Flatpicking queen Molly Tuttle epitomizes classic Americana artistry, so it’s a natural for her to put her fingerprint on a signature Martin — well actually, two Martins. The D-18 Molly Tuttle is her take on the all-American Dreadnought, while the D-X2E Molly Tuttle is made south of the border to deliver similar playability with far greater affordability. The raw ingredients are notably different, but both Martin Dreadnoughts share the same essential recipe and key specifications.

Tuttle is known to play a few guitar brands, but she’s been a true-blue Martin lover since she was a girl. She’s well aware of its history and what works for her approach. Molly went with mostly traditional specifications, and one that’s a bit of an outlier.

Her choice of a D-18 echoes the preference of a long line of acoustic icons from Hank Williams to Norman Blake, who praised the mahogany model on his iconic 1990 duet with Tony Rice, the “D-18 Song, (Thank You Mr. Martin).” Lots of bluegrassers favor mahogany back and sides for its articulate tonal nature. Tuttle’s D-18 features a throwback nut width measurement and an authentic 1941 neck profile with a Standard Taper. What’s particularly interesting about Tuttle’s D-18 is the rear-shifted scalloped bracing under its solid spruce top.

Rearward- Versus Forward-Shifted X-Bracing

Rearward-shifted X-bracing is designed to make the guitar sound even more articulate, and it goes against the grain to a degree. Forward-shifted X-bracing is designed to increase bass and resonance by moving the X closer to the sound hole, leaving more of the top to resonate more freely between it and the bridge. That’s the preference of players including Billy Strings who employed it on his signature D-28 that came out last year, and it has literally become standard at Martin as nearly all Standard Dreadnoughts since 2025 feature forward-shifted, GE-scalloped bracing. “GE” stands for Golden Era and refers to the period of approximately 1920 to 1942 when Martin meticulously shaved bracings down by hand to facilitate greater top flexibility. The D-18 Molly Tuttle features that GE-style scallop as well.

Molly and Billy’s Martins, Tonal Comparisons

So while the D-18 Molly Tuttle draws its inspiration from her own favorite 1943 D-18, its rear-shifted X brace is designed to tame bass boom while adding clarity and punch. That’s exactly the tonal hallmark of this guitar: it’s ultra-articulate and punchy. Note separation is exquisite, which makes sense for a guitar designed around her fabulous flatpicking skills.

Take a close look at her right-hand technique and notice how she alternates between plucking closer to and then further away from the neck at breakneck speed. Or check out her clawhammer approach, adapted from the banjo. You can see and hear why she’d appreciate that X brace being a bit further back towards the bridge and want a guitar with pinpoint tonal accuracy from note to note to match her own precision on the instrument.

And this is a Custom/Special Edition instrument with the kind of craftsmanship you’d expect from a guitar that costs significantly more than a Standard. It stands to reason that attention to detail, perhaps with a degree of hand-tuning factors into how Martin is able to make this D-18 sound so springy, airy and articulate while still having a nice low-end response.

It’s nowhere near as robust as, say, the D-28 Billy Strings with its forward shifted X-brace and hearty rosewood back and sides, but that’s clearly by design. Molly is going for a more refined tone compared to Billy’s burly tone. It’s kind of funny to make such a comparison, but they are essentially the current prince and princess of the bluegrass scene, and I suppose it’s rather natural for the boy to be a bit more rambunctious while the lady is graceful.

American Molly vs. Mexican Molly

It’s always a bit of a challenge to consider a guitar that costs 75 percent less in the same breath, and the greatest challenge for the manufacturer is clearly tone. The D-X2E Molly Tuttle has a standard X-brace, which makes sense for a guitar made of laminate, which is inherently brighter than solid wood.

Taken on its own, the D-X2E Molly Tuttle sounds pretty darn good. It delivers nice clarity and punch and decent low end that one can accentuate by plucking closer to the sound hole than the bridge. Side by side, the Mexican model is not in the same league as it’s American cousin, nor would I expect it to be.

That said, the D-X2E comes with a pickup while the D-18 version does not, and the D-X2E sounds big and bold when plugged into a nice acoustic amplifier, such as the Circa 74 used for these tests. The E1 pickup and preamp system with its onboard tuner tucked perfectly in the lip of the sound hole is super handy.

Playability

The D-18 Molly Tuttle and D-X2E Molly Tuttle are very playable guitars right out of the box with factory action, with the latter having lighter strings. You notice something as soon as you lay a hand in open position. Modern standard nut width is 1.75 inches, but many vintage Dreadnoughts measured 1.69 (1 11/16) inches. That’s the spec on both of Tuttle’s Martins, and I appreciate it. Being narrow at the nut helps a player get fingers on frets in ready fashion down in the longer fretted regions of the first few positions.

These necks are both built to 1941 profile specs with a Standard Taper, so the overall feel is quite similar. Both feel nice and chunky in hand, especially in lower positions. I seemed to feel more of a V shape, particularly on the D-18, further up the neck in higher positions.

No one in their right mind would ever hire me to play lead guitar in their bluegrass band, but I can muster up a few good licks with the right guitar in hand. The D-18 Molly Tuttle has such a bona fide classic Martin feel under the fingers that it’s easy to find yourself ripping off more than a few and taking them a bit further than you might otherwise do. I found that to be the case with the D-X2E too.

I’m mostly a fingerpicker that uses fake nails, but I was drawn to using a plectrum more often on these signature Molly Tuttle Martins. There’s something about having a high degree of tonal articulation that in turn makes you want to play more articulately. Both guitars pack plenty of projective power, and you truly get the most of that when you dig in with a serious pick.

Hey Good Lookin’

Let’s face it, lots of Martins look alike, but the D-18 Molly Tuttle is as unique as the player who picked it. I dig the vintage sunburst top with glossy finish, and her choice of Moon Phase inlays that practically appear to pop out from the fingerboard.

And in the aesthetics department, the D-X2E is in the same arena. From a distance, they appear quite similar. A closer look reveals subtle differences including a satin finish, and inlays made of faux mother of pearl and abalone instead of real seashells. Bottom line: both of Molly’s Martins look fabulous!

Major Tuttle fans and anyone after a super-sonic flatpicking D-18 tone shouldn’t hesitate to pull the trigger on the Molly Tuttle Signature. For those on a budget and/or want to plug in right out of the box, then the D-X2E serves those purposes and delivers a fine acoustic sound as well.

Either guitar is a strong value. Looking at the wider Martin Dreadnought range, the D-18 Custom shares the exact same price point of $4,199. From what I can tell, the D-18 Molly Tuttle is much more aesthetically interesting. I’ll be it plays a little easier as well, especially in the lower positions near that narrower nut. And the D-X2E Molly Tuttle delivers a lot of the same features and tone for about a quarter of the cash. Martin and Molly Tuttle have got a great thing going. Fans of both should be very happy with her new signature models.

SPECIFICATIONS

CONTACT martinguitar.com

D-18 Molly Tuttle

PRICE $4,199 with molded hardshell case

NUT WIDTH 1 11/16", bone

NECK Mahogany, 1941 profile with Standard Taper, dovetail joint

FRETBOARD Ebony with Moon Phase mother-of-pearl inlays, 25.4" scale

FRETS 20

TUNERS Nickel open gear with oval knobs

BODY Solid mahogany back & sides, solid spruce top

BRIDGE Ebony with compensated bone saddle

ELECTRONICS None

FACTORY STRINGS Martin Authentic Acoustic Lifespan 2.0 Phosphor Bronze Medium gauges .013—.056

WEIGHT 3.8 lbs (as tested)

BUILT USA

KUDOS Gorgeous aesthetics, ultra-articulate tone without being too top heavy, fine playability

CONCERNS Articulate tone is very revealing and therefore not for the faint of heart

D-X2E Molly Tuttle

PRICE $999 street with softshell case

NUT WIDTH 1 11/16", white Corian

NECK Select hardwood, 1941 profile with Standard Taper, mortise & tenon joint

FRETBOARD Ebony, 25.4" scale

FRETS 20

TUNERS Nickel open gear with oval knobs

BODY Figured mahogany high-pressure laminate back & sides, spruce top

BRIDGE Ebony with compensated white Tusq saddle

ELECTRONICS Martin E1 with volume and tone flywheel controls plus tuner on/off and phase buttons in upper lip of sound hole; tuner in lower lip

FACTORY STRINGS Martin Authentic Acoustic Lifespan 2.0 Light gauges .012—.054

WEIGHT 4.5 lbs (as tested)

BUILT Mexico

KUDOS Great playability, strong amplified tone, affordable

CONCERNS Acoustic tone is quite bright

When Tom Bedell sold Breedlove and Bedell last year, it marked the end of an era that began in 2010, when his Two Old Hippies company purchased Breedlove as a sister brand to his namesake acoustic guitars. The brands’ new owners are Nashville-based Pete Mroz and Shannon Pollard, and their first mission is to re-establish Breedlove’s perception as a premier brand, rather than secondary to the Bedell line.

To kick things off, they’ve recast and retooled Breedlove’s entire production line, which is now divided into three series: Roots, Artisan and Collector. They’ve also nixed overseas production — every guitar is now designed and built in the U.S. in Bend, Oregon.

The Roots Series is the core line and features basic appointments. Artisan is the next tier up, while the Collector Series sits on the top shelf. Roots Series pricing is on par with core series from other premier American brands, and it goes up from there for the fancier series. I chose to review the RTC-SRe acoustic-electric because the Roots Series is what most players will be exploring. The Concert is a mid-sized acoustic, and it’s always been Breedlove’s bread-and-butter body style.

“Our Concert body has become iconic because it simply works for everyone,” Pollard says. “It’s comfortable, incredibly versatile, and delivers a balanced voice players love across genres. From fingerstyle to full-band strumming, it’s consistently one of our most popular shapes — and for good reason.”

The Roots Concert SRe on review represents the centerpiece of the Roots Series. It sports the tried-and-true combination of solid East Indian rosewood back and sides with a solid Sitka spruce top. The Honduran mahogany neck features a redesigned soft-C profile. An L.R. Baggs HiFi pickup and preamp system makes it ready to plug in and play onstage or in the studio. I played one at the NAMM Show launch and was intrigued by the new guitar, ownership and business strategy.

I had access to an Oregon Concert made entirely of myrtlewood circa 2018 for comparison, and the differences were plain to see, feel and hear. The most obvious update is the new Wave headstock shape. It’s less idiosyncratic and more balanced than the previous angular asymmetrical shape. In addition, the logo inlay features a script capital B, as on early Breedloves, rather than the full name.

The next thing I noticed was the feel, which is lighter, with apparently less binding and perhaps lighter bracing. The Oregon Concert seems more built like a tank, while the Roots Concert feels more boutique.

The new modern C neck profile feels very comfortable in hand, and is flush from the bottom to the top. I didn’t catch any sharp fret edges or any other distractions, and every note on each string rings true. Fingerpicking is a joy, as is playing with a plectrum, and the factory action is spot on. You can do whatever you want to do, and the notes and chords are right there for you.

In terms of its tone, the Roots RTC-SRe is rich and resonant. Although it’s not nearly as loud as the Oregon, it’s far more refined. There’s a fabulous sense of balance from low to high, with a welcome articulation amid the warmth. The sound is less fundamental and more complex. You hear the basic note, and then it blooms with overtones and nice sustain.

Each Breedlove is voiced by hand and comes with a certificate of authenticity that explains and expounds on the nomenclature: RTC means Roots Concert, SR stands for Sitka spruce top with East Indian rosewood back and sides, and the e indicates it has onboard electronics.

The interesting part is that the top has a frequency 174 Hz, the back is 218 Hz, and the fundamental frequency is 101 Hz. That means the resonant frequency of the top is in the neighborhood of an open G string. The resonant frequency of the back is slightly higher, which is normal since the back reflects the top sound, adding a bit of articulation.

The fundamental frequency — sometimes referred to as “main air” or “main Helmholtz resonance” — is the frequency at which the body of air inside the guitar resonates, primarily produced by the sound hole. 101 Hz is in the neighborhood between the low G and A on the sixth string, indicating a healthy low end, especially for a guitar with a mid-sized body.

Interestingly, the electronics system is an L.R. Baggs HiFi, which uses a pair of transducers that affix under the bridge plate rather than the more typical piezo under-saddle pickup. While the output isn’t as loud or punchy as an undersaddle, there’s no piezo quack and the sound is more akin to what you’d get from a microphone.

I’ve had a lot of experience with the HiFi, and I’d say it’s not ideal for a rock band situation but quite lovely playing solo in a coffee shop. I found the best tone by rolling off a bit of treble. Percussive players will love the HiFi’s responsiveness to slapping the strings and tapping on the guitar top.

The bottom line is that Breedlove is in good hands. This guitar’s appearance isn’t fancy, although the wood is gorgeous, and I appreciate how the pin-less African ebony bridge complements its classic aesthetic. Most importantly, this Roots Concert is the best-playing and -sounding guitar Breedlove has sent my way in more than a decade of acoustic reviews. I look forward to hearing other opinions and seeing what else is in store as all the new goodness rolls out “from seed to song” at Breedlove.

SPECIFICATIONS

CONTACT breedloveguitars.com

PRICE $2,999 with deluxe hardshell case

NUT WIDTH 1.75", bone

NECK Honduran mahogany, bolt-on, soft C profile

FRETBOARD Ebony, small center dot inlays, 25.5" scale

FRETS 20

TUNERS Nickel

BODY Solid Indian rosewood back & sides, solid Sitka spruce top, natural finish with vintage toner gloss, black binding

BRIDGE Ebony, pinless

ELECTRONICS L.R. Baggs HiFi with volume and tone controls

FACTORY STRINGS Elixir PB Nanoweb Light

WEIGHT 4.6 lbs

BUILT USA

PRO Comfortable neck profile, warm yet articulate tone, fine craftsmanship, gorgeous wood

CON Pickup volume is quiet and perhaps a polarizing choice. Would be awesome to offer options

The Memorial Day sales have only just died down, but Guitar Center has already seen fit to tempt us further with some sweet discounts on acoustic guitars hitting up to 30% off. With big money off acoustic guitars, acoustic electric guitars, classical guitars, as well as some folk favorites like ukuleles and resonators, it’s the ideal place to pick up an acoustic instrument for less.

The sale runs until June 24th, so you’ve got a whole month to cash in on the deals. With pretty much every major acoustic guitar manufacturer represented in the sale, savings on Taylor, Martin, Gibson, Fender, Epiphone, and many more make this one of the best opportunities to save of the year so far.

I’ve had a look through the full sale, and the first thing to catch my eye was $100 off this Recording King RPH-R2-E Dirty 30s Minnie Bucker Resonator. Perfect for slide and delta blues, it features a hand-spun aluminium resonator and a mini humbucker, which makes it ideal for players who want to plug in and play live.

I covered this deal in the Memorial Day sales, and while there’s a little less off it now, I still reckon this Gibson J-45 Studio with $200 off is an excellent deal. If you’re a regularly gigging player, this is a quality acoustic that delivers superb tone with its Sitka spruce top and mahogany back and side tonewood construction, and an LR Baggs electronics system that means it delivers when you plug it in.

Finally, I had to point out this limited edition Taylor 414ce, which is one of our favorite acousti-electric guitars here at Guitar Player. This version is only available at Guitar Center and features a unique sunburst top, Italian acrylic diamonds inlays, and gold Taylor tuning machines for a premium look. With $200 off, it’s superb value for money in my book.

When you think of effects pedals, acoustic guitars aren’t often the first thing that comes to mind. The natural organic sound of an acoustic instinctively doesn’t feel like it mixes with pedals, but the reality is that smartly applying one of the best acoustic guitar pedals can offer a new dimension to your sound, especially when playing live.

I’ve tried out some, frankly, silly combinations of acoustic guitars and pedals over the years, getting dynamite results with the likes of overdrives and modulation. I’ve also explored the acoustic guitar preamp pedals, which perform a different task, but can be equally impactful on your acoustic tone. In this list, I’ve combined a mixture of different styles of pedal, so whatever you’re looking to achieve with your acoustic, there will be a pedal to help you get there.

If you just want to improve your tone with an acoustic guitar preamp pedal, then you should check out the Fishman Aura Spectrum, which is in my opinion the best preamp pedal for acoustic players. If you want to add some delay to your sound, the Earthquaker Devices Avalanche Run is my top pick. If you need a looper that inspires creativity, check out the Pigtronix Infinity II.

If you’re brand new to pedals I’ve curated a handy how to choose section for you, which guides you through the important decisions you’ll need to make. I’ve also put together a list of FAQs that guitar players often ask, and a glossary of key terms to help you deal with the technical lingo in this guide.

My top picks

Best acoustic preamp

Overview: Fishman is among the most revered brand names when it comes to electronics for acoustic guitars, be that integrated preamps, pickups, or, in this instance, pedals. The Aura Spectrum DI Preamp is a surefire way to get consistent live (and recorded) sounds out of your acoustic guitar at every single gig.

Build quality: The Aura Spectrum is definitely designed to be taken on the road, with a durable all-metal construction that is made to last. While you can easily adjust on the fly, I see the Aura as a perfect set-and-forget pedal, with the ability to access an unlimited number of acoustic sounds via the Aura gallery and apply them to 16 user preset slots, build your presets, and guarantee great tones.

Usability: Despite its powerful tone shaping, the Aura Spectrum is extremely easy to use, with every knob and control simply labelled, so you’ll struggle to go wrong. The addition of EQ, compressor, feedback suppressor, and even a tuner makes this an all-in-one dynamic and tonal-shaping solution, particularly for live performance.

Sounds: But it isn’t just good for live; the fact of the matter is that an acoustic guitar plugged in anywhere rarely sounds like it does unplugged, but the Aura makes sure this isn’t the case. Utilizing the sound of your acoustic’s pickup and transforming it into a far more organic, mic’d up sound. That doesn’t mean you can’t have plenty of your original tone in though, with a blend control to balance the two. It pretty much guarantees perfect acoustic tones wherever you are, so it could also be ideal for the recording studio.

Best reverb

Overview: Your one-stop shop for ambience and described by Earthquaker Devices as a “dreamy stereosonic exploratory multi-tool” – I usually take manufacturers’ descriptions with a pinch of salt, but in this instance, I’d say they’re spot on. The Avalanche Run has delay and reverb integrated, plus it’s stereo, so if you want to transform your acoustic’s tone into something truly enormous, this is the pedal for you.

Build quality: Built with a dual footswitch design, with each engaging the effect and the tap tempo functions respectively, the Avalanche Run isn’t a small pedal, but considering it has two effects in one, it takes up significantly less real estate than standalone delay and reverb pedals. It also features unique Flexi-Switch® Technology which allows you to simultaneously use momentary and latching style switching, which is a cool addition.

Usability: At first glance, the Avalanche Run might seem a little bit intimidating, but in practice it’s very quick to achieve great results. The expression control is a nice option, giving you the ability to grow your ambience from distant to engulfing with the rock of your foot on an (external) expression pedal. Another thing I’d recommend exploring is the pedal’s ins and outs, which have some secret tricks to provide some quirky stereo output options, including all-wet left and standard mixed right-hand channels.

Sound: The specific types of ambience that the Avalanche Run produces are virtually limitless, with options that include reverse delay, sound-on-sound lo-fi looping, swells, and so much more. The drawback being that there is so much to choose from, it may be more than many need; however, if sending your sound to space is what you’re looking for, this is the pedal for you.

Best looper

Overview: Loopers and acoustic guitars go better than cereal and milk. You’ve got players like Ed Sheeran who have massively commercialized the world of loopers, bringing about the arrival of some seriously powerful and complex loopers, which, frankly, totally terrify me and take a lot of the fun out of looping. The Pigtronix Infinity II Hi-Fi Double Looper is the perfect combination of (relative) simplicity and professional-standard. Just as good when used at home or for live performance.

Build quality: I love the feel of the large ‘Decay’ and ‘Volume’ knobs, made from solid metal with round engraving on the top – little details, but it makes it feel special. The rest of the build is equally solid, with a metal chassis and classic, rugged switches.

Usability: Operation isn’t quite as simple as on some single looper pedals, so if you want extreme ease, then perhaps look elsewhere, but after a brief play, I found the Infinity II to be pretty straightforward, with a combination of six controls/functions that were easy to navigate.

Sound: Pigtronix have made it clear that the Infinity II has hi-fi audio quality, meaning your audio doesn’t degrade when looped. The standout, fun audio effect is the ‘Octave’ mode, which switches the sample rate from 48kHz down to 24kHz, dropping the sound by an octave in the process.

Best compressor

Overview: There are a huge number of brilliant compressor pedals that work superbly with acoustic guitars, but my choice would always be to go with a pedal that is optimized for your instrument, which is why the AFX AcoustiComp Mini Compressor from acoustic experts, Fishman, is my go-to choice for acoustic compressor pedal.

Build quality: Built into a compact factor at just 1.9” wide and 3.8” tall, this would easily fit on most pedalboards, and if it’s the only pedal you use, it will fit in most guitar cases. The tough aluminium enclosure will also mean it travels well.

Usability: I think what I like about it most is its simplicity in operation, with just two knobs controlling the effect. Fishman have made some decisions internally to make sure that wherever you set your controls, you can pretty much guarantee that the compressor will sound great, so it’s ideal for those new to effects, and particularly compressors, which can take some getting used to.

Sound: Tuned specifically to add a more subtle compression to your acoustic, the ‘Comp’ knob can be turned up to provide a fatter sound, or backed off for a lighter compression that is ideal for sitting in the mix. The level control can help you balance with your dry sound, making it seamless when you engage the compressor, rather than there being large volume jumps.

Best delat

Overview: Unconventional at first glance but absolutely perfect in application for acoustic guitars, the Ernie Ball Ambient Delay is an expression-pedal-based delay that allows you to gradually engage the effect, creating big swells of delay.

Build quality: The Ambient Delay is extremely solid, being made from aircraft aluminum, and the hinge feels particularly smooth, while the top of the pedal has a non-slip surface, so it can be used with confidence. The only downside is that it takes up a lot of room on a pedalboard – though less than a delay with an additional expression pedal, so it may work out as a more efficient use of space. If you do want to introduce a secondary pedal, it does have a tap-tempo input.

Usability: The biggest selling point of the ambient delay is its versatility, with delay time, delay feedback, and reverb level controls giving you a broad ambient palette, but when combined with the foot-sweepable effect level control, things go to another level. The ability to adjust the level of your sound in real time is above anything traditional on/off pedals can create. Using the foot-sweep takes a little bit of getting used to for those who aren’t used to expression pedals, but you’ll pick it up quickly.

Sound: The sound from this thing is big and can only be described as “lush”. The plate reverb is particularly special and pairs really well with the delay, which can be anything from a short slapback to a big 1-second echo.

Best chorus

Overview: When it comes to effects pedals, there’s nobody more legendary than Boss, and of all their pedals, there’s an argument that the CE-2 chorus sits at the top of the pile. The CE-2W is the modern reissue of the pedal coming out of Boss’s Waza division – their “premium” department – featuring the same classic sounds as the original, but topped with additional features.

Build quality: The first thing you’ll notice about this pedal is that it is, of course, constructed with Boss’s legendary build quality. There’s absolutely no reason that the CE-2W won’t last for the next 40 years, even if you’re taking it out on the road with you, so in terms of a long-term investment, it’s about as smart as you can make in the world of pedals.

Usability: If you are new to the world of acoustic pedals, as a “starter-effect”, it may be a little on the expensive side, but it is extremely simple, with just two knobs – rate and depth – making it very easy to get your head around. There are three, switchable sound options, with two variations of chorus, plus a vibrato.

Sound: While all of the modes sound brilliant, the standout for me is the vibrato setting, particularly when paired with acoustic guitar. This adds a beautiful wobble to your sound when dialled in gently, which can be really impactful, despite it being subtle. Of course, it doesn’t have to be that reserved, and there is an option to go pretty outlandish with either the chorus or vibrato effects, which makes for a lot of fun.

Also consider

If you didn't find what you were looking for above, here are some more great acoustic guitar pedals for you to have a look at.

How to choose

Choosing pedals for acoustic guitars isn’t unlike choosing pedals for electric guitars – if there’s a sound you’re aiming to achieve, there’s almost certainly a pedal out there that can help you get close to that goal. However, there are always a few things I like to consider when buying an acoustic pedal, which I’ve shared below to help you choose.

1. Starting out

This might seem obvious, but, if you’re anything like me, I’ll buy a pedal on impulse without really thinking about what I’m trying to achieve, which can be fun if you’ve already got a plethora of other pedals to choose from, but if you’re delving into acoustic effects for the first time, there are a few really good places to start depending on your goal.

In the world of acoustic pedals, you might be looking for a consistent live sound, without having to rely on the sound engineer, or you could add a different feeling to your existing sound – to put it in simpler terms, you are likely buying a preamp/tone-shaping pedal, or buying an effects pedal. While both sit at your feet and can be stomped on, they achieve different things, and both can work excellently together too.

If you’re new to acoustic guitar pedals, consider what your priority is and choose that. And don’t forget to make sure to put a tuner pedal somewhere towards the top of your list too.

2. Signal chain

Whether I’m buying a pedal for electric or acoustic, I try to consider where exactly this pedal is going to sit in my signal chain. There’s no harm in moving things around, but it’s nice to try and work out exactly where a pedal is going to fit in your chain before you buy.

For example, if you play with an acoustic amp and are buying a delay pedal, does your amp have an effects loop? Or perhaps you are happy with it going into the front end of your amp? You should also consider any other pedals you may have and how these could work together. There’s nothing worse than buying a new pedal and finding out it doesn’t play nice with one of your old favorites.

3. Feedback issues

Acoustic guitars when plugged in are generally prone to feedback even before you add any pedals to the signal chain, and those issues are only exacerbated when pedals come into the mix – particularly pedals with any kind of gain. If you want to add some dirt to your acoustic, I’d definitely consider pairing that with an EQ or notch filter, both of which can be used to mitigate feedback.

FAQs

Key terms

• Buffer: A device that can be found in some pedals or available standalone that converts a guitar's weak signal into a strong signal (by altering the impedance from high to low), helping to ensure it keeps its original tone and tone suck (the loss of high end).
• Chorus: An effect that produces a copy of the guitar signal but slightly adjusts the pitch and timing and then blends it back in with the original signal. This creates a dreamy sound that loosely replicates the sound of multiple instruments playing at once (ensemble).
• Compressor: A dynamic processing effect that brings up the low dynamics and brings down the high peaks, producing a slightly squashed, more consistent sound with more sustain to your sound.
• DI (Direct Input): Plugging your guitar straight into a DI is taking the raw, unprocessed signal and converting it into a balanced signal, preventing noise and preparing it to be sent to a mixing desk/PA system.
• EQ (Equalizer): A system to alter specific frequency bands of a sound to either boost or reduce those frequencies.
• Feedback: The phenomenon of a sound source being picked up by a pickup or microphone, being amplified, and then being picked up again in a loop, creating a screeching noise.
• Looper: A pedal that engages a record function on the first stomp and a playback function on the second stomp, creating a loop for the player to playback to.
• Modulation: An effects pedal that alters the guitar's signal over time, changing its pitch or amplitude. Chorus, phasers, and flangers are modulation effects.
• Notch filter: A filter used to remove unwanted, resonant/feedback frequencies from your playing. It is named ‘notch filter’ as on an EQ, it would look like a small notch downwards to remove only the specific unwanted frequency, and not impact the rest of the tone.
• Overdrive: A pedal that adds gain to your acoustic signal, introducing dirt and grit. This is more commonly used with electric guitars, but can have a great impact with acoustics, though can cause problematic feedback.
• Phaser/flanger: Phasers and flangers are modulation effects pedals that use a low-frequency oscillator (LFO) to create a swirling, sweeping, or "jet plane" sound by altering phase shifts or delay times.
• Piezo: A type of pickup technology that converts the acoustic guitar's string vibrations into an electrical signal, allowing the instrument to be plugged into an amplifier.
• Preamp: A device that boosts the weak signal from a guitar's pickup or internal microphone to a level that allows it to be amplified by a PA system or amplifier without being noisy or distorted. Many preamps also provide features like EQ controls for shaping your tone. Preamp pedals will also generally have a built-in DI.
• Reverb: An ambient effect that replicates the feeling of space. There are different types of reverb, including hall, plate, and spring (among others).
• Signal chain: The order in which your guitar signal flows from source – playing your guitar – to its end destination – generally, an amp or PA – between this there may be pedals, which are often placed in a specific order to have an optimized signal chain e.g., distortion/gain before time-based effects.
• Stereo: A sound that is across two channels - Left and Right. Some effects will convert your sound to stereo.
• Tremolo: An amplitude modulation effect, which quickly shifts your volume between loud and quiet, creating a fluttering effect.

How we test

When testing the best acoustic guitar pedals, we'll take the same process that we would take with any guitar pedal. We'll always try and spend at least a couple of weeks with any pedal to ensure that we get over the honeymoon period.

First, we'll look at the build quality of the unit in question. Guitar pedals need to be able to put up with plenty of abuse, espeically if you're playing them live, so we'll be sure to closely inspect every aspect of its build and all the components. We'll test footswitches, knobs, and regular switches for sturdiness, and of course we'll be sure to stomp the pedal repeatedly to test its durability.

Next we'll actually use the pedal in a variety of scenarios to see how easy or difficult it is to get the sounds out of it. From playing in the rehearsal room to taking pedals on stage, these tests are all about how it is to live with the pedal. We'll tweak every knob, press every button, and even open the pedal up to access the internal dip switches if necessary.

Finally, depending on what kind of pedal it is, we'll look at the overall sound. This is a very subjective thing, so each pedal is a different case. However, our review team has a lot of experience using different guitar pedals, so that helps us make a judgement on where a particular pedal might sit versus others in the same genre, or when comparing pedals of different types.

Read more on how we test gear and service at Guitar Player

Working as a guitar reviews editor, this year has been filled with some very, very good gear to test. But my personal favourite of 2025 isn't a guitar, pedal or an amp – well, it's kind of all those things, actually. After I saw it reduced by $50 here at Sweetwater in the Cyber Monday sales, I honestly want to spread the word to more people about just how good the ToneWoodAmp 2 is for acoustic guitar players. This is a 5/5 piece of kit and it's inspired me to play my acoustic much more this year.

European and UK players can benefit too, because the ToneWoodAmp2 is reduced over at Thomann too.

If you own an acoustic guitar, I think this thing is the most inspiring thing you can ever put on it. I am confident you'll spend more time playing because of how good it sounds – as well as great usability.

The ToneWoodAmp magnetically fixes to the back of your acoustic via bracing fixed inside (it's easy to fit – I did it in minutes) and plugs into your guitar's preamp input. Then the magic starts; it gives you reverb, delay. tremolo and modulation (chorus, flanger, phaser) effects through your guitar's soundhole, with a pedal or amp needed.

The first ToneWoodAmp was good, but the sequel has improved upon it in every conceivable way for me; it's smaller, with a rechargeable internal battery (10 hours life) and now has its own app. But the highlight is still those glorious effects – of which you can run four simultaneously.

I'll be honest, I can be cynical about guitar gear that relies on apps but ToneWoodAmp's proves just how good the combo can be because it unlocks the device's other capabilities as a powerful preamp for live gigs – they've really designed this side of things to give you a great live sound. It's really an incredible piece of kit, and proves its worth at home or the stage. Check out acoustic maestro Mike Dawes above showing what the TonewoodAmp2 can be.

But the best thing is when using the effects you don't need to touch the app if you don't want to – the unit itself offers plenty of controls to shape your sounds. And I would absolutely concur with Mike Dawe's admission that he can't play his acoustic guitar without it now. No wonder he wrote his last album with it!

