Fretboard Journal



Musician and Fretboard Journal contributor Paul Burch joins us this week to talk about his just-published debut novel, Meridian Rising. The book, an imagined memoir by Jimmie Rodgers, is filled with insights on the Father of Country Music and some of the unbelievable collaborators he worked with.

We talk about the making of the book, why Rodgers is so fascinating to Paul, Paul’s new album (Cry Love), and so much more.

https://paulburch.com/

Our new, 57th issue of the Fretboard Journal is now mailing. Subscribe here to get it.

Our next Fretboard Summit takes place August 20-22, 2026, at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago. https://fretboardsummit.org

We are brought to you by Peghead Nation: https://www.pegheadnation.com (Get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription with the promo code FRETBOARD at checkout).

Above photo: Jim Herrington

The post Podcast 524: Paul Burch first appeared on Fretboard Journal.

A short excerpt from Clay Frohman’s cover story on Joni Mitchell’s Greenpeace guitar in our 57th issue. 

On a bright sticky Saturday in early May 1995, I was sitting with friends near the front of the main performance stage at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. We were waiting for Joni Mitchell to come on. She was headlining the closing weekend, a coveted slot, but freighted with even more anticipation than usual because (a) Joni hadn’t toured since 1983, more than a decade ago, due in part to the impracticality of adjusting her many tunings between songs or carrying enough guitars and techs to handle it all, and (b) word had circulated that today’s show might be her swan song, a final public performance before she called it quits on the “star making machinery” of the music business, toward which she had for years harbored a simmering antipathy.

Thousands of music fans and Joni fanatics filled the sprawling lawn behind me. Joni’s career spanned many eras, genres and styles and they were all reflected in the mix of folkies from the “Circle Game” and “Both Sides Now” early years, reverent intimates from the probing confessional “Blue” and “For the Roses” period, pop fans from Joni’s commercial breakthrough “Court and Spark” and beyond.  As her thirst for new sounds evolved from the solo folk guitar and dulcimer of “Song to a Seagull” and “Clouds” into more complex and rhythmic band arrangements, Joni sought out schooled jazz musicians like Jaco Pastorius, Wayne Shorter and Tom Scott who could work through her unorthodox chord voicings and add their own swing and sass to the challenging music heard on “Hissing of Summer Lawns,” and “Hejira.” As an artist, Joni had always thrived on risk and experimentation, and always pushed forward with a stubborn velocity, sometimes to the detriment of record sales and industry backlash, as evidenced in her collaboration with dying jazz eminence Charles Mingus on Mingus. To the critics and company suits and even her own management team it just wasn’t a “Joni record,” but no matter; Joni did it for herself, and for Charlie.

Not all of Joni’s fans kept up with her jazzier enthusiasms, but I did. Having come of age as a rock guitarist mainlining Beatles, Motown and my hometown Chicago blues, I was introduced in elementary school to Miles, Bill Evans, and Herbie Hancock’s “Maiden Voyage” by my best friend, a budding clarinet prodigy who dove deep into jazz and brought me along. I walked around the schoolyard humming the bass line to “Bitches Brew” and feeling like a Major Dude. When I moved to Los Angeles after college one of my first gigs was writing liner notes for Blue Note, the premier jazz label in town. I worked for the label on album projects with Chick Corea, Ronnie Laws and, yes, Wayne Shorter. So, Joni’s jazz direction suited me. She was playing with half of Weather Report! How cool was that for the Woman of Heart and Mind?

As I was relating some of this personal history to my friends on the Jazz Fest lawn, Joni stepped on stage with her luminous smile, wearing a broad brimmed straw hat, cradling a curious green Strat-shaped electric guitar that appeared to have no pickups or volume controls save for a block of black plastic near the bridge. The crowd greeted her with cheers and applause. Joni announced, “I’m going to try something new today.”

Photograph by Eleanor Jane

She launched into “Sex Kills” from her album Turbulent Indigo. But something was off. The sounds coming from the green guitar were drenched in delay and reverb, distorted and unintelligible. There was a palpable uncertainty in the crowd. This didn’t sound like the music they expected, like nothing they recognized. And what was this strange green guitar under her fingers? It barely sounded like a guitar at all. More like a rude synth.

