To be honest, my first encounter with Kenneth Pattengale was tough: We were doing a Fretboard Journal Live episode and he and Milk Carton Kid cohort Joey Ryan were in full-on Smothers Brothers-inspired sparring mode. I did my best to keep my chin up but our video interview had lots of awkward moments. The results are semi-infamous and now preserved for awkward posterity on YouTube. 

My last encounter with Kenneth was the exact opposite: Last night, I met him just outside of Seattle so we could chat about his new Martin guitar, the Kenneth Pattengale Special. It’s a truly...