Life With Strings Attached

Welcome to Life With Strings Attached! In this episode we explore the evolving world of guitar making, where craftsmanship meets innovation. From the floor of guitar shows to the heart of the workshop, we reflect on how artistry, science, and sound continue to shape our musical culture. We pay tribute to the late Ken Parker, a visionary who redefined what a guitar could be. We also discuss the ong...

** Whoops! It seems we've forgotten to cut out the end of the podcast, which is usually reserved for the members of our Patreon 'Business of Guitar'. Oh well, we're happy to give everyone a glimpse into what they're missing... 😉  Find out more here: https://www.patreon.com/thebusinessofguitar On this episode of Life With Strings Attached we welcome Dave Dunwoodie, founder...

In this special Life With Strings Attached biography episode, we explore the remarkable journey of Michael Spalt. Guitar builder, sculptor, and creative force who’s redefined what a guitar can be.  From his roots in Vienna and early fascination with music and film, to his innovative Totem guitars and the founding of the Holy Grail Guitar Show and EGB, Michael has merged art, craftsmanship, and com...

In this special segment of our Luthier’s Story series we’re honoured to feature Ulrich Teuffel, visionary in the world of guitar design whose work challenges convention and redefines what it means to build an instrument. Ulrich’s guitars are more than tools for music, they are philosophical statements. Each crafted with a deep respect for wood, sound, and the courage it takes to break from traditi...

Today on Life With Strings Attached, we’re joined by Joe Caruso of The Music Emporium in Boston: a shop that has become legendary for its thoughtful curation and deep respect for the guitar as both an instrument and a cultural icon.  In this conversation, Joe and I explore the parallels between the artisan guitar movement and the craft traditions of furniture making, the balance between heritage a...

Today on Life With Strings Attached, I sat down with Richard Hoover, founder of Santa Cruz Guitar Company. From California’s redwood forests and the threat of wildfires to the physics of string tension and modal analysis, Richard brings nearly 50 years of lutherie to this conversation.  We explore how science, craftsmanship, and empathy shape the acoustic guitar, why collaboration and open knowled...

This week on Life With Strings Attached, I sit down with Avi Shabbat. From growing up in Jerusalem, discovering music in the middle of the grunge era and serving in the military, to building a career in sound engineering and eventually founding Shabbat guitars in Los Angeles.  Avi's story is one of resilience, collaboration, and vision. In this conversation, we talk about uncompromising craft...

Welcome to Life With Strings Attached. I'm your host, Jamie Gale. For this week's special biography edition of Life With Strings Attached, we're on location in Switzerland with Giulio Negrini, founder of Giulio Negrini Guitars, to uncover the remarkable journey behind one of the boutique world's most imaginative and precise builders. From a childhood steeped in fantasy and musi...

Welcome to Life with Strings Attached. I'm your host, Jamie Gale. For this week's special biography edition of Life with Strings Attached, we're on location in Edmonton, Canada to dive deep into the story of Dion James, an extraordinary guitar maker who is helping to redefine the modern acoustic guitar.  In this episode, Dion opens up about formative moments, the mentors who shaped...

This week on Life With Strings Attached , we sit down with Reuben Forsland: Adventurer, innovator, and the luthier behind JOI Guitars.  Reuben’s story stretches from backcountry snowboarding and near-death kiteboarding crashes to building guitars out of hempwood, carbon fiber, and even the walls of Jimi Hendrix’s childhood home. What drives him? A relentless curiosity, a hunger for challenge, and...

This week on Life With Strings Attached, I’m joined once again by Omer Deutsch, founder of OD Guitars. Omer returns with insight forged under pressure, literally. Living and working in a conflict zone, he shares how humor, community, and creativity have become essential tools for coping and resilience.  From the emotional toll of war to the deeper value of custom guitar making, Omer opens up about...

Today’s guest is internationally acclaimed guitarist Maneli Jamal , known for his deeply expressive compositions and a playing style that fuses rhythmic complexity with emotional clarity.  Born in Belarus to Iranian parents, Maneli’s journey spans five countries, twenty moves before the age of 18, and a lifetime of transformation through music. In this heartfelt conversation, we explore everything...

