Luthier on Luthier with Michael Bashkin

Dick Boak started as a draftsman at Martin guitars and stayed for 42 years taking on numerous roles at the company, including Director of the Martin Museum and Archives; Director of Advertising and Artist Models; Guitar Designer, Founder of the 1833 Shop; and more.

For episode 76 of the podcast, Dick tells us about his first attempt at guitarmaking, the influence of the Whole Earth Catalog, and how he ended up Martin, thanks to some enterprising dumpster diving. We also talk about how his role at Martin changed over the years, what it's like to collaborate with well-known artists on signature models, and how Martin as a company has changed over the decades. Lastly, we hear about Dick's other pursuits and passions as an artist, solo luthier, author, poet, musician, teacher and archivist for none other than Mario Andretti.

Link: https://www.dickboak.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.

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:

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.

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 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.

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

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.  

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.

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.

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

Glenn Nichols of Retrograde Guitars builds instruments inspired by the catalog guitars of the 1940s and '50s. For episode 63 of the podcast, he tells us how he is re-imagining laminated tops and how he treats them as acoustically tunable plates. He also shares how, after getting a degree in art, he ended up working for Santa Cruz guitars and luthiers Kenny Hill and Bill Tippin. We also talk about the spirit varnish he uses on all his guitars, his wood choices and more. 

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

João Cassias makes electric, acoustic, and archtop guitars out of his three-person shop in São Paulo, Brazil. For Episode 62 of the podcast, João tells us how he got bit by the luthierie bug and about his early guitar studies in São Paulo. He recounts how, with the support of his family, he was able to come to the US to attend the Galloup school and spend time at Ervin Somogyi and Tom Ribbecke’s shops. João shares stories and lessons from each of those experiences and tells us why the archtop guitar is his favorite.

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

David Russell Young has been making violin bows for over 30 years, but before that he was a guitarmaker. And, in 1975, David published The Steel String Guitar: Construction and Repair, one of the few books on guitarmaking at the time. It would go on to inspire countless builders.

For episode 61 of the podcast, David takes us back to his first guitars and how he came to write the influential book. He also tells us why he switched to bowmaking and gives us a primer on bow materials and construction. At the end of our chat, David reflects on his 50 years as a luthier and offers his thoughts on the current world of custom guitars. 

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

Shelley Park builds some of the finest guitars in the Selmer-Maccaferri tradition out of her one-person shop in Vancouver, Canada. Shelley’s obsession with guitar started as a teenager and, by the age of 19, she was learning to build guitars with renowned luthier and player, Michael Dunn. For Episode 60 of the podcast, Shelley discusses the structure, sound and setup of Maccaferri-style guitars, and tells us about her cylinder-top model based on a 1920s Vega guitar. Shelley also talks about business challenges, views on social media, her favorite tools, and much more.

https://www.parkguitars.com/

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

Tim Kill started building guitars as a teenager in his grandfather's workshop. He then went on to travel the world before returning home to Australia to play bass in bands, study classical guitar building, and double bass restoration, repair and construction.  

Tim then went onto to start his own shop building a wide variety of instruments including stick basses, Indian classical slide guitars and Weissenborns. During our chat, Tim tells us about his influences, the handmade tools that his grandfather left him, his finishing processes and his non-guitar hobby... racing vintage motorcycles.

Link: timkillcustom.com

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

Flip Scipio's interest in guitars runs in many directions. He builds and eclectic assortment of guitars and other stringed instruments in addition to doing repairs out of his one-man shop in NYC.

For episode 58 of the podcast, Flip reflects on his career in guitars and his time studying guitar making in London and in Spain with José Romanillos. We also hear about his time at Guild Guitars and Mandolin Brothers, and his work for high profile clients like Paul Simon, Jackson Browne, David Lindley, Ry Cooder and Bruce Springsteen. Finally, Flip explains to us why he likes guitars that are "like a dog in a cat suit."

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

Links: https://flipscipio.com/#skip https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1144521/ http://www.southwellguitars.co.uk/

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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/

This episode is sponsored by our friends at Dream Guitars.

Links

https://alliedlutherie.com/

https://www.retrofret.com/

http://www.circlestrings.com/

https://www.irisguitarcompany.com/

This episode is sponsored by Dream Guitars. 

This episode is sponsored by Dream Guitars. 

This episode is sponsored by Dream Guitars. 

Martin Keith makes acoustic guitars and electric basses out of his one-man shop in Woodstock, New York. For our 38th episode, Martin tells us about his early careers as a journalist and professional bass player before landing a job with Joe Veillette. There, he made over 1000 guitars before starting his own brand. Martin also discusses guitar design and builders that he draws inspiration from. He also tells us about running the Beacon Banjo Company founded by his father, Bill Keith, in the 1960s.  

Links:

http://www.veilletteguitars.com/

https://www.martinkeithguitars.com/

http://www.beaconbanjo.com/

This episode is sponsored by Dream Guitars. 

Sam Guidry not only teaches at the Galloup School of Guitar Building, he also makes world-class acoustic guitars. For Episode 36 of Luthier on Luthier, Sam tells us the unexpected way he started at the Galloup School and what he enjoys about teaching. Sam also runs us through some his guitar's unique design features, and how he uses a top rating measurement system to achieve consistency and get the sound that he wants. We also hear about his time as a touring musician and his latest project, Caseadillo Case Covers.

