Meet Emma Harner, an incredibly talented artist from Nebraska who, unbelievably, has only been playing guitar since the pandemic. Emma's complex playing, a mix of math rock and acoustic fingerpicking, and arresting vocals have earned her over 200,000 followers on Instagram and accolades from numerous guitar heroes. During our chat, we talk about her guitar journey, including her time at Berklee, working at Guitar Center, her favorite tuning, her love for Radiohead, why she won't be covering Nick...
Jun 25, 2025•56 min•Ep. 506
Acclaimed guitarist, educator, songwriter, and all-around-great-human Adam Levy is back on the Fretboard Journal Podcast! We talk about his new instrumental album, 'Household.' We discuss the concept behind this record, his desire to expand his band beyond the trio format; the unorthodox recording process he used to make the album; drummer Griffin Goldsmith (Dawes) and so much more. It's a fun chat with one of our favorite musicians. https://adamlevy.bandcamp.com/album/household Watch the FJ's n...
Jun 16, 2025•49 min•Ep. 505
Jason is back on the Fretboard Journal Podcast to interview mandolin great Jacob Jolliff. Over the years, Jolliff has worked with a variety of bands, including Joy Kills Sorry, Yonder Mountain String Band, and his own Jacob Jolliff Band. We talk about his time at Berklee, performing in mandolin competitions, his go-to mandolins (and microphone!) and so much more. A great chat with a player who should be on your radar. Jolliff’s Mandolin Mysteries, Instrumentals Vol. 2 is a must-listen. Check it ...
Jun 03, 2025•54 min•Ep. 504
To rebel against musician parents, a young Hank Heaven wanted to be a French chef. But after a serendipitous moment of discovery, they became a Django Reinhardt expert. On Episode #503 of the podcast, Sofia Wolfson interviews Hank about their solo project, touring as a sideman, gypsy jazz, being in a broadway musical, and more. https://hankheaven.com https://www.instagram.com/hank_heaven/ Hank’s latest record, Loaded Dice: https://hankheaven.bandcamp.com/album/loaded-dice We are brought to you b...
May 23, 2025•52 min•Ep. 503
Today on the podcast, FJ assistant editor Sofia Wolfson interviews legendary songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and visual artist Dan Reeder. Born in Louisiana, raised in California, and now based in Nuremberg, Germany, Reeder has released several albums of self-recorded music using instruments he’s built himself. On this episode, we talk about working with John Prine and Oh Boy Records, the intersection between visual art and music, instruments he has built, and much more. Be sure to give his l...
May 16, 2025•40 min•Ep. 502
Mike Buchman is a Seattle-based guitar fanatic and the Fretboard Journal's newest hire! On this week's podcast, we talk to Mike about his recent experience learning the craft of guitarmaking with Colorado-based builder/instructor Robbie O'Brien. We also talk about Mike's songwriting, his role at the FJ and so much more. https://mikebuchmanmusic.com https://obrienguitars.com Our 56th issue of the Journal is now mailing to everyone. We hope you love it. We are brought to you by: Stringjoy Strings:...
May 09, 2025•44 min•Ep. 501
You've heard Jon Rauhouse's music on every episode of the Fretboard Journal Podcast. For our 500th episode, we decided to check in with Jon to hear about his journey as a steel guitarist. We also talk about working with Neko Case, interviewing Bud Isaacs for the FJ, and so much more. https://jonrauhouse.com This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://betterhelp.com/fret We are also brought to you by: Stringjoy Strings: https://stringjoy.com (Use the code FR...
May 02, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 500
Musician Anna Vogelzang joins us this week to talk about songwriting, motherhood, Chicago (come see her at our 2025 Fretboard Summit) and more! Support Anna's Kickstarter here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/theanna/afterglow-anna-vogelzangs-new-record We are also brought to you by: Stringjoy Strings: https://stringjoy.com (Use the code FRETBOARD to save 10% off your first order) Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar: https://mmguitarbar.com Peghead Nation: https://www.pegheadnation.com (Get your f...
Apr 26, 2025•51 min•Ep. 499
Guitarist Andy Pitcher promised himself that he would make a solo album before he turned 30. With just a few days to spare, the experimental/improvising guitarist recently released 'dot,' a beautiful album featuring great playing, a wide array of guitars - acoustic and electric - and some truly unique recording techniques. On this week's Fretboard Journal Podcast, we talk about the record, his wild recording process, the gear he used (including his trusty Line 6 DL4). It's a fun chat with a trul...
Apr 14, 2025•41 min•Ep. 498
In the 1960s, Joellen Lapidus built the dulcimer you hear on Joni Mitchell’s Blue album. Over the years, she's also sold instruments to some of rock's biggest names like David Crosby, Garth Hudson, Jackson Browne, and even Harry Styles. On this week's podcast, this acclaimed dulcimer maker gives us a crash course on the amazing history of the instrument. It's a wild story that will have you looking at the dulcimer in a whole new light. https://www.lapidusmusic.com/home During our chat, we hear a...
