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Luthier on Luthier with Michael Bashkin

Every month, luthier Michael Bashkin interviews his peers and guitar building heroes for the Luthier on Luthier podcast. Brought to you by the Fretboard Journal magazine.
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Now displaying: Category: Music,
May 2, 2023

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 CompanyStringjoy Strings, and Dream Guitars.

Feb 25, 2023

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

Jan 30, 2023

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:

https://robinsoninlays.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 (check out their new Gruhn Guitars blend), Stringjoy Strings, and Dream Guitars.

Jan 2, 2023

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

https://theblueguitars.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 (check out their new Gruhn Guitars blend) and Dream Guitars.
Nov 28, 2022
Bryan Galloup started out as a tool and die maker and now runs one of the largest lutherie schools in the US, in addition to making his own line of highly-coveted acoustic guitars. 
 
For episode 72 of the podcast, Bryan tells us about his background before making musical instruments, the path that led to the development of his wood grading system, and his views on voicing guitars. We also discuss running a school and what it's like to collaborate with his former students.
 
https://www.galloupguitars.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 and Dream Guitars.

Oct 26, 2022

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.

http://maxkrimmel.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 and Dream Guitars.

Luthiers for a Cause: https://www.luthiersforacause.org

Sep 28, 2022

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.

Aug 30, 2022

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.

Jul 29, 2022

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.

Jun 29, 2022
Les Godfrey makes world-class electric guitars and basses known for their unique style out of his one-person shop in Kingston, Canada.
 
For episode 67 of the podcast, Les dives deep into his thoughts on design and the role of instrument making in his life. We also hear about his time working in Carl Thompson’s shop, his time as a touring musician, and how he started making guitars.
 
Link: https://www.godfreyguitars.com

Luthier on Luthier is hosted by Michael Bashkin of Bashkin Guitars. This episode is sponsored by Acoustic Coffee Company and Dream Guitars.

May 29, 2022

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.  

http://www.greggguitars.com

Luthier on Luthier is hosted by Michael Bashkin of Bashkin Guitars. This episode is sponsored by Acoustic Coffee Company, Allied Lutherie, and Dream Guitars.

Apr 26, 2022

Doug and Sharon Proper own and operate Guitar Specialist, one of the top repair shops in the country. Doug started out with ambitions of becoming a professional jazz guitarist and began repairing guitars to help pay for his music studies in college.

For our 65th episode of the podcast, Doug tells us about approaching lutherie as a sound financial business and his philosophy on pricing and customer relations. We also talk about some of Doug's favorite tool, least favorite jobs, and much more.

https://www.guitarspecialist.com

Hosted by Michael Bashkin of Bashkin Guitars. This episode is sponsored by Acoustic Coffee Company, Allied Lutherie and Dream Guitars.

Aug 23, 2021

After finishing degrees in Theology and Fine Arts, Beau Hannam  learned to make guitars in Gerard Gillet's shop in Australia. Beau then went onto teach and build guitars alongside Gerard for the next 10 years, before moving to the US in 2010.

For Episode 57, Beau fills us in on his time as a luthier in Australia and his reasons for leaving. He also tells us why he started making ukes, and we also learn about his novel inlay techniques and his YouTube instructional videos.  Finally, we go through a long list of people who should not listen to this interview. 

https://www.beauhannamguitars.com

This episode is sponsored by Acoustic Coffee Company, Allied Lutherie and Dream Guitars.

Jul 28, 2021

Saul Koll makes some of the world's finest electric guitars from his one-man shop in Portland, Oregon. For episode 56 of the podcast, Saul discusses his design process and its origins. Saul also tells us about his influences, the new Koll effects pedal and forthcoming amp, making hardware, and his views on tools from pocketknife to CNC.

https://www.kollguitars.com

This episode is sponsored by Allied Lutherie and Dream Guitars.

Jun 29, 2021

Jeff Jewitt has been interested in guitar building since the 1970s. As the inventor of TransTint dyes, Jeff is widely recognized as a leading expert in all types of finishes and is the author of five books on the subject. For our 55th episode of the podcast, Jeff talks about the start of his finishing products companies, as well as which solvents are most hazardous to your health (and how to safely use them). We also hear about Jeff's own line of guitars and his preferred finishing method for his own instruments.

Link: https://homesteadfinishingproducts.com

This episode is sponsored by Allied Lutherie and Dream Guitars.

 

May 26, 2021

Willie Carter has travelled the world as a guitar tech for Otis Taylor; worked at Gryphon and Santa Cruz guitars; served as a professional recording engineer; and is co-founder of Carter Poulsen guitars, where he and Eric Poulsen are making great acoustic guitars out of their workshop in Santa Cruz, Calif. For episode 54 of the podcast, Willie weaves all of these parts of his life together and describes the moment he fell in love with guitarmaking. Willie also talks about his favorite woods, the positive aspects of building in a partnership, reflects on being a minority as a guitar maker, and developing your own magic style.

Links:

https://www.instagram.com/carterpoulsenguitars/ https://www.otistaylor.com/

This episode is sponsored by Allied Lutherie and Dream Guitars.

