The Fretboard Journal Guitar Podcast

Today, some of the world's most valuable acoustic and electric instruments are protected by Calton Cases. What you may not realize is the colorful history of the case company or its founder, Keith Calton. On today's Fretboard Journal Podcast, we talk to Calton about his unlikely entry into the musical industry some 50 years ago, when he came up with the brilliant idea of a fiberglass guitar case and began tracing friends' instruments in his father's garage. Somehow, he stumbled upon a timeless (and nearly indestructible) design that is still considered the gold standard of flight cases. And, though he no longer owns the case company (it's going strong and is now based out of Austin, Texas), he's still hard at work making stuff out of fiberglass... these days for boat owners. We'll be interviewing Jeff Poss, current owner of Calton Cases, on a future episode. https://www.calton-cases.com https://www.caltoncraft.co.uk This episode is sponsored by Izotope, Mono Cases, Folkway Music and Retrofret Vintage Guitars. Use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your next Izotope order.

Until we can convince legendary live sound engineer Robert "Nitebob" Czaykowski to host his own podcast, we'll just keep inviting him back onto the Fretboard Journal Podcast. This time around, Nitebob regales us with tales of early NAMM Shows, working with the New York Dolls, getting fired mid-concert, and more. We also hear more about his work for Walter Becker of Steely Dan, his advice for bands on the road, discover the one guitar brand he's not a fan of and much more. If you missed Nitebob's first appearance on the Fretboard Journal Podcast, check it out here: https://www.fretboardjournal.com/podcasts/podcast-301-robert-nitebob-czaykowski/ This episode is sponsored by Izotope, Mono Cases, Folkway Music and Retrofret Vintage Guitars. Use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your next Izotope order.

Johnny Sangster of Seattle's Crackle & Pop! studio joins us this week to walk musicians through some home and studio recording basics. Johnny will be the host of our newest Fretboard Journal Podcast, the Truth About Recording & Mixing. This all-new show aims to demystify the world of recording and will feature Sangster and an array of world-class engineers, producers and mastering experts fielding your questions on recording gear, technique and more. It's inspired by our extremely popular Truth About Vintage Amps Podcast and we can't wait to share it with you. Launches late January 2021. Submit your questions or voice memos for Johnny to podcast@fretboardjournal.com. Subscribe to the Truth About Recordings & Mixing via Apple Podcasts here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-truth-about-recording-mixing/id1545628110 This episode is sponsored by Mono Cases, Folkway Music and Retrofret Vintage Guitars.

Martin's Custom Shop is a unique anomaly: Within their large Nazareth, Pennsylvania production facility, a small crew of luthiers builds completely custom, one-off guitars for discerning customers around the world. From personalized inlays and wood choices to double-neck Martins (!!), nothing seems off-the-table. On this week's podcast, we bring back one of our favorite guests, Fred Greene (Vice President of Product Management for C.F. Martin & Co.), to talk about the Custom Shop, the ordering process and what Martin will (and won't) build. We also have a candid talk about how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected Martin's 2020 output and get some hints at what new products they'll be unveiling at the virtual 2021 NAMM Show. Link: https://www.martinguitar.com/custom-shop/ This episode is sponsored by Retrofret Vintage Guitars, Mono Cases and Folkway Music. Get a subscription to the Fretboard Journal magazine and support independent publishing and this podcast.

Danny Barnes returns to the Fretboard Journal Podcast to talk about the making of his 2020 Grammy-nominated album, Man on Fire (ATO). The album is full of surprising twists, right down to the lineup: Bill Frisell, Dave Matthews and John Paul Jones all make appearances. We talk to Barnes about the making of the Man on Fire, how he met Jones, and learn a bit about his creative process (beyond banjo playing and songwriting, Barnes is a talented visual artist and cartoonist). It's a great chat with one of our favorite boundary-pushing musicians. Links: Danny's Music page: https://dannybarnes.com/ Danny's Etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/isotope709?ref=simple-shop-header-name&listing_id=911282867 Danny's interview with Bill Frisell for the FJ's fourth issue: https://www.fretboardjournal.com/columns/listen-danny-barnes-new-awful-strange/ This episode is sponsored by Retrofret Vintage Guitars, Mono Cases and Folkway Music. Get a gift subscription to the Fretboard Journal magazine and support independent publishing.