Apr 05, 2025•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 497
Peghead Nation co-founder Dan Gabel joins us this week to talk about the online lesson portal's origin story, the growth they've experienced over the last decade, and some of their favorite online classes. The Peghead Nation roster contains many former Fretboard Journal subjects and familiar faces to anyone who loves our podcast. In 2022, they even won a Distinguished Achievement Award from IBMA, the International Bluegrass Music Association. This week, Peghead Nation is launching a live Flatpic...
Apr 01, 2025•40 min•Ep. 496
The Fretboard Journal's Sofia Wolfson interviews Chicago's Free Range (Sofia Jensen), whose second record 'Lost & Found' is out now. Jensen recounts learning guitar at the School of Rock, starting Free Range as a teenager, getting influenced by Pinegrove (and King of the Hill!), developing your sound, and so much more. It's a great introduction to an artist we know you'll love. https://www.freerangesongs.com https://www.instagram.com/free__range/ This week's show is sponsored by: Stringjoy S...
Mar 28, 2025•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 495
This week, we talk to writer Jamie Etherington about his latest project, the Luthier's Tool Box. The Luthier's Tool Box is the Fretboard Journal's first hardcover book release. It's an anthology featuring guitarmakers from around the world sharing the stories behind their most cherished tools. What began as a Fretboard Journal magazine article quickly evolved into a full-fledged book with nearly 100 contributors and full-color photographs. If you like our magazine or podcasts, you'll love this b...
Mar 21, 2025•49 min•Ep. 494
Did you watch 'A Complete Unknown' and wonder where all those vintage instruments came from? If so, you're in luck. This week, we're talking to Buzzy Levine of Lark Street Music. Over 20 of the instruments featured in the movie came from Buzzy himself and we hear all about the process, his reaction to the finished film, and how he avoided a 'Hateful Eight' situation while his guitars were on-loan. We also chat about the store, the unlikely story of how its location is cherished by Hollywood, and...
Mar 10, 2025•48 min•Ep. 493
How do you make a new acoustic guitar sound slightly more "vintage?" This was the nebulous premise that Jason posed to three great builders at the 2024 Fretboard Summit: John Slobod (Circa Guitars), TJ Thompson, and Steve "Nully" Nall from Collings. In this live panel, we hear these luthiers' thoughts on the topic, including wood, the importance of aging (even with a brand new guitar), the hardest body style to make sound period correct, and so much more. It's 45 minutes of great insights from t...
Mar 02, 2025•47 min•Ep. 492
D'Addario founder and Fretboard Journal 55 cover subject Jim D'Addario joins us this week for a fascinating talk about strings, innovation, and so much more. We talk about Jim's first mentor, Mario Maccaferri; Jim's relentless work ethic, where he sees forthcoming innovation in guitar strings; and much more. It's a great chat with one of our favorite FJ subjects. Check out the new issue of the Journal featuring Jim here: https://www.fretboardjournal.com/features/whats-inside-fretboard-journal-55...
Feb 22, 2025•46 min•Ep. 491
Frequent Fretboard Journal contributor Cameron Knowler returns to the Fretboard Journal Podcast to talk about his forthcoming new album, CRK. Inspired by classic Terry Allen and Ry Cooder records, CRK features expansive acoustic guitar playing and atmospheric touches that evoke Cameron’s Southwest roots. We also go deep on good vs. bad guitars; horse trading with Norman Blake; the groundbreaking technique of Riley Puckett; drummer Jay Bellerose and more. Pre-order CRK and listen to Cameron’s new...
Feb 14, 2025•45 min•Ep. 490
Ella Feingold is a Grammy-winning guitarist who has performed alongside Queen Latifah, Erykah Badu, Bruno Mars, and numerous other heavyweight musicians. She's also one of the most inspiring musicians we've ever met, a trans artist who shares her love for funk and rhythm guitar on Instagram on a near-daily basis with fans around the world. On this week's podcast, we talk to Ella about her life as a recording artist, a music historian, and a video game orchestrator. We learn about the life-changi...
Jan 26, 2025•1 hr 33 min•Ep. 489
Guest host Sofia Wolfson introduces us to Renny Conti, a Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter/producer. They discuss Renny's introduction to music, the influence of Big Thief (Sofia just interviewed Adrianne Lenker for our 55th issue, btw), the beauty of cowboy chords and more. Renny's self-titled album is out today (January 17, 2025). Check it out on Spotify or Apple Music . https://rennyconti.bandcamp.com https://www.instagram.com/rennyonline/ Host Sofia Wolfson: https://sofiawolfson.bandcamp.com/...
Jan 17, 2025•52 min•Ep. 488
This week, we're joined by Mike Nelson, Martin Guitars' VP of Global Marketing. Mike has a coveted job: He gets to tell the story of one of the world's most loved guitar brands. We talk about the challenges Mike faces in his role, the yearslong planning process for new Martin models, where he sees growth in the industry, the Martin Custom Shop, NAMM, and more. It's a unique take on the business of guitar. Martin: https://www.martinguitar.com Martin's Custom Shop: https://www.martinguitar.com/abo...
