Matthew Yeakley was born into a musical family and gravitated to the guitar at a young age. Growing up in San Diego he had the opportunity to study with some of the city's most well regarded guitarists. After high school he chose to forgo the traditional college route, instead he began teaching guitar and traveling the country with numerous musical groups. At 23 he decided that the time had come to formalize his musical education and he began attending the Musicians Institute in Hollywood CA. There he received guidance and tutelage from guitar greats such as Scott Henderson, Jimmy Wyble, Rick Zunigar, and Sid Jacobs. Since graduating in 2009 Matthew has gone on to perform with some of the most exciting artists in modern jazz. In 2014 he released the double record "Clean Numbers/Dirty Words" his first album as a band leader, on the adventurous Los Angeles based Orenda Records. Matthew is still an avid teacher and is a faculty member in the jazz program at the Harvard Westlake Upper School in Sherman Oaks. He also regularly travels as a guitar clinician specializing in solo playing, teaching from his 2012 publication "10 Arrangements for Solo Guitar". Currently Matthew is working on his next ambitious project with Orenda Records, slated for a late 2017 release.
Notable Performance Credits
Kevin Richardson (Backstreet Boys)
Kamasi Washington
Ambrose Akinmusire
Dave Binney
Walter Smith III
Joshua White
Thundercat
Dayna Stephens
Hadrien Feruad
Mark Ferber
Sam Barsh
What They Play
- Neck Material:Mahogany
- Fingerboard:Ebony
- Fingerboard Radius:12"
- Neck Profile:Traditional Even "C"
- Nut:Bone 1.72"
- 1st Fret String Height:.022"
- 12th Fret String Height:Bass .078" & Treble .062"
- Fretwire:22 Medium Jumbo Jescar 47104
- Scale Length:25"
- Body Style:14" Thinline
- Body Dimensions:14" x 1 3/4"
- Body Top:Solid Maple
- Body Back/Sides:Solid Mahogany
- Truss Rod:Single Acting
- Binding:Body, Neck, Headstock
- Binding Material:Flamed Maple
- Logo:Pearl Headstock
- Inlay:Pearl Dots
- Finish:Truetone Gloss
- Hardware Color:Nickel
- Tailpiece:Gotoh
- Bridge:Gotoh Tuneomatic
- Tuners:Gotoh SD90
- Knobs:Amber Speed Knobs
- Neck Pickup:Bare Knuckle BC Old Guard Custom Humbucker
- Bridge Pickup:Bare Knuckle BC Old Guard Custom Humbucker
- Pickup Height:3/32" bass side, 3/32" treble side
- Switch:3 Way Switch
- Capacitors:0.047μF
- Potentiometers:500K AudioTaper
- Output Jack:Switchcraft
- Strings:D’Addario NYXL .010 - .046
- Case:Hardshell Case