The Fretboard Journal Guitar Podcast (The Fretboard Journal)

Back in the 1980s, Lindy Fralin didn’t set out to be one of the world’s most-trusted pickup winders, he just wanted to earn a living as a guitarist. With a tight budget, he’d buy cheap guitars and fix them up for himself or do minor repair work for friends. Eventually, though, the pickups took over. Today, Fralin has seven employees, a growing product line of guitar and bass products and a bustling pickup repair shop. On this week’s podcast, we talk to Lindy about his early days, some of his latest creations, the intricacies of pickup winding and much more.

This week’s podcast is sponsored by Retrofret Vintage Guitars, who happen to have a brand new website. Check it out!

http://fralinpickups.com

On this week's podcast, we talk to Zack Vex of Z.Vex Effects. Over the last twenty-plus years, Zack has been at the forefront of the boutique pedal movement. But, as you'll hear during our lengthy interview, his love for electronics and science goes way beyond just guitar effects. Zack walks us through his childhood, his first guitar repairs and the early days of his now-flourishing company.

On next week's episode, we'll hear about Z.Vex today and some of Zack's most recent inventions including the Candelas Vibraphase and a brand new (and mind boggling) microphone. 

This episode is brought to you by Dying Breed Music and Retrofret Vintage Guitars. 

Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal and use the discount code PODCAST to get $5 off your order. 

https://www.zvex.com
https://www.fretboardjournal.com

In the 1930s, Nationals and Dobro-branded guitars often featured a “frosted duco” finish, the result of applying a unique lacquer would seemingly crystalize on the instrument. The guitar finish equivalent of tie-dye, no two of these frosted duco finishes looks alike, but nearly every surviving example is gorgeous. Around 1937, National stopped using the finish altogether and it was quickly relegated to guitar geek history.

Seattle-area guitar collector Rik Besser has spent years perfecting his own version of "frosted duco" and is now the go-to guy for these finishes. On this week's podcast, he explains his process and tells us about some of the new projects he's currently working on. 

The Fretboard Journal's first podcast episode, recorded live on April 3, 2009 via BlogTalkRadio. Guests included Jon Rauhouse (Neko Case) and Martin Guitar expert (and now Mastery Bridge founder) John "Woody" Woodland. 

On today's podcast, we talk to William Seeders Mosheim, the owner of Seeders Instruments. Seeders is an open-back banjo builder who has found success combining old world designs with new world craftsmanship. The Vermont-based luthier honed his woodworking craft at his father's furniture business but now has a multi-year wait list for his banjos. His custom creations can incorporate any number of tone ring styles, wood options and levels of ornamentation. 

This episode is sponsored once again by TR Crandall. If you're visiting their store or website, don't forget to tell them that the Fretboard Journal sent you.

trcrandall.com
fretboardjournal.com
seedersinstruments.com

Don't forget to subscribe to all of the Fretboard Journal podcasts via iTunes. And leave us a review if you can! 

Our guest on today’s Fretboard Journal Podcast is Chris Young, founder of Union Tube & Transistor. Chris walks us through Union’s history, his current pedal lineup and the story behind his pedal collaboration with Jack White. We also hear about the time he gave a pedal to Tom Waits and about some of Union’s latest products, including their new Lab compressor pedal.

While Chris was in Seattle, we also took him to Johnny Sangster’s Crackle & Pop studio to do a quick video demo. Watch it on fretboardjournal.com. 

This podcast is sponsored by Retrofret Vintage Guitars and Adam Levy’s new Guitar Tips Pro, where you can get great professional video lessons for as little as $5 a month.

For the last decade, luthier David Murray helmed an audacious project: Teaching the craft of guitarmaking to young Tibetan refugees in foothills of the Himalayas. It was one of the least hospitable places imaginable for a woodworking business (from both a climate and political perspective), but somehow the Dehradun Guitar Company steadily produced about one custom acoustic guitar a week. As David says goodbye to this chapter of his life – which we originally profiled in the Fretboard Journal #38 – we wanted to bring him on the podcast to hear what transpired. From Thailand, where his family currently resides, we talk about the challenges he experienced setting up Dehradun: the climate, CITES regulations, prohibitive shipping costs, an Indian government that threw his family out of the country and more. Despite all the above, Murray and his team were able to create around 200 amazing instruments and, he admits, “it was a dream come true.” We also talk a bit about the Fretboard Journal today, the influence Bob Taylor had on him as a builder and business owner, and what's next for the Murrays.

Another highlight from the 2016 Fretboard Summit: Rick Turner, Jack Casady (Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna) and Dan Schwarz have a candid talk about the evolution of instrument amplification and tone from the 1960s to today. Casady talks about his desire for higher fidelity bass sounds, even as rock concert sound systems got bigger and bigger, and the electronic experimentation that ensued. Schwarz talks about the fateful day in 1973 when he walked into the Alembic guitar factory. Meanwhile, Rick Turner discusses the back-and-forth collaborations that happen between luthiers and their clients. It's a deep (two hours long) talk that covers a lot of ground...  

This episode of the Fretboard Journal Podcast is sponsored by Dying Breed Music. 

Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal print magazine here.

Today we’re talking to Jas Obrecht, acclaimed music journalist and editor. Jas is the author of the recently published anthology, Talking Guitar: Conversations with Musicians Who Shaped Twentieth-Century American Music. The book is filled interviews Jas conducted with music icons such as Nick Lucas, Ry Cooder, “Pops” Staples, Ry Cooder and Jerry Garcia. He tells us a bit about how it came about, what these amazing interviews were like, his days working at Guitar Player and much more.

The Fretboard Journal’s 39th issue is now mailing. Use the coupon code PODCAST when you check out and you’ll save $5 off any subscription, just for being a FJ Podcast listener.

This episode is sponsored by Retrofret Vintage Guitars.

Links: 
www.fretboardjournal.com
Talking Guitar: Conversations with Musicians Who Shaped Twentieth-Century American Music by Jas Obrecht (Amazon link)

In 1996, Jay Boone founded Emerald City Guitars out of a funky storefront in Seattle’s Pioneer Square neighborhood. These days, ECG may occupy the same address but it has evolved into one of the world’s great vintage guitar destinations, a place where Dumble amps, Blackguard Telecasters and ‘Bursts line the walls alongside more affordable electric and acoustic guitars and amps. On today’s Fretboard Journal Podcast, we talk to Jay about the growth of this family-run business; the sales trends he’s observed over the years; how a $400,000 'Burst gets sold; the vintage guitars he just can’t keep in-stock; plus a lot more. It’s a fascinating chat that covers a lot of ground: from vintage Gibson electrics to Martins, reverb.com and more.

This episode is sponsored by Retrofret Vintage Guitars and Mono Cases. 

This week, we're joined by Trevor Boone of Seattle's Emerald City Guitars. 

Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal: http://fretboardjournal.com/subscribe

Our next Fretboard Summit takes place August 21-23, 2025 at Chicago's Old Town School of Folk Music. Register today: https://www.oldtownschool.org/concerts/2025/08-21-2025-fretboard-summit-2025/

This week's show is sponsored by: Stringjoy Strings: https://stringjoy.com
(Use the code FRETBOARD to save 10% off your first order)

Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar: https://mmguitarbar.com

Peghead Nation: https://www.pegheadnation.com
(Get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription with the promo code FRETBOARD at checkout).

Collings: Check out their new Hill Country series of guitars: https://collingsguitars.com/hill-country-series/

Love the podcast and want to support it? We have a Patreon page just for Fretboard Journal fans and loaded with bonus content. https://www.patreon.com/Fretboard_Journal

The second installment of our interview with Zack Vex of Z.Vex Effects covers a lot of ground. Zack gives us an overview of Z.Vex’s current offerings, he then gives us his thoughts on the guitar effects industry today and he walks us through his latest invention, an all-new microphone that has to be heard to be believed. Plus a lot more... 

Listen to part one of this two-hour interview here. 

This episode is brought to you by Dying Breed Music and Retrofret Vintage Guitars. 

Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal print magazine and use the discount code PODCAST to get $5 off your order. 

https://www.zvex.com
https://www.fretboardjournal.com

Acoustic guitarists and mandolinists all over the world know of the importance of Sitka spruce. It's one of the favored choices for guitar tops (and for bracing inside the instrument). What many musicians may not realize is that the Sitka forests in Alaska face some of the same over-harvesting dangers that have occured with Brazilian rosewood, Madagascar rosewood and Adirondack spruce.

Musicwood is a new documentary that follows the fate of one forest in Alaska and the efforts of a group of guitarmakers (including Taylor Guitars' Bob Taylor) to slow down the harvesting. 

In this week's podcast, we talk to the Musicwood's director, Maxine Trump, about the project, the Kickstarter campaign currently underway to finish funding the film and about the current state of the Sitka forests in Southern Alaska. 

You don’t need to be an offset guitar connoisseur to appreciate the beauty of Nels Cline’s beat 1960 Fender Jazzmaster, affectionately dubbed “Watt.” On today’s Fretboard Journal Podcast, we talk to the former owner of that guitar, Mike Watt himself. Watt reflects on his ongoing friendship with Cline, his ownership stint with the Jazzmaster (which was briefly owned by J Mascis before Watt bought it via Rick King at Guitar Maniacs), the Minutemen and more. We ask Watt about the recent release of Ring Spiel Tour ‘95, an amazing live document featuring Watt with Eddie Vedder, Dave Grohl, Pat Smear and William Goldsmith.

Also discussed: D. Boon, EMG pickups, Floored by Four, the Black Gang, a potential signature model Mike Watt bass and more.

Referenced in the discussion: 
Nels’ tour diaries: http://hootpage.com/hoot_nelsclamblow1.html 
Nels’ tour diaries, pt 2: http://hootpage.com/hoot_nelsshinebox1.html 
Nels Cline’s Goo Pedal: http://www.toneconcepts.com/goo/
Watts' Gear: http://www.hootpage.com/hoot_gallery-thudstaffs.html
Dos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFrgJBCtCmE
Ring Spiel Tour '95: http://amzn.to/2gdyJqj
Nikon Coolpix LX830: http://amzn.to/2gdzsaV

Nels Cline is on the cover of the new Fretboard Journal #37, available now. Podcast listeners: Use the coupon code "podcast" when you check out. 
https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/collections/all/products/subscription 

On this week’s podcast, we talk to legendary singer-songwriter Bruce Cockburn. Bruce was featured back in the Fretboard Journal #25 and he offers plenty of updates on his career, music and projects during our conversation. We chat about his Linda Manzer-built instruments (including the electric charango that she built for him), his memoir Rumours of Glory and the full length documentary on his life, Pacing the Cage.  

