It’s the 133rd episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps podcast, where amp tech Skip Simmons fields your questions on all-things-tube amp! Want to be a part of our show? Just email us a question or voice memo to podcast@fretboardjournal.com. Some of the topics discussed: 1:14 Skip’s 1950 Ferguson tractor, the Truth About Lawn Mowers 7:28 A zebra on the loose in Washington State 9:30: This week’s sponsors: Emerald City Guitars, Amplified Parts, StewMac, and Grez Guitars. 12:28  Grez Guitars sends Skip Quique Gomez & Little Charles Baty’s Cookin’ At Greaseland 16:51 Wha ..read more

 For Episode 7 of Steel, we catch up with legendary L.A. steel player Greg Leisz. Greg’s steel playing has graced recordings with iconic artists like Bill Frisell, Joni Mitchell, Beck, Mark Knopfler, Phoebe Bridgers, Gillian Welch, Lucinda Williams and many more. He’s renowned for his ability to bring depth and emotions to recordings with his touch, tone and occasionally minimalist musical sense. Greg and I discuss his musical journey, from high school garage bands and learning steel in honky tonk bars to becoming a first-call session player in Los Angeles. To learn more about Greg ..read more

The Collings D1A Traditional Builder’s Choice I am playing in the video isn’t even a prototype per se. It’s more of a “Let’s see what happens” guitar. In December 2022, I flew to Austin to spend a couple of days at the Collings shop and hang out with everyone. Steve Nall, affectionately known as Nully, is the head luthier now, having been elevated to that position with the retirement of longtime head luthier Bruce VanWart. Nully and I are great friends and insufferable guitar geeks. We were discussing, as we always do, the ever-elusive aspects and characteristics of certain ’30s vinta ..read more

Publisher’s Note: News has spread that bluegrass mandolin pioneer Frank Wakefield (1934-2024) has passed away. He was one of those singular figures which our print magazine is built upon and we were happy to feature him in our now sold-out 35th issue. Here, in its entirety, is that interview. Thanks for staying so young for so long, Frank. We’ll miss you. -Jason Verlinde The Bridge The long, strange and occasionally backwards journey of Frank Wakefield By Art Dudley Photographs by Jeromie Stephens This article originally appeared in Fretboard Journal #35 Shops on Main Street, when such things ..read more

 Josh Rieck has many arrows in his luthier quiver. He builds and repairs instruments, and also owns a full-service music store in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Josh started out studying double bass in college and then completed the Guitar Repair & Building program at Red Wing College in Minnesota. He does it all: Violin family instruments, acoustics, and electric guitars. For Ep. 89 of the podcast, Josh tells us about his journey as a guitarmaker, including the year he worked behind-the-scenes at the National Music Museum, the growth of his own repair shop, and more. Josh also talks ab ..read more

 On this week’s show, we have a candid chat with Seattle indie rock musician-turned-podcaster (Roderick on the Line, Omnibus) John Roderick. The Long Winters frontman was an early Fretboard Journal subject and guest on our podcast. This time around, we talk about John’s break from music-making, the new songs he’s been writing, the perils of pedal collecting and so much more. We also reminisce about the PNW indie rock community of the late ’90s when John often shared a bill with Death Cab for Cutie, discuss the challenges of getting the band together when you’re all in your 50s, and learn ..read more

 For the last several years, Los Angeles-based musician Ryan Richter has served as a touring guitarist for Dijon, Ryan Beatty, Lizzy McAlpine and others. Years ago, he was also one of the Fretboard Journal’s earliest employees. Ryan recently released his first solo project – a fascinating one-track, 20-minute long album called “As Good A Place As Any (No Hard Feelings)” – and on this week’s podcast, we hear all about it. Ryan tells us about how this multifaceted composition came to be (with a little help from a rolling capo ad on social media), the gear that he used on it, his touring rig ..read more

 Derek Gripper plays Malian Kora music on a vintage Hermann Hauser classical guitar…and if that doesn’t get your attention, nothing will! John Williams himself describes feeling that this was, and, I quote, “absolutely impossible until I heard Derek Gripper do it.” So that’s pretty cool. We talk about his work translating the music of this beautiful African harp to the nylon string guitar, and the extraordinary instruments he has used in his quest to make the music in his head come to life including 8-string guitars, fanned frets and interchangeable magnetic fretboards. Yes, he has gone d ..read more

 Singer-songwriter and Fretboard Journal favorite John Smith joins us this week to talk about his moving new Joe Henry-produced album, ‘The Living Kind.’ We hear about the British folk scene and John’s time with John Renbourn and others; his guitar collection (including a rather unusual custom Fylde, his Mule guitars and others); the making of the new album; his thoughts on streaming; his love for pedals and the Quad Cortex and so much more. PS: Joe Henry will be appearing at our 2024 Fretboard Summit alongside Blake Mills, Valerie June, Colin Hay and dozens of other Fretboard Journal favo ..read more

Happy to announce some truly special updates to our 2024 Fretboard Summit at Chicago’s legendary Old Town School. On Friday, August 23, we’re bringing back two very special artists who attended our earliest version of the Summit way back in 2015: Blake Mills and Joe Henry. Each will be performing a full set that evening. Expect surprises. The last time Blake played for us, he and Bill Frisell did a duo for the first time ever…an unforgettable Bob Dylan cover. On Saturday, Colin Hay (Men at Work) will be performing courtesy of our friends at Collings Guitars. And on Sunday, the incredible Valer ..read more