Life With Strings Attached

** Whoops! It seems we've forgotten to cut out the end of the podcast, which is usually reserved for the members of our Patreon 'Business of Guitar'. Oh well, we're happy to give everyone a glimpse into what they're missing... 😉 
Find out more here: https://www.patreon.com/thebusinessofguitar

On this episode of Life With Strings Attached we welcome Dave Dunwoodie, founder of Graph Tech Guitar Labs Ltd. and one of the great innovators in guitar technology. 

From solving the problem of strings sticking in the nut to creating breakthroughs like TUSQ, Ratio Tuners, and String Saver saddles, Dave’s work has shaped how guitars sound and play worldwide. 

His story is one of persistence, curiosity, and purpose-driven design, showing how even the smallest guitar components can transform music. Join us as we explore the journey of a musician turned entrepreneur whose ideas continue to inspire the industry. 

Find Dave's work here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-dunwoodie-a234308/

https://graphtech.com/

https://www.instagram.com/graphtechguitarlabs/

https://www.youtube.com/user/GraphTechGuitarLabs

https://www.facebook.com/GraphTech/

Watch the video version on YouTube:
🔗 YouTube Channel – Life With Strings Attached

Learn more about Life With Strings Attached, Boutique Guitar Showcase, and Jamie Gale's work in the guitar industry:
🔗 Boutique Guitar Showcase
🔗 Jamie Gale

Thank you for listening and supporting the ongoing conversation between music, makers, history and the future.

In this special Life With Strings Attached biography episode, we explore the remarkable journey of Michael Spalt. Guitar builder, sculptor, and creative force who’s redefined what a guitar can be. 

From his roots in Vienna and early fascination with music and film, to his innovative Totem guitars and the founding of the Holy Grail Guitar Show and EGB, Michael has merged art, craftsmanship, and community like few others.

In this intimate conversation, Michael opens up about working in Hollywood, his disillusionment with the industry, the tactile satisfaction of building instruments, and his lifelong quest to blend narrative and function in his creations

Find Michael's work here: 

https://www.spaltinstruments.com/

https://www.michaelspalt.com/

https://www.instagram.com/spaltinstruments/

https://www.boutiqueguitarshowcase.com/michael-spalt-guitars

https://www.facebook.com/spaltinstruments/

Watch the video version on YouTube:
🔗 YouTube Channel – Life With Strings Attached

Learn more about Life With Strings Attached, Boutique Guitar Showcase, and Jamie Gale's work in the guitar industry:
🔗 Boutique Guitar Showcase
🔗 Jamie Gale

Thank you for listening and supporting the ongoing conversation between music, makers, history and the future.

In this special segment of our Luthier’s Story series we’re honoured to feature Ulrich Teuffel, visionary in the world of guitar design whose work challenges convention and redefines what it means to build an instrument.

Ulrich’s guitars are more than tools for music, they are philosophical statements. Each crafted with a deep respect for wood, sound, and the courage it takes to break from tradition. 

In this conversation, we dive into the soul of Teuffel Guitars, uncovering how custom components, material integrity, and artistic intent converge in his unique creations.

Find Ulrich's work here: 
https://www.teuffel.com/
https://www.instagram.com/teuffelguitars/
https://www.facebook.com/teuffel.guitars/

Watch the video version on YouTube:
🔗 YouTube Channel – Life With Strings Attached

Learn more about Life With Strings Attached, Boutique Guitar Showcase, and Jamie Gale's work in the guitar industry:
🔗 Boutique Guitar Showcase
🔗 Jamie Gale

Thank you for listening and supporting the ongoing conversation between music, makers, history and the future.

Today on Life With Strings Attached, we’re joined by Joe Caruso of The Music Emporium in Boston: a shop that has become legendary for its thoughtful curation and deep respect for the guitar as both an instrument and a cultural icon. 

In this conversation, Joe and I explore the parallels between the artisan guitar movement and the craft traditions of furniture making, the balance between heritage and innovation in guitar design, and the importance of caring for the customer experience in retail. 

We’ll talk about vintage instruments and their unique stories, the challenges of navigating resale value, and how community, passion, and relationships remain the true currency of the guitar world.

Watch the video version on YouTube:
🔗 YouTube Channel – Life With Strings Attached

Learn more about Life With Strings Attached, Boutique Guitar Showcase, and Jamie Gale's work in the guitar industry:
🔗 Boutique Guitar Showcase
🔗 Jamie Gale

Thank you for listening and supporting the ongoing conversation between music, makers, history and the future.

Today on Life With Strings Attached, I sat down with Richard Hoover, founder of Santa Cruz Guitar Company. From California’s redwood forests and the threat of wildfires to the physics of string tension and modal analysis, Richard brings nearly 50 years of lutherie to this conversation. 

We explore how science, craftsmanship, and empathy shape the acoustic guitar, why collaboration and open knowledge are vital for innovation, and how tradition and community continue to guide the future of guitar making.

Find Richard's work (Santa Cruz Guitar Company) here: 
https://santacruzguitar.com/
https://www.instagram.com/santacruzguitar/
https://www.facebook.com/santacruzguitar/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1iV16BIJ2qG-4Z1OwV1fKg

Watch the video version on YouTube:
🔗 YouTube Channel – Life With Strings Attached

Learn more about Life With Strings Attached, Boutique Guitar Showcase, and Jamie Gale's work in the guitar industry:
🔗 Boutique Guitar Showcase
🔗 Jamie Gale

Thank you for listening and supporting the ongoing conversation between music, makers, history and the future.