Apr 28, 2021
Mario Beauregard is among the world's finest and most distinctive archtop and flattop guitar makers. For episode 53 of the podcast, Mario goes into the history and execution of his unique faceted designs and how they differ from traditional archtops. Mario also discusses his time at the Roberto Venn school and how it led to apprenticeships with Ervin Somogyi and Taku Sakashta. He shares advice for new builders, talks about overcoming challenging times and confirms a wild story about rescuing some bottles of wine. 
 
http://beauregardguitars.com/
https://www.dreamguitars.com/
https://alliedlutherie.com/
https://caddislife.com/
 
This episode is sponsored by Allied Lutherie, Dream Guitars and Caddis Eyewear. Use the discount code LUTH15OFF to save $15 off your next Caddis purchase. 
Mar 25, 2021

Dan Erlewine literally wrote the book on guitar repair: He's the author of The Guitar Player Repair Guide, which was first published in 1990. A well-worn, dog-eared copy of that book is always close to my bench and it's how I first learned guitar repair. (I bet it taught many of this podcast's listeners, as well.) Over his 50 year career, Dan developed many of the methods luthiers use today and he never shied away from taking on the most challenging repairs.

For the 52nd episode of the podcast, Dan tells us about his career as a touring musician, opening for some of the biggest acts in the late '60s. He also discusses the guitars he built for Albert King and Jerry Garcia, his time at Stewart MacDonald, some of his toughest repairs, his favorite tools, and his new signature model DE-11 guitar made by the Iris Guitar Company.

Links:

https://danerlewine.com/

https://www.irisguitarcompany.com/

This episode is sponsored by Allied Lutherie, Dream Guitars and American Music Furniture.

Feb 22, 2021

Ian Davlin, who goes by the online moniker "Ian Hates Guitars," may have a complicated relationship with guitars, but he sure is good at fixing them. For episode 51 of Luthier on Luthier, Ian tells us about working for Breedlove Guitars and his eventful interview process at Nashville's famous Gruhn Guitars, where he worked for many years. 

Ian also tells us about the development of his heat stick neck removal tool and his popular finish touch up class he teaches at Dan Erlewine's shop. These days, in addition to doing repairs, Ian runs a Patreon supported guitar repair group which has proved to be an invaluable source for excellent information on all aspects of the business.  

Links: 

https://ianhatesguitars.com https://www.patreon.com/ianhatesguitars https://www.instagram.com/ianhatesguitars

This episode is sponsored by Dream Guitars and American Music Furniture.

Jan 26, 2021

Tom Ribbecke is a lutherie legend and one of the originators of the custom guitar scene as we know it today. For episode 50 of the podcast, Tom walks us through his first 50 years of guitarmaking, including the evolution of his sound bubble guitar, his Halfling model, and his compliant rim guitars and basses. Tom also takes us back to the ‘70s guitar building scene in San Francisco and ends the podcast with some truly profound advice for aspiring builders.

Links:

http://www.jackcasady.com/the-diana-bass-by-tom-ribbecke/
https://www.facebook.com/tom.ribbecke
http://www.maegenwellsguitars.com/
https://www.lhtguitars.com/story
https://stuartdayguitars.com/

This episode is sponsored by Dream Guitars and American Music Furniture.

Dec 23, 2020

Luthier Rosie Heydenrych is the builder behind England's Turnstone Guitar Company. On episode 49 of the podcast, she shares her approach to voicing instruments, including the use of tonewoods from her native England. She also discusses her views on women in lutherie, her work flow, and how she adopts new techniques and technology into her builds.

Link: Turnstone Guitar Company.

This month's episode is sponsored by Dream Guitars.

Nov 27, 2020
Nigel Forster started building guitars at age 17 as an apprentice with Stephen Sobell... and he stayed with Sobell for the next 15 years. Along the way, Nigel has taken some truly interesting globetrotting side trips, including studying in Buddhist monasteries. During one of those trips Nigel wrote a book titled, Making a Living in Lutherie, which is filled with both practical tips on running a shop and life advice that Nigel describes as "soft-core Buddhism." These days, Nigel is building a variety of acoustic instruments including steel strings flattops, tenor guitars, archtops, mandolins and Irish bouzoukis out of his shop in Queensland, Australia. 
 
Links:
https://www.nkforsterguitars.com/
https://www.nkforsterguitars.com/books/
http://www.sobellguitars.com/
 
This episode is sponsored by Dream Guitars.
Oct 20, 2020

In 1969, Frank Ford and Richard Johnston started the legendary Gryphon Stringed Instruments in Palo Alto, California. On episode 47 of the podcast, Ford tells us what it is like to run one of the world's premiere repair shops for over 50 years.

We hear about the early days of Gryphon (including their initial attempts to build and sell handmade instruments). Ford also talks about the store today, his philosophy on communicating with customers, his favorite repairs, and how, thanks to Dan Erlewine, he got started in teaching.

Links:
https://www.gryphonstrings.com/
http://frets.com/
http://www.frets.com/HomeShopTech/

Sep 23, 2020
Nicolai Schorr makes instantly recognizable and remarkable electric guitars mostly with hand tools out of his home shop in Berlin, Germany. For episode 46 of the podcast, Nicolai takes us through the inspiration for and the development of his thoroughly original models. He also discusses his neck construction, artistic background, and his philosophy on enjoying work and the guitar building process.
 
Links-
http://schorrguitars.de/
https://www.instagram.com/schorrguitars/
 
This episode is sponsored by Dream Guitars.
Aug 20, 2020
Michael Greenfield makes spectacular acoustic guitars out of his state-of-the-art shop in Montreal. For episode 45 of the podcast, he takes us through his thought process on designing multi-scale instruments for drop tunings, and the evolution of his models. Michael also discuses his journey into the profession, building for the high end custom market, final guitar voicing, and much more.
 
Links: 
https://www.greenfieldguitars.com/
https://charliehunter.com/
https://andymckee.com/

This episode is sponsored by our friends at Dream Guitars.

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