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The Cultured Guitarist

Al Peterson, Kasper Townes

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The Cultured Guitarist is dedicated to exploring the cultural zeitgeist surrounding the instrument that has been the most moving instrument of the last 100 years. Join us for the ongoing conversation of what it is to be a guitarist. We tackle everything from new gear, old gear, songwriting, playing, gigging, practicing, collecting, modding, building, etc. If it’s related to the guitar, we’re gonna explore it. With a lot of humour and some stellar guests, Al & Kasper tackle the topics in the ...
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We’re back! After taking a break for a few months Kasper & Al sit down to chat about 6 strings, wood, and other ways to spend all of the money you have. Joining them on the endless quest for tone is good friend of the show, Eric Merrow to talk about strange guitar mods, Al’s new website and so much more. Hey, we wouldn’t bring anything but the best…
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This week the best looking boys in guitar podcasting visit with someone local to them, the incredible Shea from Woodbine Guitars! Woodbine is a killer boutique custom outfit that does some of the most interesting hybrid axes out there, there’s a lot of influence from Gibson but a lot of straight up surprises await you here. They also run Woodrite G…
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The brief hiatus is over and it’s back talking about our two host’s favourite guitar; the Gibson SG! The boys had the chance thanks to a friend of the show (shoutout to Connor!) to borrow a 1963 SG Junior, so of course they were all over that! And of course that meant another excuse to break out Al & Kasper’s personal SG’s to humble brag about thos…
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Chris Nielubowicz describes himself as Florida Swamp Goblin but he’s also a tone wizard. Wether it’s the searing drive tones of the Silver Birch or the fuzzy goodness of the Rattle Bones he’s got unique sounds on tap. We had a blast talking with him and you’ll have a blast listening so get in there and enjoy our chat with the Swamp Witch! https://w…
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Chris Swope has been a lot of things in the guitar industry, an apprentice, a master luthier, a salesman, a corporate management member and now the maker of the most innovative vibrato to hit the vintage leaning guitar market in years. I’m fact the Descendant Vibrato has taken off so much that he rarely makes guitars anymore. Hear the full story an…
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Kasper & Al are joined by one of the coolest builders out there, Sam Evans from Cardinal Instruments. Sam is a very cool luthier hailing from Austen, Texas and since running one custom brand wasn’t enough for his side gig he loves a double life under the banner Old Redbird Guitars. It’s a blast of a chat and we can’t recommend it enough! Listen in!…
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We’re hopping back across the pond this week to chat with a luthier who’s account is one of our favourites to follow on Instagram, Maybury Guitars. Jason Snelling makes gorgeous and vivid guitars from his workshop/home in England and loves to experiment with colors, patina and even comic books. It makes sense when you listen in, so get listening! h…
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This week the boys are visited form their old pal Scott Strange from Templo Devices. Scott makes a little of everything from effects pedals to guitars but what he’s really building his temple on is solutions. He’s building a premiere battery powered professional level amplifier that can runs for hours upon hours, as well as power your pedalboard. A…
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This week we get a visit from afar thanks to the absolutely delightful Glyn from Mr Glyn’s Pickups. He joins the boys from all the soy over in New Zealand to talk about pickups, wether a strat is a great guitar or a terrible one and so, so much more. It’s a ton of fun and we loved every minute of it. Enjoy! https://instagram.com/mrglynspickups?igsh…
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Our final episode of the Victoria Guitar Show Recap Series see the boys chatting it up with Caleb Pennington from Wood to Works, a rad Canadian woodworking and luthiery supply brand that is a one stop shop for anything you might need to build guitars. And we had to have a sit down with the founders of the VGS, Trevor of Vigilant Guitars and Reuben …
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For this episode of the VGS Recap we wanted to share a couple of living legends in the guitar world. Bernard Funston has been building guitars for 20 years and has a reputation for beauty, elegance and tone. The boys talk about a crazy experience with him you won’t wanna miss! And our two hosts were beyond lucky to be able to sit down with Michael …
