The Fretboard Journal Guitar Podcast

A little over a month ago, UK guitarmaker Richard Waddell (Uberfrank Guitars) shared photos of his latest creation to Instagram: an electric baritone guitar built for musician and friend Daniel Marcus Clark. This wild instrument - featuring a unique offset body, a Charlie Christian pickup in the neck, a three-pole bass pickup, dual outputs, a built-in capo system, and even a secret compartment in the pickguard - made guitarists around the world take notice. On this week's Fretboard Journal Podcast, we talk to Richard and Daniel about their collaboration. We discuss the original inspiration for the body's shape (a vintage Coral Hornet), Daniel's unique live rig, the unlikely hinge that made the secret compartment work, the ideas that didn't make it in to the finished guitar, plus a lot more. Daniel Marcus Clark's new album, 'I've been thinking,' is available now on Bandcamp if you want to hear this guitar (and musician) in action. https://danielmarcusclark.bandcamp.com  https://www.uberfrankguitars.com Love the show and want to support the Fretboard Journal Podcast? Pick up a digital subscription to our magazine: https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/collections/downloads/products/fretboard-journal-digital-subscription-offer (It's just $30 annually and it goes a long way towards supporting the show...and you get to read the Fretboard Journal!)  Pre-order An Instrument Maker’s Guide to Insanity and Redemption: Behind-the-Scenes Stories from the Instrument Making and Repair Community here. Our podcast is sponsored by Peghead Nation (use the promo code FRETBOARD and get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription); Izotope (use the coupon code FRET10 to save 10% off their plug-ins); and Calton Cases.

Grammy-nominated bluegrass musician Frank Solivan has led a fascinating life. On this week's podcast, we talk to the frontman of Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen about a bit of everything: the band's new album, 'Hold On;' his side hobbies of lutherie, pick making, and leather tooling; his songwriting process on the mandolin; and more.  Frank is a true renaissance man. This is a great chat; we think you'll love it.  http://dirtykitchenband.com https://toneslabs.com https://thesolworks.com Love the show and want to support the Fretboard Journal Podcast? Pick up a digital subscription to our magazine: https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/collections/downloads/products/fretboard-journal-digital-subscription-offer (It's just $30 annually and it goes a long way towards supporting the show...and you get to read the Fretboard Journal!)  Our podcast is sponsored by Peghead Nation (use the promo code FRETBOARD and get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription); Izotope (use the coupon code FRET10 to save 10% off their plug-ins); Retrofret Vintage Guitars; and Calton Cases.

Our Chicago Fretboard Summit was filled with highlights. Among them was TJ Thompson's return to the stage for another mind-blowing talk about following your heart, vintage guitar restoration, and so much more.  During this 90-minute session, the acclaimed pre-war Martin guitar expert offered a bit of everything: Sage advice for new instrument makers; insights on how to protect the value of your acoustic guitars; life hacks that we can all learn from; and even a little beer koozie philosophy lesson. Toward the end of his session, TJ had some quick tips for fellow luthiers. A few benefited from a visual reference so we posted the video excerpts on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/xc02s7rp-bM It's an unfiltered and candid talk from one of the guitar world's best. For his talk, Thompson invited friends and clients David Ziegele and Al Drewes onstage. You'll hear them occasionally interject and offer their own personal experiences with vintage guitars. Apologies for the lav mic noise; we did our best to reduce it. Recorded live on August 27, 2022 at Old Town's Maurer Hall.  The Fretboard Summit will return to Chicago's Old Town School of Folk Music on August 24-26, 2023. We'll share ticketing information soon. TJ's lutherie tool shop: https://proluthiertools.com Donate to Linda Manzer's Sunflower Guitar for Ukraine: https://sunflowerguitar.com Love the show and want to support the Fretboard Journal Podcast? Pick up a digital subscription to our magazine: https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/collections/downloads/products/fretboard-journal-digital-subscription-offer (It's just $30 annually and it goes a long way towards supporting the show...and you get to read the Fretboard Journal!)  Our podcast is sponsored by Peghead Nation (use the promo code FRETBOARD and get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription); Izotope (use the coupon code FRET10 to save 10% off their plug-ins); Retrofret Vintage Guitars; and Calton Cases. Special thanks to our 2022 Fretboard Summit sponsors: C.F. Martin & Co., Collings Guitars, Santa Cruz Guitar Company,  Henriksen Amplifiers, Yamaha Guitars, Reverb,  RØDE Microphones,  Galloup School of Lutherie, Acoustic Coffee and Calton Cases!