This episode of the Fretboard Journal Podcast is brought to you by our friends at Dying Breed Music, where you can find a bevy of great acoustic guitars from the Golden Era.

Jack Tarlinton's story is unlike any you've heard before. The Australian tinkerer and music lover started out in publishing (he co-founded the Skateboarder's Journal, a magazine not unlike our own, but for skateboarding); found himself doing carpentry and eventually worked in the prop department of a big budget Hollywood movie. He then caught the lutherie bug, thanks in part to the Fretboard Journal.

Over the last few years, Tarlinton has honed his craft as Wandering Boy Guitars, where he builds ladded-braced instruments inspired by the old Stella / Oscar Schmidt guitars of the '20s and '30s. His instruments look like time capsules, available in six, nine, and twelve-string versions, just like the originals. He then ages them using time-period correct relics like belt buckles and handcuffs, employing techniques he learned on the set of Ridley Scott's Alien: Covenant.

Like we said, you definitely haven't heard a story like this before... we hope you love it.

wanderingboyguitars.com

https://www.instagram.com/wandering_boy_guitars/

Don't forget, the FJ now hosts an entire family of podcasts, about everything from lutherie to home recording: Luthier on Luthier; The Truth About Vintage Amps; The Truth About Recording & Mixing; Acoustic Voices; and Sweep the Floor.

This episode is sponsored by Mono Cases, Folkway Music and Retrofret Vintage Guitars.

Our 47th issue features James Taylor, Chuck Prophet, Ben Harper, John Monteleone, Bahamas, Flip Scipio, luthier David Wren and much more. Read about it here and subscribe to the Fretboard Journal magazine to support independent guitar journalism and this podcast. 

Mark Stutman (Folkway Music) returns to the Fretboard Journal Podcast for a sprawling conversation that covers the magic (and variables) of '30s vintage Gibson flattop guitars, his advice for aspiring luthiers, the allure of old strings (and what new strings he likes for old Gibsons) and much more. Stutman is a true authority when it comes to old Gibson and Martin guitar repairs and his restoration insights ("the enemy of Good is often Better") are invaluable for vintage guitar collectors.

The Fretboard Journal has just launched its first ever subscription drive. If you haven’t joined us yet, now is a great time. We’ll be sharing all-new podcasts, videos and articles all month long: https://www.fretboardjournal.com/columns/support-the-fretboard-journal/

This episode is sponsored by Mono Cases and Retrofret Vintage Guitars.

Musician Tray Wellington has a truly one-of-a-kind story: As a teenager trying to learn rock riffs on the electric guitar, he stumbled upon the music of Doc Watson. Soon after that, he heard the five-string banjo. 

For the last decade, Tray has devoted himself to that instrument, attending festivals, entering banjo contests, and even majoring in Bluegrass, Old Time & Country Music studies at East Tennessee State University. He recently released his debut full-length album, 'Black Banjo.' It's a project where he gets to explore his passion for bluegrass, newgrass and beyond. He also reveals some not-so-traditional music influences, including interpretations of John Coltrane and Roy Hargrove compositions. 

On this week’s Fretboard Journal Podcast, we talk to guitarist Glenn Jones (Cul de Sac). Glenn will be participating in the forthcoming The 1000 Incarnations of the Rose festival taking place April 13-15, 2018 in Takoma Park, Maryland. The festival is a three-day long celebration of the American Primitive guitar movement, as pioneered by John Fahey and Robbie Basho.

Over the course of our talk, Jones describes his lengthy relationship with Fahey (and Basho), why you probably shouldn’t befriend your music heroes, his guitars of choice for this style of music and the origin of the unique, one-off festival taking place in Fahey's old hometown.

To learn more about the festival, go here: https://1000rose.org

Glenn Jones' liner notes for The Epiphany of Glenn Jones, mentioned during this podcast, can be found here: http://www.johnfahey.com/pages/epiphany.html

Glenn Jones official website: http://www.thrilljockey.com/artists/glenn-jones

Acoustic guitarist / composer Yasmin Williams just released a breathtaking new album called 'Urban Driftwood.' On today's Fretboard Journal Podcast, she talks to us about the making of the record (most of which took place in the middle of the 2020 pandemic), how she took up guitar after beating Guitar Hero 2, her gear of choice (including her custom Skytop Guitar) and much more. It's a great chat with one of our favorite new artists. 

This episode is sponsored by Izotope, Mono Cases, Folkway Music and Retrofret Vintage Guitars. Use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your next Izotope order.

http://www.yasminwilliamsmusic.com

Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal magazine here. 

Two of Nashville’s finest guitarists – Tom Bukovac and Guthrie Trapp – join us this week to talk about their new album, IN STEREO. We chat about what brought them to Nashville way back when, the making of the album, the gear they used on it, tube amps, and so much more.

Order IN STEREO: https://bakedalaskarecords.com

Our 2024 Fretboard Summit takes place August 23-25, 2024 at Chicago's Old Town School. This year's Summit features 80 luthiers and exhibitors. Performers include Adam Levy, Colin Hay, Blake Mills, Joel Paterson, Jake Eddy, Jordan Tice, Valerie June, and Joe Henry. Register to attend this unforgettable guitar weekend: https://fretboardsummit.org

Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal print edition and reserve your copy of Fretboard Journal 54:
https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/products/fretboard-journal-annual-subscription

This week's show is sponsored by:
StewMac: https://stewmac.sjv.io/R5jvRR (Affiliate link)

Stringjoy Strings: https://stringjoy.com
(Use the code FRETBOARD to save 10% off your first order)

Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar: https://mmguitarbar.com

Collings Guitars: https://www.collingsguitars.com

Peghead Nation: https://www.pegheadnation.com
(Get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription with the promo code FRETBOARD at checkout).

Love the podcast and want to support it? We have a Patreon page just for Fretboard Journal fans and loaded with bonus content. https://www.patreon.com/Fretboard_Journal

On today’s Fretboard Journal Podcast, we talk to Jason and Pharis Romero of J. Romero Banjo Co. From the tiny town of Horsefly, British Columbia, the Romeros craft some of the most coveted new fretted instruments being made. They currently have a five year waitlist and, as they describe it, even getting on the waitlist is a bit of a challenge. The duo are also exceptional musicians and won the 2016 Juno Award for Best Traditional Album of the Year. 

In June 2016, a fire swept through the Romeros entire shop, destroying many of their new instruments as well as some of the prized vintage possessions. During our conversation, we talk to them about the fire, the help they received from the music community and how their rebuild process is going. We also chat about some of their latest banjo creations and innovations. 

http://www.romerobanjos.com
https://www.fretboardjournal.com/video/fretboard-films-trip-romero-banjos/ (our film on the Romeros original shop) 
Subscribe to the Journal here: https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/collections/all/products/fretboard-journal-subscription-no-auto-renew (use the coupon code PODCAST and save an additional $5 off your order) 

It's starting to look like a guitar!

Luthier T. Drew Heinonen is hard at work on the OM guitar project we'll be unveiling at the 2016 Fretboard Summit. On this week's podcast, Drew tells us about his assembly of the guitar's body, gives us his views on bracing and bridge plates and much more. 

The Fretboard Summit OM will be unveiled at the next Fretboard Summit, taking place October 14-16, 2016 in San Diego. Go to www.fretboardsummit.com for details. 

From his home in Louisville, Kentucky, we talk to guitarist and music historian Nathan Salsburg. By our count, Salsburg has released two of the best instrumental acoustic guitar albums of 2011: Avos, a duet record with James Elkington, and a solo album entitled Affirmed.  We chat with Salsburg about both records, the guitars he used on these projects and his unique day job, working for the Alan Lomax Archives. We also discuss some of his favorite guitar players, including Nic Jones (featured in the Fretboard Journal #21) and E.C. Ball (a huge influence on luthier/player Wayne Henderson). It's an interesting half-hour chat with one of the guitar world's rising stars.

On today’s podcast, acclaimed luthiers Linda Manzer, David Wren and Tony Duggan-Smith gather around Manzer's kitchen table to talk to us about their new Group of Seven guitar project. 

The Group of Seven consisted of Canadian landscape painters Lawren Harris, J.E.H. MacDonald, Arthur Lismer, Franklin Carmichael, Frank Johnston, F.H. Varley and A.Y. Jackson. These seven artist friends were prolific through the 1920s and early '30s and are now considered highly influential. 

Manzer saw similarities between the bond these seven legendary artists had and the one she shares with fellow luthiers and friends who studied under Jean Larrivee, decades ago. She decided to pay homage by having seven guitars built. Each luthier would focus on a different Group of Seven member.

The luthiers participating include Manzer, Sergi de Jonge, Duggan-Smith, Wren, George Gray, Grit Laskin and Jean Larrivée. The luthiers also built an eighth guitar as a group to pay tribute to painter Tom Thomson. 

The project launches May 6, 2017 at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection outside of Toronto and the guitars will be on display through October in a room right next to the art that inspired them. 

http://mcmichael.com/event/the-group-of-seven-guitar-project-summer-2017/
http://www.manzer.com/guitars/
http://www.wrenguitarworks.com
http://www.tonyduggan-smith.com
https://www.fretboardjournal.com

This episode is sponsored by our friends at Retrofret and Dying Breed Music.

Bluegrass banjo legend Tony Trischka joins us this week to discuss the making of his new album, 'Earl Jam.' He also gives us a mini-masterclass into the world of Earl Scruggs.

The story behind 'Earl Jam' is truly remarkable: Upon receiving a USB drive full of never-before-released Earl Scruggs home recordings from the '80s and '90s, Trischka decided to transcribe his favorite moments and solos, note-for-note. His playing of these transcriptions became the foundation for the album, which also features guest spots by Billy Strings, Molly Tuttle, Brittany Haas, Stuart Duncan and others. It's like hearing a completely new Earl Scruggs record in 2024.

