Best For Luthiers By Luthiers Podcasts (2025)

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Biography | The Story of Adriano Sergio | LWSA Ep 63 51:08

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3d ago51:08

51:08

This week on Life With Strings Attached, we dive into the remarkable story of Adriano Sérgio. An artist, musician, and luthier whose life journey is as inspiring as the guitars he creates. From his early days as a political refugee to military service in Portugal’s elite forces, Adriano’s path has been shaped by resilience, community, and a relentl…

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The Anti-Luxury Luthier: Andy Manson on Touch, Tools, and Truth 2:30:22

10d ago2:30:22

2:30:22

Welcome to Life With Strings Attached. In this episode we sit down with master luthier Andy Manson, a maker whose work lives at the intersection of creativity, chaos, and craftsmanship. Andy takes us on a journey through travel, food, culture, and family legacy, weaving personal stories with deep insights into guitar making, materials, and design. …

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Episode 39 - Why STORYTELLING Is Your Most Valuable Skill (Part 1) 1:19:25

11d ago1:19:25

1:19:25

Are you a good storyteller? Do you tell the story behind your art so that the audience undertstands and CONNECTS with your work? Storytelling is the KEY to making people care about WHY you make art and WHAT IT IS YOU'RE TRYING TO SAY with it. People buy the work for the STORY of the art and the maker. If we know storytelling is so important, why do…

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Episode 79: Bear Necessities: Navigating Economic Uncertainy 1:04:39

12d ago1:04:39

1:04:39

The market keeps changing. Luthiers, shop owners, and resellers are doing their best to stay profitable in a economic uncertainty. What are some practical steps to take? Join Rozie and Brandon as they talk with Daniel Jobe of the CPA firm Friedman, Kannenberg & Co., a group that has been serving the music industry for over 30 years. to discuss the …

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Not Everything Has to Shine | A Conversation with Luthier Mario Beauregard 1:51:33

17d ago1:51:33

1:51:33

On this episode of Life With Strings Attached, we sit down with luthier Mario Beauregard. An innovative guitar maker whose journey spans rural Canada, the streets of Japan, and a lifetime of travel, music, and craftsmanship. Mario shares how his early life experiences shaped his path, the importance of finding balance as a maker, and the emotional …

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Dana Bourgeois: 50 Years of Innovation, Tradition, and Tone 1:53:09

24d ago1:53:09

1:53:09

Today’s guest is a true icon in the world of acoustic guitar making. Someone whose influence has quietly shaped the way modern luthiers build, voice, and imagine the steel-string guitar. With over 50 years of experience at the workbench, Dana Bourgeois has carved out a singular path in the craft, blending deep technical knowledge with a relentless …

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Episode 38 - Are you TALENTED, or do you just WORK HARD? 1:13:14

26d ago1:13:14

1:13:14

Can you succeed with HARD WORK ALONE, or do you need TALENT as well? Does TALENT make the difference between being good vs being great? What exactly is the difference between talent, aptitude, and hard work and which do you possess? Join us for a spirited discussion on this topic in today's episode. Plus, MARY IS BACK! To watch the YOUTUBE VIDEO of…

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Tradition, Disrupted: Fred Kopo’s Uncompromising Approach to Guitar Making 2:04:59

1M ago2:04:59

2:04:59

In this episode of Life with Strings Attached, I sit down with Fred Pons (also known as Fred Kopo) a deeply respected luthier from France whose journey into guitar making began with what he describes as “a slap of inspiration.” At just 16, a visit to a rural guitar workshop with his teacher changed the course of his life. The smell of wood, the cal…

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Biography | Mike Sankey: Building What No One Asked For 1:12:52

1M ago1:12:52

1:12:52

This episode is part of a new Biography Edition of Life With Strings Attached, a space to pause and reflect on the people behind the instruments. It's been our experience that these remarkable ideas come from remarkable people, who have a depth and character that cannot be easily distinguished from the things that they create. This Biography Editio…

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The Luthier Next Door | The Under Rocks podcast 33:22

1M ago33:22

33:22

In a quiet wooded neighborhood on the south side of Rockford, there’s a man making magic in his basement workshop. Tom Asher uses the tools, knowledge, and creative skills he’s gathered over a lifetime as a musician, woodworker, and artist -- to craft violins.By Dan Libman, Spencer Tritt, Susan Stephens

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Episode 37 - Barstool Confessions #2 : Surprise Questions w/ Paul & Erik 1:25:19

1M ago1:25:19

1:25:19

BY POPULAR REQUEST, ANOTHER EPISODE OF BARSTOOL CONFESSIONS. Pull up a bar stool next to us, have a beer, and talk about DESIGN, LIFE, PHILOSOPHY, and the emotional nature of CREATIVITY. This episode gets back to our roots where Paul & Erik have a vulnerable and candid discussion on two SUPRISE QUESTIONS (each of us came up with 1 question and DID …

