Podcast 146: Matt Hampton of the Hampton Brothers

Podcast 146: Matt Hampton of the Hampton Brothers

The first time Matt Hampton sought out to harvest Red spruce for guitar tops, he, quite simply, "searched Google Earth for dark patches on top of tall mountains." Matt and his brother Nate are now continuing the legacy started by Ted Davis and John Arnold and making a full-time living hunting down Adirondack red spruce for luthiers and larger-scale guitar manufacturers.

Matt describes the process and how one tree can yield up to 500 tops, their unlikely start in the world of guitarmaking, their relationship with John Arnold and more. He also busts a few myths about spruce. We also hear about the brothers' quest to find quality domestic back and side tonewoods. It's a fascinating story, they sound almost like the American Pickers of trees.

Watch the Brothers harvest a Red spruce tree here on YouTube.

You can contact the Hampton Brothers via email (hamptonbros@live.com) or eBay.

Our sponsors today are Retrofret Vintage Guitars and Dying Breed Music. Check them out and tell them the Fretboard Journal sent you.

Subscribe to our magazine here.

Avsnitt(530)

Podcast 544: Thomm Jutz

Podcast 544: Thomm Jutz

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Podcast 543: Rhys John Stubbs

Podcast 543: Rhys John Stubbs

This week, we're chatting with Rhys John Stubbs, founder of UK-based Bigfoot Engineering. Rhys is best known for his effects pedals, but he just released a beautiful album of original acoustic guitar ...

3 Apr 49min

Podcast 542: John Craigie

Podcast 542: John Craigie

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Podcast 541: Ramsey Thornton

Podcast 541: Ramsey Thornton

This week, the Fretboard Journal's Sofia Wolfson talks to Tulsa, Oklahoma-based songwriter Ramsey Thornton. Ramsey is a multi-instrumentalist with a love for both banjo and guitar. In fact, he's one o...

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Podcast 540: Jonah Sissoyev & Eric Skye

Podcast 540: Jonah Sissoyev & Eric Skye

Portland, Oregon-based musicians Eric Skye and Jonah Sissoyev join us this week to talk about Jonah's beautiful new EP, 'A Place Called Nowhere.'  The EP's origin story begins with Jonah asking Eric,...

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Podcast 539: Mark Stutman (Folkway Music) Returns

Podcast 539: Mark Stutman (Folkway Music) Returns

Acclaimed vintage guitar repairperson Mark Stutman (Folkway Music) joins the Fretboard Journal Podcast once again.  We talk about his early training as a luthier, running Folkway Music, and his approa...

27 Feb 1h 10min

Podcast 538: The Story of Micro-Frets Guitars with Seth Lorinczi

Podcast 538: The Story of Micro-Frets Guitars with Seth Lorinczi

Fretboard Journal contributor Seth Lorinczi joins us this week to talk about the rise and fall of Micro-Frets, the upstart electric guitar brand launched in the late 1960s. Seth penned a lengthy story...

22 Feb 55min

Podcast 537: The 2025 Fretboard Summit Guitar Repair Panel

Podcast 537: The 2025 Fretboard Summit Guitar Repair Panel

In what has become an annual tradition, Evan Gluck (NY Guitar Repair) hosted a guitar repair roundtable at the 2025 Fretboard Summit. This year, he brought Ceil Thompson (StewMac); TJ Thompson (Pro Lu...

14 Feb 59min

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