[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 of sound itself — and what legacy truly means for the generations that follow.

Whether you're an experienced luthier, a player, or simply passionate about the world of guitars, this conversation offers rare insights from one of the field’s true masters.

Discover Dan Erlewine’s work:
🔗 Dan Erlewine
🔗 StewMac
🔗 YouTube

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

Learn more about Life With Strings Attached and Boutique Guitar Showcase:
🔗 Boutique Guitar Showcase

Support the deeper conversations:
🔗 The Business of Guitar – Patreon

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

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 instruments are more acoustic than most players realize. Michael shares lessons from factory floors, family workshops, and near-catastrophic failures - plus a look into the future as his son Daniel carries the torch.

This is not just the story of a bass builder - it’s a story about listening, adapting, and building instruments that speak for themselves.

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

Learn more about Life With Strings Attached and Boutique Guitar Showcase:
🔗 Boutique Guitar Showcase

Support the deeper conversations:
🔗 The Business of Guitar – Patreon

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

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 budget guitars instead of chasing luxury models, and how the discipline of composition, mood, and light connects every creative craft — whether you're designing a video game, photographing a guitar, or building one from scratch.

~
Tim Warnock:
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2157264/
https://www.timwarnockstudio.com/
https://www.artstation.com/timwarnock
https://zerply.com/timwarnock
~

Jamie Gale is a thought leader who rose to prominence in the guitar industry by simplifying complex concepts. In his weekly podcast "Life With Strings Attached", 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.

Because everything in life is better understood if you can learn to see the strings attached.

You can listen to Life With Strings Attached wherever you get your podcasts, or join the Patreon to access the ad-free video and audio versions of every episode, as well as a host of other exclusive content.

My Patreon: / businessofguitar
LWSA Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4VdmNVM...
LWSA Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
All my links: https://linktr.ee/jamiegale

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

Learn more about Life With Strings Attached and Boutique Guitar Showcase:
🔗 Boutique Guitar Showcase

Support the deeper conversations:
🔗 The Business of Guitar – Patreon

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

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, reinvention, and craftsmanship without compromise.

~
Bob Robinson:
https://robertrobinsonguitars.com/
https://www.instagram.com/robertrobinsonluthier/
https://www.facebook.com/robertrobinsonluthier/
https://www.troscandesign.com/
~

Jamie Gale is a thought leader who rose to prominence in the guitar industry by simplifying complex concepts. In his weekly podcast "Life With Strings Attached", 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.

Because everything in life is better understood if you can learn to see the strings attached.

You can listen to Life With Strings Attached wherever you get your podcasts, or join the Patreon to access the ad-free video and audio versions of every episode, as well as a host of other exclusive content.

My Patreon: / businessofguitar
LWSA Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4VdmNVM...
LWSA Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
All my links: https://linktr.ee/jamiegale

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

Learn more about Life With Strings Attached and Boutique Guitar Showcase:
🔗 Boutique Guitar Showcase

Support the deeper conversations:
🔗 The Business of Guitar – Patreon

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

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 way, we dive into what it means to build tools for rebellion, beauty, and sound — and how guitars can still carry cultural weight.

This isn’t just about instruments — it’s about identity, intention, and doing things your own way.

~
Frank Deimel:
https://deimelguitarworks.com/
https://www.instagram.com/deimelguitarworks/
https://www.facebook.com/DeimelGuitarworks/
~

Jamie Gale is a thought leader who rose to prominence in the guitar industry by simplifying complex concepts. In his weekly podcast "Life With Strings Attached", 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.

Because everything in life is better understood if you can learn to see the strings attached.

You can listen to Life With Strings Attached wherever you get your podcasts, or join the Patreon to access the ad-free video and audio versions of every episode, as well as a host of other exclusive content.

My Patreon: / businessofguitar
LWSA Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4VdmNVM...
LWSA Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
All my links: https://linktr.ee/jamiegale

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

Learn more about Life With Strings Attached and Boutique Guitar Showcase:
🔗 Boutique Guitar Showcase

Support the deeper conversations:
🔗 The Business of Guitar – Patreon

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

[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. The conversation moves gracefully between legacy, craft, family, faith — and how joy itself can be built into wood and wire.

Whether you're a player, a builder, or someone searching for direction in your own work, this episode is a reminder that excellence isn’t about ego — it’s about intention.

~
Isaac Jang:
https://www.isaacjangguitars.com/
https://www.instagram.com/isaacjangguitar/
https://www.facebook.com/isaacjang910?locale=nl_NL
~

Jamie Gale is a thought leader who rose to prominence in the guitar industry by simplifying complex concepts. In his weekly podcast "Life With Strings Attached", 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.

Because everything in life is better understood if you can learn to see the strings attached.

You can listen to Life With Strings Attached wherever you get your podcasts, or join the Patreon to access the ad-free video and audio versions of every episode, as well as a host of other exclusive content.

My Patreon: / businessofguitar
LWSA Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4VdmNVM...
LWSA Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
All my links: https://linktr.ee/jamiegale

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

Learn more about Life With Strings Attached and Boutique Guitar Showcase:
🔗 Boutique Guitar Showcase

Support the deeper conversations:
🔗 The Business of Guitar – Patreon

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

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 and AI to build digital systems that support individual growth. His research has taken him to the cutting edge of neuroscience—he’s a participant and scientist in a groundbreaking brain-machine interface trial aimed at restoring function after spinal cord injury, giving him unprecedented access to his own neural activity.

And beyond the lab? Galen is the frontman of Siggy, a pre-punk band of psychologists that’s rocked underground venues across LA. He’s written over 70 songs and is now exploring ways to integrate the sounds of his own brain activity into music.

Today, we’re diving into his incredible journey, the future of AI and psychology, and maybe even a little music. Welcome to Life With Strings Attached, J. Galen Buckwalter!

~
J Galen Buckwalter: https://scholar.google.co.uk/citations?user=CKTzCmcAAAAJ&hl=en
~

Jamie Gale is a thought leader who rose to prominence in the guitar industry by simplifying complex concepts. In his weekly podcast "Life With Strings Attached", 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.

Because everything in life is better understood if you can learn to see the strings attached.

You can listen to Life With Strings Attached wherever you get your podcasts, or join the Patreon to access the ad-free video and audio versions of every episode, as well as a host of other exclusive content.

My Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BusinessOfGuitar
LWSA Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4VdmNVMbIY5dvQDvgzlqOd
LWSA Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/life-with-strings-attached/id1738968493
All my links: https://linktr.ee/jamiegale

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

Learn more about Life With Strings Attached and Boutique Guitar Showcase:
🔗 Boutique Guitar Showcase

Support the deeper conversations:
🔗 The Business of Guitar – Patreon

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