardless of the person.’”
It was a pivotal moment that changed Zeph’s perspective, reinforcing the importance of respect for leadership in ministry and worship. “The pastor is accountable to God, the leaders under him are accountable to him, and team members are accountable to leaders. That lesson stuck with me.”
Building Camaraderie on the Worship Team
Beyond obedience, Zeph’s years in worship have given him invaluable personal growth and relationship-building skills. One challenge he’s encountered is leading with people he doesn’t know well, often with different communication styles. “The way I've overcome this challenge is by submitting my will, attitude, and mind to the Lord in prayer,” Zeph shares. Practically, he has a method for handling such situations: “I observe and communicate. I observe how they lead, noting hand signals or language, and then I ask questions, like, ‘Do you want this part like the record?’”
This adaptability has helped him build camaraderie with worship teams and bandmates, which he values deeply. “The best times of worship come from a band that has unity and camaraderie, and that can only come from building personal relationships,” he explains.
On Sound and Signature Gear
For Zeph, developing his unique sound has been a journey in itself. “These days, my sound is much more reliant on reverbs than delays,” he says. He favors a “plate-style reverb with a low mix and high decay” for an atmospheric backdrop, paired with “octave pedal, modulated reverb, and overdrive” for an “epic feel” that’s perfect for building up moments in worship.
His pedalboard, housed on a Pedaltrain Classic 2, features a mix of boutique and industry-standard pedals, including some of his favorites: the ToneX pedal and the GFI Systems Specular Reverb V2. “Honorable mention goes to the JET Revelation Reverb, which I use on my smaller board. The algorithms on that thing are amazing (especially the anti-shimmer) and it's exactly the form factor I need, he said.”
Zeph used a Kemper for many years, and always wished he could get the amps in a pedal format. He found the ToneX “does exactly that and a little bit better to my ears.” He continued, “plus, I've downloaded awesome (and free!) captures for not only electric guitar, but bass and acoustic, so I can use it as a preamp for almost all my gigs.” The captures Zeph uses for electric are AC30 and Matchless by UrZeiT and AC15 by Flow1983.
When asked what’s next for his setup, he said, “I've been putting it off for a while, but I'm eventually going to get another ToneX and wire up my board in stereo. Beyond that, I'm not too sure. I'm pretty happy with what I've got right now, but who knows how long that will last,” he laughs.
Zeph’s Board is a Pedaltrain Classic 2, powered by Truetone CS12. Signal chain is as follows: EHX Pitchfork, Barber Tone Press, JHS Morning Glory V3, OCD, NAOMI Classic Chorus, Ernie Ball VP Jr, Boss DD-500 w/Saturnworks tap switch, GFI Systems Specular Reverb V2, TC Electronic Polytune Mini 3, Strymon BigSky, Strymon Flint, ToneX.
Facing Challenges and Finding Strength in Worship
Though his playing has come a long way, Zeph still finds himself facing “imposter syndrome” when working with especially talented bands. In those moments, he turns to faith. “Whenever this happens, I ask the Lord to help calm my nerves and give me peace,” he shares. “After that, getting to know the other players as people helps build community and takes away some of that feeling of being ‘less than.’”
With over 20 years in worship, Zeph’s journey has shaped him into the musician—and person—he is today. Worship, he says, has become more than just music; it’s a way of life. “Being part of a worship community has helped me not only musically but personally. It’s taught me to take feedback positively and to push myself out of my comfort zone,” he reflects. From his humble beginnings on the drums to leading worship on electric guitar, Zeph’s path is a testament to the transformative power of music—and the value of a heart truly dedicated to service.
