Ritchie “the amp guy” Fliegler is a notable guitarist, author, and at one time an evangelist for both Marshall Amplification and Fender Musical Instruments.
Ritchie’s passion for the guitar and the music made by it has taken him on a journey he never could have expected, but one that he is humbled by and grateful for every day.
Chip Auchincloss is a Monitor Engineer and Backline Tech based in Brooklyn, N.Y., who’s spent the last 20 years living his dream of working in the live sound industry.
I met with Chip at his Brooklyn studio where we dove deep into his upbringing in Philadelphia, his obsession with concerts, and the crazy coincidence of our family connection.
Mark Agnesi is General Manager of Norman’s Rare Guitars, located in the heart of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles. Mark is an expert on Fender, Gibson, Rickenbacker, Gretsch and Martin guitars, making him one of the youngest authorities on vintage guitars in the world. Since starting at Norman’s in 2009, he has sold guitars to every major name in the entertainment business.
Bass player/singer/songwriter Byron Isaacs is a Texas native, proud former Hoosier, Brooklyn resident, and Woodstock frequenter, currently playing with The Lumineers as well as Lost Leaders. He’s also just completed a solo album, Disappearing Man, set for release on June 12, 2018.
Byron Isaacs is a founding member of the Americana band Ollabelle and has played with Levon Helm live at his Midnight Rambles and on both of his Grammy-winning studio albums. He played with Amy Helm and produced her album Didn’t It Rain. In the last fifteen years he’s also toured and/or recorded with Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams, The Weight Band, Joan Baez and many more.
It’s the late 1970’s, you’ve stopped drumming in your local band because you realized you could be more effective behind the scenes, you cut your teeth in every major bar or club for the last few years after starting out in Cleveland, and as the 80’s fast approach you wonder where life on the road with rock bands will lead you.
Then the phone rings. It’s a band that’s on the verge of dominating the world several times over, but no one knows that yet. They need a Bass tech. You say yes, having never done the job.
For over forty years Norman Harris has been the go-to guy for vintage guitar enthusiasts the world over. His store in Tarzana, CA consistently has the greatest collection of player-friendly stringed instruments, while his dedicated and loyal staff cater to a wide range of guitar enthusiasts and players day after day.
There are many types of successful people out there; those who fell into their position, those for whom luck comes easy and often, and even those that lie, cheat, and steal their way into opportunities until they find themselves in a position of power, leaving a trail of heartbreak and deceit along the way.
Yet there’s another group, who climb the ladder of success in a most understated way. Day in and day out, they quietly do their jobs, learning, getting better, being forthright with their peers and employers, their innocence and naïveté coupled with a pure love and passion for their career, eventually leading them to the highest ranks within their chosen field.
Guitar Tech Steven “Charley” Cohen is a member of this aforementioned group. His approach is simple, his love of his job is pure and palpable, and his sense of self and his ability is straightforward and clear.
Robert Compton is no stranger to life-changing events. As you'll hear in our interview, he's had quite a few. In fact, Compton's knack for surviving a few of those events is what's led him to focus his passion and channel his creativity into building guitars out of his home in New Jersey.
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