collings

Recorded live at the 2022 Fretboard Summit in Chicago: Steve McCreary, GM of Collings Guitars & Mandolins joins Fretboard Journal publisher Jason Verlinde for a candid discussion about the revered guitar and mandolin company. 

On today's Fretboard Journal Podcast, we talk to Geoff Farina of the band Karate.

In the mid-'90s, the Boston-based group earned a cult following with their indie rock-meets-jazz sound. Geoff recounts the band's early days, when he was working part-time for Bill Finnegan assembling Klon Centaurs. He talks about life on the road, the group's breakup, and how they eventually were able to reissue their out-of-print albums on the Numero Group.

Most importantly, Geoff is just a rabid guitar nut: He's currently a music educator in Chicago, where he spends his free time buying and selling guitars (acoustic and electric) and building tube amplifiers.

July 2022: Karate is currently reunited and back on the road. Follow their tour dates here:
https://karateallston.bandcamp.com

To order the Numero Group's Karate reissues, click here. 

This episode is sponsored by Peghead Nation (use the promo code FRETBOARD and get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription); Izotope (use the coupon code FRET10 to save 10% off their plug-ins); Retrofret Vintage Guitars; Izotope (use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your Izotope purchase); and Calton Cases.

To purchase our magazine or learn about the 2022 Fretboard Summit, visit us at www.fretboardjournal.com. 

Jake Doan is a Salt Lake City-based professional skier best known for his park and backcountry ski segments, where he turns the mountains into his personal playground. But Doan also happens to be a rabid guitarist and a member of the Pickpockets, a Utah-based Newgrass band.

He recently released a short ski film called Parallels where he merged his passions for skiing and playing music: He not only skied in the film, he performed and recorded its soundtrack. On this week's Fretboard Journal Podcast, we talk to Doan about his bluegrass roots, the Collings OM he just picked up, the art of scoring and editing an action sports movie, and a lot more. It's a fun chat with a fellow guitar geek.

Watch Parallels here.

Famed guitar dealer Rudy Pensa (Rudy's Music!) joins us on this week's Fretboard Journal Podcast to talk about one of the world's most noteworthy guitar collections ever assembled, Scott Chinery's Blue Guitar Collection. In the mid-1990s, inspired by the blue Centura Deluxe he ordered from Jimmy D'Aquisto, Chinery commissioned twenty-plus archtop guitar makers to do their own take on a "blue" guitar, all using the same finish tint. Famed builders like Kim Walker, Linda Manzer, Tom Ribbecke, Bill Collings and Bob Benedetto were included, along with contributions from Gibson and Fender.

The Blue Guitars would eventually be showcased at the Smithsonian and be the subject of a book, Blue Guitar. With Chinery's passing in 2000, the guitars have been out of sight but Rudy, at the request of the Chinery estate, is now auctioning off the collection (including the D'Aquisto) as a single lot. We talk to Pensa about the guitar collection, his personal love for archtops (dating back to when he was a child in Argentina) and much more.

The Blue Guitar Collection can be seen in its entirety at Rudy's site here, including videos featuring Jason Isbell, Joe Bonamassa and David Broza playing the guitars. It's also available for viewing at Rudy's store.

https://www.rudysmusicbluecollection.com

The Fretboard Journal's 48th issue is now available. Click here to read up on it and start your digital or print subscription.

Don't forget, we now host an entire family of podcasts, about everything from lutherie to home recording: Luthier on Luthier; The Truth About Vintage Amps; The Truth About Recording & Mixing; Acoustic Voices; and Sweep the Floor.

Willie Carter has travelled the world as a guitar tech for Otis Taylor; worked at Gryphon and Santa Cruz guitars; served as a professional recording engineer; and is co-founder of Carter Poulsen guitars, where he and Eric Poulsen are making great acoustic guitars out of their workshop in Santa Cruz, Calif. For episode 54 of the podcast, Willie weaves all of these parts of his life together and describes the moment he fell in love with guitarmaking. Willie also talks about his favorite woods, the positive aspects of building in a partnership, reflects on being a minority as a guitar maker, and developing your own magic style.

Links:

https://www.instagram.com/carterpoulsenguitars/ https://www.otistaylor.com/

This episode is sponsored by Allied Lutherie and Dream Guitars.

Bob Minner returns to the Fretboard Journal Podcast to walk us through his new album, SOLO. Recorded entirely on the newly-announced Collings CJ-45 T, the album is a must-listen for Collings fanatics or anyone who appreciates great flatpicking.

