To most of the gear-obsessed universe, Chris Vincent is known simply by his Instagram handle, @djlavalamp. Over there, he showcases the products he’s working on, which are primarily treble and full-range booster pedals (think: Dallas Rangemasters and the like). That may sound pretty niche, but we love following him: His photography is exquisite, his commentary informative, and his mining of old stock parts (from old reel-to-reel tape decks and other discarded electronics) sets him apart. So, when we decided to launch #FJFest (our virtual guitar show taking place during the COVID-19 crisis), we had to hear more from this mysterious figure. He took our invite and ran with it…

Here, Chris (along with Scruggs the dog) gives us a tour of his workshop (aka his apartment). We also get to hear about some of the pedals he’s currently digging from other makers.

Follow Chris here: https://www.instagram.com/djlavalamp/ (and act fast when he has a new release batch: They tend to sell out very quickly.)

#FJFest is the Fretboard Journal‘s way of staying connected during these difficult times: Expect to see never-before-seen shop tours from guitarmakers, unique music performances and a ton of beautiful instruments on a daily basis throughout March 2020 and beyond.

These are tough times and the Fretboard Journal could use your support, too: Get a digital subscription to the FJ for just $30 and we’ll send you our two most recent issues immediately as PDFs, on the house.