The Fretboard Journal Guitar Podcast

To celebrate the release of Glade, the gorgeous new solo album from singer-songwriter and guitarist Courtney Hartman, we've handed her the keys to the Fretboard Journal Podcast. All week long, Courtney will be interviewing some of her favorite people in the fretted instrument world. She started the week off by interviewing Dana Bourgeois. This time around, she talks to Idaho-based luthier Lawrence Smart. Smart describes the role the outdoors has played on his creations, why he ended up building archtops (Courtney is often seen playing one), and why he's embraced innovations like fanned frets. There aren't many interviews with Lawrence available; enjoy this rare treat. Look for Courtney's next interview installment in a few days. This weekend, Jason will be back and talking to Courtney herself about her new album, too. In the meantime, check out Glade. Courtney recorded it on the Colorado farm where she grew up using an array of instruments and with some special guest cameos (including Gregory Alan Isakov). If you've only heard the bluegrass side of Courtney Hartman, you're in for a treat. Courtney's website: https://www.courtneyhartman.com/home Album Stream Links: https://link.courtneyhartman.com/GLa Store: https://courtneyhartman.myshopify.com Bandcamp: https://courtneyhartman.bandcamp.com/album/glade Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/album/2jLbcCta4ORz1pnrSR24dj Don't forget, beyond the magazine, the FJ now has an entire network of podcasts, about everything from lutherie to home recording: Luthier on Luthier; The Truth About Vintage Amps; The Truth About Recording & Mixing; Acoustic Voices; and Sweep the Floor.

To celebrate the release of Glade, the gorgeous new solo album from singer-songwriter and guitarist Courtney Hartman, we've handed her the keys to the Fretboard Journal Podcast. All week long, Courtney will be interviewing some of her favorite people in the fretted instrument world. To start things off, she talks to Dana Bourgeois of Bourgeois Guitars. They discuss Dana's initial love for the guitar, his fateful discovery of the Irving Sloane book, his relationship with Tony Rice, his build process and more. It's an insightful chat with two of our favorite people in the Fretboard Journal community. Look for Courtney's next interview installment in a few days. Later this week, Jason will be back and talking to Courtney herself about her new album, too. In the meantime, check out Glade. Courtney recorded it on the Colorado farm where she grew up using an array of instruments and with some special guest cameos (including Gregory Alan Isakov). If you've only heard the bluegrass side of Courtney Hartman, you're in for a treat. Courtney's website: https://www.courtneyhartman.com/home Album Stream Links: https://link.courtneyhartman.com/GLa Store: https://courtneyhartman.myshopify.com Bandcamp: https://courtneyhartman.bandcamp.com/album/glade Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/album/2jLbcCta4ORz1pnrSR24dj Don't forget, beyond the magazine, the FJ now has an entire network of podcasts, about everything from lutherie to home recording: Luthier on Luthier; The Truth About Vintage Amps; The Truth About Recording & Mixing; Acoustic Voices; and Sweep the Floor.

On this week's Fretboard Journal Podcast, we chat with musician, educator, and FJ contributor Tristan Scroggins. Scroggins has had an eventful month: He won the IBMA 2021 Writer of the Year award for his music journalism and then, just a couple of weeks later, released a truly unique solo album, 'One-Ring Circus.' That album features Scroggins - best known for his mandolin playing - in the midst of a truly wild pandemic project, playing solo instrumental tunes on a vintage tenor (four-string) banjo. It's an amazing undertaking filled with great playing ... and a far cry from what you imagine when you think about "tenor banjo" music. We hear about the making of the record, his decision to release it on cassette (don't worry, it's also on all the streaming platforms), and the Paramount tenor he used for it. This conversation also goes deep: Scroggins talks about his unusual upbringing, growing up on the road playing mandolin for his dad, banjo player and bandleader Jeff Scroggins. We hear about the pressures of bluegrass competitions, his move to Nashville, mental health, and his decision to stay busy (Scroggins has been steadily releasing some great mandolin instruction books), plus a lot more. Look for pieces Scroggins penned on John Reischman and Bela Fleck in the Fretboard Journal's next two issues. You're going to love them. Subscribe here to get them: start a print subscription or a digital / PDF subscription. Follow Scroggins' many projects here: https://www.tristanscroggins.com Bandcamp for 'One-Ring Circus': https://tristanscroggins.bandcamp.com Scroggins playing "Seneca Square Dance" from the record at Carter Vintage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waiFNRqk9oE This week's Fretboard Journal Podcast is brought to you by Retrofret Vintage Guitars. Note: We are currently working on our 50th issue of the Journal. We'd love to hear your stories about how the FJ (or its podcast) has changed your life. Got a noteworthy instrument with a great back story? Email us about that, too... at podcast@fretboardjournal.com. We'd also love it if you all subscribed to the magazine so we can start our next 50 issues stronger and bigger than ever. Don't forget, we now host an entire family of podcasts, about everything from lutherie to home recording: Luthier on Luthier; The Truth About Vintage Amps; The Truth About Recording & Mixing; Acoustic Voices; and Sweep the Floor.

