American luthier Chris Alvarado of Driftwood Guitars (driftwoodguitars.com) was at the Fretboard Summit (fretboardsummit.org) as a visitor. I recognized him right away in the hallways because I follow his excellent videos on his YouTube channel. Here he is being interviewed in the hallways of the Old Town School of Folk Music (oldtownschool.org). Interview Chris Alvarado
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Eric Warner is the manager of the wood supplier Pacific Rim Tonewoods (pacificrimtonewoods.com). He was one of the exhibitors at the Fretboard Summit’s guitar show, showcasing some magnificent woods. Here’s an interview with him in which he talks about his work. Eric Warner Interview Until the next interview or gear review, keep on playing the
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Musician Sofia Wolfson (sofiawolfson.com) also works for the Fretboard Journal (fretboardjournal.com), she was at the Fretboard Summit to lead a very interesting masterclass on songwriting. Here she is in an interview discussing her career and her projects. Sofia Wolfson Interview Until the next interview or gear review, keep on playing the guitar! Pierre Journel. For
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It was at the Fretboard Summit that I discovered the band Deep Sea Diver (thisisdeepseadiver.com), led by singer-guitarist Jessica Dobson (@thisisjdobson). Here she is in an interview in the hallways of the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago. Jessica Dobson Interview Until the next interview or gear review, keep on playing the guitar!
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I met musician Lance Allen (lanceallenmusic.com) through an exchange on Instagram and at the Fretboard Summit. Here he is in an interview, guitar in hand, in the hallways of the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago. Lance Allen interview Until the next interview or gear review, keep on playing the guitar! Pierre Journel.
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It was at the 2026 Fretboard Summit that I met multi-instrumentalist Steve Dawson from the band The Volcano Brothers (stevedawson.ca/volcano-bros). Here he is in an interview with a wonderful instrument on his lap. Steve Dawson interview Until the next interview or gear review, keep on playing the guitar! Pierre Journel. For more info:Fretboard Summit
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American tube amp wizard Mark Bartel, founder of the Tone King brand who now has his own brand, Bartel Amplifiers (bartelamps.com), was one of the exhibitors at the Fretboard Summit. There, Mark presented a prototype of the Swingland Line Out Interface, a device that emulates the recording process in a completely analog way. I got
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At NAMM 2026, I saw the Grez Guitars instruments (grezguitars.com) at the Wood, Wire & Volts event, but it was in Chicago at the Fretboard Summit (fretboardsummit.org) that I actually met luthier Barry Grzebik to conduct this interview and talk about his guitars. Barry Grzebik interview Until the next interview or gear review, keep on
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YouTuber and professional musician Rhett Shull (YouTube channel) is a regular at the Fretboard Summit (fretboardsummit.org). This year, he came with his friend and co-founder of the Dipped in Tone (dippedintone.com) podcast, Zach Broyles of Mythos Pedals (mythospedals.com). Here they are in an interview, with a brief appearance by Addison Sauvan (@addisonsauvan), who works with
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Evan Gluck (newyorkguitarrepair.com) is a craftsman known as a luthier who specializes in instrument repairs and maintenance. Based in New York, he attended the Fretboard Summit to lead a panel discussion on technology in his field. Evan Gluck interview Until the next interview or gear review, keep on playing the guitar! Pierre Journel. For more
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It was at the Fretboard Summit (fretboardsummit.org) that I met Jens Kruger(krugerbrothers.com). He was playing the banjo incredibly well in a hallway; we got to talking, and I asked him if he’d be willing to do an interview. I haven’t regretted it—what a musician! Jens Kruger interview Until the next interview or gear review, keep
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It was at the Fretboard Summit (fretboardsummit.org) that I met Brad Doyle, who, through Moth Guitars (www.mothguitars.com), offers instruments with original designs. Brady Doyle interview Until the next interview or gear review, keep on playing the guitar! Pierre Journel. For more info:Fretboard Summit
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I’ve been following Jason Verlinde’s work for years, ever since I learned about the Fretboard Journal (fretboardjournal.com), the publication he founded. At NAMM 2025, I had the opportunity to conduct an in-depth interview with him (see this article), and we hit it off right away. His vision for a guitar media outlet is the same
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Saturday, August 22, 2026, marked the third and final day of the 2026 Fretboard Summit (fretboardsummit.org. Once again, there were large crowds in the various venues and at the scheduled events. Interviews of the day: Day 3 report of the Fretboard Summit Until the next interview or gear review, keep on playing the guitar! Pierre
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Another brilliant day at the Fretboard Summit (fretboardsummit.org), just as action-packed as yesterday! The day got off to a flying start as I conducted a double interview with Zach Broyles from Mythos Pedals and Rhett Shull, with a guest appearance by Addison Sauvan. Once again, I was able to attend some truly remarkable masterclasses, particularly
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I knew the Fretboard Summit (fretboardsummit.org) was a brilliant guitar event from all the feedback I’d received. Still, I didn’t think I’d enjoy it as much as I did on that first day! The venue is absolutely stunning and perfectly suited to a guitar event: the exhibition spaces are beautiful, there’s natural light almost everywhere,
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To whet your appetite, here’s a first report ahead of the official opening of the Fretboard Summit (fretboardsummit.org) in Chicago. Report of the day Until the next interview or gear review, keep on playing the guitar! Pierre Journel. For more info:Guitar Show Archives
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I’d been wanting to go and cover the Fretboard Summit (fretboardsummit.org) in Chicago for years. It’s a guitar event created by Jason Verlinde, editor-in-chief of the Fretboard Journal (fretboardjournal.com). It features concerts, talks, panel discussions and, of course, a guitar show. Well, 2026 will be the year this plan comes to fruition, as I’ll be
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I love the work of journalist Jason Verlinde, founder of the excellent American guitar journal the Fretboard Journal (fretboardjournal.com), organizer of the Fretboard Summit (fretboardsummit.org) and host of several excellent podcasts, including the one linked to the journal. Meeting him at NAMM to do this interview was a highlight of the show. Jason Verlinde interview
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