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The Fretboard Journal Subscribe and get the FJ shipped to your home here: http://www.fretboardjournal.com The Facebook home of the Fretboard Journal guitar magazine.

Exclusive in-depth interviews and photography with music heroes, instrument builders and more.

Jordan Tice with a stellar Dylan cover here at the FJ.
31/10/2024

Jordan Tice with a stellar Dylan cover here at the FJ.

Jordan Tice covers Bob Dylan's "Tryin' to Get to Heaven" at the Fretboard Journal. In addition to being a solo artist and producer, Tice is a member of blueg...

Join us for our next Fretboard Summit in 2025. Early bird pricing ends on October 30.
22/10/2024

Join us for our next Fretboard Summit in 2025. Early bird pricing ends on October 30.

Attention guitar people far and wide 🚨 Early bird pricing for the 2025 Fretboard Summit ends on OCTOBER 30! You have just a little over a week to get a special reduced price on 3-Day All Access Passes.

Next year's summit will take place August 21-23 at Chicago's Old Town School of Folk Music and will feature performances, workshops, lectures, and handmade instruments that you absolutely won't want to miss.

Visit ots.fm/FBS2025 for more info and to purchase tickets! We're excited to see you in 2025 🎸

Martin Guitar CEO Thomas Ripsam discussses the company's goals for the future, sustainability and more.
07/10/2024

Martin Guitar CEO Thomas Ripsam discussses the company's goals for the future, sustainability and more.

 On this week's podcast, we're sharing our Q&A session with Martin CEO Thomas Ripsam live from the 2024 Fretboard Summit. During our chat, Thomas and FJ publisher Jason Verlinde discuss Martin's plans for the future, the changing demographics of guitar consumers, intellectual property, sale...

The musician behind all those SpongeBob SquarePants steel riffs and so much more.
04/10/2024

The musician behind all those SpongeBob SquarePants steel riffs and so much more.

On Episode 9 of Steel, we travel to Portland, Oregon to interview Jeremy Wakefield, one of the finest swing and jazz lap steel players out there. He has a beautiful touch, he’s a great improviser, and he breathes life into this style of American music. Jeremy has played and recorded alongside ridi...

Another great Fretboard Summit recap, this time courtesy of Tom Sands and Tony Polecastro. Fun to see what guitars they ...
04/10/2024

Another great Fretboard Summit recap, this time courtesy of Tom Sands and Tony Polecastro. Fun to see what guitars they fell in love with.

Don't forget: For a few more weeks, we have earlybird pricing for our 2025 Summit. Just head to fretboardsummit.org.

Check out Tony's socials:tonypolecastro.com@tacguitar" rel="ugc" target="_blank">https://tonypolecastro.com@tacguitar /tac.guitar CAUTION! THIS VIDEO WILL MAKE YOU WANT TO BUY GUITARS!Sit down with absolute leg...

We're starting to see more and more UK-built Atkin Guitars at our favorite North American dealers. On this week's podcas...
25/09/2024

We're starting to see more and more UK-built Atkin Guitars at our favorite North American dealers. On this week's podcast, we talk to founder Alister Atkin about his company's growth, aged finishes, and what it's like to build American-inspired guitars in Canterbury, England.

 On this week’s podcast, we talk to Alister Atkin, founder of Atkin Guitars. Alister and his growing team are building vintage-inspired flattop acoustics in Canterbury, England. During our chat, we talk about the company’s history, its ongoing growth, the aged finish that Atkin instruments...

New Pedal Day: Of course we had to get the new signature Wombtone pedal from .
24/09/2024

New Pedal Day: Of course we had to get the new signature Wombtone pedal from .

Something new from our friends at Collings Guitars and Mandolins.
20/09/2024

Something new from our friends at Collings Guitars and Mandolins.

19/09/2024

Steve Melkisethian – the no-nonsense, analog-obsessed founder of Angela Instruments – passed away on September 8. The news was confirmed by his wife, Susan Melkisethian. Steve was a lifelong resident of the Washington, D.C. area. When he realized he wouldn’t be a professional musician, he turn...