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Next on the mic the boys sat down with McDiarmid Guitars who started as a father/son project and is now a blossoming custom shop. After that our two heroes are joined by a mad scientist of sorts, Capital City Transistor & Valve, making synths, gizmos, guitars amps, pedals and even doing repairs. Enjoy! https://instagram.com/mcdiarmid_guitars?igshid…
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Here we go! The boy sat down at the Victoria Guitar Show with everyone they could to get interviews with some of the hottest luthiers you may or may not have heard of yet. Part 1 is Otter Guitars & Harms Guitars, both doing amazing work and very new to the industry, these talented makers are hungry to show the world what they’ve got. https://instag…
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This week the boys sit down to chat with Trevor from Vigilant Guitars and Reuben from Joi Guitars, the two organizers of the first annual Victoria Guitar show! They talk all about the efforts to create and organize a new guitar show, cover some of their builds and talk about some of what to expect at the show this weekend. That’s right, if you’re l…
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This week the boys sit down with their buddy Cam Janzen aka Slōwhei to talk a little about politics… just kidding! It’s guitar, duh! They get into custom guitars, throw some punches at Gibson, talk about Cam’s new ventures with Trent Guitars and Al once again manages to force Vertical Limit into the chat. In short it’s a sweet episode of chaos and …
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More, More…. MOAR! This week we get to have on our good buddy Dan from Moar Guitars, again! Actually it might be more accurate to say that Al was the guest this week. Dan’s been on the show a few times and it’s always an absolute pleasure so we thought we’d do things a little differently, so Kasper detoured during a trip to Germany and he and Dan s…
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At long last the boys get a second chance to sit down with Leila Sidi from TunaTone Instruments again! They chat about all kinds of things, new instruments, new hardware and cover what two years worth of change can mean for a custom luthier. It's a delightful chat with one of the kindest souls in luthiery, enjoy! https://instagram.com/tunatoneinst?…
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This week the guys decided to sit down and go through their picks for the greatest guitar of all time, the Gibson SG. The boys are joined by their good friend and fellow SG fanatic Eric Merrow who took a break from making the awesome demos for his YouTube channel to join in on the SG loving. Enjoy! https://instagram.com/ericmerrow?utm_medium=copy_l…
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Adam from Satellite Amps returns to regale us with more of his incredibly interesting tales! We talk about the end of his legal fight with Gibson Guitars, how many guitars is too many guitars, and how gear builders can help save the world. It’s an amazing chat with one of the coolest guys to ever grace the guitar industry. Enjoy! https://instagram.…
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We’re going unplugged this week and sitting down with a legacy guitar brand from Tennessee, Gallagher Guitars and their owner David Mathis. Gallagher has a rich history of making acoustics and connecting with players across roots, blues, country and more. They closed for a couple years before David bought and resurrected the brand, here all about i…
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This week our good buddy Mike Rollinson from Onkel Amplification is back on the mic with Al & Kasper. The boys talk about Mike’s new workshop, his dozens of new ideas he’s working on, and why Dewalt batteries are the next big thing in guitar. It’s a killer chat with one of the most interesting and talented builders out there. Enjoy! https://instagr…
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This week we finally got to sit down and have another visit with Sheldon Ens, the man behind True North Pedals and one of our closest friends of the show. Sheldon is one of Canada’s most respected drive pedal wizards and can boast high praise for his pedals from the likes of Robert Keeley, Brian Wampler and many more. He was lost on to early in our…
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It’s the finale of the Parts Build Series and to end it with style the boys are joined by Gary from Partscaster Concierge & Trevor from Vigilant Guitars. They discuss everything from last minute problems to wrapping up wiring and so much more. Be sure to listen to Parts 1 & 2 if you haven’t yet, and enjoy! Parts Build Series Partners @partscasterco…
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Al Perterson: We’re back! The boys waste no time getting down with Ralf Gottschalk and his brand new pedal company, Wonderful Audio Technology. Based in California Ralf has worked with other brands to develop a line of pedals and finally decided it was time to launch his own and whoa boy did he come out strong! The guys talk gear, what they got up …