• Amazon: Huge holiday savings
• B&H Photo: Early Bird Holiday deals
• Fender store: Player II Strat lowest price ever
• Guitar Center: Up to 40% Black Friday sale
• Guitar Tricks: $899 $99 annual sub
• IK Multimedia: Up to $300 off Tonex hardware
• Musician's Friend: Early Black Friday 50% sale
• Native Instruments: Over 50% off UA bundle
• Plugin Boutique: 100s of software savings
• Positive Grid: Up to $50 Spark savings
• Reverb: Black Friday early access
• Sweetwater: Up to 80% off Black Friday sale
• Universal Audio: 12 Days of UAD software sale
• Waves: Huge plugin bundle deals up to 95% off

Part of my job as a Reviews Editor is I see and play a lot of guitars, more specifically, I test them. And when it comes to acoustic guitars the Taylor name always stands out for me for its quality and consistency right out of the box. I know I'm not alone in thinking this, but the problem is that quality often comes at a higher price. However, this Black Friday, Sweetwater has this Taylor 114ce Grand Auditorium acoustic-electric with $100 off that is helping to address the issue.

You don't have to buy Builder's Editions to get Taylor quality – I used to gig with my little Taylor GS Mini mahogany with a soundhole pickup fitted in, and I still play it every day at home. But it's Taylor's Grand Auditorium that is its classic shape for me, and the perfect Goldilocks design. Smaller than a dreadnought, so friendlier to more players and a great all-rounder for chords or finger picking. So when I was scouting for a personal recommendation to share with readers in the Black Friday guitar deals, I was very pleased to find the Taylor 114ce Grand Auditorium with $100 off at Sweetwater.

I know this guitar will deliver for players at home or the stage. Taylor ensures playability and a hi-fi clarity across its ranges – I've seen and heard it for years as a reviewer. If you're investing in your first acoustic, or first electro-acoustic for the stage, this is a really safe bet, with Sweetwater's renowned customer service allowing you to pick the exact guitar you want to buy from its stock over on its website.

How many online retailers offer that? In return you'll get a torrefied (aged) Sitka spruce top that gives you a shortcut to a added resonance, a lighter weight and a lovely vintage look. The included Expression System 2 is a quality pickup and preamp package to see at $699 too. It'll stand you in good stead if you want to venture out with your Taylor for live sessions.

Taylor also offers the best-quality gig bags I've encountered in the acoustic market, so getting one included here is another bonus. Plus, with a cutaway design you don't have to compromise on upper frets access.

I'm jealous of any player who might get to be gifted this for Christmas!

• Amazon: Huge holiday savings
• B&H Photo: Early Bird Holiday deals
• Fender store: Player II Strat lowest price ever
• Guitar Center: Up to 40% Black Friday sale
• Guitar Tricks: $899 $99 annual sub
• IK Multimedia: Up to $300 off Tonex hardware
• Musician's Friend: Early Black Friday 50% sale
• Native Instruments: Over 50% off UA bundle
• Plugin Boutique: 100s of software savings
• Positive Grid: Up to $50 Spark savings
• Reverb: Black Friday early access
• Sweetwater: Up to 80% off Black Friday sale
• Universal Audio: 12 Days of UAD software sale
• Waves: Huge plugin bundle deals up to 95% off

What happens when you cross a Martin dreadnought with a 000 and infuse some historic Hawaiian guitar spirit? That’s essentially what Martin has on its hands in the form of the Martin O’ahu HG-28. Its novel HG (Hawaiian Guitar) body style is a trimmed-down, sloped-shouldered dreadnough made from solid flamed Hawaiian koa back and sides, capped off with a solid spruce top at 000 depth.

Is it a simply a novel crossover concept, or does it truly deliver a beautiful blend of Martin’s bread-and-butter body styles?

I was curious to find out. After all, the prospect of a more manageable dreadnought is appealing to a diminutive dude, and, while Martin offers short-scale LX models, a shallow full-scale model is intriguing.

I’ve never come across one before, but Chairman of the Board Chris Martin IV discovered a Gibson HG-20 from the late ’20s or early ’30s that helped inspire this new creation. He’s been on something of a vision quest to understand and celebrate the crucial role that the Hawaiian music craze from that era played in the development of the steel-string. We continue to cover it with great appreciation, and the HG-28 marks another significant step along that path.

The HG-28 now lies at the heart of Martin O’ahu family of instruments, along with the Custom K-1 Major Kealakai that was created in conjunction with Hawaiian master luthier and historian Kilin Reece. That large guitar pays tribute to legendary Hawaiian musician Major Kealakai and his groundbreaking custom Martin, made way back in 1916! The Kealakai paved the way for the venerable Martin dreadnought and practically all larger bodied steel-strings.

The pendulum swings the other way with the HG-28 toward the smaller designs of the original Hawaiian guitar era combined with the shape of the famous Martin dreadnought, which might never have come about without its Hawaiian influence.

Chris Martin IV says, “The HG-28 is something that should have been made back then and never was until now.”

The Martin O’ahu has a depth of four inches compared to four and 3/4 inches for a Standard Series dreadnought, and a scale length of 24.9 inches compared to 25.4 inches. The HG-28’s max width of 14 1/2 inches is a full inch less than a Standard dread and half an inch narrower than a 000 body. So, whereas the K-1 is essentially a deep-dish quad 0 or Martin M body style, you can think of the HG-28 as shallow-dish Martin dreadnought at 000 scale length with a bit of a trim around the hips, which ultimately makes it quite unique.

Martin signature artist Craig Thatcher says, “It’s not just a miniature edition of a dreadnought. It’s something completely different.”

I saw the first HG-28 prototype at the 2024 NAMM Show and asked for a review unit after one strum. I was immediately struck by how nimble it felt in hand, how cozy its body felt sitting on my lap, and its incredibly resonant tone. Production was slow to follow and the first one only became available very recently, so the HG-28 is still very fresh and packs way too much promise to let it slip between the cracks.

The HG-28 sounds vivacious. The warm, yet clear-and-present tone matches its aloha intention and snazzy aesthetic, a true beauty in classic Martin Style 28, framed with snappy herringbone trim. Notes seem to spring forth and bloom, and chords project with an open, airy quality. This instrument seems to welcome your playing and it practically rewards you for doing so. It takes precious little effort to generate ample string energy and activate its solid spruce top. Koa back and sides contribute heavily to its featherlight feel and nuanced sound.

The signature Martin sound is certainly represented, but this guitar has its own shade that’s more focused in the middle and upper range. A Standard D-28, for example, sounds like a cannon by comparison. I can totally appreciate that for certain circumstances, but there were plenty of times around the house and in the recording studio when this more dynamically sensitive instrument better served the situation. And then there’s the playability.

The HG-28 has a relaxed feel with über playability thanks to its smaller body and slightly short scale length. While it looks like a dreadnought because of the body shape, it probably has more in common with the triple-0 from a playability standpoint, and perhaps overall.

It’s hard to bend strings on a traditional Martin dreadnought, but it’s easy to bend them on the HG-28. It can do the classic bluegrass flatpicking thing and is actually much easier to play than even the signature Billy Strings, which is particularly fleet under the fingers for a D-28. The most surprising element of the HG-28’s playability is how fabulous it feels as a fingerpicker. That fingerpicking goodness is due in part to its full one and 3/4–inch width at the nut, so even though I would have guessed a narrower spec there’s plenty of finger space, but there’s more to that story.

To me, the hidden key is its accessibility. Since the whole body is scaled back a bit to be slightly smaller than a 000 — which is slightly smaller than the dreadnought from which the HG takes its shape — the angle of the dangle as you play is slightly different in every way. Your strum hand naturally ends up further over the sound hole toward the neck — kind of like on a 12-fret guitar, even though this one has 14 frets to the body.

Ultimately, you pluck and fingerpick from an extremely advantageous position. You naturally draw your whole upper body closer over the fretboard, making it feel easier to access the upper frets than on most noncutaway acoustics. Factor in a low-profile neck with a high-performance taper and the playability is off the charts. I can play passages with finesse on the HG-28 that are a struggle to execute at all on most other guitars.

And then there’s the toughest test — under a red-hot studio light. Options abound where I track at Lucky Recording Company, including many Martins. I didn’t believe that we truly needed another one when I took the HG-28 along for a session of Yosemite songs, but when I brought it to compare, there was no comparison, at least not for these particular songs. We put the other guitars right back on the rack as the Martin O’ahu delivered such a pristine, positively perfect tone on the mic and facilitated such ease of performance that it made two tunes in one night.

One was the most difficult fingerpicking track I’ve ever attempted, and the other the most delicate. That’s the highest honor I can mention. My heart was full of mahalo for having the HG-28 on hand that night, and now it’s difficult to imagine the recording arsenal without it. One might go for a larger guitar to fill the sonic spectrum playing solo acoustic guitar or a heartier sound in a band situation, but when there’s drum and bass, the engineer usually rolls off the low end of the acoustic anyway, so you might and well go for the best mid and top range possible.

I’d recommend this instrument to a wide variety of different players. If you dig the Martin dreadnought but feel it’s a bit big for your body or boomy in the bottom end, the HG-28 could be your best friend. If you love the playability of a triple-0 but want something with a bit more open presence and resonance, this koa creation could be just the ticket. And its relaxed feel is perfect for playing in Hawaiian “slack key” tunings such as “taro patch,” which mainlanders know as open G major or Keith Richards tuning.

If you want a campfire guitar that can do all of that in a travel-friendly package, the HG-28 fits the bill. That is if you’ve got the bucks for such a buy. It’s not cheap, but the Martin O’ahu HG-28 offers the holistic quality of a custom build made from exotic wood at a production guitar price point. So there’s great value as well in this heirloom-worthy instrument that will only sound much more profound and increase in value over the years. Hawaiian guitar enthusiasts will dig how this guitar connects the rich musical history of the islands with an eye toward the future. I can hardly wait to hear this baby in 2045!

If you’re a Martin aficionado who has already got all the staples, here’s something different that’s not too different when you think about it. This hybrid from a parallel universe makes a ton of sense. I’m shocked that such a peanut butter–and-jelly combination of dreadnought and triple-0 flavors hasn’t happened until now. Oh well — there’s no better time than the present to appreciate this modern Martin marvel.

SPECIFICATIONS

CONTACT martinguitar.com

PRICE $3,599 with softshell case

NUT WIDTH 1.75", bone

NECK Select hardwood, GE modified low oval profile with high performance taper, dovetail joint

FRETBOARD Ebony with abalone inlays in Old Style 18, 24.9" scale

FRETS 20, 14 to body

TUNERS Nickel open gear with butterbean knobs

BODY Solid koa back & sides, solid spruce top

BRIDGE Ebony with compensated bone saddle

ELECTRONICS None

FACTORY STRINGS Martin Authentic Acoustic Lifespan 2.0 Phosphor Bronze Light gauges .012—.054

WEIGHT 3.8 lbs (as tested)

BUILT USA

PRO Vivacious tone, fabulous playability, extremely comfortable, quite unique

CON Only that this Martin dreadnought/000 crossover falls into a crack instead of being recognized as a killer hybrid

Gibson and Guitar Center have teamed up to resurrect one of Gibson’s most beloved acoustic guitars with a fresh twist for modern players: the Country Western Studio EC Acoustic-Electric Guitar, available now exclusively at Guitar Center stores nationwide and online at GuitarCenter.com.

A reimagining of the original 1955 Country Western — the Southern Jumbo’s sibling — the Studio EC brings the timeless warmth and balance of Gibson’s square-shouldered dreadnoughts into the 21st century. It’s priced at $2,999 and blends vintage style with modern comfort, including a cutaway body for improved upper-fret access and a sleek satin finish that enhances both resonance and feel.

Under the hood, the guitar pairs a solid Sitka spruce top with mahogany back, sides, and neck, producing that classic Gibson blend of sparkle and warmth. A short 24.75-inch scale and rounded neck profile make for an easy, relaxed playing experience, while the rosewood fingerboard with mother-of-pearl parallelogram inlays adds an unmistakable vintage vibe.

Cosmetically, the Country Western Studio EC channels mid-century cool with a yellow tortoiseshell pickguard, gold Gibson headstock logo, and nickel hardware with white-button tuners — a look that nods to Gibson’s past without feeling stuck in it.

To bring that tone to the stage, Gibson fits the model with the L.R. Baggs Element Bronze pickup system, which captures the guitar’s natural resonance and warmth with impressive realism. It’s a plug-and-play setup designed for both live and studio work, and each instrument ships with a hardshell case.

“The Gibson Country Western Studio EC brings everything musicians love about classic Gibson acoustics to a new generation of players,” says Gabe Dalporto, CEO of Guitar Center. “It combines timeless tone and craftsmanship with the modern playability artists expect today, and we’re proud to offer it exclusively at Guitar Center.”

The Gibson Country Western Studio EC Acoustic-Electric Guitar is available now for $2,999, exclusively through Guitar Center.

Billy Strings is the hottest thing happening in the acoustic arena, and his signing with Martin for a pair of signature models is a huge deal. The D-28 Billy Strings is his take on arguably the most iconic American acoustic guitar of all time. The Mexican-made DX-2E promises similar String-iness while being far more accessible financially.

Martin introduced both at the 2025 NAMM Show, and even though the dire lack of humidity in Southern California during that wildfire-plagued time wreaked havoc on every guitar’s action, I could tell there was something special about the playability of this pair and didn’t hesitate to request both for a full review.

The Martin Dreadnought has ruled the bluegrass scene since the days of Billy’s prized 1940 D-28, and since Strings has ascended to rule said scene it’s high time he got his own signature line. While the materials and country of origin differ, the DX-2E Billy Strings shares the same key specifications as its American cousin.

Strings is a true Martin aficionado, and it’s well worth the while to consider Billy’s choices about what specs work best for working players right now. He notably chose to honor the D-28 rather than going with a D-18, which some bluegrassers favor for the strident tonal nature of mahogany back and sides. The D-28’s rosewood gives it a chunkier tone, which this reviewer appreciates, as one can always get a more strident tone by plucking closer to the bridge.

Nut width is the next interesting consideration. Strings went with 1 23/32 inches, which equates to about 1.72 inches. That’s slightly narrower than the modern standard 1.75 inches, and yet not quite as narrow as some dreads of yore that measured 1.69 inches at the nut. Another significant specification modification Strings made was a scale length of 25 inches. That’s another ’tweener spec falling in-between the Martin standard of 25.4 inches and the shorter scale of 24.75 found on some classic dreadnoughts such as the Gibson J-45.

Those specs contribute heavily to fantastic playability on both instruments. I’m no bluegrass boy, but even in my hands I found a few blue-chip licks falling easily under the fingers on this neck with a profile Martin describes as “modified low oval.”

Playing with a plectrum the notes seem to flow readily and rapidly. Action from the factory was more than satisfactory. Dig in, and the frets don’t splat out. Well, they did a bit when I employed an aggressive fingerstyle attack via acrylic nails on the DX-2E, which comes with light strings and plays almost as well (but understandably not quite as perfectly) as the D-28.

The nut being just slightly narrower than normal made it more comfortable for my relatively small hand on the fretboard, without becoming too cramped to accommodate for playing fingerstyle with my plucking hand when I felt like it. Having a slightly shorter scale length brings the frets a bit closer together, making barre chords, for example, easier to make and hold. It also makes string bending a bit easier.

But the scale length is not so short as to make the medium-gauge wires feel like rubber bands—there’s still plenty of snap on these Strings. It’s funny how these dreadnoughts somehow feel smaller than they are, and the reduced scale length is probably the reason why, or at least a significant factor.

The D-28’s tone is like a fastball down the middle. It’s exactly what you expect from a Martin Dreadnought with fantastic balance. It’s not overly boomy as some dreads can be, the top end is present but never brittle, and there’s a meaty middle range at the heart of the matter. The D-28 Billy Strings seems particularly punchy and focused in that range. It’s not particularly open sounding right out of the box, but I’ll bet it blossoms beautifully over time.

The DX-2E’s tone is essentially a lighter version of the D-28. Both have solid spruce tops, but instead of solid rosewood back and sides, the DX-2E has a veneer of high-pressure laminate Brazilian rosewood. The resulting tone is thinner, but HPL is actually more durable than solid wood, making it a great troubadour companion.

The DX-2E also comes equipped with electronics, which the D-28 notably does not. The system is a Martin E1, which consists of an undersaddle piezo pickup, and a preamp with volume and tone controls tucked under the upper lip of the sound hole. On the bottom of the unit lie two buttons, one for a phase flip and another that kicks on the tuner. It’s stealthily stashed inside the lower lip of the sound hole where the player can see it but the audience can’t. I felt the M1 system did a fine job of delivering a strong acoustic-electric tone while offering killer tuner convenience.

Which Billy Strings model is more aesthetically appealing is mostly a matter of taste. The D-28 has a look that honors its historic heritage. The aged-top toner and glossy finish as well as its herringbone trim give it a classy, time-honored appearance. The DX-2E mixes in elements that bring a more modern aesthetic, such as a natural top with practically no finish, and black rosette rings. The patterns in the Brazilian rosewood on the back of each DX-2E are unique. The one on this review unit is pretty cool, but some of them I’ve seen at the NAMM Show and online are quite stunning. It’s worth a visit to a Martin dealer for the ability to browse.

Which model is right for a particular player depends on purpose and budget. If you’ve got the green and are going for a natural acoustic tone, the D-28 is the clear winner. If you’re on a budget and/or want to plug in right out of the box, then the DX-2E is the better match.

I was surprised that the D-28 wasn’t even listed with an optional pickup choice, which is quite strange considering that Strings is famous not only for his blistering acoustic-electric live tone but also for employing a pedalboard full of effects. When I asked Martin luminary Fred Greene about it at the NAMM Show, his response was that for the D-28, Billy essentially wanted to keep it traditional.

Billy Strings is clearly a Martin lifer. He’s been playing a Martin Dreadnought since he was a kid admiring his father’s D-93, and he’s highly likely to be playing one well past the time when his own baby boy, River, who was born just last fall, has matured into a full-grown man. It’s easy to envision the D-28 Billy Strings becoming an heirloom acoustic to be passed down from one generation to the next.

And if you’re simply looking to get a quality instrument into the hands of a youngster or a beginner at any age who will appreciate the modifications Billy has made for optimal playability, then the DX-2E fits the bill perfectly. Having either of his signature models around the house will make it a musical haven —just like the Strings’ homestead— for years to come.

Martin D-28 Billy Strings

CONTACT martinguitar.com

PRICE $3,799 with hardshell case

NUT WIDTH 1.72", bone

NECK Mahogany, modified low oval profile, dovetail joint

FRETBOARD Ebony with abalone inlays (diamond and square), 25" scale

FRETS 20

TUNERS Nickel enclosed gear with butterbean knobs

BODY Solid East Indian rosewood back & sides, solid spruce top

BRIDGE Ebony with compensated bone saddle

ELECTRONICS None

FACTORY STRINGS Martin Authentic Acoustic Lifespan 2.0 Phosphor Bronze Medium gauges .013—.056

WEIGHT 3.6 lbs (as tested)

BUILT USA

KUDOS Fantastic playability, punchy tone

CONCERNS No pickup option strange considering Strings’ affinity for plugging in and using effects. Neck may feel a bit small and fast for traditional D-28 fans

Martin DX-2E Billy Strings

DX-2E Billy Strings

CONTACT martinguitar.com

PRICE $899 street with custom hemp softshell case

NUT WIDTH 1.72", white corian

NECK Select hardwood, mortise & tenon joint

FRETBOARD Ebony, 25" scale

FRETS 20

TUNERS Nickel open gear with butterbean knobs

BODY Brazilian rosewood high pressure laminate back & sides, solid spruce top

BRIDGE Ebony with compensated white Tusq saddle

ELECTRONICS Martin E1 with volume and tone flywheel controls plus tuner on/off and phase buttons in upper lip of sound hole; tuner in lower lip

FACTORY STRINGS Martin Authentic Acoustic Lifespan 2.0 Light gauges .012—.054

WEIGHT 3.7 lbs (as tested)

BUILT Mexico

KUDOS Fantastic playability, strong amplified tone, superb value

CONCERNS Neck may feel a bit small and fast for traditional D-28 fans

A key moment in HBO’s The Last of Us series occurs when Joel (Pedro Pascal) gives Ellie (Bella Ramsey) an acoustic guitar with a moth inlay at the third fret. In addition to being the instrument on which Ellie performs and sings tunes in the show, the guitar become a link between Ellie and Joel, who was restringing the instrument for her when he died.

Now Taylor Guitars is unveiling The Last of Us Replica 314c, an exact replica of the one featured in the HBO Original Series — as well as in the video game on which the show is based — right down to its Tobacco Sunburst top and moth inlay.

Created in association with Sony Pictures Consumer Products and HBO, The Last of Us Replica 314c guitar is based on the company’s 300 Series and features Taylor’s most popular body style, the Grand Auditorium.

“The Last of Us is a story of resilience, connection and finding beauty amid harsh realities — themes that resonate with the emotional expression a Taylor guitar offers players,” says Tim O’Brien, Vice President of Marketing at Taylor Guitars.

“We’re honored to collaborate with HBO and Sony Pictures Consumer Products to bring this iconic instrument to fans and players alike.”

In addition to the Tobacco Sunburst top and moth inlay, the guitar features grained ivoroid accents and a satin-finish body and neck that emulates the vintage aesthetic of the post-pandemic world depicted in the show.

The guitar — available only as an acoustic — features a Grand Auditorium body with a Venetian cutaway for easy access to upper-register notes. Specifications include a solid Sitka spruce top and solid sapele back and sides for balanced, clear and warm tone with a slight midrange presence.

Additional appointments include grained ivoroid body binding, grained ivoroid fretboard inlays that include the moth and large dot position markers, and a custom double-ring rosette also in grained ivoroid.

Each guitar comes with a Taylor-built deluxe hardshell case.

The Taylor x The Last of Us Replica guitar is available for purchase now via TaylorGuitars.com and select authorized Taylor dealers. Orders are built on demand in Taylor’s Southern California factory, with an expected delivery time of 6–10 weeks. Due to the nature of this release, quantities are limited.

When Eric Clapton graced the MTV Unplugged stage with a pre-war Martin acoustic, he sailed against the wind of popular music. By 1992, grunge’s grip on guitar music was bruisingly tight, but in an age of screeching guitars and feral songwriting, Clapton’s classy, heartfelt performance proved a seminal moment for the acoustic guitar; giving the instrument a powerful resurgence in the public’s eye, and elevating Martin to new levels of prestige.

The performance was released that year as Unplugged, which went on to win three Grammys and sell 26 million copies. At the same time, it kickstarted work on a signature Clapton guitar, the 000-42EC, which arrived three years later to great acclaim.

Inspired by the 1939 000-42 he played that night, the 000-42EC quickly became one of Martin’s most sought-after models. Three decades on, Martin is celebrating a major anniversary of their Clapton partnership with two new releases.

The 000-42EC is back in all its pre-war-replicating glory. It's a faithful re-creation of the guitar that proved so successful for Clapton and Martin, and as such it's limited to a blink-and-you'll-miss-it 300 examples. The the 000-EC, a more affordable — and more readily available model — offers the same tonal flavors at a far more accessible price tag.

Yet Clapton’s adoration for Martin Guitars goes deeper into his career than that.

For years, he played a 1974 Martin 000-28 as he began to establish a solo career in the wake of Derek and the Dominos' demise. It was here we see the beginning of Clapton's affinity for Martin's 000-size acoustics, which combine the OM-style hourglass shape with a shorter scale length.

The 000-28 accompanied Clapton everywhere he went and was used to compose his hit "Wonderful Tonight" in 1977.

“It was his go-to guitar,” says Steve Clarke, the vintage guitar expert at Bonham's, which auctioned the guitar last summer. “It's the one he took around with him — the one he went back to the hotel with after gigs.”

It left his possession in 1999, one year after he established his Crossroads Center for addiction recovery, with its sale helping raise funds for its cause. Parting with a guitar that meant so much to him nearly moved him to tears.

“During the auction,” Clapton once recalled, “the guys were all around me, and I felt myself starting to cry.”

But it wasn’t just the high-end Martins that left an impression on Slowhand. When working on the original signature guitar in the mid ’90s, Clapton was stunned by the quality of the cheaper alternative made in tandem with the pre-war replica.

Former Martin historian Dick Boak wrote in his 2003 book, Martin Guitar Masterpieces, “We sent one of the prototypes to Eric in England, and he sent me these exact words back through Lee [Dickson, Eric’s guitar tech]: ‘Don’t get me wrong. I love my 000-42EC Martins. The craftsmanship and detail are superb. But this new 000-28EC model is the best-sounding acoustic guitar I’ve ever played.’”

The 000-28EC proved a hit at NAMM in July ‘96, and atop a bedrock of orders, Clapton added his own into his collection of performance guitars.

Clapton, Boak adds, “continued to be surprised at how a lower-cost instrument could stand up to the top-of-the-line guitars.”

The new, limited-edition 000-42EC stays true to the past, featuring a solid Adirondack spruce top and solid Guatemalan rosewood back and sides, while Golden Era-inspired Adirondack spruce X-bracing and an authentic 1939 neck shape and 42-style snowflake inlays make the instrument look and feel like a pre-war relic.

Its $10,999 price tag, though, is a tall order.

Thankfully, the 000-EC is half the price ($4,999). It swaps those premium tonewoods for a solid spruce top and solid East Indian rosewood back and sides, while the inlays and neck feel are retained. If the earlier batch is anything to go by, there's no reason to turn one's nose up at this still premium-priced guitar.

While Clapton’s Unplugged acoustic may stand as his most iconic, it wasn’t the only Martin that played a big role in the shaping of his solo career.

It’s also notable that press material surrounding this release was sent out to coincide with the guitarist’s 80th birthday, such as the importance these guitars have had on his life.

Head to Martin to learn more.

In related news, Albert Lee has revealed the uncanny story of what happened to Clapton's '58 Les Paul Custom before he gifted it to Lee, who was performing in his band at the time.

Because of his deep-rooted love for his self-made Red Special guitar, it’s taken Brian May half a century of noise-making to get his first official signature guitar. His Gibson SJ-200 12-string is the result, and it a heartfelt tribute to the late great Freddie Mercury that’s easy to overlook.

May turned heads when he joined Gibson’s family of artists last year, ushering in rumors of a Gibson-made Red Special, which the guitarist added further fuel to with his comments several months later.

However, a different signature guitar has come first, and it satisfies more immediate and pressing needs for the guitarist, thanks to the 12-string’s quirky setup.

Discussing the guitar’s origins in a celestial-themed promo video, May says: “The 12-string I was accustomed to wasn’t performing. Gibson kindly said, ‘We’ll make you something special,’” and it’s met his key request.

“One of the things I asked for,” he explains, “was for the octaves to be placed around the other way from the way it's usually done because I like to pick upwards and hear the top notes when I'm doing it.”

For the uninitiated, 12-string guitars feature the regular six strings, but strings E through to G are joined by a double of the string tuned an octave higher, while the high E and B strings are given a partner string in the same octave. This creates a bigger, more ringing sound than regular acoustic guitars.

However, where typical 12-strings place the higher octave strings above the standard string, May’s unique model flips them around to make the higher octave strings more prominent and to match his picking style.

Beyond that, the spirit of Queen’s legendary frontman, Freddie Mercury, lives on in a guitar that both serves as a tribute to May’s two biggest loves in life — music and space — and stands as a symbol of Mercury’s legacy because of how the guitar is set to be used live.

May has taken to performing “Love of my Life” from 1975’s A Night at the Opera solo — but backed by audio and video of Mercury — during the band’s live shows in recent years. During those performances, his 12-string playing — previously delivered on a Godin or Ovation model — shines.

“Love of my Life was written by Freddie on a piano,” he explains. “I played harp on it, and in the intro a Japanese koto.”

However, the band chose to revise the song for the stage after May “picked up a 12-string and found that I could make it sing with Freddie quite easily”.

“But probably even more importantly than that,” he adds, “it became a staple feature of our set. We would always quit the bombast, come down very small, and just Freddie and I would play together. It was always a lovely feeling.

“When we lost Freddie, I wanted to play 'Love of my Life' just the way we used to, so it became an audience thing where they all sing it and I hardly need to sing it at all. It just seemed right to involve Freddie.”

And so, when designing the guitar, he made sure there was a little Freddie flair in its chic stylings.

“I believe that the best science is done artistically, and the best art is done with a knowledge of the universe. Look at the science of this guitar,” he muses. “Look how much technology and craftsmanship has gone into this.”

He then points to the guitar’s beautiful pickguard design, which features a constellation of stars and planets.

“They were able to put the universe here in some figurative way,” he says. “And look what's right here in the middle: The planet Mercury. That's a little nod to a friend of mine.

“Freddie's always with me because he was like a brother. The relationships in Queen lasted longer than any of our marriages. It was a big, big thing.

“We still carry Queen around with us, even though we don't have Freddie,” he concludes. “But I have a Mercury on the guitar now, which makes me very happy.”

Meanwhile, Brian May has revealed that guitars were illegal at his school, and in the same interview, he admitted that he had doubts about his Red Special guitar at first. However, after hearing the band’s debut album, 1973’s “Queen I” for the first time, we changed his mind and set his eyes on taking over the world with it.

And now for something completely different… For anyone that’s ever appreciated the looks, playability, and plug-in-and-play ability of a Taylor yet yearned for a tone that’s a bit less bright on top and warmer in the mids with a bigger bottom end, read on because the Gold Label Collection is a complete re-imagining of the contemporary Taylor sound.

The San Diego-based manufacturer celebrated last year’s 50th anniversary with monthly limited editions and then culminated with new Legacy models to honor the roots of its iconic Bob Taylor designs (see our review of Legacy 514ce Grand Auditorium). Now Taylor is branching out more than ever. The Gold Label Collection is built to deliver the sound and style of a guitar from the classic pre-War era while maintaining qualities such as the holistically in-tune and harmonically balanced aspect of the modern V-class marvels created in this era under company captain Andy Powers.

He says, “I wanted to create an instrument that had a totally different type of sound than what Taylor is known for while retaining the kinds of attributes we love as a modern Taylor guitar.”

The novel body style is Taylor’s first-ever Super Auditorium, which is slightly larger than the flagship body style with rounder curves and no cutaway. This new design also marks the introduction of a new neck attachment system to customize your setup. It begins with a pair of 800 Series models, available in either Honduran rosewood or Hawaiian koa. Both feature torrefied Sitka spruce tops available either in either natural or sunburst finishes with street prices ranging from $4,499 for rosewood in natural to $4,999 for koa with sunburst. We were thrilled to get an advance of the Gold Label 814e SB ($4,699 street).

From an industry perspective, it’s interesting to see the big dogs try to take bites out of their competition in the marketplace while still retaining their core identity. At last year’s NAMM Show, Martin introduced the very Taylor-like GPCE Inception, while Taylor has explored uncharted territory with guitars such as the funky AD27e Flametop. Its major debut for ’22 was almost the antithesis of what we’d come to expect. The Gold Label 814e isn’t that radical, but it’s not like any Taylor I’ve ever experienced.

Part of the fun with this review was at first there was no documentation, and I was trying to size it up before having a conversation with Powers. Clearly, it was a little bigger than a Grand Auditorium and there was no cutaway or obvious electronics. The sunburst finish on its Sitka spruce top and the strikingly beautiful grain pattern in its solid Honduran rosewood back and sides are gorgeous, and the symmetrical shape makes its bodacious body appear quite sexy. The cut of its unique headstock crown slants backwards. To my eyes, the script logo and Continental inlay on the headstock appeared custom, as did the matching design engraved into the pickguard.

Powers confirmed that saying, “I created the logo and the central design specifically for this model, drawing on an old design from my pre-Taylor life. Starting from the headstock on down, this guitar needed to look different because the sound is different.”

It took one strum of a G cowboy chord to know that Powers had done something extra special to this Super Grand Auditorium. The tone was more voluptuous. I practically fell backwards laughing as I instinctively launched into a bit of Bob Seger’s “Night Moves.” The Gold Label 814e SB simply has that hearty wow factor that makes you want to strum something straightforward and revel in the resonation.

Powers confirms, “It only takes one chord to recognize this is not a subtle shift. The Gold Label is sort of a crossover amongst different acoustic designs.”

To my ears, it’s as if a Taylor Grand Auditorium got genetically spliced together with a Gibson J-45 for some balanced jangle, a Martin D-28 for a hearty kick, and perhaps even a Santa Cruz OM Grand for its practically custom-shop feel and nuanced tonal sensibility.