14/09/2024

A fun shopping spree at the Fretboard Summit: Armed with $30,000 in Monopoly money (well, $3000), The Acoustic Shoppe's John Chapman and JP Cormier assembled their dream guitar quivers. (Someone needs to do this next year with the electrics, too.)

Our friends at Collings Guitars always unveil something special at our Fretboard Summit. Here's Eddie's Guitars tour of ...
12/09/2024

Our friends at Collings Guitars always unveil something special at our Fretboard Summit. Here's Eddie's Guitars tour of the booth.

Check out some of the awesome acoustic guitars had on display this year at the Fretboard Summit!Shot and edited by Alejandro MonteroCamera: ...

Fretboard Journal Podcast 474: and talk about the program pairing up-and-coming female builders with more established...
12/09/2024

Fretboard Journal Podcast 474: and talk about the program pairing up-and-coming female builders with more established luthiers. Sarah is Tel Aviv’s lone female luthier(!) and she just spent two weeks learning from Jayne in North Carolina. They also started a pretty nice pair of ukes. Find the podcast in all the usual places or on fretboardjournal.com.

Bob Taylor () checking out ’ blue mandolin at the with fellow luthier Jim Olson. Check out this mandolin (and its match...
10/09/2024

Bob Taylor () checking out ’ blue mandolin at the with fellow luthier Jim Olson. Check out this mandolin (and its matching guitar!!!) at this weekend’s in Denver.

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Wishing Dan Erlewine a very happy 80th birthday today! StewMac
09/09/2024

Wishing Dan Erlewine a very happy 80th birthday today! StewMac

Join us in celebrating the legendary Dan Erlewine, a true icon in the world of guitar craftsmanship. From a small-town repairman to a globally revered educat...

A deep chat about working with legends, honoring the song, and so much more.
03/09/2024

A deep chat about working with legends, honoring the song, and so much more.

 This week, we’re sharing one of the highlights from our 2024 Fretboard Summit: Joe Henry in conversation with Blake Mills. During their chat, these two acclaimed producers and singer-songwriters discuss working with legacy artists (Blake has famously worked with Joni Mitchell; while Joe ...

You never know what you'll see at the Fretboard Summit. Watch Rhett Shull try out a couple of the weekend's most intrigu...
02/09/2024

You never know what you'll see at the Fretboard Summit. Watch Rhett Shull try out a couple of the weekend's most intriguing instruments.

This year at Fretboard Summit, I had to opportunity to meet up with Duncan Price to check out his incredible polyphonic fretless sustainer guitars. I've hone...

We are still unpacking and downloading memory cards, but huge thanks to everyone who made the trek to last weekend’s at...
31/08/2024

We are still unpacking and downloading memory cards, but huge thanks to everyone who made the trek to last weekend’s at . It was truly magical. I don’t think any of us will ever forget it.

We had attendees from four continents; 80+ exhibitors and luthiers; more sponsors than ever before; surprise guests (including , , and famed luthier Jim Olson); and some of our most inspiring and adventurous programming and concerts to date. Mostly, we had a lot of fun.

Our next Summit takes place August 21-23, 2025 at Old Town School. You can lock in your registration at our lowest price via the link in the bio. In the meantime, we’ll be sharing some of this year’s highlights as videos and podcasts soon. Stay tuned…

Seattle: Now that our Fretboard Summit has wrapped up, we're happy to announce our next event: Molly Miller at Seattle's...
29/08/2024

Seattle: Now that our Fretboard Summit has wrapped up, we're happy to announce our next event: Molly Miller at Seattle's The Rabbit Box Theatre on September 8! Get tickets now:

Fretboard Journal presents Molly Miller at The Rabbit Box on Sept. 8th. Doors 6pm - Music begins at 7pm - $20 adv./$25 dos

The calm before the storm. starts tomorrow!
22/08/2024

The calm before the storm. starts tomorrow!

