The Fretboard Journal Guitar Podcast

On this week's Fretboard Journal Podcast, Jason gets to grill another guitar podcaster, Blake Wyland (Tone Mob, Chasing Tone) about the world of boutique pedals, gear marketing trends and more. Blake recounts how he left a steady, but unfulfilling day job to jump into the guitar industry, first as a podcast host and eventually as a consultant to indie brands. We also chat about guitar media (YouTube vs. podcasting), the world of paid demo videos, gear (Grez Guitars, Jennings Guitars, Equitz Guitars, Benson amps), Stringjoy Strings, NAMM and the future of guitar shows, Josh Scott (JHS Pedals), and Blake's tips for building your own "shred shed" ... plus a lot more.  Trust us: Whether you're befuddled by the world of pedals (like Jason), a Tone Mob fan, a DIY musician or a luthier looking for marketing advice, there's something in this conversation for you!    Follow Blake here: https://tonemob.com Blake's new album, American Cyclops' 'Tom, Do You Have Anything Sharp On You?'  is streaming everywhere now. Don't forget, the FJ now hosts 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.

Jackson Cunningham is a bit of a rarity in the world of acoustic guitarmaking. While countless luthiers do their best to emulate old Martin designs and shapes, Cunningham's biggest influence is vintage Gibsons. Over the years, this Virginia-based builder has crafted L-5, L-00 and even J-55-inspired guitars. He's also garnered praise from two of the biggest vintage guitar experts around: George Gruhn and Mark Stutman.  On this week's podcast, we talk to Jackson about his love for old guitars, the rich guitarmaking culture he resides in (acclaimed builder Wayne Henderson was once his neighbor) and the wood he selects for his builds. We also talk about a special guitar he just built and donated to help benefit the Floyd Country Store. Act fast and you can buy a raffle ticket and enter to win it via this link: https://www.floydcountrystore.com/event/jackson-cunningham-guitar-raffle-drawing-2021-06-11    Follow Jackson via his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CunninghamHandmadeInstruments/ Don't forget, the FJ now hosts 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.

Author/law professor/lecturer/musician/Fretboard Journal contributor John Thomas joins Jason for a long overdue check-in! We hear about the aftermath of his famed 2012 book, Kalamazoo Gals: A Story of Extraordinary Women & Gibson's "Banner" Guitars of WWII. John sheds light on some of his current guitar projects, including his recent trip to Kalamazoo, Michigan to visit the former Gibson factory... now partially occupied by Heritage and about to become a Hard Rock Cafe-affiliated hotel. We also learn about John’s recent health battles (in a single year, he battled both cancer, and COVID… twice) and hear about his next publishing project, which promises to be another must-have book for guitar geeks. All told, it’s a fun chat with one of our favorite contributors. Don't forget, the FJ now hosts 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. Our 47th issue features James Taylor, Chuck Prophet, Ben Harper, John Monteleone, Bahamas, Flip Scipio, luthier David Wren and much more. Read about it here and subscribe to the Fretboard Journal magazine to support independent guitar journalism and this podcast. 

Jack Tarlinton's story is unlike any you've heard before. The Australian tinkerer and music lover started out in publishing (he co-founded the Skateboarder's Journal, a magazine not unlike our own, but for skateboarding); found himself doing carpentry and eventually worked in the prop department of a big budget Hollywood movie. He then caught the lutherie bug, thanks in part to the Fretboard Journal. Over the last few years, Tarlinton has honed his craft as Wandering Boy Guitars, where he builds ladded-braced instruments inspired by the old Stella / Oscar Schmidt guitars of the '20s and '30s. His instruments look like time capsules, available in six, nine, and twelve-string versions, just like the originals. He then ages them using time-period correct relics like belt buckles and handcuffs, employing techniques he learned on the set of Ridley Scott's Alien: Covenant. Like we said, you definitely haven't heard a story like this before... we hope you love it. wanderingboyguitars.com https://www.instagram.com/wandering_boy_guitars/ Don't forget, the FJ now hosts 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. Our 47th issue features James Taylor, Chuck Prophet, Ben Harper, John Monteleone, Bahamas, Flip Scipio, luthier David Wren and much more. Read about it here and subscribe to the Fretboard Journal magazine to support independent guitar journalism and this podcast. 

Reverb.com's Michael Lux and Dan Orkin are the co-producers of The Pedal Movie, Reverb's first feature-length documentary on the history of pedals, the current pedal movement and the artists who are pushing the boundaries of music with their stompboxes today. It's an inspiring, epic film - around two and a half hours long! - filled with the many, diverse faces that make up today's pedal industry. There's also a ton of guitar history, too. During this week's chat, we talk about the making of the movie, the countless hours of interview footage they recorded, the pedal movement today (and where it's headed), and a lot more. For more information, visit www.thepedalmovie.com. It's currently available via iTunes, Google Play and Vudu. This episode is sponsored by Mono Cases, Folkway Music and Retrofret Vintage Guitars. Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal magazine here. Our 47th issue features James Taylor, Chuck Prophet, Ben Harper, John Monteleone, Bahamas, Flip Scipio, luthier David Wren and much more. Read about it here. 