The more you try other approaches, such as delicate fingerpicking or hybrid chord-melody lines, the more you realize that the Gold Label 814e accommodates all of it. The guitar seems to give back every ounce of whatever you put into it plus a little lagniappe—an extra level of rich, sustaining overtones. So, exactly what is going on under the hood?

“The inside of this guitar features a revised V-Class bracing design to create this sound specifically. I adapted little pieces of the bracing architecture, pulling some influence derived from the fan-braced design of the classical guitar tradition. That creates a new sound with an altered overtone structure. The way that it hits you with this mid-range response and low-end richness is totally different than what we’ve done in past.”

Another significant development in the Gold Label design lies in the neck. It’s not so much about the profile, but you notice a unique feel and a resonance under your fingers. I immediately noticed that there was something about this setup that was low enough for easy playability, but also high enough to accommodate a more aggressive attack. Notes are true and bold, and you don’t have to worry about holding back. There’s no brittle top end or dreaded fret splat. That made me want to dig in and play some blues, with heavy note-bending a la B.B. King. On a fancy new Taylor, I don’t normally gravitate towards that kind of thing. So, what’s going on?

“The difference isn't so much in the shape,” Powers says. “The way the strings feel under your fingers feels a bit different because of the voicing and whatnot. But let me back up a little bit and describe it this way.

“For the first 25 years, Taylor used some hardware to attach the neck heel to the body, and then glued on the fretboard. That was a big improvement from a construction and serviceability standpoint over conventional designs like a tapered dovetail. Around year 25 we developed the Taylor neck, or sometimes called the NT neck, where the entire thing is ultra-precisely controllable to minute gradations of a degree. That was a big improvement. A neck reset without the glue and everything takes me about 20 minutes.

“This neck is the next step forward. It’s long tenon design with a deeper heel that can contribute a sound like a traditional acoustic guitar neck, but it’s fully adjustable via a single screw located at the end of the heel block, and there’s no glue. So, a neck reset on this guitar takes about 20 seconds. You never take the strings off. You never even have to retune the guitar. Simply turn the adjuster screw to dial in the string height after dialing in the neck relief with the truss rod.”

Another immediately noticeable departure on the Gold Label 814e SB is its lack of a Taylor Expression System 2 with the requisite holes for controls cut into the upper bout. Instead, it features an L.R. Baggs Element VTC system consisting of an undersaddle piezo with flywheel controls for volume and tone tucked away inside the sound hole.

“To me, this guitar was an acoustic experience first and foremost,” explains Powers. “So, it didn’t feel right to drill holes into it for electronic controls. Lloyd Baggs and his company have been good friends of ours for years and built some of the first pickup systems Bob Taylor ever put into his guitars. The Element VTC pickup matches the way a lot of players would want to use this guitar for a variety of styles on different stages, so it seemed like the right choice.”

I took the Gold Label 814e out on a couple of solo shows playing through a Universal Audio Max preamp and compressor pedal into an L.R. Baggs Synapse Personal P.A. I found the pickup provided a wonderfully full tone and feel echoing the guitar’s acoustic personality. I especially appreciated its tone when slack-tuned a bit to Drop D for tunes such as “Black Water” by the Doobie Brothers or to open G for some Stones. The Super Grand Auditorium body sounded devilishly deep and lush.

The Gold Label 814e SB Super Auditorium is the most remarkable Taylor I’ve reviewed in the near decade I’ve been doing this gig as Frets Acoustic Editor. It’s got the Taylor hallmarks of impeccable craftsmanship, superior playability, holistically in tune with dynamic response and prolonged sustain—plus a very welcome warmth, vibe and sense of sonic soul. Taylor took steps in this direction with the Grand Pacific body style, but as Powers says, “That was a high-fidelity form of an older guitar. It was designed to sound like a studio presentation of an older sound. For the Gold Label, I wanted the acoustic experience to take me someplace new, or perhaps revisit someplace that I used to be.”

I’d recommend the Taylor Gold Label 814e SB Super Auditorium to practically anyone looking for a top-tier acoustic experience. It delivers custom shop-like quality in a production guitar that’s perfect for the studio, the stage, or simply sitting around the back porch strumming on a sunny day. Taylor fans should love it, and I’ll bet that a lot of Taylor critics will embrace this model as well. I expect to see the Gold Label concept catch on and be applied to many more guitars across the Taylor range.

SPECIFICATIONS

Gold Label 814e SB

CONTACT taylorguitars.com

PRICE $4,699 street, deluxe hardshell case included

NUT WIDTH 1.75", white Tusq

NECK Mahogany, 25.5" scale

FRETBOARD West African ebony with Continental mother-of-pearl inlays

FRETS 20

TUNERS Gotoh 510, Antique Chrome with ebony buttons

BODY Solid Honduran rosewood back & sides, solid torrefied Sitka spruce top (fanned V-class bracing)

BRIDGE Honduran rosewood “Curve Wing” with compensated white Micarta saddle

ELECTRONICS L.R. Baggs Element VTC with sound hole-mounted volume and treble controls

POWER 9V battery pack

FACTORY STRINGS D’Addario XS Coated Phosphor Bronze Light gauges .012 - .053

WEIGHT 4.9 lbs. (as tested)

BUILT USA

KUDOS The richest tone Taylor has ever produced on an instrument with a stunning classic aesthetic and fine playability

CONCERNS None

Framus has announced a reissue of John Lennon’s famous 12-string Hootenanny acoustic guitar to commemorate its recent discovery and multi-million dollar sale.

Lennon had bought the instrument after being drawn to the folk music that Bob Dylan was making a name for himself with, in the mid-’60s. It’s purchased kickstarted a brief but intense love affair with the instrument.

The guitarist soon wrote "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" with it, and it would later be used in other seminal Beatles moments, including the songs "Norwegian Wood," and "Girl," as well as the band’s feature-length film, Help! Harrison also played the guitar in the film, extending its legacy.

It has since become one of the most famous Beatles guitars but had been lost and presumed gone forever for over 50 years until its unlikely discovery last year.

Against the odds, it had been found in the attic of a house in the rural British countryside. It sold for an “unprecedented” $2,857,000 months later, becoming one of the most expensive guitars sold at auction. Only four guitars, including Eddie Van Halen’s Hot for Teacher Kramer, David Gilmour’s Black Strat, and Kurt Cobain's Martin D-18E have fetched higher prices.

The sale also made it the most expensive Beatles guitar sold at auction, beating the $1.27m sale of George Harrison's peculiar Futurama guitar.

The Hootenanny acoustic was a hybrid concoction, pairing aspects of the German luthier's jazz guitars and concert models, with Lennon's model featuring a mahogany neck, a rosewood bridge and fingerboard, and a Trapeze tailpiece.

While Framus was unable to get its hands on Lennon's exact model, it did pull “an identical 12-string Hootenany” from the Framus Vintage Museum. With the help of old documents, the luthier has reconstructed the celebrated six- and 12-string models “to the exact specifications of the original,” with the blessing of the Lennon estate.

The new models, also available in six- and 12-string formats, mirror the Hootenany’s heritage with solid Sitka spruce tops, mahogany back, sides, and neck, and flat, 19 nickel silver fret rosewood fingerboards. They’ve been given an oil finish for added authenticity.

Like the legendary original, it features a nickel, height-adjustable trapeze tailpiece, with vintage-style, closed nickel machine heads aiding its retro chic.

Decorative elements include ivory and black binding, a black pickguard just like the one found on Lennon’s 12-string, and a decorative sound hole rosette made of individual pieces of wood.

Each model has a special Hootenany headstock 6st or 12st headstock.

“The ingenious blend of jazz and classical guitars gives this guitar an exceptional look and sound,” says Framus. “Warm and surprisingly loud. It's the sound you recognize when you hear You've Got To Hide Your Love Away.”

The 12-string models are priced at (€1.099, approx. $1,145), with the 6-string marginally cheaper at (€999, approx. $1,040). Both come with a special Hootenany hard case.

“This guitar happens to be one of the most important Beatles guitars and instruments ever to come to the auction block,” Julien’s Auction’s founder Darren Julien had said at the guitar’s unveiling last year. “It’s so important, so historic. We thought this guitar was gone – we thought it was lost forever.”

Adding to its mystique in the wake of its sale, David Goodman, the chief executive of Julien’s, told The Guardian UK: “We are absolutely thrilled and honored to have set a new [Beatles] world record with the sale of John Lennon’s lost Hootenanny guitar.

“This guitar is not only a piece of music history, but a symbol of John Lennon’s enduring legacy.”

The Framus Hootenanny reissue guitars are available now.

Visit Framus for more details.

The NAMM Show came back at its usual winter time and place this year with some of the major manufacturers such as Gibson, PRS and Fender that had been absent since the outset of the pandemic returning in at least in some fashion to Anaheim, California amid the tragic backdrop of the L.A. fires, which continue to wreak havoc on the City of Angels. Those traveling south on I-5 Wednesday — including the Santa Cruz Guitars crew and me — arrived just as a new fire popped up in the northern mountains, forcing folks to turn around at the “grapevine” and go the long way around.

But the show went off without a hitch and turned out to be well worth the trip, even as the same mountains were covered with snow on the way home! The following is a quick snapshot of what I found on the acoustic guitar front walking the show floor. Three trends seems to be taking shape or continuing onward: value-conscious efforts to curtail rising costs and the glut of guitars hanging on store walls as the great guitar boom of the pandemic era goes bust; more unique offerings to suit an evermore customized consumer base; and exciting developments in the ongoing acoustic-electronics arms race.

MARTIN GUITAR

Billy Strings Signatures and John Mayer-inspired Doubleneck

Martin had the most new acoustic goodness on display and it was too difficult to single one out, so here’s two, well, actually three. Martin and Americana golden boy Billy Strings have two new signature collaborations, the D-28 Billy Strings ($3,799 street) and the D-X2E Billy Strings ($899 street). The former is crafted in Nazareth, Pennsylvania from solid East Indian rosewood with a spruce top and while the latter is built in Mexico with high-pressure laminate Brazilian rosewood. Both feature a modified low oval neck profile that feels just right playing the kind of blazing bluegrass that Strings purveys in his singular improvisational fashion. The American one has a much fuller sound, as one would figure.

The Grand J-28E DN ($7,999 street) features a six-string neck and a 12-string neck on a single 14-fret Grand J body made with solid East Indian rosewood back and sides. According to product honcho Fred Greene, Martin made a doubleneck 6-and-12 about a decade ago that was gathering dust in a case on the shelf until John Mayer got wind of it and started using it on tour. Fans asked for one they could get their hands on one, and here we go. It took some getting used to playing with the different arm angles, but I could see having a ton of fun with this son of a gun! martinguitar.com

COLE CLARK

True Hybrid TL1

The True Hybrid experience becomes far more attainable with the brand new TL1 priced at $1,999 on the street. According to CEO Miles Jackson, “The pickups and the core design remain the same as on the TL2 ($3,599) and TL3 ($5,299 street), but the body of the TL1 is assembled in China rather than in our home base in Melbourne, Australia. That brings the cost down significantly to make the True Hybrid significantly more affordable in these trying economic times.”

The TL2 earned an Editors’ Pick Award in ’23 and a spot in GP’s Gear of the Year. The TL3 upped the ante in 2024 with improved magnetic pickups and dazzling aesthetics. The TL1 looks classically cool with its sunburst finish on a thinline grand auditorium made of Queensland maple back and sides and a bunya top. It’s loaded with Cole Clark’s PG3 acoustic pickup system plus a magnetic system in a humbucker/single/single configuration with dual outputs designed to feed an electric amp and an acoustic amp or P.A. The patent-pending magnetics are specifically balanced for optimal performance with phosphor bronze acoustic strings. The TL1 becomes available April 1. coleclarkguitars.com

Santa Cruz Guitars

Custom H Cutaway

Santa Cruz Guitars brought the custom shop to the masses, and they always bring something truly unique to the NAMM Show. The ultimate display of custom cool was a collaboration with Ventana Surfboards consisting of Burl 6’0” board and an H Cutaway guitar made of Hawaiian koa with a San Lorenzo River sinker redwood top and a headstock overlay of white oak taken from the Western Flyer—the boat John Steinbeck chartered into the Sea of Cortez! Both companies share a commitment to sustainability and they share resources for their handcrafted endeavors. Ventana routinely repurposes offcuts from the Santa Cruz shop in its surfboards. Avid surfer Andy Powers dropped by the Santa Cruz booth to see this pair for himself ($25,000 retail for the custom H Cutaway; $20,000 for surfboard; $48,500 for the one-of-a-kind set) while we were browsing the booth. The cutaway H body with a tone that belied its size was a joy to hold and play. SCGC also exhibited guitars paying tribute to the Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery and to the legacy of Frank Ford in collaboration with the shop he co-founded, Gryphon Stringed Instruments in Palo Alto, California. They all looked, played and sounded unique. Once again, Santa Cruz proved it can create an ultra-custom instrument incorporating practically anything a player can dream up that will resonate with rich overtones and stand the test of time as an heirloom piece. santacruzguitar.com ventanasurfboards.com

Taylor Guitars

Gold Label Collection

For the first act of its 51st year in business, Taylor introduces an entirely novel design. The Gold Label Collection is built to deliver the sound and style of an old soul while being equipped with modern conveniences such as the holistically in-tune quality we’ve come to appreciate in the era of current company captain Andy Powers. The body style is Taylor’s first-ever Super Grand Auditorium, which is slightly larger than their flagship and with different curves. The Gold Label Collection also marks the introduction of a new neck-height adjustment system to customize your setup. For anyone that’s ever appreciated the looks, playability, and plug-in-and-play ability of a Taylor yet yearned for a tone that’s a bit less bright on top and warmer in the mids with a bigger bottom end, the Gold Label Collection might make a Taylor player out of you. It begins with two 800 Series models, available in either Honduran rosewood or Hawaiian koa. Both feature Sitka spruce tops available either in either natural or sunburst finishes with street prices ranging from $4,499 for rosewood in natural to $4,999 for koa with sunburst. It’s easy to foresee the Gold Label concept catching on and being added to other series as well. Look for a full review of the Gold Label 814ce SB very shortly. taylorguitars.com

Fishman

Multi-Voice Acoustic Pickups: Jon Gomm Signature Series Powertap Earth Pro and Fluence Acoustic

It was only a matter of time until Fishman would bring its Fluence Multi-Voice magnetic pickups to the acoustic market, and that time is near. We got a taste on the Fender Highway Series, and these build on that tradition with the curved pickup fitting perfectly in the sound hole, up and out of the way by the end of the neck. Acoustic Fluence is still a fluid situation, so we’re not exactly sure what models are coming but one key common factor is the voice option. Voice 1 will be a Rare Earth humbucker on all models, while a little switch will select a model-specific second voice. I love the organic, Sunrise-style sound of Fishman’s Blackstack passive magnetic pickup, and was thrilled to find it on one of the many different display models that also included Matrix, P90 and Single Coil. Stay tuned to GP to see what gets released when.

In the meantime Fishman’s got multi-voice seekers covered in a big way with the new Jon Gomm Signature ($379.95 street). They teamed up with the modern percussive fingerstyle singer-songwriter to create a unique multi-faceted system consisting of a Rare Earth Mic Blend magnetic sound hole pickup and a Tap body sensor. Endpin jack-mounted preamp with optional second jack for multiple output options (stereo breakout adapter) included. fishman.com

Ibanez

Blackouts

Ibanez rolled out three new Blackout models, allowing players of all stripes to rock a badass acoustic rock look and sound without going broke. The AEG721BOT ($399 street) is a 7-stringer with a featuring a low B string sure to bring the bass. It features a Venetian cutaway, while the 6-string AEWC621BOT ($399) features a deeper and sharper Florentine-style cutaway. The Tele-shaped thinline TCY621BOT costs just under two-and-a half bills at $249 on the street. Pretty sleek stuff for not too much cash. ibanez.com

Breedlove

Myrtlewood Models

Nobody loves wood more than acoustic aficionados, and no other manufacturer does more good things with the versatility of myrtlewood than Breedlove. It’s native to the Pacific Northwest, and the pride of Bend, Oregon found a couple of particularly spectacular logs that they’ve dubbed the “Rain” and “Outrageous.” Breedlove has minted them into around 100 guitars of various shapes and sizes that are simply stunning to behold. They fall in the $4k to $5k price range. Find out all about them at breedlovemusic.com

Gibson

Murphy Lab Heavy Aged Collection

Gibson goes deep down down the relic rabbit hole with the Murphy Lab Heavy Aged Collection. Put your eyes, ears and hands on these beauties and it feels unbelievably similar to a vintage instrument, but one where everything works extra well. It’s not only a matter of the finish, as Gibson has painstakingly measured how and where players wear various areas of the fretboard. There’s a whole collection to choose from and probably more coming. I found two favorites: The very unique 1939 SJ-100 Heavy Aged ($8,999) featuring a thermally aged red spruce top and mahogany back and sides that delivered a wonderfully warm sound with beautiful bass; and the 1960 Hummingbird Heavy Aged ($7,699) in Washed Cherry Sunburst that felt light as feather with a lovely, lively tone. gibson.com

AEG-1 Acoustic-Electric

L.R. Baggs is celebrating its 50th Anniversary by doing something completely different—a guitar! Lloyd Baggs began his career building guitars, and now he’s built one a one-of-a-kind thinline around the big Baggs news at last year’s NAMM, the dual-element HiFi Duet pickup. The AEG-1 comes in three styles. All have Indian rosewood backs, with the primary distinction based on three different top materials: Torrefied Sitka Spruce, Natural Engelmann Spruce, and Sunburst Sitka Spruce. We got an advance of the AEG-1 Sunburst ($1,599 street) and gave it a full review. lrbaggs.com

Godin

“Opal Ocean” Multiac Nylon

The Limited Edition Ocean Burst and Opal Burst ($2,699 street) were designed for Opal Ocean, a Melbourne-based guitar duo comprised of Alex Champ and Nadav Tabak. Based on Godin’s Mundial model, upgrades include L.R. Baggs electronics, black tuners, and striking finishes. I plugged the Opal Burst into an Acus amp—a nice Italian line of amplifiers that Godin is now distributing in North America—and it sounded as beautiful as it appeared. godinguitars.com

Washburn

Deep Forest Burl

It’s always practical and fun to keep an eye out for the most affordable guitar that looks fantastic, plays well and sounds good. I walked over to lots of eye-catching new models for quick auditions. Washburn’s Deep Forest Burl ($249 street) with its comfortable grand auditorium cutaway body and fabulous Exotic Burl top wins the best value award from the floor of the 2025 NAMM Show. washburn.com

Kala

Light Tone Color-Changing Ukulele

A plastic soprano ukulele that lights up and changes color is just plain fun! Every little kid would love to have one. Big kids too. Only $59 on the street. kalabrand.com

Borghino Guitars

Shakti Deluxe ($41,600 street)

This deluxe recreation of John McLaughlin’s famous Shakti acoustic with its extra set of sympathetic strings was the highlight of the Boutique Builders section of the NAMM Show floor, which is always full of exotic excellence. The limited edition jumbo flattop created in conjunction with McLaughlin comes with a certificate of authenticity signed by the Shakti maestro and maker Mirko Borghino who was on site showcasing his incredible work of musical art. borghinoguitars.com

This is a story of the tail wagging the dog, leading to a brand-new beast.

For decades, Lloyd Baggs and company had one primary goal: to create pickups that faithfully re-create the true sound of an acoustic guitar via amplification. Many feel that they do this as well as anyone. It means everything to have companies such as Martin and Santa Cruz Guitars offer their instruments with Baggs electronics.

Still, it’s understandable that after chasing such an elusive rabbit down its proverbial hole, Baggs, originally a luthier who built guitars for Jackson Browne and Ry Cooder, would eventually come to this revelation: “What if I started with the pickup and built the guitar around it?”

That’s the story of the Baggs AEG-1 Acoustic Electric Guitar, and it starts with the new HiFi Duet.

Like everything about this instrument, the pickup is unlike almost anything else. Rather than a typical piezo undersaddle transducer, the HiFi Duet features two bridge-plate sensors affixed to the underside of the bridge plate. They’re designed to deliver string vibration and body resonance without the dreaded “quack” inherent to most piezo pickups. That’s the HiFi part.

The second element in the Duet is a Baggs Silo microphone customized for the voice of the AEG-1. It’s engineered to perform as if it were outside the guitar, providing ambience with isolation and feedback resistance. Both feed into a single summed output. Controls include flywheels for volume, tone and mic/blend, plus a phase button, all integrated into the upper bout.

The AEG-1 comes in three styles. All have Indian rosewood backs, with the primary distinction based on three different top materials: Torrefied Sitka Spruce, Natural Engelmann Spruce, and Sunburst Sitka Spruce. I picked Sunburst, which appeared far more interesting and sophisticated. Apart from the Sunburst’s dusky appearance, the overall design aesthetic of the three is similar. Notable details include a heavily contoured dreadnought-ish cutaway body with a belly-button-like sound hole that’s filled in and surrounded by a ring that takes on the role of a rosette. A uniquely contoured headstock caps it off nicely. To my eyes, the natural-finish models appeared a bit plain Jane, but the Sunburst is as handsome in person as it appeared online.

My began my test of the AEG-1 by strumming it acoustically, right out of the box. The first thing that caught my attention was how “real” the neck feels. Bound with a cream-colored binding, it does not feel at all like some wimpy counterpart to a thinline body. Upon further investigation, I came to realize why Baggs had to re-imagine the whole concept of a thinlne body. Otherwise, there’s no way it would support such a hearty neck that feels as if it might have been plucked off a Martin. More on that in a minute.

The immediate point is fabulous playability all around, up and down. Everything from strumming cowboy chords with a pick to plucking fingerstyle licks felt fine on this unusual instrument. I even tuned down to D modal, which means the strings are significantly slackened, yet they remained plenty snappy on the AEG-1 with its notably long scale length of 25 5/8 inches. And while it’s not going to outgun a traditional acoustic in a campfire setting, the top vibrates so vigorously that you can feel it resonating against your body.

Baggs achieves this whole anomaly via another key component of the AEG-1’s unicorn thinline design. The sides and interior frame are made of composite poplar, which is essentially a fancy plywood. Yep, plywood! We’ll let Lloyd Baggs explain.

“I love the iconic midcentury plywood furniture of Charles and Ray Eames, and that of Eero Saarinen," he says. "Recognizing the strength and the beauty offered by what was then thought of as a lowly material, these designers elevated ply to luxury status. The ply of the AEG-1 is custom made in the U.S.A. of highly sustainable poplar and offers the same qualities that inspired the Eames’ and Saarinen to embrace this material. It is strong, lightweight and extremely stable, making it the perfect platform to support the resonant top and back of our guitar.”

That all starts to make more sense when you see an inside photo of the body. There are three distinct chambers, and a whole lot of structural support for the bolt-on neck. According to Baggs, instead of the extra neck support coming from overbuilding the top and back to compensate, the AEG‘s patent-pending neck support system frees the top and the back to be voiced independently for greater dynamic response. All I know is that you can truly feel it acoustically, and when amplified, the AEG-1 packs a significantly powerful punch. Simply strum a chord and — bam! That’s the sonic hallmark here. Mike Tyson could have used such a wallop in his recent debacle against Jake Paul."

I put the AEG-1 through paces in several different arenas, mainly playing through a Baggs Synapse Personal P.A. On a solo gig in a noisy brewery, I truly appreciated that powerful punchiness. This room had high ceilings and bad acoustics, which the AEG-1 did a solid job of penetrating. But what’s especially intriguing is how that punch is noticeably not piezo powered, so there's no quack in the attack. It’s more of a sweeping punchiness. There’s a gang of inherent low end on this boomer, so in that room I cut it back a bit, boosted the treble and included only about one quarter of the mic signal. I did encounter some feedback, but a quick push of the phase button eliminated it on the spot.

On a much quieter gig outdoors, in a lush winery patio setting, I was able to appreciate the subtle nuances the AEG-1 delivered during fingerpicking passages on intricate instrumentals. In both instances, I was running through a Fender Tone Master Pro processor, and I wound up creating a custom patch with very little processing for the AEG-1, simply because doesn’t need much. It’s as if the system has built-in compression to yield a tone that has the balls of an electric. At the same time, it sounds more like a “real” acoustic when amplified compared to other true acoustics with pickup systems installed. I suppose that’s the whole point. Baggs has done a ton of the legwork for you.

My only wish was to be able to add a third element, a magnetic pickup running on separate signal path, as I explain in this column. My main live instrument, a Martin CS-SC-2022, is customized to have a Baggs HiFi feeding body resonance into one output while a Baggs M1 passive magnetic set in the sound hole focuses on string tones. The filled-in sound hole on the AEG-1 makes putting a pickup in there impossible. (Hey Baggs, maybe include that on the next model, the AEG-2?)

The current slogan of “relentless innovation in acoustic amplification” is a succinct and accurate description of the modern era at L.R. Baggs. Feeling like they’d mastered the basic piezo pickup problem to the utmost in the form of the Element and in a dual system including a Tru Mic with the Anthem, they moved on to more advanced pickup technologies, such as the body-sensor transducers at the heart of the HIFi. The original earned an Editors’ Pick last year, and we’ll check out the Duet with its new Silo microphone that they sent along to put in a traditional acoustic for its own review soon.

It’s also worth remembering that 2021’s Voiceprint Acoustic D.I. was a breakthrough, harnessing the power of iOS for an incredibly customizable DI signal by utilizing Impulse Resonance mapping. So not only is the AEG-1 a first for Baggs in the guitar realm, but it’s also intriguing to track how the company applies its other breakthroughs in reverse, with the guitar built around them.

The name implies more models are to come, and I’m curious to see what Baggs comes up with next. I won’t bother with speculation, but the AEG-1 sure provides a solid platform for further innovation. Early reaction to the AEG-1 appears enthusiastic — Molly Tuttle has been using it regularly onstage, finding it particularly appropriate for her clawhammer technique — and it stands to reason that we’ll be seeing an AEG-2, then an AEG-3 and so on. Perhaps that will mean integration of other pickups and even some version of Voiceprint. Time will tell. For now, we can savor another excellent result from Baggs in the form of the AEG-1 Acoustic Electric Guitar.

SPECIFICATIONS

AEG-1 Sunburst

CONTACT lrbaggs.com

PRICE $1,599 with gig bag

NUT WIDTH 1.7", composite

NECK African mahogany, bolt-on

FRETBOARD Indian rosewood, 25.625" scale

FRETS 20

TUNERS Closed back

BODY Indian rosewood (back), Sitka spruce (top), composite poplar (side frame)

BRIDGE Indian rosewood with composite saddle

ELECTRONICS Custom Baggs HiFi Duet with HiFi pickups and Silo microphone

CONTROLS Volume, Mic Blend, Tone, phase button

POWER 9-volt battery

FACTORY STRINGS D’Addario XT Phosphor Bronze Light gauges .012 - 053

WEIGHT 6 lbs (as tested)

BUILT Designed in USA, crafted in Korea

KUDOS Hearty and punchy amplified tone from shapely, comfortable body with great playability

CONCERNS Would be great if an open sound hole could support a magnetic pickup as well

It’s been a long time coming. Five years ago, Martin invited GP to its headquarters in Nazareth, PA., for a sneak peep at the prototype for a revolutionary new concept. We’d never seen anything like the SC project, spearheaded by VP Fred Greene and lead designer Tim Teal. Featuring an asymmetrical “S” body shape and a cavernous cutaway with crazy upper-fret access courtesy of a patented new Sure Align linear dovetail neck joint at the 13th fret, the SC would come to redefine the state of the historic manufacturer’s acoustic-electric design.

While we were all immediately impressed handling the original SC-13E, especially considering it was priced in the affordable Road Series, one couldn’t help but dream about a Cadillac version. After my test drive I commented that if such a finicky acoustic aficionado as myself were to seriously consider replacing another go-to instrument in the arsenal, especially another Martin, it would most likely have to come from the same Nazareth factory made from all solid woods with top tier electronics. At long last, here we go.

Practical reasons dictated the timeline for getting a green light on the SC-18E and SC-28E. First, the public had to buy in to the original SC’s odd shape and low-profile velocity neck. Martin made it in the Mexican facility to meet a price point for the masses. Players eagerly embraced the S, leading to a whole range in the Road Series. (See my review of the fanciest, SC-13E Special Burst.)

Before committing to an American production model, Martin produced a very limited custom shop run of 300 in 2022. Skipping past the Cadillac and shooting straight for a Bentley, the lavish SC-2022-CS quickly sold out and became a collector’s item. That lit the green light for bringing SC machinery stateside, and we got a first glimpse of the SC-28E and SC-18E at the 2024 NAMM Show. Fully floored, we asked for review models, and now they have finally arrived.

These new SCs belong to the Standard Series in Martin’s most familiar styles, 18 and 28. The 18 equals solid mahogany back and sides with rather workman like appointments, while the 28 is made of solid rosewood back and sides with slightly fancier appointments. For example, the rosette on the 28 has more rings and there are a few more dots inlayed on the fretboard in mother of pearl, which is a bit more pronounced compared to the abalone on the 18. The white plastic top binding and bridge pins on the 28 are most distinctly different from the black binding on the 18. And the 28 has a groovy stipe down its back. Ultimately we’re talking classic Martin aesthetics, rather Spartan but classy cool in a traditional sense, which is particularly intriguing on such a non-traditional body shape. Both feature solid Sitka spruce tops and either Fishman Aura VT Blend or L.R. Baggs Anthem electronics, as tested here. The 18 costs about 500 bucks less.

Having 13 frets to any body is unique, but the SC is a true unicorn. Martin invented its linear dovetail neck joint so there’s nothing hindering your fretting hand from getting a vice grip to fully access the upper fretboard with no semblance of the classic “15th fret hump” that acts as a speed bump on most acoustics. And the shape of the neck is equally innovative. While the neck may be on the thin side overall for traditional Martin enthusiasts, as a buddy pointed out to me when he played the SC-28, I appreciate the low profile, and how it morphs as you navigate from the nut to the top. Its helical design facilitates a full feel in open position, balance for barre chords in the middle range, and a natural path for the thumb to traverse gravitating towards the treble side as one passes into cutaway territory and enters the fretboard equivalent of the penthouse suite where no notes are off limits. Anything and everything is possible in the penthouse suite!

The SC-28 is exactly what I’d hoped it would be. It’s got that wooly, chunky rosewood tone that also has a nice top presence. If you’re looking to make the biggest sound possible from a rather shallow body with a deep cutaway, this is the way. If you’re a singer songwriter looking for that full Martin sound but from an instrument that’s far easier to play than anything Martin has previously produced, this is the way as well. For just about anything from stretch chords to sweep licks, acoustic rock to jazz, the SC-28 is incredibly accommodating.

The SC-18 exceeded my expectations. Most aficionados have some preference between rosewood and mahogany, style 28 or style 18. I’m generally in camp 28. I wasn’t even going to ask for the 18 figuring it’s essentially similar with a slightly thinner sound, and for a guitar that’s already on the thin side physically…. I figured wrong. The SC-18E does have less chunk in the trunk, but man, it’s wonderfully resonate and spritely. I tend to prefer it for intense fingerstyle instrumentals, as it seems to have a quicker response. The satin finish on the neck felt super smooth on this review unit.

Both have that elusive Martin sound, even if it’s in a more contemporary context. And despite the being a sleek design, these Standards are no wussies—in fact they’re robust. My fingerstyle can get rather aggressive, and most guitars arriving with a factory setup simply can’t handle it. They’re too easy to play and splat out when I dig in. Not so with these Standard Series SCs. I was able to wail away all over the neck without worry, utilizing every iota of the fretboard. These are the first Martins I’ve reviewed with their new Luxe Kovar strings, which felt nice and snappy, silky smooth and strong. Martin also claims the new string design incorporates less tension, so perhaps that contributed to the way the guitars seemed to eat up whatever I threw at them.

