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4 weeks ago | 
acousticguitar.com | Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers |Kate Koenig |Adam Perlmutter
One of the great deep cuts from Simon and Garfunkel’s 1970 masterpiece, Bridge Over Troubled Water, “So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright” taps into the sultry rhythms and jazz harmonies of bossa nova, with a lovely nylon-string guitar part by Paul Simon. When I interviewed Simon for this magazine in 1993, he noted that he must have started listening to Brazilian composer Antônio Carlos Jobim around the time he wrote the song.
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1 month ago | 
acousticguitar.com | Emile Menasche |Adam Perlmutter |Kate Koenig
Ernie Ball may be best known for its electric strings—especially the Slinky series, an industry stalwart for decades—but the company also has an impressive lineup of acoustic offerings. The latest is the Earthwood Bell Bronze set ($12.99), developed in collaboration with singer-songwriter John Mayer, a player as fluent on acoustic as he is on electric. Made with a proprietary alloy exclusive to Ernie Ball, these strings offer a distinct tonal character.
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1 month ago | 
acousticguitar.com | Joey Lusterman |Adam Perlmutter |Patrick Francis |Kate Koenig
On April 1, 2025 we debuted the inaugural Acoustic Guitar Teaching Artist cohort: Isa Burke, Lisa Liu, Sean McGowan, Mamie Minch, and Thu Tran. These five Teaching Artists will help you grow as a guitarist with one new video lesson every week. And there is a lot more to look forward to, including interactive roundtable discussions, virtual open mics, and even more acoustic guitar expertise! You can unlock access for just $5 a month.
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2 months ago | 
acousticguitar.com | Maurice Tani |Kate Koenig |Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers |Scott Nygaard
Jimmie Rodgers’ influence spans country, blues, and early rock ’n’ roll, earning him a place in multiple halls of fame. With a career that lasted just five years before his death from tuberculosis in 1933, Rodgers left an indelible mark on American music. “Waiting for a Train” became a hit in 1929, just as the Wall Street crash ushered in the Great Depression.
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Jan 31, 2025 | 
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.
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Jan 8, 2025 | 
acousticguitar.com | David Hamburger |Craig Havighurst |Kate Koenig |Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers
“Empty Trainload of Sky,” which kicks off Gillian Welch and David Rawlings’ latest album, Woodland, feels like an instant classic, with a sturdy melody over a loping folk-rock groove reminiscent of Neil Young—a connection the songwriters perhaps acknowledge by dropping the line “Hey hey my my” at the end of the bridge. As described in the interview here, Welch actually did experience a surreal vision of boxcars filled with sky, and built the song from that image.
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Nov 15, 2024 | 
acousticguitar.com | Mamie Minch |Greg Olwell |Kate Koenig |Martin Keith
I have a guitar with a particularly light-colored rosewood fretboard. I love the way it looks when I apply lemon oil, but that only lasts a day or so. I have some wipe-on poly I’ve been itching to rub in to see if I can get a beautiful depth to that board. Would this damage the guitar? Alternatively, is there an oil that would shine it up and last a good deal longer? —Will SutterIn general, I advise against using anything beyond the usual fretboard oils.
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Nov 3, 2024 | 
acousticguitar.com | Kate Koenig |Andrew DuBrock |Greg Olwell |Adam Perlmutter
As a guitarist who only plays while seated, I’ve long made do with whatever chair is at hand—typically my trusty Herman Miller Aeron, which, while ergonomic for office work, is less than ideal for guitar playing. Recently, however, I had the chance to try the GM25 Guitar Master Stool by Nakupenda (from $349 direct), and it’s clear what I’ve been missing.
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Oct 27, 2024 | 
acousticguitar.com | Craig Havighurst |Kate Koenig |Mark Small |Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers
Last fall Pat Metheny kicked off a tour unlike any he’d done before, surveying the sounds and approaches of his diverse solo projects going back to the 1970s. I caught the tour opener in Homer, New York, and while Metheny was alone onstage, the show was anything but small.
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Oct 25, 2024 | 
acousticguitar.com | E.E. Bradman |Kate Koenig |Mark Kemp |David McPherson
Few would have ever guessed that a songwriter, playwright, and tenured English professor would gain renown for guitar picks made of casein and other high-performance plastics—least of all the professor himself. But as fate would have it, Scott Memmer’s cutting-edge products have indeed brought him lots of fans in the world of acoustic instruments.