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Dan Furman, PhD: What Brain Signals Teach Us About Music, Focus, and Feeling 1:53:58

1M ago1:53:58

1:53:58

Dan Furman, PhD, is a neuroscientist, Harvard graduate, and co-founder of Arctop, a company developing real-time brain-computer interface software that translates electrical activity from the brain into usable data. In this episode, Dan joins Jamie Gale for a far-reaching conversation about music, emotion, memory, and how we might one day listen to…

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Rethinking the Electric Guitar with Two of Its Leading Historians: Jan Herbst & Steve Waksman 2:27:12

2M ago2:27:12

2:27:12

Few people have shaped the way we understand the electric guitar like Jan Herbst and Steve Waksman. Both have spent their careers asking deeper questions about sound, design, meaning, and the role of technology in music. Steve is the author of Instruments of Desire, the first major academic study of the electric guitar. Jan is a leading voice in th…

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Episode 78: You asked, we answered. 1:02:28

2M ago1:02:28

1:02:28

Team Omo answers listener submitted questionsBy for Luthiers, by Luthiers

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Episode 36 - Should THE PRICE guide THE DESIGN? 1:28:27

2M ago1:28:27

1:28:27

When you design something, should you be thinking about the final price upfront? Does that help guide you toward a sale of the piece or does that HINDER your thinking, prohibiting you from making AN EVEN BETTER PIECE?? Are we thinking practically about marketing, price point, and MAKING THE SALE, or are we LIMITING OUR CREATIVITY or ability to brea…

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Dan Erlewine (StewMac): A Life in Guitar Repair, Innovation, and Legacy 1:40:49

2M ago1:40:49

1:40:49

[re-upload with improved audio quality] Legendary guitar repairman, luthier, and educator Dan Erlewine (StewMac) joins us for a conversation on innovation, legacy, and the craft behind the music. In this episode of Life With Strings Attached, we reflect on Dan’s early inspirations, his journey into guitar building and repair, and the unforeseen inn…

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How Michael Tobias Designed the Bass You Didn’t Know You’ve Heard 1:40:45

2M ago1:40:45

1:40:45

Michael Tobias didn’t set out to change the sound of modern music, but that’s exactly what he did. In this episode, he joins Jamie Gale to reflect on five decades of instrument building, from the early days of repairing guitars in Washington, D.C., to founding Tobias Guitars, surviving corporate life at Gibson, and ultimately creating MTD: a brand …

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Episode 35 - WHERE has all the COLOR GONE? 1:28:01

2M ago1:28:01

1:28:01

Where has all the color and ornamentation gone??? Why has minimalism become so pervasive over the last century in America? Once, ornamentation and vivid color were celebrated hallmarks of art, architecture, and design—think Baroque paintings, intricate textiles, and the opulence of Art Nouveau. But with the rise of minimalism in the early 20th cent…

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From Hollywood to Handwork: Concept Artist Tim Warnock on Creative Identity 1:52:02

2M ago1:52:02

1:52:02

What does a concept artist who’s worked on Harry Potter, Transformers, and The Expanse have to say about boutique guitars? Plenty, as it turns out. In this episode of Life With Strings Attached, Jamie Gale talks with Tim Warnock — a former matte painter at Industrial Light & Magic and co-founder of Northfront Studio — about what it means to build c…

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Hiding history, preserving our past | Under Rocks podcast 23:14

2M ago23:14

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2000 called and wants its phone book back. And now it's in the hands that last touched it 25 years ago. Join Northern Star reporters past and present as they relive the past and plan for the future through a time capsule in a wall at Northern Illinois University.By Spencer Tritt, Susan Stephens, Dan Libman

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Gangs, Guitars, and the Grit to Keep Going — Bob Robinson 1:49:58

3M ago1:49:58

1:49:58

What does it take to stay creative in the face of chaos? In this episode of Life With Strings Attached, Jamie Gale sits down with Bob Robinson — a luthier, furniture maker, and all-around builder — to hear how his journey took him from working in gang territory on Chicago’s West Side to redefining what it means to make a classical guitar. They expl…

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Episode 34 -Barstool Confessions #1 : Surprise Questions w/ Paul & Erik 1:05:42

3M ago1:05:42

1:05:42

This podcast began organically, when Paul & Erik noticed that each time they were together, they would pull up a bar stool, have a beer, and talk about DESIGN, LIFE, PHILOSOPHY, and the emotional nature of CREATIVITY, so why not record the conversations that were ALREADY HAPPENING?! We figured we may or may not find answers, but at least we're aski…

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Episode 77: Model Behavior 45:52

