Review: Fishman Fluence Acoustic Pickups Offer Tone-Targeted Models and Real-Time Voice Switching
While most acoustic soundhole pickups are one-sound-fits-all generalists, the Fluence series instead targets specific sonic goals.
Emile Menasché
Guitarist, composer, writer.
Review: The Taylor Gold Label 814e Koa SB Explores New Tonal Territory Without Losing Brand Identity
From the first chord, the 814e Koa SB had the refined playability Taylor is known for, paired with a warmer, fuller voice.
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Developed with John Mayer, Ernie Ball’s Earthwood Bell Bronze Strings Provide Bold Tone and Solid Tuning
Ernie Ball may be best known for its electric strings but the company also has an impressive lineup of acoustic offerings.
Gear Review: MusicNomad’s Precision Tools
These handy tools are easy enough for the DIY tech but solid enough for a pro.
Dobro Master Jerry Douglas Talks Tone, Phrasing, and the Importance of Listening
The 16-time Grammy winner revisits his classic songs with a fresh perspective and a cohesive, road-seasoned band on ‘The Set.’
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Review: The Cort Modern Black—A Contemporary Guitar Blending Bold Looks with Great Playability and Sound
The instrument takes a conceptual approach to guitar design that somehow balances the radical with the comfortable and practical.
Review: Thomastik-Infeld Bronze IBR112T Strings
The company’s first-ever phosphor bronze acoustic guitar strings are strong performers.
Review: Vintage Guitar Authority George Gruhn Rewrites the Rulebook with His Bold New Versitar Design
Based on the Tacoma models that Gruhn designed back in the 1990s, the Versitar series deconstructs and reconstructs many of the touchpoints of traditional flattop design, like the neck joint, fret count, bracing, soundhole position, and more
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These Four Young Players Are Advancing the Art of Fingerstyle Guitar
Fingerstyle guitar is in good hands, judging by the diverse talents of Jontavious Willis, Janet Noguera, Hayden Pedigo, and Muireann Bradley.
Review: Fender’s Highway Series Parlor—A Thinline Acoustic-Electric Engineered to Sound Big
With its fast-playing neck and thin, flattop-shaped body, the Highway is ideal for electric guitar players looking to add some acoustic vibe to their sound.
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.
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How Guitar Virtuoso Hiroya Tsukamoto Arrived at His Unique Acoustic Style
Each step of his musical journey has shaped his approach as a composer and performer.
How Guitar Makers are Responding to Climate and Supply Threats by Turning to Sustainable Sources, Alternate Materials, and More
Guitar manufacturers are rethinking their processes in a world where climate change and deforestation are no longer abstract problems.
Fishman’s New AFX Mini Acoustic Pedals Are Tailored for Acoustic Guitarists
Fishman’s Pocket Blender, AcoustiVerb, Broken Record, and Pro EQ Mini pedals feature quality sound and advanced signal routing capabilities.
Stylistically Diverse Guitarist Twanguero Records a Beautiful Nylon-String Album in the Costa Rican Rainforest
The Latin Grammy-winning guitarist discusses the recording and guitar techniques behind his new album, ‘Carreteras Secundarias, Vol. II.’
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How Reuben Cox of L.A.’s Old Style Guitar Shop Came to Build and Tweak Guitars for Stars and Hobbyists Alike
Whether working on guitars for Jackson Browne, building a rubber bridge for an instrument powering a Taylor Swift hit, or setting up some kid’s cheap acoustic, Cox keeps chasing a sound—and inviting the world along for the ride.
John Monteleone’s Exquisite Archtop Guitars Are Seen in the Hands of Top Players and Museum Display Cases
If there’s a living heir to the great mid-20th-century luthiers like John D’Angelico and James D’Aquisto, John Monteleone would have to be it.
Review: Taylor’s AD12e-SB Provides Walnut Warmth in a Small Footprint
Part of Taylor's relatively affordable American Dream series, the $1,999 AD12e-SB covers a lot of bases. Taylor calls its Grand Concert shape compact, and I think that’s a good way to describe an instrument whose tone belies its size.
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After More Than 40 Albums, John McCutcheon Is Still in Love with His Instruments
As you might expect from such a narrative songwriter, each of his guitars has a bit of a story behind it.
Review: The Phil Jones Bass X4 Nanobass Combo Amplifier May Be Light, but It’s No Lightweight
It doesn’t weigh much, but the Phil Jones Bass X4 Nanobass combo amp is no lightweight. Its ability to produce warm, clean lows is impressive for an amp its size.
Review: Takamine’s CRN-TS1 Is a Stage-Ready Dreadnought with a Sensitive Side
Our reviewer found that for a big guitar with a big sound, the Takamine CRN-TS1 also offers an intimate quality that rewards an uncluttered approach, where notes are given the time and space to linger.
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Alternate Tunings Master Glenn Jones Returns With ‘Vade Mecum,’ a Very Personal Musical Diary
Glenn Jones doesn’t see open tunings as an alternate to standard, but rather as the core to his approach to playing and composing on guitar, including on his album ‘Vade Mecum.‘
Golden Jubilee: Bob Taylor, Richard Hoover, and Dana Bourgeois Reflect on 50 Years of Guitar Making
Bob Taylor (Taylor Guitars), Richard Hoover (Santa Cruz Guitars), and Dana Bourgeois (Schoenberg, Bourgeois Guitars) reflect on 50 years of guitar making.
Classical Guitar Builder Joshia de Jonge on Experimentation and a Life of Lutherie
Classical guitar builder Joshia de Jonge talks about experimenting in her own shop after years of working alongside her father & other facets of a life of lutherie.
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Thomas Ripsam, C.F. Martin and Co.’s First Non-Family CEO, Combines a Love of Guitar with Global Business Experience
Thomas Ripsam’s path to CEO at C.F. Martin & Co.’s Nazareth, Pennsylvania, headquarters is even more unlikely than most.
