The Fretboard Journal Guitar Podcast

The instruments that luthier Eric Weigeshoff (Skytop Guitars) crafts are striking. For starters, his acoustic guitars don't even have a traditional top soundhole. On this week's podcast, we talk to Eric about how his guitar designs have evolved over the years, the challenges of being a solo luthier, his love for side soundports and some of the offbeat tonewoods he's employed. Follow Eric and Skytop here.

In 1996, Jay Boone founded Emerald City Guitars out of a funky storefront in Seattle's Pioneer Square neighborhood. These days, ECG may occupy the same address but it has evolved into one of the world's great vintage guitar destinations, a place where Dumble amps, Blackguard Telecasters and 'Bursts line the walls alongside more affordable electric and acoustic guitars and amps. On today's Fretboard Journal Podcast, we talk to Jay about the growth of this family-run business; the sales trends he's observed over the years; how a $400,000 'Burst gets sold; the vintage guitars he just can't keep in-stock; plus a lot more. It's a fascinating chat that covers a lot of ground: from vintage Gibson electrics to Martins, reverb.com and more. This episode is sponsored by Retrofret Vintage Guitars and Mono Cases.

Once again, we're bringing back one of our favorite subjects to the Fretboard Journal Podcast. Andy Powers should need little introduction to longtime FJ followers: In less than a decade, he's gone from being a solo luthier working out of his dad's garage to being the face of Taylor's guitar development to (as of a couple weeks ago) becoming a co-owner / partner in the company. During this week's conversation, we talk about all of the above, learn about Andy's work habits and hear about some of the daily decision-making that goes on behind-the-scenes at Taylor. Support the Fretboard Journal and our podcasts during our first-ever Subscription Drive: https://www.fretboardjournal.com/support This episode is sponsored by Retrofret Vintage Guitars.

Support the Fretboard Journal and our podcasts during our first-ever Subscription Drive: https://www.fretboardjournal.com/support TJ Thompson is one of the most respected names in the world of vintage Martin guitars, a repairperson who can seemingly fix the impossible. Though he flies under the radar with no advertising and little publicity (aside from his occasional appearances in the Fretboard Journal), he has no shortage of work from collectors, high-end dealers and touring musicians. Occasionally, he even burns the midnight oil building Martin-inspired guitars under his own name. (As of this writing, he's built 87 guitars from scratch.) TJ returns to the FJ podcast in a conversation that covers a lot of ground: his background (the '70s Martin D-35 with intonation issues that got him started in lutherie, his stints with Dana Bourgeois and Elderly Instruments); the inspiration that he finds from people and problem solving; and a few of the complicated guitar repairs he has recently tackled. Though there are plenty of guitar geek revelations, more than anything this is a chat about following your passion and finding mastery in your craft. Because of that, it's one of our favorite episodes to date. Note: TJ also appeared in the Fretboard Journal #26 and has been on Fretboard Journal Podcast episodes 55, 97, 122 and 123. Links: TJ's Pro Luthier Tools Shop The 1947 Martin D-18 with a crushed side referenced during this conversation: https://www.instagram.com/p/B1rVQQvHVvD/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link This episode is sponsored by Mono Cases and Retrofret Vintage Guitars.

Mark Stutman (Folkway Music) returns to the Fretboard Journal Podcast for a sprawling conversation that covers the magic (and variables) of '30s vintage Gibson flattop guitars, his advice for aspiring luthiers, the allure of old strings (and what new strings he likes for old Gibsons) and much more. Stutman is a true authority when it comes to old Gibson and Martin guitar repairs and his restoration insights ("the enemy of Good is often Better") are invaluable for vintage guitar collectors. The Fretboard Journal has just launched its first ever subscription drive. If you haven't joined us yet, now is a great time. We'll be sharing all-new podcasts, videos and articles all month long: https://www.fretboardjournal.com/columns/support-the-fretboard-journal/ This episode is sponsored by Mono Cases and Retrofret Vintage Guitars.

This week, we have a lively chat with graphic designer extraordinaire Aaron Draplin. Though Aaron is best-known as a visual artist – everything from magazines to books to concert posters to a US postage stamp – music is at the core of his work and upbringing. During our call, Jason talks to him Aaron about his music influences, his love for design of all stripes, his trajectory as a guitarist and the music lessons he's taking from fellow Portland resident Pete Krebs and much more. The Fretboard Journal has just launched its first ever subscription drive. If you haven't joined us yet, now is a great time. We'll be sharing all-new podcasts, videos and articles all month long: https://www.fretboardjournal.com/columns/support-the-fretboard-journal/ This episode is sponsored by Roberto-Venn and Retrofret Vintage Guitars.

Singer-songwriter Joan Shelley talks to us about the making of Like the River Loves the Sea, her excellent 2019 full-length album. Shelley talks to us about the album's unlikely recording location (Iceland), her Collings guitar, her writing process and much more. Like what we're up to? Please support us by joining the Fretboard Journal via a print or discounted digital subscription. This episode is sponsored by Mono Cases.

Brent Mason is one of the most prolific and successful session guitarists of all time. He joins us on this week's Fretboard Journal Podcast to talk about the life of a Nashville session musician, his guitars of choice, what he brings to the studio and much more. It's a fascinating chat about one of the lesser-known aspects of the music industry. Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal magazine via this link. This episode is sponsored by Roberto-Venn, Gibson, Martin and Carter Vintage Guitars.

Richard Walter, curator for Phoenix, Arizona's amazing Musical Instrument Museum, joins us on this week's Fretboard Journal Podcast. We talk about his background, his role at the museum and, most importantly, about MIM's current exhibit, The Electric Guitar: Inventing an American Icon. The exhibit, which closes on September 15, 2019, gathers a wide array of historic and legendary instruments, including Speedy West's Bigsby (profiled in a recent Fretboard Journal) and guitars from Alvino Rey, Bo Diddley and Les Paul. This episode is sponsored by Mono Cases with special thanks to FJ presenting sponsors Carter Vintage, Martin Guitars and Gibson. Want to support the show? Get a discounted one-year digital subscription to our magazine for just $30.

Most guitarists have seen a StringBender installed on a Telecaster at some point. But on an acoustic? That's a pretty wild concept. On this week's podcast, we talk to two of the finest flatpicking guitarists around - Trey Hensley & Chris Luquette – about the StringBenders that will soon be installed as an upgrade option on Preston Thompson Guitars. These two Thompson artists talk about the feel of a StringBender-equipped dreadnought, describe how it changes their playing and much more. Midway through the call, we patch in the one-and-only Gene Parsons, the device's storied inventor. He tells us how the StringBender was developed (thanks to Clarence White's inspiration) and even lets us know about a rather historic Martin D-18 that now has a StringBender installed in it. Want to know more? Check out our video with Try and Chris here: https://youtu.be/0SYOSsy4p20 Get a digital subscription to the Fretboard Journal magazine here: https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/collections/downloads/products/fretboard-journal-digital-subscription-offer This episode is sponsored by Roberto-Venn, Gibson, Carter Vintage and Martin guitars.