The Fretboard Journal Guitar Podcast

"I've always been into the older, cheaper Sears' catalog-type guitars," Nic Delisle of Island Instruments explains on this week's podcast. That influence is clearly apparent when one looks at Island's unique guitar lineup; you can see familiar Silvertone, Kay and Stratotone shapes but with refined hardware, ergonomics and pickups. During our talk, Delisle walks us through his numerous electric guitar models, explains his love for reclaimed materials (he recently made a guitar using reclaimed floorboards from the Boston Symphony Hall) and more. We also talk about the La Conner Guitar Festival, which took place May 12-14, 2017 in La Conner, Washington. Check out Island Instruments here. This episode is sponsored by Retrofret Vintage Guitars.

Want to become a professional luthier or repair person? Are you already a working in the field but want to up your game? If so, you'll love this week's podcast episode. We're talking to luthier Bryan Galloup about his annual Northwoods Seminar, a four-day retreat where you can learn the finer points of guitarmaking and repair from some of the biggest names in the business, including Bob Taylor, Richard Hoover, Dan Erlewine, Andy Powers and others. This year's event takes place August 21-24, 2017 and includes music performances by Bill Kirchen and Redd Volkaert. On the show, we also talk to Galloup about his Galloup School of Guitar Building and Repair, his own guitar creations, the unique presentation he gave at our Fretboard Summit and more. Galloup is one of many luthiers who will be on-hand at this year's La Conner Guitar Festival, which takes place this weekend (May 12-14) in La Conner, Washington. The Fretboard Journal is proudly sponsoring this event. We hope to see you there. This episode is sponsored by Dying Breed Music and Retrofret Vintage Guitars. Enjoying our podcast? Consider subscribing via iTunes and don't forget to leave us a review. Northwoods Seminar Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/409974032696325/ Galloup Guitars: http://www.galloupguitars.com Fretboard Journal https://www.fretboardjournal.com

The first time Matt Hampton sought out to harvest Red spruce for guitar tops, he, quite simply, "searched Google Earth for dark patches on top of tall mountains." Matt and his brother Nate are now continuing the legacy started by Ted Davis and John Arnold and making a full-time living hunting down Adirondack red spruce for luthiers and larger-scale guitar manufacturers. Matt describes the process and how one tree can yield up to 500 tops, their unlikely start in the world of guitarmaking, their relationship with John Arnold and more. He also busts a few myths about spruce. We also hear about the brothers' quest to find quality domestic back and side tonewoods. It's a fascinating story, they sound almost like the American Pickers of trees. Watch the Brothers harvest a Red spruce tree here on YouTube. You can contact the Hampton Brothers via email (hamptonbros@live.com) or eBay. Our sponsors today are Retrofret Vintage Guitars and Dying Breed Music. Check them out and tell them the Fretboard Journal sent you. Subscribe to our magazine here.

Today we're talking to the one-and-only Ben Harper. Ben tells us about a very special guitar he just received from luthier John Monteleone. It's the first lap steel guitar that Monteleone has ever made, a guitar that John has dubbed a Radio City Special Deluxe (see pictures and video at fretboardjournal.com). In addition to talking about the origin of his Monteleone guitar, we talk to Ben about his new Reverb store, some recent recording projects (including a session with jazz player Bruce Bishop) and a lot more. Ben Harper's Official Site: http://www.benharper.com Please subscribe to the Fretboard Journal Podcast on iTunes if you haven't yet and don't forget to leave us a review. Want our print edition? Go to fretboardjournal.com and use the coupon code PODCAST and save $5.00 off any subscription or order. Want to support our digital efforts even further? Click here to donate and support our ever-growing (and always free) podcast, video and digital content. Lastly, this episode is sponsored by Retrofret, one of our favorite vintage instrument dealers in the country. Visit them online or at their Brooklyn showroom.

On today's podcast, acclaimed luthiers Linda Manzer, David Wren and Tony Duggan-Smith gather around Manzer's kitchen table to talk to us about their new Group of Seven guitar project. The Group of Seven consisted of Canadian landscape painters Lawren Harris, J.E.H. MacDonald, Arthur Lismer, Franklin Carmichael, Frank Johnston, F.H. Varley and A.Y. Jackson. These seven artist friends were prolific through the 1920s and early '30s and are now considered highly influential. Manzer saw similarities between the bond these seven legendary artists had and the one she shares with fellow luthiers and friends who studied under Jean Larrivee, decades ago. She decided to pay homage by having seven guitars built. Each luthier would focus on a different Group of Seven member. The luthiers participating include Manzer, Sergi de Jonge, Duggan-Smith, Wren, George Gray, Grit Laskin and Jean Larrivée. The luthiers also built an eighth guitar as a group to pay tribute to painter Tom Thomson. The project launches May 6, 2017 at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection outside of Toronto and the guitars will be on display through October in a room right next to the art that inspired them. http://mcmichael.com/event/the-group-of-seven-guitar-project-summer-2017/ http://www.manzer.com/guitars/ http://www.wrenguitarworks.com http://www.tonyduggan-smith.com https://www.fretboardjournal.com This episode is sponsored by our friends at Retrofret and Dying Breed Music.

