Discover Taylor’s American Dream Series

Sponsored by Taylor Guitars: When Bob Taylor and Kurt Listug founded Taylor Guitars in 1974, they did it with barely more than an idea and a dream. Named after the guitar shop where Taylor Guitars was born, the American Dream Series represents Taylor’s commitment to creating through adversity and meeting…

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Enter to Win a New Guild M-25E Guitar

An American Classic Made New The Guild M-25E expands on the M-20, featuring added appointments and a gloss finished top and headstock. This concert size acoustic guitar is built with a solid mahogany top, back, and sides. It features a rosewood bridge and fingerboard, and bone nut and saddle. The…

How to Play Unusual Chromatic Passing Tones on Floating Scales

Sponsored by Elixir® Strings: Renowned educator, Grammy-winner and producer Massimo Varini explains how to play floating scales using unusual chromatic passing tones. Watch as he demonstrates three examples using open strings in this quick acoustic guitar lesson.  “Elixir Strings have unbeatable durability and an awesome sound. They are really comfortable and feel…

Meet the Taylor American Dream Series

Sponsored by Taylor Guitars: Born from adversity, the American Dream Series represents the most accessible line of solid-wood, USA-made guitars ever released by Taylor. Featuring three new guitars with the round-shoulder dreadnought Grand Pacific body shape, the American Dream Series is made with solid tonewoods boosted by the tone-shifting power…

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An Introduction To Csus2 Tuning – Go Beyond DADGAD!

Sponsored by Elixir® Strings: Open tunings literally open up all kinds of possibilities for acoustic guitarists. While many will start with the much-loved DADGAD tuning, there are lots more options to explore. In this short acoustic guitar tutorial, one of the UK’s leading guitarists and Elixir® Strings artist Tristan Seume gives an…

Builder’s Edition 517 Demo by Brian Truesby

Sponsored by Taylor Guitars: Brian Truesby knows his way around an acoustic guitar, with a dynamic fingerstyle approach beautifully suited to the seasoned sounds of the Taylor Builder’s Edition 517. Back and sides of solid mahogany deliver a warm, woody response characterized by a punchy midrange and clear low-end power.…

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Enter to Win a RainSong Vintage Dreadnought

With a large, deep body and wide waist, RainSong’s V-DR1100N2 has the powerful bass and ringing treble of a great rhythmic guitar, but still maintains a wonderfully balanced sound, with clear distinction among individual notes. From rhythm to lead, the DR makes its presence known.  GIVEAWAY ENDS JULY 15, 2020…

Simple Guitar Chords That Sound Cool

Sponsored by Elixir® Strings: Add some sparkle to acoustic progressions with this simple-to-understand chord tutorial from session and touring guitarist and educator Kenny Echizen. Learn how to use just a couple of shapes up and down the neck to breathe life into standard open-position changes, adding instant flair and sophistication to your…

WATCH All-New Fender Acoustasonic Strat Performance featuring Brandon Walters

Sponsored by Fender: Last year, Fender revolutionized the way guitar is played with the launch of the American Acoustasonic Telecaster. Building off this innovation success story, the Acoustasonic Stratocaster was created and released in March of 2020, redefining the sonic territories where acoustic meets electric. As a celebration of the Acoustasonic Strat, Fender…

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Become a Fingerpicking Expert

Sponsored by Elixir® Strings: Guitarist and composer Chris Woods shows intermediate guitarists an easy fingerpicking pattern that is based on a 1-2-3, 1-2-3, 1-2 counting pattern. Chris of ‘The Chris Woods Groove Orchestra’ recommends starting slow and gradually increasing speed once comfortable with the fingerpicking pattern. Chris uses a Martin 000×1 with…

Meet the Builder’s Edition 324ce

Sponsored by Taylor Guitars: The Taylor Builder’s Edition 324ce introduces new, sustainably sourced Urban Ash to the Taylor acoustic lineup, adding a fresh musical flavor in a sleek, contoured package. Made with back and sides of sustainably sourced Urban Ash and a solid mahogany top, the Builder’s Edition 324ce combines…

