This week, we talk to Meg Duffy, the stellar guitarist and songwriter best known as Hand Habits.
Meg grew up in upstate New York and took up guitar as a teenager. They attended the local community college's guitar program (the only non-male student in their class) and performed with a wide variety of local singer-songwriters and bands before a fortuitous encounter opening for Kevin Morby. Meg ended up touring with Morby and eventually moved to LA where they've worked for Christian Lee Hutson, The War on Drugs, Perfume Genius, and numerous other artists when they're not working on Hand Habits. Best of all, Meg is still often using the Fender Deluxe Lone Star Strat they bought as a teenager.
During our chat, we talk about how Meg found guitar and its important role in their upbringing; why Hand Habits' fanbase has "family therapy energy;" trying to emulate Blake Mills' parts touring with Perfume Genius; 'Doubles,' Meg's gorgeous new instrumental record with Gregory Uhlmann; the art of playing slow; and so much more.
We also talk gear, including the rubber bridge guitars from Old Style Guitar Shop, electrics from Gelber & Sons, and the next big, post-rubber-bridge guitar muting trend (maybe)!
Watch Hand Habits on KEXP here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pV04BNCQxTI
Watch Meg with Perfume Genius on KEXP here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuWb099qGFU&t=1086s
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: 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 of your Izotope order.
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.
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.
The word "handmade" is used a lot when it comes to high-end or luthier-built instruments, but what does it really mean? On this week's podcast, guitarmakers and longtime friends Jason Kostal and Mike Baranik talk about the technology (including CNC machines) they will and won't use when it comes to their creations.
Recorded live at the 2023 Fretboard Summit, this is a fascinating chat about tools, being efficient, making a living as a luthier, and so much more.
https://www.baranikguitars.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: 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 off your Izotope order. You can also get 10% off your Native Instruments software at Native-Instruments.com with code RUIN10. Some restrictions apply.
This week, we celebrate Martin Guitars' 190th anniversary by talking to Thomas Ripsam, the famed company's CEO and President.
As you'll hear, Thomas is a music fanatic. Before working at Martin, he took a guitarbuilding class from Dennis MacPherson and he's released a couple of albums under the moniker, Seeds of Imagination (Spotify link).
To commemorate their 190th anniversary, Martin just re-launched their D-19 series. (This was announced just after our conversation so it didn't come up.)
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: 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 off your Izotope order. You can also get 10% off your Native Instruments software at Native-Instruments.com with code RUIN10. Some restrictions apply.
As R2R Electric, Chris Vincent builds exacting copies of classic 1960s fuzz, boost, and wah pedals using old components. It's a unique business model where Chris has to devote more time to sourcing and testing vintage transistors than he does actually building pedals. When he does release a batch of new pedals on Reverb, demand is through the roof. They typically sell out in a day or so.
On this week's podcast, Chris stops by the FJ and tells us about the quirks of building brand new, but mostly old pedals. We talk about how he sources and tests his parts, how he got hooked on vintage pedals, and about some of his favorite products.
Chris is arguably best known by his Instagram handle, @djlavalamp. He was an early guest on our Truth About Vintage Amps and he participated in our early pandemic project #FJFest with a behind-the-scenes video submission. It was great to catch up with this in-demand pedal maker right before his next pedal drop.
https://www.r2relectric.com
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: 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 off your Izotope order. You can also get 10% off your Native Instruments software at Native-Instruments.comwith code RUIN10. Some restrictions apply.
Richard Walter, Senior Curator of Phoenix's incredible Musical Instrument Museum, joins us to talk about MIM's new exhibition, 'Acoustic America: Iconic Guitars, Mandolins, and Banjos.' This exhibit, running from November 10, 2023 - September 15, 2024, features a staggering array of legendary instruments owned by the likes of David Grisman, Elizabeth Cotten, Mississippi John Hurt, Earl Scruggs and others.
