Emile Menasche

2 months ago | acousticguitar.com | Emile Menasche |Whitney Phaneuf |Anna Pulley |Karen Peterson

With a slide in his hand, 16-time Grammy winner Jerry Douglas has one of the most distinctive and yet adaptable voices in the business. Whether he’s playing with Alison Krauss and Union Station, or the Earls of Leicester, or working as a producer and master session player, Douglas can make a dobro or lap steel sing. But it’s as a solo artist with his longtime ensemble of Christian Sedelmyer (violin), Daniel Kimbro (bass), and Mike Seal (guitar) where Douglas and his slide can sing their own tune.

2 months ago | acousticguitar.com | Emile Menasche |Adam Levy |Kate Koenig |James Rotondi

With a soundhole-less top sleekly finished in its eponymous color, the Cort Modern Black makes a visual statement right out of the case. Offset by the rich browns of the walnut binding and the contrasting fretboard colors, the guitar has an after-hours look that’s elegant but informal—think turtleneck and sports jacket for a literary afterparty. Even the bronze finish of the strings fits the color scheme like a well-chosen accessory.

Dec 4, 2024 | acousticguitar.com | Greg Cahill |Emile Menasche |Doug Young

In 1974, Bob Taylor and Kurt Listug founded Taylor Guitars after buying out the American Dream, a small guitar-making workshop in San Diego where they both worked as luthiers. At the time, they likely never imagined their brand would become one of the most renowned names in the guitar world. But fast-forward a half century, and Taylor Guitars has released a series of special limited-edition models to celebrate the company’s 50th anniversary, starting in January 2024.

Nov 17, 2024 | acousticguitar.com | Adam Perlmutter |Emile Menasche |Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers |Peter Mulvey

Ani DiFranco achieved her iconic status by relentlessly storming the 1990s, during which she played well over 3,000 shows, always taking the stage with an acoustic guitar and fake nails electric-taped to her fingers to achieve her kinetic rhythms. For every year of that decade she released an album on her self-owned indie label, Righteous Babe.

Oct 30, 2024 | acousticguitar.com | Doug Young |Emile Menasche |E.E. Bradman |Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers

Making videos is a core part of just about every working musician’s life these days. Smartphones have put amazingly good cameras in our pockets, but their built-in mics are definitely limited for recording music. Enter Audigo ($249), a small wireless mic/iPhone app that aims to upgrade the audio side and help you make good-sounding videos (or audio tracks) anywhere, quickly and easily—no cables, computer, or even electricity required.