How Ben Garnett Turns the Acoustic Guitar into the Engine of a New Kind of String Band
The guitarist and composer succeeds in making the kind of music that Duke Ellington approvingly called “beyond category.”
Mac Randall
Rez Abbasi on Expanding the Flattop Guitar’s Role in Jazz
Born in Karachi, Pakistan, and raised in Los Angeles, Abbasi has been a stalwart member of the New York jazz scene for more than three decades.
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A Dylan Role for His Guitars Is Just the Latest Chapter in Lark Street Music Owner Buzzy Levine’s Vintage Saga
Loaning instruments to be used in Hollywood films is only a small part of the Teaneck music store proprietor's business, but it makes for some good stories, as the following interview shows.
L.R. Baggs Marks 50 Years of Acoustic Electronics Innovation—as Founder Lloyd Baggs Returns to His Lutherie Roots
As his namesake company celebrates its 50th anniversary, Lloyd Baggs reflects on his fascinating career, from transforming the world of acoustic sound to crafting custom guitars.
Living the Legacy—Rosanne Cash on Celebrating Her Father and Curating Her Own Musical Story
As evidenced by a retrospective exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, the daughter of one American musical icon, Johnny Cash, and stepdaughter of another, June Carter Cash, has built an estimable reputation for herself.
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Eclectic Fingerstylists James Elkington and Nathan Salsburg Blend Seamlessly on ‘All Gist’
On a long, jovial Zoom call, Elkington and Salsburg spoke to Acoustic Guitar from their respective homes about the nuts and bolts of their work as a duo.
Hurray for the Riff Raff’s Alynda Segarra Looks Ahead, and Reconnects with Acoustic Guitar, on ‘The Past Is Still Alive’
Segarra’s return to the acoustic guitar marks a new integration of the band’s American folk roots with a more sophisticated level of songcraft.
Wolfgang Muthspiel Embraces Both the Western Tradition and the Nylon-String Guitar in His Work as a Jazz Improviser
The acoustic has found its way back into the classically trained Austrian guitarist’s studio and live work over the past decade.
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ToneWoodAmp’s Helene Webman on Her Company’s Unique Gear and Mission
Webman tells the story behind one of the most intriguing pieces of guitar technology to emerge in the past decade.
Video Lesson: A Look at Richard Thompson’s Stunning Acoustic Guitar Style
When Richard Thompson plugs in his Stratocaster, fireworks regularly ensue. But his playing is equally brilliant when he picks up a Martin, Ferrington, or Lowden and goes unplugged.
Guitar on Record: The Early History of Recorded Sound and Acoustic Instruments
Advances in recording technology would open up multiple new dimensions for the music business.
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The Care and Feeding of the Picking Hand
A long-time practitioner offers technical and aesthetic advice for acoustic players interested in pursuing fingerstyle guitar.
Eddie Lang, Wes Montgomery, Django and More | A Century of the Acoustic Guitar in Jazz
When you see the words “jazz guitar,” what pops into your mind’s ear first? Odds are that you hear the clean, smooth, rich sound of an electric archtop, possibly with its tone knob rolled down for extra low-mid emphasis, picking out chord melodies à la Joe Pass or octave lines in the manner of Wes Montgomery. Without a doubt, this is the stereotypical jazz guitar sound, but over more than 100 years of history, there have been many others. And a significant percentage of them were (and are) produced without the aid of a pickup, cable, or amplifier.
How Bossa Nova Made a Mark on Popular Music
A look at bossa nova's impact on popular music and how the acoustic guitar is at its core.