Read all about it here: https://mim.org/special-exhibitions/acoustic-america/
Rich tells us about how he landed his position at MIM, how he and his team care for these priceless instruments, the guitars that are closest to his heart, and so much more.
The Fretboard Journal is planning on having a meetup at MIM sometime in early 2024. Reach out to us at podcast@fretboardjournal.com if you'd like to join us.
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: 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 off your Izotope order. You can also get 10% off your Native Instruments software at Native-Instruments.comwith code RUIN10. Some restrictions apply.
TJ Thompson and Folkway Music's Mark Stutman are two of the most respected authorities on Earth when it comes to the repair and restoration of 1930s and '40s vintage acoustic guitars. In this unforgettable session from the 2023 Fretboard Summit, TJ and Mark share some never-before-heard revelations from their decades of working on rare and collectible Martins and Gibsons.
During this conversation, you get to be a fly on the wall and hear two repair people at the top of their craft, geek out on the little details that add up. They talk about guitar rosettes, popsicle braces, bridge plates, neck angles, how wood ages, 1970s Martins, and so much more. It's a 90-minute masterclass on the minutia and magic found inside old instruments...and why it's so hard to make a new, luthier-built instrument sound "old." We hope you love it.
Registration is now open for our 2024 Fretboard Summit in Chicago: https://fretboardsummit.org/
Links:
TJ Thompson: https://proluthiertools.com/
Mark Stutman: https://folkwaymusic.com/
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: 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 off your Izotope order. You can also get 10% off your Native Instruments software at Native-Instruments.com with code RUIN10. Some restrictions apply.
This is one of our favorite interviews to date: FJ contributor, guitarist, singer-songwriter and educator Adam Levy joins us for a very special interview about his new trio record, 'Spry,' his new book with Ethan Sherman ('String Theories') and so much more.
Adam recounts stories of growing up in California and watching his grandfather, George Wyle, serve as a musician and music director on TV shows. He talks about his first Hollywood session, taking lessons from Ted Greene, working alongside Norah Jones (and writing his first song, ever, for her), playing with Tracy Chapman, working at Guitar Player (and how his guitar once ended up on the cover of GP), working on 'Spry,' the art of titling instrumental tracks, and so much more. Adam also shares a bunch of insights from his new book with Ethan Sherman, 'String Theories,' which we can't recommend enough.
https://www.adamlevy.com/
https://stringtheoriesbook.com/
If you enjoyed 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: 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 off your Izotope order. You can also get 10% off your Native Instruments software at Native-Instruments.com with code RUIN10. Some restrictions apply.
George Gruhn will need little introduction to most Fretboard Journal followers.
George is, quite simply, one of the most respected vintage instrument authorities in the world and the owner of Gruhn Guitars, one of the best guitar stores on the planet. So why, at the age of 78, did he want to take a stab at creating his own guitar line? "I want to have fun," he tells us. "And fun means designing new items, doing things that are meaningful... I did this because, while the world does not need more clones of Martin, Fender or Gibson, there is space for something that is new...but it needs to have a reason to exist."
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.
This week, we're sharing another unforgettable session from the 2023 Fretboard Summit: A conversation with acclaimed luthiers Wayne and EJ Henderson.
Wayne is a legendary figure in the world of acoustic guitars, an NEA National Heritage Fellow, and the subject of Allen St. John's 2005 book, 'Clapton's Guitar.' Daughter EJ (Elizabeth Jayne) Henderson is continuing the Henderson legacy of instrument building out of her Asheville, NC workshop, but with a focus on sustainable woods.
https://www.waynehenderson.org/
https://www.ejhendersonguitars.com/
During our chat, we hear about how they each took up guitar building; the instruments they brought to the Summit; their current output; how their workshops differ; and much more. We also hear the duo play a couple of songs.
Recorded live at the Fretboard Summit on August 25, 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.
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/
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.
Every month, Mike Adams (@puisheen) joins Jason for a lively recap of guitar industry news. This time around, we talk all about last month's Fretboard Summit in Chicago!
