The Fretboard Journal Guitar Podcast

The Fretboard Journal Guitar Podcast

The Fretboard Journal magazine's weekly podcast, where we interview legendary guitarists, luthiers, and much more.

Episodes

March 20, 2026 32 mins

This week, the Fretboard Journal's Sofia Wolfson talks to Tulsa, Oklahoma-based songwriter Ramsey Thornton. Ramsey is a multi-instrumentalist with a love for both banjo and guitar. In fact, he's one of those rare individuals who boasts a graduate degree in banjo!

We hear all about it and about Ramsey's forthcoming debut album, 'I Called It!' 

Follow Ramsey here: https://www.instagram.com/ramsey.thornton/

Our next Fretboard Summi...

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Portland, Oregon-based musicians Eric Skye and Jonah Sissoyev join us this week to talk about Jonah's beautiful new EP, 'A Place Called Nowhere.' 

The EP's origin story begins with Jonah asking Eric, an acclaimed fingerstyle guitarist and Santa Cruz Guitar Co. signature model artist, for guitar lessons. Once he heard Jonah's songs, Eric offered to produce and record this project.
 
During our chat, we he...
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Acclaimed vintage guitar repairperson Mark Stutman (Folkway Music) joins the Fretboard Journal Podcast once again. 

We talk about his early training as a luthier, running Folkway Music, and his approach to repairing vintage acoustics that may have left the factory with a quirk or two. We also talk about Mark's love for film and digital photography and so much more. 
 
Mark is a frequent guest on our podcast, a ...
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Fretboard Journal contributor Seth Lorinczi joins us this week to talk about the rise and fall of Micro-Frets, the upstart electric guitar brand launched in the late 1960s.

Seth penned a lengthy story on Micro-Frets for our magazine's 58th issue (available now), and we talk about the brand's launch in Maryland, its unique offerings, the short-lived attempt to revive the company, and so much more. We also talk about Seth's history i...

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In what has become an annual tradition, Evan Gluck (NY Guitar Repair) hosted a guitar repair roundtable at the 2025 Fretboard Summit. This year, he brought Ceil Thompson (StewMac); TJ Thompson (Pro Luthier Tools); Mamie Minch (Brooklyn Lutherie); and Mark Stutman (Folkway Music) onstage. 

It's an insightful (and often hilarious) talk about the realities of running a guitar repair business. Very quickly, these five guitar repair ex...

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February 7, 2026 37 mins

Sam Skinner (Pinegrove) joins us this week to talk about his work as a guitarist, producer and engineer. 

https://www.samskinner.com

We also get Fretboard Journal and Fretboard Summit updates! 

Our 58th 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...

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January 29, 2026 61 mins

Fingerstyle guitar authority John Stropes joins us this week to talk all about his new two-volume book featuring transcriptions of every track on Leo Kottke's monumental '6 & 12 String Guitar' album! 

Get the book here: https://www.stropes.com/product/leo-kottke-6-and-12-string-guitar-a-companion-by-john-stropes-and-benjamin-kammin/

During our chat, we hear about Stropes love for fingerstyle, how the Old Town School of Folk Mus...

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January 23, 2026 49 mins

The Fretboard Journal's Sofia Wolfson interviews musician, producer, and recording and mixing engineer Philip Weinrobe. Over the years, Weinrobe has worked with a wide array of artists, including Big Thief, Hand Habits, Adrianne Lenker, Theo Katzman, Marc Ribot, Lake Street Dive, and countless others.

It's a great chat about Weinrobe's roots as a recording engineer, his work at Figure 8 and Sugar Mountain studios, and so much more....

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January 16, 2026 83 mins

Guitarist/composer/improviser Shane Parish is about to release a truly astounding project, Autechre Guitar. The Athens, Georgia-based guitarist has transcribed and recorded an entire album of acoustic guitar arrangements featuring the music of electronic music duo Autechre.

This is no small feat. Autechre's atmospheric compositions were made with layered synths and drum machines. Shane has somehow distilled them to their essence an...

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January 10, 2026 59 mins

On this week's podcast, UK-based author and guitar fanatic John Stubbings returns to tell us all about his new book, 'The Guitar Detective.' The follow-up to his monumental 'The Devil Is In It' publishing project, 'The Guitar Detective' is a "non-fiction novel" based around a riveting guitar mystery.

We discuss the format John chose for this book, his inspiration for the story, and so much ...

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To wrap up this year, Fretboard Journal editors Jason Verlinde and Sofia Wolfson talk about some of their favorite moments from 2025. We discuss the inner workings of the magazine, our favorite articles, the 2025 Fretboard Summit, some of our favorite records and shows of the year, and so much more. 

On behalf of all of us, we hope you have a very happy New Year.  

Our next Fretboard Summit takes place August 20-22, 2026, at the O...

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Nearly every guitar player has daydreamed about running their favorite gear company. On this week's Fretboard Journal Podcast, we hear from two individuals who are currently living that dream: Nashville's Pete Mroz and Shannon Pollard.

Earlier this year, these two guitar fanatics and businessmen became the new owners of Bend, Oregon's Breedlove Guitars.

During our chat,...

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December 12, 2025 38 mins

Mandolin hero John Reischman joins us this week to talk about his new album, 'The Salish Sea.'

We chat about the influence the Pacific Northwest has had on his music-making, discuss his famed Lloyd Loar-signed Gibson F-5 mandolin, and so much more. 

Check out the Salish Sea here or on your favorite streaming platform: https://johnreischmanandthejaybirds.bandcamp.com/album/the-salish-sea

ht...

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December 8, 2025 59 mins

Every year during the holiday season, we chat with Guru Singh, a third-generation yogi and spiritual teacher who also happens to live and breathe guitars.

On this installment (Guru Singh's third visit), we go deep. This former Reprise artist and friend of Janis Joplin talks to us about the spirit of giving, the benefits of A.I. (even for musicians), how he stays optimistic during difficult times, and so much more.

We'll be sharin...

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November 28, 2025 42 mins

Today's podcast episode is with Liam Kazar, a Chicago-born singer-songwriter and guitarist currently touring in Jeff Tweedy's band.

Liam just put out a new record, Pilot Light, which he made at Flying Cloud Studios in upstate New York. Check it out and catch him on the road.

https://www.instagram.com/liamkazar

https://liamkazar.com

Our 57th issue of...

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November 21, 2025 43 mins

On today's episode of the podcast, Sofia Wolfson talks to TJ Hiemel, owner of Troy, New York's Love of Fuzz store.

TJ shares with us some of his favorite gear that has come through the shop, his role in the upstate music community, the magic behind his ever-evolving inventory, and much more. Be sure to follow the shop's Instagram to stay up to date with their inventory.

https://www.instagram.com/love_of_fuzz/

https://www.loveoffu...

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November 14, 2025 64 mins

Vermont-based guitar hero Paul Asbell joins us this week to talk about his new book, 'Stages: Ruminations, Rants, and Reminiscences on a Life in Music.'

In 'Stages,' Paul recounts stories from early in his career when he worked as a sideman for legendary blues artists on the South Side of Chicago. We also hear about Paul's unique upbringing, his love for luthier-made instruments, why he lef...

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November 7, 2025 57 mins

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 m...

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November 5, 2025 23 mins

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 Journa...

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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 have just relocated to a new, larger space, focusing on a select range of premium brands and hosting occasional i...

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