Joni pushed on, into “Moon at the Window” from Wild Things Run Fast. The guitar sound still wobbled wildly out of control. From where I sat the crowd energy had turned against whatever new thing Joni was trying to do. A couple behind me collected their lawn chairs and left.

I looked on in dismay. I knew the backstory of Greenpeace.

There is a series of photographs of a young Joni, David Crosby and Eric Clapton taken in the backyard of Mama Cass Elliot’s Laurel Canyon home back in the late ’60s. Joni is new to the scene, having been brought to Los Angeles by ex-Byrd Crosby after he was entranced by a set she played in a Florida folk club. She sits cross-legged on the lawn playing her D-28, and the dour Clapton is focused hard at her, trying to decipher how these incredible songs and sounds are coming from this stunning blonde Canadian with a Martin guitar. He’s watching her hands for familiar chord shapes, but there are none.

Photograph by Eleanor Jane

Clapton was stumped because Joni Mitchell was no ordinary guitar player. Her approach to the instrument was entirely of her own design. After picking up her first chords, as many did, with Pete Seeger’s How to Play Folk Style Guitar, Joni found Elizabeth Cotten’s fingerpicking style, then migrated to blues tunings and the more traditional open tunings, then began to invent tunings and voicings based on what sounded interesting to her ear in the moment. She would tune to numbers in a date, to a piece of music on the radio, to the environment she found herself in, to birdsong. Her process was one of invention, discovery, a breezy disregard for traditional forms. With her longtime guitar tech and archivist Joel Bernstein she created a numerical notation system to keep track of her tunings and which song they were assigned to.

To read the rest of the article, order the issue or subscribe now. 

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Grateful Shred co-founder Dan Horne joins us for a chat about the making of the band, his love for the Dead (of course), and the tribute group’s 2025 album, Might As Well. We also talk about growing up in the Bay Area, Alembics and other gear, and so much more.

Check out Grateful Shred on tour and see what all the fuss is about: https://www.gratefulshredmusic.com/

Our new, 57th issue of the Fretboard Journal is now mailing. Subscribe here to get it.

Our next Fretboard Summit takes place August 20-22, 2026, at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago. https://fretboardsummit.org

We are brought to you by Peghead Nation: https://www.pegheadnation.com (Get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription with the promo code FRETBOARD at checkout).

Above photo: Matthew Reamer

The post Podcast 523: Grateful Shred’s Dan Horne first appeared on Fretboard Journal.



It’s the 155th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps, the call-in show where amp tech Skip Simmons fields your questions on all things tube amps. This week: Barn finds, lost dogs, an extra-grounded Jason (amp pun intended), and more!

Some of the topics discussed this week: 

1:05 Skip gets the new Fretboard Journal (link); do banjos belong in the Fretboard Journal?

5:16 Recommended music: Ned Boynton’s ‘The North Beach Sound;’ The No-Mads (nomadsband.com)

7:54 Our sponsors: Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars and Amplified Parts (and Mr. Microphone)

18:12 What’s on Skip’s bench: A Bogen GA-5; a Realistic Carnival; Masco C-6; 6AQ5 tubes

22:53 A listener baffler, answered (speaker re-coning); Vintage 47 amps (link)

26:18 Skip’s ep. 154 baffler, answered: What does Skip do when he’s modding the second input of a Fender Champ? Supro Spectators

32:51 New Accutronics reverb tanks by Revisit (link)

34:52 What’s the low input doing in a Marshall JCM800; green chile on everything

39:20 Lowering the B+ on a 1971 Fender Bassman 10 project; ultralinear transformers; cactus salad

48:43 The long-awaited dog story

51:35 Colin Hay’s “Overkill” with Choir! Choir! Choir! (YouTube link); Traynor amps

54:52 Should I treat the pitting on a Soundmaster 600 PA?