Standard Series SCs come equipped with either L.R. Baggs Anthem or Fishman Aura VT Blend electronics, and our review units had the former. I’m glad they did because, well, I agree with what one of the cats who works the end of the production line at the Nazareth factory once told me. He believed that the Fishman cut through a band application well, which the beefier sound of the Baggs was better for solo or duo stuff when they guitar has more space in the mix. I took these out on a duo gig in Half Moon Bay at the Ritz Carlton, and the Anthem systems delivered lots of luxurious tones through an AER Tommy Emmanuel amp and a Bose P.A.

Onstage and studio experiences will always let you know exactly where you stand, both as a player and as commander in chief of your gear. How well you play and how well you sound are intricately linked. Find yourself in a particularly meaningful situation, be it an important gig or the white-hot pressure of playing to a click track when the studio light turns red, and there’s pretty much nothing that you wouldn’t do to play and sound just a bit better. All those licks you practiced in your bedroom become trickier standing up with the guitar’s body hanging on your own. Ditto for when the recorder starts rolling and the producer is hawking you through the studio glass. All those tones you had dialed perfectly in said bedroom become suddenly elusive amidst the mayhem of the band, the P.A., and the venue. Or the impossible quiet sitting in an isolation booth. These are the moments when having a Standard Serie SC feels like a lifeline. Suddenly, paying the extra money for an American-made instrument constructed from solid woods and featuring top-tier electronics feels worth every penny. This is the difference between being good enough and as professional as possible.

Having tried these new SCs as well as their predecessors in all these environments, this conclusion is drawn from a wealth of experience. If you’re truly serious about playing and sounding your best, in all circumstances but especially in the live arena, audition a Martin SC from the Standard Series. I’ll bet that if you’ve been considering an SC and there’s any way you can manage the payments, you’ll go for an SC-18E or SC-28E. For being simply the best performance acoustics that have come to this Frets acoustic editor’s attention in nearly a decade on the gig, Now I can’t wait to see a slightly fancier SC in the Modern Deluxe Series. Your move, Martin.

As a special treat, here are two videos demonstrating the powers of the Martin SC-18E and SC-28E. Guitar Player Frets editor Jimmy Leslie and Jules Leyhe — who both perform in the Allman Brothers tribute group the Allmond Brothers — play the ABB classic "Little Martha" and their original tune "Gratitude Raga" on Martin SC Standards.

SPECIFICATIONS

SC-18E

CONTACT martinguitar.com

PRICE $3,599 street with hardshell case

NUT WIDTH 1.75", bone

NECK Select hardwood, Sure Align linear dovetail neck joint

FRETBOARD Ebony, 25.4" scale

FRETS 20

TUNERS Nickel open gear with butterbean knobs

BODY Solid mahogany back & sides, solid Sitka spruce top

BRIDGE Ebony with compensated bone saddle

ELECTRONICS L.R.Baggs Anthem (as tested) or Fishman Aura VT Blend

FACTORY STRINGS Luxe by Martin Kovar Light nickel-cobalt .011—.052

WEIGHT 4.3 lbs (as tested)

BUILT USA

KUDOS Resonant, responsive acoustic and amplified tones from shapely sexy body with uber playability

CONCERNS Low profile velocity neck may feel a bit thin to traditional Martin players. Not available lefty

SC-28E

CONTACT martinguitar.com

PRICE $3,999 with hardshell case

NUT WIDTH 1.75", bone

NECK Select hardwood, Sure Align linear dovetail neck joint

FRETBOARD Ebony, 25.4" scale

FRETS 20

TUNERS Nickel open gear with butterbean knobs

BODY Solid East Indian rosewood back & sides, solid Sitka spruce top

BRIDGE Ebony with compensated bone saddle

ELECTRONICS L.R.Baggs Anthem (as tested) or Fishman Aura VT Blend

FACTORY STRINGS Luxe by Martin Kovar Light nickel-cobalt .011—.052

WEIGHT 4.4 lbs (as tested)

BUILT USA

KUDOS Hearty acoustic and amplified tone from shapely sexy body with uber playability

CONCERNS Low profile velocity neck may feel a bit thin to traditional Martin players. Not available lefty

In a great surprise to the guitar world, Genesis guitarist Mike Rutherford has revealed he secretly recorded several songs with Eddie Van Halen while the late virtuoso was at the height of his powers.

The news comes after former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony said Eddie’s son, Wolfgang, is sitting on a vast archive of demos, explaining, “We recorded every idea we had”.

Earlier this year, Alex Van Halen released the final song he worked on with his brother, before his passing in 2020. That's been the only posthumous EVH release to date, but Rutherford’s disclosure means there are more Ed recordings out there than anyone previously knew.

Explaining his work with the virtuoso, Rutherford told My Planet Rocks that it wasn’t his guitar playing that caught Eddie’s attention.

“I think Eddie heard a song from my second solo album [1982’s Acting Very Strange], which I sang," Rutherford explains. "He rang me up and said, ‘Will you do some writing?’ I mean, my voice, for god’s sake!”

The pair met in Los Angeles, but Rutherford struggled to acclimate to Eddie’s nocturnal writing process.

“I get to LA, I bring some gear with me, and go into his studio,” Rutherford recalls. “And he says, ‘Hey Mike, come over about 1.30.’ And I thought, ‘Well, that’s going to work for me, a little lunch.’”

Eddie promptly clarified that he meant a.m., not p.m.

“He starts at nighttime,” Rutherford continues, “and works through the night. I just couldn’t really do that.”

Not one to complain, Rutherford took Eddie up on his offer. The result? “We had some sessions. We wrote some songs. Bits,” he reveals.

Yet, remarkably, Rutherford is in no hurry to locate the tape from those sessions. "I’ve got two boxes of cassettes," he says. "I’m not sure I’m mad enough to go through them!”

“I mean, he was a great player,” he continues. “We had a good time, but starting at 1.30 in the morning is not my mode.”

Rutherford is currently prepping for a UK tour with Mike + The Mechanics. He says that in his work both with that band and Genesis late-night sessions rarely yielded solid results. “You would turn up the next day and go ‘What was all that about?’" he says.

Rutherford is, of course, not the only artist with whom Ed attempted to create new work. Alex Van Halen, who wants to wants to make AI-aided EVH solos a possibility, revealed earlier this year that the Van Halen brothers had tried to start a project with Chris Cornell and that an Ozzy-fronted Van Halen would have happened, were it not for one specific pitfall.

The Black Friday guitar deals are in full swing, and one of our favorite offers makes a return. Taylor’s Get One, Gift One promotion is back, offering a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the holiday season with not just one but two incredible guitars. Running until January 6th and available at participating retailers, the offer lets you purchase a qualifying 300 or 400 Series model and choose a second guitar at an unbeatable discount. Pick up a Baby Taylor for just $99, a GS Mini for $199, or an Academy model starting at $299 - perfect as a gift for a fellow guitarist or an addition to your own collection.

This year’s promotion has a treat for a wide variety of players. Whether you are seeking a compact Baby Taylor for those work trips or holidays, a versatile Academy nylon-string model to explore new sounds, or the iconic GS Mini to surprise a loved one, the value is undeniable. To put it in perspective, this deal offers over $350 in savings on a Baby Taylor and over $400 off Academy models - savings you’d struggle to find anywhere else, even on the second-hand market. 

When it comes to qualifying guitars, the 300 and 400 Series feature some of Taylor’s finest offerings. A standout model and personal favorite is the Taylor 414ce-R, which perfectly showcases the signature qualities of the Grand Auditorium body. Its resonant tone is enhanced by the classic pairing of a spruce top with rosewood back and sides. Add in Taylor’s renowned ES2 pickup system, and you’ve got an instrument that effortlessly delivers its rich acoustic character through a PA - ideal for gigging musicians. However, if you don’t fancy taking the 414ce-R to your local open mic, add an Academy 10e to the shopping cart, and it will only cost you $299 during this promotion. 

The Builder’s Edition lineup also has qualifying models, like the 324ce. As the flagship of Taylor’s eco-conscious Urban Wood Initiative, this guitar highlights Taylor’s innovative approach to sustainability by sourcing wood from urban trees in California. Despite this unconventional material sourcing, we found the 324ce delivers everything you’d expect from a Taylor: a rich, resonant tone, exceptional playability, and meticulous craftsmanship, down to the smooth, flawless edges that make it a joy to play. 

On the other hand, if you are looking to join Taylor’s 50th Anniversary celebrations, commemorative models are also included in the promotion. The 50th Anniversary 312ce is an excellent choice for something unique. Its special edition torrefied spruce top enhances resonance and dynamic range, delivering a bold, cannon-like projection. For a more relaxed option at home, the Academy 12e-N - perfect for warm, mellow nylon-string tones on the couch - comes with a $400 discount when purchasing the 312ce, making it a fantastic addition to your collection.

It’s been six years since Andy Powers introduced V-Class bracing on Taylor 12-strings, and 50 years since founders Bob Taylor and Kurt Listug introduced the world to a revolutionary new brand that’s gone on to become an acoustic icon. Taylor began releasing commemorative limited editions at a rate of one model per month starting in January and will continue to throughout 2024. As an homage to its founding year, no more than 1,974 guitars for each model will be made available worldwide.

When GP got a preview of the collection representing the diversity of Taylor’s contemporary range, I immediately set my sights on this month’s 858e LTD. It’s a beautiful big-bodied acoustic 12-string that’s more attainable than some of the other anniversary editions, while being unique and collectible. Equipped with ES2 electronics and shipped in a ruggedly lovely Western Floral deluxe hardshell case, it’s designed to go on the road, not simply hang on the wall.

All of Taylor’s Golden Anniversary acoustic guitars share a common design theme and signature appointments, including a commemorative label with a “50 Years” ribbon-head design inside, ebony bridge pins with gold acrylic dots, and gold tuning machines and buttons. They look extra awesome on a 12-string headstock, while the green abalone rosette and mother-of-pearl Progressive Diamond inlays add elegance. The exquisite Indian rosewood selected for the back and sides is dusky and handsome, punctuated by its contrast with the bright white binding on the body and neck heel cap. The seams on the three-piece headstock-neck-heel design are barely noticeable. I couldn’t find a blemish anywhere.

Andy Powers found a nice niche for Taylor’s contemporary 12-strings by making many models much smaller than the traditional jumbo of yore, which is most closely associated with Leo Kottke and his classic signature Taylor. By putting 12 strings on a Grand Concert with 12 frets to the neck, Powers created a more manageable and playable guitar that delivers the signature chime associated with the instrument, along with more boom than one might presume possible. Great as those Concerts are, there’s something magical about the resonance of a bodacious, full-scale 12-string with 14 frets to the body, which facilitates greater playability up the neck, even without a cutaway. I couldn’t wait to play the 858e, but I did, due to the release schedule. It turned out to be worth the wait.

Playing a 12-string guitar can be literally twice as fun as a typical six-string, and that was the feeling I got right out of the case with the 858. Playability is great, and my fingers knowingly launched into “Hotel California,” “Over the Hills and Far Away” and “Wish You Were Here.” Your musical ear innately recognizes that’s how those tunes are truly supposed to sound. One definite advantage of V-Class bracing is how it lends to an instrument sounding holistically in tune with itself, and that’s particularly true on the 12-string. I was able to get locked in and rip away on all my favorite classic 12-string things without having to retune much, and that makes all the difference! You want to keep playing this 12-string, not just pick it up and pluck a bit until it falls flat.

Of course, a bigger body is inherently a bit more to manage. The Grand Orchestra is Taylor’s biggest and deepest body style. It’s a modern jumbo, which my body surely is not, but I still found this guitar quite comfortable to play, even standing up.

I didn’t have any problems with string breakage, but it’s noteworthy that Taylor uses a clever double-mounted string anchoring system. Having one bridge pin anchor each pair of strings simplifies string management. Taylor has been making some 12-strings with the higher octave strings positioned beneath the main strings for a more bass-forward sound, instead of the traditional way, with the high octaves above, so they get hit first with the downward stroke of a pick. This is not one of those. The 858e LTD is configured in traditional fashion and hence has the traditional chime.

The 858e LTD is designed to deliver a voice that Taylor refers to as a “wall of sound.” While the volume isn’t quite as powerful as I expected from its jumbo body, the tone sure is expansive, especially in open tunings. I miked it up with a Universal Audio Sphere DLX modeling microphone and lined it in through a UA Max preamp/compressor to record a new tune, and the 858e indeed added a bit of that expanse associated with Phil Spector’s famous “wall of sound” production style from the ’60s. It’s tempting to add the 858e LTD to everything, even recordings you thought might be finished.

The 858e LTD is a modern take on a classic Taylor tone. Rosewood and spruce is a tried-and-true wood combination, and if this were a Grand Auditorium it would essentially be a 12-string version of Taylor’s most recognizable sound. Since it’s a Grand Orchestra, the tone is that, plus a bit of what they’d call lagniappe in the south, meaning a little extra. And with those 12 steel strings ringing out on top, it’s nice to have a bit more body underneath.

This Grand Orchestra shines with the tuning lowered a step or so, à la classic Kottke. Then you get a bit more of the depth and remarkable sustain, along with easier playability. You’d think it might sound boomy, but to my ears it’s more on the brushy side. There’s a silky, sweeping quality to the feel and sound, with a lively dynamic response, surprisingly sensitive to even a feather-like touch. Its high-fidelity tone and feel are light years ahead of a lot of the wonky honky-tonkers in the vintage section of the old mom-and-pop guitar shop. The 858e LTD features Taylor’s ES2 electronics and the sound is well balanced through a hi-fi acoustic amplification system.

Anyone who’s after classic 12-string tone — but with the advantages of contemporary technology lending to fabulous playability and functionality — should audition the gorgeous, giggable and collectible Taylor 50th Anniversary 858e LTD Grand Orchestra. All things considered, the street price seems reasonable, and the bottom line is an Editors’ Pick Award.

SPECIFICATIONS

CONTACT taylorguitars.com

PRICE $3,999 street, with Western Floral deluxe case

NUT 1.875” wide, Tusq

NECK Neo-Tropical mahogany, bolt-on

FRETBOARD West African ebony,
25.5” scale

FRETS 20

TUNERS Taylor gold

BODY Solid Indian rosewood back and sides, solid Sitka spruce top

BRIDGE Ebony, Micarta saddle

ELECTRONICS Taylor Expression
System 2

CONTROLS Volume, bass, treble

FACTORY STRINGS D’Addario XS Coated Phosphor Bromne Light, .010–.047 and .010–.027 (unison/octaves)

WEIGHT 5.6 lbs (as tested)

BUILT USA

KUDOS Quality craftsmanship, impressively in-tune, great playability, articulate acoustic and amplified tone

CONCERNS Volume rather soft for a jumbo, but overall sound is sweeping
and dynamically sensitive

Every acoustic aficionado needs a 12-string. There’s a magic in coursed string pairs and a distinctive power that Pete Seeger described as “the clanging of the bells.” But it's important to know what you're getting before you buy one.

While reviewing the Taylor 858e LTD 50th Anniversary Grand Orchestra for Guitar Player, I pondered all things 12-string as I don’t currently have one in my collection. I hope these considerations help you as you size up your own 12-string situation.

BE AWARE AS YOU BROWSE

The cost of doing business with 12-strings is greater neck tension, and there are all sorts of ways to deal with that. On a recent visit to Real Guitars in San Francisco, shopkeeper Ben Levin told me sellers usually lower the tuning on 12-strings when putting them out for display. It keeps tension down and makes them easier to play. Keep that in mind if you bring a guitar home, tune it to standard pitch and wonder what happened to the action.

REMEDIES & RENOVATIONS

Twelve-string guitars also tend to have trouble staying in tune at any pitch, so avoid a guitar with wonky tuners, or upgrade to a high-ratio set from a trusted brand such as Gotoh, Waverly or Schaller. The same goes for the guitar’s bridge and saddle.

String breakage is another 12-string woe, as is the bridge pulling away from the top due to extra string tension, especially on vintage guitars. Make sure the bridge is secure and the saddle is in good shape. Heavier strings break less often but add stress. One solution is to detune them like early 12-string players Blind Willie McTell and Lead Belly, who would lower their tunings by as much as two-and-a-half steps.

12-FRET RUMINATIONS

The number of frets to the body is also key to a 12-string’s performance. Many instruments of yore had 12 frets to the (typically jumbo) body, making them more manageable while decreasing tension. This also creates punchiness
in the middle range that makes notes sing and chords project. Unless you’re planning to play high up the neck, it’s worth checking out a 12-fret model.

INTERESTING OPTIONS

Taylor offers 12-fret 12-string acoustic guitars built on a small Grand Concert body, which is perfect if your primary interest is top-end sparkle. You’ll get that in spades on a very manageable and playable instrument. On the other end of the spectrum, Guild makes the BT-258E, an eight-string baritone jumbo with an extra-long scale length of 27 inches, which is designed to be tuned down to B standard. It has coursed pairs on the third and fourth strings, a configuration based on the concept that the chorusing action integral to the 12-string’s sound comes largely from the middle strings. The result is plenty of boom with just enough jangle.

For that matter, Roger McGuinn has an octave pair on just the third slot of his signature Martin HD-7 dreadnought. He demonstrated it to me at a NAMM show, proving that most of his signature Byrds licks get their chime there. If you desire full jangle focused on the middle range, Gibson’s J-45 Standard 12-string is a fine soft-shouldered dread with a slightly shorter scale.

If you’re looking for the complete 12-string experience, with copious chime and body on a full-scale instrument built for playing in a variety of tunings and neck positions, a 14-fret jumbo or dreadnought is your best bet. To play freely way up in 12th position, a jumbo cutaway like the classic Taylor Leo Kottke Signature does the trick. It’s discontinued but can be found used rather readily. A newfangled option is the Klos 12-String Grand Cutaway. It’s made of tension-resistant carbon fiber, which is not temperature or humidity sensitive, so it stays in tune better during severe climate changes.

Whichever take on the 12 one wields, it brings something special to the party. I hadn’t played one in many moons, and now that I have, it’s like rediscovering it. And what a magical instrument it is.

In late spring of 1970, Jimmy Page did a rare thing. He performed on solo acoustic guitar, without the other members of Led Zeppelin, on the BBC’s Julie Felix Show.

Felix, an American folksinger from California, was nevertheless so popular in Britain at the time that she was dubbed “Britain’s First Lady of Folk.” Page, whose affection for folk music ran deep — in particular for fingerstyle guitar greats like Davey Graham, Bert Jansch, and Doc Watson — performed a semi-improvisational medley combining his “White Summer” and “Black Mountain Side.” Both tunes, like the later Zeppelin epic "Kashmir," are played in the evocative DADGAD modal tuning, popularized by Graham.

Page’s guitar of choice for the Felix performance was a 1964 Gibson J-200, with the classic “Flowers & Vines” splayed pickguard, a Sitka Spruce top, and flamed maple back and sides, belonging to noted British pop producer Mickie Most. Page had first borrowed the guitar from Most in September 1968 for the Olympic Studios recordings of “Babe, I’m Gonna Leave You,” “Your Time Is Gonna Come,” and “Black Mountain Side.”

Now that guitar has provided the inspiration for two new models created by Gibson in partnership with Page: the Jimmy Page 1964 SJ-200 and 1964 SJ-200 Collector’s Edition from Gibson Custom. Only 50 of the 1964 SJ-200 Collector’s Edition and 100 of the Jimmy Page 1964 SJ-200 will be available worldwide in this extraordinary limited run via authorized Gibson dealers and online at Gibson.com.

“Mickie’s J-200 was a dream to play,” Page recalls fondly in Jimmy Page: The Anthology, “and it was a beautiful guitar. I remembered it had such a wonderful recording sound.” Put on Zep I’s “Babe, I’m Gonna Leave You,” and listen carefully to Jimmy’s subtle dynamic shifts within that descending A minor–based rhythm pattern, and the gorgeous flamenco-inspired lead figures from 4:52–5:25, and you’ll hear it: a sound that is at once feathery and bold, jangly and structured, resonant and chimey.

Unfortunately, the guitar was stolen and its whereabouts remain a mystery, according to Led Zeppelin News. As a result, Gibson says it developed the Jimmy Page 1964 SJ-200 models in close collaboration with, and with significant input from, Page to ensure it met "his exacting standards and recollection."

Robi Johns, the Gibson Senior Product Development Manager in Bozeman, Montana heading the team behind the new models, provided Guitar Player with details on the Page signature models. Johns explains that while all J-200s feature a distinctive “Moustache-style” bridge plate, the Page/Most J-200 boasted a Les Paul-style Tune-o-matic bridge with nylon bridge saddles — not atypical for a 1960s ABR — which add a pleasing, almost papery, sitar-like timbre to the notes.

“Those nylon saddles give the guitar a very balanced sound, but it’s also jangly in a nice musical way.” (Gibson also includes an additional brass Tune-o-matic bridge with every Page SJ-200, as Page evidently enjoyed experimenting with those during the development process.)

The new models feature a subtly curved or “domed” top, a Cherry Tea nitrocellulose lacquer finish, highly flamed AAA maple back and sides and an AAA Sitka spruce top, as well as a highly-flamed three-piece maple neck with a rosewood fretboard. Gibson describes the neck shape as "round profile" and has sculpted it based on Page's memory of the original and a similar model from 1965 that resides in the guitarist's collection.

In addition, the models feature increased depth around the neck joint and mother-of-pearl graduated crown fretboard inlays. Appointments include TUSQ bridge pins, gold hardware finish, Kluson Waffleback with Keystone button tuners, the Murphy Lab’s Custom Light Aged treatment and mother-of-pearl Graduated Crown inlays.

Each Collector’s Edition guitar is signed by Page on the back of the headstock, and was personally played by Page himself in early September at Nashville’s storied RCA Studio B, the legendary recording home of the great Chet Atkins — one of Page’s formative influences — currently under the able helm of producer Dave Cobb (Brandi Carlile and Rival Sons). (Other than the signed headstock and being Page-played, the non-“Collectors” models are identical instruments, and each features an individually signed sound-hole label.)

Page was clearly pleased with the results, starting with the prototype he received. “When I took it out, I thought, ‘Wow, they've got it straightaway,'" he says. "I could see all the flame coming out on the side of it, I went, 'Oh my goodness gracious, it’s just so beautiful.' It was so authentic, and yet it was so new at the same time.”

When it came time to view the finished models, Page had to play every one.

“We weren’t quite sure if maybe he’d just a play a few chords on each one,” Johns says, “but not only did he play each of them for three or four minutes, he even suggested that some of them be put in alternate tunings, so he’d be surprised with each SJ-200 that he played. That’s pretty cool.”

The two models are priced at $12,999 for the 1964 SJ-200 and $19,999 for the 1964 SJ-200 Collector’s Edition. For more information, visit Gibson.

The Hawaiian music craze of the 1920s and early '30s was a pivotal era that helped shape the modern steel-string acoustic guitar.

Now Martin Guitar pays tribute to that time with the O’ahu HG-28, the guitar maker's newest acoustic. It joins the Custom K-1 Major Kealakai in the new Martin O’ahu family of instruments.

At the heart of the O’ahu HG-28's design is a new approachable body size Martin describes as "a smaller 14-fret sloped-shoulder Dreadnought with the depth of a 000.” Keeping its tonewoods close to home, the HG-28 marries solid flamed Hawaiian koa back and sides to a solid spruce top.

Martin, which teamed up with apparel firm Life is Good for a special edition version of its LX1 model last month, ensures the tonewood combination extends beyond aesthetics by delivering “a balanced tone with articulate highs and warm lows.”

Reminiscent of Martin’s early Hawaiian-style guitars, the spruce top is framed with a herringbone inlay and Antique White binding,. The guitar's construction is rounded out with a short-scale 24.9-inch neck with a low oval neck profile and an ebony fingerboard and bridge. Martin says it all adds up to easy-to-play low action, resulting in an instrument that is equally at home in standard tuning and the Hawaiian-favored open G.

Other visual appointments include a tortoise pattern pickguard and a gold O'hau Martin logo that sits atop its headstock.

“This guitar is not just a tribute to the past,” the guitar maker adds, “but a testament to Martin's ongoing commitment to musical innovation.”

Available in right- and left-handed versions, the O’ahu HG-28 comes with a softshell case and is priced at $3,599.

Head to Martin to learn more.

Guild Guitars has made a serious play for the affordable acoustic guitar market with its all-new 300 Series – conveniently and appropriately priced at $300 apiece.

The four-strong series aims to bottle the tonal magic of more premium-priced Guild builds and deliver that to players with tighter budgets.

Typically, Guild's acoustics surpass the $1k mark, with 2023's top-of-the-line 70th anniversary D-55 priced at $3,899. That isn't its only acoustic to nestle around that price point, making this cent-conscious range all the more intriguing.

The 300 collection is split down the middle, with two models on the dreadnought and OM-styled sides respectively, with solid tops and laminate back and sides prevalent across the board.

They too all match their black tortoiseshell pickguards to their black binding and share the same C-shaped necks, rosewood fingerboards, and rosewood bridges.

Guild-branded Vintage 16 open-gear tuners and open-pore natural satin finishes provide their other commonalities, whilst their headstocks are finished with a Nickel Guild logo.

The company says its open pore finish choice helps deliver “maximum resonance” for a sound that belies its stunted price tag.

In terms of tonewoods, there is a little more diversity. Of its dreadnought models, the D-320 is an all-mahogany affair, while the D-340 adds a spruce top to its mahogany back and sides.

That theme continues to the OM builds, with the OM-320 comprising only mahogany and the OM-340 adding a solid spruce top into the mix.

Guild says its OM shape “will be immediately familiar to players desiring a comfortable, midsized acoustic.”

Talking of Guild’s foray into more affordable territory, Product Manager Nick Breach says: “We are always thrilled to bring the quality and heritage that Guild acoustic guitars are beloved for to a new audience of players. But, for this release, we are especially happy about the opportunity to offer players these attributes at a new level of affordability.”

Head to Guild to learn more about the range.

Martin Guitars has partnered with apparel brand Life is Good for an acoustic guitar that spreads the message of optimism through music.

The brand’s ethos promotes the benefits of spending our energy on the good things in life, and that mentality permeates across Martin’s new LX1 Life is Good guitar.

As such, it has been built for travel and exploring the outdoors thanks to its durable, compact construction and resistance to humidity and temperature changes.

As its name suggests, the guitar is based on its LX1E design. The near 3/4-size acoustic has been listed in Guitar Player's breakdown of the best travel guitars, so it's no surprise Martin's reprised the winning recipe here.

The partnership makes for “a musical experience that transcends sound,” to stand as a “testament to positivity and the joy of music,” Martin believes.

The guitar itself has a modified 0-14F body size and figured mahogany back and sides. Its Mod Low Oval neck shape is made from laminated birch and topped with a 20-fret richlite fretboard, offering a more sustainable solution to ebony.

Like the LX1E, it's built to a stunted 23" scale length. Richlite has also been employed for its bridge material, which has white Tusq nuts, while chrome closed gear tuners sit atop its smart and simple headstock.

It comes with a soft shell guitar case and diamond and square inlays, but its Life is Good-designed HPL top finish, showcasing a tree-lined and mountain-capped skyline, catches the eye the most.

Sans electriconics, it’s a pure-bred acoustic and is only available as a right-handed model.

The collaboration also extends beyond just the acoustic, with the new design also featuring on a Martin 0XK Life is Good Soprano ukulele, as well as guitar straps and apparel.

“Whether you're an aspiring musician or a seasoned player, the Martin LX1 Life is Good acoustic guitar is designed to bring out the best in your music and mindset, embracing the simple pleasures that make life truly good,” says Martin.

The Martin LX1 Life is Good acoustic is available now for $499.

Visit Martin to learn more.

The Bourgeois Touchstone Series is interesting on several levels, and the new Signature models are now at the top of that line. Dana Bourgeois is a highly respected luthier, and his handcrafted instruments are highly coveted, but they come at high cost.

The Touchstone Series is intriguing because of its hybrid design and a build concept that involves Eastman Guitars overseas, making the crossover product much more affordable than a full USA hand build. The intention is to deliver the essence of a full Bourgeois experience at almost half the price. We were very curious to get our hands on these OM and Dreadnought Touchstones.

Primary Bourgeois hallmarks include a hand-tuned top and a six-bolt neck attachment, and all Touchstone Series models – including the Vintage, Country Boy and new Signature lines – retain these features. In fact, there are more similarities than differences.

All three lines include two body styles – OM and Dreadnought – and have Alaskan spruce tops. The new Signature Series, however, features old-growth Sitka that’s been torrefied – heated in an oxygen-free environment – to remove compounds that dampen vibrations and deliver optimal tone right out of the box.

Bourgeois and his team in Lewiston, Maine, tap-tune the top and meticulously voice it, carving Adirondack spruce bracings by hand before vacuum sealing and shipping the Touchstone tops to Eastman’s workshop in China. Luthiers trained in the Bourgeois style integrate the tops into back, sides and necks of his design.

That’s a notable trend. Builders are experimenting with new ways to keep costs down while having more confidence in well-trained craftspersons beyond American borders, resulting in more foreign involvement in fancier stuff.

The Touchstone Signature Series guitars that I received are medium fancy and built beautifully. The tri-color herringbone purfling is distinctively cool and classy, as is the gorgeous back stripe, which looks almost three dimensional. The pearl script logo and fret markers add elegance, and the gold Schaller open-gear tuners with ebony buttons look as fine as they work.

The woods are choice, and the finish is nice and glossy. In fact, I couldn’t find a blemish or sharp edge anywhere. You can’t help but notice the natural Adirondack spruce bracing. It stands out, since torrefied spruce is darker than natural, and the inside of the back is dark rosewood from Madagascar.

Playability is wonderful on both guitars. The neck profile is modern slim, and the factory action was nice and easy, but it’s not trying to play like an electric guitar. A slight V is a historic nod that’s great for a bit of a thumb anchor without being severe, like some classic acoustic designs.

The width at the nut measures a unique 1.72 inches, making it slightly narrower than the modern standard of 1.75 inches and not quite as narrow as the 1.69 inches more common in the past, particularly on dreadnoughts. 

Touchstone specs remain the same whether one orders the Dreadnought or OM. As you would expect, the OM caters more to fingerstyle playing, while the Dreadnought excels when played with a pick, either with big strums or a bluegrass-style flatpicking attack.

Touchstone Signatures have their own sonics that I’ll relate to more familiar bench- marks, given that Bourgeois traditionally makes about 500 guitars a year. Considering an OM and a dreadnought made of rosewood and spruce, it’s impossible not to think of a Martin in Style 28 as the historic standard. The shape, aesthetic and overall MO of these modern takes on traditional builds is close to Martin’s Modern Deluxe concept, but the lower cost is more like a Standard.

They both have even balance from low to high and impressive projection. They are not boomy like some rosewood builds. The bolt-on neck, lively response and hi-def articulation is more relatable to Taylor. But Touchstones are pure acoustic, not acoustic-electric. Ultimately, this crossover series, from Bourgeois via Eastman, is unique.

Bourgeois should find a broader audience with these Touchstone Signatures, including fans who can’t muster the money for a full USA build and fans of macro brands who would appreciate a more personal touch.

And while aficionados may dislike the brand becoming less boutique, the OM and the D Signature/TS represent something never quite seen or heard before, yet quite familiar and traditional as well. A Bourgeois guitar is always worth checking out, and that’s certainly the case with the new Touchstone Signature Series. 

Specifications

• CONTACT Bourgeois Guitars
• PRICE $3,599 street 
• NUT WIDTH 1.72”, bone
• NECK 14 fret mahogany
• FRETBOARD Ebony, 25.4” scale, pearl inlays
• FRETS 20
• TUNERS Schaller Grand Tune, gold open-gear with ebony buttons 
• BODY Solid Madagascar rosewood back and sides, solid torrefied old-growth Alaskan Sitka spruce top 
• BRIDGE Ebony with bone saddle 
• FACTORY STRINGS D’Addario XT Light Gauge
• WEIGHT 4.6 lbs (as tested)
• BUILT Designed and hand-voiced in USA, handcrafted in USA and Beijing

Gibson’s first-ever father-daughter project sees it working with Rosanne Cash to honor her family’s endearing musical legacy with two limited-edition guitars.

