The Fretboard Journal Guitar Podcast

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 ne...

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 instrumen...

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 Fretboar...

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...

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 m...

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 man...

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 h...

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.  In June, Richard stopped by the Fretboard Journal in between concert stops for a loose, caffeine-fueled chat...

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 colla...

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 Sie...

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 r...

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 i...

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)...

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, 'G​̱​al'u​̈​u​̈​nx 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,...

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...

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,...

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...

Every month, we recap the latest guitar industry news with offset guitar hero Mike Adams (@ puisheen ). The month of May was fairly slow on the guitar news front, but Mike and FJ Publisher Jason Verlinde soldier on and discuss some of their favorite YouTube videos of late, ponder the world of signature guitars, share Fretboard Summit updates, talk about a recent Yeah Yeah Yeahs concert, honor the...

On June 9, 2023, Fretboard Journal contributor and Kalamazoo Gals author John Thomas will set out on the wildest adventure of his life: Bikepacking the 2700-mile Tour Divide mountain bike route, from Banff, Canada to the US/Canada border. On this very special bonus episode of the podcast, we check in with John before he rides off. We talk about his recent piece on the Scott Chinery Blue Guitar col...

When the pandemic hit and live gigs were canceled, innumerable musicians began live-streaming concerts from home as a way to stay connected with fans. Among those was San Francisco-based duo Craig Ventresco and Meredith Axelrod, who perform ragtime guitar, early jazz and blues songs from the 1890s to the 1930s. Fast forward three years and Meredith and Craig are somehow still at it, streaming live...

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 hack...

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 thou...

Offset guitar authority, tech and journalist Mike Adams (@ puisheen ) joins us for another monthly recap of guitar news, but this episode is about a lot more than just industry updates. To start, Mike shares a deeply moving story about the loss of his father. Around the 24-minute mark, we discuss some recent guitar news, including the new offerings that debuted at NAMM like the Guild Surfliner Del...

Detroit's Via Mardot makes incredible music that evokes classic exotica and Spaghetti Western soundtracks, but her journey is far from traditional. Since dropping out of high school, she's put all of her energy into composing, playing and learning new instruments and gear. She showcases her multi-track creations on Instagram - making captivating videos where she plays ALL the parts (including guit...

Robbie Fulks joins us on this week's Fretboard Journal Podcast to talk about his new album, 'Bluegrass Vacation.' Fulks' first full-length bluegrass album features an all-star lineup of guests including Sam Bush, Sierra Hull, Ronnie McCoury, Tim O'Brien, Alison Brown, John Cowan, and Jerry Douglas.   We talk about the alt-country pioneer's deep bluegrass roots, stretching back to his time playing...