1:00:17 Lab Series amps

1:03:39 Smoke-damaged MusicMan HD-130

1:09:20 The dangers of old tractors (and drawbridges)

1:15:34 Modifying the power section of a Twin Reverb for lower volume playing; fixing a Filmosound 385 with hum; guitarist Evan Crafts (Instagram)

1:21:26 TAVA listener spotlight: Children’s book author Matt James! (Order his new book, The One About the Blackbird (Amazon link)

1:23:56 How to raise kids and run a small business; Mae Ploy curry paste 

1:31:16 Barn finds: Spring-loaded input jacks; a 1947 Fender Princeton amp and matching lap steel

Want amp tech Skip Simmons’ advice on your DIY guitar amp projects? Want to share your top secret family recipe? Need relationship advice? Join us by sending your voice memo or written questions to podcast@fretboardjournal.com! Include a photo, too.

Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons and co-hosted/produced by Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal.

Don’t forget, we have a Patreon page. Support the show, get behind-the-scenes updates and get to the front of the line with your questions.

Above: Listener Dayn’s Soundmaster PA amp, which he may or may not clean up. Below: The dangers of old tractors, courtesy of Wick Street Guitars.

The post The Truth About Vintage Amps, Ep. 155 first appeared on Fretboard Journal.



For Episode 107 of the Luthier on Luthier podcast, I’m joined by Rory Dowling, the owner and builder behind the beautifully crafted Taran Guitars.

https://www.taranguitars.co.uk

Rory talks about his team-based approach to building and his journey from furniture design to guitar making. We also take a deep dive into his unique methods for back bracing and voicing…and much more.

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.

Taran Guitars: Zachie Morris, Caelin Harrington, Rory Dowling, and Gemma Dowling

The post Luthier on Luthier: Rory Dowling (Taran Guitars) first appeared on Fretboard Journal.



Raymond Morin of Pittsburgh’s Acoustic Music Works joins us this week for an insightful chat about running a guitar store, music and so much more.

At a time when things seem pretty bleak for mom & pop guitar stores, Pittsburgh’s Acoustic Music Works is a true success story. They just moved to a new, larger location with a focus on a handful of higher-end brands and the occasional in-house concert.

https://acousticmusicworks.com

We talk about Raymond pivoting career-wise into the world of guitars; the guitar-building class he took before he became a salesperson; Collings and some of the other brands Acoustic Music Works carries; and Raymond’s own Pleinview line of instruments.

Our new, 57th issue of the Fretboard Journal is now mailing. Subscribe here to get it.

Our next Fretboard Summit takes place August 20-22, 2026, at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago. https://fretboardsummit.org

We are brought to you by Peghead Nation: https://www.pegheadnation.com (Get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription with the promo code FRETBOARD at checkout).

The post Podcast 522: Raymond Morin of Acoustic Music Works first appeared on Fretboard Journal.



It’s the 154th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps, the call-in show where amp tech Skip Simmons fields your questions on all things tube amps.

Some of the topics discussed this week: 

:42 Skip is back on the Ferguson TO-35 tractor; Roy Clark & Joe Pass

7:04 What’s on Skip’s bench: A Marshall Plexi Super Bass, Marshall bright caps, the Pet Shop Boys

11:43 Our sponsors Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars and Amplified Parts; more Fender Champ mods; a Champ gain input baffler; Soursound transformers

23:51 200 more power cords; IEC hijinks; Steve Soest

28:13 A 1954 Fender Tweed Twins and the low-powered versus high-powered Twins; Tweed Pros; Fender Champion 600 amps

31:49 A Lafayette PA with ECL82 tubes (watch on Instagram)

33:45 A 1960s Airline 62-9021A amp; how to tell a Supro/Valco from a Danelctro amp

37:33 Skip’s advice for a future repair business; liability insurance; the Boilermaker; the amp that couldn’t be fixed

49:06 A listener-submitted baffler: A Supro that needed a speaker recone?

52:29 What should I do with my new Knight 93350 PA head?

58:03 Should I build a 6G4 or a 6G4A in this Northern Electric PA-20 with six pre-amp sockets?

1:04:28 Wiring a Danelectro DS-100 speaker output for use with other cabs

1:11:10 Recommended media: The Birth of Loud; The Sweeney; Taggart

1:12:52 Burning up chokes in a Princeton Reverb

1:14:13 Listers on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl-wAqplQAo

1:15:18 ESR meters and ceviche

Need amp tech Skip Simmons’ advice on your DIY guitar amp projects? Want to share your top secret family recipe? Need relationship advice? Join us by sending your voice memo or written questions to podcast@fretboardjournal.com! Include a photo, too.

Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons and co-hosted/produced by Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal.

Don’t forget, we have a Patreon page. Support the show, get behind-the-scenes updates and get to the front of the line with your questions.

Above: Listener Marcus’ Northern Electric amp, which he may turn into a Fender Super.  

The post The Truth About Vintage Amps, Ep. 154 first appeared on Fretboard Journal.



Guitarist Paul Rigby joins us this week to talk about his 15-plus-year collaboration with Neko Case and so much more.

We hear about growing up in Calgary (and why it’s an oddly great town for guitarists); meeting Neko; writing for Broadway; songwriting help from the Black Stallion; and why his favorite electric guitar is a $123 partscaster.

https://www.instagram.com/paul.rigby003/

Neko Case’s new album, ‘Neon Grey Midnight Green, is out now. https://nekocase.com

Our new, 57th issue of the Fretboard Journal is now mailing. Subscribe here to get it.

Our next Fretboard Summit takes place August 20-22, 2026, at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago. https://fretboardsummit.org

We are brought to you by Peghead Nation: https://www.pegheadnation.com (Get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription with the promo code FRETBOARD at checkout).

The post Podcast 521: Paul Rigby first appeared on Fretboard Journal.



Guitarist Ben Garnett joins us this week to talk about the making of his new acoustic album, Kite’s Keep.

Garnett’s journey as a musician is one-of-a-kind. This former tuba player became infatuated with the guitar thanks to his uncle, Andy Timmons. He then discovered the Punch Brothers, immersed himself in bluegrass, and now has actual Punch Brothers on his new album.

Give it a listen and then go check out Kite’s Keep on all the streaming platforms.

https://www.bengarnett.net

Our new, 57th issue of the Fretboard Journal is now mailing. Subscribe here to get it.

Our next Fretboard Summit takes place August 20-22, 2026, at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago. https://fretboardsummit.org

Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar: https://mmguitarbar.com

Peghead Nation: https://www.pegheadnation.com (Get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription with the promo code FRETBOARD at checkout).

Photo: Natia Cinco

The post Podcast 520: Ben Garnett first appeared on Fretboard Journal.



On Episode 14 of Steel, we meet Travis Toy, one of Nashville’s deepest pedal steel players. Travis has shared the stage and studio with some of modern country’s biggest acts, including Luke Bryan, Rascal Flatts, Luke Combs, Steve Wariner and Patty Loveless.

Travis is one of the deepest technical practitioners of pedal steel. He’s just as comfortable playing a honky tonk gig as he is shredding jazz funk fusion on E9. We discuss his fascinating musical upbringing in Kentucky, his obsession with ’90s country and GRP records, how he tries to play things that matter in the studio, and lots more.

Read more about Travis here:

https://travistoy.com/

http://www.travistoytutorials.com/

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3WdOaE9fKZThXhFWU9dsfe?si=78e43673760841d4

Steel is brought to you by the Fretboard Journal magazine and is mixed by Armen Bazarian.

The post Steel: Travis Toy first appeared on Fretboard Journal.



On this week’s Fretboard Journal Podcast, we’re joined by New York City-based guitarist and composer Vilray Bolles.

Alongside Rachael Price of Lake Street Dive, he’s one half of Rachael & Vilray, a duo with an uncanny knack for writing brand new songs that feel like they came straight from Tin Pan Alley. On their latest release, West of Broadway, the duo was inspired by both classic musicals and West Coast jazz. They even roped in Stephen Colbert for a cameo on the album.

During our chat, we talk about Vilray’s love for jazz, his days of busking (and the downside of cell reception at subway terminals), meeting Rachael at Boston’s New England Conservatory of Music, how they recorded West of Broadway and so much more.

Bonus: Watch Vilray perform “Forever Never Lasts” solo from West of Broadway!

Our new, 57th issue of the Fretboard Journal is now mailing. Click on the Subscribe link above to get it.

Our next Fretboard Summit takes place August 20-22, 2026, at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago. https://fretboardsummit.org

We are brought to you by: Stringjoy Strings: https://stringjoy.com

(Use the code FRETBOARD to save 10% off your first order)

Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar: https://mmguitarbar.com

Peghead Nation: https://www.pegheadnation.com (Get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription with the promo code FRETBOARD at checkout).

