The Fretboard Journal Guitar Podcast Fretboard Journal

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 with Ryan Beatty, the LA guitar scene today, working with Mason Stoops, the perils of hot vocal mics, and so much more. 

"As Good A Place As Any (No Hard Feelings)" is a beautiful and unique debut project and we hope you'll check it out. 

Ryan's album on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/3K291dCwsQ9OJeCyv0VK4u?si=3e18abbab2ab4d32
Pre-Order the Vinyl:
https://rrmerch.shop/products/ryan-richter-as-good-a-place-as-any-vinyl
Fretboard Summit 2024 Registration: 
https://fretboardsummit.org

Watch Ryan walk through his Dijon gear:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azF47JR6R4M
Listen to Ryan host our G. Weller episode from 2023: 
https://www.fretboardjournal.com/podcasts/podcast-406-the-mystery-of-g-weller/
Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal print edition and reserve your copy of Fretboard Journal 54:  https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/products/fretboard-journal-annual-subscription
This week's show is sponsored by:
StewMac: https://stewmac.sjv.io/R5jvRR (Affiliate link)
Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar: https://mmguitarbar.com
Izotope: https://www.izotope.com (Use the code FRET10 to save 10%)
Stringjoy Strings: https://stringjoy.com (Use the code FRETBOARD to save 10% off your first order)
Peghead Nation: https://www.pegheadnation.com (Get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription with the promo code FRETBOARD at checkout).
Love the podcast and want to support it? We have a Patreon page just for Fretboard Journal fans and loaded with bonus content. https://www.patreon.com/Fretboard_Journal

This week, JHS founder Josh Scott joins Jason to talk about guitar media, following your passion, marketing, work/life balance and so much more.
We talk about how JHS was founded, the JHS Show on YouTube (and the work that goes into it), guitar media, printed matter in 2024, events, social media, the enduring power of Facebook (and paper books!), marketing advice, and more.
We also talk about JHS's participation in the Mid South gravel bike festival. (Rumor has it, we'll be teaming up with JHS and Mid South for a fun bike ride at the 2024 Chicago Fretboard Summit 2024. Inquire within.)
Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal print edition and reserve your copy of Fretboard Journal 54:  https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/products/fretboard-journal-annual-subscription
This week's show is sponsored by:
StewMac: https://stewmac.sjv.io/R5jvRR (Affiliate link)
Collings Guitars & Mandolins: https://www.collingsguitars.com
Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar: https://mmguitarbar.com
Izotope: https://www.izotope.com (Use the code FRET10 to save 10%)
Stringjoy Strings: https://stringjoy.com (Use the code FRETBOARD to save 10% off your first order)
Peghead Nation: https://www.pegheadnation.com (Get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription with the promo code FRETBOARD at checkout).
Love the podcast and want to support it? We have a Patreon page just for Fretboard Journal fans and loaded with bonus content. https://www.patreon.com/Fretboard_Journal
 

Singer-songwriter 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. 

John Smith Walks Us Through DADGAD: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBahk8LBy58&t=175s

John Smith on That Pedal Show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATYio-WoCvk

PS: Joe Henry will be appearing at our 2024 Fretboard Summit alongside Blake Mills, Valerie June, Colin Hay and dozens of other Fretboard Journal favorites. Register here: https://fretboardsummit.org/
Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal print edition and reserve your copy of Fretboard Journal 54:  https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/products/fretboard-journal-annual-subscription

This week's show is sponsored by:
StewMac: https://stewmac.sjv.io/R5jvRR (Affiliate link)
Collings Guitars & Mandolins: https://www.collingsguitars.com
Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar: https://mmguitarbar.com
Izotope: https://www.izotope.com (Use the code FRET10 to save 10%)
Stringjoy Strings: https://stringjoy.com (Use the code FRETBOARD to save 10% off your first order)
Peghead Nation: https://www.pegheadnation.com (Get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription with the promo code FRETBOARD at checkout).

Love the podcast and want to support it? We have a Patreon page just for Fretboard Journal fans and loaded with bonus content. https://www.patreon.com/Fretboard_Journal
 

Scott Ballew is an Austin, Texas-based filmmaker and musician. For years, he’s directed unforgettable videos and documentaries for Yeti and others. In 2020, he decided to take up songwriting and recorded his first album just a year later.
This week, Ballew releases his third album, Rio Bravo. It’s an exceptional work that somehow combines Ballew’s affinity for Townes Van Zandt and other Austin legends with his love for reverb-drenched Ennio Morricone soundtracks. We love it. 
During our chat, Scott tells us about his unlikely journey from football star to director to songwriter and about how filmmaking has shaped his music output. We also talk about the making of Rio Bravo, Scott’s growing guitar collection, the time he spent with Townes Van Zandt’s Gibson, and how – thanks to Pearl Jam – he ended up playing football for the University of Washington.  
Scott's site: https://www.leisurerodeo.com
Recommended viewing:
Can You Hear Me Smiling: A short doc on Scott Ballew’s songwriting
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEkWxtLjD-4&t=1s
My Old Man | No. 4 - Anchor Point: Scott’s Yeti doc featuring JT Van Zandt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KadKx5k6XoY
Leisure Rodeo: A Short Film by Scott Ballew
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65vd-PjEBnY&t=2s
Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal print edition and reserve your copy of Fretboard Journal 54:  https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/products/fretboard-journal-annual-subscription

