On Episode 101 of the podcast, we welcome Peggy White, an exceptional acoustic guitar builder from Ontario, Canada. Peggy has honed her craft under the guidance of some of the finest luthiers in the world, including Sergei de Jonge, Linda Manzer, and Michel Pellerin. In this episode, she shares the story of her musical journey, her experience worki…

For episode 100 of the podcast, I talk with the legendary Jim Olson. Jim should need little introduction to most Luthier on Luthier listeners. His guitars have been played and cherished by artists including James Taylor (you can even spot the trademark headstock "O" during Taylor's appearance on the Simpsons), Paul Simon, Phil Keaggy, Zac Brown and…

Maegan Wells is known for her beautifully crafted archtop guitars and mandolins made in her one-person shop in Northern California. For episode 99 of the podcast, Meagan shares her guitar-making journey, starting with attending Bryan Galloup's Galloup School of Guitar Making and Guitar Repair, followed by apprenticeships, side jobs, and a stint at …

For episode 98 of the podcast, I am joined by renowned classical guitar maker Gary Southwell. Based on the banks of the River Rede in Northumberland, England, Southwell has been building instruments since 1983. Gary and I talk about the unique characteristics of Bog Oak, the history and influence of 19th-century Viennese guitars, his interactions w…

Max Monterosso builds beautifully detailed steel string guitars, harp and electric guitars out of his one-person shop in the Veneto region of Italy. For episode 97 of the podcast, I caught up with Max at the Acoustic Guitar Village Show in Cremona, Italy this past October. https://www.maxmonte.com/en/ https://www.instagram.com/maxmonte_guitars/ Max…

Episode 96 of Luthier on Luthier is a collection of interviews from the 2024 Rocky Mountain Archtop Guitar Festival, sponsored by Henriksen Amplifiers. At the show, Cris Mirabella, Tyler Wells, and Maegan Wells each presented their guitars to the new Blue Guitars Collection. I sit down with each of them to hear their thoughts on the instruments and…

Mark Stutman is renowned for vintage guitar repairs and is also the owner of Canada's Folkway Music in Waterloo, Ontario. For episode 95 of the podcast, Mark goes into the history of his repair career and how it all started with the search for a good left-handed guitar. Mark also shares with us some of the unique challenges of working on vintage Gi…

Episode 94 of the podcast is a live interview at the 2024 Fretboard Summit with the incredible Michael Millard of Froggy Bottom Guitars. Michael has over 50 years of guitar-building experience. In 1970, he spent four years working with Gurian Guitars before launching Froggy Bottom. He shares with us lessons learned from customer interactions, guita…

Seth Baccus creates a range of beautiful electric guitars in the UK. Seth learned the guitar business and guitar making from renowned luthiers Andy and Hugh Manson, who also happen to be his stepdad and uncle, respectively. For episode 93 of the podcast, Seth tells us about his retail experience and being a road tech for John Paul Jones and the Led…

Guitarmaker Mark Blanchard has a background in machining, a skill he learned at a young age from his dad. These days, he uses his metal-working skills to not only make his own excellent truss rods but also a CNC lathe and many of his own tools, including chisels and planes. Mark does all this out of his one-person shop, located in the mountains of …

Noemi Schembri builds outstanding guitars out of her one-person workshop in Northern Italy. Noemi had an interest in woodworking at a young age and went to high school and college to prepare for a career in the wood industry. For episode 91 of the podcast, Noemi tells us how she ended up forging her own path in woodworking and how this led to her s…

Jeff LaQuatra is a professor of guitar and has directed the guitar program at Colorado State University since 2016. For episode 90 of the podcast, Jeff shares his musical journey from student, to winning and judging competitions, to teaching. Jeff also talks about how he prepares his students to make a living as a professional player and what advic…

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, a…

Lifelong friends Mathias Roux and Matthew Rice make visually stunning and beautifully executed Casimi Guitars out of their shop in South Africa. For episode 88 of the podcast, Mathias and Matthew discuss how they developed their visual style and the voice of their guitars. They also share their thoughts on the division of labor in the shop, their t…

Joe Zon of Zon Guitars has been pushing the limits of bass building with phenomenal results since the early 1980s. For episode 87 of the podcast, Joe explains his theory and the construction of all-composite necks and how they are used to enhance the sounds of the wood. Joe also discusses his collaboration with Bartolini pickups, active versus pass…

Aluminati Guitars offers innovative, environmentally friendly, and beautifully designed guitars built in Asheville, North Carolina. For episode 86 of the podcast, I sit down with the company's founder, James Little. James tells us about the aluminum, carbon fiber and Lucite components used to make their complete instruments, OEM necks, and off-the-…

Al Beardsell makes beautifully designed and crafted guitars in Winnipeg, Canada. Al started building as a musician because he could not find, or in some cases, afford the kind of guitars he wanted to play. For episode 85 of the podcast, Al shares with us his thoughts on engineered sides, electric acoustic hybrids, making pickups, and much more. Fin…

Cris Mirabella (Mirabella Guitars) makes stunning archtop and electric guitars from his workshop on Long Island. For episode 84 of the podcast, Cris gives us a mini masterclass on New York archtop guitar history. We hear about the origins of Jimmy D’Angelico, Jimmy D’Aquisto, and Vincent DiSerio and how they are all intertwined. Then, Cris shares w…

James Condino builds and repairs guitars, mandolins and standup basses in Asheville, NC. And he plays all of them! For episode 83, James shares with us some commonalities and differences of all the instruments he works on, his business philosophy and the importance of playing music to his craft. Links: https://condino.com/ https://kaybassrepair.com…

Richard Hoover is the founder of the Santa Cruz Guitar Company, which has been a leader in the world of boutique acoustic guitars since 1976. For episode 82 of the podcast, recorded live at the 2023 Fretboard Summit, Richard shares his guiding principles, thoughts on running a company, selecting materials, and much more. Links: https://santacruzgui…

Island Instruments' Nic Delisle makes a wide variety of incredible and innovative guitars out of his Montreal workshop. For episode 81 of the podcast, Nic tells us all about the construction and origins of his new archtop double-top model. We also talk about the guitar co-op he operates out of, his milk paint finishes, his aluminum-neck basses, and…

Larry Fitzgerald is considered one of the world’s top guitar repairmen. As a teenager, Larry was often hanging around NYC’s famous guitar shops on 48th Street. After a year at the Berklee College of Music, he worked at Rudy’s doing repairs and eventually assisted John Suhr in making the renowned Pensa/Suhr guitars. Larry then worked at Mandolin Bro…

Support Luthier on Luthier with our new Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/luthieronluthier You may not know the name Mitsuhiro Uchida, but you should. Mitsuhiro is a national treasure of Japan and has influenced makers like Michi Matsuda and Isaac Jang, who join me for today's podcast. Uchida-san started his international lutherie journey worki…

This month's podcast features one of my favorite builders, Keisuke Nishi of Keystone Guitars. Keisuke went to luthier school in both Japan and the US, worked for First Act, and then did an apprenticeship with acclaimed guitarmaker Mario Beauregard. For episode 78 of the podcast, Keisuke compares his educational experiences and discusses how he was …

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…