The post Podcast 519: Vilray first appeared on Fretboard Journal.



The post Luthier on Luthier: StewMac’s Brock Poling And Gene Imbody first appeared on Fretboard Journal.



Singer-songwriter/guitarist Courtney Hartman joins us again on the podcast to share the story of her forthcoming album, With You. The album – her first since becoming a parent – is a beautiful collection of songs with a unique backstory. To help finish the record, she turned to fellow songwriter moms in her orbit.

It’s a beautiful record and a great talk. Added bonus: We’re streaming her new single “Everything at Once” on our site here. Check it out!

Follow Courtney here.

Our new, 57th issue of the Fretboard Journal is now mailing. Subscribe here to get it.

Our next Fretboard Summit takes place August 20-22, 2026 at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago. https://fretboardsummit.org

We are brought to you by: Stringjoy Strings: https://stringjoy.com

(Use the code FRETBOARD to save 10% off your first order)

Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar: https://mmguitarbar.com

Peghead Nation: https://www.pegheadnation.com (Get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription with the promo code FRETBOARD at checkout).

The post Podcast 518: Courtney Hartman first appeared on Fretboard Journal.

The Fretboard Journal is proud to share a first listen of Courtney Hartman’s “Everything at Once,” from her forthcoming album With You (out November 14, 2025).

The record, her first since 2021’s Glade, features Hartman cowriting with fellow moms and artists, including Tift Merritt, Sarah Siskind, Emily Frantz of Watchhouse.

Support With You via Courtney’s Kickstarter or follow her here.

Above photo: Michelle Bennett

The post Song Premiere: Courtney Hartman’s “Everything at Once” first appeared on Fretboard Journal.



Melbourne, Australia-based guitarist Jacob Cole joins us this week to talk about his 2025 instrumental album ‘Slow Gold’ and so much more. We hear about his Cole’s record-filled childhood, the Melbourne guitar scene, recording in Tasmania (!), and his influences. It’s an insightful chat with an artist we think you’ll love.

https://jacobcole1.bandcamp.com/album/slow-gold

Read the poignant story Jacob’s sister penned for the Guardian here:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jul/07/i-spoke-for-my-brother-when-he-was-too-afraid-to-answer-now-he-speaks-in-melodies-and-i-have-learned-to-listen

Our new, 57th issue is now mailing. You can subscribe here to get it.

Our next Fretboard Summit takes place August 20-22, 2026 at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago. https://fretboardsummit.org

We are brought to you by: Stringjoy Strings: https://stringjoy.com

(Use the code FRETBOARD to save 10% off your first order)

Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar: https://mmguitarbar.com

Peghead Nation: https://www.pegheadnation.com (Get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription with the promo code FRETBOARD at checkout).

The post Podcast 517: Jacob Cole first appeared on Fretboard Journal.

As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Fretboard Journal, our new 57th issue serves as a reminder that great guitar stories are literally everywhere. This time around, we travel to the northern reaches of England, explore the electronics that helped expand Joni Mitchell’s live rig, pay tribute to some fallen guitar heroes, and celebrate the handmade instrument movement.

Here are some highlights found in this issue’s 128 pages.

Joni Mitchell has always pushed the boundaries of songcraft and guitar playing. In this issue’s cover story, writer Clay Frohman describes how, in the mid-‘90s, with some help courtesy of Westwood Music’s Fred Walecki, Joni explored the limits of guitar tech and tuning with the help of a Roland VG-8 synth. Acclaimed guitar photographer Eleanor Jane takes pictures of Joni’s actual rig, from the VG-8 to the guitar Walecki built for her.

California’s Tom Ribbecke is known for his cutting-edge archtop and bass creations. Vermont’s Michael Millard is a bit more old school; he’s the mastermind behind legendary acoustic flattop company Froggy Bottom Guitars. Fretboard Journal founder Jason Verlinde talks to these decades-old friends about the guitars they just built for each other in the instrument trade of a lifetime.

Contributor Daniel Marcus Clark interviews acclaimed UK-based luthier Stefan Sobell about his craft. Sobell is one of those rare stringed artisans who makes nearly everything, including acoustic guitars, citterns, mandolins and bouzoukis.