Mike talks about a chance enounter with Z.Vex, Star Trek sleep sounds, some of his favorite Summit discoveries, the JHS Germanium Chef competition, and more.
Jason talks about the new electric tenor guitar he received, some of his favorite Summit moments, and plans for the 2024 Summit (August 22 - 24, once again at Chicago's Old Town School).
We then talk about Mike's recent surprise appearance with Glen Hansard and the Swell Season at their Chateau Ste. Michelle concert.
Watch Mike play alongside Glen here:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CwlkBugPN4H/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
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:
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Jorma Kaukonen (Hot Tuna, Jefferson Airplane) joins us onstage at the Fretboard Summit to talk about his love for Flammang acoustic guitars, "the Legendary Typewriter Tape" with Janis Joplin, why he's about to take a break from electric gigs, the status of Fur Peace Ranch, the magic of Jack Casady, "Water Song" "Embryonic Journey," why it's easier to teach songwriting than do it, CBD oil, and so much more.
Recorded live at the Fretboard Summit on August 25, 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: 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:
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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 and check out the new updates for Ozone 11 and their vocal software, Nectar 4.
Lots of us daydream about one day building a guitar from scratch. A set of guitar strings? That seems nearly impossible. On this week’s podcast, we talk to Scott Marquart, the founder and owner of Stringjoy. In the span of a decade, he’s gone from launching a custom guitar string company out of his bedroom to running an expansive factory in Nashville building a wide variety of guitar, bass and mandolin strings. It's a story unlike any we've ever told.
We learn about the company’s growth, the machines needed to make strings, why he just entered the mandolin market and so much more.
Try a set of Stringjoy strings out and get 10% off your first order with the discount code FRETBOARD.
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.
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.
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.
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:
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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.
We have a new addition to the Fretboard Journal's podcast lineup, Steel: The Steel Guitar Podcast!
Once a month, host Matt Perpick will interview steel players (young and old) about their stories, their gear, and inspiration.
For his first installment, Perpick interviews Rich Hinman, a steel player who has backed the likes of k.d. lang, Sara Bareilles, and Rosanne Cash. He’s also a frequent collaborator with FJ favorite Adam Levy.
Today, we're giving you a sneak peek at the first 15 minutes of the debut episode so you can check it out.
Want to hear the whole thing? Subscribe to Steel: The Steel Guitar Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to hear the whole hour-plus interview. It's great, even if you don't play steel.
We'll have a new, full-length FJ podcast episode out tomorrow.
Love our podcast offerings and all that we do? Help us grow by supporting us on our brand-new Patreon for as little as $5 a month. You'll get bonus podcasts, ad-free episodes and more.
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.
In just four years, 14-year-old Wyatt Ellis has gone from discovering bluegrass music for the first time to becoming one of its rising stars.
This is the story of a prodigy who taught himself how to play the mandolin (and guitar and fiddle) through the pandemic and has already graced stages with Peter Rowan and Billy Strings. He has a Grand Ole Opry appearance under his belt, a new single with Sierra Hull (and an album in the works), and he's the proud new owner of one of Marty Stuart's old Gibson Lloyd Loar-signed mandolins.
During our chat, we hear how he did it, what it's like to play with your music heroes, and where he's headed.
https://wyattellis.com/
Wyatt Ellis & Sierra Hull - "Grassy Cove" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TgNSPKCsX8
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.
We first spoke to electric guitarmaker Jon "Sully" Sullivan on the podcast back in 2018 (episode 204). This week marks Sully's long-awaited return back onto the podcast. We talk about his '71 Trella model; how he's incorporated technology like CNCs into his builds; the economics (and realities) behind creating your own import line of guitars (his Korean-made Conspiracy series is currently taking reservations); why he's taken a break from teaching guitar-making; and so much more.
Plus: the je ne sais quoi of French words; the genius of Duncan Price (@diskobebe), the NAMM Boutique Guitar Showcase, trademark talk, and more!