This week on Life With Strings Attached, I sit down with Avi Shabbat. From growing up in Jerusalem, discovering music in the middle of the grunge era and serving in the military, to building a career in sound engineering and eventually founding Shabbat guitars in Los Angeles. 

Avi's story is one of resilience, collaboration, and vision. In this conversation, we talk about uncompromising craftsmanship, the Frankenstein spirit of blending influences, and what it takes to turn passion into a thriving guitar company. I thoroughly enjoyed my conversation with Avi Shabbat. I hope that you do as much as I did. 

Find Avi's work here: 

https://shabatguitars.com/

https://www.instagram.com/shabatguitars/

https://www.facebook.com/shabatguitars/

https://www.youtube.com/@shabatguitars

Watch the video version on YouTube:
🔗 YouTube Channel – Life With Strings Attached

Learn more about Life With Strings Attached, Boutique Guitar Showcase, and Jamie Gale's work in the guitar industry:
🔗 Boutique Guitar Showcase
🔗 Jamie Gale

Thank you for listening and supporting the ongoing conversation between music, makers, history and the future.

Welcome to Life With Strings Attached. I'm your host, Jamie Gale. For this week's special biography edition of Life With Strings Attached, we're on location in Switzerland with Giulio Negrini, founder of Giulio Negrini Guitars, to uncover the remarkable journey behind one of the boutique world's most imaginative and precise builders.

From a childhood steeped in fantasy and music, to mastering classical luthiery in Italy, Giulio's story is anything but ordinary. This is a conversation about craft, conviction, and creativity you won't want to miss. It was an honour to share this time with Giulio Negrini. I hope that you enjoyed it as much as I did.

Find Giulio's work here: 

https://negriniguitars.com/

https://www.instagram.com/giulionegriniguitars/

https://www.facebook.com/GiulioNegriniGuitars/

https://www.boutiqueguitarshowcase.com/giulio-negrini-guitars-gng

Watch the video version on YouTube:
🔗 YouTube Channel – Life With Strings Attached

Learn more about Life With Strings Attached, Boutique Guitar Showcase, and Jamie Gale's work in the guitar industry:
🔗 Boutique Guitar Showcase
🔗 Jamie Gale

Thank you for listening and supporting the ongoing conversation between music, makers, history and the future.

Welcome to Life with Strings Attached. I'm your host, Jamie Gale. For this week's special biography edition of Life with Strings Attached, we're on location in Edmonton, Canada to dive deep into the story of Dion James, an extraordinary guitar maker who is helping to redefine the modern acoustic guitar. 

In this episode, Dion opens up about formative moments, the mentors who shaped him, and the subtle power of saying, "I can't." This is a portrait of a maker guided by intention, community, and the rhythm of real life. It was an honour to share this time with Dion James, and I hope that you'll enjoy it as much as I did.

Find Dion's work here: 

https://dionguitars.ca/

https://www.instagram.com/dionguitars/

Watch the video version on YouTube:
🔗 YouTube Channel – Life With Strings Attached

Learn more about Life With Strings Attached, Boutique Guitar Showcase, and Jamie Gale's work in the guitar industry:
🔗 Boutique Guitar Showcase
🔗 Jamie Gale

Thank you for listening and supporting the ongoing conversation between music, makers, history and the future.

This week on Life With Strings Attached, we sit down with Reuben Forsland: Adventurer, innovator, and the luthier behind JOI Guitars. 

Reuben’s story stretches from backcountry snowboarding and near-death kiteboarding crashes to building guitars out of hempwood, carbon fiber, and even the walls of Jimi Hendrix’s childhood home. What drives him? A relentless curiosity, a hunger for challenge, and a reverence for the emotional resonance of sound. 

This episode goes beyond guitars, it’s about risk, creativity, family, identity, and the thrill of making something meaningful. Reuben doesn’t just build instruments, he builds wonder. Tune in.

Find Reuben's work here: 

https://www.joiguitars.com/

https://www.instagram.com/joiguitars/?hl=nl

https://www.facebook.com/joiguitars1/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR1bpAe8BjDS5JnGAtpepDg

Watch the video version on YouTube:
🔗 YouTube Channel – Life With Strings Attached

Learn more about Life With Strings Attached, Boutique Guitar Showcase, and Jamie Gale's work in the guitar industry:
🔗 Boutique Guitar Showcase
🔗 Jamie Gale

Thank you for listening and supporting the ongoing conversation between music, makers, history and the future.

This week on Life With Strings Attached, I’m joined once again by Omer Deutsch, founder of OD Guitars. Omer returns with insight forged under pressure, literally. Living and working in a conflict zone, he shares how humor, community, and creativity have become essential tools for coping and resilience. 

From the emotional toll of war to the deeper value of custom guitar making, Omer opens up about what it means to build something meaningful when the world around you feels uncertain. It’s raw, thoughtful, and full of humanity. I’m grateful for this conversation and I think you will be too.

Find Omer Deutsch / OD Guitars online:
 Website: https://od-guitars.com
 Instagram: https://instagram.com/od_guitars
Facebook: https://facebook.com/odguitars
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ODGuitars

Watch the video version on YouTube:
🔗 YouTube Channel – Life With Strings Attached

Learn more about Life With Strings Attached, Boutique Guitar Showcase, and Jamie Gale's work in the guitar industry:
🔗 Boutique Guitar Showcase
🔗 Jamie Gale

Thank you for listening and supporting the ongoing conversation between music, makers, history and the future.