Review: Gibson’s J-45 50s Faded and Keb’ Mo’ “3.0” 12-Fret J-45 Are Two New Takes on the Classic Workhorse
Both models stick to the strengths and depart from the script in terms of our preconceived ideas about the J-45 shape.
Review: The PRS SE A20E Angelus Cutaway Acoustic-Electric Boasts Versatility and Affordability
In this review of the PRS Angelus SE A20E acoustic-electric guitar, we were impressed as much by its easy playability as its bright yet flexible tonal range.
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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.
Review: Martin’s Modern Deluxe D-45 and 012-28 Are Majestic Flattops with Vintage-Inspired Designs and Modern Features
With the top-shelf Martin Modern Deluxe D-45 and 012-28 acoustic guitars, there’s no arguing with the overwhelming quality and class of the materials and craftmanship—and depth of sound.
Review: PRS SE A40E Angelus Acoustic-Electric Guitar Is a Workhorse Import That Overdelivers
Probably more than any instrument I’ve tested in years, the PRE SE A40E Angelus acoustic-electric guitar revealed its true potential gradually.
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Guitar Review: Preston Thompson D-SMA Is a Light and Powerful Dreadnought
Handcrafted in the company's Sisters, Oregon, workshop, the Preston Thompson D-SMA has a poetic side you might not expect from an instrument of its size.
The Guild A-20 Marley Is a Cool and Affordable Re-Creation of Bob Marley’s Songwriting Guitar
For its new A-20 Marley acoustic guitar, Guild tracked down vintage Madeira models, seeking to copy most of the original details, while improving on certain aspects.
Guitar Review: Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Hummingbird
The street price on Epiphone’s "Inspired By Gibson" Hummingbird acoustic guitar? Just $799—and you get much of the vibe of its costlier Gibson counterparts.
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Review: Collings CJ-45 T Guitar
With the new CJ-45 T, Collings has delivered a new guitar that shows how much can be achieved with a mix of CNC manufacturing, handcrafting, and vision.
Review: Cort Gold-Edge Acoustic-Electric Guitar
Cort's Gold-Edge acoustic guitar is a lovely grand auditorium that stands out as an instrument designed with vintage feel and sound.
Guitar Review: Furch Blue MM Dreadnought Offers Warm and Surprising Tonal Colors
If I had to pick two words to describe the Furch Blue MM, they would be “Play me!” Right out of the box, this mahogany acoustic-electric dreadnought felt ready to make music.
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Guitar Review: Yamaha’s FGX3 Is a Modern Folk Workhorse Inspired by 1960s Classics
The guitar has a soft, warm tone that works great for fingerpicked chord patterns and breezy strumming. When strumming chords with a pick, I found it definitely sounds best to approach the FGX3 with a more delicate touch—a thinner pick and a soft strum can go a long way—while heavy-handed strumming and picking tend to get harsh. Approached with a light to medium touch, chords sound rich while maintaining a clarity that allows individual notes to shine.
Review: Taylor’s American Dream AD27 Delivers All the Tone Without the Frills
The American Dream is alive, well, and living near San Diego, at least if you’ve been dreaming of an affordable American-made, all-solid-wood Taylor guitar. Launched in the midst of the pandemic, Taylor says its new American Dream series was “born from adversity”—an effort to make an affordable guitar available in…
Guitar Review: Orangewood Sage Mahogany Live Acoustic-Electric
When I played the Sage acoustically and dug in hard with a pick, the guitar’s sound compressed nicely, accentuating the guitar’s thick midrange projection, without leaving behind the high-end sparkle and low-end definition.
Acoustic Guitar Review: Epiphone Masterbilt Excellente Offers Modern Take on a Vintage Rarity
The Epiphone Masterbilt Excellente guitar is like a time machine—take a good look at it and you might think you’ve been transported back about 50 or so years.
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Gear Review: Eastman AC622CE Acoustic Guitar
The AC622CE is a beautifully made guitar with a big and bold sound. It manages to be both strong and clear at the same time, great for strumming and inviting of picking and fingerpicking, the latter especially offering firmly spoken tones.
Gear Review: Taylor Builder’s Edition 324ce and 816ce
For the new Builder’s Edition collection, Taylor master guitar designer Andy Powers has selected various models—from the 300 series up to the 900 series—and outfitted them with a variety of pragmatic and experimental upgrades.
Guitar Review: Gibson G-45 Studio
Gibson's G-45 Studio acoustic guitar is a more affordable cousin of its beloved namesake, the J-45 acoustic guitar. See how it stacks up on our review.
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Review: PRS SE T60E Has a Big, Even Sound
The SE T60E was designed to have a full, rounded-out dynamic range that favors the low end and midrange.
New Gear: Eastman DT30D
Eastman’s Double Top series is among the first to use the boutique-maker idea of a double top—a soundboard incorporating two outer wooden layers over a synthetic core, for enhanced sound and responsiveness—in a production steel-string guitar model.
Guitar Review: Guild Memoir Series
Guild's Memoir series, which includes the P-240 Memoir and DS-240 Memoir acoustic guitars reviewed here, are part of the company's Westerly Collection.
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Gear Review: Lâg Tramontane HyVibe 10
A collaboration between two French companies, the Lâg Tramontane HyVibe, turns the guitar’s body into a speaker that can add several different effects to your acoustic tone, loop, metronome, and interact with a smartphone app for even greater control of the preamp’s parameters.
Gear Review: PRS SE Angelus A60E
No matter how I played the Angelus, it delivered a nicely proportioned sound, with a spanky top end layered over a controlled bass and midrange. The low end wasn’t cavernous or boomy, which helped it feel balanced across the frequency range, especially useful for fingerstyle parts on open tunings and easy to control through a loud amp.
Gear Review: Farida Old Town Series OT-65 Wide VBS and OT-25 NA
Farida's latest offerings are contemporary takes on a couple of wartime Gibson models: The OT-65 Wide VBS, inspired by the popular Gibson J-45, and the more petite 00-size OT-25 NA modeled on the lesser-known Gibson LG-3.
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Gear Review: Taylor Grand Pacific 717 and 517e Builder’s Editions
Both guitars will surprise longtime Taylor players, who’ll certainly recognize the premium build quality, firm intonation, and note integrity on the Grand Pacific.