For episode 102 of the podcast, I talk with Michel Pellerin, an inspiring guitar maker from Québec.
Michel shares his journey, from teaching guitarmaking at lutherie schools to his time at the Godin factory, to developing and teaching his own advanced finishing course.
We also dive into his current line of guitars — from parlor to harp — and how he continues to evolve his work through collaboration with musicians and colleagues.
Michel explains his method of building two nearly identical instruments, changing just one feature between them to push the boundaries of design and sound.
Stick around after the main episode for a bonus segment: I catch up with Mario Beauregard at the Sound Messe Guitar Show in Osaka for a quick conversation on what's new.
Maegan Wells is known for her beautifully crafted archtop guitars and mandolins made in her one-person shop in Northern California.
For episode 99 of the podcast, Meagan shares her guitar-making journey, starting with attending Bryan Galloup's Galloup School of Guitar Making and Guitar Repair, followed by apprenticeships, side jobs, and a stint at LMI. Meagan also discusses her views on smaller archtop guitars, contrasting sides, and much more. She also reveals a new project on the horizon!
http://www.maegenwellsguitars.com/mwg
Luthier on Luthier is hosted by Michael Bashkin of Bashkin Guitars and brought to you by the Fretboard Journal. This episode is sponsored by Dream Guitars and StewMac.
Want to support Luthier on Luthier? Join our Patreon to get access to exclusive photos and content from Michael and his builds.
For episode 98 of the podcast, I am joined by renowned classical guitar maker Gary Southwell. Based on the banks of the River Rede in Northumberland, England, Southwell has been building instruments since 1983.
Gary and I talk about the unique characteristics of Bog Oak, the history and influence of 19th-century Viennese guitars, his interactions with Julian Bream, and some reflections on 50 years of guitar making. https://www.southwellguitars.
Luthier on Luthier is hosted by Michael Bashkin of Bashkin Guitars and brought to you by the Fretboard Journal. This episode is sponsored by Dream Guitars and StewMac.
Want to support Luthier on Luthier? Join our Patreon to get access to exclusive photos and content from Michael and his builds.
Episode 94 of the podcast is a live interview at the 2024 Fretboard Summit with the incredible Michael Millard of Froggy Bottom Guitars.
Michael has over 50 years of guitar-building experience. In 1970, he spent four years working with Gurian Guitars before launching Froggy Bottom. He shares with us lessons learned from customer interactions, guitars, martial arts and much more.
https://froggybottomguitars.com
Luthier on Luthier is hosted by Michael Bashkin of Bashkin Guitars and brought to you by the Fretboard Journal. This episode is sponsored by Dream Guitars and StewMac.
Want to support Luthier on Luthier? Join our Patreon to get access to exclusive photos and content from Michael and his builds.
Luthier on Luthier is hosted by Michael Bashkin of Bashkin Guitars and brought to you by the Fretboard Journal. This episode is sponsored by Dream Guitars and StewMac.
Want to support Luthier on Luthier? Join our Patreon to get access to exclusive photos and content from Michael and his builds.
Luthier on Luthier is hosted by Michael Bashkin of Bashkin Guitars and brought to you by the Fretboard Journal. This episode is sponsored by Dream Guitars and StewMac.
Want to support Luthier on Luthier? Join our Patreon to get access to exclusive photos and content from Michael and his builds.
Aluminati Guitars offers innovative, environmentally friendly, and beautifully designed guitars built in Asheville, North Carolina. For episode 86 of the podcast, I sit down with the company's founder, James Little.
James tells us about the aluminum, carbon fiber and Lucite components used to make their complete instruments, OEM necks, and off-the-shelf parts. He also shares with us how the company got started, how the bike industry helped their fabrication, some new projects, and his plans for the future.
Luthier on Luthier is hosted by Michael Bashkin of Bashkin Guitars and brought to you by the Fretboard Journal. This episode is sponsored by Dream Guitars.
Want to support Luthier on Luthier? Join our Patreon to get access to exclusive photos and content from Michael and his builds.
Al Beardsell makes beautifully designed and crafted guitars in Winnipeg, Canada. Al started building as a musician because he could not find, or in some cases, afford the kind of guitars he wanted to play.
For episode 85 of the podcast, Al shares with us his thoughts on engineered sides, electric acoustic hybrids, making pickups, and much more. Finally, Al discusses why he thinks guitar making was the only career path for him and how he recently came to this understanding.
https://www.beardsellguitars.
Luthier on Luthier is hosted by Michael Bashkin of Bashkin Guitars and brought to you by the Fretboard Journal. This episode is sponsored by Dream Guitars.
Want to support Luthier on Luthier? Join our Patreon to get access to exclusive photos and content from Michael and his builds.