Time for another Fretboard Summit surprise. I'm happy to announce that Yanuziello Stringed Instruments has graciously cr...
16/08/2024

Time for another Fretboard Summit surprise. I'm happy to announce that Yanuziello Stringed Instruments has graciously created an electric mandolin that we'll be giving away to one attendee. Want in on the fun? You can still register for a three-day pass over at fretboardsummit.org. The fun starts August 23 at the Old Town School of Folk Music.

Mandolin Cafe

14/08/2024

Thanks The Acoustic Shoppe! The fun starts August 23 at Chicago's Old Town School of Folk Music! Register now at www.fretboardsummit.org.

Our weekend-long guitar festival in Chicago - now with 80+ brands and luthiers - starts next week!
14/08/2024

Our weekend-long guitar festival in Chicago - now with 80+ brands and luthiers - starts next week!

For over a year, we’ve been plotting the guitar weekend of our dreams. I’m happy to say that the 2024 Fretboard Summit is now just a couple of weeks away. The fun takes place August 23-25 at Chicago's Old Town School of Folk Music. Register here. So it’s time for a round of updates.

Two of Nashville's finest - Tom Bukovac & Guthrie Trapp - join us for an hour-long chat about their new album, the gear ...
09/08/2024

Two of Nashville's finest - Tom Bukovac & Guthrie Trapp - join us for an hour-long chat about their new album, the gear they love (and avoid), YouTube and more.

 Two of Nashville’s finest guitarists – Tom Bukovac and Guthrie Trapp – join us this week to talk about their new album, IN STEREO. We chat about what brought them to Nashville way back when, the making of the album, the gear they used on it, tube amps, and so much more. Order IN

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One month away: The @jhspedals Germanium Chef takes place August 25 on the @fretboardsummit main stage. This year, it’ll be @keeleyelectronics vs. @godsmomdotcom as they attempt to build the ultimate fuzz in an hour. (Think: Iron Chef but with stomp boxes.) Register to watch the spectacle: fretboardsummit.org Trophy build & 📷: the brilliant mind of @littlehcollective

Jontavious Willis - "Boll Weevil"
Jontavious Willis - "Boll Weevil"

Grammy nominated blues artist Jontavious Willis revisits "Boll Weevil," a tune popularized by Lead Belly.

Podcast 336: Tod Nelson
Podcast 336: Tod Nelson

**Support unique guitar storytelling and this podcast via our brand new Fretboard Journal Patreon page. It's a great way to support all the free digital content we put out on a weekly basis and help us grow.** Tod Nelson was one of the first ten employees at Amazon. He started out packing books and, by the late 1990s, served as "punk rock editor" during the launch of that site's music store. After five years of working for the quickly growing company, he left and started a family on California's Central Coast. He'd eventually serve as the first executive director of Cal Poly’s Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship. Beyond his work life, Tod has been a lifelong guitarist and guitar collector with a passion for all-things-Gibson. He's also a survivor: In recent years, he's had not one but two lung transplants. Tod's love for music and musical instruments has helped carry him through his recovery, culminating in his most recent project: A Song A Day for Acoustic Guitar. He's teaching himself one new song a day for the entire year... and he's looking for suggestions on what tracks he should attempt next (his current repertoire is available as a Spotify playlist here). Feel free to shoot me suggestions for Tod via [email protected]. I've known Tod for over 20 years, but until this conversation, I had no idea just how important the guitar was to him or his recovery. I hope you enjoy this chat. It's unlike any other we've done to date. I hope you enjoy it. The Fretboard Journal's 48th issue is now available. Click here to read up on it and start your subscription. Don't forget, we now host an entire family of podcasts, about everything from lutherie to home recording: Luthier on Luthier; The Truth About Vintage Amps; The Truth About Recording & Mixing;Acoustic Voices; and Sweep the Floor. This episode is sponsored by Mono Cases, Folkway Music and Retrofret Vintage Guitars.  Extra thanks to Calton Cases and Martin Guitars for sponsoring all that we do. 