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It’s a special milestone for us! We hit our 100th episode and we wanted to celebrate by having a bit of fun. So we dialed up a couple pals to hold our biggest quiz show yet! Asher from Caulfield Cables dons the mantle of Quizmaster and delivers a competition to pit us against each other! We’re also joined in the ring by Benjamin Bond from Bond Guit…
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Meredith Coloma is a very storied individual who took a very unique path to guitar building. From world stages to hit song making and highly unlikely apprenticeships you’ll be hard pressed to find someone more accomplished. She’s charming, funny and knows more about guitars than your two favourite goofy hosts ever could. It’s a really great chat so…
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When you think of vintage guitars one of the most touted characteristics they have is the super old wood giving them magical tonal properties. Well Grez Guitars uses wood that’s a solid 30-40 years older than any 50’s single cut with an enormous price tag. Barry is also one of the nicest guys in guitar making, so listen in and get to know the uniqu…
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Hailing from New Mexico Al & Kasper are joined by Fox Fletcher who’s pushing his guitars to redefine vintage soul with modern touches. From luthiery school to a working for Collings Guitars, Fox has honed his chops to become the new brand ready to make big waves in 6 strings. Enjoy our chat with this humble and delightful guy! https://instagram.com…
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We’re back in the build series this week and it’s assembly day! We get into why you should double and triple check everything, being brave enough to take irreversible steps and what makes assembly go smoother. We’re joined by Gary from Partscaster Concierge who made the beautiful bodies for our two instruments to get his take on assembling your (an…
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This week we get a visit from the Canadian prairies with Kris Remillard from PegCity Pickups. Fast making a name for himself as a passionate and skilled pickup winder, Kris is turning a passion into a business and making lemonade from lemons. He’s awesome and so is this episode! https://instagram.com/pegcitypickups?utm_medium=copy_link https://pegc…
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This week we have returning friend of Al & Kasper, the mighty cool Sean from the epic Lollygagger Fx! Sean is a great guy with a heart of gold who’s pedals have wowed people the world over. The boys talk about old pedals, upcoming pedals and much more. Al chokes on water and the boys take a rare dive deep into some serious issues. It’s an unforgett…
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This week we have a returning favourite of ours, Alec Breslow of MAE is a delightfully odd fellow who fits in very well with the goofy jabbering weirdness of Al & Kasper. The trio talk what they’ve been up to since last time Alec was on, what’s upcoming in the near future, Kasper & Al try and fail to get Alec to break a non-disclosure agreement and…
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At long last the magical day has come! We officially kick off our Parts Build Series talking about the importance of planning out your build. We’ve enlisted the help of our excellent friend Trevor Woodland of Vigilant Guitars to help us cover everything, Trevor also made the necks for our two build series instruments. We talk planning, failing, bad…
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Astoria, Oregon is the home of The Goonies, Kindergarten Cop and it’s where Drew Zajicek and his family make the fuzzalicious sounds that Weird Noise is fast making a name for. We talked with Drew about building a new business during the pandemic, fun with black lights, child labour and more! Dig in and enjoy! https://instagram.com/weirdnoisepedals…
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This week we’re visiting the tropical heat of Miami with Rick from PureSalem Guitars. We talk weird guitars, fighting big business, starting a guitar brand from nothing and chasing your dreams. It’s a killer episode with a very unique mover and shaker in the guitar industry, enjoy! https://instagram.com/puresalemguitars?utm_medium=copy_link https:/…
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We’re back!! After a month off due to a whole slew of crazy and unpredictable circumstances we wanted to update you all on what we’re up to, what we’ve been up to, and what we’re getting up to. It’s a wild story involving hospitals, flames, homelessness and a whole crazy mess. Join us for a very interesting episode!…
