The Fretboard Journal Guitar Podcast

Singer-songwriter John Smith joins us this week to talk about his moving new Joe Henry-produced album, 'The Living Kind.'   We hear about the British folk scene and John's time with John Renbourn and others; his guitar collection (including a rather unusual custom Fylde, his Mule guitars and others); the making of the new album; his thoughts on streaming; his love for pedals and the Quad Cortex an...

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 le...

Six-time Grammy-winning multi-instrumentalist, producer, and composer John Leventhal joins us this week to talk about 'Rumble Strip,' his long-awaited debut solo album! John tells us why, after five decades in the music business, he decided to make a solo album. We chat about his writing process, the home studio he and partner Rosanne Cash have in NYC, the gear that he used on the album, his favor...

Craig Korth is a bluegrass musician, instrument collector, and luthier based in British Columbia.   Over the years, Craig performed at countless festivals, ran a music camp, and amassed a world-class collection of vintage instruments. As he recounted at the end of his appearance on episode 271 of the Fretboard Journal Podcast, he's also struggled with focal dystonia, a neurological condition that...

This week, guitarist Julian Lage returns to the Fretboard Journal Podcast to talk to us all about his new, Joe Henry-produced album, 'Speak to Me' (Blue Note). We talk about working with Henry, the 'Speak to Me' band (including Levon Henry), Lage's writing process, his favorite practice hacks, the gear he used, and so much more. We pack a lot into 36 minutes. Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal pri...

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 Jerem...

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...

It's the fourth and final installment of 'String Theories' takeover of the Fretboard Journal Podcast! To celebrate the launch of their book,  String Theories , guitarists and educators Ethan Sherman and Adam Levy share some of their favorite music tips and New Year's resolutions with us.  Order the book here: https://stringtheoriesbook.com/ This week, Adam and Ethan are joined by guitarists Mike A...

It's the third installment of 'String Theories' takeover of the Fretboard Journal Podcast! To celebrate the launch of their book,  String Theories , guitarists and educators Ethan Sherman and Adam Levy share some of their favorite music tips and New Year's resolutions with us.  Order the book here: https://stringtheoriesbook.com/ This week, Adam and Ethan are joined by guitarists Harrison Whitford...

It's part two of four of 'String Theories' takeover of the Fretboard Journal Podcast! Adam Levy and Ethan Sherman, the authors behind the excellent new 'String Theories' book, are guest hosting the Fretboard Journal Podcast for four episodes. This week, they're joined by guitarist Mason Stoops (Ryan Beatty, Marcus Mumford, Jackson Browne) for a lively chat about coffee, Marshall stacks, new habits...

It's a 'String Theories' takeover of the Fretboard Journal Podcast! Adam Levy and Ethan Sherman, the authors behind the excellent new 'String Theories' book, are taking over the Fretboard Journal Podcast for four episodes. We'll hear their personal New Year's resolutions, talk to some of their favorite musicians ( Molly Miller , James Valentine , and Gregg BelisleChi! ), and glean some life hacks...

Guitarist and educator Teja Gerken joins us this week to talk about the making of his new solo fingerstyle album, 'Test of Time.' It's an eclectic album of originals, Celtic music, J.S. Bach and even John Coltrane's "Naima"...all played on acoustic guitar. We chat about Teja's early love for fingerstyle, the gear he employed for this album (a Martin Custom Shop OM, a Lowden, a Taylor 355, and a Na...

Atlanta-based Jason Mays has a unique perspective on guitars: He's a touring musician; the co-founder of YouTube's Working Class Music; he continues to work sales at Guitar Center; and he's one of the few people of color reviewing guitar gear. (We're also happy to announce that Mays is one of the FJ's newest contributors.) On this week's podcast, we talk about his music career; the most popular ov...

This week we're joined by Mike Ball of Seattle's Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar.  We go deep into their history, how they grew from a garage operation to a beautiful storefront in Seattle, and so much more. Mike walks us through the daunting world of Japanese-market Fenders, explains why Epiphone Casinos are hard to keep in stock, and talks about how they find their vintage inventory.  It's a fascinatin...

Brace yourself for one of the wildest musician stories you've ever heard. Amarillo, Texas' Hayden Pedigo makes gorgeous fingerstyle guitar music inspired by the likes of Will Ackerman and John Fahey. But Hayden has broken every mold imaginable when it comes to his career in music.  The son of a truck stop preacher, Hayden worked at local Amarillo banks, recording music after-hours and aggressively...

Matt Sweeney downplays his success as a guitarist and producer to the fact that he simply says "yes" to a lot of projects. Whatever the case; it's working. After playing in Chavez, he performed as Superwolves with Will Oldham and served as a guitarist-for-hire on numerous acclaimed albums, including Cat Power's 'Covers' record and the Rick Rubin-produced Johnny Cash 'American Recordings V' and 'VI...

Vashon Island, Washington-based guitarist Jamie Stillway joins us to talk about the latest addition to the Fretboard Journal podcast network, Guitar for Introverts!  Once a month, Stillway will interview her favorite artists and players and have a "quiet conversation" about art, inspiration, and life. She describes it as "On Being but with musicians..." For her first episode, she interviews singer...

This week, we talk to Meg Duffy, the stellar guitarist and songwriter best known as Hand Habits. https://www.handhabits.band 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 openi...

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 the...

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,...

This week, we celebrate Martin Guitars' 190th anniversary by talking to Thomas Ripsam, the famed company's CEO and President. We talk about how Thomas - an outsider to the MI industry but a passionate musician and skilled business leader - landed the job at Martin a few years ago. We discuss some of the many challenges that Martin faces as it looks to grow its audience, plus topics like sustainabi...

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 w...

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...

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,...

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 sho...