Jan 11, 2025•31 min•Ep. 487
Singer-songwriter and Fretboard Journal contributor Sofia Wolfson recently joined our editorial staff. As we close out 2024, we decided to check in with her to get her recap of the guitar scene in NYC, her favorite records, artists to watch, the gear she loved and more. It's a deep dive full of new discoveries! https://sofiawolfson.bandcamp.com/album/imposing-on-a-hometown The Fretboard Journal is proud to present two PNW shows with Sofia: On Friday, January 10, 2025, Sofia will be performing at...
Dec 27, 2024•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 486
We first met Spokane, Washington-based luthier Tyson Soth at our annual Fretboard Summit. We loved his guitars and the story of how he fell into guitar making. On this week's podcast, we share Tyson's story. He talks about learning from guitar maker Joel Stehr, the personal challenges that made him focus on guitars as a career, the financial perils of lutherie, why he doesn't hoard rare tonewoods, and so much more. https://sothguitars.com Follow Tyson Soth on Instagram here: https://www.instagra...
Dec 26, 2024•41 min•Ep. 485
Singer-songwriter/storyteller Jason Walsmith (The Nadas) joins us this week to talk about the life of an enterprising troubadour. In addition to performing in a variety of settings across the country, Jason is the founder of Guitar Satchel, a gig bag company inspired by heritage wax canvas clothing brands. We hear all about it. We also talk about life on the road, van life for singer-songwriters, house concerts, corporate gigs, Bedell Guitars, the Fretboard Summit, and so much more. It's a great...
Dec 05, 2024•48 min•Ep. 484
In what has become a November tradition, Guru Singh - the Fretboard Journal's favorite guitar-loving yogi and spiritual teacher - returns to the podcast. This time around, we hear more about his early days growing up in Seattle, including the now-customized Gibson J-45 that he purchased in the '50s, used throughout the '60s as a Reprise Records artist, and still plays today. We talk about his new album, en CHANT ed (out now on all the streaming platforms), working with Seal, and how he defines m...
Nov 22, 2024•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 483
On this week's Fretboard Journal Podcast, we're sharing an inspiring chat on guitarmaking and storytelling with UK-based luthier Daisy Tempest. In just a few years, Daisy's YouTube channel - where she documents the craft (and toil) behind her handcrafted instruments - has exploded in popularity. (A recent video documenting the $36,000 acoustic guitar she built currently has over 300,000 views and counting.) Still in the early stages of her guitar career, she's already expanded the audience for h...
Nov 13, 2024•1 hr•Ep. 482
Mandolin virtuoso Sierra Hull can do it all: She juggles time with her own band, touring with Bela Fleck, and performing with the likes of Cory Wong, Brad Paisley, Billy Strings, and the Allman Betts Band. On this week's podcast, we discuss a pair of eclectic covers she's just shared: Tears for Fears' "Mad World" and the Grateful Dead's "Black Muddy River" and hear all about them. We also talk about life on the road, electric octave mandolins(!), being a free agent, the art of changing mandolin ...
Nov 08, 2024•47 min•Ep. 481
This week, we're joined by Trevor Boone of Seattle's Emerald City Guitars. This Seattle guitar store is like no other, where you'll often find multiple Dumble amplifiers, original 'Bursts and impossibly rare Fenders alongside players' grade guitars and amps. They've also taken a unique approach to marketing and storytelling by hiring a full-time videographer to document some of the great tales behind their inventory, having an RV gassed up and ready to go, and self-producing a reality show about...
Oct 31, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 480
This week, we're launching a new monthly series called Meet the Contributors. It's where you can meet some of the many creative people who help make this magazine, our podcasts and our events possible. We'll profile the writers, photographers, filmmakers and creatives who make the FJ special...and hear about what other projects they're working on. This month, we're talking to Vancouver-based editor and writer Brian Lynch. Over the years, he's profiled Paul Pigat and builder Warren Murfitt for us...
Oct 29, 2024•35 min
Bluegrass musician Woody Platt joins us this week to talk about his new solo album, 'Far Away With You' (Compass Records). https://www.woodyplatt.com/music Woody is best known as the former frontman and cofounder of Steep Canyon Rangers. In 2022, after countless shows with SCR and backing Steve Martin on-stage, Platt stepped down from the band to be closer to home. These days, he's busier than ever: In addition to playing, he's dabbled in real estate, worked as a fly fish guide, and spearheaded ...
Oct 22, 2024•45 min•Ep. 479
Charleston, South Carolina's Daniel Patrick joins us this week for a lively talk about mandolins, being a gigging musician, and talking to your heroes. Daniel is the host of the popular Mandolins & Beer Podcast. He just released a great new album called 'Around the Clock' where he does covers with an all-star array of fellow mandolin players (Sam Bush, Joe K. Walsh, Tim O’Brien, Ronnie McCoury, and others). https://danielpatrickmusic.bandcamp.com/album/around-the-clock During our chat, we he...
Oct 13, 2024•56 min•Ep. 478