The Johnny Cash SJ-200 is a handmade reproduction of Johnny’s distinctive signature acoustic guitar – an SJ-200 from the late ‘50s.

Rosanne Cash’s signature – the Rosanne Cash J-185 – was made in close collaboration with Gibson’s expert luthiers based out of its Bozeman, Montana acoustic factory, making for the firm’s first multi-generational signature guitar drop.

Both guitars feature signature pickguards among their premium specs, and are limited to just 100 units each.

The SJ-200 naturally grabs the headlines. It's built to look like a museum relic, but play like a freshly-crafted, high-end acoustic.

It's a delicate recreation of the two SJ-200 models that were made for Cash Sr. in the late ‘50s, which stood out with its Cherry Sunburst finish, Johnny Cash inlay, and its unique, superhero mask-like black pickguard.

This new recreation, then, mirrors the original duo; a Super Jumbo body style is crafted with AAA flamed maple back and sides and iced with an AAA Sitka Spruce top and traditional hand-scalloped X-bracing.

It has a two-piece flamed maple neck with walnut reinforcement and 20 standard small crown frets. Indian rosewood is the wood of choice for its fretboard, which is built to a 12" compound radius with a 1.725" nut width, 25.5" scale length and bone nut.

Its hardware includes gold Gotoh tuners, a rosewood four-bar SJ-200 Moustache bridge, and a bone saddle. It ships with a custom Johnny Cash hardshell case and a certificate of authenticity. This is particularly handy when considering its weighty $14,999 price tag.

Rosanne says “one of the strongest visual imprints” of her father in her mind is him stood on stage with a guitar slung over his back. “That image spoke to me not of Johnny Cash,” she says, “but of my dad.”

And so, she says her dad's signature is a “very confident looking” instrument, echoing that bold mental image she has of him. Hers, meanwhile, “is a more subtle, gentle-looking guitar”.

With four Grammy wins and 12 nominations, Rosanne has continued the Cash family legacy in style, and her J-185 is a celebration of her achievements.

Its flame maple body offers a thinner take on the Jumbo body style for improved comfort, while a thermally aged Sitka spruce top and SlimTaper 24.75”-scale neck, crowned here with a rosewood fretboard, are other key features.

It too offers 20 frets, this time of a standard size, while mother-of-pearl parallelogram inlays bring something very different to the table.

The Gibson logo and Crown are also mother-of-pearl, as is the Cash logo on Rosanne’s signature pickguard.

In terms of hardware, the guitar draws further away from her father’s shadow; an L.R. Baggs VTC under saddle pickup and preamp readies it for the stage and studio, while its Vintage Cherry Sunburst finish brings it back home.

It too comes with a personalized Rosanne Cash hardshell guitar case and is priced at $5,299.

“Guitars were always around in the house and my Dad would always have a guitar in his lap, even if he wasn’t playing it,” Rosanne Cash relays. “It speaks to personal, professional legacy. It is so essential to my family. I have known that guitar, my Dad’s Gibson, for so many years. That guitar is part of Dad.

“The instrument is not just a vehicle, instruments have different songs in them. I think great art lasts forever and I do hope these get passed down to children, grandchildren, and on and on and on.”

Both guitars are available to order today.

Head to Gibson to explore the collection.

Finneas has become the first guitar player to be honored with a signature Fender Acoustasonic guitar, with two new editions of the series' Telecaster models released.

The singer-songwriter is most known for his work with his sister, Billie Eilish, but has also enjoyed a fruitful solo career. He has been playing Fender's groundbreaking electric-acoustic Telecaster since 2019, and so the signature releases marks the next natural step in his partnership with the company.

A Guitar Player review suggested “there's some sonic voodoo going on” with the guitar's thin body but authentic acoustic tones, and it seems Finneas has been equally as convinced by the design.

“The most important thing to me about a guitar is versatility,” he says. “I was first introduced to the Acoustasonic guitar in 2019 when I was on tour with Billie, and I played it at every show that year.”

A key focus on his personalized model, then, was for the guitar to become as powerful in the studio as it had proved to be on the road.

“When we started conversations about my signature model, I knew this guitar was great in a live setting, and I wanted to find ways to take it into the studio and make it a versatile, expressive studio instrument. This is the result of that.”

As such, these models – a Finneas Acoustasonic Player Telecaster and Limited Edition Finneas Acoustasonic Telecaster – are distinguished by custom electronics curated by the Grammy-winning songsmith.

A magnetic Acoustasonic Shawbucker pickup melds with a Fishman under-saddle transducer “to deliver clean electric, small-body acoustic, and dreadnought acoustic tones.”

A built-in chorus effect is another choice addition, and the characteristics of its two voices were hand-selected by the guitarist, “for a versatile array of high-fidelity, studio-worthy sounds.”

The two models are manufactured in different locations, and visually identifiable by their unique finishes. A modern Cappucino Fade satin finish adorns the Ensenada, Mexico-made standard model, and the Arctic White-finished limited edition build is built at Fender’s historic facility in Corona, California.

Both are crafted with solid spruce tops, and mahogany bodies and necks, with ebony selected for their respective fingerboards and bridges. Finneas’ signature features on the back of their headstocks.

“We are incredibly proud to collaborate with Finneas on his first signature guitar,” says Fender’s EVP of Product, Justin Norvell. “They capture the unique blend of acoustic, electric, and onboard effected tones that characterize his music.

“This guitar is more than an instrument; it's a versatile tool meant to inspire the next generation of producers and artists to explore new sonic landscapes,” Norvell continues. “Finneas’ innovative spirit and dedication to authenticity shine through in every detail of these signature models.”

The standard model is priced at $1,399 with the limited edition model rising to $2,499. Both are available to order today.

Visit Fender to learn more.

Martin Guitars has teamed up with Reverb for a “truly special” acoustic guitar, the Reverb Select Martin Custom GP Blonde.

It’s part of the Reverb Select series, which sees “special limited runs of never-before-built and never-to-be-replicated” guitars made available exclusively on the website. Crucially, the collaborative series gives luthiers a chance to push the boat out with no expense spared.

As such, Martin hasn’t held back: A figured Pacific big leaf flamed maple back and sides combine with an Italian Alpine spruce top for a premium tonewood recipe. It offers “a wide tonal range from warm lows to sparkling highs.”

The maple provides a “quick attack and fast delay,” and is paired with an ebony fretboard with snowflake inlays. That joins a modified low oval neck for an ultra-comfortable playing experience.

“I read that rosewood is the thunder and maple is the lightning,” says Fred Greene, Vice President of Product Management at Martin. “I thought that was a really good quote to describe this. We wanted the starkness of the lightness to come through. It’s very blonde!”

The instrument has been crafted with a Grand Performance body shape, with a Dreadnought-meets-000 ‘best of both worlds’ build the desired endgame.

The shape is also said to provide “comfort without sacrificing tone,” with its design rounded out with intricate pearl inlays decorating its headstock and soundhole.

“For those who are familiar, we do a Grand Performance cutaway model,” Greene expands. “[But] we've been playing with this idea that you can do it with a non-cutaway which people don't do very often, and it sounds great.

“It's not as big and boomy as a Dreadnought, it's a little tighter in the waist but you still get a little bit of bottom end out of the guitar.

“It’s the perfect guitar for someone fronting a band,” he summarizes. “The maple cuts through the mix, and the Satin finish lends itself to playing really smoothly.”

Such pristine trimmings – paired with the guitar’s exclusivity – are naturally reflected in the price. At $7,999, it's more a collector's item than a casual purchase for a campfire sing-song.

It’s the third Reverb Select model Martin has produced, following a 1930 0012-42 Conversion and Custom M/0000 Satin Black. The latter reportedly sold out at ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ speed, and so Martin is keen to capitalize on that success with the Custom GP Blonde.

Greene endeavored to build the “total opposite” of its all-black predecessor here, with the GP Blonde certainly succeeding. “It's light and airy and fast and fun,” he says.

Reverb has called the $7,999 Reverb Select Martin Custom GP Blonde a “bombshell of an acoustic that can front any band or make any stage shine.”

Head to Martin’s Official Reverb store to learn more.

As we step into the second day of Prime Day, the offers keep pouring in for guitar players. However, this year, the chances to grab exclusive deals on acoustic guitars have been few and far between. That is until Guitar Center stepped up and slashed up to $500 off a variety of Breedlove acoustic guitars. 

From the budget-friendly Organic Wildwood Pro series to the luxurious Legacy All Koa models, this sale offers a diverse range of options. It's an exciting chance to own some of the industry's most exquisitely crafted acoustic guitars at a fraction of their original cost.

Below, we have selected a few favorites from this remarkable sale. If you're interested in discovering more guitar-related bargains, be sure to visit our Prime Day guitar deals page, where we've curated the best offers from Amazon and other sources.

Starting with the best beginner acoustic guitar is the smartest way to kick off your playing journey. Not only will an acoustic build finger strength and improve clarity when fretting chords, but it also lets you focus on the fundamentals; no amp, no distractions, just pure playing.

Whether you’re after a cheap starter instrument or you’re looking to invest a little more into something that will last longer, all of the beginner acoustics in this guide boast specifications that render them suitable for first-time players – take it from us, we were all beginners once.

Slimmer necks and more compact dimensions are quite popular amongst beginner guitars, but we’ve hand-picked a range of instruments from some of the biggest and most trusted names in the industry – Fender, Taylor and Epiphone to name a few – that all showcase something slightly different.

Different players value different features, and everyone learns in their own way. That’s why we’ve curated a broad selection to suit all types of beginners, drawing on over 20 years of playing experience and a decade in guitar retail, helping first-time players find the right fit.

We've also included some useful FAQs further down this page.

My top picks

Best overall

The Taylor Academy series was designed to give players the best guitar possible for the least amount of money and cater to all sorts of different playing styles. It’s by no means cheap, but you do get a high-quality guitar, built well, that plays wonderfully.

It features a solid spruce top and layered walnut back and sides, and sounds rich, clear and articulate. It’s punchy and quite bright, and it works for whatever style of music you’re looking to play, whether that be strumming or fingerpicking. The Grand Concert shape is nice and comfortable too, and is perhaps more subtle than its dreadnought counterpart.

The slim neck profile has been designed with beginners in mind, and the armrest on the body of the guitar makes positioning your body correctly more comfortable. For 2025, Taylor has added its proprietary ES-B pickup system, giving you the option to plug in as your playing progresses. It’s a bit of an investment for your first guitar, but it means you won’t have to upgrade for quite some time.

Best budget

A solid-topped Fender at this price is nothing to be sniffed at. It’s an entry-level instrument, but the addition of a solid spruce top means that you get a richer, more complex tone than you would with a laminate top.

The concert-sized body shape is fairly compact, meaning that players of all sizes and statures will be comfortable playing it. It also helps give it a sweet, articulate tone that responds well to both fingerpicking and strumming. Fender have even equipped it with their ‘easy to play’ neck profile that has been made with those just starting out in mind.

If you’re after a basic but great sounding acoustic guitar at a reasonable price, then this really is one to consider.

Best for small hands

The GS Mini is one of the most popular acoustic guitars on the market amongst beginners and pros alike. Players just starting out love the super compact dimensions, short scale and ultra playable neck, and more experienced guitarists appreciate the rich, balanced tone and premium build quality.

Yes, there are cheaper guitars you can start with, but sit down with a GS Mini for a short while and you’ll quickly see why many beginners choose it. It’s small, but not too small for adults. The neck is easy to get your fingers around and the short scale makes chord stretches and scales a touch easier to play.

The guitar is built using a solid spruce top, and layered sapele back and sides. The result is a beautiful rich, articulate sound with a lovely bright top end, and warm powerful low end. It also throws out a surprising amount of volume for a small guitar!

Best dreadnought

The Dove is one of the most striking acoustic guitars, and Epiphone’s take on the Gibson classic is a great place for a beginner to start. Loads of renowned players have used a Gibson Dove over the years, from Billy Morgan to Bob Dylan. This model is a much more affordable version but shares many of the same qualities.

It sports a dreadnought body shape which offers plenty of power and projection. It has strong low and high frequencies, which is enhanced even more by the guitar’s maple back and sides – this adds a touch more brightness to the sound. Whether you’re looking to play rock, blues, folk, country, the Dove will cater for it.

The dreadnought body isn’t the smallest; it’s probably fine for most people, but it’s something to keep in mind. The neck profile is a nice SlimTaper D shape though, making it easy to get your fingers round to the fretboard. It’s also got a pickup on board, so if you’re looking to play live in the near future, then you’re ready to go.

Best acoustic electric for beginners

If you’re seeking an affordable acoustic guitar fitted with a pickup (aka an acoustic electric guitar) for using at gigs or open-mic nights, then this is one to consider. It’s got a laminate okoume top, back and sides, lending the guitar a full and warm sound.

The laminate wood won’t sound quite as rich and resonant as solid wood does, but it’s still a nice sounding instrument. It’s also fitted with a pickup, which means if you want a guitar to learn on and then go out performing live with, then this Ibanez has you covered. The on-board preamp even has a tuner built in, which is particularly handy when just starting out.

The cutaway is really handy for getting to those top notes, should you want to start experimenting with lead parts or more adventurous chords, and the compact body makes for a very comfortable playing experience.

Best classical

The Yamaha C40II has long been a staple for first-time players, and it’s easy to see why. With a full-size classical body and soft nylon strings, it’s far more forgiving on untrained fingers than a typical steel-string acoustic. The neck has a smooth satin finish, and the low action makes it easy to play straight out of the box.

Tonally, the C40II punches above its price. The laminated spruce top delivers a clear, balanced tone with enough warmth and resonance to suit classical, flamenco, or even casual fingerstyle. It’s not especially loud, but for home practice and learning the basics, it more than holds its own.

What really makes the C40II stand out is just how much guitar you get for the money. Between the solid tuning stability, beginner-friendly setup, and great construction, it offers far more than you’d expect at this price. For new players who want a no-fuss instrument they can actually enjoy learning on, the C40II is the best classical option on the market.

Also consider

The beginner acoustics above should cover most of the bases, but in case you didn't find what you were looking for, here are a few more options for your consideration.

How to choose

Choosing a beginner acoustic guitar can be tough, particularly if you don't have any experience in guitars to begin with. If you're here looking for your first acoustic, or you're looking to buy one for a family member, here's what you should look out for.

1. Cost

How much you want to invest in your first instrument is really down to you. If it’s just to dip your toe in the water, then you might not want to commit too much cash. Anything around the $150 mark should get you something decent and playable, without spending money on features you don’t need.

If you know you’re keen, then it’s definitely worth spending a little more. A better guitar will likely sound better, so you’ll get more enjoyment out of it, and it means that you’re not looking to upgrade it once you master the basics. It'll also last longer, so can accompany you further into your playing career.

2. Wood types

The best beginner acoustic guitars will feature a selection of solid and laminate or layered woods. Solid woods sound richer and more complex; they will gradually break in over time and sound better the more you play them. Like with many of these things though, you usually pay more for solid woods.

Laminate wood is multiple layers of wood glued together, which doesn’t resonate or vibrate quite as freely. It is cheaper to produce though, and it’s also more resistant to fluctuations in temperature and humidity.

With your first guitar, you wouldn’t necessarily notice the benefits that an all-solid guitar would bring. A nice in-between is a guitar with a solid top and laminate back and sides. The top can be seen as the ‘speaker’ of an acoustic so it has a huge impact on tone. Making this from solid wood and the back and sides from laminate yields great tones, but keeps the cost down.

3. Electronics

Some of the options in our pick of beginner acoustics are fitted with pickups. These allow you to plug into an amp or PA system to amplify your signal – this is really helpful if you’re looking to start playing live as it means you don’t have to upgrade from your existing guitar before you do.

4. Neck profile

The neck profile basically just refers to the shape of the neck. Different brands have all sorts of different names for them, but essentially what is helpful for a beginner is a slim neck.

A thin neck means that it’s easier to get your fingers around to reach the strings, as there’s less wood – so less stretching and less hand fatigue. It also means that slightly less pressure is required to press the strings down to get the notes to ring out properly. Getting clear notes ringing out is one of the hardest things for beginners, so any help you can get from the guitar is good!

FAQs

How we test

When testing a beginner acoustic guitar, we'll perform the exact same processes as we do on a regular acoustic guitar. There are several things we look for in an acoustic that are beginner-specific however, focusing particularly on the price and playability.

We focus on the following things with beginner acoustics:

- How does it play?
- Does it sound good?
- Is it well put together?
- Is it good value for money?

These questions inform all of our testing, which typically starts with a close inspection of how well the instrument is put together. We'll look at the neck join, the way any hardware has been installed, as well as the interior of the guitar to see how the bracing is applied.

Next, we'll look at the playability of the instrument, examining the neck for any sharp fret ends, or signs of poor build quality. We'll play the guitar with various techniques and style, checking how it feels all across the neck before moving on to the next step.

Sound arguably isn't quite as important for a beginner as it would be for someone who knows their tonewoods, but we still expect the instrument to sound good. Even if it's made with cheaper, laminated woods, a good beginner guitar should still sound inspiring enough to keep players coming back for more.

Read more on how we test gear and service at Guitar Player.

Related buyer's guides

• The best beginner electric guitars to empower your guitar journey
• Step onstage with out pick of the best acoustic guitar amps

Yamaha has launched two new concert-style acoustic guitars, which have both been described as the “no-compromise accompaniment for singer-songwriters”.

The FS9 M and FS9 R have been carefully crafted for responsive dynamics, with Yamaha noting the instruments particularly “shine with finger-picked performances”.

Both guitars offer Adirondack spruce tops and differ in their back and sides tonewoods. The African mahogany employed for the FS9 M helps achieve a “warm and balanced” sound, with the FS9 R’s Indian rosewood instead focusing on “crystal-clear highs”.

The rest of the specifications are shared between the two models, with bolt-on mahogany necks, ebony fingerboards and bridges, and scalloped X bracing all making the cut.

Notably, Yamaha used cutting-edge acoustic and 3D structural measurement processes to bolster the models' structural strength and allow them to vibrate more efficiently. The backboard on these acoustics, for example, is notably thicker than previous FS models, resulting in a more powerful sound.

They both offer a new V-shaped neck profile, which Yamaha says makes it easier to hold for “stress-free performance and ideal expressiveness”.

There are also bone nut saddles and natural, nitrocellulose lacquer finishes for their bodies.

Perhaps the most eye-catching appointments are the inlays, which take inspiration from Kumiki – a Japanese art of woodworking meaning ‘to join wood together’. Rope-patterned purfling then further accentuates the guitar’s character.

It also helps underline the care and craft that have gone into making these high-end acoustics. “Every detail,” Yamaha says, “has been meticulously engineered to deliver the ultimate expression of acoustic artisanry.”

Both guitars are available to order today: the FS9 R costs $4,099.00, and the FS9 M $3,999.99.

Head to Yamaha to learn more.

John Lennon’s 12-string Framus Hootenany acoustic guitar has become one of the most expensive guitars to sell at auction, fetching an eye-watering $2,857,000. 

The instrument, which hadn’t been seen or played in 50 years, featured heavily on The Beatles’ album and film, Help!, and was recently rediscovered in the attic of a house in the rural British countryside. 

A 5/024/12 flattop Hootenanny model, it features a mahogany neck, a rosewood bridge and fingerboard, and a Trapeze tailpiece.

At its unveiling ahead of a two-day auction event, Julien’s estimated the guitar could surpass the $6m Kurt Cobain’s Martin D-18e sold for in 2020. 

“This guitar happens to be one of the most important Beatles guitars and instruments ever to come to the auction block,” said Darren Julien at the unveiling. “It’s so important, so historic. We thought this guitar was gone – we thought it was lost forever.”

While it ultimately fell short of record-breaking estimations, it has become the fifth most expensive guitar to have sold at auction, with 20 bids taking it past the $2.7m figure the ‘Reach Out to Asia’ Stratocaster raised two decades ago, with proceeds from that guitar having gone to victims of the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami in Indonesia. 

It also makes it the most expensive Beatles guitar to sell at auction, usurping the $2.4m that Lennon’s Gibson J-160E went for in 2015. 

Aside from its prominence across Help!’s multimedia experience, the guitar is also believed to have been used on Girl and the rhythm parts of Norwegian Wood.

It also passed hands through the band, with Lennon and George Harrison having both been pictured playing the instrument. Ringo Starr also held it when Julien’s reintroduced the guitar to the public after half a century in the dark. 

It’s believed that Lennon gifted the 12-string to Gordon Waller of Peter & Gordon, with its pre-auction owners receiving it from him, then stumbling across the guitar during a house move. 

The Framus, discovered with its original Maton case, was in top condition. However, The case had to be rescued from a skip during a “cold, dark, wet March evening,” after it was originally thrown out, having been presumed worthless. 

Of the guitar’s auction, David Goodman, the chief executive of Julien’s, told The Guardian UK: “We are absolutely thrilled and honored to have set a new [Beatles] world record with the sale of John Lennon’s lost Hootenanny guitar.

“This guitar is not only a piece of music history, but a symbol of John Lennon’s enduring legacy.

“Today’s unprecedented sale is a testament to the timeless appeal and reverence of the Beatles’ music and John Lennon.”

The auction returns for a second day today (May 30) with Prince’s Cloud 3 guitar, expected to sell for $600,000 – more than double the figure another Cloud model sold for in 2021. 

Head to Julien’s to find out more.

In this digital age, where an endless stream of equipment information seems to come from all directions at any moment, now seems like a good time to take a 360-degree scan of the current landscape, filter though the spew, and focus on a few.

What you’ll find below is some inspiring gear that connects acoustic players to primary developments that have appeared scattered throughout the foggy ether of the pandemic era, as well as a few novel innovations and commemorative celebrations. 

This is by no means comprehensive coverage of the entire acoustic universe, but rather a selected swath of shining stars on the gear horizon, with a primary lens concentrated on guitars.

Breedlove TB Vintage Edition Blues Orange Concertina 

The Breedlove TB Vintage Edition Blues Orange Concertina is from Breedlove and Bedell Guitars, which both fly under the banner of Two Old Hippies. 

As owner Tom Bedell explains, “The Breedloves have bolt-on necks and are essentially Taylor killers, while Bedells are basically Martin killers.” Bedell himself is usually entrenched with the line that bears his name, but for the first time ever, he’s put his initials on a gorgeous orange Breedlove made of solid myrtlewood with a Baggs M1 magnetic pickup in the soundhole. “I wanted a guitar that sounded great playing the blues,” he reports. 

I had a chance to play a few Delta licks on the unplugged guitars in their booth at the NAMM show, and the instrument had an authentic appeal. The Breedlove TB Vintage Edition Blues Orange Concertina is priced more like a Bedell than a Breedlove, which may put it out of range for some few blues enthusiasts, but those with the greenbacks and an orange appreciation will dig it. 

TB Vintage Edition Blues Orange Concertina – $4,999, from Breedlove.

Cole Clark True Hybrid TL3 

Cole Clark made hybrid history by straddling the acoustic/electric boundary with the True Hybrid TL2. The new TL3 ups the ante with improved magnetic pickups and dazzling aesthetics. The body remains a thinline Grand Auditorium loaded with Cole Clark’s PG3 acoustic pickup system, plus a magnetic system with dual outputs designed to feed an electric amp and an acoustic amp or P.A. 

The magnetic pickups (which now come on all new TL2s and TL3s) are hotter, with less noise, and are balanced for optimal performance with phosphor-bronze acoustic strings. 

The True Hybrid TL3EC-EMEM-HSS has a humbucker/single/single configuration, like the TL2 we reviewed, and is also available with a pair of humbuckers or three single-coils. 

The TL3’s cosmetics include imperial-style tuners and large abalone inlays on its ebony fretboard as well as on both sides of the waist on its carved top. The whole guitar is solid European maple (grown in Australia). 

Another TL3 designated BLBL-HUM is all Australian blackwood with a single humbucker between the bridge and soundhole, located in the standard spot rather than an offset teardrop like the other models. Its aesthetic is more traditional. 

True Hybrid TL3EC-EMEM-HSS – $3,999, from Cole Clark. 

Ibanez AE390TA and AE340FMH 

Ibanez’s AE Performer concept is all about high-end aesthetics and features at player-friendly budgets. 

The AE390TA offers a distinctive tonewood combination with a German spruce top and gorgeous flamed maple back and sides finished in a brilliant Aqua Blue hue. The AE340FMH features a stunning solid flamed okume top as well as flamed okume back and sides. Both sport Ibanez’s secondary soundhole, the A.I.R. Port, on the top side, for additional personal monitoring from the player’s perspective. 

AE390TA – $829. AE340FMH – $799, from Ibanez.

Gibson Custom Ebony Series 

Gibson’s Custom Ebony series comprises a quartet of its most popular acoustics. Each handcrafted guitar retains its classic features and sound, and features a solid Sitka spruce top and onboard L.R. Baggs Session VTC electronics, along with appointments inspired by the Les Paul Custom, such as an ebony finish, multi-ply binding, mother-of-pearl block fretboard inlays, and a split-diamond headstock inlay.

The series includes the J-45 Custom, Hummingbird Custom, SJ-200 Custom and Songwriter EC Custom. J-45 Custom – $4,999. Hummingbird Custom – $5,999. SJ-200 Custom – $7,499. Songwriter EC Custom – $4,999, from Gibson. 

Takamine GD37CE PW & GD37CE-12 PW

Takamine’s GD37CE PW and its sibling GD37CE-12 PW 12-string represent striking new additions to the company’s affordable G Series. Their dreadnought bodies sport solid-spruce tops and maple back and sides, and are decked out in glossy pearl white, with a beautiful abalone rosette. 

A split-saddle bridge is designed to offer superior intonation, and the guitars come stage-ready with proprietary TP-3G electronics that include a three-band EQ, gain, and an onboard tuner. 

Takamine’s Director of Product Development, Tom Watters, says, “We created the two new GD37CE models to cover a wide range of musical styles,” and indeed, a guitarist could feel pretty heavenly rocking anything from folk to gospel on them. 

GD37CE PW – $849. GD37CE-12 PW – $949, from ESP Takamine. 

Martin SC-28E & SC-18E 

These American-made SC models represent the culmination of innovation Martin unleashed about five years ago with a secret R&D project spearheaded by VP Fred Greene and lead designer Tim Teal. 

When GP was invited to take a sneak peek at the original SC-13 SC in 2020, it was immediately apparent that this oddly S-shaped instrument was coming from an entirely different galaxy, with its crazy cutaway and Sure Align neck system, which together delivered easy access to the fretboard’s upper reaches. 

That model was manufactured in Mexico, as were all four subsequent SCs until a small batch of U.S.-made Custom Shop models arrived in 2022. An enthusiastic response from collectors encouraged Martin to begin building these two Standard Series models stateside, with solid woods and significantly upgraded electronics. 

The SC-28E pairs East Indian rosewood back and sides with a spruce top, while the SC-18E is mahogany and spruce. Both come equipped with Fishman Aura VT Blend or L.R. Baggs Anthem electronics. Pros will appreciate. 

SC-28E – $3,999 with hardshell case. SC-18E – $3,599, from Martin. 

Taylor 50th Anniversary Limited-Edition Collection

Taylor is commemorating its golden anniversary with the Circa 74 AV150-10 boutique amp as well as a series of limited-edition guitars that it will roll out over the course of the year. 

Ranging from fancy and expensive to practical and affordable, the group includes the Builder’s Edition 814ce LTD, featuring a sinker redwood top with Indian rosewood back and sides; the 314ce LTD, with sapele back and sides and a torrefied Sitka spruce top; the American Dream AD14ce-SB LTD, offered with walnut back and sides and a Sitka spruce top; the Presentation Series PS14ce LTD, which comes in a choice of urban ironbark with a striped sinker redwood top or figured claro walnut with a western red cedar top; and the PS24ce-LTD in figured, master-grade Hawaiian koa. 

Builder’s Edition 814ce LTD – $4,999. 314ce LTD – $2,799. American Dream AD14ce-SB LTD – $1,999. Presentation Series PS14ce LTD – $9,999. PS14ce LTD – $14,999. PS24ce-LTD – $19,999, from Taylor Guitars. 

Fishman AFX Mini Series pedals 

Fishman has made three new additions to its AFX Mini Series, whose pedals are voiced to handle the wide sonic range of acoustic instruments. The EchoBack delay, BlueChorus multi-chorus, and AcoustiComp compressor follow the blueprint laid down with last year’s batch of four AFX Minis that earned an Editors’ Pick Award in 2023 and ranked among the Top Gear of the Year. 

The EchoBack offers analog, digital, and tape delay, and its lone foot switch can be set to use for tap tempo. The BlueChorus offers analog, vintage, and classic varieties of chorus, and the AcoustiComp is a super-simple compressor based on Fishman’s popular Aura Spectrum. All AFX Minis are voiced and processed in parallel to preserve your acoustic tone. 

$119.95 each, from Fishman.

L.R. Baggs HiFi Duet pickup system

L.R. Baggs's HiFi Duet pickup and mic mixing system (available this summer) is essentially the same HiFi that earned an Editors’ Pick Award last year as well as a spot in Gear of the Year, but with the addition of a second element, the Silo Microphone. Built on the broad shoulders of Baggs’ Tru Mic technology, Silo features a new mic capsule and tuned suspension. 

A discrete preamp with a multipole crossover system seamlessly blends the HiFi Pickups and Silo Mic, so you can dial in anything from punchy and direct to open and airy, all with enhanced ambience and dimension. The quick demo I heard was very promising. 

$449, from L.R. Baggs.

Nakupenda Guitar Master Stool 

The Guitar Master Stool by Nakupenda was a favorite surprise find at the 2024 NAMM show. Nakupenda has put a ton of research into making what it calls “the world’s first ergonomic guitar performance stool,” which is designed to hug hips and align the spine and pelvis to improve posture, thereby relieving back and neck pain by evenly distributing the player’s weight. 

The chair is handcrafted from FSC-certified sustainable North American walnut and is available in two heights. Once while attempting to get comfortable on a bar stool at soundcheck, Leo Kottke remarked, “I always feel like a marionette sitting on one of these things.” Not so with the ergonomic Guitar Master Stool. Better still, it has a handy built-in guitar stand on the back. 

$459 direct with free shipping, from Nakupenda.

Snark ST-8 Ti 

The Snark ST-8 Titanium brings a couple of ingenious new features to the clip-on tuner format that the brand played a huge role in establishing. A vulcanized rubber collar cushions the back of its interface and acts like a sound shield to cut out external frequencies and vibrations, thereby providing reliable tuning accuracy in noisy conditions. 

Players will also appreciate the ST-8 Titanium’s rechargeable lithium battery, which Snark claims can deliver “weeks to months of continuous use” from one charge via USB, PC, or power bank. The high-resolution LCD screen has 360 degrees of rotation and is designed to be visible from all sorts of angles on stage, whether conditions are dark or sunny. 

$26.99, from Snark Titanium.

Mackie ShowBox 

Mackie’s new Swiss Army knife comes armed with pretty much everything a busker needs to rock a gig, anywhere at any time, alone or with a few buddies. The ShowBox is a battery-powered all-in-one performance rig comprising a portable P.A., acoustic guitar amp, six-channel mixer, and effects rack. 

Particularly innovative is a breakaway mix controller that mounts directly to a mic stand and connects to the ShowBox through the included Ethernet cable, allowing the performer to manage all channel levels, effects and EQ settings, user snapshots, and the built-in looper and tuner, all without having to leave their stage position. 

A USB-C audio interface facilitates streaming or recording the gig, and ShowBox can also record straight to an SD card. Custom backpack sold separately. Stay tuned for a detailed review soon. 

$799, from Mackie.

An extremely rare prototype Martin guitar made for Eric Clapton has been put up for auction. 

A 1995 prototype of Martin's 000-28EC signature acoustic guitar, it is only one of four ever made, as the pair tried to ride the success of Clapton's limited-edition 000-42EC.

