Tag: January 2019

These articles originally appeared in the January 2019 issue of Acoustic Guitar magazine.

Hawaiian vocal quintet seated with guitars

Island Style: How Hawaiian Music Helped Make the Guitar America’s Instrument

Many people think of the guitar as "America's instrument,” but the truth is the guitar was a relative latecomer to American music. Here, Michael Wright traces the instrument's origins

Michael Wright
November 14, 2022

Ask the Expert: Is Fingerboard Oil “Snake Oil?”

Does applying oil to an acoustic guitar's fingerboard have any benefits other than making it look nice? Our expert weighs in on fingerboard oil.

Mamie Minch
September 30, 2021

C. F. Martin & Co. Recognized for Environmental Efforts

On September 1, 2018 C. F. Martin & Company became the first player in the musical instrument industry to receive a respected certification that it meets standards set for how a company treats its employees, the community, and the environment.

Adam Perlmutter
December 5, 2018

Big Music school outreach – Elena Flikier

Stores That Do More: Four Community-Minded Guitar Shops

The four brick-and-mortar shops featured here—those stores that do more—fit the description by offering educational programs, hosting jam sessions, taking part in schools and community events, and fostering a welcoming space for musicians to explore and connect. As a result, they’ve found that community efforts have made them viable in a rapidly changing economy, while giving customers an enduring vehicle for connection.

Kate Koenig
December 1, 2018

Guitar Talk: Martin Simpson Continues to Draw Inspiration From Instruments of All Kinds

Having lived and performed in the United States for 15 years, British guitarist Martin Simpson’s playing is a well-steeped blend of American blues, old-time music, and traditional English folk material. Simpson is currently at the very height of his powers, having released a string of pretty-perfect albums, with last year’s…

Glenn Kimpton
November 26, 2018

Great Acoustics: 1925 Weissenborn Style 4

The Weissenborn Style 4 is the high-water mark of the acoustic steel-string guitar for lap-style playing. The 1925 example seen here features an all-koa body and a hollow, square neck that contributes to the guitar’s volume and tone.

Greg Olwell
November 25, 2018

Josh Rosenthal playing piano on a rooftop

Josh Rosenthal of Tompkins Square Records on the Primacy of the Acoustic Guitar

Rosenthal champions underdog and idiosyncratic musicians, a good number of them working in his preferred setting of solo guitar

Adam Perlmutter
November 24, 2018

Album Review: Clay Parker and Jodi James Forge a Haunting and Beautiful Sound

The Louisiana-based duo of Clay Parker and Jodi James plucked the name of their first full-length album—The Lonesomest Sound That Can Sound—from a line in a semi-obscure Woody Guthrie tune called “When the Curfew Blows”

Blair Jackson
November 20, 2018

Learn to Play Faster by Slowing Down

Call it a plateau; call it being stuck in a rut. We’ve all been at that place where time in the woodshed feels so unproductive that it’s driving us crazy! If you spend any time practicing, you’ve probably had the feeling that you’re not getting anywhere and that you either…

Paul Mehling
November 18, 2018

Paul Simon’s “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” Offers a Good Lesson in Harmonic Imagination

Paul Simon is among the most harmonically sophisticated of folk-pop songwriters, and this song is packed with lush chord voicings.

Adam Perlmutter
November 15, 2018

‘Radio Hula’ – Learn a Hawaiian Slack-Key Favorite

Ledward Kaapana's rendition encapsulates a lot of what’s great about slack-key guitar: a sweet melody propped up by a rolling Travis-style bass line, chiming harmonics, and subtle ornamentals.

Adam Perlmutter
November 15, 2018

Gear Review: Martin’s Redesigned Authentic Acoustic Strings

The tension, feel, and tone of the SP strings brought a Gibson SJ-200 to life and drew in AG colleagues to compliment the guitar’s lively sound. Likewise, the Marquis Silked gave a Collings D41 dreadnought bountiful tone, with a focus and definition that made this guitar sound better than ever.

Greg Olwell
November 15, 2018

Video Lesson: Inside Paul Simon’s Atmospheric Acoustic Guitar Style

Paul Simon—with Art Garfunkel and without—and has composed some of the most beloved songs of the 20th century. This lesson explores his musical styles and techniques.

Adam Levy
November 14, 2018

‘Requiem for John Fahey’ – Learn Gwenifer Raymond’s Unique Take on the American Primitive Tradition

Like Fahey's original elegy to John Hurt, Raymond plays this composition in open C.

Adam Perlmutter
November 14, 2018

Gear Review: Guild B-240E and Jumbo Junior Acoustic Basses

With its jumbo body and arched back, the B-240E moves a lot of air. It’s a large instrument, but I didn’t find it anything less than very comfortable to play.

Greg Olwell
November 14, 2018

Gear Review: Fishman Matrix Infinity Mic Blend

While the changes may mostly be hidden from players, the results aren’t—your ears will tell you that the new Matrix Infinity Mic Blend is the best Matrix Infinity yet.

Greg Olwell
November 14, 2018

Video Lesson: Generating New Ideas from Travis Picking

If you have spent any amount of time exploring the world of fingerstyle guitar, you no doubt have heard of Travis picking. (For a refresher, see “The Nuts and Bolts of Travis Picking”) Named after the country-and-western guitarist Merle Travis, it’s a popular style of fingerpicking that has since worked its…

Jamie Stillway
November 14, 2018

Alvarez-Yairi Honduran DYM60HD acoustic guitar

Gear Review: Alvarez-Yairi Honduran DYM60HD

The partnership between Yairi and Alvarez goes back several decades, with the Alvarez-Yairi stamp reserved for Alvarez’s finest instruments. While much of Alvarez’s line is manufactured in China, the Yairi-branded guitars are made in a small shop in Kani, Japan, where modern power tools are eschewed in favor of hand tools, like spokeshaves for carving necks, and hide-glue construction is standard throughout.

Pete Madsen
November 14, 2018