What we loved at the 2026 Fretboard Summit
This August, MachMachines was an exhibitor at the Fretboard Summit, which is perhaps the largest builder showcase that’s open to the public - and it’s right here in Chicago. This is the fifth summit that the Fretboard Journal and Old Town School of Folk Music have put on together. We’ve attended most of the other years and even lent the Cuyler guitar to the Vintage Amp Room last year, but being an exhibitor for the first time was a truly special experience.
We were especially inspired and delighted by what we saw from our fellow luthiers (and pedal makers, as well, but I’ll focus on what I know best).
Originality, creativity & innovation in abundance
As I’ve written before, the world has room for some designs that go beyond T-, S-, and LP-styles. The Fretboard Summit had hardly any of those designs. The originality in every room was a breath of fresh air.
It is hard to pick any one of my peers to highlight - I don’t want to leave anyone out! - but it is worth calling out Holcomb and Motander for some very new ideas in electric guitar pickups. Holcomb’s rolltop pickup deservedly received a ton of attention for being totally different from anything anyone had seen before. Meanwhile, Motander’s engineering background was on full display both in the exhibitor room and the science fair for its 6-pickup guitar that would require at least 16 different pedals to replicate its killer sound.
Highest quality and variety of instruments and pedals in one setting
The event itself is unique not just in being open to the public but for the sheer variety of what’s available to see in one place. As you’ve probably noticed, most big guitar stores have electrics front and center. Some of this is because acoustics require a humidity-controlled room, which is easier to build away from the door, but a lot of it - let’s face it - is because electrics are cheaper and faster to make so there are more of them available to sell. But at the Fretboard Summit, acoustics were plentiful and varied: flat-tops, archtops, resonators, plus the occasional mandolin and banjo.
Surprisingly, MachMachines was somewhat unique in having a couple of ukuleles on display. We’d love to see more ukes next year!
Hand Habits in Maurer Hall
Old Town School of Folk Music continues to be one of the best sounding rooms in Chicago, and it had been too long since we’d seen a show there. Friday night’s with Hand Habits was captivating. It was a reminder of what we’ve lost as music recording and distribution has become so plentiful. There is just no true substitute for the all-encompassing experience that you get when you’re in a room that has been created by an acoustical engineer.
Connecting with like-minded people
I can’t say enough about how wonderful it was to meet so many musicians and instrument enthusiasts who came in from around Chicago and traveled in to make a weekend of it. Add to that my old teachers from Roberto-Venn, putting faces to the names of our long-time suppliers, and sharing ideas with peers who we’ve only followed from a distance. Special thanks to Dawn Patch at Old Town School and Jason Verlinde at Fretboard Journal for making this happen.
This post really isn’t intended to be about me and MachMachines, but if you’re curious about what we exhibited, click on the links in the photo caption above to see the instruments, accessories, and merch that we had on display.
Author: David Showalter, MachMachines Co-founder & Head of Instruments