The Acoustic Shoppe Knows People (A Podcast About Acoustic Instruments, Music, & Artists)

In this rerun episode of "The Acoustic Shoppe Knows People," the Chapmans are incredibly honored to sit down with the legendary Rhonda Vincent! Known as the undisputed Queen of Bluegrass, Rhonda brings a lifetime of incredible stories, acoustic music history, and industry insights to the table. We dive into her amazing career, what it takes to run one of the tightest bands in bluegrass, her favori...

In this exciting episode of The Acoustic Shoppe Knows People, we are thrilled to welcome our friend, TAS Community Pro, and recent American Idol winner, Hannah Harper!. We dive deep into her musical roots, growing up in Southeast Missouri and traveling with The Harper Family band, singing bluegrass gospel. Hannah shares the story behind her viral, original audition song "String Cheese," a heartfel...

On this episode of The Acoustic Shoppe Knows People podcast, the Chapmans sit down with CJ Lewandowski, the Grammy-nominated mandolin player and founder of The Po' Ramblin' Boys. CJ is a true torchbearer for authentic, 1960s-style bluegrass, and he brings a wealth of stories to the table. We talk about the origins of The Po' Ramblin' Boys, his incredible Gibson Loar mandolin (and his own signature...

Is it strange to write a description about my own episode? - Yes! Today on The Acoustic Shoppe Knows People, we talk to our very own content producer - Hinkley! Hinks has been the content producer for the Acoustic Shoppe for 5 years and seen the entire growth of the channel. We go converse on the channel, it's challenges, her background, and how we grew this incredible community, mostly thanks to...

In this episode of The Acoustic Shoppe Knows People, we are pulling back the curtain on the music retail industry. We're getting candid about the brands we can't carry due to dealership restrictions, competitor pushback, and industry politics. But when one door closes, another opens! We explain how these roadblocks forced us to look elsewhere, leading us to discover the incredible brands that bloo...

In this episode of The Acoustic Shoppe Knows People, we are keeping it in the family and sitting down with our very own Sales Manager, Corey Kirkland! Corey shares his journey from being a local gigging musician and customer to officially running our sales floor. We pull back the curtain for some hilarious behind-the-scenes stories of the shop, nerd out over the acoustic gear we love, and talk abo...

On this episode of The Acoustic Shoppe Knows People podcast, the Chapmans are incredibly honored to sit down with the one and only Alan Munde! Alan is a local legend and a national treasure. We dive deep into his unique approach to the banjo, what it was like teaching the next generation of pickers at South Plains College, and swap some of our favorite stories from the road. Whether you are a dedi...

In this episode of The Acoustic Shoppe Knows People, the Chapmans are back from an exhausting but incredible trip to MerleFest. We share some crazy stories from the road—including Jeremy's midnight encounter with a deer and John's foot getting crushed by a booth cart. Then, we dive deep into the recent shakeups in the acoustic world. We discuss the current gap in the mid-tier mandolin market, the...

We are joined by absolute acoustic royalty today! The one and only Tim O'Brien sits down with the Chapmans on this episode of The Acoustic Shoppe Knows People podcast. From his groundbreaking days with Hot Rize to his incredible Grammy-winning solo career, Tim has been a massive influence on the bluegrass and acoustic music world for decades. We dive deep into his musical journey, his songwriting...

🎶Welcome the incredible Molly Tuttle to The Acoustic Shoppe Knows People podcast! As one of the most exciting voices and premier flatpickers in modern bluegrass, Molly sits down with us to discuss her entire musical journey. Later, we take some time to discuss her new Martin Guitar signature modes! We go into the design process, why two models were made, & how surreal it is to be honored by a...

If you could pick any musicians in the world to form the ultimate bluegrass supergroup, who would make your starting lineup? On this episode of the Acoustic Shoppe Knows People podcast, the Chapmans are taking a break from interviews to have a little fun with a Bluegrass Fantasy Draft! We go position by position—guitar, mandolin, banjo, fiddle, bass, and vocals—to build our absolute dream bands. T...

Have you ever walked into a guitar store and expected a discount right off the bat? If so, you definitely aren't alone! In this episode of the Acoustic Shoppe Knows People podcast, we pull back the curtain on the music retail industry to talk about a slightly controversial topic: discounts and haggling. We dive deep into the history of MSRP vs. MAP pricing, the "race to the bottom", big box stores...

