Interviews and Profiles | Acoustic Guitar

Remembering Roots Musician Steve James 1950–2023

To his colleagues at Acoustic Guitar, Steve James was not only the knowledgeable, reliable author of 185 well-regarded articles and reviews, he was a cherished friend, close collaborator, and the source of endlessly entertaining tales from the road.

Singer-songwriter Madison Cunningham with guitars

How Madison Cunningham Uses Unusual Tunings and Beater Guitars to Discover Fresh Sounds

Madison Cunningham is a true triple-threat musician: a singer and inventive songwriter, a wickedly good guitarist, and a seeker of unconventional riffs and tones.

Chet Atkins’ Certified Guitar Players

Tommy Emmanuel, John Knowles, and Steve Wariner share the distinction of being Certified Guitar Players, anointed by Chet Atkins himself. Here they sit down, for the first time, to discuss Atkins.

Arlo Guthrie on Why ‘Alice’s Restaurant’ Has Endured: Listen to the Thanksgiving Classic

"The idea was to play something that would allow me to tell a long tall tale without it becoming distracting—or in other words, play something familiar. The actual fingerpicking is instantly recognizable now.”

10 Rising Stars of Classical Guitar

Here is a list of 10 top classical guitar virtuosos—all in their ‘20s or early ‘30s—originally from 10 different countries.

Hawaiian vocal quintet seated with guitars

Island Style: How Hawaiian Music Helped Make the Guitar America’s Instrument

Many people think of the guitar as "America's instrument,” but the truth is the guitar was a relative latecomer to American music. Here, Michael Wright traces the instrument's origins

Mississippi John Hurt’s Influence on the 1960s Folk Scene and Beyond

In the folk music boom in New York in the 1960s, the music of guitarist Mississippi John Hurt was a huge influence on players like Happy Traum, John Sebastian, and others.

4 Contemporary Fingerstyle Masters Reflect on the Impact and Legacy of Guitar Revolutionary Michael Hedges

Contemporary fingerstyle guitar masters Andy McKee, Kaki King, Christie Lenée, and Mike Dawes reflect on the legacy of the revolutionary guitarist Michael Hedges.

Berta Rojas Celebrates Classical Guitar Pioneers Ida Presti and María Luisa Anido on ‘Legado’

Berta Rojas' album Legado features 12 tracks composed by or written in homage to a pair of classical guitar pioneers: Ida Presti (1924–1967) of France and María Luisa Anido (1907–1996) of Argentina.

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.‘

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