Two of the Fretboard Journal's favorite acoustic guitarists - Eric Skye and Jamie Stillway - join us this week for a fun chat about the making of their long-awaited duo album, 'Home on the Midrange.' The project finds these two Pacific Northwesterners flatpicking through reels, waltzes, and jigs on a pair of uniquely matched Santa Cruz guitars. We talk about the gear used to capture the album (a pair of Neumann KM184s), Jamie's forthcoming "slow, spacey" electric guitar project (which will employ her Maegen Wells archtop), plus a lot more. Learn more about the album here: https://jamiestillwayericskye.hearnow.com/home-on-the-midrange This episode is sponsored by Folkway Music. The Fretboard Journal's 48th issue is now available. Click here to read up on it and start your digital or print subscription. Don't forget, we now host an entire family of podcasts, about everything from lutherie to home recording: Luthier on Luthier; The Truth About Vintage Amps; The Truth About Recording & Mixing; Acoustic Voices; and Sweep the Floor.

Famed guitar dealer Rudy Pensa (Rudy's Music!) joins us on this week's Fretboard Journal Podcast to talk about one of the world's most noteworthy guitar collections ever assembled, Scott Chinery's Blue Guitar Collection. In the mid-1990s, inspired by the blue Centura Deluxe he ordered from Jimmy D'Aquisto, Chinery commissioned twenty-plus archtop guitar makers to do their own take on a "blue" guitar, all using the same finish tint. Famed builders like Kim Walker, Linda Manzer, Tom Ribbecke, Bill Collings and Bob Benedetto were included, along with contributions from Gibson and Fender. The Blue Guitars would eventually be showcased at the Smithsonian and be the subject of a book, Blue Guitar. With Chinery's passing in 2000, the guitars have been out of sight but Rudy, at the request of the Chinery estate, is now auctioning off the collection (including the D'Aquisto) as a single lot. We talk to Pensa about the guitar collection, his personal love for archtops (dating back to when he was a child in Argentina) and much more. The Blue Guitar Collection can be seen in its entirety at Rudy's site here, including videos featuring Jason Isbell, Joe Bonamassa and David Broza playing the guitars. It's also available for viewing at Rudy's store. https://www.rudysmusicbluecollection.com The Fretboard Journal's 48th issue is now available. Click here to read up on it and start your digital or print subscription. Don't forget, we now host an entire family of podcasts, about everything from lutherie to home recording: Luthier on Luthier; The Truth About Vintage Amps; The Truth About Recording & Mixing; Acoustic Voices; and Sweep the Floor.

Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan – the Milk Carton Kids – join us this week to talk about the tenth anniversary of their legendary debut album, Prologue. We chat about the build-up to that wildly popular record, the two guitars that they've based their careers on, and their songwriting process. We also hear about why they were forced to stop using a single microphone at their shows, their plans for a forthcoming album and a lot more. It's an insightful and hilarious chat with two of our favorite musicians. Get the Milk Carton Kids' 10th Anniversary Edition of Prologue here: https://stores.portmerch.com/themilkcartonkids/music-video/prologue-10th-anniversary-box-set.html The Fretboard Journal's 48th issue is now available. Click here to read up on it and start your digital or print subscription. Don't forget, we now host an entire family of podcasts, about everything from lutherie to home recording: Luthier on Luthier; The Truth About Vintage Amps; The Truth About Recording & Mixing;Acoustic Voices; and Sweep the Floor. This episode is sponsored by Mono Cases and Folkway Music.

Portland, Oregon-based guitarist Marisa Anderson joins us on this week's Fretboard Journal Podcast to talk about her latest release, 'Lost Futures,' a collaboration with fellow guitarist William Tyler. We also talk about her approach to composing, her favorite guitars, the importance of space, and a lot more. https://www.marisaandersonmusic.com/home https://marisaanderson.bandcamp.com/album/lost-futures The Fretboard Journal's 48th issue is now available. Click here to read up on it and start your digital or print subscription. Don't forget, we now host an entire family of podcasts, about everything from lutherie to home recording: Luthier on Luthier; The Truth About Vintage Amps; The Truth About Recording & Mixing;Acoustic Voices; and Sweep the Floor. This episode is sponsored by Mono Cases, Folkway Music and Retrofret Vintage Guitars.