Just as memorable as the album are some Trischka's stories about Scruggs and his influence. Somehow, King Curtis Ravi Shankar, Petticoat Junction, Steve Martin, and KFC all get mentioned...and a lot more!  

https://www.tonytrischka.com/earl-jam

A First Timer's Guide to the Fretboard Summit: https://www.fretboardjournal.com/columns/a-first-timers-guide-to-the-fretboard-summit/

Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal print edition and reserve your copy of Fretboard Journal 54:  https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/products/fretboard-journal-annual-subscription

This week's show is sponsored by:
StewMac: https://stewmac.sjv.io/R5jvRR (Affiliate link)

Izotope: https://www.izotope.com (Use the code FRET10 to save 10%)

Stringjoy Strings: https://stringjoy.com (Use the code FRETBOARD to save 10% off your first order)

Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar: https://mmguitarbar.com

Peghead Nation: https://www.pegheadnation.com (Get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription with the promo code FRETBOARD at checkout).

Love the podcast and want to support it? We have a Patreon page just for Fretboard Journal fans and loaded with bonus content. https://www.patreon.com/Fretboard_Journal

Acclaimed luthier David Eichelbaum joins us on this week's Fretboard Journal Podcast to talk about his restoration and repair work, guitarmaking and a lot more. Eichelbaum is based in Ojai, California and on any given day may find himself working on a pre-war Martin or a '59 Burst. He also talks to us about his own builds - historically-accurate Fender re-creations and his acoustic guitars - and what has to be one of the most unique car hobbies around. All told, it's a fun chat with a long-time friend of the Journal. 

For the last several months, we’ve been following Micah Bruce of Bruce Guitars as he builds a unique guitar that he'll unveil at the 2023 Fretboard Summit. It’s an instrument based on the classic Harmony H49 Stratotone shape, but it’s completely overhauled and like nothing that ever left the Harmony factory.  

This week, we catch up with Micah and hear all about the new guitar, which he’s dubbed his Jayne model, after his daughter. We also hear about the other instruments he’s building for the showcase, his thoughts on relic’ing, what makes a great Tele, his ukulele output and so much more.

https://bruceguitars.com/

Love our podcast and want to support it? Join our Patreon and get episodes ad-free: https://www.patreon.com/Fretboard_Journal

Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal and start with our new, 52nd issue:  https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/products/fretboard-journal-annual-subscription

Get a discounted digital subscription and get our 52nd issue immediately: 
https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/collections/downloads/products/fretboard-journal-digital-subscription-offer

Our Fretboard Summit is taking place August 24-26, 2023 in Chicago. Come see Micah! https://fretboardsummit.org/

Our podcast is sponsored by Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar, Peghead Nation (use the promo code FRETBOARD and get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription); and Stringjoy Strings (get 10% off your order with the FRETBOARD discount code). This episode is also sponsored by iZotope. Use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your Izotope order.

In May of 2011, Joe Spann will release Spann’s Guide to Gibson 1902-1941, a new book on vintage Gibson guitars, mandolins and banjos that may very well rewrite how we classify, age and think about these wonderful instruments. On this week's podcast, we talk to him about the book, the quirks of vintage Gibson guitars and mandolins and more. 

Singer-songwriter (and former Men at Work frontman) Colin Hay is addicted to guitars. “Once the bug hits… you keep finding guitars that you can’t seem to live without,” he says. On this week’s podcast, he talks about his growing guitar collection, which includes not only Martins and Gibson but numerous luthier-built guitars. We also talk about songwriting, the music industry today and much more. 

This week’s episode is sponsored by Retrofret Vintage Guitars and Dying Breed Music.

To celebrate the release of Glade, the gorgeous new solo album from singer-songwriter and guitarist Courtney Hartman, we’ve handed her the keys to the Fretboard Journal Podcast. All week long, Courtney will be interviewing some of her favorite people in the fretted instrument world.

To start things off, she talks to Dana Bourgeois of Bourgeois Guitars. They discuss Dana’s initial love for the guitar, his fateful discovery of the Irving Sloane book, his relationship with Tony Rice, his build process and more.

It’s an insightful chat with two of our favorite people in the Fretboard Journal community.

Look for Courtney’s next interview installment in a few days. Later this week, Jason will be back and talking to Courtney herself about her new album, too. In the meantime, check out Glade. Courtney recorded it on the Colorado farm where she grew up using an array of instruments and with some special guest cameos (including Gregory Alan Isakov). If you’ve only heard the bluegrass side of Courtney Hartman, you’re in for a treat.

Courtney's website: https://www.courtneyhartman.com/home

Album Stream Links: https://link.courtneyhartman.com/GLa

Store: https://courtneyhartman.myshopify.com

Bandcamp: https://courtneyhartman.bandcamp.com/album/glade

Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/album/2jLbcCta4ORz1pnrSR24dj

Richard Walter, curator for Phoenix, Arizona’s amazing Musical Instrument Museum, joins us on this week’s Fretboard Journal Podcast. We talk about his background, his role at the museum and, most importantly, about MIM’s current exhibit, The Electric Guitar: Inventing an American Icon. The exhibit, which closes on September 15, 2019, gathers a wide array of historic and legendary instruments, including Speedy West’s Bigsby (profiled in a recent Fretboard Journal) and guitars from Alvino Rey, Bo Diddley and Les Paul.

This episode is sponsored by Mono Cases with special thanks to FJ presenting sponsors Carter Vintage, Martin Guitars and Gibson.  

Want to support the show? Get a discounted one-year digital subscription to our magazine for just $30. 

Burlington, Vermont's Creston Lea first appeared in the Fretboard Journal #21 when we ran a feature on him and fellow electric guitar builder Paul Languedoc. Over the years, we've continued to follow and be amazed by this created luthier.

Today's podcast was recorded live at the first Fretboard Summit in November 2015. This is Lea's presentation entitled "Flame Job!" where he talks about design, collaborating with artist Sarah Ryan on custom paint jobs, customer requests he's willing to take (and not take) and a lot more. He also fields some great questions from Fretboard Summit attendees. Huge thanks to our friends at prsguitars.com for sponsoring our Summit podcasts. 

The next Fretboard Summit takes place October 14-16, 2016, this time in sunny San Diego. We hope to see some of you there. 

www.fretboardjournal.com

www.fretboardsummit.com

We wrap up Courtney Hartman's week-long podcast takeover by interviewing her from her new home in Wisconsin. Courtney describes the influences that led to her new album, Glade. We hear about the making of her new record, the unique studio she built on her family's Colorado farm, some of the gear (and guests) on the project and a lot more.  

This episode is sponsored by Izotope (use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% on their amazing software) and Retrofret Vintage Guitars.

Courtney's website: https://www.courtneyhartman.com/home

Album Stream Links: https://link.courtneyhartman.com/GLa

Store: https://courtneyhartman.myshopify.com

Bandcamp: https://courtneyhartman.bandcamp.com/album/glade

Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/album/2jLbcCta4ORz1pnrSR24dj

Steve McCreary is the GM of Collings Guitars and Mandolins and one of the most respected members of the musical instrument industry. Since joining Collings in 1992, he's helped helm the Austin, Texas-based company's growth into mandolins, electric guitars, and – most recently – their more affordable Waterloo line of instruments.

During this lengthy interview, we hear about Steve's unique background (he's a former stonemason), what it was like to work with the late Bill Collings (a larger-than-life character) and how the company is navigating the COVID crisis through 2020 and beyond. We also talk about Collings' ongoing collaboration with guitarist Julian Lage, hear about the '70s and '80s Austin music scene, and a lot more  

If you enjoy in-depth interviews with the people behind your favorite guitars, we’d love your support. Get a digital subscription to the Fretboard Journal for just $30 (click here) or a keepsake print edition subscription (click here). We know you'll love it.

Fretboard Journal #46 just mailed and our next issue will be out in early December 2020. Subscribers also get subscriber-only perks.

Previous Collings Interviews:

Bill Collings on the Fretboard Journal Podcast (link)

Bruce VanWart of Collings on the Fretboard Journal Podcast (link)

Our tribute to Bill Collings in the Fretboard Journal magazine (link)

The Fretboard Journal Podcast is sponsored by Retrofret Vintage Guitars and Mono Cases.

Josh Scott (JHS) interviews Andy Powers (Taylor, Powers Electric) live from our 2023 Fretboard Summit! Drew Shirley (Switchfoot) joins in on the fun. 

They discuss Andy's career before Taylor, his creative process today, the new Powers Electric line of guitars, and much more.

https://www.taylorguitars.com/

https://powerselectricguitars.com/

https://www.jhspedals.info/

Recorded live at the Fretboard Summit on August 26, 2023.

Our next Summit takes place August 22-24, 2024 at Chicago's Old Town School of Folk Music.

Love our podcast and want to support it? Join our Patreon and get episodes ad-free along with bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/Fretboard_Journal

Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal:  https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/products/fretboard-journal-annual-subscription

Get a discounted digital subscription and get our 52nd issue immediately: 
 https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/collections/downloads/products/fretboard-journal-digital-subscription-offer

Our podcast is sponsored by Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar, Peghead Nation (use the promo code FRETBOARD and get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription); and Stringjoy Strings (get 10% off your order with the FRETBOARD discount code). This episode is also sponsored by iZotope. Use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your Izotope order and check out the new updates for Ozone 11 and their vocal software, Nectar 4.

Musician, writer and educator Cameron Knowler joins us this week to talk about his incredible  self-published book, Guitars Have Feelings Too, and so much more. We learn about Cameron’s singular upbringing in Arizona (including how he was "unschooled" for most of his youth) and hear about how a random encounter with Norman Blake's music as a teenager forever changed his life. We also get his thoughts on the difference between old time and bluegrass music, the perils of flatpicking contests, how to horse trade instruments with your heroes, and so much more.

Knowler is the FJ's newest contributor and in our 52^nd issue, he pens a lengthy interview with Phoebe Bridgers' guitarist Harrison Whitford. We're happy to announce that Knowler will also be teaching the music of Norman Blake at the 2023 Fretboard Summit alongside Bob Minner.