This week, we're talking to Simon Dunson, a young artist out of Chapel Hill, North Carolina who is pushing the mandolin to new and wild places. Dunson's debut jazz album, 'Chicken Bridge,' blew us away with its great playing, writing, and electric guitar effects... it's not at all what you think when you envision a "mandolin" record. Check out the opening track, 'Sydney,' here on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfUHAQivGHI During our talk, we hear how Dunson started out as a bluegrass musician but became enamored with jazz and genre-blurring musicians like Bill Frisell and Chris Thile. We talk about his time as a student at Interlochen Center for the Arts and the New England Conservatory's Jazz Studies program; the gear that he's using today (including Dunson's pedalboard and the custom pickup that he found works best on the 8-string instrument), and a lot more. It's a fun introduction to a player you'll be hearing about for years to come. Julian Lage has stated, "I am constantly knocked out by Simon’s mastery as an instrumentalist, improviser, and conceptual artist."  We couldn't agree more. https://simondunson.com http://www.girouardmandolins.com This Fretboard Journal Podcast is sponsored by Peghead Nation (use the promo code FRETBOARD and get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription); Izotope (use the coupon code FRET10 to save 10% off their plug-ins); Retrofret Vintage Guitars; and Calton Cases. Order the Fretboard Journal here: http://fretboardjournal.com/subscribe and support this podcast and all that we do.

Guitarmaker and repair expert Eric Daw returns to the Fretboard Journal Podcast to talk about his recently released book, 'Solid Sound: 23 Schematics for Wiring Vintage and Modern Single-Coil, Solid-Body Guitars.' The book features Daw's favorite pickup wiring layouts for Fender-style guitars, including a few that he's closely guarded over the years, along with helpful charts and advice that will have you seeing your guitar in a whole new light. During our chat, he explains how transformative some of these wiring changes can be to a guitar (even without swapping pickups) and how even a single-pickup Esquire could benefit from a non-stock wiring setup. We also discuss Daw's current guitar output, his repair work, and the call-in guitar repair podcast he hosts, the Fret Files. Order Solid Sound here: https://www.solidsoundbook.com The Fret Files Podcast: https://www.fretfiles.com This Fretboard Journal Podcast is sponsored by Peghead Nation (use the promo code FRETBOARD and get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription); Izotope (use the coupon code FRET10 to save 10% off their plug-ins); Retrofret Vintage Guitars; and Calton Cases. Order the Fretboard Journal here: http://fretboardjournal.com/subscribe and support this podcast and all that we do.

Singer-songwriter Madison Cunningham joins us this week to talk about the making of her exceptional new album, Revealer. We talk about her songwriting process, her favorite pieces of gear (including her forthcoming signature pedal from JHS), her guitar technique, and some of the influences who have shaped her along the way. http://www.madisoncunningham.com Look for a video featuring Madison playing "All I've Ever Known," the opening track from Revealer, on fretboardjournal.com soon. This Fretboard Journal Podcast is sponsored by Peghead Nation (use the promo code FRETBOARD and get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription); Izotope (use the coupon code FRET10 to save 10% off their plug-ins); Retrofret Vintage Guitars; and Calton Cases. Order the Fretboard Journal here: http://fretboardjournal.com/subscribe and support this podcast and all that we do.   And don't forget our other podcasts: The Truth About Vintage Amps, Luthier on Luthier, and the Truth About Recording & Mixing.

