The Fretboard Journal Guitar Podcast

Today we're talking to Brooklyn-based guitarist and Matador recording artist Steve Gunn. Deeply inspired by John Fahey and the entire primitive folk movement, Gunn is equally talented as a singer-songwriter, instrumentalist and wild improviser. We talk about his background growing up in Philadelphia, the influence of Jack Rose and John Fahey on his music, his Gunn-Truscinski Duo recordings and, of course, gear.  For a limited time, subscribe and get three years (12 issues) of the Fretboard Journal for just $99. Click here.  http://www.steve-gunn.com https://www.fretboardjournal.com

On this week’s podcast, we talk to bluegrass icons Del, Ronnie and Rob McCoury of the Del McCoury Band. We chat about Del's Martin's, including his dark top D-18, Ronnie's Loar mandolin, the rigors of touring and much more. This podcast was recorded backstage at Seattle’s Triple Door venue. This episode is sponsored by Dying Breed Music and Retrofret Vintage Guitars. 

On this week's podcast, Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn stop by the Fretboard Journal and interview each other!  This episode is sponsored by RetroFret Vintage Guitars and Dying Breed Music.  Need a last minute gift? Head over to fretboardjournal.com and use the coupon code PODCAST when you buy a gift subscription and you'll save $5 off your order. 

On this week’s podcast, we talk to filmmaker Drew Roller, the mastermind behind the new documentary ‘Acoustic Uprising.’ Roller tells us how, thanks to YouTube, he discovered the new guard of fingerstyle guitarists such as Andy McKee and Jon Gomm; what it was like to attend Thomas Leeb’s Austria Guitar Boot Camp; the enduring influence of Michael Hedges; and much more. He also recommends a handful of contemporary fingerstyle guitarists we all should check out.  This episode is brought to you by Retrofret Vintage Guitars.  Links mentioned:  https://www.acousticuprisingfilm.com (now available for purchase/download) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nY7GnAq6Znw http://www.thomasleeb.com https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LquLVh1Cec https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ddn4MGaS3N4 Need a gift this holiday season or just want to splurge on yourself? Don't forget to check out our webstore: https://shop.fretboardjournal.com  

Kurt Bloch is a legendary figure in Seattle’s music scene since his formation of the Fastbacks in the late ‘70s. On this week’s podcast, we talk to Bloch about growing up in Seattle, the creation of his first bands, how he began tinkering with guitar gear, his work with Alejandro Escovedo and a lot more. This episode is sponsored by Retrofret and Dying Breed Guitars.

On this week’s Fretboard Journal Podcast, we talk to the amazing guitarist Joel Paterson. Joel has just released a new record of instrumental Christmas songs called Hi-Fi Christmas Guitar (Bloodshot Records) that we can’t recommend enough. We talk about the making of the album, the insane amount of work that went into it, some of the gear that Joel used and the huge influence that Les Paul and Jørgen Ingmann had on his own playing. This episode is sponsored by our friends at Retrofret Vintage Guitars. Links:  https://www.bloodshotrecords.com/album/hi-fi-christmas-guitar https://www.fretboardjournal.com

Few guitarmakers travel the globe as much as Bob Taylor of Taylor Guitars. On any given day, he may be at Taylor’s massive El Cajon factory, at his ebony mill in Cameroon, on Hawaii replanting koa trees or offroading in Baja. On this week’s podcast, we catch with Bob (who was thankfully at home in California) to get his thoughts on CITES and the state of the guitar industry as a whole. We also hear about a guitar he recently built entirely by hand, learn about the impact that Andy Powers continues to have on Taylor’s product offerings and much more.  This episode is sponsored by Retrofret Vintage Guitars and Dying Breed Music.  

Back in the 1980s, Lindy Fralin didn’t set out to be one of the world’s most-trusted pickup winders, he just wanted to earn a living as a guitarist. With a tight budget, he’d buy cheap guitars and fix them up for himself or do minor repair work for friends. Eventually, though, the pickups took over. Today, Fralin has seven employees, a growing product line of guitar and bass products and a bustling pickup repair shop. On this week’s podcast, we talk to Lindy about his early days, some of his latest creations, the intricacies of pickup winding and much more. This week’s podcast is sponsored by Retrofret Vintage Guitars, who happen to have a brand new website. Check it out! http://fralinpickups.com

Today we’re talking to guitarist Steve Marion, aka “Delicate Steve.” When his old band’s major label record deal imploded, Marion invented his Delicate Steve persona, crafting over-the-top rock instrumental records loaded with great playing, a ton of effects, humor and plenty of references to the musicians and genres he loves. On this week’s podcast, we talk to Delicate Steve about how these albums come together, why he prefers guitars that make him feel uncomfortable and about the time he was asked to play alongside Paul Simon. This episode is sponsored by Retrofret and Dying Breed Music.

On today’s podcast, we talk to stellar singer-songwriter Amy Helm about growing up in a musical household, working alongside her dad (Levon Helm of the Band), her forthcoming Joe Henry-produced album and much more. This episode is sponsored by Retrofret and Dying Breed Music.