Luthier on Luthier is hosted by Michael Bashkin of Bashkin Guitars and brought to you by the Fretboard Journal. This episode is sponsored by Dream Guitars.
Want to support Luthier on Luthier? Join our Patreon to get access to exclusive photos and content from Michael and his builds.
James Condino builds and repairs guitars, mandolins and standup basses in Asheville, NC. And he plays all of them! For episode 83, James shares with us some commonalities and differences of all the instruments he works on, his business philosophy and the importance of playing music to his craft.
Links: https://condino.com/
https://www.facebook.com/p/Condino-String-Instruments-100028847900108
Luthier on Luthier is hosted by Michael Bashkin of Bashkin Guitars and brought to you by the Fretboard Journal. This episode is sponsored by Dream Guitars. Want to support Luthier on Luthier? Join our Patreon to get access to exclusive photos and content from Michael and his builds.
Richard Hoover is the founder of the Santa Cruz Guitar Company, which has been a leader in the world of boutique acoustic guitars since 1976. For episode 82 of the podcast, recorded live at the 2023 Fretboard Summit, Richard shares his guiding principles, thoughts on running a company, selecting materials, and much more.
Links:
https://gofund.me/56ef4040 (GoFundMe for luthier Joel Wilkens)
https://www.instagram.com/
Luthier on Luthier is hosted by Michael Bashkin of Bashkin Guitars and brought to you by the Fretboard Journal. This episode is sponsored by Dream Guitars. Want to support Luthier on Luthier? Join our Patreon to get access to exclusive photos and content from Michael and his builds.
Larry Fitzgerald is considered one of the world’s top guitar repairmen. As a teenager, Larry was often hanging around NYC’s famous guitar shops on 48th Street. After a year at the Berklee College of Music, he worked at Rudy’s doing repairs and eventually assisted John Suhr in making the renowned Pensa/Suhr guitars.
Larry then worked at Mandolin Brothers before opening up his own shop. For episode 80 of the podcast, he shares his thoughts on fretting, neck angles and so much more. Larry also tells us how it all got started thanks to some sage advice from his grandfather.
Link:
https://www.fitzgeraldguitars.
Luthier on Luthier is hosted by Michael Bashkin of Bashkin Guitars and brought to you by the Fretboard Journal. This episode is sponsored by Dream Guitars. Want to support Luthier on Luthier? Join our Patreon.
Support Luthier on Luthier with our new Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/
You may not know the name Mitsuhiro Uchida, but you should. Mitsuhiro is a national treasure of Japan and has influenced makers like Michi Matsuda and Isaac Jang, who join me for today's podcast.
Uchida-san started his international lutherie journey working for guitar companies in Japan and then moved to Germany to do repairs before working at Lowden Guitars in Ireland. In the 1990s, he moved back to Japan to set up shop on a remote mountainside where he builds incredible one-of-a-kind creations.
For episode 79 of the podcast, Uchida-san tells us his story and his philosophy of guitar making.
Links:
http://www.melodist-net.com/~
https://asamiuchida.thebase.
Luthier on Luthier is hosted by Michael Bashkin of Bashkin Guitars and brought to you by the Fretboard Journal. This episode is sponsored by Dream Guitars.
Joshia de Jonge builds world-renowned classical guitars out of her one-person shop in Western Quebec. Joshia grew up in a famed guitar-building family and was helping her dad, Sergei, build and teach guitarmaking while she was still a teenager. For episode 77 of the podcast, Joshia tells us when she decided to make lutherie her full-time profession and why she now focuses on nylon-string creations. We also talk about double tops, tornavoz, side ports, laminations and much more.
Link: https://joshiadejonge.com/
Luthier on Luthier is hosted by Michael Bashkin of Bashkin Guitars and brought to you by the Fretboard Journal. This episode is sponsored by Acoustic Coffee Company, Stringjoy Strings, and Dream Guitars.
From a young age, Tim Frick knew that he wanted to make instruments. As a teenager, he began building basses for himself. He'd eventually take a class with famed archtop guitarmaker Tom Ribbecke, work at Gary Brawer's repair shop in San Francisco, and then spend years alongside lutherie legend Frank Ford at Gryphon Guitars in Palo Alto, California.
These days, Frick is based in Portland, Oregon, where he repairs guitars and builds his own archtop guitar creations. For episode 75 of the podcast, Tim tells us about his journey, why he uses mostly hand tools, and his thoughts on voicing archtops. We also talk Japanese hand tools and much more.
https://timfrickguitars.com/
https://www.instagram.com/timfrickguitars/
Luthier on Luthier is hosted by Michael Bashkin of Bashkin Guitars and brought to you by the Fretboard Journal. This episode is sponsored by Acoustic Coffee Company (check out their new Gruhn Guitars blend), Stringjoy Strings, and Dream Guitars.
