A Player’s Guide to Finding the Right Vintage Guitar
Playability and structural integrity are critical in a used guitar, especially those made half a century or more ago.
A Guide to Getting Started with Home Recording
With a relatively modest budget and a bit of time invested learning the ropes, you can make satisfying recordings at home
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A Guide to Commissioning the Custom Guitar of Your Dreams
Collaborating with a luthier can result in an instrument that satisfies performance needs, creative desires, or both.
Video Lesson: 10 Ways to Use Effect Pedals with Your Acoustic (or Classical) Guitar
Creative breakthroughs and new approaches to your acoustic playing can be found through experimentation with effects pedals that are often associated with electric guitar and bass.
How to Buy Used Guitars from Private Sellers Safely and Smartly
Here are some tips to get the best deals on the best used guitars and music gear from Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, or any private seller, safely & smartly.
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Parlor Guitars: A Brief History and Buyer’s Guide
Interest in small-bodied parlor guitars—precursors to the bulky modern dreadnought—is skyrocketing. Learn all about these guitars, why players love them, and which model could be right for you.
A Guitarist’s Guide to Live Streaming
If you’d like to start streaming your performances or lessons, this comprehensive guitarist's guide to live streaming is a good place to start.
Get Heard: A Guide to Acoustic Guitar Pickups and Amplification
Here we cover the 3 main elements of an acoustic guitar amplification system: pickups, preamps/DIs, and amplifiers/PA systems.
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What to Look for When Buying a Gypsy-Jazz Guitar, from Tone to Playability
A gypsy jazz guitar's optimal setup differs from that of a regular steel-string
Virtual Jamming: The Latest Tools for Playing Together in Real Time
Here are some solutions for musicians looking for a way to play music together over the internet, hoping to be able to perform for others or just jam together.
How to Shop for a Used Guitar
Even with a repair or two to consider, you still stand to get more for your money when shopping used or vintage. And of course, you can’t reproduce the mojo of a cool old guitar.
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A Guide to Identifying Common Acoustic Guitar Shapes and Sizes
The steel-string acoustic guitar appears in many different sizes and shapes. This guide gives a general understanding of the most common styles and what they may offer players.
Acoustic Guitar’s Guide to Loop Pedals and How to Use Them
Learn all about looping pedals, including how to shop for one and how a it can enhance your guitar playing
Gearing Up: A Guide to Old-School Blues Guitars and Their Modern Counterparts
The sound of blues players on a budget remains an aesthetic legacy to the present day.
30 Years of Trends and Innovations in Acoustic Guitar Design, Amps, and Accessories
In the three decades since 1990 there have been a lot of surprising changes in the acoustic guitar world affecting everything from how guitars are built to how we listen to and create music.
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How to Enhance Your Plugged-In Tone with Pedals and Preamps
Learn how to achieve the biggest, fattest, most pleasing tone when plugging in.
How to Make Guitar Videos for YouTube
Crafting YouTube content can lead to major breakthroughs for artists, but to gain traction, you’ll need to ensure that your videos are of the highest caliber
Get a Grip: Acoustic Guitar Capo Guides and Reviews
For such a simple device, there are a surprising number of brands, types, and subtle factors involved in choosing a capo.
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The Digital Troubadour, Part 2: How to record yourself to sound like yourself
In a recent piece, I discussed options for home-recording equipment at various price points. Now that you’ve bought the equipment and downloaded the manuals (you did download the manuals, right?), you’re ready to present your music to the world. That leads me to offer these following tips on making a…
The Digital Troubadour, Part 1: How to Record at Home on Any Budget
Thirty years ago, I recorded my first full-length LP, cutting it in a studio, with expensive equipment and (really expensive) hourly rates. It was pretty much the only option at the time. I was excited to be putting down tracks at last, but I’ll never forget the feeling of mounting…
Tracking and Editing Your Acoustic Guitar—Home Recording Part 3/3
When you are confident that you’re capturing a good sound, you’re ready to record. There are many ways to approach the actual recording, depending on the type of music. If you’re overdubbing or playing to a click track, you will need to use headphones. Experiment with levels until you feel…
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How to Set Up Your Home Studio—Home Recording, Part 1/3
Not too long ago, you had to book time in a professional studio if you wanted to make a professional-sounding recording. But today, modest-priced gear is capable of producing recordings that are indistinguishable from their commercial big-budget equivalents. The biggest obstacle to making top-notch recordings at home is no longer…
Is One Guitar Enough? A Guide to Determining (and Justifying) Your Need for Multiple Guitars
Ideally, a new guitar should fulfill a need so it doesn’t end up getting resold as an unused piece of gear. Here are some reasons why you might need multiple guitars.
Beyond Flattops: The Magic of Baritone Guitars
If the baritone guitar were a basketball player, it would end up on the scouting report as a tweener—a player whose size and skills don’t fit a standard position.
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Beyond Flattops: The Magic of Resonator, Baritone, and Archtop Guitars
The wide tonal palette of acoustic guitars includes archtop, resonator, and baritone colors. Here's more about the history, makers, and players of these instruments.