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Guitarists can be a finicky bunch, often reluctant to embrace change and new technology. Well Rubato Guitars are not afraid of change, they’re embracing carbon fibre and making some of the lightest and coolest guitars while doing it. We sat down with Oliver from Rubato to talk about how they got started, what inspires them, and what challenges they…
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Al & Kasper sit down with Zac Sweeney, pedal building mad scientist behind Malaise Forever Customs to discuss pedals, what order to watch Rocky Balboa, and a healthy smattering of other things that are mostly guitar related. Mostly. Turn it up and enjoy! https://instagram.com/malaiseforevercustoms?utm_medium=copy_link https://linktr.ee/malaiseforev…
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We’re getting into some high art this week as Kasper and Al are joined by Richard, the wizard of lutherie and art with Indra Guitars. If you’ve ever seen an Indra, it’s unmistakable in its elegance, originality and artistic touches at every angle. You might expect the artist behind such beautiful guitars to be a deadly serious person, but Richard j…
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Cam got his dream job in an unusual way; right at the beginning of a once in a century worldwide pandemic. When most people were looking at job security being important, Cam threw caution to the wind and took the job offer of a lifetime with SolidGoldFX... and he hasn’t regretted a thing about that. Hear our chat with the man now running the social…
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Benjamin Bond of Bond Guitars joins our two heroes this week to talk about his custom creations from Oregon. Of course the boys wind up talking about a dozen other things as well, with many a laugh to be had within. It’s a fun chat with a hidden gem of a builder who’s rising fast, so dig in! https://bondguitars.org/ https://instagram.com/bondguitar…
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This week Al & Kasper are rejoined by Heavy Repping’s charming leader John as they try out four brand’s unique styles of picks and discuss them and their unique uses. Featuring Honey Picks, T1 Picks, Jaketto Picks and Tree Picks they explore resins, plastics, wood picks and metal picks in a bunch of sizes and shapes. Predictably Al & Kasper get wei…
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Kasper and Al sit down with their buddy Gary from Partscaster Concierge to discuss guitars from the ground up. Building custom spec’d high end guitar bodies is Gary’s bread and butter, but he takes things so much further. Gary’s unique spin on the body market is his concierge approach where he can help a person source parts, make design choices and…
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“Greedy” Greg Williamson has had a long and storied musical career that has literally taken him around the world. As a sound tech he’s toured with acts like Sunny Day Real Estate, Mike Watt, The Foo Fighters as well as managing Sunny Day Real Estate. He’s worked with SubPop Records, Eddie Vedder and others who changed musical history. As if all of …
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Birchway Sound isn’t your typical guitar shop, and Ed isn’t a normal guitar ship owner. Located in Hamilton, Ontario, Birchway has carved out a unique place in their community and Canada by exclusively selling Canadian made brands from builders all across the country. Representing some of the top of the industry in the world but with a unique patri…
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This week Al & Kasper are visiting with Michael Pack from Los Angeles, California. Mike is a rad guy who has worked extensively in movies, TV, and is now making some of the most respected high end pickups around not to mention accessories like switch tips, full wiring jobs and custom made pickups done reliced and more. Sonic Pickups is Mike’s perso…
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“Instrumental psychedelic jazz rock” is a big term, luckily Ed Durocher has a big personality to match it, and so does his band Apollo Suns. Having toured across Canada, into the US, played hundreds of shows, bundles of festivals and releasing a handful of mind blowing records Ed has a lot to share. He’s a joyful bundle of energy and best of all, h…
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This week the boys head to the Canada’s Atlantic coast with Daniel d’Entremont or d’Entremont Guitars. This young Canadian luthier is aiming to make a unique niche between custom builds and offering upscale replacement parts for your builds. Dive on in! https://instagram.com/dentremontguitars?igshid=xq2kgw1xjqxi https://www.dentremontguitars.com/…
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The boys chat with west coast luthier Reuben of Joi Guitars about his artistic and focused approach to crafting world class acoustics. Building guitars out of the rarest woods from far flung places and down to boards from Jimi Hendrix’s childhood home has made him a legend already. Reuben’s work is owned by collectors, players and rock royalty like…
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