Links:  http://www.samguidryguitars.com/welcome.html https://www.galloupguitars.com/schools-of-lutherie-luthier.htm http://www.annarborguitars.com/

https://www.sadowsky.com/

https://michaelwattsguitar.com/home

John Kinnard has always been a part-time guitar builder while being a full-time high school science teacher. On this episode of Luthier on Luthier, John shares his perspectives on 40 years of building instruments. It's a fascinating talk with someone who makes guitars for a love of the craft. 

Edward Victor Dick started his lutherie career over 40 years ago. Since then, he has owned music retail stores, burned out, flown a small plane around Canada, worked on a farm, returned to lutherie, studied traditional lute building, and taught guitar building and repair. Today, he runs Victor Guitars in Denver, Colorado, where he does a bit of all of the above. Edward is someone I greatly admire and I am honored to have him share his story on this month’s Luthier on Luthier podcast.

On episode 17 of the Luthier on Luthier Podcast, we talk to the collective of legendary builders who make up the Luthiers Beyond Limits group. These mini interviews were conducted at the 2018 NAMM show where the LBL showcased their forward-thinking guitars. During this podcast, we hear from Mario Beuregard, Jean-Yves Alquier, Steve Klein, Claudio and Claudia Pagelli, Michi Matsuda and John and Serge of Tao Guitars. We hear the story of how and why these six artisans formed Luthiers Beyond Limits and about the unique instruments that were on display.

Issac Jang spent almost ten years apprenticing and repairing guitars before he started making instruments under his own name. This slow and steady approach has worked well for Issac, who is now one of the most sought after young builders in the market today. On this week's podcast, we talk about his guitars, his apprenticeship with Kathy Wingert and much more. 

Links:

https://www.isaacjangguitars.com/

http://www.wingertguitars.com/

Our seventh episode of the Luthier on Luthier podcast is a little different from the rest. Rather than interview one builder, I have shorter interviews with several luthiers. Each of these interviews took place at the 2017 GAL (Guild of American Luthiers) Convention in Tacoma, Washington. 

During this podcast, you will hear from Dan Erlewine, Erick Coleman, Chelsea Clark, Jeffery Elliott, Chris Herrod, Steve Marchione, Don Macrostie, Evan Gluck and many others. You’ll also hear an adventurous tale of buffing from Harry Fleishman.  

If your into lutherie and have the chance to attend a guild meeting, I highly recommend it. There were a lot more people I would have liked to talk to but I just ran out of time. I know a lot of guitar builders listen to this podcast and it was great to meet so many of you in person, too.

Links:

http://www.danerlewine.com/ http://www.stewmac.com/ http://marchione.com/ http://www.elliottguitars.com/ http://www.lmii.com/ http://newyorkguitarrepair.com/ https://obrienguitars.com/ http://www.jroadman.com/ http://lichtyguitars.com/ http://www.reddiamondmandolins.com/ http://www.jeffreyyong.com/ http://www.fleishmaninstruments.com/ http://luth.org/ http://www.guitarsandcaffeine.com/

On this month's podcast, I sit down with Dave Bruzza, lead guitarist of the contemporary band Greensky Bluegrass. We follow his career path from an aspiring luthier in Michigan all the way to his career today as a successful professional guitar player. We also dig into his guitar quiver and discuss what he values in each of his acoustics. Bruzza's on-stage gear is ever evolving, which he also discusses. We end up discussing his musical influences, heroes and musical outlook in this detailed interview.

Links Mentioned: Greensky Bluegrass - http://greenskybluegrass.com/ Lyle Brewer - http://www.lylebrewermusic.com/Bryan Galloup - http://www.galloupguitars.com/Santa Cruz - https://www.santacruzguitar.com/Hipshot - https://www.hipshotproducts.com/K + K - http://www.kksound.com/Grace Audio - http://www.gracedesign.com/Catalinbread  - http://catalinbread.com/Sensaphonics - https://www.sensaphonics.com/Jake Robinson - http://www.robinsonguitars.com/

Support Luthier on Luthier via its Patreon page or purchase a Luthier on Luthier t-shirt here.

On episode 4 of the Luthier on Luthier podcast, I interview classical guitar maker John Bogdanovich. John aspired to be a professional classical guitar player but was waylaid by stage fright and went onto another career path before he came to study with renown woodworker James Krenov. His studies with Krenov eventually led him back to the guitar world but this time as a maker. John is also the author of the excellent book Classical Guitar Making, published by Sterling press. In this in-depth interview, John and I cover a lot of ground and he makes no bones about where he sees room for improvement in today's players, guitar makers and their instruments.

Before moving to the United States, Laurent Brondel was a professional musician in France for 20 years. He originally moved to New York and, along the way, Laurent started to work on his own guitars. Laurent eventually found himself in rural Main and, after working for a time at Bourgeois guitars he started building guitars under his own name. For our third episode, Laurent and I talk about this journey and hear his perspectives on the music industry, vintage Martins, his varnish finishes as well as his new electric guitars.