Gear | Acoustic Guitar

closeup of an acoustic guitar's binding that has deteriorated due to the aging and chemical breakdown process known as celluloid rot

Ask the Expert: All About Celluloid Rot—and What to Do About It

Celluloid rot, the degrading of the plastic used for the binding on vintage guitars, is a common occurrence. Here we take a look at why this deterioration happens.

Great Acoustics: A Trio of Hand-Built Instruments from “Retired” Industry Icon Dick Boak

Since his retirement in 2018, former C.F. Martin & Co. mainstay Dick Boak has continued hand-building instruments like this dreadnought-ukulele-small-bodied-guitar trio.

Ask the Expert: How to Minimize String Breakage—and What to Do When it Happens

Is it safe for the guitar, the strings, and the player to switch back and forth between standard and open tunings? Ask the Expert!

How a Skilled Touchup Artist Can Make Your Guitar’s Dings and Scratches Disappear

Touchup is one of the real dark arts of instrument repair, and one that exists in an almost entirely different universe from structural and functional repairs.

Finding and Fixing Rattles and Buzzes on Acoustic Guitars

Here is an end-to-end approach for for finding and fixing those annoying rattles and buzzes on your acoustic guitar.

Review: The Nux Stageman II AC-80 Is a Versatile and Natural-Sounding Combo Amp for the Gigging Guitarist

The Nux Stageman II AC-80 is an 80-watt combo amplifier that includes a Bluetooth app, among many other cool features geared towards gigging guitarists.

Guitar Wall Mounts, Floor Stands, & More—How to Keep Your Instrument Safe at Home

Cases? Floor stands? Wall mounts? Here's how to keep your acoustic guitars safe and protected at home.

Rick Turner Compass Rose acoustic guitar

Great Acoustics: Rick Turner’s Personal 2007 Compass Rose Guitar Speaks to His Forward-Thinking Style

Rick Turner created many unique Compass Rose acoustics, but this one—regarded as among his finest—was the luthier’s personal guitar and a showcase of both his bold concepts and skilled execution.