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
54 episodes
THE LOST SEASON LOCKER Ep. 7 | Chicago Checkmate! Emily and Robert Discuss Chess and Birding Champions, Specimen Products, and Rotary Connections.
On this episode of The Lipstick Pickup Podcast, Emily talks about her recent and not-so-recent history with the Windy City. It's a travelogue that meanders along the road to "Little Mississippi", Interstate 55, to a city where world-class music...
THE LOST SEASON LOCKER Ep.10 | It's Our First LongHorn Rodeo and It's Coed!
On this episode of The Lipstick Pickup Podcast, Emily and Robert talk about the history and influence of the iconic Danelectro Longhorn Bass and the cowgirls and cowboys who know their way around it. Here's our "Round Up"....
THE LOST SEASON LOCKER Ep. 6 |Sympathetic String: Nashville's Matthew Paige Returns to Talk about Strings and Threads
On this episode of The Lipstick Pickup Podcast, Nashville's Matthew Paige returns to talk to Emily about strings, threads, and what it means to be "Tailor-Made" in Nashville. In this hour-long chat, Matthew imagines some Americana possibilities...
THE LOST SEASON LOCKER Ep. 8 | Detroit DOES NOT SUCK! Emily goes to Detroit on Lipstick Pickup Business
On this episode of The Lipstick Pickup Podcast, Emily appoints herself as your Detroit tour guide and there's also a Motown/Chank Willis listening party.
THE LOST SEASON LOCKER Ep. 9 | Sympathetic String: Emily and Robert talk to John Cowsill about Vinnie Bell, electric sitar and The Family Business
On this episode of The Lipstick Pickup Podcast, Robert and Emily host their first "Party Line" with John Cowsill of the original family band the Cowsills. John shares details from a lifetime spent in show business, starting with his fa...
THE LOST SEASON LOCKER Ep. 11| Sympathetic String: Getting in the Philly Soul Mood with Ben Vaughn
On this episode of The Lipstick Pickup Podcast, Emily takes a shot at "going pro" when she gets the chance to talk to renowned recording artist and musicologist Ben Vaughn. It's a solid hour-long chat where Mr. Vaughn knocks it out of the park ...
THE LOST SEASON LOCKER Ep.5 | Sympathetic String: Doin' Time With Bluesman Patrick Sweany and Bukka White
On this episode of The Lipstick Pickup Podcast, I ask Nashville-based Blues guitarist Patrick Sweany to talk to me about the guitar stylings of Bukka White and we hope it RESONATES with music history lovers.
THE LOST SEASON LOCKER Ep. 4 | The Sitar Goes Electric
In this episode of The Lipstick Pickup Podcast, Robert and Emily talk about Vinnie Bell, the Coral electric sitar and the Class of '67.From Wikipedia:"The instrument was developed in the early 1960s by session guitarist
THE LOST SEASON LOCKER Ep. 1 | Sympathetic String: Americana "Industry Event" with DeeOhGee's Matthew Paige
On this episode of The Lipstick Pickup Podcast, Matthew Paige helps Emily celebrate Americana week in Nashville with an action-packed chat about "cross promotion" and wearing (and making) different hats in the music business. Spoiler alert: It ...
THE LOST SEASON LOCKER Ep. 3 | Sympathetic String: Tone Lessons From Patrick Sweany
In this episode of The Lipstick Pickup Podcast, Emily gets "Tone Lessons" from Nashville-based electric blues guitarist Patrick Sweeney.
THE LOST SEASON LOCKER Ep. 2 | Sympathetic String: Bass Lessons Pete Donnelly!
In this episode of The Lipstick Pickup Podcast I call in one of my favorite "Sympathetic Strings", my old Pete Donnelly. He's a bass playing legend and he's also got a surprising history with Masonite and Lipstick Pickups.
SEASON'S END FIELD REPORT WITH MATTHEW PAIGE | The Lipstick Pickup Ep.42
Season One of the Lipstick Pickup Podcast officially ends with a mandolin migration Field Report from Matthew Paige in Knislinge, Sweden.
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...