During the chat, Bob tells us how he's spent the last year off the road (he's usually found backing Tim McGraw on acoustic guitar, a job he's held for nearly three decades) and walks us through his home recording setup. We talk about Bob's love for slope-shouldered guitars, his appreciation for both boutique and vintage instruments (including "Frankie," his cherished 1936 Martin D-18), and why he dedicated a song to Collings employee (and former FJ Podcast guest) Bruce VanWart. Plus a lot more. 

This episode is sponsored by Izotope, Mono Cases, Folkway Music and Retrofret Vintage Guitars. Use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your next Izotope order.

Links: 
https://minnerguitar.com
https://www.collingsguitars.com/acoustic-guitars/cj-45-t
https://www.teegardenaudio.com (Bob used the PPC-125 mics, and the 2100 pre)

Jordan Tice and Kenneth Pattengale of the Milk Carton Kids join us on this week’s Fretboard Journal Podcast to talk about the making of Tice’s 2020 album, Motivational Speakeasy. The Pattengale-produced solo album is noteworthy not just for  Tice’s always-exceptional playing and vocals, but also for its stripped-down beauty. It’s one of our favorite albums of 2020.

During the call, we hear about the songs on the album, Pattengale’s recording process and Tice’s latest guitar acquisition (yes, he's doubled his guitar collection). Pattengale  - at the time hunkered down in a cabin in Eastern Canada - also hilariously describes the pandemic project he picked up in 2020, plus a lot more. It's a fun chat about the making of a great acoustic album.

Note: We've included a track from Motivational Speakeasy on our new Thirty for 2020 Spotify playlist, filled with some of our favorite songs from the year.

Recorded November 11, 2020.

http://jordantice.net/

This episode is sponsored by Mono Cases and Folkway Music.

Get a gift subscription to the Fretboard Journal magazine and  support independent publishing (and the occasionally hilarious podcast).

Steve McCreary is the GM of Collings Guitars and Mandolins and one of the most respected members of the musical instrument industry. Since joining Collings in 1992, he's helped helm the Austin, Texas-based company's growth into mandolins, electric guitars, and – most recently – their more affordable Waterloo line of instruments.

During this lengthy interview, we hear about Steve's unique background (he's a former stonemason), what it was like to work with the late Bill Collings (a larger-than-life character) and how the company is navigating the COVID crisis through 2020 and beyond. We also talk about Collings' ongoing collaboration with guitarist Julian Lage, hear about the '70s and '80s Austin music scene, and a lot more  

If you enjoy in-depth interviews with the people behind your favorite guitars, we’d love your support. Get a digital subscription to the Fretboard Journal for just $30 (click here) or a keepsake print edition subscription (click here). We know you'll love it.

Fretboard Journal #46 just mailed and our next issue will be out in early December 2020. Subscribers also get subscriber-only perks.

Previous Collings Interviews:

Bill Collings on the Fretboard Journal Podcast (link)

Bruce VanWart of Collings on the Fretboard Journal Podcast (link)

Our tribute to Bill Collings in the Fretboard Journal magazine (link)

The Fretboard Journal Podcast is sponsored by Retrofret Vintage Guitars and Mono Cases.

Sarah Jarosz just released 'World on the Ground,' her first solo album in four years. On this week's Fretboard Journal Podcast, she talks to us about the making of the album, working with John Leventhal (who produced the project and helped co-write a few songs), her favorite songwriting tools (including her Collings D1A and her Fletcher Brock-built octave mandolin), and much more.

This episode is sponsored by Retrofret Vintage Guitars and Mono Cases.  

https://www.sarahjarosz.com

As a Holiday Present for all of the listeners, Jim and Mark discuss a Christmas Classic from 1970, "Scrooge," starring Albert Finney, Kenneth More, Alec Guinness, Edith Evans and David Collings. This re-telling of the Dickens tale was made into a musical by director Ronald Neame. Even though it is not a Horror or Sci-Fi, it does have four memorable ghosts and a haunting. Come celebrate the season with us during this Holiday Episode of "Monster Attack!"

For over twenty years, Bob Minner has served as touring acoustic guitarist for Tim McGraw. But Bob’s day job barely scratches the surface of this fascinating multi-instrumentalist. On this week’s Fretboard Journal Podcast, we talk to this acclaimed acoustic musician about his love for bluegrass music, what it’s like to tour with a country music superstar and we discuss his new solo album, Six String Sanctuary: The Acoustic Hymns Project.

https://minnerguitar.com/store
https://www.fretboardjournal.com

This week Taylor Hughes sits down with Comedian Jason Collings to discuss going from breakdown to breakthrough. Jason didn't start performing comedy until his was in his mid 30's within 6 years he appeared on the Tonight Show. Jason just completed a Canadian stadium tour with Russell Peters. We talk about all of that and more on this episode of About to Break.