Vermont’s Adam Buchwald has not-so-quietly built one of the fastest-growing guitar companies around. Starting with his high-end Circle Strings imprint, Adam then segued into the budget-minded Iris brand, and is now the current owner of industry suppliers Allied Instruments and Gurian Instruments. Writer Matt Bushlow visits Buchwald and his expansive team at their Burlington headquarters to hear about this mini empire in the fretted instrument space. Photographer Aaron Blatt takes pics of Adam and his team.

Call it upcycling or maybe hot-rodding. Cameron Knowler interviews Shawn Lee of New Mexico’s Stay Gold Guitars, a store that specializes in taking vintage (but lesser-value) American-made acoustics and rebuilding them for greatness. It’s a place where old Harmony, Bruno and Regal instruments get a second life.

The Fretboard Journal’s Sofia Wolfson interviews singer-songwriter Andy Shauf, a Canadian-born musician with a knack for beautifully orchestrated pop songs. Shauf talks about his creative process and 2, the new album from his band Foxwarren.

Plus Maine folk artist Gordon Bok, vintage Martins, painted cases, and tons of surprises.

Thanks to our community of subscribers, contributors, and sponsors for helping make this issue a reality.

Want this issue? Subscribe today and we’ll send it to you.

The post What’s Inside: Fretboard Journal 57 first appeared on Fretboard Journal.



On this week’s episode of the Fretboard Journal Podcast, we introduce you to Brooklyn-based guitarist Isaac Stalling.

Isaac sits down with editor Sofia Wolfson to talk about his musical roots in Oklahoma City, moving to NYC, playing in dozens of bands at once, and his solo project.

https://www.instagram.com/i_stalling_/?hl=en

Our new, 57th issue is now mailing. Subscribe here to get it.

Our next Fretboard Summit takes place August 20-22, 2026 at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago. https://fretboardsummit.org

We are brought to you by: Stringjoy Strings: https://stringjoy.com

(Use the code FRETBOARD to save 10% off your first order)

Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar: https://mmguitarbar.com

Peghead Nation: https://www.pegheadnation.com (Get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription with the promo code FRETBOARD at checkout).

Above photo: Nicole Barley

The post Podcast 516: Isaac Stalling first appeared on Fretboard Journal.



It’s the 153rd episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps and Skip is having a happy day fielding your amp questions. From cleaning tweed to Magnatone varistors and all points in between, it’s 90 minutes of tube amp knowledge, laughs, and some serious California trivia.

Some of the topics discussed this week: 

1:27: The 2025 Fretboard Summit; the importance of repair tags

6:55: Thanks for the mangos, John! And a food preservation tip

8:30: Our sponsors: Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars and Amplified Parts!

14:15 What’s on Skip’s bench? 60 amps in August; great Loma Rica deals; far out tubes

23:29 The big TV tubes in Standel amps (6DQ6 tubes, regulator tubes)

25:49 Skip’s near-death experience; The Edwin Hawkins Singers’ “O Happy Day” (YouTube)

31:05 Colman’s Hot Mustard

31:49 A giant yard sale in Dixon

34:23 More TAVA t-shirts; whatever happened to Jason’s Honda Scrambler?

38:04 An antique radio museum in Marysville, California

41:38 Calculating output transformer primary impedance

47:37 Cleaning tweed

49:58 Replacing the varistors in Magnatone/Americana amps; luthier Ken Bebensee; North San Juan, California; the Malakoff Diggins

56:53 Going to Guitar Center, a Gibson GA-20…or was it? Sierra Nevada Brewing Oktoberfest beer

1:01:20 The Rustic Kegger community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/tavapodcast

1:02:51 El Pato in Alaska

1:03:41 Fender Tone Ring cabinets

1:05:54 A brown 1962 Fender Super with an 8516 transformer from a TV-front Super

1:11:01 Building a shell for a Falcon chassis

1:12:55 Building a Deluxe 5E3 clone in Brazil

1:20:17 Verellen’s solid-state Octal tube (link); how power attenuators work; Benson’s Monarch Plus power scaling

1:24:41 Recommended music: Texas Alexander & Lonnie Johnson’s “Crossroads” (YouTube); KZFR; Julian Lage; Bill Frisell

1:26:19 Noel Boggs and his Day Sleepers’ “Steelin Home” (YouTube)

1:27:16 Recommended reading: The RCA RC-30 tube manual (Amplified Parts link); California’s two Sebastopols

Need amp tech Skip Simmons’ advice on your DIY guitar amp projects? Want to share your top secret family recipe? Need relationship advice? Join us by sending your voice memo or written questions to podcast@fretboardjournal.com! Include a photo, too.

Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons and co-hosted/produced by Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal.

Don’t forget, we have a Patreon page. Support the show, get behind-the-scenes updates and get to the front of the line with your questions.

Above: Listener Rafael’s 5F2A-ish build in Brazil. Below: Jay’s El Pato sighting in Alaska. 

The post The Truth About Vintage Amps, Ep. 153 first appeared on Fretboard Journal.


Martin Simpson is a true icon of the global acoustic music scene. As a guitarist, he has done a huge amount to push the boundaries of the acoustic steel string instrument – showing it can be an expressive and lyrical voice. As a songwriter, he is a masterful storyteller whose poignant lyrics are shared with a disarmingly gentle, no-frills delivery that makes those of us who grew up in the North of England very glad to have done so, and everyone who didn’t wish that they had.

Throughout his career, Martin Simpson has been a vocal proponent of luthier-made guitars – from his early adoption of the work of Northumberland’s Stefan Sobell and Cumbria’s Fylde Guitars to his championing of the next generation of British lutherie with instruments by Taran Guitars in Scotland and Turnstone Guitars in England.

It is no exaggeration to say that Martin Simpson’s musicality and expectations from a guitar have informed the voice of the modern steel-string guitar, perhaps more than any other player. This is very cool indeed.

During my visit to Martin’s home, I had the good fortune to record him playing slide on his Taran guitar. You can watch that video here https://youtu.be/eFJK1zvmPc0, as well as exploring my own instrument by Casimi guitars: https://youtu.be/45WnYusgR4w.

This episode of Life on the Fretboard is brought to you with the kind sponsorship of the author John Stubbings, whose new novel ‘The Guitar Detective’ is a beautiful companion piece to his debut ouvre ‘The Devil Is In It.’ You can get your copy of ‘The Guitar Detective’ right here: https://orpharionpress.com.

You can learn more about Martin Simpson here:

https://martinsimpsonmusic.com

https://www.youtube.com/@MartinSimpsonOfficial

https://www.instagram.com/martinsimpsonmusic

To support Life On The Fretboard please click here https://michaelwattsguitar.com/tip-jars/4745

Michael Watts:
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/user/michaelwattsguitar

Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/michael.watts.guitar/

Website
https://michaelwattsguitar.com

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Ryan Richter, Dylan Day, and Harrison Whitford are three wildly creative guitarists who happen to play with some of the most-streamed artists of the last few years, including Ed Sheeran (Dylan), Phoebe Bridgers (Harrison), and Lizzy McAlpine (Ryan). They are all based in Los Angeles.

At the 2025 Fretboard Summit, we sit down with these three musicians to discuss their journeys as artists and collaborators. We hear about why they all landed in LA, how they work with big-name artists, the gear they are currently obsessing over, their solo recordings, and so much more. It’s an introspective chat filled with insights.

https://www.instagram.com/dylnday/
https://www.instagram.com/misterrichter/
https://www.instagram.com/scarrisonwhitford/

Our next Fretboard Summit takes place August 20-22, 2026 at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago. https://fretboardsummit.org

We are brought to you by: Stringjoy Strings: https://stringjoy.com

(Use the code FRETBOARD to save 10% off your first order)

Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar: https://mmguitarbar.com

Peghead Nation: https://www.pegheadnation.com (Get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription with the promo code FRETBOARD at checkout).

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Above: Jason Verlinde interviewing Harrison Whitford, Dylan Day and Ryan Richter at the 2025 Fretboard Summit. Photo: Sofia Wolfson

The post Podcast 515: Ryan Richter, Dylan Day, and Harrison Whitford (Live from the 2025 Fretboard Summit) first appeared on Fretboard Journal.