The Fretboard Journal Guitar Podcast

Nearly every guitar player has daydreamed about running their favorite gear company. On this week's Fretboard Journal Podcast, we hear from two individuals who are currently living that dream: Nashville's Pete Mroz and Shannon Pollard. Earlier this year, these two guitar fanatics and businessmen became the new owners of Bend, Oregon's Breedlove Guitars. During our chat, we talk about the realities of running a guitar business in 2025, the surprises they weren't anticipating, what changes they are implementing at the 35-year-old company, and where they see growth in the guitar space. Whether or not you're currently a Breedlove owner, Pete and Shannon's enthusiasm for guitars is downright infectious. We think you'll love this chat. https://breedlovemusic.com Our next Fretboard Summit takes place August 20-22, 2026, at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago. https://fretboardsummit.org Our 58th issue of the Fretboard Journal will mail later this month. Subscribe here to get it. We are brought to you by Peghead Nation: https://www.pegheadnation.com (Get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription with the promo code FRETBOARD at checkout). Stringjoy Strings: https://stringjoy.com

Mandolin hero John Reischman joins us this week to talk about his new album, 'The Salish Sea.' We chat about the influence the Pacific Northwest has had on his music-making, discuss his famed Lloyd Loar-signed Gibson F-5 mandolin, and so much more. Check out the Salish Sea here or on your favorite streaming platform: https://johnreischmanandthejaybirds.bandcamp.com/album/the-salish-sea https://www.fretboardjournal.com/ Our next Fretboard Summit takes place August 20-22, 2026, at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago. https://fretboardsummit.org Our 58th issue of the Fretboard Journal will mail later this month. Subscribe here to get it. We are brought to you by Peghead Nation: https://www.pegheadnation.com (Get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription with the promo code FRETBOARD at checkout). Stringjoy Strings: https://stringjoy.com

Every year during the holiday season, we chat with Guru Singh, a third-generation yogi and spiritual teacher who also happens to live and breathe guitars. On this installment (Guru Singh's third visit), we go deep. This former Reprise artist and friend of Janis Joplin talks to us about the spirit of giving, the benefits of A.I. (even for musicians), how he stays optimistic during difficult times, and so much more. We'll be sharing the video from this interview on our YouTube channel soon. https://gurusingh.com/ https://www.fretboardjournal.com/ https://fretboardsummit.org/ Check out Rhett Shull's video from our 2025 Fretboard Summit here. Our next Fretboard Summit takes place August 20-22, 2026, at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago. https://fretboardsummit.org Our 58th issue of the Fretboard Journal will mail later this month. Subscribe here to get it. We are brought to you by Peghead Nation: https://www.pegheadnation.com (Get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription with the promo code FRETBOARD at checkout). Stringjoy Strings: https://stringjoy.com We are also brought to you by Seattle's own Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar. https://mmguitarbar.com

Today's podcast episode is with Liam Kazar, a Chicago-born singer-songwriter and guitarist currently touring in Jeff Tweedy's band. Liam just put out a new record, Pilot Light, which he made at Flying Cloud Studios in upstate New York. Check it out and catch him on the road. https://www.instagram.com/liamkazar https://liamkazar.com Our 57th issue of the Fretboard Journal is now mailing. Subscribe here to get it. Our next Fretboard Summit takes place August 20-22, 2026, at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago. https://fretboardsummit.org We are brought to you by Peghead Nation: https://www.pegheadnation.com (Get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription with the promo code FRETBOARD at checkout). Stringjoy Strings: https://stringjoy.com We are also brought to you by Seattle's own Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar. https://mmguitarbar.com

On today's episode of the podcast, Sofia Wolfson talks to TJ Hiemel, owner of Troy, New York's Love of Fuzz store. TJ shares with us some of his favorite gear that has come through the shop, his role in the upstate music community, the magic behind his ever-evolving inventory, and much more. Be sure to follow the shop's Instagram to stay up to date with their inventory. https://www.instagram.com/love_of_fuzz/ https://www.loveoffuzz.com/ Our new, 57th issue of the Fretboard Journal is now mailing. Subscribe here to get it. Our next Fretboard Summit takes place August 20-22, 2026, at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago. https://fretboardsummit.org We are brought to you by Peghead Nation: https://www.pegheadnation.com (Get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription with the promo code FRETBOARD at checkout). Stringjoy Strings: https://stringjoy.com We are also brought to you by Seattle's own Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar. https://mmguitarbar.com