Register for our 2024 Fretboard Summit in Chicago (Aug 23-25): https://fretboardsummit.org/

This week's show is sponsored by:
StewMac: https://stewmac.sjv.io/R5jvRR (Affiliate link)
Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar: https://mmguitarbar.com
Izotope: https://www.izotope.com (Use the code FRET10 to save 10%)
Stringjoy Strings: https://stringjoy.com (Use the code FRETBOARD to save 10% off your first order)
Peghead Nation: https://www.pegheadnation.com (Get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription with the promo code FRETBOARD at checkout).

Love the podcast and want to support it? We have a new Patreon page just for Fretboard Journal fans and loaded with bonus content. https://www.patreon.com/Fretboard_Journal
 

Six-time Grammy-winning multi-instrumentalist, producer, and composer John Leventhal joins us this week to talk about 'Rumble Strip,' his long-awaited debut solo album!

John tells us why, after five decades in the music business, he decided to make a solo album. We chat about his writing process, the home studio he and partner Rosanne Cash have in NYC, the gear that he used on the album, his favorite microphones, and his go-to acoustic tuning (CGDGBE).

Also discussed are the influence of Ry Cooder on his playing, the magic found in old Gibson flattops (and '60s Guilds), and why John tries to ignore industry trends when he's working as a producer. Finally, we talk about a very special feature in the Fretboard Journal's 54th issue on a Martin that belonged to John's father-in-law, Johnny Cash.

'Rumble Strip' can be streamed now in all the usual places or visit  https://www.rumblestriprecords.net/

Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal print edition and reserve your copy of Fretboard Journal 54: https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/products/fretboard-journal-annual-subscription

Register for our 2024 Fretboard Summit in Chicago (Aug 23-25): https://fretboardsummit.org/

This week's show is sponsored by:
StewMac: https://stewmac.sjv.io/R5jvRR (Affiliate link)
Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar: https://mmguitarbar.com
Izotope: https://www.izotope.com (Use the code FRET10 to save 10%)
Stringjoy Strings: https://stringjoy.com (Use the code FRETBOARD to save 10% off your first order)
Peghead Nation: https://www.pegheadnation.com (Get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription with the promo code FRETBOARD at checkout).

Love the podcast and want to support it? We have a new Patreon page just for Fretboard Journal fans and loaded with bonus content. https://www.patreon.com/Fretboard_Journal
 

Craig Korth is a bluegrass musician, instrument collector, and luthier based in British Columbia.
 
Over the years, Craig performed at countless festivals, ran a music camp, and amassed a world-class collection of vintage instruments. As he recounted at the end of his appearance on episode 271 of the Fretboard Journal Podcast, he's also struggled with focal dystonia, a neurological condition that can wreak havoc on high-level musicians. 
 
For this week's episode, Craig candidly shares some of the steps he's taken to heal his focal dystonia and play at a high level again. From exercises like taking up the upright bass to emotional support groups and mind-altering psychedelic therapy sessions, it's a journey unlike any we've ever shared. 
 
 
Some links mentioned:
 
Hear Craig's music:
https://open.spotify.com/album/0lPWoHPQnQZw7uuhcvUeQE?fbclid=IwAR1xV0Mj9saq9S5EsbMvtMc18Mp8hLm9cv-SA6wAW6b8kzk_3vqBINEeJqc
 
 
Craig Korth on Fretboard Journal Podcast 271: 
https://www.fretboardjournal.com/podcasts/podcast-271-craig-korth/
 
 
Michael Pollan's 'How to Change Your Mind': 
https://www.netflix.com/title/80229847
 
 
Musicians With Focal Dystonia Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/395945924186868
 
 
Author Ruth Chiles: 
https://focaldystoniacure.com/
 

Dr. Joaquin Farias' lecture on focal dystonia:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8f_A16OwSo

 
Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal print edition: https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/products/fretboard-journal-annual-subscription
 
Register for our 2024 Fretboard Summit in Chicago (Aug 23-25): https://fretboardsummit.org/
 
This week's show is sponsored by: StewMac: https://stewmac.sjv.io/R5jvRR (Affiliate link)
Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar: https://mmguitarbar.com
Izotope: https://www.izotope.com (Use the code FRET10 to save 10%)
Stringjoy Strings: https://stringjoy.com (Use the code FRETBOARD to save 10% off your first order)
 
Peghead Nation: https://www.pegheadnation.com (Get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription with the promo code FRETBOARD at checkout).