Order your copy of Guitars Have Feelings Too here:

https://www.cameronknowler.com/shop-1/p/guitars-have-feelings-too

Want to meet Cameron, Bob Minner, Wayne Henderson, Josh Scott, Bill Frisell, and dozens of other guitar luminaries? Come to our 2023 Fretboard Summit August 24-26, 2023 at Chicago's Old Town School of Folk Music. Register here: https://fretboardsummit.org/

Subscribe to our magazine here: https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/products/fretboard-journal-annual-subscription

Our podcast is sponsored by Deering Banjos; Peghead Nation (use the promo code FRETBOARD and get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription); Izotope (use the coupon code FRET10 to save 10% off their plug-ins); and Stringjoy Strings (get 10% off your order with the FRETBOARD discount code).

This week, we talk to writer Jamie Etherington about his latest project, the Luthier's Tool Box.

The Luthier's Tool Box is the Fretboard Journal's first hardcover book release. It's an anthology featuring guitarmakers from around the world sharing the stories behind their most cherished tools. What began as a Fretboard Journal magazine article quickly evolved into a full-fledged book with nearly 100 contributors and full-color photographs. If you like our magazine or podcasts, you'll love this book.

Order the book here: http://fretboardjournal.com/tools

We also talk about Jamie's life in Australia, his love for traditional and acoustic music from America, his interview with illustrator Annie Elliott, and so much more.

Follow Jamie: https://www.instagram.com/jamie.etherington.35/

This week's show is sponsored by: Stringjoy Strings: https://stringjoy.com
(Use the code FRETBOARD to save 10% off your first order)

Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar: https://mmguitarbar.com

Peghead Nation: https://www.pegheadnation.com
(Get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription with the promo code FRETBOARD at checkout).

https://fretboardsummit.org/

https://www.fretboardjournal.com

Musician Christian Lee Hutson is one of the most impressive young songwriters we've talked to in recent memory. On today's podcast, we talk to Chrstian about getting hooked on guitar (thanks to Nirvana), dropping out of high school to pursue music and his latest recording projects, including a forthcoming album featuring members of Dawes. We'll have videos of Christian at the Fretboard Journal coming soon. In the meantime, check out some of his music performances online to get a sense of his unique songwriting or catch him  on tour opening for John Moreland. 

This episode is sponsored by our friends at Retrofret Vintage Instruments. 

http://www.christianleehutson.com
Watch: Christian Lee Hutson - "I Just Can't Fucking Do It Anymore"

This week, we welcome frequent FJ contributor Nathaniel Riverhorse Nakadate onto the podcast. Over the years, Riverhorse has penned some of our favorite articles for the FJ, including his features on Huey Long, Paul Buskirk and Darrell Scott. We talk to Riverhorse about the making of these features, his writing career (including his prolific work writing about fly fishing), his favorite guitars and much more.

On this week’s podcast, we talk to filmmaker Drew Roller, the mastermind behind the new documentary ‘Acoustic Uprising.’ Roller tells us how, thanks to YouTube, he discovered the new guard of fingerstyle guitarists such as Andy McKee and Jon Gomm; what it was like to attend Thomas Leeb’s Austria Guitar Boot Camp; the enduring influence of Michael Hedges; and much more. He also recommends a handful of contemporary fingerstyle guitarists we all should check out. 

This episode is brought to you by Retrofret Vintage Guitars. 

Links mentioned: 

https://www.acousticuprisingfilm.com (now available for purchase/download)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nY7GnAq6Znw

http://www.thomasleeb.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LquLVh1Cec

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ddn4MGaS3N4

Need a gift this holiday season or just want to splurge on yourself? Don't forget to check out our webstore: https://shop.fretboardjournal.com

Today we’re talking to accomplished studio guitarist and composer Mark Leggett. Mark has led a fascinating life with credits that include the guitar solo from Martika’s “Toy Soldiers” to the playing with Dolly Parton, to doing music for My Name Is Earl. During our chat, we get the inside story on Leggett’s viral guitar videos – yes, he has a solo album brewing – as well as the guitars he loves and what it’s like to make a living scoring music for films and TV. 

This week’s episode is sponsored by Dying Breed Music. 

Reminder: Don't forget to leave us a review on iTunes. And, if you're anywhere near Texas, the Fretboard Journal will be hitting the road and throwing a gathering in Austin on March 27, 2018. Details here. 

Link: Mark Leggett's Facebook page

D'Addario founder and Fretboard Journal 55 cover subject Jim D'Addario joins us this week for a fascinating talk about strings, innovation, and so much more. 

We talk about Jim's first mentor, Mario Maccaferri; Jim's relentless work ethic, where he sees forthcoming innovation in guitar strings; and much more. It's a great chat with one of our favorite FJ subjects.

Check out the new issue of the Journal featuring Jim here: https://www.fretboardjournal.com/features/whats-inside-fretboard-journal-55/

Our next Fretboard Summit takes place August 21-23, 2025 at Chicago's Old Town School of Folk Music. Register today:  https://www.oldtownschool.org/concerts/2025/08-21-2025-fretboard-summit-2025/

This week's show is sponsored by: Stringjoy Strings: https://stringjoy.com
(Use the code FRETBOARD to save 10% off your first order)

Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar: https://mmguitarbar.com

Peghead Nation: https://www.pegheadnation.com
(Get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription with the promo code FRETBOARD at checkout).

On this week’s Fretboard Journal Podcast, we talk to luthier Nate Wood, out of Springfield, Oregon. Nate regaled us with guitarmaking tales at last month’s La Conner Guitar Festival so we quickly hatched a plan to bring him on the show. Before launching his own guitar and guitar repair business (Stahman Guitars), Nate went to school at Roberto Venn and then honed his chops working for Ryan Thorell. His own inventive guitars are inspired by some of the funkier American guitar designs of the ‘50s and ‘60s. Nate is also a big fan of using reclaimed woods and eco-friendly materials. 

This episode is brought to you by Retrofret Vintage Guitars.

Mandolin virtuoso Sierra Hull can do it all: She juggles time with her own band, touring with Bela Fleck, and performing with the likes of Cory Wong, Brad Paisley, Billy Strings, and the Allman Betts Band. 

On this week's podcast, we discuss a pair of eclectic covers she's just shared: Tears for Fears' "Mad World" and the Grateful Dead's "Black Muddy River" and hear all about them. We also talk about life on the road, electric octave mandolins(!), being a free agent, the art of changing mandolin strings, plans for the future, and so much more.

Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal: http://fretboardjournal.com/subscribe

Our next Fretboard Summit takes place August 21-23, 2025 at Chicago's Old Town School of Folk Music. Register today: https://www.oldtownschool.org/concerts/2025/08-21-2025-fretboard-summit-2025/

This week's show is sponsored by: Stringjoy Strings: https://stringjoy.com
(Use the code FRETBOARD to save 10% off your first order)

Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar: https://mmguitarbar.com

Peghead Nation: https://www.pegheadnation.com
(Get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription with the promo code FRETBOARD at checkout).

Collings: Check out their new Hill Country series of guitars: https://collingsguitars.com/hill-country-series/

Love the podcast and want to support it? We have a Patreon page just for Fretboard Journal fans and loaded with bonus content. https://www.patreon.com/Fretboard_Journal

On this week's Fretboard Journal Podcast, we're talking to Pharis and Jason Romero. 2022 is shaping up to a big year for the Romeros: This week, the duo will release 'Tell 'Em You Were Gold,' their seventh album, and their first project on Smithsonian Folkways. As if that weren't enough, at some point soon, Jason will be putting the finishing touches on their 500th banjo creation.

During our chat, we talk about how they balance their lives between instrument making, touring, recording, and family duties. We also talk about the secret tuning that Jason discovers with each of his banjos, how he builds his instruments, the making of their new record, and more.

Check out a behind-the-scenes mini doc on the making of the album here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9cHx2ReaHA&ab_channel=SmithsonianFolkways

And check out the documentary we shot nearly a decade ago here: https://www.fretboardjournal.com/video/fretboard-films-trip-romero-banjos/

The banjo playlist that Jason curated can be found here: https://folkways.si.edu/playlist/the-brain-on-banjos-pharis-jason-romero

Order 'Tell 'Em You Were Gold' here: https://orcd.co/pharis-jason-romero

This episode is sponsored by Peghead Nation (use the promo code FRETBOARD and get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription); Retrofret Vintage Guitars; Izotope (use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your Izotope purchase); and Calton Cases.

www.fretboardjournal.com

On this week's FJ Podcast, we talk to Paul Heumiller, founder of Dream Guitars. Dream Guitars is a highly-curated, online store featuring contemporary high-end, luthier-built acoustic guitars. At any time, they typically have over 100 new and pre-owned instruments from makers such as Wayne Henderson, James Olson, Leo Buendia and Jordan McConnell. 

During this chat, Paul tells us about the current market for these  instruments, explains what he thinks separates a great acoustic builder from the rest and much more. 

This episode is brought to you by Mono Cases, Roberto-Venn, Carter Vintage, Martin Guitars and Gibson.  

Order the new Fretboard Journal 44 by clicking here. 

On this week’s podcast, we talk to Alister Atkin, founder of Atkin Guitars.

Alister and his growing team are building vintage-inspired flattop acoustics in Canterbury, England. During our chat, we talk about the company’s history, its ongoing growth, the aged finish that Atkin instruments are known for, how they've penetrated the US market, and even the company’s choice to start making electric instruments.

We think you’ll love getting to know Alister and his story.

https://atkinguitars.com

Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal: 

http://fretboardjournal.com/subscribe

Our next Fretboard Summit takes place August 21-23, 2025 at Chicago’s Old Town School of Folk Music. For a limited time, you can register now with discounted early-bird pricing: https://www.oldtownschool.org/concerts/2025/08-21-2025-fretboard-summit-2025/

This week's show is sponsored by: Stringjoy Strings: https://stringjoy.com
(Use the code FRETBOARD to save 10% off your first order)

Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar: https://mmguitarbar.com

Peghead Nation: https://www.pegheadnation.com
(Get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription with the promo code FRETBOARD at checkout).

Love the podcast and want to support it? We have a Patreon page just for Fretboard Journal fans and loaded with bonus content. https://www.patreon.com/Fretboard_Journal

Austin's Matt the Electrician joins us this week to talk about his new album, 'The Ocean Knocked Me Down.' He also gives us a mini master class on being a productive songwriter. 