Burlington, Vermont's Zach Nugent has made a successful career out of emulating the guitar playing of Jerry Garcia and the music of the Grateful Dead. To accomplish this feat, he amassed an incredible collection of vintage gear ... allowing him to access whatever gear Jerry was playing during a particular era. Zach's attention to detail is only matched by his work ethic: He takes the music of the Dead very seriously and, contrary to what one would assume about a Jerry Garcia disciple, he's never touched drugs or even alcohol.  On today's FJ Podcast, we talk to Zach about what it takes to be one of the most in-demand Dead-style guitarists, the gear that Jerry used over the years, why Zach hates 1/4" cables, and so much more. We also talk about his recently released album 'Good So Far,' which shows a completely different side of his playing and songwriting and features guest appearances by John Popper and Peter Rowan. It also boasts a rare appearance of Jerry Garcia's own Wolf guitar, built by Doug Irwin.    All told, it's a great chat with a fanatical guitarist and guitar historian. We think you'll love it.    https://www.zachnugent.com   Look for more on Zach and the guitar sounds of Jerry Garcia in our 51st issue, coming soon.    This Fretboard Journal Podcast is sponsored by Peghead Nation (use the promo code FRETBOARD and get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription); Izotope (use the coupon code FRET10 to save 10% off their plug-ins); Retrofret Vintage Guitars; Izotope (use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your Izotope purchase); and Calton Cases. Order the Fretboard Journal here: http://fretboardjournal.com/subscribe and support this podcast and all that we do.

Guitarist and composer Bill Orcutt has always worked on the fringes of music: He's crafted noisy punk as a guitarist in Harry Pussy, served raw blues-inspired acoustic music as a solo artist, and has even composed computer music. With his new album, 'Music for Four Guitars,' he creates something completely different: 14 compositions for a guitar quartet that, as of now, doesn't really exist. Between Bill's mesmerizing, looped playing (on what turns out to be a Telecaster with two strings removed) and his DIY recording technique (Logic with a "pawnshop" amp plug-in), it's like nothing else you've ever heard. It harkens to the classic sounds of early Minimalism, but with an entirely new twist. On the podcast, Bill sheds light on this beguiling record, talks to us about his recording process, and explains why he used only the bridge pickup for these compositions. He also describes how he re-created Randy Newman's 'Sail Away' album cover photo and hints at when 'Music for Four Guitars' will actually be played by four guitarists (himself being one of them). Buy this album on Bandcamp and you'll get an 84-page PDF score of these compositions. Who knows? You and three friends may be the first to play them in their entirety. https://billorcutt.bandcamp.com/album/music-for-four-guitars This Fretboard Journal Podcast is sponsored by Peghead Nation (use the promo code FRETBOARD and get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription); Izotope (use the coupon code FRET10 to save 10% off their plug-ins); Retrofret Vintage Guitars; Izotope (use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your Izotope purchase); and Calton Cases. Order the Fretboard Journal here: http://fretboardjournal.com/subscribe and support this podcast and all that we do.

Recorded live at the 2022 Fretboard Summit in Chicago: Steve McCreary, GM of Collings Guitars & Mandolins joins Fretboard Journal publisher Jason Verlinde for a candid discussion about the revered guitar and mandolin company.  During our session, we get Steve's thoughts on numerous topics: Collaborating with Julian Lage on the Collings' 470 JL and OM JL models; the work that went into the matching pairs of guitars that Collings made just for the Chicago Fretboard Summit; and how the company has changed since Bill Collings' passing. Plus a lot more...  The Fretboard Summit took place August 25-27, 2022 at Chicago's Old Town School of Folk Music; we hope to return the Summit to Old Town once again in 2023.    Special thanks to our 2022 Fretboard Summit sponsors: Martin Guitar, Henriksen Amplifiers, Santa Cruz Guitar Co., Yamaha, Collings, RODE, Reverb, and Galloup Guitars. This Fretboard Journal Podcast is sponsored by Peghead Nation (use the promo code FRETBOARD and get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription); Izotope (use the coupon code FRET10 to save 10% off their plug-ins); Retrofret Vintage Guitars; Izotope (use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your Izotope purchase); and Calton Cases.

For over 20 years, Woody Platt served as a guitarist in the Steep Canyon Rangers. During that time, the band became one of the highest profile acts in bluegrass music and accompanied Steve Martin on innumerable dates.  Earlier this year, Woody announced his retirement from the band. On this week's FJ Podcast, we talk to the musician about how he came to that decision, what projects he's currently focused on, his life as a fly fish guide, and some of the many life and stage lessons he learned from Steve Martin. This episode is sponsored by Peghead Nation (use the promo code FRETBOARD and get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription); Izotope (use the coupon code FRET10 to save 10% off their plug-ins); Retrofret Vintage Guitars; Izotope (use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your Izotope purchase); and Calton Cases.