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Michael Watts

  • HOME
  • ABOUT
  • MUSIC
  • IN CONCERT
  • ONLINE LESSONS
  • TABLATURE
  • LIFE ON THE FRETBOARD PODCAST
  • LUTHIER STORIES
  • VIDEO INTERVIEWS
  • WRITTEN INTERVIEWS
  • THE BLUE GUITARS
  • GEAR REVIEWS
  • GETTING TO KNOW YOU
  • CASIMI GUITARS
  • KOSTAL GUITARS
  • MAILING LIST

MICHAEL WATTS

GUITARIST

CONTACT

LATEST NEWS

Feb 3 2023

RELEASING THE GUITAR'S VOICE - JOHN MONTELEONE

I have been a huge fan of John Monteleone’s work for many years and it was a pleasure to spend time with him last year while travelling with The Archtop Foundation. 

John is a legendary figure in the world of…

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Feb 3 2023

EXPLORING AESTHETIC THEMES - CASIMI GUITARS

My Casimi Guitar is taking shape! Thank you to everyone who has been in touch to ask for more details of my incoming instrument - This African Blackwood and Swiss Moon Spruce masterpiece has been much on my mind and…

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Jan 28 2023

ARCHTOP GUITARS FOR FLATTOP PLAYERS - CRIS MIRABELLA

Cris Mirabella makes disturbingly beautiful guitars. In fact I found his work so intimidating that it was several years after we first met that I plucked up the courage to ask Cris if I could try one of his instruments…

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Jan 28 2023

ONE OF MY FAVOURITE ARCHTOPS - MIRABELLA CROSSFIRE

Cris Mirabella never intended his for his exquisite archtop jazz guitars to be flung into DADGAD and used as fingerstyle machines but they really do work for me!

Here's a case in point - a sensation Mirabella Crossfire New…

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Jan 21 2023

THE MOST VALUABLE WOODS ON EARTH - MICHAEL GREENFIELD

Michael Greenfield is an extraordinary human being who creates extraordinary guitars. A dear friend since our first meeting at the Montreal Guitar Show in 2009 Michael has been a guide and confidante in the fascinating and often bewildering world of…

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Jan 17 2023

LUTHIER STORIES SEASON 2

It has been a long time coming.

Luthier Stories Season 2 begins on Saturday 21st January 2023 - I'll be on YouTube for the live premier and I hope you'll join me - this is going to be fun!

Thank…

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Jan 15 2023

RUINED BY THIS GUITAR

George Gruhn knows what he's doing - as he showed me around his private collection of achingly rare guitars - my curiosity was piqued by a 12-fret Euphonon dreadnought. It is one of a pair made in 1940 - explains…

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Jan 13 2023

GEORGE GRUHN SPEAKS HIS MIND

George Gruhn is an iconic figure in the world of guitar retail - instantly recognisable with a stack of unobtainium guitars and a live snake around his neck - George has helmed Gruhn Guitars in Nashville TN for over 50…

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Jan 12 2023

LIFE ON THE FRETBOARD - TONY McMANUS

The first episode of my new Fretboard Journal podcast LIFE ON THE FRETBOARD is now live across all pod delivery systems and my guest for this conversation is the wonderful Tony McManus.

Described by the late John Renbourn as “The…

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Jan 5 2023

STEALING MOLLY TUTTLE'S TUNING

Molly Tuttle is one of my favourite players right now - she's an incredible musician and one of the most exciting guitarists I have seen in recent years. I interviewed Molly for Guitar.com and during our chat she revealed that…

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Jan 3 2023

FRETBOARD JOURNAL PODCAST INTERVIEW

I was delighted to sit down with super luthier and podcast empresario Michael Bashkin during my recent visit to Colorado - the results of that conversation are now available for all to enjoy in the latest edition of the Fretboard…

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Aug 28 2022

Martin O-18 K 1921 - 100 years of beauty!

The final guitar that was calling my name as I recorded The Blue Guitar Collection is this delicately wonderful Martin O-18 K which has offered discerning and fortunate players over 100 years of gorgeousity since its birth in 1921.

Centre…

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Aug 17 2022

KEN PARKER ARCHTOP "Sidekick" - This was fun!

Another extraordinary instrument that I found in the new home of The Blue Guitar Collection  is this Ken Parker acoustic archtop - just gorgeous!

Just wow!

This was only the second time I had ever seen a Ken Parker acoustic…

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Aug 11 2022

CASIMI GUITARS C2 Signature Pernambuco & Redwood

In amongst The Blue Guitars I found a trio of exceptional brown guitars and in a relatively quiet moment in amongst the azure mayhem I managed to film them.

Just look at them!

Here is the first, a sumptuous Casimi…

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Jul 29 2022

Linda Manzer - The SUNFLOWER GUITAR For Ukraine

It was a privilege to be asked to contribute to the SUNFLOWER GUITAR appeal for Ukraine - a humanitarian endeavour by Linda Manzer, a dear friend and one of the world's finest guitar makers. 

Heartbroken at the suffering caused…

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Jul 11 2022

Interview with Jazz Guitar Today - The Blue Guitar Collection

It was a real pleasure to talk to the irrepressible Bob Bakert in an interview for Jazz Guitar Today alongside jazz guitarist extraordinaire Ted Ludwig!

We spoke at length about our experiences with The Blue Guitar Collection so far…

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May 12 2022

The BEST Microphone for Acoustic Guitar?

Regular readers will be well aware of my love of Microtech Gefell Microphones - in fact over the course of the past 15 years or so I have made hundreds of acoustic guitar demos using a matched pair of their…

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May 7 2022

Comparing 80/20 Bronze and Phosphor Bronze for Elixir Strings

It was a real pleasure to work on a new video project for Elixir Strings! In this video I look at 80/20 Bronze and Phosphor Bronze NANOWEB strings from the player's point of view. 

It was such a joy…

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May 5 2022

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and LOVE This Wood!

Do you have a love/hate relationship with certain tone woods? I have to admit that I do, and in particular the more vitreous members of the rosewood family can be hard work for me. 

If there is one wood that…

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Apr 30 2022

Checking out a McNally Guitars OM

The name Ciaran McNally may be a new one to many of you but this young luthier based in Armagh Northern Ireland already has a huge amount of experience as an acoustic guitar maker having worked for both Lowden and…

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Apr 24 2022

LAVA GUITARS ME3 - The First Smart Guitar?

Strap yourselves in ladies and gentlemen - The Lava Guitars ME3 is here and things are going to get very weird very quickly!

Something of a cross between an acoustic guitar, a spaceship and a smart phone this iconoclastic six-string…

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Mar 29 2022

Rickenbacker Guitars Exhibition at Shapero Rare Books in London - Extended to 2nd April!

Rickenbacker guitars have a magnetic pull for me - I can't explain exactly why but I find them to be some of the most beautiful electric guitar designs out there. 

As such it was a pleasure to visit Shapero Rare…

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Mar 22 2022

Keb Mo Though - Interview for Guitar.com

It was a huge pleasure to talk to legendary Bluesman Keb Mo about his beautiful new album Good To Be..., his life and work and his experiences for guitar.com - you can read the whole interview here and I…

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Mar 17 2022

African Blackwood is Like a Freight Train!

Right - we should be back on track after a few weeks deep in other beautiful things (not complaining - it's a wonderful problem to have!) and here is the news as regards my incoming instrument from Casimi Guitars!

As…

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© Michael Watts 2023

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