The Fretboard Journal Guitar Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Podcast 287: Sarah Jarosz Jun 05, 2020

Show notes

Sarah Jarosz just released 'World on the Ground,' her first solo album in four years. On this week's Fretboard Journal Podcast, she talks to us about the making of the album, working with John Leventhal (who produced the project and helped co-write a few songs), her favorite songwriting tools (including her Collings D1A and her Fletcher Brock-built octave mandolin), and much more.

This episode is sponsored by Retrofret Vintage Guitars and Mono Cases.

https://www.sarahjarosz.com

Podcast 286: David Murray of Dehradun Guitar Company May 27, 2020

Show notes

For the last decade, luthier David Murray helmed an audacious project: Teaching the craft of guitarmaking to young Tibetan refugees in foothills of the Himalayas. It was one of the least hospitable places imaginable for a woodworking business (from both a climate and political perspective), but somehow the Dehradun Guitar Company steadily produced about one custom acoustic guitar a week. As David says goodbye to this chapter of his life – which we originally profiled in the Fretboard Journal #38 – we wanted to bring him on the podcast to hear what transpired. From Thailand, where his family currently resides, we talk about the challenges he experienced setting up Dehradun: the climate, CITES regulations, prohibitive shipping costs, an Indian government that threw his family out of the country and more. Despite all the above, Murray and his team were able to create around 200 amazing instruments and, he admits, "it was a dream come true." We also talk a bit about the Fretboard Journal today, the influence Bob Taylor had on him as a builder and business owner, and what's next for the Murrays.

Podcast 285: Building a Guitar for President Carter May 12, 2020

Show notes

Twenty years ago, former president Jimmy Carter planted a grove of Paulownia trees on his Georgia property. Wood from those trees was recently harvested and, thanks to World Tree and FJ contributor/luthier Todd Lunneborg, some of that wood harvest is currently being turned into some rather special guitars.

On this week's Fretboard Journal Podcast, we talk to Lunneborg and acclaimed acoustic guitarmaker Jason Kostal about the project. Kostal recently completed his guitar featuring the Paulownia from Carter's grove and, thanks to a bit of a luck and some social distancing, he was able to show the former president his finished instrument. It's an unforgettable moment and a great story that we think you'll love.

See pics of the finished guitar and of Carter with it here.

Enjoy this episode? Share it with friends and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts.

Support the Fretboard Journal by getting a digital subscription to our magazine for just $30. This week's podcast is sponsored by Retrofret Vintage Guitars and Mono Cases.

Podcast 284: Tom Power Apr 28, 2020

Show notes

Tom Power is a Canadian broadcasting great and frontman for folk band, The Dardanelles. He's also the host of 'Toy Heart: A Podcast About Bluegrass,' which has quickly become one of our favorite listens. On this week's FJ Podcast, we talk to Power about growing up in St. John's, Newfoundland, discovering bluegrass music through the 'O Brother, Where Art Thou?' soundtrack, and his unlikely and fateful meeting with Blue Grass Boy Tom Rosenberg (one of only two other St. John's residents who played the banjo). Power walks us through his career in broadcasting (he hosts the popular, nationwide Q show), explains why he decided to travel through America interviewing bluegrass legends, and shares some of his favorite memories from meeting Alice Gerrard, Del McCoury, Bela Fleck and others. If you're into bluegrass music (or the roots of Americana), we can't recommend Tom's podcast enough. Listen to Toy Heart here or through Apple Podcasts. Support the Fretboard Journal by getting a digital subscription to our magazine for just $30. This week's podcast is sponsored by Retrofret Vintage Guitars and Mono Cases.

Podcast 283: Luthier Rachel Rosenkrantz Apr 15, 2020

Show notes

French-born, Rhode Island-based luthier Rachel Rosenkrantz (Atelier Rosenkrantz) is a tireless experimenter. Inspired by her years working in industrial lighting and design, she's embraced some truly unique, sustainable and downright wild materials. She also, of course, makes many traditional steel and nylon-string instruments out of classic tonewoods.

During this week's Fretboard Journal Podcast, Rosenkrantz walks us through some of the eye-opening projects she's currently working on, including a ukulele constructed out of a mushroom, pickguards fashioned out of fish skin, banjo heads formed from kombucha mothers, and even an ondes Martenot. We also talk about working alongside archtop maker Otto D'Ambrosio, her appearance on Anthony Bourdain's show and more. Sit back and enjoy this conversation with one of the guitar world's true mavericks and be sure to watch the video she just submitted of our shop for #FJFest here: https://www.fretboardjournal.com/video/fjfest-rachel-rosenkrantz-atelier-rosenkrantz-shop-tour

https://www.atelierrosenkrantz.com

https://www.instagram.com/atelier_rosenkrantz/?hl=en

Podcast 282: Fred Greene, VP of Martin Guitars Apr 06, 2020

Show notes

Fred Greene is the Vice President of Product Management for C.F. Martin & Co. in Nazareth, Pennsylvania. There, he oversees the research, development and production for Martin's numerous guitar models and strings. Typically, our conversations with Fred center around the new models Martin is unveiling, but this talk is a little different. With guitar production at a standstill due to COVID-19, we instead have a frank talk with Fred about how the guitar community has come together during this pandemic, the fears he has about the industry as a whole, the issues he foresees in the manufacturing supply chain when Martin gets back to work, and so much more. Fred is one of our favorite people in the guitar industry and is a repeat guest on our podcast (we loved talking to him and Tim Teel for FJ Podcast #254, check it out).