Richard Thompson joins us this week for a very special talk about the making of his new memoir, Beeswing: Losing My Way and Finding My Voice 1967-1975. The book chronicles the first chapter of RT's music career - including his time in the Fairport Convention, playing with Sandy Denny and his first solo albums - and is a must-read for fans of the famed singer-songwriter. During our chat, we talk about the times Jimi Hendrix sat in with the Fairport Convention, how the group unearthed all those old British folk songs, his relationship with Sandy Denny and how he gleaned at least part of his right hand technique from banjo-ukulele great George Formby. We also hear about Thompson's future recording projects, his Lowden guitars, and a lot more.  This episode is sponsored by Caddis, Mono Cases, Folkway Music and Retrofret Vintage Guitars. Use the discount code FRETBOARD15OFF to save 15 dollars off your Caddis order. Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal magazine here. Our new, 47th issue features James Taylor, Jim Olson, Ben Harper, John Monteleone, Bahamas, Flip Scipio, luthier David Wren and much more. Read about it here. 

A very special bonus episode: We're sharing a recent interview  Jason and Skip Simmons from the Truth about Vintage Amps just did with Anthony Coscia. Coscia just completed one of the wildest passion projects ever: a working, 1/6 scale model of the Grateful Dead's Wall of Sound, the audiophile-grade PA system the band employed during their concerts in 1974.  (If you already subscribe to the TAVA Podcast, no need to download this episode.) Coscia, a Deadhead who makes speaker cabinets and guitars as Coscia Guitars (Facebook link) ended up spending over 200 hours building cabinets, individually soldering and installing 390 tiny speakers (some meant just for cell phones), and even creating a lighting rig for this miniature state setup. He posted the updates to followers on his "Petite Mur De Son - Mini Wall of Sound" Facebook page (link). Upon completion, Coscia donated it to non-profit HeadCount, where someone contributed $100,000 to be the next Mini Wall's owner. With momentum and a recent Wall Street Journal front page article (link) celebrating his accomplishment under his belt, Coscia is already plotting his next, even bigger Wall. It's the real life tale of one of best pandemic projects we've heard of. Apropos of nothing, Skip and Jason also go over the Geloso G-18R discussed on Ep. 67 of TAVA.  We hope you enjoy this joint Truth About Vintage Amps / Fretboard Journal Podcast bonus episode. Support the show as a TAVA Patreon patron and get bonus episodes, in-depth articles on amp circuitry and other surprises. TAVA Discounts: Use the discount code THETRUTH10 to save 10% off your order from Amplified Parts between now and April 15, 2021.  Use the discount code TRUTHV150FF to save $15 off Caddis readers between now and April 30, 2021.  Visit fretboardjournal.com for more photos and a partial transcription of this episode.  Special thanks to our sponsors: Grez Guitars, Amplified Parts, Caddis, Folkway Music, Retrofret Vintage Guitars, and Mono Cases. 

In the span of just three years (1970-1973), Steve Kalb took up guitarmaking and ended up selling his creations to Leo Kottke, David Crosby, Jerry Garcia, Robbie Robertson and Paul Simon. And then, with fewer than 30 guitars under his belt, he threw in the towel, sold off his tools, and enrolled in law school. On this very special Fretboard Journal Podcast, we re-connect with this lost guitarmaking legend, now based in Southern California. We hear about how he took up instrument making upon reading Irving Sloane's influential 'Classic Guitar Construction' book, how he almost made a guitar for Bob Dylan, the financial (and personal) struggles that convinced him to give up lutherie to become a lawyer, and a lot more. This is a conversation about more than just guitars: It's about the fragility of life, the perils of chasing perfection, and one guy's never-ending love for woodworking. Steve has a beautiful story that hasn't been told until today. This episode is sponsored by Caddis, Mono Cases, Folkway Music and Retrofret Vintage Guitars. Use the discount code FRETBOARD15OFF to save 15 dollars off your Caddis order. Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal magazine here. Our new, 47th issue features James Taylor, Jim Olson, Ben Harper, John Monteleone, Bahamas, Flip Scipio, luthier David Wren and much more. Read about it here. 

Taylor Guitars' Andy Powers returns once again to the Fretboard Journal Podcast for an enlightening talk about some of the latest additions to the Taylor lineup. We talk the new GT (Grand Theater) Taylor models, hear about how he goes about exploring new bracing patterns, and learn how domestic woods like "Urban Ash" have helped buoy Taylor's output during COVID. Andy also tells us about the music that's inspiring him right now (including two very familiar names to FJ readers), talks magnets and a lot more. This episode is sponsored by Caddis, Mono Cases, Folkway Music and Retrofret Vintage Guitars. Use the discount code FRETBOARD15OFF to save 15 dollars off your Caddis order. Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal magazine here. Our new, 47th issue features James Taylor, Jim Olson, Ben Harper, John Monteleone, Bahamas, Flip Scipio, luthier David Wren and much more. Read about it here. 

This week, Jason reaches out to singer-songwriter Anthony da Costa, who is quarantining in a Nashville apartment with an ever-growing array of rack mounted gear, guitars, synths and (possibly) a spinet piano. Da Costa goes in-depth on the art of co-writing songs remotely via Zoom and talks about his recently-released What Plans? album on Bandcamp, a sprawling project that featured over 20 special guests (including Madison Cunningham and Molly Tuttle).   We of course chat Collings Guitars, too (Anthony is a huge fan). It's an enlightening, fun chat with one of the FJ's favorite young singer-songwriters.    Follow Anthony via his Bandcamp page.    This episode is sponsored by Mono Cases, Folkway Music and Retrofret Vintage Guitars.  Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal magazine here.