We also talk about John Allison Guitars, the Austin music scene today, the weekly songwriting group helmed by Bob Schneider and so much more.

https://matttheelectrician.bandcamp.com

Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal and get our new 53rd issue featuring Ben Harper, Joanna Sternberg, Robbie Basho, and Kate Wolf's guitar:  https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/products/fretboard-journal-annual-subscription

Registration is now open to attend our 2024 Fretboard Summit: https://fretboardsummit.org/

If you enjoy this episode, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and consider joining the Fretboard Journal's new Patreon page.

Thank you to our sponsors: Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar, Peghead Nation (use the promo code FRETBOARD and get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription); and Stringjoy Strings (get 10% off your order with the FRETBOARD discount code). This episode is also sponsored by iZotope. Use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off of your Izotope order.

Jackson Cunningham is a bit of a rarity in the world of acoustic guitarmaking. While countless luthiers do their best to emulate old Martin designs and shapes, Cunningham's biggest influence is vintage Gibsons. Over the years, this Virginia-based builder has crafted L-5, L-00 and even J-55-inspired guitars. He's also garnered praise from two of the biggest vintage guitar experts around: George Gruhn and Mark Stutman. 

Don't forget, the FJ now hosts an entire family of podcasts, about everything from lutherie to home recording: Luthier on Luthier; The Truth About Vintage Amps; The Truth About Recording & Mixing;Acoustic Voices; and Sweep the Floor.

This episode is sponsored by Mono Cases, Folkway Music and Retrofret Vintage Guitars.

When guitarist Dr. Molly Miller isn't teaching music at USC, she's touring the world with Jason Mraz or recording with her own Molly Miller Trio. Or, as we learn today, she might be over at the tennis courts. 

On this week's Fretboard Journal Podcast, Miller walks us through a week in her life, talks about the gear she uses, and hints at hosting a tennis tournament during the 2024 Fretboard Summit in Chicago.

It's a fun chat with one of the guitar world's most dynamic performers. 

Molly's trio has a new album out called 'The Ballad of Hotspur.' We can't recommend it enough.

Fretboard Summit 2024 Registration: 
https://fretboardsummit.org

Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal print edition and reserve your copy of Fretboard Journal 54:  https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/products/fretboard-journal-annual-subscription

This week's show is sponsored by:
StewMac: https://stewmac.sjv.io/R5jvRR (Affiliate link)
Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar: https://mmguitarbar.com
Izotope: https://www.izotope.com (Use the code FRET10 to save 10%)
Stringjoy Strings: https://stringjoy.com (Use the code FRETBOARD to save 10% off your first order)
Peghead Nation: https://www.pegheadnation.com (Get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription with the promo code FRETBOARD at checkout).

Guitarist Andy Pitcher promised himself that he would make a solo album before he turned 30. With just a few days to spare, the experimental/improvising guitarist recently released 'dot,' a beautiful album featuring great playing, a wide array of guitars - acoustic and electric - and some truly unique recording techniques.

On this week's Fretboard Journal Podcast, we talk about the record, his wild recording process, the gear he used (including his trusty Line 6 DL4).

It's a fun chat with a truly innovative musician.

https://andypitcher.bandcamp.com/album/dot

This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at
betterhelp.com/fret

The fourth episode of the Fretboard Journal podcast, recorded via blogtalkradio. Richard Johnston, acclaimed guitar dealer, historian and author joins us at 11:17 to talk about the early days of vintage guitar collecting, the economics of vintage instrument dealing, and more. 

Recorded: April, 2009. 

Two of Nashville's finest musicians have teamed up once again for a new album.

On the recently released  'Living In A Song,' Dobro master Rob Ickes and guitarist Trey Hensley perform a collection of tunes that showcase their songwriting chops. On this week's podcast, we talk about the making of the album, Rob's background (he's a rare Dobro player who didn't start out on guitar!), the art of co-writing, working with Taj Mahal, the gear they use, Doc Watson, and much more.

Watch Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley perform "Moonshine Run": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZZMtb5iv98

https://www.robandtrey.com/

Subscribe to our print magazine here to support all that we do (and get the world's greatest guitar magazine in your mailbox every few months). 

Register for our 2023 Chicago Fretboard Summit (August 24-26, 2023) here:
https://fretboardsummit.org/

The Fretboard Summit is a one-of-a-kind festival where you can connect with some of your favorite musicians, brands, and luthiers, including many you've read about in the pages of our magazine or heard on this podcast. Tickets are limited and going fast.

Our podcast is sponsored by Retrofret Vintage Guitars; Deering Banjos; Peghead Nation (use the promo code FRETBOARD and get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription); Izotope (use the coupon code FRET10 to save 10% off their plug-ins); and Stringjoy Strings.

Tim Young is best known for his guitar playing with Wayne Horvitz in Zony Mash but he’s also done a ton of session and studio work with everyone from Todd Rundgren and Fiona Apple to John Legend. 

On this week’s podcast, we talk to Young about his career as a session guitarist, including his stint playing on the case/lang/veirs record (he’s also immortalized as the subject of the song “Best Kept Secret” on the album) and his work as the guitarist in the house band for The Late Late Show with James Corden. Young tells us about his time at Seattle’s Cornish College of the Arts, his struggle to connect with some classic jazz sounds and how he found his guitar voice thanks to the music of Bill Frisell and Ween.

Added bonus: We shot video of Young playing with Bill Frisell at the Fretboard Journal, coming soon to our website. Stay tuned…

Special thanks to D’Addario for sponsoring this episode.

http://www.timothyyoungmusic.com
https://www.fretboardjournal.com

The Fretboard Summit takes place October 14-16, 2016 in San Diego, California. We hope to see some of you there. It's our take on our dream guitar festival, with incredible concerts, panels and talks from some of the world's best musicians and luthiers and a lot of surprises.  

This episode is sponsored by Mono Cases, Folkway Music and Retrofret Vintage Guitars.

In our 54th issue, Eric Pooley shares the story of Maya de Vitry going solo after her lengthy stint as one third of the Americana band The Stray Birds. It’s a poignant interview about starting from scratch, being vulnerable and taking chances.

On this week’s podcast, we hear even more about Maya’s journey with her collaborator Anthony da Costa. Maya’s new album, The Only Moment, is out now and we get the whole tale of how it developed and was recorded.

https://www.mayadevitry.com

The Fretboard Journal's Fretboard Summit takes place August 23-25, 2024 in Chicago. Register to attend this one-of-a-kind guitar camp: https://fretboardsummit.org

Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal print edition and reserve your copy of Fretboard Journal 54:
https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/products/fretboard-journal-annual-subscription

This week's show is sponsored by:
StewMac: https://stewmac.sjv.io/R5jvRR (Affiliate link)

Stringjoy Strings: https://stringjoy.com
(Use the code FRETBOARD to save 10% off your first order)

Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar: https://mmguitarbar.com

Peghead Nation: https://www.pegheadnation.com
(Get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription with the promo code FRETBOARD at checkout).

Love the podcast and want to support it? We have a Patreon page just for Fretboard Journal fans and loaded with bonus content. https://www.patreon.com/Fretboard_Journal

Our 33rd podcast features a nearly hour-long interview Fretboard Journal editor Marc Greilsamer conducted with Phish bassist Mike Gordon. Gordon talks about the gear he uses, recent shows, comparisions between Phish and the Grateful Dead, his solo album Moss and much, much more.

On this week's podcast, Marc and Jason discuss the new Fall 2010 issue of the Fretboard Journal, which is mailing now to subscribers and features stories on Sam Bush, Froggy Bottom Guitars and much more. We also get a sneak peek at what's in store for the forthcoming Winter edition. Jason also talks to Seattle-based author (and FJ contributor) Kurt B. Reighley about his new book, United States of Americana. The book studies our country's current fascination with handmade crafts, old-time music and other throwbacks from bygone eras. 

Seattle's Greg Ruby lives and breathes jazz guitar. When he's not gigging with various ensembles, this former member of Pearl Django is a busy composer and music educator. Ruby's latest project is one of his most ambitious, Oscar Alemán: Play Along Songbook, Volume One. On this week's podcast, Ruby walks us through the unbelievable life of Alemán (a peer of Django Reinhardt's with an equally made-for-Hollywood back story). We also talk about Greg's early introduction to gypsy jazz and hear about the mammoth task he had in assembling this collection of tab/notation (the first dedicated to Alemán's music). 

http://gregrubymusic.com
https://www.fretboardjournal.com

Twenty years ago, Lluís Gómez heard Banjo Paris Session, an album featuring the playing of Jean-Marie Redon and Bill Keith. It completely changed this Spanish musician's life. Gómez would go on to obsess over the five-string banjo, eventually tracking down lessons with Keith, Tony Trischka and Pete Wernick. These days, Gómez is considered the “Spanish King of the Five-String Banjo.” He’s a prolific performer, educator and music promoter, bringing a distinctly American music to new audiences in Europe. On this episode, he tells us about the state of banjo in Spain today, his excellent new record Dotze contes, the instruments that he loves and much more.

This episode is brought to you by two of our favorite stores: Dying Breed Music and Retrofret Vintage Guitars.

We are now shipping the Fretboard Journal #39. Use the coupon code PODCAST when you check out at fretboardjournal.com and get $5 off your order.

Lluís' site: http://www.lluisgomez.com/index-en.html

The last official talk at the 2016 Fretboard Summit featured three giants in the world of guitarmaking: Rick Turner, Dana Bourgeois and Andy Powers. This sprawling talk covers a lot of ground: What makes a great guitar? How long are guitars supposed to last? Will artificial intelligence take over guitar making? They also fielded plenty of enlightening questions from our audience. [Note: Audio is a little variable with audience questions – not everyone spoke into a microphone – but the answers should be plenty audible.] 

The second Fretboard Summit took place October 14-16, 2016 in San Diego. Over the next few months, we’ll be releasing more content – talks, panels and concert footage – on fretboardjournal.com.

For our 300th episode, we're mixing things up with an informal Zoom conversation with two of our favorite people, jazz guitarists Bill Frisell and Anthony Wilson. During this hour-plus chat, these two friends riff on influences, the Los Angeles jazz scene, Dennis Budimir, Gerald Wilson (Anthony's dad), Gabor Szabo, and so much more. 

Watch Bill Frisell perform alongside Dennis Budimir and Bob Bain here.

Our podcast is sponsored by Retrofret Vintage Guitars and Mono Cases.

We are also sponsored by Izotope. Use the coupon code RUIN10 at izotope.com/ruinous to save 10% off any order.