If you enjoy this conversation, you may also like hearing our chat with Richard Hoover of Santa Cruz Guitar Co. from last week, where we discuss how his company is dealing with current events and much more.

Support the Fretboard Journal by getting a digital subscription for just $30: https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/collections/downloads/products/fretboard-journal-digital-subscription-offer See our entire (and growing) lineup of #FJFest content here, including shop tours with TJ Thompson, Mark Stutman of Folkway Music and others: https://www.fretboardjournal.com/tag/fjfest/

Podcast 281: Richard Hoover of the Santa Cruz Guitar Co. Mar 28, 2020

Show notes

This week's podcast is about a lot more than guitars: In the midst of a global pandemic, Richard Hoover, founder of the Santa Cruz Guitar Co., joins us for a candid conversation about running a successful small business, innovations in lutherie, his "bank of goodwill," being open-source, and so much more. We hear about his childhood growing up in California's San Joaquin Valley, the influence of the Whole Earth Catalog, the perils of dulcimer building, the serendipitous path that led him to guitarmaking, and even the books Richard is currently reading. He also offers us all a "logic array" that may help you re-frame your thinking through these challenging times. Note: There is unfortunately some Skype latency around the 49 minute mark. It only lasts a minute but we decided to leave it in to keep this conversation intact. https://santacruzguitar.com Other Santa Cruz Guitar Co. content from the FJ that you may enjoy: Richard Hoover on the Fretboard Journal Podcast #116: https://www.fretboardjournal.com/podcasts/podcast-116-richard-hoover-santa-cruz-guitar-company/ Richard Hoover profile from Fretboard Journal #1 https://www.fretboardjournal.com/features/richard-hoover-santa-cruz-guitars Support the Fretboard Journal by getting a digital subscription for just $30: https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/collections/downloads/products/fretboard-journal-digital-subscription-offer

Podcast 280: Peter Henriksen (Henriksen Amplifiers) Mar 19, 2020

Show notes

Since 2005, Henriksen has created amplifiers for discerning jazz players. On this week's podcast, we talk to Peter Henriksen about the company his father (Bud Henriksen) founded in 2005, the specific needs jazz players have, and about some of the company's creations that cross genres and would appeal to players of all stripes. Peter is also the founder of the Rocky Mountain Archtop Festival, which takes place every September in Arvada, CO.

https://www.henriksenamplifiers.com/

https://www.archtopfestival.com

This episode is sponsored by Retrofret Vintage Guitars and Mono Cases.

Want to support the podcast? Get a digital (PDF) subscription to the Fretboard Journal magazine here and get six issues for just $30. Click here.

Podcast 279: Tré Burt Mar 01, 2020

Show notes

A couple of years ago, Sacramento's Tré Burt lugged his Flinthill acoustic guitar onto a bus from Northern California to Los Angeles to record some demos at a friend's studio. When that was done, he assumed he'd turn around and get started on another record. What Burt didn't realize was that those Dylan-inspired songs would end up being released on John Prine's Oh Boy record label as his debut album, Caught It From the Rye. (Even more impressive, Burt is just one of two artists to get signed to the label in the last 15 years.)

On this week's Fretboard Journal Podcast, we talk to this singer-songwriter about his start, his signing to Oh Boy, his countless evenings as a busker in California, Oregon and Australia, getting heckled by Prine and a lot more. It's quite a journey and Burt is just getting started...

This episode is sponsored by Retrofret Vintage Guitars and Mono Cases.

Want to support the podcast? Get a digital (PDF) subscription to the Fretboard Journal magazine here and get six issues for just $30. Click here.

Podcast 278: Christopher Paul Stelling Feb 17, 2020

Show notes

Want to support the podcast? Get a digital (PDF) subscription to the Fretboard Journal magazine here and get six issues for just $30. Click here.

Christopher Paul Stelling joins us on this week's Fretboard Journal Podcast to talk about the making of his new, Ben Harper-produced album, Best of Luck.

Stelling's journey is a fascinating one and we hear all about it: Mowing lawns in Florida so he could get his first guitar; honing his chops on the open mic circuit; discovering his first nylon-string guitar; his '50s Martin 00-17; getting signed to Anti- records; and even a brief stint building instruments alongside Rono mandolins in Boulder, Colorado.

This is one of our favorite interviews to date and we wholeheartedly encourage you to check out Best of Luck.

Stelling will also be appearing in the Fretboard Journal #46, out in April.

This episode is sponsored by Retrofret Vintage Guitars and Mono Cases.

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