Today we’re chatting with Ben Harper about a very special guitar he just received from luthier John Monteleone. It’s the first lap steel guitar that Monteleone has ever made, a guitar that John has dubbed the Radio City Special Deluxe.

In addition to talking about the origin of his Monteleone guitar, we discuss Ben’s new Reverb store, his love for Dumble amplifiers, some recent recording project he’s undertaken (including a session with jazz player Bruce Bishop), what he’s currently spinning on his turntable and a lot more. Please subscribe to the Fretboard Journal Podcast on iTunes if you haven’t yet and don’t forget to leave us a review.

Longtime FJ readers may remember that Ben actually penned a cover story for the Journal (he penned an interview with David Lindley in the FJ #11). If you missed this issue the first time around, you can order it here.

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This episode is sponsored by Retrofret, one of our favorite vintage instrument dealers in the country.

Top photo: An outtake from our Fretboard Journal #11 shoot, taken by Doug Van Doren. The guitar in this shot is a rare Lyon & Healy Hawaiian guitar. 

Ben Harper with guitarist Howard Emerson. Howard is briefly mentioned in the podcast; he happened to be at Monteleone’s shop when Ben picked up his guitar.