The Fretboard Journal's new 46th issue is now available, with features on John Leventhal and Rosanne Cash, Hubert Sumlin and much more. Order or subscribe via this link.

Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan – the Milk Carton Kids – join us this week to talk about the tenth anniversary of their legendary debut album, Prologue. We chat about the build-up to that wildly popular record, the two guitars that they’ve based their careers on, and their songwriting process. We also hear about why they were forced to stop using a single microphone at their shows, their plans for a forthcoming album and a lot more. It’s an insightful and hilarious chat with two of our favorite musicians.

Get the Milk Carton Kids' 10th Anniversary Edition of Prologue here: https://stores.portmerch.com/themilkcartonkids/music-video/prologue-10th-anniversary-box-set.html 

The Fretboard Journal's 48th issue is now available. Click here to read up on it and start your digital or print subscription.

Don't forget, we now host an entire family of podcasts, about everything from lutherie to home recording: Luthier on Luthier; The Truth About Vintage Amps; The Truth About Recording & Mixing;Acoustic Voices; and  Sweep the Floor.

This episode is sponsored by Mono Cases and Folkway Music. 

Greg Leisz is prolific, to say the least. For decades, the Southern California-based multi-instrumentalist has been a go-to guitarist and pedal steel player for musicians such as Eric Clapton, Buddy Miller, John Mayer, Bill Frisell, k.d. lang, Robert Plant and others. Leisz recently contributed a track to the wonderful Big E: A Salute to Steel Guitarist Buddy Emmons. On this week’s podcast, we talk to him about the tune he performed on the tribute record (“Wild Mountain Thyme”), the impact Emmons’ playing had on his own music education, his gear of choice and more. 

In early 2014, Leisz will be the subject of a lengthy Fretboard Journal magazine feature, penned by producer and singer-songwriter Joe Henry. As always, subscribe if you’d like to get that issue delivered to your home. We have a lot more pedal steel and steel guitar coverage in the works, too. 

Richard Smith is unstoppable. The British fingerstyle guitarist has a grueling tour schedule, a busy Nashville studio that he recently adapted into a video studio, online music lessons, and probably a few projects that we don't even know about. But, mostly, he's got a lot of driving to do. 

https://www.richardsmithmusic.com/

https://www.instagram.com/richardsmithmusic/

Love our podcast and want to support it? Join our Patreon and get episodes ad-free: https://www.patreon.com/Fretboard_Journal

Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal and start with our new, 52nd issue:  https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/products/fretboard-journal-annual-subscription

Get a discounted digital subscription and get our 52nd issue immediately: 
https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/collections/downloads/products/fretboard-journal-digital-subscription-offer

Our Fretboard Summit is taking place August 24-26, 2023 in Chicago. https://fretboardsummit.org/

Our podcast is sponsored by Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar, Peghead Nation (use the promo code FRETBOARD and get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription); and Stringjoy Strings (get 10% off your order with the FRETBOARD discount code). This episode is also sponsored by iZotope. Use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your Izotope order.

Sarah Jarosz just released 'World on the Ground,' her first solo album in four years. On this week's Fretboard Journal Podcast, she talks to us about the making of the album, working with John Leventhal (who produced the project and helped co-write a few songs), her favorite songwriting tools (including her Collings D1A and her Fletcher Brock-built octave mandolin), and much more.

This episode is sponsored by Retrofret Vintage Guitars and Mono Cases.  

https://www.sarahjarosz.com

Sit back, relax, and enjoy one of the most unforgettable Fretboard Journal Podcast interviews ever. This week’s guest is spiritual teacher and yogi Guru Singh.

Born Gerry Pond, this one-of-a-kind guitar fanatic garnered acclaim as a folk singer in Seattle’s coffee house and music scene of the '60s. He was one of the first young rock musicians to sign with Frank Sinatra’s Reprise Records. Gerry then relocated to San Francisco where he found himself playing concerts with the Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin and others.

Unfortunately, he was also a fish out of water: A sober, meditation-loving yoga living in SF’s wild Haight-Ashbury scene. To compound things, his early protest songs about Vietnam resulted in him being blacklisted from radio stations and targeted by the Feds. So, in the late 1960s, Gerry safely stored his cherished Gibson J-45 and went on a yearlong quest to the deepest reaches of Mexico, a journey documented in his book, Buried Treasures. When he returned, the J-45 was still there but his music and life was completely transformed.

Now known as Guru Singh, he teaches Kundalini yoga and meditation techniques to practitioners around the world, collaborates with artists like Seal, and spreads positivity wherever he goes.

We talk about all this and more on this very special podcast. He shares the story of his favorite guitars, offers advice to help you get through the holidays, and even encourages a little guitar acquisition syndrome. In a Fretboard Journal first, he also teaches us all how to breathe a little better.

We first spotted Guru Singh on the Rich Roll Podcast, where we couldn’t help but notice all the unique acoustic guitars he employed. We knew we had to get him on the Fretboard Journal podcast one day and here, at long last, is our first interview.

https://gurusingh.com/

Registration is now open to attend our 2024 Fretboard Summit: https://fretboardsummit.org/

If you enjoy this episode, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and consider joining the Fretboard Journal's new Patreon page.

Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal and get our new 53rd edition: https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/products/fretboard-journal-annual-subscription

Our podcast is sponsored by Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar, Peghead Nation (use the promo code FRETBOARD and get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription); and Stringjoy Strings(get 10% off your order with the FRETBOARD discount code). This episode is also sponsored by iZotope. Use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off off your Izotope order. 

Singer-songwriter Joan Shelley talks to us about the making of Like the River Loves the Sea, her excellent 2019 full-length album. Shelley talks to us about the album's unlikely recording location (Iceland), her Collings guitar, her writing process and much more. 

Like what we're up to? Please support us by joining the Fretboard Journal via a print or discounted digital subscription. 

This episode is sponsored by Mono Cases.

Chris Thile (Punch Brothers, Nickel Creek) joins us this week's Fretboard Journal Podcast for an introspective talk about the making of Laysongs, his new solo album. It's a project that has the groundbreaking composer/mandolinist meditating on themes of organized religion, god and church (he even recorded the project in a former Hudson, NY church). During out chat, we talk about the compositions found on the album, his vocal technique, Live From Here, and why even Lloyd Loar-signed Gibson F-5 mandolins aren't perfect as-is. It's a fun and insightful conversation with one of our favorite musicians. 

https://www.christhile.com

Originally recorded May 13, 2021. 

The Fretboard Journal's 48th issue is now mailing. Julian Lage graces the cover. Click here to read up on it and start your subscription.

Don't forget, we now host an entire family of podcasts, about everything from lutherie to home recording: Luthier on Luthier; The Truth About Vintage Amps; The Truth About Recording & Mixing;Acoustic Voices; and Sweep the Floor.

This episode is sponsored by Mono Cases, Folkway Music and Retrofret Vintage Guitars. 

Extra thanks to Calton Cases and Martin Guitars for sponsoring all that we do. 

Today on the podcast, FJ assistant editor Sofia Wolfson interviews legendary songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and visual artist Dan Reeder.

Born in Louisiana, raised in California, and now based in Nuremberg, Germany, Reeder has released several albums of self-recorded music using instruments he’s built himself. On this episode, we talk about working with John Prine and Oh Boy Records, the intersection between visual art and music, instruments he has built, and much more.

Be sure to give his latest record, Smithereens, a spin!

https://www.danreeder.com

We are brought to you by:  
Stringjoy Strings: https://stringjoy.com
(Use the code FRETBOARD to save 10% off your first order)

Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar: https://mmguitarbar.com
Peghead Nation: https://www.pegheadnation.com (Get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription with the promo code FRETBOARD at checkout).
https://fretboardsummit.org/ https://www.fretboardjournal.com

Relic’d guitars are nothing new in the world of electric instruments, but they’re relatively unheard of when it comes to acoustics. Pre-War Guitars – the duo of Wes Lambe and Ben Maschal – hopes to change that. The pair of veteran luthiers are creating guitars that tap into the vintage sound and feel of Martins and Gibsons of the 1930s and ‘40s with hide glue, ultra-thin finishes and torrefied top woods. But they’re also adding scratches, dents and play wear to each of their new guitars (they offer a variety of distress levels based on a customer's preference). On this week’s podcast, you can hear about how this company came together, how they're constructing these instruments and why sometimes a little wear can result in a better sounding guitar. 

This week’s episode is sponsored by Dying Breed Music. Check out their Gbase page here: https://www.gbase.com/stores/dying-breed-music

https://www.fretboardjournal.com
https://www.pre-warguitars.com

Don't forget to subscribe to us via iTunes and please leave us a review if you can. Our 38th issue of the Fretboard Journal is now mailing... with features on Daniel Lanois, Leo Kottke, the first "Loar" mandolin and a lot more. 

Luthier T. Drew Heinonen will soon be building us a custom OM style guitar. On this episode, we talk to Drew about the time he spent at Jim Olson's shop, his philosophy when it comes to CNC machines, thoughts on tone woods and more. We also hear from TJ Thompson on what, in his estimation, makes for a great OM-style guitar. 

This is the second episode of our OM guitar build. We'll be checking in with Drew over the next several months to hear how about the build process and more. 

This episode is sponsored by Stewart-MacDonald. 

The Fretboard Journal Podcast welcomes its first professional athlete, tennis player / coach Murphy Jensen! Murphy and his brother Luke were considered the rock & roll duo of tennis during their heyday, eventually winning the French Open in 1993. Jensen tells us about his childhood growing up in Northern Michigan; his early love for rock & roll; his rise as a professional athlete; and why so many pro tennis players gravitate to the guitar. We also hear about the annual “Wimbledon Jam;” Serena Williams’ love for Nirvana; the time Jensen brought Roger Federer to the Bowery Ballroom the night before his US Open match; working with Val McCallum and much more. Trust us, it’s a great guitar chat even if you don’t know anything about tennis. Jensen also talks to us about his new Seattle-based healthcare technology company, Weconnect.

Links:
http://www.murphyjensen.com
https://www.weconnectrecovery.com
https://www.fretboardjournal.com

Our dear friend Bill Collings, founder of Collings Guitars & Mandolins, passed away on July 14, 2017 after a long battle with cancer.