Follow: https://www.sullyguitars.com/
https://www.instagram.com/sullyguitars/
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 Sully's hometown of 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.
This week’s double-header of an episode is all about the 2023 Fretboard Summit taking place August 24-26, 2023 at Chicago’s Old Town School of Folk Music. As you hopefully know, the Summit is a three-day-long guitar show and festival curated by the Fretboard Journal. All weekend long, you can meet some of your favorite players and guitarmakers, try out new products, and have some fun. Performers include Tommy Emmanuel, Jeff Parker, Jorma Kaukonen, Via Mardot and numerous others…and you’re invited.
Register: https://fretboardsummit.org/
We start the podcast off by talking about some new Summit additions and updates, including many not currently announced on the site.
At 15:36, we interview guitarmaker Creston Lea of Creston Guitars. He’s attended every Summit the Fretboard Journal has thrown and shares some of his favorite memories over the years. Then we get a recap of last year's Nickel Wound Chef competition, where Creston was pitted against Duncan Price in an hour-long Partscaster build-off (think: Iron Chef but for guitarmaking). Last, but not least, Creston tells us a bit about his current guitar builds, what it’s like to have Gene Parsons install B-Benders on one of your guitars, and much more.
Watch the Nickel Wound Chef highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9A6cioaiHBM
Creston competed against Duncan Price: https://www.instagram.com/diskobebe/
Trophy maker Tom Longobardi: https://tomlongobardi.com/
At 45:32, we talk to luthier Micah Bruce of Bruce Guitars. Micah is making a very special, Harmony H-49-inspired electric guitar that one lucky Summit attendee will go home with. We chat about the Summit build, the art of lamination, how modern luthiers utilize CNCs in their builds, re-topping vintage Martins, and hear about what other guitars Micah will be bringing to Chicago. It’s a great chat.
We still have a very limited number of three-day, all-access Summit passes available that include all the weekend’s programming and the concerts. Just want to come to the lutherie showcase and guitar shop? Tickets are now on sale for $30. They will also be available at the door.
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 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.
Meet Jonathan Stout, a Southern California-based jazz guitarist best known as a bandleader in the swing dance world.
Jonathan's story is unlike any we've ever heard: Here's someone who cites Kirk Hammett as an influence, along with Benny Goodman guitarist Allan Reuss. He's a player, a scholar of early jazz guitar, a drummer, and he can even get you out of a traffic ticket (yep, he's also a lawyer).
Register for the Fretboard Summit (August 24-26, 2023 at Chicago's legendary Old Town School of Folk Music): https://fretboardsummit.org
Our podcast is sponsored by Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar, Deering Banjos; 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.
Saltwater Hank is a Ts’msyen musician based in Prince Rupert, British Columbia. On Canada Day, 2023, he released his new and boldest album to date, 'G̱al'üünx Wil Lu Holtga Liimi.' It’s an entire country album sung in Sm'algyax, the Ts’msyen language.
On this week’s FJ Podcast, we talk to Saltwater Hank about the project, its release day (and why that’s important), his songwriting process, the power of language, the gear he used and so much more. It's a great chat.
https://saltwaterhank.bandcamp.com/album/g-alu-u-nx-wil-lu-holtga-liimi
Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal and start with our new, 52nd issue: https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/products/fretboard-journal-annual-subscription
Register for the Fretboard Summit (August 24-26, 2023 at Chicago's legendary Old Town School of Folk Music): https://fretboardsummit.org
Our podcast is sponsored by Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar, Deering Banjos; 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 supported by Native Instruments, iZotope, and Plugin Alliance. Check out their Summer of Sound, the best-ever savings on ALL software, with 50% off products, updates, and upgrades, plus special hardware and software bundle deals.