Though extremely pricey and made in limited numbers, the 000-42EC had proved successful upon its release, with the 000-28EC intended to be tonally identical, while undergoing several cosmetic tweaks to minimize its price tag. 

The prototype pairs hand-selected East Indian rosewood back and sides with a central back stripe. It also features a mahogany neck with vintage-style volute, an ebony fingerboard bestowed with abalone cut diamond inlays, and Martin-branded Grover Sta-tite tuners. Clapton’s signature also features on its 20th fret. 

The instrument will be auctioned off with its original hard case and two 1998 Eric Clapton Lexus US tour guitar picks. 

Though its premium features were scaled back to represent a more affordable version of its progenitor, Clapton is full of praise for the acoustic. 

Writing in the 2003 Martin Guitar Masterpieces book, guitar-builder Dick Boak said: “We sent one of the prototypes to Eric in England, and he sent me these exact words back through Lee [Dickson, Eric’s guitar tech]: ‘Don’t get me wrong. I love my 000-42EC Martins. The craftsmanship and detail are superb. But this new 000-28EC model is the best-sounding acoustic guitar I’ve ever played.’” 

In the book, Boak also recalls how the 000-28EC featured at NAMM in July ‘96, garnering “a slew of orders,” with Clapton also adding it to his collection of performance guitars.

Boak added that Clapton “continued to be surprised at how a lower-cost instrument could stand up to the top-of-the-line guitars.”

Although not visible in the photos of the prototype released by auctioneer Gardiner Houlgate, it talks of “substantial scratch marks” on the instrument, corroborating Boak’s claims that the instrument had graced Clapton’s stages. 

“The nature and position of the buckle scratches point to the distinct likelihood of that being the case,” the firm believes. “Sitting in the comfort of a living room or studio would never create marking to this extent.”

It is expected to fetch between $25,404 – $50,809 at auction, after two models from the same production sold for $31,250 in 2008, and $34,956 in 2011.

The auction will be held on June 11, with the 000-28EC acoustic guitar featuring alongside two of Gary Moore’s Gibson Les Pauls, two guitars previously owned by Fleetwood Mac’s Peter Green, and Ian Bairnson's Wuthering Heights Les Paul. 

Head to Gardiner Houlgate for more information about the auction. 

Carbon fiber lifestyle brand Klos (pronounced like the opposite of “far”) is rolling out a gang of new gear, and the Grand Cutaway Mini is particularly compelling because of its unique size and features. Travel guitars put Klos on the map and remain its most popular size, but the company is gaining ground in the full-size market with models like the new grand auditorium Grand Cutaway. 

The GC Mini essentially splits the difference. The concept is a road-ready, seaworthy instrument that delivers fuller sound and better playability than a typical travel guitar, along with gig-worthy electronic options. 

GP was excited to try one of the first GC Minis built with an L.R. Baggs Anthem. It packs the promise of a perfect on-the-go guitar for dedicated cruiser lifestylists and working players alike, so we were curious to see what it would deliver.

Some assembly required

The guitar arrived in a convertible gig bag/backpack, with the neck in its own compartment. A little tool kit including the neck bolts, a screwdriver, hex wrench and the bridge saddle were in a pocket, as indicated by a note, with a QR code linked to an assembly video. 

It was a snap to bolt on the neck and set the bridge saddle on the piezo transducer pickup strip. The action on the top three strings fretted out a bit with the guitar tuned to standard pitch, but a quick loosening of the truss rod made the action almost agreeable. 

As I can be an aggressive player, and one who uses acrylic nails no less, I called Klos headquarters for advice. They explained that while most of their players prefer low action, it’s a cinch to make a little shim to raise the action. I followed their advice using a shim of cardboard under the saddle and above the piezo strip, and it did the trick.

Body shop talk

With the guitar set up to my satisfaction, my first thought was, ‘Wow, what a comfortable body size!’ It’s significantly smaller than a triple or double 0, but not too tiny, and the depth is similar. The 24 ¾–inch scale length is slightly shy of a triple 0, and it’s just long enough to give the Mini a proper string feel under the fingers and the flexibility to handle dropped tunings while facilitating easy bending. 

It’s rare to find a cutaway, and the combination invites easy access to the entire fretboard, even when standing up. Large cats might want to go for the full Grand, but I wear a men’s medium shirt and can testify that the GC Mini feels quite cozy, and it fits in an airline carry-on compartment, even with the neck attached. Add in the backpack factor and portability is superior. 

In addition to being a great grab for a quick play at an office desk, it’s ideal for nature treks, sailing trips, or a van-life excursion. 

Carbon nation

Carbon fiber construction is key to the Klos lifestyle philosophy as it’s not susceptible to reasonable changes in temperature or humidity and offers superior durability. The GC Mini fares pretty well in side-by-side comparisons to comparable instruments, but there aren’t many direct comparisons to be made, as this is an uncommon instrument. 

The most important revelation is that the Klos Grand Cutaway Mini sounds wondrously full in its own ecosystem. The tone has carbon fiber’s familiar EQ curve, with scooped mids, present highs, and a clear bass boom. The bass on the Grand Cutaway Mini belies its size, and projection is impressive.

A carbon fiber music vessel this good can be just as inspiring as a wooden one, and a smartly designed small guitar can hold its own compared to a bigger one. It was a joy to play the Grand Cutaway Mini while strolling up and down the beach, during which time a new tune idea came through that probably wouldn’t have happened any other way. 

I recorded my ideas into my iPhone, and when listening back later, I was momentarily confused about which guitar was on the recording, which is a perfect demonstration of how full it sounds. 

It was also a relief not to worry about the guitar being out in direct sunlight or getting cold at night, or to have to think much about the weather at all. It was nearly 80 degrees on that freaky-warm January day along the California coast, with waves crashing nearby and sand whirling about in the breeze. Under the stars on the hotel balcony late that night, the temperature dropped 30 degrees, and the action remained unchanged. 

Amped up

The last test was amplification. There are all sorts of options available on Klos guitars, from extra side sound ports to different build materials and a variety of electronics. For this review, I opted for the standard build but went all in on the acoustic-electric upgrade to an L.R. Baggs Anthem dual-element system, hoping to find the elusive travel-friendly, gig-worthy guitar. 

Plugged into an L.R. Baggs Synapse Personal P.A., the Klos Grand Cutaway Mini sounded beautiful and almost unbelievably bountiful in the bottom end while being present, but not brittle, on top. It’s absolutely gigworthy with the Anthem onboard, and the Tru Mic technology allows the user to mix in the desired amount of mic signal to provide an open, organic mic tone that’s especially welcome on a carbon fiber instrument. 

To understand the price range, the base acoustic model costs $1,959, and the default acoustic-electric with Fishman Sonitone is $2,099. Add another $110 for the K&K Pure Mini, or $300 for the Anthem. 

Honorable mention

While carbon fiber can polarize guitarists, many dig the look, and numerous people I met had a positive reaction to the Grand Cutaway Mini, with members of the general public raving about its cool unique look. 

Klos also offers its Hybrid Series, which incorporates wooden components, such as a mahogany neck, and costs less. There’s also the new Carbon Timber, on which the carbon fiber grain is straight, rather than woven. I had only a quick chance to hear it at the noisy NAMM show, and to my ears it was both a little less boisterous and more subtle, with perhaps sweeter sustain, which makes sense, as the top can resonate more freely without the fiber weave.

GP applauds Klos for its initiative in creating interesting carbon fiber instruments, and they hit the design target with the Grand Cutaway Mini. If you’re looking for a travel guitar, this one fits the bill. The cost is not small, but if this guitar makes sense for your lifestyle, it’s worth checking out. For its rare combination of portability, playability, tone, and gig-worthiness, the GC Mini earns an Editors’ Pick Award. 

Klos Grand Cutaway Mini – Specifications

CONTACT Klos

PRICE $1,959 direct for acoustic; $2,399 as tested with L.R. Baggs Anthem

NUT WIDTH 1 11/16”, Tusq

NECK Carbon fiber

FRETBOARD Composite ebony, 24.75” scale length

FRETS 20 medium stainless-steel

TUNERS Standard Klos

BODY Full carbon fiber

BRIDGE Composite ebony

ELECTRONICS Optional for additional charges: Fishman Sonitone, K&K Pure Mini or as tested with L.R. Baggs Anthem 

CONTROLS Sound hole flywheels for volume and mic level, phase and battery test buttons

FACTORY STRINGS Cleartone Acoustic Phosphor Bronze Light (gauges .012–.053)

WEIGHT 3.4 lbs (as tested)

BUILT Designed and hand assembled in USA

KUDOS Unique balance of size, durability, playability and tone, both acoustic and amplified

CONCERNS It’s a little pricey

Once upon a time, 3/4-size acoustic guitars were nothing but glorified children’s toys, however, that is no longer the case. Savvy manufacturers recognized the demand for high-quality acoustic instruments suited to smaller players and traveling musicians, creating a market segment that has since exploded. So, if this is you, you're in luck, as we've hand-selected the very best 3/4-size acoustic guitars available right now.

Nowadays, there are many high-end 3/4 acoustic guitars made of solid tonewoods with a depth of sound that makes a mockery of the idea that bigger is better. Typically, these acoustics are 37 inches or shorter, making them significantly smaller than a typical full-size dreadnought guitar, for example, but their tones would have you thinking otherwise.

On this list, you’ll find my picks for the best 3/4-size acoustic guitars, with options suited for everyone from beginners to experts, with my top pick overall going to the Taylor GS Mini-e Rosewood – a well-priced and reliable acoustic that carries a bright, full sound.

So whether you’re looking for a scaled-down guitar as a first six-string for you or your child, a great travel acoustic, or a more comfortable option for a smaller player, I've got you covered.

If you have any further questions about 3/4 acoustic guitars, I've also included a handy FAQ section at the bottom of this page.

Quick list

Best overall

The goal for any small acoustic guitar should be to sound bigger than its size – the Taylor GS Mini-e Rosewood achieves this with aplomb. At just a touch over 36” long, you’d be forgiven for thinking that it would sound quite boxy, however the shrunken-down ‘Grand Symphony’ body design is wildly resonant for a guitar of this size.

The GS Mini range starts with the sapele standard, with no onboard electronics. If you’re on a tight budget, this is still a reliable guitar, but our pick of the range is the ‘e’ rosewood model, the first without sapele back and sides (upgraded with rosewood) and with a solid spruce top. These tonewoods make a huge difference to the tone, producing a brighter fuller sound that projects really pleasantly.

The ES-B preamp is also a nice addition, so there’s no need to worry about lack of volume – just plug it in! With an integrated 3-band EQ, you can also dial your sound in when electrified. Sometimes these on-board EQ systems can be a bit of a let down on cheaper electro-acoustics, but this is impressively good.

Best all solid

The Nomad Mini Neptune punches well above its price point for spec, with a solid mahogany top, back, and sides – something you don’t often get on guitars at even double this price.

Complete with a Fishman Sonicore Pickup and Isys T preamp (Presys 2), it’s rare to see premium electronics on a guitar in this section of the market, and the addition really elevates the Nomad Mini above its competition.

Styled after Faith’s ‘Neptune’ body shape – a baby jumbo-inspired design – the body is suitably shrunk without feeling like a ukulele as some 3/4 guitars do, which will suit players looking for something suitable for traveling but don’t want to dwarf their instrument.

Whilst the temptation may be to go for a bigger-name brand, Faith has knocked it out of the park with the Nomad Mini Neptune, so it’s definitely worth considering – though US and Canadian buyers will likely need to buy through Faith directly as its North American dealer network leaves a lot to be desired.

Best from Martin

Maybe the most famous of the miniature acoustic guitars, the Little Martin is almost certainly the most recognisable 3/4 guitar on this list. It’s a super instrument out of the box, with greeting tones that you wouldn’t believe came out of a guitar of this size and price, and for around a hundred bucks extra you can add Fishman electronics, which allows you to plug into a PA system or amp. For gigging singer-songwriters, this is a wise addition.

For me though, the best use of this guitar is as a travel companion. It’s built to last, with the use of Richlite on the fretboard, which will offer durability throughout the life of this instrument, even when thrown into the back of a car.

The only real downside to this instrument is the excessive use of laminate material for back, sides and neck. This isn’t really surprising at this price point – in fact, it’ll be a big factor as to why the LX1 is so cheap – but rivals can boast hardwood use throughout, which makes a notable difference to resonance and bottom end.

Best slim neck

The BT1 was one of the guitars that launched the 3/4 market as a serious proposition for players of any age or experience, rather than purely as student instruments. First released in 1991, the Baby Taylor has not only endured, but it has become revered as an excellent travel companion and a more premium offering for smaller players.

As the cheapest instrument in the Taylor catalog, the company has had to keep the costs down where possible, and this is most visible in the screw-on neck. You wouldn’t necessarily notice unless you go looking for the screws (at the bottom of the neck) but they let down the appearance and the overall feeling of quality just a little bit.

The highlight of the BT1 is its superbly smooth, slim neck, which makes it a dream to play even for people with the smallest hands. This is only improved with the guitar coming from the factory with a Nubone nut and premium D’Addario XS strings.

For first-time players, it should be right among your top considerations, as it is a brilliant guitar to learn to play on. And if you’re looking to entice your child into playing guitar, Taylor also offers the BT series in a Taylor Swift signature model, that may be worth considering for ‘Swifties’ out there.

Best for kids

The Yamaha JR1 is the guitar that I wish I’d learned to play on. While the temptation of a $40 guitar that can be with you within 24 hours ordered off the internet is hard to ignore, I can promise that those guitars will sound like some elastic bands wrapped around a tissue box in comparison to the JR1.

Small but mighty, the JR1 produces a surprisingly bright sound, in no small part due to its spruce top, but the real standout feature is its playability, with a lovely smooth neck that doesn’t put up any fight for young hands.

Learning to play on an instrument like this is a joy and will foster a great relationship with guitars forevermore. The first guitar your child learns to play on is arguably the most important they will ever own.

Consider making it a JR1. It is worth mentioning that at a scale length of just 21 1/4”, this really is a junior guitar, so smaller adults looking to learn are advised to look elsewhere.

Best for comfort

Lowden is better known for its high end acoustics, with most of the company's range costing in the thousands; however its collaboration with singer-songwriter and 3/4-playing icon Ed Sheeran has introduced a new, more affordable collection to its catalog. For me, the W03 is the pick of the range.

Featuring touches like a beveled edge on the body – a feature that has trickled down from Lowden's super high-end instruments – the W03 really feels like a premium product that is extremely comfortable to play, for both your hands and body. And the premium features don’t stop there, the LR Baggs EAS VTC electronics makes this a really excellent live instrument, which can be plugged in to get great gigging tones.

Partnerships like the one between Lowden and Sheeran have the risk of feeling contrived, but this small acoustic is a real delight and should be considered against the biggest brands… even if Ed Sheeran isn’t your cup of tea.

Best for blues

The Gretsch Jim Dandy Parlor is probably the most fun you can have for under $200 with an acoustic guitar. With a signature country twang, the Jim Dandy Parlor is the ultimate campfire guitar, something you throw in the back of your car and bust out for a singalong. In terms of versatility, it won’t match up to some of the other acoustics on this list, but it has an undeniable charm, which is equal parts cool and endearing.

The tone is fat at the bottom with a bit of honky midrange, topped with a really bright upper that borders on having the sound of a resonator.

It’s surprisingly loud too, which makes it all the better for strumming big chords out on. With a classic Parlor design, the neck joins the body at the 12th fret, helping to contribute to its meager 35” total length, and contributes to its signature sound. However, that does mean the top six frets are pretty difficult to access.

Knowing the Jim Dandy’s limitations ahead of buying is essential, but if you lean into what it does best – being fun to play, bashing out some chords with your pals – it’s close to a must-have instrument. If your collection is stagnating and you want to inject some life without spending a whole lot of money, look no further.

Best for travel

Let’s get it out of the way – this guitar comes apart and folds down. It’s crazy. Acoustic guitars aren’t supposed to do that, but Furch has found a way. It would be very easy to assume this is a gimmick, but in reality it just means that the Little Jane is the pinnacle in acoustic guitars for the person on the move.

Coming in at over $1000, you’d be forgiven for thinking the vast majority of the cost is being spent on the innovative ‘dismantling’ feature, however the LJ10 is made with solid woods throughout and equipped with locking tuners, premium features that make this quirky instrument play impressively well. In fact, even when considering that it actually comes apart, the most surprising thing about the LJ-10 is just how good it sounds.

A warm low end, with a full midrange and a sensational bright top – which boggles the mind considering a worry with any instrument that comes apart is that it may/should lack resonance. Somehow, the LJ-10 has absolutely bags of it.

If musical inspiration takes you, the last thing you’re going to want to do is have to build your guitar before strumming out your ideas, so for some, just going for a more conventional small-body traveler guitar might be better; however for those with patience, the assembly/disassembly is relatively easy when you get the hang of it and it really takes compact traveling with an acoustic to a new level.

Best from Fender

With a headstock that looks like a Stratocaster and a neck that feels pretty close, the Fender Sonoran Mini would be a great acoustic for electric guitar players who want to branch out into acoustic playing. This is particularly enticing given the Sonoran Mini’s price, which matches its tiny size.

It has an unconventional but broadly appealing tone that would be great for use in a recording studio to add a different texture to your recordings. However, with that unconventional tone there comes a slight harshness to the top end and the midrange feels a touchy boxy, which can also become a bit wearing after a long playing session.

For the price though, it’s hard to have too many complaints, and some will absolutely love the looks.

It’s the most cost-effective way to have a great-looking Fender guitar at home.

Best beginners

Built on a scaled down version of Yamaha's revered APX Body, every aspect of the APXT2 has been built with travel in mind. With a miniature footprint, but delivering well balanced tones, if you’re a young singer-songwriter (or a songwriter of any age), who is just breaking into playing open-mic nights or small shows, this is an instrument you can happily haul around to gigs on the bus, or if you have to walk any substantial distance – it even comes with a signature gigbag as standard.

The APXT2 features a full size cutaway on the body, making access to the higher frets far easier, which contributes to the neck feeling more usable compared to some 3/4 acoustics where you don’t have access to the top end at all, limiting you largely to chord playing.

Even on its cheaper instruments, you can always feel a certain level of attention to detail with Yamaha and the APXT2 demonstrates that too, particularly in areas such as the spruce top, which makes it bright and articulate.

The System 68 contact pickup and preamp system mean that the APXT2 is well equipped not only for acoustic performances, but amplified shows too, and it features tone controls, volume adjustment and a built-in tuner. Though don’t expect the electronics to set the world alight considering their price.

Best classical

Yamaha’s classical guitars are a staple in classrooms worldwide, thanks to the brand’s reputation for quality, durability and affordability. With that in mind, it’s no surprise that the CS40II stands out as the best 3/4-size classical guitar on the market.

Its soft nylon strings make it an excellent choice for those learning flamenco or classical guitar. At the same time, it serves as a great stepping stone for younger players who aren’t quite ready for the harsher feel of steel strings. The traditional flat radius provides a solid foundation for classical runs, and as expected from Yamaha, the hardware is always reliable.

While there isn’t a left-handed version available, the flat radius allows for easy conversion – just take it to a local luthier for modification.

The CS40II may not be the flashiest or most eye-catching guitar out there, but if you’re after a well-built, great-value short-scale classical guitar, it’s hard to beat.

FAQ

The rise and rise of the 3/4 acoustic

Though not universally beloved by us guitarists, it would be unfair not to attribute the growth of the 3/4 acoustic market to Ed Sheeran. His signature range of shrunken Martin guitars was immensely popular and his more recent move to Lowden guitars has put that brand on the map for non-aficionados too. Whilst Taylor started the trend of quality 3/4 acoustics over 30 years ago, Ed Sheeran only accelerated their popularity in the last 15 years.

How we test

At Guitar Player, our team of writers aren't just music enthusiasts; we're real-life musicians. Our hands-on experience with 3/4-sized acoustic guitars ensures that our reviews and recommendations are backed by practical knowledge and real-world testing.

When it comes to selecting the best 3/4 acoustic guitars, we leave no stone unturned. Meticulously evaluating factors like tonal versatility, sonic character, build quality, and value for money, it's only after rigorous testing in a variety of playing scenarios do we choose products for our guides.

We stand by our selections, ensuring that every set of strings we recommend is one we'd use ourselves.

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If there’s a home where any true acoustic guitar aficionado would dream to reside, it’s Gary Brewer’s House of Axes. Brewer is best known as the leader of the long-thriving Kentucky Ramblers, a family band whose 2020 release, 40th Anniversary Celebration, spent 16 weeks at number one on the Billboard Bluegrass Albums Chart, was the number-three best-selling project overall in 2021, and landed between releases by Ariana Grande and Rob Zombie on the Top Current Albums Sales year-end chart.

Brewer is quite a character, who prefers colorful clothes and refers to his high-octane Americana as “Brewgrass,” but he’s as legit as they come, with the history and testimony to prove it. Brewer’s grandfather worked with the original Carter Family in the ’20s, and the Brewer family is now a six-generation musical dynasty.

As Brewer explains, Father of Bluegrass Bill Monroe played his final recording session with him and was quoted saying, “This boy right here is 100 percent bluegrass! He comes from good stock.” George Gruhn, acoustic guitar guru and owner of renowned Gruhn Guitars in Nashville, sings his praises as well, saying, “Gary Brewer is to the guitar what Bill Monroe was to the mandolin.”

Brewer has amassed a monumental arsenal of guitars, including 100 vintage Martins that date back to 1899. His new guitar concept project, House of Axes (SGM), is a straight-shooting showcase for his rarest and most prized acoustics. It’s a multimedia affair, captured at Brewgrass Entertainment, headquarters for the family business, where he sat down with nine select instruments and proceeded to play them one at a time, offering insights on each before launching into stellar song performances captured raw in the moment with one take and no overdubs. You can watch them in a revealing series of YouTube videos or listen to the audio versions, where each introduction is broken out as a separate track.

What you’ll experience is a master picker throwing down time-honored tunes from the classic bluegrass canon on museum-quality guitars. They come alive in his capable hands with every nuance of technique and instrumental overtone gloriously clear to hear. Each axe has a tale to tell, and Brewer touches on them in the recordings and extensive liner notes. But as we discovered, there’s a hell of a lot more to the story.

What inspired you to make House of Axes?

It’s well known that I’ve got a good guitar collection, and every time I go out to perform, somebody asks, “Which axes did you bring?” I can’t show them all, and I realize that some are rather monumental in the guitar world as well as to me, personally. That prompted me to record them on video and audio to let people see and hear them. The goal was to do so very clearly. We used the same pair of microphones with the dials set at zero, so everybody sure enough could hear the nuances of each guitar, from the highs to the lows and everything in between, kind of like being there. I wanted people to hear the insides of those guitars, not flavor ’em up, which happens a lot in the guitar world. They can be knobbed too much. You get more of the sound the player wants you to hear, but I wanted just the opposite. I wanted the listener to hear the guitar, and then the player.

How did you capture the tones?

There’s a large-diaphragm condenser mic pointed toward the bridge, and a small-diaphragm condenser pointed where the neck meets the body, because I like a certain degree of string and finger noise – not too much, but just enough so the listener can determine when I’m sliding, hammering on or pulling off a note. I usually point the mic where the neck and body meet, rather than higher up between the12th and 15th frets, where most people do. I still get the harmonics, like I do on “Sourwood Ridge,” but they’re not pulled out to stand out. I like the larger-diaphragm microphone pointed at the bridge because that’s where the sound really resonates. I like to tap into as much of that as I can, to get the whole sound of the guitar without going into the sound hole.

What about picks and strings?

I use a pretty big thick pick, a triangular BlueChip TAD50 for quick economy of motion. I use Mapes strings, which is the oldest string company in the world. They’ve turned strings for everyone, including D’Addario. I use a special medium set of phosphor-bronze strings that Mapes makes for me, with gauges ranging from .012 to .056. To preserve them, they’re actually coated in East Tennessee moonshine. They come in a vacuum-sealed envelope with three sets. As for the recording itself, the set on every guitar was at least a month old, and the ones I used on the 1899 Martin single-ought were over two years old.

Where does that jewel sit in your overall collection?

I’ve got over a hundred vintage Martins in my collection and nothing is newer than 1968, which is the last full production year using Brazilian rosewood. Martin made about 1,959 of them, and there aren’t many spoken for now. They’ve been lost somewhere. On House of Axes, I played “Sourwood Ridge” in Drop D tuning on the ’68 D-28. That guitar is very special to me because it was my first Martin. My dad bought it for me when I was a young lad, and I recently gave it to my son Wayne for his 25th birthday. As for the 1899 single-ought, that’s an incredibly historic Herringbone, as is my main axe that I’ve been touring with for over 40 years, which is a 1941 D-28 Herringbone. I also have one from the year 2000, so I have three all-original Herringbone models from three centuries, which is pretty cool.

Can you speak to the significance of a Herringbone compared to, say, a standard Martin in style 28?

It signifies the herringbone binding around the front of the body, just like a herringbone necklace. Up the center of the back of the body is what they commonly call the “zipper stripe.” A Martin Herringbone is a very iconic and sought-after instrument. On a vintage Herringbone, each little piece is cut and set in there by hand, whereas today it’s just one long piece of binding. The luthiery workmanship on the originals is amazing, with pieces of light versus dark wood that gives that herringbone effect. My ’41 represents what collectors call the “true” Herringbone, which Martin only made from 1934 to 1944.

Martin did make Herringbones in ’45 and ’46, but they aren’t considered true Herringbones because they didn’t have scalloped bracing or snowflake inlays on the fretboard; they just had the dots of a standard style 28. There are lots of little significant things that set each century of Herringbone apart. They call the 2000 millennium issue an HD-28 Herringbone. That’s basically a new version of my ’41 Herringbone, which is like a full-sized version of the 1899 0-28 Herringbone.

You only played the two vintage Herringbones on House of Axes, correct?

Right. Other than the inclusion of a few makes and models that are significant to me – such as my father’s 1957 Silvertone that I used on “Little Brown Jug,” or a guitar that I endorsed at one point or another, such as the 1992 Mossman Texas Plains model on “White Horse Breakdown” and the 1997 Stelling RHD-125 on “Tom Rock Twist” – the acoustics on House of Axes were mainly chosen for their historical importance and rarity.

The 1948 D-28 I used on “Old Minor Joe” is one of 506 ever made. Tony Rice tried to buy that one off of me, but I’m a hard negotiator, and he didn’t get it! The gorgeous 2007 Martin D-41 Porter Wagoner Custom Signature that I used on “Southern Flavor” is number 24 of only 71 ever made. That was commissioned by Marty Stuart as a tribute to Porter, and it boasts both Marty’s and Porter’s signatures. The guitar on “Little Rosewood Casket” is one of only 176 Martin D-28s made in 1959 with an “E” designation, which stood for “electric” because it had a rudimentary pickup system onboard. The capo I used at the fourth fret is an old spring type that belonged to Lester Flatt.

My main Martin, the ’41 Herringbone, is one of 183 ever made, and she’s still doing good. I can get any sound I want out of that guitar. My friends sometimes call it the Old Bone, or the Killer. You can hear that on the first track, Norman Blake’s “Old Brown Case.” On most dreadnoughts you lose a lot of power and rear end once you get up past the sixth or seventh fret, especially on the first few strings, but notice how I’ll go all the way up to where the neck meets the body and those notes are still as prominent as the bass notes.

The 1899 single-ought Martin Herringbone is one of only 49 ever made, and mine is all original. It has etched keys on a notched headstock with downward-facing tuners. The tuners and bridge pins are made of real ivory, which is wild to even think about today. Martin dug up some information for me. It was ordered from a catalog and delivered by horse to the original owner.

Tell us how you managed to acquire it.

I bought it from the daughter of the original owner. I had an annual festival called Strictly Bluegrass, and we were in the Kentucky Derby Festival doing the Pegasus Parade through downtown Louisville promoting the event. We had a sign up with a little old prop guitar, just for a visual. I had put “THANKS” in masking tape on the back, to be like Ernest Tubb’s guitar. An elderly lady who was close to her nineties said, “Play me one there on that guitar.”

I said, “Honey, it’s just a prop guitar. It doesn’t even have strings on it.” She said, “I have one just about that size. It’s an Italian model, something like a Martini. My mother bought it new, and I’d just about give that to somebody if they’d play it.” Of course, my radar went off, and I got her number. It was very near my birthday, April 19th, almost 30 years ago. I made arrangements for my dad and I to go over there. She brought that thing out and I’d like to have fell in the floor.

I called a friend of mine with some measurements. He told me, “Make sure you do not leave that house without that guitar.” I said, “Name a price,” and when she did I told her, “Honey, that’s not enough money. That guitar is worth a lot more.” I tripled her offer and needless to say, I still got a heck of a deal.

What does it feel and sound like from a player’s perspective?

Amazingly, it’s a player’s guitar. A lot of the old parlor-type Martins weren’t up to today’s performance standard, but that one is. Because of the single-ought’s smaller body size measuring 13.5 inches wide at the bridge, it rides good under the arm and on the knee. It’s actually much larger than some of the smaller Martins of the era, and of course the single-ought eventually evolved into full-sized dreadnought D-28.

I like the different feel of the open headstock, and I appreciate having the tuning keys pointed down from its back, because if you need to reach up and make an adjustment, it’s right there where you can easily reach up with your left hand. Of course, it needs to be carefully placed in an appropriate case to avoid breaking the tuners, but otherwise, I don’t know why more guitars aren’t made like that. Anyway, it just feels and plays wonderful. Oddly enough, the neck feels a lot like a Gretsch 6120 [Chet Atkins] Hollow Body electric, which is a dream.

I’m honored and excited to put that guitar on House of Axes. I chose to play a song my paw-paw played, which is actually a mix-up of two old tunes: “Foggy Mountain Top/Lonesome Road Blues.” He never used picks; he was a two-finger player. I tried to play it just as close to the way he did, so I used my fingers. That alone speaks volumes in the guitar world, because the mics are set the same as for the other tracks played with a pick, and it holds up in terms of volume and clarity.

The tone is amazing, and to my knowledge this is the first time that guitar has ever been recorded. It is so rare they don’t even have one in the Martin Museum. They’ve tried every way to get that guitar from me. They’ve offered an undisclosed amount of money, and even other guitars, like the $50,000 Celtic Knot, but I’ve told them no go. I had to work really hard to get that guitar. It’s a holy grail.

Talk shop with Gary Brewer for a few minutes and one thing rings clear as a bell: There is rhyme and reason behind everything on his mind. And that mind is full of wisdom acquired over more than four decades playing bluegrass professionally, as well as know-how handed down from his dad and his grandfather, whose tenure in the original Carter Family band dates back to the early ’20s.

When GP went deep with Brewer on his new acoustic guitar concept project, House of Axes, he went into the weeds on playing with a pick. Here, we share his knowledge and advice on the subject.

Organic Issues

Real tortoiseshell picks were the thing back in the day, and I used to use them years and years ago. Not to make a funny out of it, but they’re “picky” from an environmental aspect – not just about the animal, but also from a playing perspective.

If it’s humid outside, by the time you play an evening concert they start catching and catching. They get to feeling rough on the wound strings, due to the humidity. The best time to use something [organic] like a tortoiseshell is in the wintertime or in a studio where you don’t have that environmental concern.

Thick Does the Trick on Acoustic

I use a very thick pick, and I’ve got a theory behind that too. A harder pick is a more economical choice, speed-wise. I play fairly aggressively, and if I bear down on a string with a heavy pick, I can move from one string to another very quickly and economically versus a pick that bends. That’s because once I strike the string aggressively with a thinner pick, it must straighten back out for me to strike it again. Then it bends again, and so on and so forth.

While this is happening, you get a whole lot of ticking sounds, and it’s virtually impossible to play a hard rhythm while staying solid with the pick, especially for me because I play rhythm and lead at the same time.

On the other hand, I can stay solid and even with a thick pick. I like the harder pick for that reason alone – an economy of motion – and it gives me more power than a softer pick. Back when I used a regular plectrum, D’Addario custom-made signature versions of their purple picks for me in several thicknesses, from 1.14mm to 1.40mm. But I switched picks about a decade ago.