For this week only, we're sharing with you an episode of another podcast we produce... Acoustic Voices. Acoustic Voices is a collaboration podcast between the FJ and Breedlove Guitars, but it's just as eclectic and hype-free as everything we do. Our most recent interview for that show was with Lloyd Baggs, founder of LR Baggs. It's one of the best conversations we've had about guitars, inspiration and sound reproduction... and I wanted you all to hear it. Lloyd explains a lifetime of tinkering and inventing, describes an eye-opening experience he had with Ry Cooder's Takamine, recounts the ups-and-downs of perfecting pickups, and so much more. He's also building guitars again! (Longtime readers may remember the piece Andy Powers did for the FJ on Lloyd's one-of-a-kind guitar creations.) Acoustic Voices: A Guitar Podcast is an all-new collaboration between Breedlove Guitars and the Fretboard Journal magazine, can be found here: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/21oZrV2fkDGZPPBnDGnx1g Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/acoustic-voices-a-guitar-podcast/id1547322420 Lloyd's photography: https://www.instagram.com/lloydbaggs_theoriginal/?hl=en https://www.lrbaggs.com The Fretboard Journal's 48th issue is now available. Click here to read up on it and start your subscription. Don't forget, we now host an entire family of podcasts, about everything from lutherie to home recording: Luthier on Luthier; The Truth About Vintage Amps; The Truth About Recording & Mixing;Acoustic Voices; and Sweep the Floor. This episode is sponsored by Mono Cases, Folkway Music and Retrofret Vintage Guitars. Extra thanks to Calton Cases and Martin Guitars for sponsoring all that we do. And Breedlove!

Tod Nelson was one of the first ten employees at Amazon. He started out packing books and, by the late 1990s, served as "punk rock editor" during the launch of that site's music store. After five years of working for the quickly growing company, he left and started a family on California's Central Coast. He'd eventually serve as the first executive director of Cal Poly's Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship. Beyond his work life, Tod has been a lifelong guitarist and guitar collector with a passion for all-things-Gibson. He's also a survivor: In recent years, he's had not one but two lung transplants. Tod's love for music and musical instruments has helped carry him through his recovery, culminating in his most recent project: A Song A Day for Acoustic Guitar. He's teaching himself one new song a day for the entire year... and he's looking for suggestions on what tracks he should attempt next (his current repertoire is available as a Spotify playlist here). Feel free to shoot me suggestions for Tod via podcast@fretboardjournal.com. I've known Tod for over 20 years, but until this conversation, I had no idea just how important the guitar was to him or his recovery. I hope you enjoy this chat. It's unlike any other we've done to date. I hope you enjoy it. The Fretboard Journal's 48th issue is now available. Click here to read up on it and start your subscription. Don't forget, we now host an entire family of podcasts, about everything from lutherie to home recording: Luthier on Luthier; The Truth About Vintage Amps; The Truth About Recording & Mixing;Acoustic Voices; and Sweep the Floor. This episode is sponsored by Mono Cases, Folkway Music and Retrofret Vintage Guitars. Extra thanks to Calton Cases and Martin Guitars for sponsoring all that we do.

You don't need to be Jewish to appreciate the audacious project that guitarist Nathan Salsburg just pulled off: An album of vocal and guitar compositions created around passages he found in his copy of a bilingual Hebrew-English Book of Psalms. "I opened a Psalm book at random," he says of his original writing exercise. "[I'd] find some English text that appealed to me… and then just start playing around with it. All the melodies are my own." The resulting compositions he wrote on his Bourgeois acoustic were a far cry from the last time he heard many of these passages… at Jewish summer camp when he was a kid. Eventually, Salsburg recruited some of collaborators – James Elkington, Spencer Tweedy, Joan Shelley, and Will Oldham, along with Israeli singer Noa Babayof – to add their touches to the final album. It's a record unlike any other that Salsburg has released to date and we thoroughly love it. Order Psalms here. Two pieces of music referenced during the conversation: Jonathan Harkham and David Brook's Darcho (Bandcamp link) The Caretaker (YouTube link) The Fretboard Journal's 48th issue is now mailing. Julian Lage graces the cover. Click here to read up on it and start your subscription. Don't forget, we now host an entire family of podcasts, about everything from lutherie to home recording: Luthier on Luthier; The Truth About Vintage Amps; The Truth About Recording & Mixing;Acoustic Voices; and Sweep the Floor. This episode is sponsored by Mono Cases, Folkway Music and Retrofret Vintage Guitars. Extra thanks to Calton Cases and Martin Guitars for sponsoring all that we do.