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Why I Built This

Breedlove’s Quest: Dynamic Designs with Earth-Friendly Wood Sourcing | Why I Built This

The mind behind many of the acoustic maker’s designs, Angela Christensen, shares her journey and makes a case for sustainability.

When Louis Cato received this Univox LP-style as a gift in high school, it needed some major TLC. A few years later, it got some practical upgrades and now makes regular appearances with Cato on The Late Show.

Photo by Scott Kowalchyk

The self-described “utility knife” played drums with John Scofield and Marcus Miller and spent time in the studio with Q-Tip before landing on Stephen Colbert’s show as a multi-instrumentalist member of the house band. Now, he’s taken over as the show’s guitar-wielding bandleader and is making his mark.

It’s a classic old-school-show-biz move: Bring out the band, introduce them one by one, and build up the song to its explosive beginning. It’s fun, dramatic, audiences love it, and that’s how every The Late Show with Stephen Colbert taping starts.

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“Taking the Telecaster Away from Muddy Waters Would Be a Crime” | Why I Built This

But Glenn Nichols still wouldn’t turn down a time machine to get one of his stunning Retrograde Guitars into the late bluesman’s hands.

Fjord Fuzz Aims to Usher in a Psych Revolution—In More Ways Than One | Why I Built This

Norwegian pedal builder Daniel Thornhill talks fuzz, Uni-Vibes, builder-player friendships, and future scientific ambitions.

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Matt Eich on Why Mule Resonators Are Not a “Niche-y Blues Thing”

From acoustic resonators to steel-bodied T-styles, the builder says his guitars are for all types of musicians.

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