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.
Episodes
42 episodes
ORIGINS OF THE SYMPATHETIC STRING WITH MATTHEW PAIGE | The Lipstick Pickup Podcast Ep.41
The Lipstick Pickup didn't get its wings until I had a chance run-in with https://deeohgee.org frontman Matthew Paige in early '24 and asked him to provide Sympathetic Strings to my effort. I couldn't have don...
BACK TO THE FUTURE WITH A MELLOTRON AND MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST PETE DONNELLY | The Lipstick Pickup Podcast Ep. 40
Emily places a call of the wild to The Hudson Valley to talk to Pete Donnelly about the vintage Mellotron that has landed in his studio in Katonah, New York. Pete was an original Sympathetic String to the podcast and there is a review of his Li...
GETTING BUSY BIRDING WITH CHICAGO'S NICK WILKINSON | The Lipstick Pickup Podcast Ep.39
Emily places a wild bird call to Chicago to talk to independent musician Nick Wilkinson about the importance of community and Intelligence Networks. https://www.nickwilkm...
IDENTIFYING FLYING OBJECTS WITH NASHVILLE'S MATTHEW PAIGE | The Lipstick Pickup Podcast Ep.38
DeeOhGee frontman Matthew Paige has a background in Scouting and he returns to The Lipstick Pickup to help Emily discuss and identify a couple of flying guitars and the Harpy Eagle. https://...
MIGRATORY BIRD CALL WITH JOHAN BORGH AND HIS GRETSCH TENNESSEAN | The Lipstick Pickup Ep.37
Emily places another call to Stockholm to talk to Johan Borgh about his '67 Gretsch Tennessean and the rare birds of Sweden. https://www.instagram.com/johanborgh/
CARDINAL RULES AND SHORT FUSES WITH NASHVILLE'S SEAN DUNOON | The Lipstick Pickup Ep.36
The Lipstick Pickup Podcast has a new SHORT FORMula for '26 and on this episode Emily calls former guest Sean Dunoon to hear about his new single "Firecracker" and talk about Northern Cardinals and Spark Birds.
THE POLITICS OF HOME RECORDING WITH MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST M.ROSS PERKINS | The Lipstick Pickup Ep. 35
Emily places a New Year's Day call to Dayton, Ohio to talk to multi-instrumentalist M. Ross Perkins about the fine art of thinking small and the politics of home recording. It's a lesson in the ec...
WRAPPING UP A BIG YEAR WITH MATTHEW PAIGE AND A NEW BARITONE GUITAR BY SILVERTONE | The Lipstick Pickup Ep.34
Nashville's Matthew Paige returns to The Lipstick Pickup Podcast to help Emily wrap up 2025 and ring in the new Silvertone Baritone Guitar. It was a Big Year for bari-TONE and a Big Year for them, come join the fun.
FOR THE RECORD: THE DANELECTRO JOURNAL WITH WRITER JIM WASHBURN | The Lipstick Pickup Ep.33
Jim Washburn's relationship with Danelectro influenced his love of guitars and it also ignited his career as a journalist and writer on the subject. He's been a valued resource to The Lipstick Pickup Podcast and in this episode, Emily calls him...
THE CALL OF THE WILD WITH NYC PARK RANGER AND GUITARIST ROB MASTRIANNI | The Lipstick Pickup Ep. 32
NYC Park Ranger/Guitarist Rob Mastrianni returns to The Lipstick Pickup Podcast to help Emily wrap up her Big Year and discuss the Naturalist's approach to music and gear. Chapters00:00Introduction to th...
FLYIN' HIGH WITH IAN WILLIAMS OF NEPCO GUITARS | The Lipstick Pickup Ep.31
In this episode I call Des Moines, Iowa to talk to Ian Williams, the man behind Nepco Guitars, a revered and respected "recreationist" of classic Danelectro design theory. The spirit of evolution is alive and well in his wild imagination and cr...
BROOKLYN BLUES WITH GUITARIST/ RECORDING VETERAN HUGH POOL | The Lipstick Pickup Ep.30
Emily places a call to Excello Recording of Brooklyn, New York to talk to the multi-talented guitarist/music producer Hugh Pool about his career, his studio, and his collection of notable lipstick pickup guitars. Hugh shares his jou...
GOIN' GREEK WITH MATTHEW PAIGE AND A DANELECTRO BELLZOUKI | The Lipstick Pickup Ep.29
Emily and DeeOhGee's Matthew Paige delve into the fascinating history of the Bellzouki, a unique 12-string electric guitar. They explore its history, cultural significance, and the impact it has had on various music genres. Matthew shares his p...