How to Play Hammer-On Exercises in E | Mary Flower

Sponsored by Elixir® Strings: Mary Flower, a renowned songwriter, performer and music educator, shows the right way to combine hammer-ons and alternating bass in a twelve-bar blues. Mary Flower performs this quick acoustic lesson with Elixir® Acoustic 80/20 Bronze Strings with POLYWEB® Coating. “When guitar strings bring comfort to your fingertips, outlast…

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Win a Fender Malibu Acoustic Prize Pack

ACOUSTIC GUITAR MAGAZINE + FENDER GIVEAWAY ONE GRAND PRIZE WINNER WILL RECEIVE: MALIBU CLASSIC ACOUSTIC GUITAR Ideal for recording, the short-scale Malibu shape is compact and focused, just like its sound. The low end is balanced by the lively highs, while the midrange is balanced and present.   ACOUSTIC 200…

Thompson Guitar Shop Update

Sponsored by PK Thompson: One Sky Films recently completed this short documentary about our shop that we wanted to share. Wishing everyone to stay healthy and persevere during these tough times.  Watch Now.

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How to Play Slap Harmonics I Maneli Jamal

Sponsored by Elixir® Strings: In this acoustic guitar lesson, award-winning fingerstyle guitarist Maneli Jamal demonstrates how to do a double harmonic slap with the right hand fingers. This creates a driving force of groove as he is doing them with 16th notes. He also shares some variations by changing between the 12th…

Tips to Improve Your Solo Performance by Kaki King

Sponsored by Elixir® Strings: Guitar maestro and composer Kaki King shares tips to improve your solo performance in this Elixir® Strings Artist Spotlight video. Kaki plays Elixir Acoustic 80/20 Bronze Strings with POLYWEB® Coating. “Elixir Strings hold their tuning and feel great for a very long time even after playing for hours…

Designed with purpose

Sponsored by Bose: With the S1 Pro, we didn’t just make a smaller PA. That’s easy. We designed a system for you—purpose-built using key technologies from the acclaimed Bose L1 and F1 families. So you get stunning clarity and practical portability. It’s a streamlined system with all the features you…

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How to Use Two-Finger Chords to Unlock Your Fretboard by Mary Flower

Sponsored by Elixir® Strings: Award-winning fingerstyle guitarist, singer/songwriter and educator, Mary Flower shows how to unlock your guitar’s neck using two-finger chords and a dead-thumb bassline to produce a funky blues groove. Mary Flower performs this quick acoustic lesson with Elixir® Acoustic 80/20 Bronze Strings with POLYWEB® Coating. “When guitar strings bring…

‘Handmade to Hand Played’ – A Thompson Featured Artist CD

Sponsored by PK Thompson: Thompson Guitars has created a CD to honor Preston Thompson with proceeds going to a Scholarship fund. Enjoy the sounds of a Thompson created by many celebrated pickers, singer/songwriters including Molly Tuttle, Billy Strings, Chris Luquette, Trey Hensley and Josh Rinkel plus many more amazing players!  Learn More.

Best of Carbon Fiber and Spruce

Sponsored by RainSong: RainSong Graphite Guitars has developed SFT: Soundboard Fusion Technology that combines the stability and robustness of carbon fiber with the traditional aesthetics and tone of wood. After careful experimentation, we fused a thin spruce soundboard and a unidirectional pre-impregnated carbon top in a single molding step. The…

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Santa Cruz Guitar Company NAMM Show Recap

Sponsored by Santa Cruz Guitar Company: While most guitar makers attending the NAMM show were focused on new models, Santa Cruz Guitar Company once again presented a snapshot of their daily production: extremely custom, one-of-a-kind instruments built for sophistication of sound, ease of playability and players’ personal taste. In the…