Ep. 77: "Helen Reddy"
Ep. 77: "Helen Reddy"

It's the 77th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps Podcast, where amp tech Skip Simmons makes pizza on english muffins, crushes the dreams of young blues aficionados and fields your questions on all things tube amp.   This week's episode is sponsored by Jupiter Condenser Co., Amplified Parts and Grez Guitars.  Some of the topics discussed this week:  :23 Skip has no electricity  3:52 Jason does a video shoot with David Grisman  4:17 The “Amigo SoCal” vintage guitar show (August 28-29, 2021); a Massey amp with reverb and tremolo     6:06 Alamo Paragon Special  8:01 Skip's tips: Vintage guitar show wheeling & dealing 10:23 Grez Guitars 12:10 Amplified Parts, ProCo guitar cords 12:57 Jupiter Caps: Bumblebees, Red Astrons, Cosmos caps 20:45 The TAVA Patreon page  25:17 The TAVA Index on Tableau!, Goldentone Amp book  28:51 Cleaning the crusty corrosion on a Fender silverface faceplate 31:34 Making a lower-power Vox clone?  35:21 Grid bias vs cathode bias on a pre-amp tube   38:50 Why does Skip have an oscilloscope and why doesn’t he raise his prices?  41:14 Can you use a field coil speaker to drive speaker-driven reverb; voicecoils on a field coil speaker 45:07 Will the bigger vintage Fender amps ever go up in value?  49:32 Pinpointing note-triggered noise / rumble in an amp cabinet 52:55 A Lab Series L3 goes to a good home; Robert Moog; English muffin pizzas 55:12 What’s up with the Fender Tremolux Model 6G9 with EL84 power tubes? Aspen Pittman's 'The Tube Amp' book (Amazon link) 58:15 A 1955 Montgomery Ward-branded amp with a wire from the speaker frame to the chassis  1:01:14 A one-way speaker mismatch on solid state amps?  1:02:54 Water kefir (recipe here) 1:04:30 Replacing the multi-cap can on a Fender Bassman 20 1:06:54 Using a pressure cooker for dried beans or potatoes  1:08:40 Poking a hole instead of solder wick  1:09:01 Vintage pencil sharpeners; Nelson Riddle  1:11:32 Any grads from the Red Wing Electronic Music Technology cla

Todd Albright - "Rising River Blues" | Fretboard Journal
Todd Albright - "Rising River Blues" | Fretboard Journal

A little country blues to kick off the weekend... via Todd Albright. 12-string guitar by Todd Cambio / Fraulini Guitar Co.

The Fretboard Journal's Vintage Guitar Workshop at Wintergrass
The Fretboard Journal's Vintage Guitar Workshop at Wintergrass

A glimpse at some of the old guitar magic at the FJ's 2018 Wintergrass Vintage Instrument Workshop. Kenny Smith and Eli West sings & plays perform "Cherokee Shuffle" on a pair of '30s Washburns... Into vintage acoustics? Watch over an hour of the workshop here: https://www.fretboardjournal.com/video/wintergrass-2018-vintage-guitar-workshop/

Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn at the Fretboard Journal
Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn at the Fretboard Journal

ICYMI: Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn stop by the Fretboard Journal magazine to perform “My Home’s Across The Blue Ridge Mountains,” a tune found on their 2017 album Echo in the Valley.

Billy Strings plays a Pre-war Guitars Co Model D
Billy Strings plays a Pre-war Guitars Co Model D

We're happy to announce that the winner of our Pre-war Guitars Co. Model D giveaway is Will S. of Madison, Wisconsin. We hope you love the instrument, Will. We sure did! Look for another Fretboard Journal instrument giveaway very soon on fretboardjournal.com.

A peek at our 40th issue. Available now at finer newsstands, guitar shops and at fretboardjournal.com.

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The Facebook home of the Fretboard Journal. A keepsake magazine, videos, podcasts and photography featuring the world’s best players and instrument makers.