In this episode of The Acoustic Shoppe Knows People , the guys sit down for an in-depth conversation with acclaimed actor and musician Jeff Daniels. Jeff shares fascinating stories from his 50-year career, the parallels between acting and songwriting, and his deep connection to acoustic music. He also gives us a look at his impressive guitar collection, including his custom Martin signature model...

Ever wonder what goes into building some of the most sought-after boutique acoustic guitars in the world? Today on the podcast, we are incredibly honored to sit down with Guillaume and James from the renowned Boucher Guitars! Flying in from Quebec, Canada, Guillaume and James take us behind the scenes of the Boucher workshop. We dive deep into how it all started, their legendary supply of Appalach...

Welcome to another episode! This time, John, Jason, and Jeremy are joined by Coen and Milo from The Fellowship of the Acoustics, streaming all the way from the Netherlands. In this episode, the guys bridge the gap between Springfield, Missouri, and the European acoustic scene to talk shop, swap wild retail stories, and do a little bit of John's famous "market research". They discuss how independen...

If you have ever searched for flatpicking lessons on YouTube, you already know our next guest! Today on the Acoustic Shoppe Knows People podcast, we are hanging out with Marcel Ardans from the incredibly popular channel, Lessons With Marcel. We dive deep into his journey of building a massive bluegrass educational platform, discuss the nuances of Tony Rice's style, geek out over acoustic guitar to...

Darren spent over 15 years as a founding member of the award-winning bluegrass supergroup Balsam Range before stepping out on his own. In this episode, we dive deep into his musical journey, his deep love for traditional Appalachian music, what inspired his transition to a solo career, and, of course, we talk gear and mandolins! Whether you've been a fan of his for years or are just discovering hi...

John, Jeremy, and Jason tackle one of the most debated topics in the acoustic world today: instrument affordability in 2026. With high-end boutique builds reaching new price heights and "entry-level" gear shifting in quality and cost, the crew discusses where the market is headed. Is the dream of owning a professional-grade instrument still attainable for the average player? ----------------------...

The dust has settled on Anaheim, and the 2026 NAMM Show is officially in the books. In this episode of The Acoustic Shoppe Podcast, we sit down to unpack the entire week—the highs, the lows, and the undeniable shifts in the music industry. While there were plenty of incredible instrument launches from brands like Martin, Boucher, and Eastman, we can't ignore the elephant in the room: What is the f...

What do "Brown Eyed Girl" on a Caribbean cruise and the Foo Fighters have in common? Ashby Frank joins the podcast to reminisce about growing up as the son of a District Attorney in the heart of North Carolina's picking culture, and how a Christmas wish for an electric guitar accidentally launched a mandolin career. We dive into his work with the Earls of Leicester, his songwriting process, and wh...

In this episode of the podcast, John, Jeremy, and Jason tackle the big questions: Is AI going to change the acoustic music world? And more importantly—will The Acoustic Shoppe survive the shifting economic landscape? From Jeremy’s recent trip to the Goldman Sachs housing summit in D.C. to stories about Martha Stewart and the "Great Penny Shortage," we’re diving into business, survival, a...

Happy New Year (almost)! This week we're counting down our favorite things from 2025 in relation to The Acoustic Shoppe. That is, our favorite instruments, events, & personal goals we've achieved this year. We want to take a second and say thank you for an incredible year. This has by far been the best one yet for our business and we ae so excited to see where 2026 will take us.

In this episode of The Acoustic Shoppe Knows People, we sit down with the legendary multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and storyteller J.P. Cormier. From his early days as a prodigy to becoming one of the most respected musicians in bluegrass, folk, and Celtic music, J.P. opens up about the road, the craft, the struggles, and the moments that shaped him. We dive into his musical influences, his ap...

Remember when Lloyd Loars and Pre-War Martins were about 20-30k, we do too! Weather it was for an investment or maybe a nostalgic reason, I know we all have instruments that we wish would could get a second chance at. We have encountered TONS over the years, here's a list of the ones that still haunt us. 💬Let us know below, what's your one that got away? 🎵We're giving away a guitar!...

This episode we welcome back the one and only Richard Hoover of Santa Cruz guitars! He was one of our very first episodes on this podcast and we were lucky to get a bit of his time to become a repeat guest on the show. We deep dive into Richards past, reflecting on 50 years of guitar building and what the future holds. safe to say, The Acoustic Shoppe now knows Richard Hoover even more than before...