Category: Gear

The Latest

13 Easy Ways to Troubleshoot Your Ax

Sometimes it’s the little things that keep you from enjoying your guitar. Here are 13 common problems and their typical solutions.

Frank Ford January 12, 2024

John Denver's Yamaha L-53 acoustic guitar

Great Acoustics: John Denver’s Luxurious 1978 Yamaha L-53

Denver used this ornate, custom Yamaha extensively in concert and on TV (and on his album cover with the Muppets).

Teja Gerken January 7, 2024

Reviews & Demos

Amps and PA Systems

Review: The Boss AC-22LX Is a Compact Acoustic Amplifier with a Variety of Compelling Features

This portable combo amp offers an impressive array of features and a surprisingly big sound considering its small size.

Doug Young December 13, 2023

Dreadnought

Review: The Yamaha FG9 R Boasts Boutique Specs and a Vibrant Tone

This limited-edition beauty feels like a bespoke guitar, and it truly shines whether flatpicked or fingerpicked.

Emile Menasché December 6, 2023

Ask the Expert

Martin Keith is a luthier, repair and restoration expert, and working musician based in Woodstock, New York. He’s been answering your questions about guitars and gear for Acoustic Guitar since 2019.

Acoustic guitar with a rubber soundhole plug

How Plugging the Soundhole Affects an Acoustic Guitar’s Sound

Using a rubber soundhole plug is a go-to move for reducing feedback when plugging in an acoustic guitar. But what effect does it have on tone?

May 4, 2023

Do Pickguards Impact Guitar Tone?

Whether or not pickguards affect guitar tone is an interesting topic, and opinions vary in the field of guitar makers.

May 18, 2023

closeup of a scalloped guitar fretboard with worn frets

Ask the Expert: The Delicate Art of Fretwork—and Why It’s Best Left to a Professional

Whether building an instrument from scratch, restoring a collector’s item, or setting up a brand-new guitar, it’s likely that some amount of fretwork will be required.

April 6, 2023

All Gear Reviews and Stories

Fender Passport Mini guitar amplifier top-panel view

Review: Fender Passport Mini Portable Amp

With a dedicated guitar channel featuring three types of guitar modeling and four electric amp models, along with a separate vocal input, and a 1/8-inch input for CD or MP3 players, the Passport Mini offers a ton of flexibility within its diminutive 7.25-pound package

Andrew DuBrock
April 30, 2013

Review: L.R. Baggs Lyric Pickup System is a Transparent, Plug-and-Play Solution for Acoustic Guitars

This is a great option for acoustic pickers searching for transparent amplification.

Teja Gerken
April 4, 2013

Review: Kala U-Bass-SMHG is Way More Than Just a Novelty

Tiny bass with a ukulele-size body has serious low-end tones.

Greg Olwell
April 4, 2013

Video Instruction Series: 7 Lessons on Recording at Home

Doug Young demonstrates how to set up your own home studio and how to use your gear to make recordings that sound great.

Doug Young
April 3, 2013

Tips on Recording Acoustic Guitar with Pickups

Most people find that microphones capture the sound of their guitar more realistically than pickups, but pickups can be effective in some recording situations.

Doug Young
March 28, 2013

Video Instruction Series: Mix, Master, and Publish Your Recording

Once you have completed a track, you’re ready to mix and get it ready for release.

Doug Young
March 28, 2013

Video Instruction Series: Tracking and Editing in the Home Studio

It takes experience to find the right balance between obsessively fixing every little thing and letting small issues go.

Doug Young
March 28, 2013

Video Instruction Series: How to Set Recording Levels

Learn to check that levels are balanced between channels and how to speed up the process of setting up mics.

Doug Young
March 28, 2013

Video Instruction Series: Prepare Your Room for Recording

Carving out a dedicated space for recording, even if it’s the corner of a bedroom, allows you to start recording more quickly when inspiration strikes.

Doug Young
March 28, 2013

How to Get Started on Your Home Recording

Today, modest-priced gear is capable of producing recordings that are indistinguishable from their commercial big-budget equivalents

Doug Young
March 28, 2013

Acoustic Guitar editor Teja Gerken holding guitar for 11 affordable small bodied flattop guitars

Acoustic Guitar Roundup: 11 Affordable Small-Body Flattops

Here are reviews of 11 steel-string flattops priced between $350 and $800.

Teja Gerken
March 1, 2013

Review: PRS SE Angelus Standard Has a Balanced and Even Sound

If the sound and playability of our review guitar is any indication, it’s definitely time to stop referring to PRS as an electric guitar maker.

Scott Nygaard
February 27, 2013

Review: Yamaha LS6 Acoustic Has a Bright Voice with Great Presence

For many years, especially in the 1970s and ’80s, Yamaha was virtually synonymous with inexpensive, good quality flattop guitars, and the LS6 lives up to this reputation.

Teja Gerken
February 18, 2013

Review: Schertler Jam 100 is Lean and Mean, With Tone That’s Clean

A powerful yet compact acoustic amp with four flexible channels.

Acoustic Guitar Editors
February 18, 2013

Recording King RO-310 Review

Recording King RO-310 acoustic guitar review.

Teja Gerken
February 15, 2013

Taylor GS Mini Review

I sat on my couch, put the GS Mini in my lap, and experienced the strangest feeling: total comfort.

Nicole Solis
February 13, 2013

Tanglewood TW-40-O-AN Review

Fueled by reader requests for an overview of currently available small-body guitars, Acoustic Guitar invited manufacturers to send us samples of their small-body instruments with list prices between $500 and $1,000. We ended up with 11 guitars that are surprisingly diverse in sound and feel, some inspired by vintage instruments and…

Teja Gerken
February 11, 2013

Martin 000X1AE Review

Martin 000X1AE acoustic guitar review.

Teja Gerken
February 11, 2013

Guild M-120 Review

Guild M-120 acoustic guitar review.

Teja Gerken
February 11, 2013

Eastman E60M Review

Eastman E60M acoustic guitar review.

Teja Gerken
February 11, 2013

Breedlove Passport OM/SM Review

Breedlove Passport OM/SM acoustic guitar review.

Teja Gerken
February 11, 2013

Blueridge BR-163 Review

Blueridge BR-165 acoustic guitar review.

Teja Gerken
February 11, 2013

Bedell HGM-28G Review

Teja Gerken
February 11, 2013

Alvarez AF70 Review

Alvarez AF70 acoustic guitar review.

Teja Gerken
February 11, 2013

Seagull Maritime SWS Folk HG Review

Teja Gerken
February 11, 2013

Guitar & Gear Review FAQs

How do you choose which guitars to review?
Our writers are guitar fanatics, just like you. They’re always on the lookout for new or updated offerings to recommend. We’re sometimes asked why we don’t publish negative or one-star reviews – there are so many great guitars being produced today that we’d rather share our balanced opinions on the instruments we do think you should consider.

Do companies pay for you to review their instruments?
No. We are proud of the firm separation between advertising sales and editorial coverage that we’ve held strong since our founding in 1990. We only accept endemic advertising – meaning, you won’t see ads for products or services unrelated to making music with an acoustic guitar; inevitably that means we’ll review products made by companies who advertise with us, but you’ll see just as many reviews by companies who do not. We have never (and will never) take money or gifts in exchange for a favorable review.

What’s up with affiliate links?
There is no billionaire owner or mega-corporation behind Acoustic Guitar – your support keeps us independent and in business. When you shop for gear using one of our affiliate links, a small percentage of your purchase gets shared with us (at no cost to you) for being the one that referred you. This is one way you can support our work (learn about more ways here.) We do not select products to review based on the availability of affiliate links.