Be sure to check out JasonCollings.com

Love the show? Why not become a producer? For $1 or more a month you can become a part of the team

Check out our Patreon page to find out more

for live show dates visit TaylorHughes.com/live

You can hear all episodes and get more info on our website abouttobreakpodcast.com

National Flatpicking Champion and Grant Farm founder Tyler Grant joins us on the Fretboard Journal Podcast this week. We chat about the fascinating world of flatpicking guitar competitions and the strategies Tyler employed to win them, the formation of Grant Farm and his new duo record with Robin Kessinger, Kanawha County Flatpicking. 

This episode is sponsored by Retrofret Vintage Guitars. 

Austin-based Tom Ellis is one of the world's most respected mandolin makers. On this week's podcast, we talk to him about how he got his start building instruments, the fateful day he showed Ricky Skaggs his second-ever mandolin and about the inlay work he does at Precision Pearl, Inc. today. We also chat about how Tom shared his shop with Bill Collings in the early '80s, talk about torrefied wood, discuss the merits of using CNCs in a high-end build and a lot more.

This episode is brought to you by Lee Valley and Retrofret. 

This week, we talk to one of the unsung heroes in the world of boutique guitars, Bruce VanWart of Collings Guitars. Bruce is the first official Collings employee and the one person who has touched nearly every instrument the company has produced since the late ’80s (almost 30,000 instruments). He reflects upon working alongside Bill Collings during the company’s earliest days, talks about his process evaluating wood for the company’s instruments and describes the 2018 re-launch of the Collings C-100. The C-100 was the brainchild of Bill Collings, a guitar with a dreadnought-sized lower bout with a skinnier upper bout and waist. Around 20 original C-100s were made in the mid-‘90s. They were reintroduced at the 2018 NAMM Show. 

Here's a video featuring Bob Minner playing one of the first Collings C-100s made in 2018: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3d7izbaBZE 

This episode is sponsored by Dying Breed Music, where there is an ever-growing inventory of vintage Martin and Gibson flattop guitars from the golden era.

The Fretboard Journal Podcast welcomes its first professional athlete, tennis player / coach Murphy Jensen! Murphy and his brother Luke were considered the rock & roll duo of tennis during their heyday, eventually winning the French Open in 1993. Jensen tells us about his childhood growing up in Northern Michigan; his early love for rock & roll; his rise as a professional athlete; and why so many pro tennis players gravitate to the guitar. We also hear about the annual “Wimbledon Jam;” Serena Williams’ love for Nirvana; the time Jensen brought Roger Federer to the Bowery Ballroom the night before his US Open match; working with Val McCallum and much more. Trust us, it’s a great guitar chat even if you don’t know anything about tennis. Jensen also talks to us about his new Seattle-based healthcare technology company, Weconnect.

Links:
http://www.murphyjensen.com
https://www.weconnectrecovery.com
https://www.fretboardjournal.com

Our dear friend Bill Collings, founder of Collings Guitars & Mandolins, passed away on July 14, 2017 after a long battle with cancer.

We’re working on a tribute for Bill in the next issue of the Journal (and if you have any great Bill stories, we’d love to hear them). We also decided to share this talk he gave at the first Fretboard Summit in 2015. During this session, Bill was interviewed by Mark Stutman (Folkway Music). It was a lively, unfiltered chat full of laughs. We also fielded questions from the audience, talked about Waterloos and more.  

RIP Bill. We’re going to miss our chats with you. –Jason

• Scuba - Talk Torque
• Father Finger - Temper
• LA Vampires with Maria Minerva - Seasons Change
• Toadallly Krossed Out - Toad Gibbons
• Mr. Mitch - Super Freak
• Teen - Better (Dan Deacon Remix)
• Tussle - Yellow Lighter
• Curxes -  Spectre ([Strangers] Remix)
• Paul Banks - Another Chance
• Main Attrakionz - Cloud Body
• Vinyl Williams - Harmonious Change
• Pairs - Permanent Residence (thx Sean Hocking of Metal Postcard Records !!!)
• Trimbal - Confidence Boost
• Fatima Al Qadiri - War Games
• The Algorithm - Access Granted
• Matthew Collings & Dag Rosenqvist - Wonderland Part Two
• Rites Wild - Ways of Being (bonus: interview with Crawlspace)
• Bikini Kill - Suck My Left One
• Brooke Candy - Das Me
• Gingy & III - Frank $$
• Arclight - Obsidian
• Skinny Girl Diet - DMT
• The Soft Moon - Insides
• Ty Segall - Femme Fatale
• Faze Miyake & Flava D - Volt
• The Polyphonic Spree - Let It Snow