We’re working on a tribute for Bill in the next issue of the Journal (and if you have any great Bill stories, we’d love to hear them). We also decided to share this talk he gave at the first Fretboard Summit in 2015. During this session, Bill was interviewed by Mark Stutman (Folkway Music). It was a lively, unfiltered chat full of laughs. We also fielded questions from the audience, talked about Waterloos and more.  

RIP Bill. We’re going to miss our chats with you. –Jason

*** Sorry for the occasional Zoom audio lag, but this interview was too good not to share. *** 

Meet Scott Tsai, founder of Philadelphia's Queens Vintage Guitars.

Queens Vintage Guitars may just be the newest brick & mortar vintage guitar store in the country. On today's podcast, owner Scott Tsai tells us about its inception, its community focus, and so much more. 

https://queensvintageguitars.com

Scott's story is fascinating: His love for guitar started with a Yamaha from Costco. He became hooked on the music of Tommy Emmanuel, landed a job at NYC's Retrofret (thanks to sheer tenacity), and gradually amassed a collection of rare Epiphone archtops from the 1930s. He gives us a mini history lesson on Epiphones and explains what makes their archtops different from their Gibson counterparts. 

Plus: Scott's short-lived stint as a paparazzi photographer!

Meet Scott and close to 100 former FJ subjects, podcast guests, luthiers and brands at this year's Fretboard Summit in Chicago. Read our 'First Timer's Guide to the Fretboard Summit' to learn about it: https://www.fretboardjournal.com/columns/a-first-timers-guide-to-the-fretboard-summit/

Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal print edition and reserve your copy of Fretboard Journal 54:

https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/products/fretboard-journal-annual-subscription

This week's show is sponsored by:
StewMac: https://stewmac.sjv.io/R5jvRR (Affiliate link)

Stringjoy Strings: https://stringjoy.com (Use the code FRETBOARD to save 10% off your first order)

Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar: https://mmguitarbar.com

Peghead Nation: https://www.pegheadnation.com (Get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription with the promo code FRETBOARD at checkout).

Love the podcast and want to support it? We have a Patreon page just for Fretboard Journal fans and loaded with bonus content. https://www.patreon.com/Fretboard_Journal

Friends Rich D'Ginto and Mike Desiderio love two things: great guitars and great coffee. So they decided to combine their passions and create Acoustic Coffee Company, a new subscription-based coffee company with perks catering specifically to guitar fanatics. During our chat, Rich and Mike talk about some of the guitarmaking and woodworking pursuits leading up to the launch of the coffee project, where they see the company expanding and a lot more. 

Detroit-based guitarist Nick Shillace joins us this week to talk about discovering the music of John Fahey, running a successful music school, and his excellent new album, A Rich Boy’s Measured Blues.

Nick is one of dozens of musicians and luthiers attending our 2024 Fretboard Summit, taking place August 23-25, 2024 at Chicago’s Old Town School of Folk Music. https://fretboardsummit.org

Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal print edition and reserve your copy of Fretboard Journal 54:
https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/products/fretboard-journal-annual-subscription

This week's show is sponsored by:
StewMac: https://stewmac.sjv.io/R5jvRR (Affiliate link)

Stringjoy Strings: https://stringjoy.com
(Use the code FRETBOARD to save 10% off your first order)

Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar: https://mmguitarbar.com

Collings Guitars: https://www.collingsguitars.com

Peghead Nation: https://www.pegheadnation.com
(Get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription with the promo code FRETBOARD at checkout).

Love the podcast and want to support it? We have a Patreon page just for Fretboard Journal fans and loaded with bonus content. https://www.patreon.com/Fretboard_Journal

For over 20 years, Woody Platt served as a guitarist in the Steep Canyon Rangers. During that time, the band became one of the highest profile acts in bluegrass music and accompanied Steve Martin on innumerable dates. 

Earlier this year, Woody announced his retirement from the band. On this week's FJ Podcast, we talk to the musician about how he came to that decision, what projects he's currently focused on, his life as a fly fish guide, and some of the many life and stage lessons he learned from Steve Martin.

This episode is sponsored by Peghead Nation (use the promo code FRETBOARD and get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription); Izotope (use the coupon code FRET10 to save 10% off their plug-ins); Retrofret Vintage Guitars; Izotope (use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your Izotope purchase); and Calton Cases.

As one of the founding members of the Fireballs, George Tomsco is a true rock & roll pioneer. In the late ‘50s and ‘60s, his guitar playing was ubiquitous on the radio waves with hits as “Torquay,” “Bulldog,” “Sugar Shack” and “Quite a Party.”

Tomsco is the subject of a comprehensive, 18-page interview in the Fretboard Journal #28, where he talks about the sessions the Fireballs did at Norm Petty’s studios, his gear and his influences. On this week’s podcast, we ask Tomsco a bit more about those early sessions, how the classic surf instrumental “Torquay” got its name and how he stumbled upon the Fender Jazzmaster. We also hear about what Tomsco is up to these days and the future of the Fireballs. Also on the podcast: Fretboard Journal updates and much more. 

For the last few years, Char and Gordon Mayer of Mya-Moe Ukuleles have combined creating stunning ukuleles with an interesting business model. They hope, quite simply, to be the Collings or Benedetto of high-end, American-built ukes. In this week's podcast, we talk to the couple about how they got started making ukuleles, the incredible growth their company has seen in just a few years and just how they get ukes into the hands of some of the music world's biggest artists. In addition to being used by Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder (who will be appearing on the cover of Fretboard Journal #24), Mya-Moes have been embraced by Dave Matthews, Florence & the Machine, Ben Harper and Trey Anastasio (Phish), to name a few. It's an interesting half-hour talk with one of the ukulele world's newest makers.

On May 24, 2016, jazz guitarists Bill Frisell and Matt Munisteri performed a short Facebook Live set at the Fretboard Journal’s Seattle headquarters. After the cameras were turned off, we kept the microphones rolling while Bill and Matt had an insightful conversation that covers Johnny Smith, the ‘80s New York City jazz scene, guitars, Bill’s work with Vernon Reid, inspiration, attempting to take vacation time and much more.

Watch Bill and Matt’s Facebook Live session here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQUq9v34dsA 

or via the Fretboard Journal’s Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/fretboardjournal

Matt Munisteri will be appearing once again at the Fretboard Summit, held October 14-16, 2016 in San Diego, California. www.fretboardsummit.com

http://billfrisell.com
http://mattmunisteri.com

Musician, therapist and zine publisher Matt Baldwin joins us this week for an insightful chat about the creative process and so much more. Matt talks to us about his career as a guitarist and the influence that Robbie Basho and John Fahey had on his largely self-taught playing. We also talk about his 'How to Play Guitar' zine series, where he shares some of his favorite tips, quotes, and life hacks. Last but not least, we discuss the Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy that he's conducting out of his Southern California office and learn about the crucial role that music plays in these sessions with his clients. 

Some links discussed in this episode:
https://www.instagram.com/baldwin_unlimited/
https://www.ketamineprovidersnetwork.com/
https://www.music-centered.org/
https://bandcamp.com/tag/psychic-arts

Want to meet some of the many personalities interviewed on this podcast? Come to our 2023 Fretboard Summit August 24-26, 2023 at Chicago's Old Town School of Folk Music. Register here: https://fretboardsummit.org/

Subscribe to our magazine here: https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/products/fretboard-journal-annual-subscription

Our podcast is sponsored by Deering Banjos; Peghead Nation (use the promo code FRETBOARD and get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription); Izotope (use the coupon code FRET10 to save 10% off their plug-ins); and Stringjoy Strings (get 10% off your order with the FRETBOARD discount code).

Guitarist Ethan Sherman returns to the Fretboard Journal Podcast to talk about his new acoustic album, 'Passages.' This contemporary bluegrass-inspired record features Ethan alongside Wes Corbett (banjo), Rob Ickes (Dobro), Thomas Cassell (mandolin), Avery Merritt (fiddle) and Ethan Jodziewicz (bass). 

During our chat, Ethan explains why banjo recordings like Bela Fleck's 'Drive' were the unlikely inspiration to the album and its arrangements; talks to us about the gear that he used; gives us a follow-up on his 'String Theories' project with Adam Levy; and shares some insights from touring with Michael Bublé. 

Check out Passages here:
https://ethansherman.bandcamp.com/album/passages

Fretboard Summit 2024 Registration: 
https://fretboardsummit.org

Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal print edition and reserve your copy of Fretboard Journal 54:  https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/products/fretboard-journal-annual-subscription

This week's show is sponsored by:
StewMac: https://stewmac.sjv.io/R5jvRR (Affiliate link)

Collings Guitars: https://www.collingsguitars.com
(Look at their pau ferro offerings: https://www.instagram.com/p/C6_kzwmroYI/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==)

Izotope: https://www.izotope.com (Use the code FRET10 to save 10%)

Stringjoy Strings: https://stringjoy.com (Use the code FRETBOARD to save 10% off your first order)

Peghead Nation: https://www.pegheadnation.com (Get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription with the promo code FRETBOARD at checkout).

Singer-songwriter and fiddler Lily Henley has a new album like no other: On 'Oras Dezaoradas,' she crafts new music for centuries-old traditional Sephardic Jewish ballads. It's a beautiful project, sung nearly entirely in Ladino, the near-forgotten Sephardic dialect that sounds more like Spanish than anything else. 

On this week's podcast, we talk to Henley about the making of 'Oras Dezaoradas,' her unique upbringing in music, her songwriting process, and much more. It's a great chat about a truly unique album. 

https://www.lilyhenley.com

This episode is sponsored by Peghead Nation (use the promo code FRETBOARD and get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription); Retrofret Vintage Guitars; Izotope (use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your Izotope purchase); and Calton Cases.

Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal magazine and reserve your copy of our keepsake 50th issue, out soon. Click here.

On today’s Fretboard Journal Guitar Podcast, we’re talking to YouTube sensation Ryan “Fluff” Bruce. With his Riffs, Beards & Gear channel, Fluff has conducted deep dives into all sorts of gear questions, unboxed the cheapest guitars imaginable on Amazon and, most importantly, had a ton of fun. Along the way, he’s garnered over 250,000 YouTube subscribers.