SLIDIN' INTO STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN WITH BLUES GUITARIST JOHAN BORGH | The Lipstick Pickup Ep. 28
On the episode of The Lipstick Pickup Podcast, I call accomplished Blues Guitarist Johan Borgh of Stockholm, Sweden to discuss his new album Island Blues and the Danelectro Guitars that are a critical part of his sound.
SOUND TREATMENT WITH WOLF STEPHENSON OF MALACO MUSIC GROUP | The Lipstick Pickup Podcast Ep.27
On this episode of The Lipstick Pickup Podcast I go on location to my hometown of Jackson, Mississippi to having a very inspirational talk with audio engineer/producer Wolf Stephenson of Malaco Music Group.Wolf helped found and build “Th...
FAMILY REUNION WITH JACK BRUNSON OF JACK'S GUITARCHEOLOGY | The Lipstick Pickup Podcast Ep. 26
On this episode of The Lipstick Pickup Podcast, I make a Scouting Trip to see Lipstick Pickup Community Cornerstone Jack Brunson of Jack's Guitarcheology in Lebanon, Tennessee. Jack shares his journey in the world of guitars, from h...
INTO THE LIPSTICK STRAT-OSPHERE WITH GUITARIST STEVEN COOPER | The Lipstick Pickup Ep.25
On this episode, I take a trip through the Lone Star State with Steven Cooper, a native Texan and Nashville-based touring/session guitarist who has worked with a variety of artists including the Watson Twins, Patrick Sweany, Jessie Baylin, Nico...
GUITAR TOWN SHOW AND TELL WITH NASHVILLE'S MICHAEL McADAM | The Lipstick Pickup Ep.24
Guitarist Michael McAdam comes by The Lipstick Pickup Listening Lounge with an armful of interesting guitars and talks to Emily about playing professionally in Guitar Town for nearly 4 decades. It's a journey of a million miles and it all start...
THE SITAR GOES ELECTRIC WITH ANGIE MOON | The Lipstick Pickup Ep. 23
Writer, blogger and rock historian Angie Moon returns to The Lipstick Pickup Podcast to help Emily take the Sitar Electric and discuss a subject of her authority, Beyond The Sitar: Indian Influences in Classic rock. The conversation explores th...
SUMMER STRINGS MAKE ME FEEL FINE, STU SNYDER PT. II | The Lipstick Pickup Ep. 22
In this episode of the Lipstick Pickup Podcast, Emily welcomes back Stu Snyder to discuss various topics related to vintage instruments, music recording, and New York City and it's rare birds. They pickup where they left off with a discussion o...
TRUE CRIMES OF CLASSIC ROCK WITH MUSIC WRITER AND HISTORIAN ANGIE MOON | The Lipstick Pickup Podcast Ep.21
On this episode of The Lipstick Pickup Podcast, Emily calls Classic Rock historian Angie Moon in Coventry, England to talk about her new book The Crime of The Century and the subject of her blog, The Diversity of Classic Rock. She discu...
PEAVEY CULT INDOCTRINATION WITH PROFESSOR DEAN FARLEY | The Lipstick Pickup Ep. 20
Dean Farley, a seasoned string designer, returns to The Lipstick Pickup Podcast to discuss the life and legacy of Hartley Peavey, a pivotal figure in the music industry. They explore Peavey's innovative spirit, his business acumen, and the impa...
MISSISSIPPI DEEP WOODS TONE WITH DRUMMER ALLEN JONES | The Lipstick Pickup Ep. 19
In this episode of the Lipstick Pickup Podcast, Emily talks to Nashville-based, Mississippi native drummer Allen Jones. They discuss their mutual connections in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and delve into Allen's musical history, from his early in...
PROOF READING THE DANELECTRO STORY WITH HOWARD DANIEL | The Lipstick Pickup Ep. 18
On this episode of The Lipstick Pickup podcast, Emily gets 411 help from Nathan Daniel's son Howard about the myth of the Lipstick Pickup and the importance of getting the Danelectro record straight. Please visit
PYRAMID SCHEMES WITH THE KING OF STRINGS, DEAN FARLEY | The Lipstick Pickup Ep. 17 #guitarstrings
On this episode of The Lipstick Pickup Podcast, Emily gets a primer on the career of The String King, Dean Farley of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. More on Dean from https://pyrami...