The Lipstick Pickup Podcast with Emily Vardaman Walters

Send us Fan Mail Season One of the Lipstick Pickup Podcast officially ends with a mandolin migration Field Report from Matthew Paige in Knislinge, Sweden.  

Send us Fan Mail The Lipstick Pickup didn't get its wings until I had a chance run-in with https://deeohgee.org frontman Matthew Paige in early '24 and asked him to provide Sympathetic Strings to my effort. I couldn't have done anything without his generous contributions and here is something from the lost first season, our high vibrational pass at the history of sitar in popular mu...

Send us Fan Mail Emily places a call of the wild to The Hudson Valley to talk to Pete Donnelly about the vintage Mellotron that has landed in his studio in Katonah, New York. Pete was an original Sympathetic String to the podcast and there is a review of his Lipstick Pickup studio Bass-ics and a Jerry Jones baby sitar Emily lent him for most of 2025. From   https://petedonnellymusic.bandcamp.com &...

Send us Fan Mail DeeOhGee frontman Matthew Paige has a background in Scouting and he returns to The Lipstick Pickup to help Emily discuss and identify a couple of flying guitars and the Harpy Eagle.  https://deeohgee.org

Send us Fan Mail Emily places a wild bird call to Chicago to talk to independent musician Nick Wilkinson about the importance of community and Intelligence Networks.  https://www.nickwilkmusic.com

Send us Fan Mail Emily places another call to Stockholm to talk to Johan Borgh about his '67 Gretsch Tennessean and the rare birds of Sweden.  https://www.instagram.com/johanborgh/

Send us Fan Mail The Lipstick Pickup Podcast has a new SHORT FORMula for '26 and on this episode Emily calls former guest Sean Dunoon to hear about his new single "Firecracker" and talk about Northern Cardinals and Spark Birds.

Send us Fan Mail Emily places a New Year's Day call to Dayton, Ohio to talk to multi-instrumentalist M. Ross Perkins about the fine art of thinking small and the politics of home recording. It's a lesson in the economics of artistic survival and also the longest-distance call The Lipstick Pickup Podcast has ever made -- over two hours of solid-state thinking and even a performance of M....

Send us Fan Mail Nashville's Matthew Paige returns to The Lipstick Pickup Podcast to help Emily wrap up 2025 and ring in the new Silvertone Baritone Guitar. It was a Big Year for bari-TONE and a Big Year for them, come join the fun. 

Send us Fan Mail Jim Washburn's relationship with Danelectro influenced his love of guitars and it also ignited his career as a journalist and writer on the subject. He's been a valued resource to The Lipstick Pickup Podcast and in this episode, Emily calls him Costa Mesa, California to hear more about his extensive knowledge about these instruments, their evolution, and their impact on...

Send us Fan Mail NYC Park Ranger/Guitarist Rob Mastrianni returns to The Lipstick Pickup Podcast to help Emily wrap up her Big Year and discuss the Naturalist's approach to music and gear.  Chapters 00:00 Introduction to the Lipstick Pickup Podcast 02:34 Rob Mastrianni: The Electric Sitar Enthusiast 05:12 Memorable Performances and Venues 05:38 The Beauty of Nature and Birdwatching 08:28 The...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode I call Des Moines, Iowa to talk to Ian Williams, the man behind Nepco Guitars, a revered and respected "recreationist" of classic Danelectro design theory. The spirit of evolution is alive and well in his wild imagination and craftsmanship and here's something about his history with music, guitar collecting and building, for the record.  More on Nepc...

Send us Fan Mail Emily places a call to Excello Recording of Brooklyn, New York to talk to the multi-talented guitarist/music producer Hugh Pool about his career, his studio, and his collection of notable lipstick pickup guitars.  Hugh shares his journey as a musician and producer, highlighting the importance of community, collaboration, and the evolution of the music industry. From his early days...