Three Sides is Better Than One

For about the past decade I’ve been using triangular picks. I endorse the BlueChip TAD50, which is a big, thick tri-sided pick [1.25mm]. I use three-sided picks because if I start getting a little wear on one side, I’ll turn that pick in my hand to get the bite that I want from another tip. You’ve got two more choices with a tri-sided pick, so that’s ideal.

I do that regularly, right during the middle of the song. If you inspect the House of Axes videos I posted on my YouTube channel [Gary Brewer and the Kentucky Ramblers], you’ll see me flipping and turning that pick as I move from playing from one cluster of notes to another.

The Milk Carton Kids have grown to become perhaps the premier Americana folk guitar-and-vocal duo on the modern landscape, with iconic fans including Robert Plant and the late David Crosby. Now they’re using their position to cultivate a hip folk festival featuring a handpicked lineup of vital artists including Sierra Ferrell, Valerie June, David Garza, Tré Burt, Willie Watson (of the Old Crow Medicine Show), Haley Heynderickx and Waxahatchee.

The Kids have partnered with the L.A. Philharmonic to produce the Los Angeles Folk Festival at the Ford Theater over the first weekend in October. It will also serve as a hometown record release party for their adventurous new album, I Only See the Moon (Far Cry/Thirty Tigers).

Produced by Kenneth Pattengale, it finds the Kids expanding their tonal palette on a stellar song selection. In addition to their traditional dynamic, where Joey Ryan holds down the fort on a larger instrument while Pattengale colors on a parlor, they utilize a variety from Pattengale’s extensive collection of mostly vintage instruments, as well as new additions.

Pattengale adds textures on a David Crosby signature Martin 12-string, and Ryan plays banjo on the hypnotic “One True Love” and the bluegrass romp “When You’re Gone.” Both have also got brand-new Martins, including a 000-15 Pattengale has started playing when Ryan switches to banjo. When they do so, the Milk Carton Kids take a sonic step toward the Avett Brothers. At other times the added textural elements plus lush, melancholy vocals in epic songs such as “Wheels and Levers” and “North Country Ride” bring something more existential to mind, almost like a folky version of Radiohead.

Even though the album is mostly the two of them with a few overdubs, the sound is rich, full and varied. Some elements are obvious, such as Pattengale’s signature melodic flights and the string section on the haunting title track, but there are also lots of moments where the interplay is so seamless and the overdubs so woven into the fabric, that tunes become tapestries, and traditional roles become blurred in the bigger picture. All in all, the whole story is one of evolution.

Can you provide a current take on your dynamic as a guitar duo?

JOEY RYAN In the simplest terms, I’m the rhythm guitar player and he’s the lead guitar player. That’s what it feels like when we have a backing band. But as a duo, I don’t feel like a rhythm guitar player, because there is no outside rhythm I have to adhere to, and our dynamic becomes very fluid. We play with time a lot. We not only speed up and slow down within a song – sometimes it’s within a measure or a part of a measure. We stretch, push and pull the time. The freedom to do that is one of the great joys of being a duo.

KENNETH PATTENGALE After a dozen years, it’s pretty clear that those roles are always evolving. Before the pandemic, we spent a lifetime with ambitions, trying to build a career, worried about what the audience thought and trying to bring it. The first time we stood onstage together after we’d lost our job for a year and a half, I wasn’t worried about any of that. Interestingly, the minute that changed, everything from the music to the show and the connection between us got better. On the studio side, we decided that I would produce this album. I knew if I actually had the producer hat, I could bring some different things out of Joey, and he could focus on the artist role.

A big part of your sonic dynamic is the extended range, with Joey tuned down a step from standard and Kenneth higher up, often capoed. How did that come about?

RYAN Since you mentioned it, I’ll add that a more accurate way of describing my role is that I simply play the lower notes. We’re both establishing the rhythm in the conversation between the two of us. The way I got tuned down a whole step was literally an accident. I broke my knee when I was 22 and when they put tubes down my throat for the surgery, they scratched my vocal cords. I lost a lot of range off the top of my voice, so I started tuning down. I’ve played in a lower register ever since.

It turned out to be kind of a happy accident that led to the sonic spread between the two of our guitars. For 10 years I played a 1951 Gibson J-45, and it sounded great down there. I recently switched to a Martin DSS-17, which is also a soft-shouldered dreadnought, and that seems to be a key element in my sound.

PATTENGALE That J-45 is a funny instrument that is both amazing and completely deficient. We’ve known there was a brace loose inside forever, but we’ve been advised not to mess with it until it falls apart because there’s a good chance something else about the tone will change in the process of a major repair. When he strums, it sounds a bit thin and wobbly; when he fingerpicks, it sounds better. If captured the wrong way, there can be a harshness and significant string noise, but if captured the right way, that falls into the distance.

I’ve spent my life collecting guitars, and now all nearly 100 of them are at our studio in North Hollywood, where we made the record, so for this one we finally had the facility to pick and choose. For all but one of Joey’s guitar songs, he played the low-end rhythm on my 1932 Gibson L-00. I found that around 2015 when we did an in-store performance at Mark Stutman’s Folkway guitar shop in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. That ’32 L-00 was sitting in the corner. It was in bad shape, but it sounded amazing. The belly of the guitar underneath the bridge is swollen up by a half to three quarters of an inch.

Mark told me that the guitar was rescued from Hurricane Katrina. It had literally floated off into the Gulf of Mexico for a few weeks, and it wound up at a guitar show. Mark is an expert at fixing pre-war Gibsons, but kind of like Joey’s guitar, he didn’t want to touch it because it sounded so magical and had already endured so much. It still has barnacles inside! But for the sound of Joey’s low-tuned parts, it’s pure magic.

That model is also special to us because that’s what Joe Henry and Rodney Crowell use. They’re both incredible guitarists, and that tone, especially for their live shows, is unrivaled and something to which we’ve always aspired.

Is your stalwart 1955 Martin 0-15 still your main guitar on the new album?

PATTENGALE Yeah, that’s my jam. That guitar has been around since the beginning of our band. It’s what I’m known for, and the basis for my Martin signature model. I’ve collected seven or eight 0-15s from the early ’30s through the late ’50s, and I have several contemporary versions as well. One day I decided to string up an 0-15 with nylons to see what it would sound like. The funny thing is that if you tune it up a half step above standard, that little mahogany body comes to life. It’s totally crazy, and that became my secret weapon for the studio.

Joey played it for the rhythm on the last song, “Will You Remember Me?” and he’s capoed pretty far up the neck, so for the first time on our albums the rhythm is in a higher register on a nylon-string guitar. I used the nylon-string to add texture to the second-to-last song, “North Country Ride,” which has a lot of guitar on it. That song is meant to be like traveling to the other side and back, maybe to another plane of existence or another universe.

It’s nice to have the three-dimensionality of different textures in a wide sonic palette. The nylon is snuck in there to provide passing connective tissue counterpoint phrases that you really have to listen for, because that nylon-string sound is so warm, it fits in seamlessly. It’s a cool way to add melodic information without distracting the listener.

The outro solo on “North Country Road” is perhaps the most prominent guitar on the album, and that’s the steel-string, correct?

PATTENGALE The outro solo is definitely the 0-15 with steel strings, and we aimed at that as an important moment. If you make it that far into our album and you’re a fan of my guitar playing, you’re rewarded with a pretty classic Milk Carton Kids outro solo that takes its time and gets weird. It’s a proper love letter to a Martin guitar that’s now 80 years old. I feel like that recording makes it sound like you’re sitting in the best seat in the house.

The two banjo tunes bring a very obviously different element to the Milk Carton equation. How did that come about?

RYAN I fell in love with old-time banjo music about seven or eight years ago. We joke about old-time music as “acoustic techno” because it’s very repetitive and trancy. The banjo’s biggest influence is on my songwriting. I want the banjo songs to be more looping and repetitive because that’s what I like about them.

PATTENGALE When Joey fell in love with clawhammer banjo style, I bought him a custom banjo for his birthday.

RYAN J. Romero Banjos is operated by Jason and Pharis Romero up in Horsefly, British Columbia, and they build about five very beautiful banjos a year. The one that I designed with them is a five-string with a sound that goes beyond warm. It’s as dark as a banjo can be. The visual aesthetic matches. The wood is all very dark and the metal is a stained brass color. It’s also stark. There’s no embellishment whatsoever. It looks like a master craftsman could have been built it a hundred years ago.

PATTENGALE When Joey plays the banjo, my 0-15 doesn’t hold down the bottom end in a satisfying way. The perfect prescription would be a Martin 000-18, and that was the one guitar missing from my collection. I’ve never been able to pull the trigger on a vintage one because my good friend Julian Lage has a 1941 000-18 that’s maybe the best guitar I’ve ever played and heard, and none I tried measured up to his. But for this utilitarian situation where the banjo is the star of the show, I found that a brand-new Martin 000-18 right off the rack had enough dimension, clarity and low end to carry the track.

Are there any other new guitar voices in the mix?

PATTENGALE I thought a 12-string would be an interesting voice, because I’ve always loved the sound, and there’s a deep tradition of 12-string guitar in American folk music from the Everly Brothers to Paul Simon to David Crosby. I didn’t have a good one of those either, and Fred Greene at Martin sent me a David Crosby signature model that they had at headquarters as an office guitar. It sounds so cool. It’s got that magic that comes from having 12 frets to the body. It’s all over the new record and remains one of my favorite guitars to play.

Did either of you ever meet or play with Crosby?

RYAN I was working as creative director on the radio show Live From Here with Chris Thile as the host and Crosby as a guest. Crosby, Stills & Nash might be the band that I’ve listened to the most in my life. To sit around and hear him rehearsing was… I was a little too starstruck to even talk to him at first, but when I introduced myself, he said that he liked our band. It was validating, and so memorable to spend the day with him. There he was with his red beanie on at about age 80, and he sounded every bit as good as on the records. It was the sound of a different generation, but still absolutely amazing. It’s tragic he’s not around anymore. We definitely would have aggressively tried to convince him to come do a song unannounced at the festival.

What was the plan from the get-go?

RYAN We made a dream list of the ideal bill for a Los Angeles folk festival, and I can’t believe how well it worked out. We got eight of the people that were at the top of our list for what we believe is a vital representation of American folk music in 2023.

PATTENGALE We’re insanely lucky that the L.A. Phil was willing to come onboard as a production partner. To have that voice helping us find an audience is unparalleled, and they’ve been incredible in their deference to our ambition for this idea. We have huge esteem for the folk festivals that define very specific musical communities in our country, such as Newport and Philadelphia, and the Canadian folk festivals as well. We haven’t had that in Los Angeles. But we didn’t want to be all arrogant, like, “Here’s a massive folk festival in Los Angeles because we’re L.A. and we have big things. Pay attention because this is serious.” We wanted to plant a small seed in a little part of the community that we know, and see how it grows.

The coolest thing about our job in our community is seeing a next-generation artist grow into something that hasn’t happened in music. A perfect example is our Saturday night headliner, Sierra Ferrell. Vocally, she’s like the reincarnation of Patsy Cline, and she’s a good guitar player, but she’s also an unapologetic stoner and circus-like performer with a hilarious sense of humor and a stage presence unlike anybody you’ve ever known. For us it’s like, Here’s a water cooler that we can gather around. Let’s check out what’s pulling us into the future.

So rather than trying to pull out all the legacy artists and fill up the Hollywood Bowl, we found a smaller venue where we can book people on the verge of setting the next tone. We’re trying to throw a little party that in no way encapsulates the whole thing, but gives a little taste of what we believe will continue to establish itself as important music.

RYAN Tré Burt, for example, is one of the great songwriters working today, and he’s just getting started. I don’t say that lightly.

PATTENGALE Joey and I have had colleagues over the past 10 years that aren’t half as successful as us, but are 10 times more talented. If the gods were just, these artists would have much bigger audiences. We’ve learned that success in our business has very little relation to making moving, emotionally meaningful music. It’s important to do any work within your musical community to help connect people that are making meaningful music to audiences that will receive it.

As far as we’re concerned, it’s not a good deed; it’s not for anybody else. It’s the reason that we’re on Earth. If we’ve devoted ourselves to a life of music and those are the rules, then there’s good reason for us to spend a lot of time trying to connect the dots between music that means a lot to us and an appreciative audience. That’s time well spent.

Since the mid-20th century, Guild flat-tops have been renowned as some of the best American-built instruments of their type. Celebrating its 70th anniversary this year, the firm has just unveiled the new U.S.-made Standard Series models, including the vintage-inspired D-40 and D-50 dreadnoughts, and F-40 jumbo.

Introduced during Guild’s earliest days as the “Valencia F 40,” the 16-inch-wide, maple-bodied F-40 jumbo was discontinued in 1963 along with the similarly shaped Bluegrass model. This mahogany-bodied acoustic guitar was effectively replaced by the Bluegrass F-47 the following year. It’s larger sibling, the Navarre F-48, was concurrently manufactured during the ‘70s and is, Guild says, the “predecessor” of its new 17 1/4-inch Standard Series F-40.

Priced $3,125 ($2,499 street) with a Pacific Sunset Burst finish and $3,000 ($2,399 street) with a Natural finish, the Guild F-40 Standard features a Sitka spruce top along with an African mahogany back and sides, combined with forward-shifted, scalloped Adirondack spruce bracing. An Indian rosewood fingerboard and bridge, tortoiseshell pickguard, and Guild Deluxe Vintage open gear tuners complete this acoustic guitar’s classic look.

The Bluegrass Jubilee D-40 and Bluegrass Special D-50 debuted in the 1964 catalog and were billed as “Guild’s improved version of the popular dreadnaught guitar – with a pure, robust tone to add dimension to any performance.” While both models feature spruce tops, the D-40 was constructed using mahogany while the D-50 boasts a rosewood back and sides.

Although these vintage Guild dreadnoughts changed in appearance over the decades-long course of their production, the company says the new D-40 and D-50 Standard instruments, “reflect the best attributes of legacy D-40 and D-50 models while adding modern refinements in design, playability and construction.”

As per the F-40 Standard, the new mahogany D-40 and rosewood D-50 Standard dreadnoughts are available in sunburst and natural finishes that showcase Guild’s new Vintage Gloss nitrocellulose lacquer. This hand-sprayed process provides instruments with a worn-in feel that “highlights the natural beauty of the tonewoods.”

The D-40 is priced the same as the F-40 (see above) while the D-50 comes in a little more expensive at $3,625 ($2,899 street) for an Antique Burst model and $3500 ($2,799 street) in Natural.

Made in California, all of Guild’s new Standard Series acoustics ship with a hard case and signed/numbered certificate of authenticity.

Visit Guild for more information.

Jason Isbell is no stranger to a great guitar, and in Gibson TV’s new episode of The Collection the four-time Grammy Award winner gives host and Director of Brand Experience at Gibson, Mark Agnesi, a close look at his hoard of six-string treasures.

“Jason’s episode of The Collection is possibly my favorite episode of the show to date,” says Agnesi. “I see him as more of a guitar curator than a guitar collector. Every guitar in his collection is there for a reason and helps him tell a musical story.”

From his formative musical days to his current approach as one of the guitar world’s leading players, Isbell shares stories and gives insights with an intimate tour of his extensive cache of classic instruments.

Recalling his memories of being a guitar-obsessed teenager, Isbell says: “I stopped playing sports in school and just played the guitar all the time. And so any time I had any money (when I was 16 I worked at Walmart pushing buggies) I spent it all on Chandler Tube Drivers and Cry Baby [wah wahs] and all that kind of stuff.”

Since then, Isbell as amassed an impressive collection of vintage guitars that would “make any guitar nerd jealous.” And though they may be rare, collectible pieces they are also the guitarist’s tools of the trade – instruments he takes out on the road to perform with.

Making up this stockpile of Holy Grail axes are a bunch of incredible vintage Gibsons, including a ‘64 Firebird III, ‘61 Les Paul SG Standard, ‘56 Les Paul TV Special Tenor, ‘61 ES-335TD, ‘46 Gibson J-45, ‘60 Les Paul Custom, ‘53 Les Paul Goldtop, ‘59 Les Paul Standard “Red Eye” and 2019 Custom Shop “Red Eye” Replica.

“Two pickups and that middle position – that’s the magic thing for me, because you’ve got so much versatility,” says Isbell cradling his famous ’59 ‘Burst. “If you’ve got good, old pots and your wiring harness works like it should then you can get a lot of different tones.”

Of course, Isbell’s world-class collection doesn’t just end there. He also gives us a look at a ‘34 Martin 000-28, ‘65 Fender Telecaster, ‘58 Fender Stratocaster, ‘53 Blackguard Fender Telecaster, ‘60 Fender Stratocaster, ‘30s National Style 3, 70s Gretsch White Falcon, and a ‘59 Gretsch 6131 Jet Fire Bird.

This year sees the tenth anniversary of Isbell’s landmark album Southeastern and on September 29, a “reimagined and reamplified” edition is set for release via Southeastern Records/Thirty Tigers.

In addition to a remastered LP, this special ten-year anniversary reissue appears as 3CD and 4LP Deluxe box sets. A selection of Southeastern apparel is also available.

Catch Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit on tour now.

Overdubbing multiple rhythm guitars – called layering – is a common technique for producing a bigger sound. 

But is that invariably the case? 

There’s more than one way to layer guitars, and these five tips will help you choose the right approach.

1. Do No Harm

Some guitarists reflexively layer guitars, but don’t ask themselves whether it’s really necessary. 

A friend, Avid’s Mark Williams, once said, “As soon as you put on that second guitar part, you’re going in the wrong direction.” 

That’s not always true, but I know what he means. A single guitar part has definition, and can stand out in a track as a distinct sound. Layers are more indistinct, as the additional parts can “step on” each other.

Sure, there are situations where layering is great, but Jimi Hendrix almost never layered – except for doing overdubs as sort of counterpoint lines. One guitar part said what needed to be said. So if a part doesn’t need to be layered, don’t.

2. Go Small

Paradoxically, layering can actually provide “smaller” sounds that sit better in the background – particularly with power chords. To do this, layer by overdubbing the same sound, using the same guitar, and panned to the same position. 

The parts will tend to blur into more of a texture, and, if mixed at moderate levels, that texture will sit in a track as a more background than foreground part. 

To place the part even further back, roll off the highs a bit for warmth, and pull back a little on the low end to leave more room for the bass and kick drum to give the textured part its own sonic space.

3. Churn It Up

Taking the aforementioned “small” approach, you can mix the guitar tracks up, and not roll back highs and lows, if there aren’t a lot of other instruments playing. This gives you a full, churning sound. 

Check out Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols for a great example of how this kind of layering can drive a song when mixed high.

4. Go Big

For this, set up different layered sounds – like splitting a guitar into two cabs, miking each one separately, and then panning them opposite of each other (of course, this is very easy to do in the virtual world with amp sims). 

Layering in this manner preserves the distinct nature of each sound, and lets them stand on their own – yet the two parts will multiply into something bigger. 

Often, when mixing with other instruments – such as a piano – I’ll pan one amp cab left and the other to center, with the left piano panned center and right piano panned right. This makes for a big, distinct soundstage.

5. Celebrate Differences

If you really want to push a chorus, don’t reach for another overdub of fuzzed-out power chords. Instead, grab an acoustic guitar and layer it instead. 

The percussive, bright nature of the acoustic will serve as a perfect complement to the distorted power chord sludge. 

Combining clean acoustic and distorted electric guitars worked for Led Zeppelin, and it can work for you, too.

Every acoustic guitar builder has their flagship model – the instrument that embodies a pinnacle of craftsmanship. The Martin D-45, Gibson J-200, and Epiphone Excellente, for example, have all enjoyed their place at the top of the tree at one time or another. And for Guild, it was their masterfully built D-55 that topped the pricelist when it appeared in the late ‘60s.

Debuting in 1968, the D-55 remained a custom-order instrument until the mid ‘70s when it entered regular production due to demand. Also known as the TV Model, it was endorsed by Thomas Smothers of Smothers Brothers fame and featured prominently in their popular television appearances.

During the ‘60s and ‘70s, 6- and 12-string Guild acoustics were seen in the hands of top performers the world over. The firm rose to prominence around this time having formed in the early ‘50s in New York. In the wake of Epiphone’s exodus, skilled ex-employees found a new home building archtops, though Guild’s focus soon shifted to flat-tops.

Celebrating their platinum anniversary, Guild’s new GSR D-55 70th Anniversary Limited run comprises just 70 instruments. Overseen by Guild Master Luthier Chuck Sanzone, each guitar has been specially numbered and appears with a signed certificate of authenticity.

Constructed using premium Madagascar rosewood and Adirondack spruce and put together using traditional hide glue, this 16-inch-wide dreadnought-style guitar features scalloped X-bracing for a rich, room-filling tone that harks back to those top-notch flat-tops of yesteryear.

The GSR D-55 70th Anniversary Limited’s neck is made using mahogany with a walnut center strip, adding great stability while enhancing looks. With a 25 5/8-inch scale length, the instrument boasts a comfortable C-profile neck along with an ample 1 11/16-inch nut width.

A 12-inch radius ebony fretboard sports large mother-of-pearl/abalone inlays, matching the guitar’s top-drawer abalone soundhole rosette and top purfling and mother-of-pearl Guild Peak and G-shield headstock inlays.

Fitted with gold Gotoh open-gear tuners and hand-finished in a gloss nitrocellulose lacquer, this gorgeous guitar comes set up with D’Addario EXP16 Coated Phosphor Bronze Light (.012 - .053) strings and ships with a Guild premium humidified archtop wood case.

Visit Guild for more information.

The acoustic performance highlight at this past April’s NAMM Show was a stellar showcase by Santa Cruz Guitar Company signature artist Catfish Keith and his dynamic approach to primal blues. It was somewhat surreal to watch him coax sky-high harmonics from a low-tuned, parlor-sized instrument as his feet kept a heartbeat on his “stomping board,” all while he belted out guttural vocals from the Marriott stage.

Here was a rural roots artist from Iowa performing to a primarily rock crowd in the shadows of Disneyland, re-imagining tunes such as “Stomp That Thing,” which according the liner notes from Keith’s latest album, Still I Long to Roam (Fish Tail Records), was first laid down by Memphis guitar pioneer Frank Stokes nearly a century ago. Killer musicianship is timeless, and Catfish Keith’s technical virtuosity had all the player junkies hooked.

Catfish has copious licks in his bag of tricks. He’s a slide ace who makes a resonator sing, as well as a deft fingerstylist who knows the tradition inside and out. What’s so cool about Keith is how he furthers traditions by breaking new ground in an old-time context. The aforementioned harmonics might first bring to mind traditional greats such as Lenny Breau, Chet Atkins and Tommy Emmanuel.

But as Catfish explains later, his original inspiration goes all the way back to Harpo Marx, and the way he conjures “skank harmonics” is more akin to the squeals of Billy Gibbons, Eddie Van Halen and Zakk Wylde. His understanding of the guitar idiom is encyclopedic. You’d be hard pressed to find a player that knows more about music from the way back to the right now.

This is clearly not nearly Catfish Keith’s first rodeo. Keith Daniel Kozacik was born in East Chicago, Indiana, just over six decades ago, and was inducted into the Iowa Blues Hall of Fame in 2008. A tried-and-true DYI guy, he has 21 albums under his belt on Fish Tail Records, the label headed by his wife, Penny Cahill.

Santa Cruz Guitar Company introduced its custom 1929 O model Catfish Special in 2018. In addition to the formerly mentioned tunes from the new album, “the little guitar with the giant voice” sings distinctively on Keith’s “Cherry Red,” Mississippi John Hurt’s “Louis Collins,” Professor Longhair’s “Go to the Mardi Gras,” the Mississippi Sheiks’ “Bed Spring Poker,” Blind Willie Johnson’s “When the War Was On” and Tommy Johnson’s “Cool Drink of Water.”

Keith has been a regular at the NAMM Show for many moons, and in the years leading up to the pandemic he could regularly be caught at the SCGC house party. I’ll never forget meeting him there just as he’d gotten his dream signature guitar crafted by Richard Hoover and company. When I asked Keith if I could play his new baby, he quickly replied, “No,” and held it close to his body. For a man who’d worked so hard and long, the guitar was understandably too precious to pass around at what was becoming a raucous party rather than a subdued folk house affair.

It was good to see the Santa Cruz gang back in Anaheim this year, and fortunate that they brought Keith. When GP dropped by the house to see if anything was happening, everyone was out to dinner except Penny and Catfish, who had already rustled up some vittles. It was the perfect opportunity for a deep dive with Keith, who was kind enough to offer up leftovers and a beer from the fridge as the conversation turned from casual to shop talk.

How did you develop a contemporary approach to primitive music?

I am definitely a modern student of all guitar that’s come along. What captured me early on was the one-guitar-as-orchestra kind of approach, where you’re playing bass, melody, harmony, counterpoint and all sorts of ideas within the song structure. I’m talking about players like Ali Farka Touré, John Lee Hooker, R.L. Burnside and Fred McDowell. It all goes back to that Mississippi Hill Country sound, so it’s a modal thing at its most basic, but also its most effective.

Modern guitar techniques came along that were not used in old-time country blues, but I’ll use them in a song like Jessie Mae Hemphill’s “Eagle Bird” that you heard me play today in my own re-imagined way. I took her song and wrote my own song, really. [Hemphill’s tune also inspired “Eagle Birds” by the Black Keys.] The structure is a modal, one-chord thing, but it’s both the easiest and most difficult song in the world for me to play. The notes are very simple, but then there’s the depth of sound coming from the deep-tuned guitar as well as chiming harmonics.

Hawaiian players and some jazz guys, particularly Lenny Breau, influence the kind of harmonics that I try to play, and there was a solo jazz performer named David Winters that I remember seeing when I was just a kid. He would play a whole chorus of a song like “Autumn Leaves” in fingerstyle, and then he’d play a whole chorus all in harmonics. It blew my mind. There was the sound of the harmonics and that they could be used to make every note happen. So I studied how to create harmonics, gathering techniques from a lot of places, including Harpo Marx. [laughs]

Really? Lenny Breau is probably the primary point of reference from a guitar standpoint. Can you elaborate?

Well, Lenny Breau did the whole cascading thing, and that might use different elements, but oddly enough Harpo Marx is the first guy, because it’s originally a harp technique. Harpo Marx used it in a Marx Brothers movie where he played a whole chorus in harmonics. You start with a deep note and then split it in half. He didn’t have the advantage of fretting the lower notes the way I do on a guitar, but it’s basically a simple version of the same thing, just splitting the note in half, even if the string is fretted.

What exactly do you mean by “splitting the note in half”?

Well, there’s the first octave harmonic, then there’s the second octave harmonic, and then there’s all the other stuff way up in that region that I call “skank harmonics.” If you fret the G string at the second fret to establish the deep note, then you get the first octave harmonic by placing your index finger lightly on the same string over the 14th fret and plucking behind it with your thumb. That’s a very specific spot, but there are a whole bunch of other kinds.

You can play the second octave of the low A by using the same technique up higher on the fretboard somewhere over the sound hole. And all around that spot is a whole world of “skank harmonics.” I essentially place them with the index finger and pluck up with my thumb or middle finger behind it. It’s complex. There’s a whole lot of technique happening up there that I’m not even conscious of when I’m playing.

It seems that what you call “skank harmonics” is akin to the pick squeal technique associated with Eddie Van Halen, Billy Gibbons and Zakk Wylde.

Right. It’s related to the stuff you hear on Van Halen, ZZ Top and Ozzy Osbourne songs, except they’re doing it with a pick and I’m doing it with my thumb and first finger. You end up getting some approximated things, but it’s a cool sound and a way of extending the range of the acoustic guitar. I tune down a full step, so my lower notes are a bit lower than usual, and then by going up into the second octave range of the harmonics, the total range is more like a piano.

Doesn’t it seem like a 12-fret acoustic opens up all sorts of harmonics in that sound hole–to-bridge zone while making it much easier to bend the notes as well?

Yeah, it seems to make a big difference. My signature Santa Cruz is 12 frets to the body, and it really helps make that stuff come alive. It’s been a wonderful tool for me because of my history developing this style mostly on a Gibson Nick Lucas, the earliest version, like an L1. It was a 12-fret with what Roy Book Binder calls a “peanut shape.”

My first experience with a Santa Cruz guitar was around 2010 at MerleFest. It was a 13-fret [H13], and I was attracted to it very much because it was a beautiful guitar that was kind of like an old [Gibson] Nick Lucas. So it makes sense that a few guitars later we’d arrive at this design with Richard at Santa Cruz.

How did you connect?

It was at NAMM. I was with National Reso-Phonic, and their booth was always near the Santa Cruz booth. I still play Nationals quite a bit, and you can hear them on a few tracks from Still I Long to Roam. That’s a National resonator on “I’m a Wanderer, Fare Thee Well,” and the custom National Baritone Estralia – what I call my Sister Rosetta Tharpe guitar – on “He’ll Understand and Say Well Done.” There’s also a National Exploding Palm Baritone Tricone on the bottleneck slide showcase “Sewing Machine Blues.” Harmonics work well on Nationals as well because they’re like guitars with built-in speakers.

Anyhow, Penny and I were at the NAMM Show. We loved Richard and were always impressed by his instruments. She noticed the Don Edwards model [the Cowboy Singer], which was a small guitar made of all mahogany. That led to my signature model being made of a very unique mahogany that’s a bit less mid-rangey than most mahogany.

I instinctively went toward a small-bodied guitar with 12 frets to the body with that short scale length, because the response is just the way you described it, of having these harmonic zones that are easy to chime, especially when I detune. Sometimes I drop the lowest string, so it ends up being drop C. Sometimes I’ll go with some mysterious detuning.

That takes the already bend-y strings and makes them practically like rubber bands.

Yeah, I love to bend and get as much movement as I can way down in the low end and way up in the harmonic range. The idea is to get the most juice out of the guitar. When I’m handed a guitar tuned to standard pitch, the strings feel tight and I have trouble bending them.

Are your nails acrylics?

No, I use fake nails on the thumb and first two fingers, but they’re the plastic stick-on kind. Well, actually they’re glued on with Super Glue. They last for about a week before I need to change them. I wouldn’t be able to pull off the whole style I’ve invented without using those nails.

At what point did you understand what sort of style you wanted to develop?

I’ve been on the same quest since about age 10. By about age 15, I knew that I wanted to be a solo fingerstylist. It came to me as kind of a vision.

At age 10, most guitar kids want to be a rock star, like Eddie Van Halen.

I wanted to be Leo Kottke.

You stick your thumb way out hitchhiker-style like Leo.

Yeah, and I do a whole lot of things with the thumb in the bass that are sort of like pulling through the string as you pluck it, and then really rattling the note back and forth with the fretting hand. It’s very wild and springy sounding. Joseph Spence was one of the players that tickled me the most in that sense. He’d play such beautiful, syncopated things, and there’s so much happiness in that music. You can hear him chortling and sort of laughing at himself almost. But you can tell it was pure joy.

When people say, “Oh, the sad old blues,” I say, “What are you talking about?” The whole world of life is in that music. Sister Rosetta Tharpe put all of her ebullience into her fun little virtuosic flurries. She was so cool. She used to look up at the sky when she sang, like looking toward heaven. A lot of people loved her, and I do too. I had such fun putting my spin on her song “He’ll Understand and Say Well Done.” There’s such a treasure trove of songs to mine. I still find endless inspiration in ancient blues. There are still at least a hundred songs I’d like to record in my own style.

What keeps you coming back?

I’m engrossed in how deep the culture of blues music goes, and how powerful a cat can be when it’s just one person with a guitar. How much magic is in that? There is so much. Everybody that picks up a guitar, you just reinvented the guitar. You don’t know it, but you do it just by putting your hands on it and coming up with something. And so in that sense, it’s the most re-inventible instrument. You can put anything into a guitar. It’s a wonderful world.

It doesn’t happen often, but every once in a while, Sadler Vaden feels like his guitar playing needs a bit of a recharge. Not that he’s ever at a loss for opportunities to play. Between his main gig as lead guitarist with Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit and a burgeoning solo career, the Grammy-winning musician happily notes that his dance card is usually full. Even so, he occasionally notices that some of his licks need a little sprucing up.

