Michael Watts - 6 Strings And The Truth

In this episode I meet with Michael Johnson of [Johnson Banks](www.johnsonbanks.co.uk), one of the world's leading designers, authors and thinkers to discuss the beauty of the guitar. We discuss everything from helpful design tips for luthiers and the joy of pre-war Martins to the acoustic equivalent of a Fender Stratocaster and why Les Paul's tend to make anyone over the age of 23 look fat.

In this episode I visit one of the leading lights of British luthiery - Rory Dowling of Taran Guitars, at his workshop in Fife, Scotland. We talk about shared inspiration in the forms of John Martyn, Isaac Guillory and Martin Simpson, building a guitar to suit an individual player's needs, the story of Taran Guitars (now over 10 years old) and how British luthiers are embracing transatlantic influences. You can learn more about Rory's work at [www.taranguitars.co.uk](www.taranguitars.co.uk)

In this episode I sit down for a catch up with my dear friend, sometime gigging partner and massive inspiration, Grammy Award winning Avant Garde visionary Amrit Sond. We talk about Amrit's incoming new album, his love of Lowden guitars, spending time with Michael Hedges, composition and performance and the above gravity fret! Enjoy! MDW

I played a concert in Paris over the weekend with the hugely talented South African guitarist Derek Gripper. We sat down for this discussion about arranging African music for the nylon string guitar, commissioning 8 string fan frets with interchangeable fretboards and whether CD's make good frisbees...

Michael Watts takes an in-depth look at this year's superb Holy Grail Guitar Show in Berlin.