The Lipstick Pickup Podcast with Emily Vardaman Walters
A lipstick pickup is an electric guitar pickup with a captivating sound and appearance that has a devoted cult following that grows with each passing year. True to their name, they were originally chrome lipstick tubes stuffed with magnets and electronics that were the inspired invention of Nathan Daniel, founder of Danelectro. Born from his genius instinct for innovation as well as his devotion to a "rigid cost control" philosophy, they were an essential component of the guitars that helped stoke an affordable rock-n-roll revolution.
The Lipstick Pickup Podcast is an amateur (but very inspired), unscripted, rarely edited conversation devoted to the entirety of the subject. Hosted by Emily Vardaman Walters, The Lipstick Pickup Podcast is a fan-friendly primer on the subject of Danelectro guitars and their impact on the history of popular music of all genres.
The Lipstick Pickup Podcast with Emily Vardaman Walters
SYMPATHETIC STRINGS: GUITARIST JAMES DEPRATO | The Lipstick Pickup Ep. 14
This episode of The Lipstick Pickup Podcast returns to its humble origins with a flashback to a conversation from December 2023 between Emily and Bay Area guitarist (and her first "Sympathetic String") James DePrato. A longtime Bay Area resident and member of Chuck Prophet's Mission Express, James stays busy as an in-demand session player in addition to gear development and endorsement projects.
James, who was Emily's very first guest, discusses how he views himself as a practitioner of music rather than a collector, how he's still chasing the feeling of being scared of music, and that a song doesn't have to make sense to be great. James also shares his love and reverence for Danelectro guitars and shows off a few from his collection including a Danelectro double neck, his homemade modified electric sitar, and his 12-string Jerry Jones. The jailbreak starts right here, right now with the Lipstick Pickup Podcast!