Jordan Tice and Kenneth Pattengale of the Milk Carton Kids join us on this week's Fretboard Journal Podcast to talk about the making of Tice's 2020 album, Motivational Speakeasy. The Pattengale-produced solo album is noteworthy not just for Tice's always-exceptional playing and vocals, but also for its stripped-down beauty. It's one of our favorite albums of 2020. During the call, we hear about the songs on the album, Pattengale's recording process and Tice's latest guitar acquisition (yes, he's doubled his guitar collection). Pattengale - at the time hunkered down in a cabin in Eastern Canada - also hilariously describes the pandemic project he picked up in 2020, plus a lot more. It's a fun chat about the making of a great acoustic album. Note: We've included a track from Motivational Speakeasy on our new Thirty for 2020 Spotify playlist, filled with some of our favorite songs from the year. Recorded November 11, 2020. http://jordantice.net/ This episode is sponsored by Mono Cases and Folkway Music. Get a gift subscription to the Fretboard Journal magazine and support independent publishing (and the occasionally hilarious podcast).

We make a rare exception on this week's Fretboard Journal Podcast and talk to a drummer! Percussionist / singer-songwriter Joachim Cooder joins us to talk about his new album, Over that Road I'm Bound: The Songs of Uncle Dave Macon. It's a captivating collection of Macon songs performed on a rather unlikely instrument, the electric mbira. Joachim is also joined by his dad, Ry Cooder, on the banjo; Rayna Gellert on fiddle, Juliette Commagere on vocals; and Sam Gendel on bass-guitar hybrid. During our chat, we hear about Joachim's first exposure to the music of Uncle Dave Macon as a kid, his own daughter's infatuation with this material, the versatility of the electric mbira, his pedal board of choice and a lot more. Whether or not you're a fan of Macon's decades-old original recordings, we can't recommend this new album enough. This episode is sponsored by Mono Cases and Folkway Music. Links: https://www.joachimcooder.com/ https://www.arraymbira.com/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baEljguE2hI Get a gift subscription to the Fretboard Journal magazine and help support independent publishing.

Nels Cline joins us on this week's podcast to discuss his new double-album on Blue Note, Share the Wealth. Share the Wealth finds Nels alongside the powerhouse lineup of Scott Amendola, Skerik, Trevor Dunn, Brian Marsella and Cyro Baptista. Inspired by the cut-up recording methods of Os Mutantes and influenced at least a bit by Miles Davis' electric period, it's one of his wildest projects to date. During our chat, we also talk gear (including the guitar that is closest to his heart while he's quarantining during the pandemic, his pedal board and more), collaborator Julian Lage, forthcoming Wilco recordings and more. It's a fun conversation with a Fretboard Journal favorite. Check out some of our previous features with Nels: His interview with Ralph Towner for our 39th issue, our cover story on him in the FJ #37 (part one, part two), and our podcast with Nels and Lage. Support what we do with a subscription to the Fretboard Journal magazine: digital / PDF subscription / keepsake print subscription. The Fretboard Journal Podcast is sponsored by Mono Cases and Folkway Music.

Author and guitar collector John Stubbings joins us for a very special episode of the Fretboard Journal Podcast to read from his monumental book, The Devil Is In It: A Story of Love, Obsession, and the American Acoustic Guitar. This hefty, slipbound-cased tome is equal parts history lesson, art book and memoir, showcasing John's love for the modern lutherie movement and all things acoustic guitar. It also features exquisite illustrations from FJ contributor Drew Christie. Listeners to the podcast can get a 50 GBP discount if they order now by using the discount code LONDON. Click here. The Fretboard Journal Podcast is sponsored by Mono Cases and Folkway Music. Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal magazine and help support the show and all that we do: digital / PDF subscription / keepsake print subscription.

On his latest release, 'I Love You,' Kevin Breit does something truly monumental: 30 covers of his favorite songs performed entirely on vintage, mandolin family instruments. Performing all the parts, Breit himself becomes a one-man-band mandolin orchestra, while a different guest vocalist appears on each tune. It's just the latest brilliant idea to come from the Canadian singer-songwriter, guitarist and mandolin player. Over the years, Breit has backed the likes of Norah Jones, Rosanne Cash, Cassandra Wilson and Hugh Laurie. He's also released some truly high concept solo albums and 2019's 'Stella Bella Strada,' where he showcased his latest custom guitar from builder Joe Yanuziello. During this week's podcast, we talk to Breit about his love for the mandolin, hear about the cool-looking pickups that inspired the 'Stella Bella Strada' album and much more. Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal magazine and help support the show and all that we do: digital / PDF subscription / keepsake print subscription. This episode is sponsored by Mono Cases. Links referenced: Kevin Breit's 'I Love You' (Bandcamp) David Gillis' 'Cooing With the Doves' Kevin Breit on the Music Makers & Soul Shakers Podcast