“It happens to everybody,” Vaden says. “I was talking to Butch Walker the other day, and he was like, ‘I feel like I’m playing the same licks for years.’”

One of Vaden’s tricks to shake off the cobwebs involves learning the solo of a song he loves but has never attempted to play before. “A couple of weeks ago, I started doing that with ‘Kid Charlemagne’ by Steely Dan,” he reveals. “I’ve been crazy about the song since forever, so I said, ‘It’s finally time I learned that solo.’ I haven’t gotten to the end yet, but I feel like it’s already opened my brain a bit. I had a gig the other night, and I was slipping little things from Larry Carlton’s soloing into what I was doing. Sometimes you have to force your mind into going new places – and your fingers will follow.”

He has other helpful suggestions as well, like knowing when to put the guitar down. “There are times when you come to a brick wall,” he says. “Your first instinct is to try to smash through it, but sometimes the best option is to look for a way around it, and the answer isn’t always obvious. Allow yourself a moment to assess and reflect.”

1. Play Things You Know on Acoustic Guitar

“This tip is for electric guitar players, of course. If you have things you know – solos, riffs, what have you – try playing them on an acoustic guitar. Right away, you’ll spot some weaknesses in your style and ability. It’ll improve your chops, as in your facility on the fretboard, as well as your timing.

“Playing the electric is fun, no doubt, but we tend to hide behind the power of the amp and our effects pedals. It’s like, ‘Okay, I can play this part a little sloppy. Nobody will notice.’ But guess what? When you get in a studio situation, a producer or engineer will notice. You might be asked to play a part clean, without a loud amp or distortion, and if you’re not articulating a passage precisely, you’ll get some comments you might not want to hear.”

2. Put the Guitar Down

“I’ve said this on some podcasts, and people were like, ‘What’s this guy talking about? That doesn’t make any sense!’ But I’ll say it again: Put the guitar down for a while. Stop playing, stop practicing. Whether it’s a few days, a week, two weeks even. Just give yourself a break already. It won’t be the end of the world, trust me.

“I do it all the time. I’ll come off tour and the last thing I want to do is play the guitar. I need to let my brain take in other information. I want to take in some regular life again. Since I’ve played professionally, the longest I’ve gone without playing is probably two weeks, and at that point I feel like I really want to play again.

“Sometimes I have to get back into it and make my fingers do what I want them to – my muscle memory is gone a little bit. But I find that it helps me. I feel fresh and excited again, and I’m not playing those same patterns.”

3. Work on the Sound of Your Amp Before You Use Pedals

“I’ve seen guitarists get all their pedals going before they’ve even played a note through an amp. That strikes me as counterintuitive. Pedals should enhance a sound that’s already good; they shouldn’t have to mask a problem. It’s like southern barbecue: My favorite barbecue doesn’t need any sauce; if I put sauce on it, it’s because I want to make something good a little better.

“There are singular players like The Edge. The way he uses pedals is part of his art, and it’s a large part of U2’s sound. He’s a very special type of player, though, and I’ve heard him rock out without effects. He knows how to get it going just fine.

“For practically everybody else, though, I would say try to get a really good sound with just your guitar and amp. Pedals shouldn’t be your first go-to. If you’re looking for some power, get it out of your amp’s gain before you go stomping on distortion pedals. I used to be an offender. I thought my pedals were everything. Once I started working with people in studios, I found that pedals sometimes made my sound seem smaller.

“Dialing up a really nice full sound with just my amp gave me something good to work with. That’s the other thing: If you’re playing a part and it’s not happening, maybe you need to work on that part a little more – a pedal won’t improve it.”

4. Learn to Play Vocal Lines

“Let’s face it: Guitarists are enamored of solos and riffs. It’s all we play, and it becomes our vocabulary. But something I’ve found that really helps is when I learn how to play vocal lines of songs. There’s just certain things the human voice can do that an instrument can’t. It’s almost like another language.

“I stumbled onto this about five years ago and found it allowed me to get out of a rut. It opened me up melodically and sonically, but I think it helped my compositional abilities, too. If you can see where the vocal melody lives inside a scale, then you’re thinking differently. Maybe you can come up with different chord inversions to work under the vocal. It’s just a really good practice to get into.”

5. Learn Songs That Are Rhythmic

“Rhythm guitar is an often neglected and maligned aspect of playing. It’s a great idea to learn songs in which the lead lines are rhythmic riffs instead of lead lines. I’m talking ‘Substitute’ by the Who, ‘All Right Now’ by Free, ‘What I Like About You’ by the Romantics or Bachman-Turner Overdrive’s ‘Let it Ride.’ Rhythm guitar is the bedrock of everything. If you can play great rhythm guitar, you’re going to be a real asset in a band.

“I’m always working on my rhythm playing. Sometimes I’m like, ‘Man, I’m ahead of the beat!’ Other times, I feel like I’m dragging. I don’t know if you ever master it. To me, it’s a constant work in progress. Live, I take plenty of solos, but I also love to just hold down the rhythm. When you’re not playing solos, you should think of the guitar as part of the rhythm section with the bass and drums.

“In a studio, this is key. I’ve been in situations where someone didn’t nail the rhythm part, and it’s like, ‘We’re going to have to redo that.’ John Lennon knew how to play rhythm – talk about an underrated player. George Harrison, too. And Pete Townshend, obviously – one of the best. Keith Richards! He’s one of the most well-known and respected players of all time. He’s a legend, and he’s a rhythm player. He doesn’t even need all the strings. Take a cue from those guys and get your rhythm going.”

Unless you habitually peruse the dusty corners of acoustic-guitar specialty shops in search of petite-bodied parlor guitars from yesteryear, you might not know the name Lyon & Healy. But the brand was once one of the most prominent American guitar makers, and for a time it was a central fixture in Chicago’s massive instrument-manufacturing scene.

It was also one of the best when judged by its upper-level flattops of the early 20th century. In terms of both build quality and presentation-grade ornamentation, the 1920s Lyon & Healy auditorium model featured here could have given Martin’s 00-45 of the era a run for its money, although it arguably wasn’t put together with quite the same depth of craftsmanship, nor has it attained a comparable status over the past 100 years.

George W. Lyon was a long-term employee of Boston’s Ditson Company, a music publisher that also dealt in musical instruments, which was a common practice in the day and for many decades after. Ditson partnered Lyon with the younger Patrick Healy and sent the pair west to Chicago in 1864 to establish what would initially be another Ditson outlet. Lyon & Healy eventually built the enterprise into much more than that, even overtaking their original employer in scope and market reach.

Among the better-known creations from Lyon & Healy are Washburn guitars, originally branded “George Washburn,” using Lyon’s first two names. Many early 1900s Washburns were virtually interchangeable with the other guitars that Lyon & Healy manufactured and distributed. While all Washburn guitars of the day were made by Lyon & Healy, not all Lyon & Healy guitars carried the Washburn brand. The distinction can be confusing, and as far as we know the guitars were never sold to the public as Lyon & Healy models, either.

This guitar, while clearly a Lyon & Healy creation, carries no Washburn branding or markings, such as an interior label, or the logo of a belt emblazoned with “George Washburn” encircling a tiny guitar, as usually found stamped onto the center back brace beneath the sound hole.

Lyon & Healy opened a large factory in the early 1880s, where they made guitars, banjos, mandolins, harps, zithers and other stringed instruments. The company grew rapidly through both a network of retail outlets and mail-order distribution of its more affordable models. George W. Lyon, by then in his late 60s, retired in 1889 and passed away five years later.

Healy pressed on, and the company continued to go from strength to strength for the next few decades, passing into the hands of his sons and other management personnel after Healy’s death, in 1905.

Lyon & Healy guitars from after the turn of the century range broadly in quality, construction, ornamentation and price. Like many manufacturers, the company resorted to marketing more affordable instruments during World War I to keep the line afloat. Some of the best flattop guitars of Lyon & Healy/Washburn’s history arrived in the decade following the war’s end, when they were designed to carry steel strings instead of gut, and delivered the bolder, crisper tone that went along with it.

While many of the company’s lower-priced guitars were made with lesser woods and the parallel bracing that had been standard through most of the industry, its upper-tier models were different beasts entirely.

Although factory made, most of the more expensive Lyon & Healy-built guitars of the post-WWI period used X-bracing, which was only becoming prevalent at Martin in the 1920s, even though founder C.F. Martin had invented the technique around 1842 and used it on some of his early gut-string guitars.

They also employed tonewoods as fine as any used throughout the industry. The auditorium model pictured here has not only X-bracing but also a solid spruce top and solid Brazilian rosewood back and sides. And, while many student-level Lyon & Healy guitars carried trapeze tailpieces and rudimentary bridges (which minimized stress on less-robustly made tops), this model has a glued-down ebony pin bridge of the type reserved for higher-quality guitars in its day.

For all this constructional virtue, however, it’s the prominent bling that usually catches vintage-guitar fans’ eyes today. Lyon & Healy guitars displayed glitzy and complex inlays, in patterns and degrees that often seemed to evolve at the whims of the craftspeople who assembled them.

This 1920s auditorium model is no slouch, with a broad mother-of-pearl inlay that runs between parallel lines of diagonal-check purfling around the perimeter of the top, and ornate fleurs for position markers. Even more unusual than this, though, is the colored-wood purfling that rings the guitar’s sides just below both the top and back binding, something you don’t often see other than on the most elaborate presentation guitars.

In the late 1920s, the huge Chicago wholesaler Tonk Brothers bought out both Lyon & Healy and the rights to the Washburn brand name, and soon after all the guitars bearing these names were made by Regal, another major Chicago manufacturer.

The production of Washburn-branded guitars ceased during World War II, and after passing through the hands of several owners, the name was revived in a more lasting fashion in the 1980s.

For the past several decades, both Washburn acoustic and electric guitars have been produced mostly overseas, with a few special runs emanating from American manufacturers. Lyon & Healy still exists today as a Chicago-based distributor of several brands in the musical instrument industry.

Essential Ingredients

• Solid spruce top with X bracing
• Solid Brazilian rosewood back and sides
• Elaborate decorative inlays
• 12-fret neck with slotted headstock

Check out any high-end boutique guitar with a rosewood fretboard and there’s a good chance the specs will boast about using Brazilian rosewood – and if not, there’s often an expensive option to upgrade to it.

On acoustic flat-top guitars, Brazilian rosewood is also frequently the epitome of tonewood options for the back and sides. 

For many players, this particular species of South American hardwood has long been seen as the pièce de résistance of fingerboard and acoustic body woods, considered superior in both looks and tone to other varieties of rosewood. Indeed, some players wouldn’t play anything else.

But is Brazilian rosewood really all that?

Part of Brazilian rosewood’s mystique comes from the fact that it was widely used in many of the best vintage acoustic and electric guitars up until the late ’60s. Check out your ’59 Gibson Les Paul, ’62 Fender Stratocaster, or ’48 Martin 000-28, and the electrics’ fretboards and the acoustic’s back and sides will be made from this prized timber. 

Throughout the first half of the last century this hardwood (botanical name Dalbergia nigra), while still considered exotic and desirable, was relatively plentiful due to rampant harvesting of the Brazilian coastal forests. Supplies grew extremely thin in the late 1960s, however, and Martin and others stopped using Brazilian rosewood in 1969, moving over to Indian rosewood, then other varieties. 

In 1992, Brazilian rosewood was added to the CITES treaty, strictly banning its exportation. Today, Brazilian rosewood can only be obtained and used for guitars (or anything, really) if it was harvested and exported prior to the CITES ban, or harvested from trees that have fallen naturally – and is accompanied with a certificate of provenance in both cases.

Given all of the above, Brazilian rosewood’s elevated status comes courtesy of the good old laws of supply and demand, as well as from the vintage mystique: “They used it on pre-CBS Fenders, late-’50s Bursts, and pre-war Martins, so it must be the best.”

All such voodoo aside, Brazilian rosewood is often more luscious and exotic in appearance than varieties from India, Madagascar, and the Amazon region that are more commonly used today. Ranging from dark chocolate brown to a more stripy grain mingling gold, black, brown, and oxblood colorings, it is often simply gorgeous stuff by any visual standard.

While looks are important, most tonehounds will tell you they opt for Brazilian today for sonic reasons. And although many players infer a “warm, mellow” tone from the wood’s vintage credentials, the reality is quite different.

Brazilian rosewood is fairly hard and dense, and even brittle at times (verging on fragile when current supplies have been harvested from smaller twisted trees, stumps, or tap roots). The wood’s characteristics can enhance a clear, crisp, ringing tone, but according to many leading luthiers, there is often more warmth to be found in other varieties of rosewood – and at times, more stability, too. 

Good Brazilian rosewood can still be superb in all regards, but given the strict restrictions on its acquisition and trafficking, available supplies of sufficient quality are getting harder and harder to find.

Also, when you do use it in a new guitar (or even have it in an existing vintage guitar), be aware that you’ll need documentation to prove its pre-CITES or CITES-approved status if you plan to take it across international borders.

Meanwhile, many great guitar makers will tell you that Indian, Madagascan, and Amazonian rosewood – when properly aged and selected – can yield first-class results in any instrument, as well as having obvious cost and supply benefits.

If period-correct specs are of absolute importance in a new build based on a pre-1969 guitar design, and you’re willing to pay the price to go all out, the right Brazilian rosewood can still yield stunning results. If you’re buying a guitar mainly to play, though, and don’t place much importance on the bragging rights that come with rare woods, there are definitely alternatives capable of yielding first-class instruments.

The Dreadnought was originally developed by Martin in the earlier part of the 20th century when steel strings were becoming increasingly popular and Hawaiian music was all the rage. Hawaiian musician Mekia Kealakaʻi played a crucial role in the Dreadnought’s birth in 1916 when he received his custom-built instrument, and the design entered production the same year as exclusive models, namely the D-111 and D-222, for retailer Ditson.

Following the demise of Ditson, Martin started marketing the Dreadnought under its own brand in 1931. But the now iconic Martin Dreadnought really came into its own in 1934 when it changed from a 12- to 14-fret neck design.

Finally, 100 years after Martin made its first guitar on U.S. soil, the archetypal American flat-top had arrived.

When America entered the Second World War following the December 1941 Pearl Harbor attack, guitar production was suddenly and irrevocably altered due to the war effort and materials shortages. Hence, pre-war Martin acoustics are among the most collectible flat-tops in the world.

David Davidson of Well Strung Guitars recently showed us this stunning example from the pre-war era.

“This is a 1936 Martin D-18 with a shaded top – probably the cleanest one in the world,” he tells us. “Shipping records show they shipped two shaded top guitars in ’36. The Martin ledger goes all the way back to before the American Civil War, which is pretty amazing.

“It’s possible that not all ‘dark tops’, as they were referred to in the Martin catalog, were recorded being shipped as such, and some collectors estimate the figures to be higher. Even so, there aren’t many out there.”

Pre-war Martins are regarded by collectors and players as some of the best flat-tops money can buy. “In my mind, this is the pinnacle of a great-sounding Martin,” agrees David. “Purists will sing the praises of ‘30s Martins, but I’ve had a lot from the ‘40s and ‘50s that sound great as well.

“The look of this guitar is beyond belief, but it sounds incredible, too. I don’t do as much with acoustic guitars as I do electrics, but I’m pretty familiar with them and I can tell you that when it comes to these pre-war Martins, they’re very desirable.”

And when it comes to investing in a vintage piece, these instruments have a strong track record. “Even during the recession from 2008 to 2012, they never seemed to lose a dime,” recalls David. “While electric guitars were struggling, acoustics were generally doing well. This one happens to be a really amazing piece, and it has all the good things people look for, including forward-shifted, scalloped X-bracing.”

While we’re used to seeing sunburst Gibson acoustics, such finishes are far less common with respect to vintage Martins. “The sunburst on a Martin is unique,” says David. “It looks different to the sunburst on a Gibson flat-top. These guitars were made as a direct response to Gibson making sunburst flat-tops; they had a little competition going on. In fact, the whole thing is rooted in – often unspoken – competition.

“I’m sure they saw each other’s products at the trade shows in the 1930s and, presumably, Martin thought they might be losing some market share if they didn’t do a sunburst guitar. It’s called a ‘dark top’ in the catalog, although people tend to call it a shade top or shaded top.”

Finish aside, the shape and size of a guitar is crucial with respect to its look, not to mention its feel and tone. “Gibson had their Jumbos, which are often called dreadnoughts, too, but these larger guitars aren’t comfortable for every kind of guitarist,” points out David. “Alternatively, 000-sized Martins can fit a player’s body better.

“Because of the way the guitar is shaped, it sits lower on your thigh, and the [lower bass bout] feels significantly smaller against the forearm. I think that’s why the 000 guitars were so popular with female players and/or those of smaller stature.”

According to David, the Martin Dreadnought (originally spelled Dreadnaught) was developed for enhanced volume and fullness of tone. However, the difference in sound between Martin D- and 000-designated instruments may be less obvious than some people think.

Explains David: “The Dreadnought was made to be played standing up. It was made bigger and louder so that players back in the day – be it in a church group, an outdoor singalong or whatever – had a guitar that was able to project when standing. Nevertheless, a lot of players ended up playing them sat down.

“You get more bottom-end with a Dreadnought than you do a 000. There’s not a dramatic difference between them, but I think there is a dramatic difference between a 000 and 00 or 0. There’s significantly less low-end with the smaller 00 and 0; that’s another reason why I think a lot of people prefer 000s. Not only do they fit better and are easier to play both sitting down and standing up, but the sound is rich and full. I mean, either is wonderful.”

Although many notable guitarists have used 18-series Martins, these guitars were (and remain) relatively affordable.

“An 18-series guitar is nowhere near the top of the line,” highlights David. “It was one of the lower Martin guitar styles made at that time – the 28-series was considered the midline – and there wasn’t a huge difference in price between a D-18 and 000-18. It was really about which was the more comfortable of the two.”

“People like the 18s for recording, particularly fingerstyle. If you use an 18 – which is generally a brighter guitar than a 28 – for fingerstyle, it can balance out nicely. It can sound more subdued playing fingerstyle on a 28 because they’re less bright, but they often sound better using a plectrum. A plectrum is going to make any guitar sound brighter than your fingers because it’s a harder material.

“D-28s are associated with bluegrass, but you can use one to play just about anything. Same with a D-18. It really comes down to how you decide to play them. Dreadnoughts can be bigger and boomier if you strum them a certain way. You can get a lot out of them if you want it. Or they can be very subtle when gently picked.”

Throughout the decades, Martin acoustics have remained workhorse instruments with a reputation for quality and consistency, although some extra care may be required in colder regions. “I’ve rarely come across an early Martin Dreadnought I didn’t like,” says David. “The only times they’ve not been that great have been when there were tons of repairs – too many cleats stopping the good vibrations of the soundboard.

“But they can be treacherous to own, especially in cold, dry climates. That’s when you really have to give them a lot of care and feeding. The only guitars I’ve seen that seem to do well in virtually all climates are made of maple. Maple rarely cracks.”

Vintage guitar veteran David Davidson owns Well Strung Guitars in Farmingdale, New York.

info@wellstrungguitars.com / 001 (516) 221-0563

Once again, the NAMM show took place at a strange time – in mid April as a sort of winter/summer combo – and the buzz in the lead-up was (also once again) about the major players that weren’t coming, including Fender, Gibson and PRS.

But once we were on the Anaheim Convention Center floor, the story turned from who wasn’t there to who was. And, as it happened, the gear surfing was actually quite awesome. Acoustic currents came from many directions, including the east (via Martin, Fishman and Ovation), the west (Taylor, L.R. Baggs, Universal Audio, Bedell, Breedlove and Santa Cruz), the north (Godin and Seagull), from across the Pacific (Lava Music, Donner, Ibanez, Takamine, Yamaha and Australia’s Cole Clark) and the Atlantic (Lâg, Lowden).

All in all, it sure felt like the acoustic world was well represented. There were a few obvious undercurrents. Hybrid designs and acoustic electronics continue to be the most exciting developments in the entire guitar sphere.

Environmental awareness is growing. As wood supplies dwindle, manufacturers are doing everything they can, from spearheading sustainability initiatives to becoming ever more creative with what’s available.

The third theme is money, or the lack thereof in the wake of the pandemic. Every effort is being made to bring affordability along with innovation. For many brands, that sensibility co-existed with a “go big or go home” attitude, as lots of luxury was on offer as well. No complaints here.

It’s always enticing to browse the dream machines on display in Disneyland.

Acoustic Guitars

Martin

Martin’s press event was the first happening at Wednesday’s media preview, and the historic manufacturer covered all the aforementioned bases, including actual basses. Second-year CEO Thomas Ripsam introduced the show-stopping CEO-10 ($8,999 street), an extravagant limited edition OM made with exquisite Guatemalan rosewood back and sides.

On the flip side, the StreetLegend D-18 and D-28 ($2,399 and $2,799 street) were attainable acoustics inspired by the prized, timeworn instruments in Martin’s fabled museum.

Sophisticated re-creations are also now available in the form of the D-18 and D-28 Authentic 1937 Aged ($7,999 and $8,999).

Three small-bodied basses added to the Martin Junior Series made a big impression. My favorite was the DJR-10E Bass Burst ($749 street), because it sounded so full for such a little fella.

On the environmental tip, Martin unveiled the vibrant OM Biosphere ($2,299 street). It’s a totally non-plastic, fully FSC-certified instrument with a gorgeous aquatic-themed top print featuring very lifelike oceanic images courtesy of Robert Goetzl.

The affable artist painted the master for last year’s 00L Earth Guitar as well, and the OM Biosphere is essentially a version-two of that admirable concept.

While it’s not exactly a hybrid, the ever-expanding and reasonably priced SC line offers the playability of an electric way up the neck, and the fancy Custom Shop Limited Edition CS SC-2022 introduced at last year’s show drew tons of attention.

There were no new Modern Deluxe models, but the vibe at the Martin booth was more contemporary, artistic and lifestyle driven, as exemplified by the colorful, optimistic OXK Uke Life is Good ($349 street).

Says Ripsam, “We’re refreshing our brand, targeting a broader spectrum of more diverse players and encouraging every guitarist to unleash the artist within.” Ripsam isn’t just talking – he’s working on the CEO-10 personally and releasing the album Lichtenstein under the moniker Seeds of Imagination, for which he painted the impressive cover art depicting Castle Lichtenstein, from his family’s home region in Germany.

Taylor

Taylor didn’t have a gear booth to browse, but they did host a dealer dinner and a cocktail party at a nearby hotel restaurant. President, CEO and chief guitar designer Andy Powers introduced the three latest creations.

The AD11e-SB offers the popular small-bodied Grand Theater at an American Dream price point of $1,799.

The first Grand Pacific in the rosewood 400 Series, the 417e ($2,999 street), is one of the most cannon-like Taylors I’ve ever heard – full-bodied and boisterous.

On the other end of the spectrum is the smooth and sophisticated Builder’s Edition 814ce ($4,499 street). Explains Powers, “It’s our new flagship, which represents a high-water mark in high-fidelity acoustic guitar craft.”

The environmental element of the 814ce is subtle, yet significant. The top is made of Adirondack spruce, which has long been pricey due to scarcity. Powers is now creating four-piece tops using smaller pieces of the prized tonewood. He explains that it’s possible to make a perfect-sounding top out of them, and cited a correlation to piano tops being made out of many more pieces.

The trick is in the build, and if the builder knows what he’s doing and is willing to put the time in, a top made of multiple smaller pieces can actually sound better than a traditional two-piece top.

Breedlove

Breedlove is constantly on the sustainability trail. In honor of Earth Day, the company produced the Oregon Concert Earthsong LTD and Pursuit Exotic S Concert Earthsong LTD.

They’re crafted from 100-percent clear-cut-free Oregon Myrtlewood, and every sale goes directly to the planting of new trees.

Breedlove’s main thrust at the show was the Organic Pro Series, a new line assembled overseas that’s designed to deliver most of what the American-made Oregon Series does, at price points for working pros.

Yamaha

Yamaha has a history of delivering quality production instruments at attainable prices, and the company returned to NAMM with a huge showroom full of every instrument imaginable, including its budget stalwart FG800.

But the new angle was all about the handcrafted FG9s ($4,099 street for the FG9 R, with rosewood back and sides, and $3,999 street for the FG9 M, with mahogany back and sides).

I played them both back in the quiet room, and they were easily the nicest Yamahas I’ve ever put my hands on. Craftsmanship, playability, tone and feel were exquisite.

Takamine

The highlight at the Takamine booth was surely the striking LTD2023 Santa Fe 30th Anniversary ($3,199 street), with its NEX cutaway body – made of Silky Oak back and sides, and a solid cedar top – and Native American– themed appointments, including plenty of turquoise.

The original Santa Fe featured Takamine’s infamous Brownie preamp, so called for its warm sound, produced by the unique saturation effect of the FET amplification element.

The LTD2023 features the CTF-2N preamp, which is based on the original Brownie, plus modern functions such as detailed EQ adjustment, notch filter and a tuner.

Godin

Godin had a rather large presence, and its hot acoustic item was the Seagull S6 Collection 1982 ($599 street), which follows the design of the S6 Original, with a shorter scale length and retro features from the ’80s, including the headstock and logo.

Like all Seagulls, it’s made in Canada from sustainably sourced woods, in this case a cedar top with wild cherry back and sides.

One of Seagull’s primary ambassadors, Italian-American maestro Peppino D’Agostino, was on site performing with his trusty signature dreadnought cutaway. He offered me the opportunity to play it, and it’s a wild crossover of a booming steel-string with an extra-wide nylon-style neck that facilitates ample space for his classically inspired fingerpicking.

D’Agostino has been with Seagull almost 30 years, and he said there may be an anniversary update to his signature model by the next NAMM Show, in January 2024.

Hybrid Hot Rods

Godin

Godin has long been hot on the hunt for the ultimate hybrid, evidenced by its entire Multiac line and several electrics with dual outputs for magnetic-plus-piezo pickups.

The latest is the solidbody Radium-X ($2,250 street) launched last fall. Feeding dual amps, it delivered a killer Tele-meets-acoustic tonal blend, which brings us to another undeniably accelerating trend.

Ibanez

So much innovation is happening on the hybrid front, including an increasing number of instruments with dual outputs.

Ibanez includes them on several acoustics, and the new Advanced Acoustic AAD440CE ($2,299 street) is particularly interesting. It’s a dark and handsome Grand Dreadnought (five percent larger than a standard dreadnought) made of all solid African mahogany, with a deep Advanced Access cutaway, and a dual pickup system consisting of an AP-11 magnetic pickup and a contact pickup that feed into the two separate outputs.

The Platinum Collection AE410 ($1,999 street) features a similar setup, plus a T-Bar undersaddle piezo on its AE body, which is essentially a grand auditorium style with a cutaway. Three controls on the upper bout let you blend their levels to your heart’s desire.

Cole Clark

Cole Clark’s True Hybrid ($3,399 street) takes the concept to another level that truly straddles the acoustic/electric boundary.

The body is a thinline Grand Auditorium made of solid Australian Blackwood and loaded with their proprietary PG3 acoustic pickup, as well as a full-on three-way magnetic pickup system available in various configurations: two humbuckers, three single-coils or a humbucker with two singles.

The magnetics are specifically balanced for optimal performance with a typical set of phosphor-bronze acoustic strings.

I got off on the über-flexible HSS setup of the TL2EC-BLBL-HSS at the booth, where they were running the magnetics through a Blackstar 1x12 combo while the acoustic pickup was fed into a QSC P.A. Look for a full review soon.

Lava

On the cusp of the hybrid wave are smart guitars that feature all sorts of onboard effects and other gadgets, housed in an acoustic body that becomes its own amp.

Lava had a case stocked with its top-tier ME 3 carbon-fiber instruments as well as its most recent model, the more affordable Lava Blue Touch, made of high-pressure laminate.

Donner

Meanwhile, Donner showcased a new prototype smart guitar called the REVO (price TBD) with dual pickups (magnetic and piezo) and a lighted fretboard that can be used to illuminate, for example, a particular scale.

Two guitars can be linked, opening up endless educational possibilities. Rather than taking a more high-tech route, Lâg aimed at the masses with two of their more affordable BlueWave guitars featuring the simple BlueWave smart system with dual controls for room and hall reverbs, plus delay.

Unique & Boutique

The Boutique Guitar Showcase was back, and once again one of the coolest of these instruments came from Robert Robinson Guitars out of Chicago.

The 10-C ($8,600 direct) is a 12-frets-to-the-body model with a deep cutaway, thereby combining the awesome punch of a 12-fret with access to the higher register.

One of the most unique items at the show was Timberline’s new Jamie Dupuis signature model ($3,299 direct), a combination 12-string and harp guitar.

Acoustic Electronics

L.R. Baggs

L.R. Baggs introduced what could be a game changer in the form of the HiFi ($199) high-fidelity acoustic bridge-plate pickup system.

At its heart are dual transducers that affix under the bridge plate with a non-invasive peel-and-stick installation. An exceptional preamp is in the endpin, and tone and volume controls mount in the sound hole.

HiFi essentially splits the difference between a traditional piezo undersaddle, such as the Baggs Element, and a body sensor-style pickup. It sounds more realistic and balanced than any undersaddle I’ve heard, including the Element.

I tried out the HiFi rather extensively, and didn’t experience the kind of feedback issues one might expect. I can’t wait to check it out in a gig environment.

Fishman

Fishman introduced the AFX Series, featuring four miniature pedals tailored to the acoustic guitarists.

The AFX Pocket Blender ($89.95 street) is an A/B/Y + D.I. with a two-channel mixer that lets users of dual-element pickup systems, such as Fishman’s PowerTap, to adjust the balance of the signals individually and send them to separate amps.

The AFX Broken Record ($119.95 street) is a simple one-button looper/sampler that can hold up to six minutes of 24-bit audio, which can be transferred to a computer.

The AFX Pro EQ ($119.95) is a miniature acoustic preamp and equalizer, while the AFX AcoustiVerb ($119.95) offers spring, hall and plate reverbs, all voiced and processed in parallel to preserve your acoustic’s tone.

Peterson

Peterson brought a Mini Mouse-approved pedal, the Strobo Stomp Mini ($119 street). It’s a real strobe tuner with true-bypass and pure-buffer mode.

Top-mounted jacks make its tiny footprint even smaller. Its ultra-accurate display appears huge and can be seen in sunlight or stage light. It runs on nine-volt AC or USB-C power. Acoustic players will appreciate its more than 80 sweetened and guided tunings.

Universal Audio

Universal Audio introduced three mind-altering pedals: Max Preamp & Dual Compressor, Del-Verb Ambience Companion and Galaxy ’74 Tape Echo & Reverb ($349 street each).

There wasn’t an acoustic on hand at their event, but James Santiago handed me an electric while he played around with various pedal settings and, Holy Toledo! The sound was studio quality and the effects were otherworldly.

Max offers classic Teletronix LA2A optical limiting, punchy 1176 studio compression and a hearty vintage preamp tone. Del-Verb delivers three vintage delays and three lush reverbs, while Galaxy simulates the iconic mid-’70s Roland Space Echo.

Awesome compression and ambience are at the top of the effects list for an acoustic player, and these are top shelf.

Future Focus

Even without some of the big names present at NAMM, so much was happening on the show floor that it’s impossible to cover everything here. And once folks started getting into cocktail hour mode in the hotel lobbies, talk of secret projects not quite ready for this show started to spread.

Godin whispered about collaboration with a classic rock superstar, so we’ll be eager to find out what that’s all about.

Baggs has some Area 52 stuff happening that I saw for myself at their headquarters in Central California, and I can safely say acoustic-electric enthusiasts will be pleasantly shocked.

The future of acoustic-electric guitar appears brilliant. And while the future of tonewoods seems less so, there are areas for optimism through alternative tonewoods, sustainability initiatives and making better use of the woods that are available now.

As for the NAMM show, it appears to be on far more stable footing than last year. Here’s looking forward to the next one!