Andy Powers is a force of nature. He's a gifted musician, an avid surfer and, of course, a stellar guitarmaker. As Andy tells us on this week's podcast, he's always had the guitarmaking bug. In fact, he attempted to build his first instrument when he was still in elementary school and, when he was barely a teenager, he had enough of a guitar repair business brewing that he earned himself a letter from the IRS. As an adult, Powers had a bustling business building archtops, guitars, ukuleles and mandolins and doing restorations out of his Oceanside, California workshop when he decided to switch gears and become a full-time Taylor employee. At Taylor, Powers has tirelessly worked on new lines and improvements, including the Grand Orchestra model, revamping the 600 and 800 series lines of guitars, the new Academy series of instruments and the GS Mini-e Bass. During our chat, we talk about these models, the recruitment offer he received from Bob Taylor, the state of affairs when it comes to Taylor sourcing wood, his R&D process and much more. This episode of the Fretboard Journal Podcast is brought to you by Retrofret Vintage Guitars in Brooklyn, New York. https://www.taylorguitars.com https://www.fretboardjournal.com

On today's podcast, we talk to Foo Fighters guitarist Chris Shiflett. Chris tells us about growing up in Santa Barbara; starting out on guitar; his early love for metal; how he landed the Foo Fighters gig; why he started playing Telecasters; and the making of his new solo country album, 'West Coast Town.' Chris also talks to us about his weekly podcast, 'Walking the Floor,' where he's interviewed a wide array of artists including Marty Stuart, Bob Mould, Lucinda Williams, Buddy Miller and others. Watch our video with Chris playing "Goodnight Little Rock" from the new album here. For a limited time, use the coupon code PODCAST and save $5 off any Fretboard Journal subscription or order. This episode is sponsored by Retrofret Vintage Guitars and Dying Breed Music. Tune in next week when we interview Andy Powers of Taylor Guitars. And don't forget to leave us a review on iTunes.

On this week's podcast, we talk to Ethan Gruska (Belle Brigade) about his 2017 solo album, Slowmotionary. As Gruska tells it, he innocently recorded a handful of songs thinking they would serve as a sort of business card to remind musician pals that he could do session work for them. Little did he know he'd eventually synch up with producer Tony Berg, record an entire album steeped in '60s and '70s singer-songwriter sounds and end up releasing it on Sire records. Gruska talks to us about working with Berg on the project, Blake Mills (who plays guitar on the album's second track) and what it was like to co-write a song for John Legend ("Right by You" on Legend's Darkness and Light). Though Gruska says "the guitar is a series of happy accidents for me," he's a stellar player. Watch our video with him playing "Reoccurring Dream" on fretboardjournal.com. This episode of the Fretboard Journal Podcast is sponsored by Retrofret Guitars. Visit their website or Instagram and tell them the FJ sent you! http://retrofret.com http://www.ethangruska.com https://www.fretboardjournal.com

This week, we have a fun talk with Doug Kauer of Kauer Guitars, Titan Guitars and DRS racks. Doug tells us about how his family's cabinetry business gave him the experience he needed to build instruments, why he utilizes CNC machines in his production facility and the unique business model behind the Titan line (an American-made electric guitar starting at $1300 with plenty of customization options). This episode is brought to you by Dying Breed Music. Dying Breed has an amazing selection of Golden Era Martins, Gibsons and other instruments available: http://www.dyingbreedguitars.com www.fretboardjournal.comhttp://www.kauerguitars.com http://www.titanguitars.comhttp://www.drsracks.com

Another highlight from the 2016 Fretboard Summit: Rick Turner, Jack Casady (Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna) and Dan Schwarz have a candid talk about the evolution of instrument amplification and tone from the 1960s to today. Casady talks about his desire for higher fidelity bass sounds, even as rock concert sound systems got bigger and bigger, and the electronic experimentation that ensued. Schwarz talks about the fateful day in 1973 when he walked into the Alembic guitar factory. Meanwhile, Rick Turner discusses the back-and-forth collaborations that happen between luthiers and their clients. It's a deep (two hours long) talk that covers a lot of ground... This episode of the Fretboard Journal Podcast is sponsored by Dying Breed Music. Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal print magazine here.