We talk to Fluff about the unlikely career of a professional YouTuber (including the even more unlikely training he received as an editor of adult films!), his band Rest, Repose, and his signature model guitar built by Balaguer Guitars. Plus a lot more…

Use the coupon code PODCAST when you check out at fretboardjournal.com and receive $5 off your order.

This week’s episode is sponsored by Lee Valley Tools and Retrofret Vintage Guitars.

On his latest release, 'I Love You,' Kevin Breit does something truly monumental: 30 covers of his favorite songs performed entirely on vintage, mandolin family instruments. Performing all the parts, Breit himself becomes a one-man-band mandolin orchestra, while a different guest vocalist appears on each tune.

It's just the latest brilliant idea to come from the Canadian singer-songwriter, guitarist and mandolin player. Over the years, Breit has backed the likes of Norah Jones, Rosanne Cash, Cassandra Wilson and Hugh Laurie. He's also released some truly high concept solo albums and 2019's 'Stella Bella Strada,' where he showcased his latest custom guitar from builder Joe Yanuziello.

During this week's podcast, we talk to Breit about his love for the mandolin, hear about the cool-looking pickups that inspired the 'Stella Bella Strada' album and much more.

Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal magazine and help support the show and all that we do: digital / PDF subscription / keepsake print subscription.

This episode is sponsored by Mono Cases.

Links referenced:

Kevin Breit's 'I Love You' (Bandcamp)

David Gillis' 'Cooing With the Doves'

Kevin Breit on the Music Makers & Soul Shakers Podcast

Scott Ballew is an Austin, Texas-based filmmaker and musician. For years, he’s directed unforgettable videos and documentaries for Yeti and others. In 2020, he decided to take up songwriting and recorded his first album just a year later.

This week, Ballew releases his third album, Rio Bravo. It’s an exceptional work that somehow combines Ballew’s affinity for Townes Van Zandt and other Austin legends with his love for reverb-drenched Ennio Morricone soundtracks. We love it. 

During our chat, Scott tells us about his unlikely journey from football star to director to songwriter and about how filmmaking has shaped his music output. We also talk about the making of Rio Bravo, Scott’s growing guitar collection, the time he spent with Townes Van Zandt’s Gibson, and how – thanks to Pearl Jam – he ended up playing football for the University of Washington.  

Scott's site: https://www.leisurerodeo.com

Recommended viewing:

Can You Hear Me Smiling: A short doc on Scott Ballew’s songwriting

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEkWxtLjD-4&t=1s

My Old Man | No. 4 - Anchor Point: Scott’s Yeti doc featuring JT Van Zandt

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KadKx5k6XoY

Leisure Rodeo: A Short Film by Scott Ballew

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65vd-PjEBnY&t=2s

Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal print edition and reserve your copy of Fretboard Journal 54:  https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/products/fretboard-journal-annual-subscription

Register for our 2024 Fretboard Summit in Chicago (Aug 23-25): https://fretboardsummit.org/

This week's show is sponsored by:
StewMac: https://stewmac.sjv.io/R5jvRR (Affiliate link)
Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar: https://mmguitarbar.com
Izotope: https://www.izotope.com (Use the code FRET10 to save 10%)
Stringjoy Strings: https://stringjoy.com (Use the code FRETBOARD to save 10% off your first order)
Peghead Nation: https://www.pegheadnation.com (Get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription with the promo code FRETBOARD at checkout).

Love the podcast and want to support it? We have a new Patreon page just for Fretboard Journal fans and loaded with bonus content. https://www.patreon.com/Fretboard_Journal

This week, we share two great interviews: First, we talk to Rasmus Zandvliet, a young (17-year-old!) aspiring luthier from the Netherlands teaching himself how to build acoustic guitars from scratch using YouTube videos for inspiration and a modest array of tools (and a curling iron to bend sides!).

Rasmus is already on to his third guitar and garnered a rave review from Jeremy Sheppard, aka Jeremy the Guitar Hunter (who owns an Alpine spruce/mahogany 000-18 built by Rasmus).

In the second half of this episode, we talk to Jeremy himself about his start as a YouTube content creator, his love for acoustic guitars, and why he began flipping guitars (he estimates he's up to 5,000!). We also talk about why this digital content guru has decided to take a job at an old school brick & mortar guitar store, how he befriended Rasmus, and what he thinks of his 000-18 from the young builder.

Follow Rasmus here:
https://www.instagram.com/rasmus_zandvliet/

Follow Jeremy here: 
https://www.jeremytheguitarhunter.com

and on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/user/JimmySheep

Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal magazine: https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/products/fretboard-journal-annual-subscription

Register for our 2024 Fretboard Summit in Chicago (Aug 23-25): https://fretboardsummit.org/

If you enjoy this episode, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and consider joining the Fretboard Journal's new Patreon page.

Thank you to our sponsors: Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar, Peghead Nation (use the promo code FRETBOARD and get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription); and Stringjoy Strings (get 10% off your order with the FRETBOARD discount code). This episode is also sponsored by iZotope. Use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off of your Izotope order.

Seattle's Jimmy James has been one of the city's most exciting guitarists for years. He's currently the guitarist in the True Loves, among other projects, and was formerly in the Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio. On this week's podcast, we talk to the funk / jazz / soul / blues musician about growing up in Washington State, hearing "My Girl" for the first time, the music that helped shape his sonic palette, his cherished Silvertone, his time in New York City, and so much more. 

https://www.instagram.com/jimmyscratchjames/

The True Loves on KEXP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TD2hNsY6G7E

Register for our 2023 Fretboard Summit here: 

https://fretboardsummit.org/

Our podcast is sponsored by Retrofret Vintage Guitars, Peghead Nation (use the promo code FRETBOARD and get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription); Izotope (use the coupon code FRET10 to save 10% off their plug-ins); and Stringjoy Strings.

The always delightful Sam Amidon joins us on the Fretboard Journal Podcast to talk about music, the joys of touring by bus and much more. We also chat about growing up in a folk music-filled household, Amidon's take on the Harry Smith's The Anthology of American Folk Music and get the the story behind his cherished Martin OM-15.  

Check the Fretboard Journal site for our new video with Amidon performing "Juma Mountain." 

Peghead Nation co-founder Dan Gabel joins us this week to talk about the online lesson portal's origin story, the growth they've experienced over the last decade, and some of their favorite online classes. 

The Peghead Nation roster contains many former Fretboard Journal subjects and familiar faces to anyone who loves our podcast. In 2022, they even won a Distinguished Achievement Award from IBMA, the International Bluegrass Music Association. 

This week, Peghead Nation is launching a live Flatpicking Old-Time Fiddle Tunes class with guitar virtuoso (and co-founder) Scott Nygaard.

https://www.pegheadnation.com

This week's show is sponsored by: Stringjoy Strings: https://stringjoy.com
(Use the code FRETBOARD to save 10% off your first order)

Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar: https://mmguitarbar.com

Peghead Nation: https://www.pegheadnation.com
(Get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription with the promo code FRETBOARD at checkout).

https://fretboardsummit.org/

https://www.fretboardjournal.com

Bob Minner returns to the Fretboard Journal Podcast to walk us through his new album, SOLO. Recorded entirely on the newly-announced Collings CJ-45 T, the album is a must-listen for Collings fanatics or anyone who appreciates great flatpicking.

During the chat, Bob tells us how he's spent the last year off the road (he's usually found backing Tim McGraw on acoustic guitar, a job he's held for nearly three decades) and walks us through his home recording setup. We talk about Bob's love for slope-shouldered guitars, his appreciation for both boutique and vintage instruments (including "Frankie," his cherished 1936 Martin D-18), and why he dedicated a song to Collings employee (and former FJ Podcast guest) Bruce VanWart. Plus a lot more. 

This episode is sponsored by Izotope, Mono Cases, Folkway Music and Retrofret Vintage Guitars. Use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your next Izotope order.

Links: 
https://minnerguitar.com
https://www.collingsguitars.com/acoustic-guitars/cj-45-t
https://www.teegardenaudio.com (Bob used the PPC-125 mics, and the 2100 pre)

Guitarist Mike Squires went straight from the Marines to the Seattle music scene, eventually becoming a guitarist in Harvey Danger, the Long Winters and Alien Crime Syndicate. These days, he's living on the East Coast and dividing his time between a day job, playing guitar for Duff McKagan's Loaded and posting short music clips on Instagram under the hashtag couchriffs. 

On this week's FJ Podcast, we have a fun chat with Squires about his music journey, get his tips for how to land a gig as a guitarist ("be nice," "learn ALL the songs..") and much more. 

This episode is sponsored by Lowden Guitars, Lee Valley Tools and RetroFret Vintage Guitars. 

Order the new Fretboard Journal Electric Guitar Annual here. 

Two old friends join us on this week’s Fretboard Journal Podcast as we talk with guitar improvising legend Henry Kaiser and Andy Marshall of THD Electronics.

During our sprawling chat, Kaiser tells us about his love for diving in the Antarctic and how being underwater in the cold has affected his sense of rhythm. He also tells us how he met Alexander “Howard” Dumble and how he obtained his #1 Steel String Singer in one of the great guitar deals of the century. Kaiser then walks us through his pedalboard’s entire signal chain, briefly demoing each pedal. The pair also discuss the magic of Bell & Howell Filmosound amplifiers and the future of Marshall's THD Electronics. 

Must-watch video of Henry Kaiser swimming with the Weddell seals:
http://www.inktalks.com/discover/741/henry-kaiser-music-of-the-seals

And Kaiser playing slide on the South Pole: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9KnwR17V1c

Note: During this taping, we filmed a few videos with Kaiser and Marshall performing at the FJ. Look for those on fretboardjournal.com and on our YouTube channel over the next couple of weeks.

http://thdelectronics.com
http://www.henrykaiserguitar.com
https://www.fretboardjournal.com

With a name like Jonny Corndawg, you can guess that this week's podcast guest is going to be a unique one. And Mr. Corndawg does not disappoint. He's a quirky singer-songwriter influenced by artists such as Roger Miller, Michael Hurley and Jerry Reed. In this 20-minute interview, Corndawg walks us through his career as a musician and explains some of his stranger hobbies, including hand-tooling the leather that adorns his Telecaster and his hilarious attempt to bootleg his own album in India. He also tells us about the Givson (no, that's not a typo) archtop that he's currently touring with. All-told, it's one of the more humorous FJ podcasts and one of our favorite up-and-coming artists.