3M ago45:52

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Jerry interviews violin makers Michael Doran and Ryan Soltis about making new models and personal models. Special Guests: Michael Doran and Ryan Soltis .By for Luthiers, by Luthiers

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Frank Deimel on Sound, Identity, and Building Guitars That Rebel 1:42:20

3M ago1:42:20

1:42:20

In this episode of Life With Strings Attached, Jamie Gale speaks with German luthier Frank Deimel, a builder whose instruments blend fine craftsmanship with punk energy, political commentary, and sonic experimentation. Frank shares the unexpected path that took him from classical guitar dropout to one of the most original voices in modern guitar ma…

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Isaac Jang on Legacy, Faith, and the Craft of Making Happy Guitars 1:48:37

3M ago1:48:37

1:48:37

[re-upload with highly improved audio] In this episode of Life With Strings Attached, Jamie Gale sits down with luthier Isaac Jang — one of the most admired voices in the modern guitar world — to explore what it means to build instruments that don’t just sound beautiful, but feel meaningful. From a decade-long apprenticeship with Kathy Wingert to l…

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Episode 33 - How Creative Pursuits Can QUIET the Noise of STRESS (w/ Dr. Sherry Pagoto) 1:29:40

3M ago1:29:40

1:29:40

Have you ever felt a sense of calm after working in the garden, fixing something in the shop, or cooking in the kitchen? Why does working with our hands have such a powerful effect on our mood? Can working with our hands help with the heaviness we feel, the anxiety, or even depression? In today’s episode, we’re diving into the deep connection betwe…

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Rewiring the Brain: Living, Creating, and Surviving with Intention | J. Galen Buckwalter 1:58:56

3M ago1:58:56

1:58:56

J. Galen Buckwalter is a research psychologist with over 30 years of experience exploring the intersection of psychology, technology, and human behavior. He started his career as a research professor at the University of Southern California and later developed a behavioural outcomes research program at Kaiser Permanente. But many will know him best…

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Episode 76: Bows & Riches with Richard Morency 1:03:03

3M ago1:03:03

1:03:03

Katherine and Joshua talk bows with bow maker Richard Morency. Special Guest: Richard Morency .By for Luthiers, by Luthiers

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Inside the snow globe: Putting Edith back in the Farnsworth House | Under Rocks podcast 35:48

3M ago35:48

35:48

One of the world’s most precious architectural gems rests on the banks of the Fox River in northern Illinois. Maybe you’ve seen the Edith Farnsworth House in Plano: It’s a mid-century glass and steel marvel designed and constructed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. The Under Rocks team got a chance to visit and learn more about the woman who commissione…

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Deconstructing the Guitar: A Whole New Approach | Michihiro Matsuda 1:51:25

4M ago1:51:25

1:51:25

Over the last two decades, Michihiro Matsuda has crafted some of the most innovative and inspiring guitars in the world. His work seamlessly blends tradition and creativity, reflecting his deep Japanese heritage and culture. The principles of contemplation and reflection—so central to Japanese philosophy—are evident in every instrument he builds. B…

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Episode 32 - Don't let LIMITATIONS stifle your CREATIVITY! (w/ guitar luthier Daisy Tempest) 1:10:54

4M ago1:10:54

1:10:54

We ALL FACE LIMITATIONS IN OUR LIVES: Limitations based on form and function (how DIFFERENT can a guitar or violin actually be without sacrificing sound quality or playability?), limitations of materials (there's only SO MUCH of a specific figured wood or rare veneer), and limitations of economy (we can only spend so much time or money on a piece w…

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Building Guitars with Innovation and Purpose | Simon Padalka 1:56:52

4M ago1:56:52

1:56:52

Today on Life With Strings Attached, we have a truly inspiring guest—luthier Simon Padalka, the mastermind behind Padalka Guitars. Simon’s journey into guitar-making began in 2011 in his hometown of Krasnodar, Russia. Though he earned a master’s degree in architecture in 2012, his passion for craftsmanship and design led him to trade blueprints for…

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Why Handmade Guitars Matter | Eric Weigeshoff 1:59:36

4M ago1:59:36

1:59:36

Today on Life With Strings Attached, we’re joined by Eric Weigeshoff, the visionary luthier behind Skytop Guitars. With a background in design and film, Eric approaches guitar-making as both an art form and an immersive experience. His passion for rock climbing and the natural world informs his craft, leading him to create guitars that are not only…

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Episode 31 - Dealing with Loneliness (w/ DIYHuntress Dr. Sam Raimondi) 1:26:17

4M ago1:26:17

1:26:17

Have you ever felt feelings of loneliness and/or isolation as a creative? We spend so many hours alone typically because that is how we make things and have the quiet head space to create. Moreover, many people in our lives may not understand WHAT or WHY we do this. How much alone time is optimal vs. too much? What do you do when feeling of lonline…

