How to Enhance Your Plugged-In Tone with Pedals and Preamps
Learn how to achieve the biggest, fattest, most pleasing tone when plugging in.
Teja Gerken
Teja Gerken is a fingerstyle guitarist and was Gear Editor for Acoustic Guitar from 1998 through 2013.
Del Langejans Makes Guitars That Sound Rich and Full, ‘Like a Grand Piano’
Drawing on three decades of experience building guitars for stars and students, Del Langejans’ small outfit near Lake Michigan has developed a signature sound by using thick, rigid sides and rosewood necks.
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Fingerstyle Authority: John Renbourn on His Distinctive Technique and Approach to Arranging
Whether as a solo artist, playing duets, leading his own group, or as a founding member of the seminal British folk-jazz ensemble Pentangle, Renbourn’s playing has left a profound imprint on the modern landscape of acoustic music.
Learn J.S. Bach’s “Minuet in D Minor” in DADGAD Tuning
Here's a fun introduction to Bach’s works that’s playable without much classical training—and enjoyable to listen to
Learn to Play J.S. Bach’s ‘Bourrée in E Minor’ on Guitar
Even if you’re not a classical player, mastering pieces such as this offers a great learning experience for any fingerstyle guitarist, because it not only teaches picking-hand techniques that are independent of set patterns but also demonstrates excellent form and structure.
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Made in Oregon: The First Twenty Years at Breedlove Guitars
Breedlove has capitalized on creative designs and fearless expansion to carve its own niche.
Luthier Profile: Larrivée Guitars
Since building his first guitar in the 1970s, Jean-Claude Larrivée also built several factories from the ground up
DIY Maintenance: How to Make Your Acoustic Guitar Play Better Than Ever
Learning how to give your guitar a minor tune-up versus knowing when it’s time to take it to a repair pro will help you get more enjoyment out of your instrument.
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Review: The AER Compact 60/3 is a Small but Powerful Version of the Perennially Popular Acoustic Amp
The Compact 60/3 is virtually interchangeable with the previous version, the trusty AER Compact 60.
Pedal Power: How to Enhance Your Plugged-In Tone on Acoustic Guitar
Learning how to get the biggest, fattest, and most pleasing tone will allow you to enjoy playing through an amp or PA that much more
Review: Guild M-120 is a Mahogany Small-Body Guitar with Vintage Style
The M-120 is modeled Guild’s all-mahogany M-20
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Review: Fishman Aura Spectrum DI Brings Mic-Style Tone to Plugged-In Acoustic Instruments
Multifunction preamp/DI pedal offers acoustic imaging and convenient performance tools.
Review: Guild’s Orpheum Series Slope-Shouldered 12-fret Dread Sets a New Standard
A Vintage Guitar That Never Existed Creates a Cool Blend of Influences
Review: AER’s Popular Compact 60/3 Acoustic Amp Gets a Small but Sonically Solid Update
Updates to the AER Compact 60/3 were focused on making it more open, dynamic, and modern sounding.
Review: Taylor’s 814CE Features New Build Techniques and Pickup System
This guitar has a low-end depth and looseness that makes it sound like a larger guitar, with super-low action and a relatively shallow, half-rounded neck.
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Review: Epiphone’s “Inspired by ‘1964’ Texan” has Classic Sound with Modern Updates
The instrument has vintage looks, classic Texan sound, great playability, and easy-to-use electronics.
Review: Martin DCPA4 Siris Has a Modern Look and Versatile Sound
The DCPA4 Siris’s feel reflects its fusion of traditional and contemporary specs.
Singer-Songwriter Garrin Benfield’s Real-World Rig
Benfield tweaks his Martin HD-28V with tons of effects.
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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.
Acoustic Guitar Roundup: 11 Affordable Small-Body Flattops
Here are reviews of 11 steel-string flattops priced between $350 and $800.
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.
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Recording King RO-310 Review
Recording King RO-310 acoustic guitar review.
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…
Martin 000X1AE Review
Martin 000X1AE acoustic guitar review.
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Guild M-120 Review
Guild M-120 acoustic guitar review.