Today on Life With Strings Attached, I’m joined by Adrian Bagale of Northfield Mandolins and Guitars.

Adrian’s path begins in Rochester, New York, surrounded by jazz and guitars, and moves through Elderly Instruments, instrument development in Asia, and eventually the founding of Northfield. We talk about what decades spent studying, building and playing instruments have taught him, why Northfield operates differently from most instrument companies, and how relationships between builders and musicians continue to shape what comes next.

We also get into Northfield’s move into guitars, including The Rival, a compact archtop that grew naturally from years of experimenting with octave mandolins. For Adrian, it is less a departure from the mandolin than a return to where his own musical life began.

Along the way, we talk about tradition, technology, curiosity, collaboration, and Adrian’s belief that building new instruments can help musicians create new music.

I thoroughly enjoyed my conversation with Adrian Bagale, and I hope that you do as much as I did.

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'm joined by Hozen Yong, the founder of Hozen Guitars and a builder whose mission it has been to bring boutique-level responsiveness and craftsmanship to a wider range of players.

His path started in Singapore, surrounded by his family's piano business. But rather than take over the family business, he chose his own path in guitars, teaching himself the craft through relentless curiosity, experimentation and listening to musicians.

After building Maestro Guitars into a large operation, he found his way back to a smaller, more personal approach, creating exceptional custom instruments with a close-knit team, now under the banner of Hozen Guitars. We talk about the life behind the work, what makes a guitar truly responsive, and how asking better questions can shape both an instrument and a career.

I thoroughly enjoyed my conversation with Hozen and I hope that you do as much as I did.

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 sit down with filmmaker and storyteller Tim C. Johnson for a conversation about what guitars, animation and great stories have in common.

From the creative worlds behind films like Ants, Over the Hedge and How to Train Your Dragon, to the radical beauty of instruments by builders like Ulrich Teufel and Eric Weigeshoff, Tim explores why the most meaningful art requires insightful observation before you can meaningfully challenge expectations.

Together, Tim and I talk about creative curiosity, the power of music to shape emotions, and why the guitar remains one of the most personal and endlessly evolving instruments in the world.

I thoroughly enjoyed my conversation with Tim C. Johnson and I hope that you do as much as I did.

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.