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Meet Dave McMillan from Big Wreck 43:38

4M ago43:38

43:38

Send us a text In this episode of Brubaker Sessions, we welcome Dave McMillan, bassist for Big Wreck, who stopped by the Brubaker workshop for a guitar setup and ended up behind the mic! Dave dives into life on the road, what it was like opening for Mötley Crüe, and the gear that keeps his tone dialed in. Plus, he and Matt go deep on electronics, s…

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Where the cities meet the cornfields: Who's preserving our stories? | Under Rocks podcast 44:43

4M ago44:43

44:43

There's a museum around every corner in Illinois. The Under Rocks team explores three of them near us to see how they are preserving our histories. Got a favorite? Tell us at [email protected] Dan Libman, Spencer Tritt, Susan Stephens

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Redesigning A Country Music Icon | Ric Riordon 1:47:39

4M ago1:47:39

1:47:39

What does it mean to redesign a cultural icon? Ric Riordon was already a well-established designer when, over two decades ago, he and his team were asked to redesign the trophy for the Academy of Country Music Awards. The original had barely changed since the mid-’60s, so the team were taking on quite a challenge: replacing a recognisable icon that…

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Building Guitars for Steve Vai, Jerry Cantrell & Slash | Stephen McSwain 1:20:19

5M ago1:20:19

1:20:19

How in the world do you get your first guitar build in Steve Vai's hands? Well, you take some big risks and make some bold choices, and Stephen McSwain has certainly done plenty of both. From hand carving horror-themed installations for Slash to working with world-renowned visual artists, Stephen has time and again gone where no luthier has gone be…

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Episode 30 - SIMULTANEOUS REVELATION in Design (w/ Nick Pedulla) 1:13:41

5M ago1:13:41

1:13:41

Did Erik copy Nick's cabinet? Did Nick copy Erik's? Did they copy each other? or did both just happen to occur simultaneous and independently? Why were their build videos so similar as well? Why does this happen? TODAY we talk with the amazing DESIGNER AND FURNITURE MAKER NICK PEDULLA on the topic of COPYING vs SIMULTANEOUS REVELATION, and set the …

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Episode 75: Killer Business Apps! 49:17

5M ago49:17

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Guest host Becka Hannigan talks with Rozie DeLoach-Zimmerman and Anya Burgess about applications to make running your violin shop easier. Special Guests: Anya Burgess and Rozie Deloach .By for Luthiers, by Luthiers

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Making The Crazy Leap To Guitar Making | Michael Bashkin 1:47:56

5M ago1:47:56

1:47:56

Michael had his dream job working for the US Forest Service – until the sight of a luthier's workshop turned his interest in guitars into an obsession that couldn't be ignored. Now, Michael is a master guitar maker with over 25 years of experience crafting exquisite acoustic guitars in Fort Collins, Colorado. Renowned for his signature designs feat…

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Meet Derrick "Swol" Ray 32:47

5M ago32:47

32:47

Send us a text In this episode of Brubaker Sessions, we sit down with the one and only Derrick "Swol" Ray—bassist, producer, designer, and entrepreneur. Swol has played alongside some of the biggest names in the industry, including Rihanna, Carrie Underwood, Alicia Keys, and many more. Currently on tour with Justin Timberlake, he stopped at Brubake…

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Vexed! The Illinois Enthusiast vs. The Illinois Flag Commission | Under Rocks podcast 51:21

5M ago51:21

51:21

Does Illinois really need a new flag? Or is the old "seal on a bedsheet" good enough? In this Under Rocks Extra, we call on our favorite expert, self-proclaimed state symbologist and Illinois Enthusiast John Kokoris to review the options the state's flag commission is offering. And he is, respectfully, not pleased.…

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Episode 29 - Cutting Board Safety, Wood Dust Allergies, & Cancer Risk (w/ Dr. Seri Robinson) 1:59:45

5M ago1:59:45

1:59:45

Should you cut raw meat on wooden cutting boards? Do the bacteria grow inside the cutting board? Is plastic better? Should you use a finish on wood cutting boards? How often do SERIOUS allergies develop from breathing in wood dust? Should you always wear a mask? What is the risk of cancer for woodworkers? IF YOU'VE BEEN CURIOUS OR CARE ABOUT ANY OF…

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AI & The Artist | Kosta Lagis (Pt. 2) 1:34:16

5M ago1:34:16

1:34:16

Here's part 2 of my conversation with visual effects artist Kosta Lagis, whose credits include blockbusters like Prometheus, Man of Steel, and Deadpool. In this episode, we dive deeper into Kosta's experience with generative AI and what this technology means for the future of artists and creatives. We also explore the role of religious and unifying…