Vermont-based guitar hero Paul Asbell joins us this week to talk about his new book, 'Stages: Ruminations, Rants, and Reminiscences on a Life in Music.' In 'Stages,' Paul recounts stories from early in his career when he worked as a sideman for legendary blues artists on the South Side of Chicago. We also hear about Paul's unique upbringing, his love for luthier-made instruments, why he left Chicago for Vermont, and so much more. Order 'Stages' here: https://paulasbell.com/product/stages-ruminations-rants-and-reminiscences-on-a-life-in-music-book/ Our new, 57th issue of the Fretboard Journal is now mailing. Subscribe here to get it. Our next Fretboard Summit takes place August 20-22, 2026, at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago. https://fretboardsummit.org We are brought to you by Peghead Nation: https://www.pegheadnation.com (Get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription with the promo code FRETBOARD at checkout). We are also brought to you by Seattle's own Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar. https://mmguitarbar.com

Musician and Fretboard Journal contributor Paul Burch joins us this week to talk about his just-published debut novel, Meridian Rising. The book, an imagined memoir by Jimmie Rodgers, is filled with insights on the Father of Country Music and some of the unbelievable collaborators he worked with. We talk about the making of the book, why Rodgers is so fascinating to Paul, Paul's new album ('Cry Love'), and so much more. https://paulburch.com/ Our new, 57th issue of the Fretboard Journal is now mailing. Subscribe here to get it. Our next Fretboard Summit takes place August 20-22, 2026, at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago. https://fretboardsummit.org We are brought to you by Peghead Nation: https://www.pegheadnation.com (Get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription with the promo code FRETBOARD at checkout).

Grateful Shred co-founder Dan Horne joins us for a chat about the making of the band, his love for the Dead (of course), and the tribute group's 2025 album, 'Might As Well.' We also talk about growing up in the Bay Area, Alembics and other gear, and so much more. Check out Grateful Shred on tour and see what all the fuss is about: https://www.gratefulshredmusic.com/ Our new, 57th issue of the Fretboard Journal is now mailing. Subscribe here to get it. Our next Fretboard Summit takes place August 20-22, 2026, at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago. https://fretboardsummit.org We are brought to you by Peghead Nation: https://www.pegheadnation.com (Get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription with the promo code FRETBOARD at checkout).

Raymond Morin of Pittsburgh's Acoustic Music Works joins us this week for an insightful chat about running a guitar store, music and so much more. At a time when things seem pretty bleak for mom & pop guitar stores, Pittsburgh's Acoustic Music Works is a true success story. They have just relocated to a new, larger space, focusing on a select range of premium brands and hosting occasional in-house concerts. https://acousticmusicworks.com We talk about Raymond pivoting career-wise into the world of guitars; the guitar-building class he took before he became a salesperson; Collings and some of the other brands Acoustic Music Works carries; and Raymond's own Pleinview line of instruments. Our new, 57th issue of the Fretboard Journal is now mailing. Subscribe here to get it. Our next Fretboard Summit takes place August 20-22, 2026, at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago. https://fretboardsummit.org We are brought to you by Peghead Nation: https://www.pegheadnation.com (Get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription with the promo code FRETBOARD at checkout).

Guitarist Paul Rigby joins us this week to talk about his 15-plus-year collaboration with Neko Case and so much more. We hear about growing up in Calgary (and why it's an oddly great town for guitarists); meeting Neko; writing for Broadway; songwriting help from the Black Stallion; and why his favorite electric guitar is a $123 partscaster. https://www.instagram.com/paul.rigby003/ Neko Case's new album, 'Neon Grey Midnight Green, is out now. https://nekocase.com Our new, 57th issue of the Fretboard Journal is now mailing. Subscribe here to get it. Our next Fretboard Summit takes place August 20-22, 2026, at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago. https://fretboardsummit.org We are brought to you by Peghead Nation: https://www.pegheadnation.com (Get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription with the promo code FRETBOARD at checkout).