Send us Fan Mail Emily and DeeOhGee's Matthew Paige delve into the fascinating history of the Bellzouki, a unique 12-string electric guitar. They explore its history, cultural significance, and the impact it has had on various music genres. Matthew shares his personal experience with the instrument, discussing its features and the challenges of playing it. The conversation also touches on the...

Send us Fan Mail On the episode of The Lipstick Pickup Podcast, I call accomplished Blues Guitarist Johan Borgh of Stockholm, Sweden to discuss his new album Island Blues and the Danelectro Guitars that are a critical part of his sound.  https://www.instagram.com/johanborgh/ Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Johan Borg 02:51 Johan's Musical Beginnings 05:32 Influences and Inspirations 08:32 The...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode of The Lipstick Pickup Podcast I go on location to my hometown of Jackson, Mississippi to having a very inspirational talk with audio engineer/producer Wolf Stephenson of Malaco Music Group. Wolf helped found and build “The Last Soul Company" Malaco Records in 1967 and he and his partners have managed to outlast major record label competitors and remain indepe...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode of The Lipstick Pickup Podcast, I make a Scouting Trip to see Lipstick Pickup Community Cornerstone Jack Brunson of Jack's Guitarcheology in Lebanon, Tennessee.  Jack shares his journey in the world of guitars, from his early days of fixing broken instruments to establishing https://www.jacksguitarcheology.com/ and brick-and-morter location on the Lebanon Town...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode, I take a trip through the Lone Star State with Steven Cooper, a native Texan and Nashville-based touring/session guitarist who has worked with a variety of artists including the Watson Twins, Patrick Sweany, Jessie Baylin, Nicole Atkins, and his own band Indianola. Steven's knowledge of lipstick Stratocasters can be traced back to his youth spent at Dallas&ap...

Send us Fan Mail Guitarist Michael McAdam comes by The Lipstick Pickup Listening Lounge with an armful of interesting guitars and talks to Emily about playing professionally in Guitar Town for nearly 4 decades. It's a journey of a million miles and it all started on a Silvertone guitar and that's why he still loves the TONE of Masonite and Lipstick Pickups.  More on Michael at : https://...

Send us Fan Mail Writer, blogger and rock historian Angie Moon returns to The Lipstick Pickup Podcast to help Emily take the Sitar Electric and discuss a subject of her authority, Beyond The Sitar: Indian Influences in Classic rock. The conversation explores the concept of "Insomnia," the role of session musicians, and the impact of culture, fashion and style on rock culture, highlightin...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Lipstick Pickup Podcast, Emily welcomes back Stu Snyder to discuss various topics related to vintage instruments, music recording, and New York City and it's rare birds. They pickup where they left off with a discussion of his vintage guitar string collection and also get a look at his specimen lefty Rickenbacker, among other things. There's also L...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode of The Lipstick Pickup Podcast, Emily calls Classic Rock historian Angie Moon in Coventry, England to talk about her new book The Crime of The Century and the subject of her blog, The Diversity of Classic Rock. She discusses her personal journey through music, the healing power of sound, and the importance of accurate music history. Angie also touches on her future...

Send us Fan Mail Dean Farley, a seasoned string designer, returns to The Lipstick Pickup Podcast to discuss the life and legacy of Hartley Peavey, a pivotal figure in the music industry. They explore Peavey's innovative spirit, his business acumen, and the impact he had on the music world, particularly through Peavey Electronics. The discussion highlights Peavey's unique personality, his...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Lipstick Pickup Podcast, Emily talks to Nashville-based, Mississippi native drummer Allen Jones. They discuss their mutual connections in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and delve into Allen's musical history, from his early influences growing up in a remote town to thriving in the vibrant Hattiesburg music scene. They discuss the importance of community in m...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode of The Lipstick Pickup podcast, Emily gets 411 help from Nathan Daniel's son Howard about the myth of the Lipstick Pickup and the importance of getting the Danelectro record straight. Please visit https://pen4rent.com/  for more from Howard Daniel.  "I've learned so much from you and I should have been keeping better notes, but this time we're g...