Welcome to Life With Strings Attached . In this episode, we travel to the small Bavarian town of Illertissen to meet Rainer Tausch: Guitar maker, musician, and founder of Tausch Guitars.  Rainer’s journey began with a homemade guitar at age 13, inspired by the music of Hendrix, AC/DC, and Deep Purple. Over decades, he carved his own path through craftsmanship and tone, blending tradition with bold...

This episode dives deep into the legacy and future of D’Addario & Company with James D’Addario, Chairman and Director of Innovation.  With roots in string making that stretch back centuries, Jim shares how his family’s craft evolved into a global leader through innovation, automation, and a relentless focus on quality. Jim and I explore how string design affects musicianship, why clear communi...

Welcome to Life With Strings Attached. In this episode, we sit down with visionary guitar designer Rapolas Gražys. A creative force whose instruments are as much about storytelling and emotion as they are about sound.  From his studio in Lithuania, Rapolas shares how a childhood steeped in art, architecture, and nature led him to craft guitars from materials as extraordinary as amber, aluminum, an...

Today’s guest is Raymond Kraut, an exceptional luthier whose work blurs the lines between science, art, and soul. In this conversation, Raymond and I dive deep into the evolving craft of guitar making: from the physics of sound and the role of alternative tonewoods like desert ironwood, to the emotional and instinctual layers of artistic expression.  This isn't just a story about guitars, it’...

This week on Life With Strings Attached , we dive into the remarkable story of Adriano Sérgio. An artist, musician, and luthier whose life journey is as inspiring as the guitars he creates.  From his early days as a political refugee to military service in Portugal’s elite forces, Adriano’s path has been shaped by resilience, community, and a relentless pursuit of authenticity. In this second spec...

Welcome to Life With Strings Attached . In this episode we sit down with master luthier Andy Manson, a maker whose work lives at the intersection of creativity, chaos, and craftsmanship. Andy takes us on a journey through travel, food, culture, and family legacy, weaving personal stories with deep insights into guitar making, materials, and design. He shares why he prefers tactile oil finishes ove...

On this episode of Life With Strings Attached , we sit down with luthier Mario Beauregard. An innovative guitar maker whose journey spans rural Canada, the streets of Japan, and a lifetime of travel, music, and craftsmanship. Mario shares how his early life experiences shaped his path, the importance of finding balance as a maker, and the emotional depth behind each instrument he builds. We talk a...

Today’s guest is a true icon in the world of acoustic guitar making. Someone whose influence has quietly shaped the way modern luthiers build, voice, and imagine the steel-string guitar. With over 50 years of experience at the workbench, Dana Bourgeois has carved out a singular path in the craft, blending deep technical knowledge with a relentless pursuit of tone. From building his first guitar in...

In this episode of Life with Strings Attached , I sit down with Fred Pons (also known as Fred Kopo) a deeply respected luthier from France whose journey into guitar making began with what he describes as “a slap of inspiration.”  At just 16, a visit to a rural guitar workshop with his teacher changed the course of his life. The smell of wood, the calm of the countryside, and the magic of turning r...

This episode is part of a new Biography Edition of Life With Strings Attached, a space to pause and reflect on the people behind the instruments. It's been our experience that these remarkable ideas come from remarkable people, who have a depth and character that cannot be easily distinguished from the things that they create. This Biography Edition of Life With Strings Attached tells the sto...

Dan Furman, PhD, is a neuroscientist, Harvard graduate, and co-founder of Arctop, a company developing real-time brain-computer interface software that translates electrical activity from the brain into usable data. In this episode, Dan joins Jamie Gale for a far-reaching conversation about music, emotion, memory, and how we might one day listen to what the brain is really saying. Together, they e...

Few people have shaped the way we understand the electric guitar like Jan Herbst and Steve Waksman. Both have spent their careers asking deeper questions about sound, design, meaning, and the role of technology in music. Steve is the author of Instruments of Desire , the first major academic study of the electric guitar. Jan is a leading voice in the study of music production and amplification, kn...

[re-upload with improved audio quality] Legendary guitar repairman, luthier, and educator Dan Erlewine (StewMac) joins us for a conversation on innovation, legacy, and the craft behind the music. In this episode of Life With Strings Attached , we reflect on Dan’s early inspirations, his journey into guitar building and repair, and the unforeseen innovations that have left a permanent mark on the i...