Life With Strings Attached
Everything in life is better understood if you can learn to see the strings attached.
Jamie Gale is a thought leader who rose to prominence in the guitar industry by simplifying complex concepts. In this podcast, he engages in cross-disciplinary discussions to reveal how everything from guitar design to architecture, philosophy, physics and more can be better understood if you learn to see the universal truths that underpin our world.
Life With Strings Attached
The Art of Guitar Making with Max Spohn
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Today I’m joined by Max Spohn, a luthier whose path into guitar making has been unusually intentional.
While many makers discover the craft by accident, Max set out early with a clear plan: a childhood surrounded by music and art, formal training in Markneukirchen, and a pivotal apprenticeship with Raymond Kraut, drawing from the Somogyi lineage.
His work reflects that depth: modern acoustic guitars shaped by design thinking, informed by early influences like Kandinsky and Klee, and rooted in the emotional connection players form with their instruments.
In our conversation, we trace Max’s journey from those early artistic foundations to finding his own visual language, learning to trust his instincts, and navigating the world of guitar shows where his work first gained real visibility.
Max says, “I think it’s okay to have a journey,” and today we explore exactly that. How intention, experimentation, and personal expression come together in the guitars he builds.
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