Legendary inlay artist Larry Robinson has been adorning guitars with jaw-dropping inlays for over 40 years. For episode 74 of the podcast, Larry discusses the creative and the technical side of inlay work and working with directly with guitar builders and players.
Larry also shares his experience working on the Millionth Martin guitar, as well as other now-famous inlay projects. We also hear about Larry’s first jobs in lutherie, his books and instructional materials, and how he sources his raw materials.
Link:
Luthier on Luthier is hosted by Michael Bashkin of Bashkin Guitars and brought to you by the Fretboard Journal. This episode is sponsored by Acoustic Coffee Company (check out their new Gruhn Guitars blend), Stringjoy Strings, and Dream Guitars.
Guitarist Michael Watts is back for episode 73 of the podcast. Michael recounts the history of Scott Chinery’s famous Blue guitar collection and how it led to his new gig working for the Archtop Foundation.
Michael also shares with us his views on flattop vs. archtop guitars, his experience with online gigs during Covid lockdowns, previews all his latest projects, including a new podcast he's hosting for the Fretboard Journal (Life on the Fretboard with Michael Watts), and, finally, his finest cure for jetlag.
Links:
https://michaelwattsguitar.com/home
Luthier on Luthier is hosted by Michael Bashkin of Bashkin Guitars and brought to you by the Fretboard Journal. This episode is sponsored by Acoustic Coffee Company and Dream Guitars.
For his entire life, Max Krimmel has dedicated himself to two paths: Making and music. Though Max stopped building guitars in 1983, he went on to craft dulcimers and marimbas and create turned alabaster pieces, some of which are on display in the Smithsonian.
For episode 71 of the podcast, I sit down with Max in his Nederland, Colorado studio to hear his thoughts on being an independent guitar maker in the '60s and 1970s. We talk about his very last guitar, Kasha bracing, and the transition he made to making other instruments and crafts.
Luthier on Luthier is hosted by Michael Bashkin of Bashkin Guitars and brought to you by the Fretboard Journal. This episode is sponsored by Acoustic Coffee Company and Dream Guitars.
Luthiers for a Cause: https://www.luthiersforacause.org
Michael Gurian started building guitars in the early 1960s and then founded the Gurian Guitar Company. He’d go on to create one of the first successful boutique steel string guitar companies of the modern era, with clients ranging from Paul Simon and Jackson Browne to Pierre Bensusan. Michael has also consulted with major guitar companies and eventually became a supplier for wood, materials, and tools used by other makers. Now retired, he's building instruments, by-hand, once again.
For episode 70 of Luthier on Luthier, recorded live at the 2022 Chicago Fretboard Summit, Michael recounts some of his accomplishments and setbacks. He also shares his thoughts on running a business to starting in lutherie today and much more.
https://www.gurianinstruments.com
Luthier on Luthier is hosted by Michael Bashkin of Bashkin Guitars. This episode is sponsored by Acoustic Coffee Company and Dream Guitars.
San Antonio’s James Roadman is not only a top-notch repair person but also the maker behind some incredible tooling for luthiers. For Episode 69 of the podcast, James tells us how he went from making his own drum set to repairing guitars. He also covers all his machine shop tools and how he uses them in both repair and machining.
http://www.jroadman.com/instruments/
Luthier on Luthier is hosted by Michael Bashkin of Bashkin Guitars. This episode is sponsored by Acoustic Coffee Company and Dream Guitars.
Musician, vintage instrument expert, and guitar dealer Eric Schoenberg is largely responsible for the resurgence of OM-size guitars. In the early 1970s, Eric worked with the Martin guitar company to start making OM guitars based on their own late 1920s and early 1930s designs. The project at times also included names we all know such as Dana Bourgeois, TJ Thompson, Julius Borges, John Slobod, Bruce Sexauer, Robert Anderson, Randall “Sparky” Kramer, and others.
For Episode 68 of the podcast, we hear the history of Eric's path as a professional player, guitar designer, and retailer, and his thoughts on OM's, 12 fret vs 14 frets guitars, and much more.
Link: https://om28.com/
Luthier on Luthier is hosted by Michael Bashkin of Bashkin Guitars. This episode is sponsored by Acoustic Coffee Company and Dream Guitars.
Luthier on Luthier is hosted by Michael Bashkin of Bashkin Guitars. This episode is sponsored by Acoustic Coffee Company and Dream Guitars.
Dusty Gregg spent years as a professional touring guitarist and road tech before starting his own line of guitars. For episode 66 of the podcast, Dusty tells us about how his time on the road serving professional musicians influenced his guitar designs. He also shares his thoughts on winding pickups, pickup magnets, carbon fiber, and much more.
Luthier on Luthier is hosted by Michael Bashkin of Bashkin Guitars. This episode is sponsored by Acoustic Coffee Company, Allied Lutherie, and Dream Guitars.