You've never heard a tale like that of guitarist Rick Deitrick. A product of the '60s, Rick went from playing the accordion as a kid in Ohio to joining a rock band and performing at love-ins throughout Southern California. Once he found a $100 Yamaha acoustic at a pawn shop, his life took a new turn: He'd take his guitar (sans case) out on hikes and create acoustic instrumentals influenced by his surroundings. The byproduct of these hikes was a series of self-released albums, now reissued as a boxed set by Tompkins Square Records. Quirky backstory aside, it's gorgeous music that has stood the test of time.
This interview has it all: 1960s love-ins, a cranky John Fahey, a two-foot-tall chipmunk, a guitar sacrificed in a fit of rage, and a musician who continues to march to the beat of his own drummer.
Learn more about Rick Deitrick's 'The Unguitarist: Complete Works, 1969-2022' here:
https://tompkinssquare.bandcamp.com/album/the-unguitarist-complete-works-1969-2022
Follow Jason's new Substack here for behind-the-scenes FJ content: https://substack.com/@fretboardjournal
Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal and start with our new, 52nd issue: https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/products/fretboard-journal-annual-subscription
Register for the Fretboard Summit (August 24-26, 2023 at Chicago's legendary Old Town School of Folk Music): https://fretboardsummit.org
Our podcast is sponsored by Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar, Deering Banjos; 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 supported by Native Instruments, iZotope, and Plugin Alliance. Check out their Summer of Sound, the best-ever savings on ALL software, with 50% off products, updates, and upgrades, plus special hardware and software bundle deals.
Banjo great Alison Brown joins us on this week’s podcast to talk about her new album, On Banjo, and so much more. We chat about how she discovered bluegrass music while growing up in Southern California, her lifelong friendship with Stuart Duncan, the challenges of running a record label in 2023 (Alison and her husband run Compass Records), teaching, increasing the number of female banjo players, and a lot more. It’s a great chat.
https://alisonbrown.bandcamp.com/album/on-banjo
Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal and start with our new, 52nd issue: https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/products/fretboard-journal-annual-subscription
Register for the Fretboard Summit (August 24-26, 2023 at Chicago's legendary Old Town School of Folk Music): https://fretboardsummit.org
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); and Stringjoy Strings(get 10% off your order with the FRETBOARD discount code). This episode is also supported by Native Instruments, iZotope, and Plugin Alliance. Check out their Summer of Sound, the best-ever savings on ALL software, with 50% off products, updates, and upgrades, plus special hardware and software bundle deals.
Musician/producer Blake Mills and Chris Weisman sit down with us to talk about Jelly Road, the forthcoming album they’ve co-written (out July 14 via New Deal / Verve Records). They talk about how they met – Chris is based in Brattleboro, Vermont, while Blake is based in Los Angeles – and the writing and recording process behind the gorgeous new album. We also chat about Blake’s recent appearance backing up Joni Mitchell at her already-legendary Gorge performance earlier this week, his current favorite guitars and gear (including the fretless guitar built by Duncan Price), the dangers of slide playing, and a lot more.
Blake appeared on our Mystery of G. Weller Podcast earlier this year: https://www.fretboardjournal.com/podcasts/podcast-406-the-mystery-of-g-weller/
Listen to Mills’ new single “Skeleton Is Walking” here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ri-pr4Egzng
Pre-order Jelly Road:
https://blakemills.lnk.to/jellyroadID
See Blake Mills and Chris Weisman on their West Coast tour, now through June 2023: https://www.blakemillsonline.com
Chris Weisman’s Bandcamp: https://chrisweisman.bandcamp.com
Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal and start with our new, 52nd issue: https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/products/fretboard-journal-annual-subscription
Register for the Fretboard Summit (August 24-26, Chicago, Duncan Price will be there!): https://fretboardsummit.org
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); and Stringjoy Strings(get 10% off your order with the FRETBOARD discount code). This episode is also supported by Native Instruments, iZotope, and Plugin Alliance. Check out their Summer of Sound, the best-ever savings on ALL software, with 50% off products, updates, and upgrades, plus special hardware and software bundle deals.