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PODCAST

Life With Strings Attached

Everything in life is better understood if you can learn to see the strings attached.Jamie Gale is a thought leader who rose to prominence in the guitar industry by simplifying complex concepts. In this podcast, he engages in cross-disciplinary discussions to reveal how everything from guitar design to architecture, philosophy, physics and more can be better understood if you learn to see the universal truths that underpin our world.

society & culture

All Episodes

150:22

The Anti-Luxury Luthier: Andy Manson on Touch, Tools,...

Life With Strings Attached ·

2025/06/27

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. He shares why he prefers tactile oil finishes over high gloss, how intimacy shapes his approach to luthiery, and why the idea of luxury guitars doe...

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111:33

Not Everything Has to Shine | A Conversation with...

Life With Strings Attached ·

2025/06/20

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 depth behind each instrument he builds. We talk about the realities of the guitar business, the power of mentorship, and why simplicity in design c...

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113:09

Dana Bourgeois: 50 Years of Innovation, Tradition,...

Life With Strings Attached ·

2025/06/13

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 pursuit of tone. From building his first guitar in a dorm room at Bowdoin College, armed only with a book and the encouragement of a woodworking fa...

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124:59

Tradition, Disrupted: Fred Kopo’s Uncompromising...

Life With Strings Attached ·

2025/06/06

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 calm of the countryside, and the magic of turning raw materials into something that sings. That moment sparked a calling he’s followed ever sinc...

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72:52

Biography | Mike Sankey: Building What No One Asked For

Life With Strings Attached ·

2025/05/31

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 Edition of Life With Strings Attached tells the story of Mike Sankey, a luthier whose work resists category and whose life unfolded through detours, doub...

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113:58

Dan Furman, PhD: What Brain Signals Teach Us About...

Life With Strings Attached ·

2025/05/23

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 what the brain is really saying. Together, they explore the line between treatment and enhancement, the future of wearable brain tech, and what it...

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147:12

Rethinking the Electric Guitar with Two of Its...

Life With Strings Attached ·

2025/05/16

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 the study of music production and amplification, known for bridging theory with practice. Together, they co-edited The Cambridge Companion to the Ele...

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100:49

Dan Erlewine (StewMac): A Life in Guitar Repair,...

Life With Strings Attached ·

2025/05/14

[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 innovations that have left a permanent mark on the industry. Along the way, we explore how chance, necessity, and curiosity have led to the evolution ...

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100:45

How Michael Tobias Designed the Bass You Didn’t Know...

Life With Strings Attached ·

2025/05/09

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 that quietly redefined what a bass could be. Together, they trace the evolution of tonewood, the philosophy behind zero frets, and why electric ins...

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102:55

Dan Erlewine (StewMac): A Life in Guitar Repair,...

Life With Strings Attached ·

2025/05/02

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 innovations that have left a permanent mark on the industry. Along the way, we explore how chance, necessity, and curiosity have led to the evolution of sound itself — and what legacy truly ...

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112:02

From Hollywood to Handwork: Concept Artist Tim...

Life With Strings Attached ·

2025/04/25

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 creative identity in a world that often values imitation over intention. They discuss digital design vs. analog expression, why Tim upgrades bud...

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109:58

Gangs, Guitars, and the Grit to Keep Going — Bob...

Life With Strings Attached ·

2025/04/18

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 explore the lessons learned in violence, the quiet joy of craft, and how to build a life that doesn’t just survive — but resonates. A story of danger, ...

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102:20

Frank Deimel on Sound, Identity, and Building Guitars...

Life With Strings Attached ·

2025/04/11

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 making — including factory work at Warwick, industrial design school in Berlin, and his enduring love for offset guitars and outsider art. Along the ...

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108:37

Isaac Jang on Legacy, Faith, and the Craft of Making...

Life With Strings Attached ·

2025/04/09

[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 launching his own shop steps from Hollywood Boulevard, Isaac shares the personal philosophies and small decisions that shape his world-class guitars...

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108:37

Isaac Jang on Legacy, Faith, and the Craft of Making...

Life With Strings Attached ·

2025/04/04

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 launching his own shop steps from Hollywood Boulevard, Isaac shares the personal philosophies and small decisions that shape his world-class guitars. The conversation moves gracefully bet...

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118:56

Rewiring the Brain: Living, Creating, and Surviving...

Life With Strings Attached ·

2025/03/28

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 as the mind behind the groundbreaking assessment and matching system for eHarmony.com. Now, as CEO of psyML, Galen is harnessing psychology ...

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111:25

Deconstructing the Guitar: A Whole New Approach |...

Life With Strings Attached ·

2025/03/21

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. Born and raised in Japan, Michi’s passion for music, guitars, and craftsmanship led him to the world of lutherie. After an apprenticeship with the l...

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116:52

Building Guitars with Innovation and Purpose | Simon...

Life With Strings Attached ·

2025/03/14

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 tonewoods, fully dedicating himself to building boutique electric guitars and basses. Coming from a family of architects, Simon developed a deep a...

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119:36

Why Handmade Guitars Matter | Eric Weigeshoff

Life With Strings Attached ·

2025/03/08

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 sonically rich but also visually striking. What truly sets Eric’s work apart is his innovative side-soundport design—foregoing the traditi...

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107:39

Redesigning A Country Music Icon | Ric Riordon

Life With Strings Attached ·

2025/02/26

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 had been in the hands of famous musicians for almost half a century. Ric joins me this week to share the full story and discuss the role ...

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84 results

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