Realism matters when making a film, but sometimes the pursuit of authenticity can have unexpected consequences. That was certainly the case on Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight, when a rare 1870 Martin was brought onto the set for a scene in which Kurt Russell’s character smashes a guitar against a wooden support.

The incident occurs when John “the Hangman” Ruth, played by Russell, becomes angry with the guitar playing of Jennifer Jason Leigh’s Daisy Domergue. He takes the acoustic guitar from her and smashes it against a wooden support, to Leigh’s very real shock and dismay.

The story at the time of the film’s 2015 release was that a prop guitar had been prepared for the scene. Russell was supposed to mime destroying the vintage instrument, at which point Tarantino would yell “cut” and a dummy guitar would be substituted for the destruction. But, allegedly, a miscommunication resulted in Russell destroying the actual vintage Martin.

Dick Boak doesn’t believe it. Boak was Martin’s in-house historian at the time of the filming. In a new interview with the Gear Gab Podcast with Eric Dahl, he suggests the destruction may not have been an accident after all.

“Tarantino filmed it at night on purpose so that the guitar tech wouldn’t be there,” Boak claims. “He [the tech] had gone home, and they never brought the papier-mâché guitars out. They just had the regular guitar.

“She [Leigh] played her little thing, and Kurt Russell grabbed it out of her hands. Tarantino wanted to get the genuine reaction out of her. And yeah, he did. I’ll never forget it, you know — the reaction on her face and everything from that.”

The incident divided opinion among the personnel at Martin. Upon learning that a 145-year-old acoustic had been destroyed, Boak says he “was so upset,” and even “thought I would even get fired over this.”

Chris Martin, the firm’s then-CEO, however, viewed the incident more positively.

“He was terrific,” Boak recalls. “He said, ‘It’s fantastic. It’s going to be in a famous movie. The publicity value in the movie is greater than the guitar could ever be.”

Pre-war Martins are an extremely rare commodity in the 21st century. That’s why, when Joe Bonamassa discovered a “museum-grade” 1941 Martin, he called it “the honor of a lifetime.” For context, the guitar Kurt Russell destroyed was 70 years older. A 19th-century Martin could be worth as much as $15,000 today.

But Chris Martin was right. The story boosted the brand’s profile, and the remains of the guitar became a curiosity in their own right. At NAMM 2024, the remnants were put on display at the Martin booth for visitors to admire — and perhaps wince at.

Authenticity has long been important to filmmakers, even when it comes at a cost. That’s why, when filming the Oscar-winning Sinners, composer Ludwig Göransson scoured the globe for 1930s Dobro guitars.

A 2024 interview with Russell offered further insight into the guitar’s unexpected afterlife. He revealed that Leigh had been drawn to the 1870 Martin and had used it to practice the folk tune “Jim Jones at Botany Bay” ahead of filming.

“No one ever said it was 145 years old,” he said. “It was [just] a Martin. Then comes the day to shoot it, and I couldn’t imagine they were going to use that guitar.”

“When we did the take, you can even see it. I kind of give it an extra beat,” he adds. And it’s true: Russell can be seen looking off set, seemingly waiting for a nod of approval before swinging the guitar violently into a wooden pillar.

“I go ahead and smash the guitar,” he continues. “When I grab her and sit her down, I can tell she’s not happy about this. It’s like: Something’s wrong. So as soon as it’s over, I say, ‘Tell me that’s not the guitar you’ve been practicing with,’ and she [nods].

“I only felt bad about that [Leigh being upset],” he adds. “I didn’t give a shit about the guitar.”

If the guitar was worth $15,000 in one piece, its story has apparently caused its value to skyrocket to around $40,000-$45,000 — at least according to Russell. Not bad for what is essentially a pile of wooden debris.

Still, it has a long way to go before it eclipses Kurt Cobain’s 1959 Martin D-18E as the world’s most expensive acoustic guitar. Cobain’s guitar sold at auction for $6.01 million in 2020. Only three guitars have sold for more, and all three were part of Jim Irsay’s bumper auction last November.

Dolly Parton made a massive impact on music history with her little size 5 Martin terz guitar, and even before her passing there was a groundswell of players asking for the return of such a short-scale instrument to the line.

The Martin 5-28 Terz is a 12-fret Standard Series model in Style 28, meaning it’s made in America with solid East Indian rosewood back and sides, a solid spruce top, and classic Style 28 appointments, including a multi-stripe design for the rosette and top inlay, and mother-of-pearl fretboard inlays.

For those unfamiliar with the terminology, a terz guitar is a small-scale acoustic guitar designed to be tuned a minor third higher than standard. From low to high it’s tuned G, C, F, A#, D, G. The resulting tone is bright and rings like a little bell.

Size 5 is an old-world designation that was around before the 0 system was introduced. Back in the late 1800s, all guitars were tiny by modern standards, and a size 5 was small even back then. According to the old system, the smaller the number, the larger the guitar, so a size 1 was the largest. There was essentially nowhere to go from there but 0, which is how we got from there to the current system. What we pronounce as “Oh” is actually zero. In any case, “0” is now the smallest, and a 0000 or M Grand Auditorium is the largest in the traditional hourglass body shape.

Back in the old days, the guitar’s body shape was a bit more elongated, harkening to predecessors such as the Renaissance Guitar, and that old-world parlor guitar form is back in play on the Martin 5-28 Terz. It looks truly historic hanging on a wall next to modern guitars, and you can really appreciate just how tiny it is by comparison hanging next to a 00 — the Terz is way smaller. Its Size 5 Modern Straightline ebony bridge is a classic old-world appointment, giving it a look like some of the earliest Martins ever made.

The Terz makes you play differently, but not because of any limitations on the fretboard. It’s just that, again, size matters. It affects one’s overall approach, from the angle of the arm dangle to the feel of its fingerboard with 12 frets to the compact body.

I found crazy chords I’d never played before and wound up playing more chromatic passages in single-note runs, simply because of the way one’s fingers fall on such a short-scale neck of 21.38 inches. For reference, a typical 00 measures 24.9.

The 5-28 Terz is so small that you don’t really need a strap to walk around and play; you can cradle it like a ukulele under your strumming arm. But it definitely plays like a “real” guitar. In fact, the width at the nut is 1 3/4 inches, the same as the modern standard for a full-sized acoustic. The neck is what Martin refers to as “Modified Low Oval with High-Performance Taper.” It feels like a very playable modern Martin neck. Every note on the fretboard is a viable musical option.

The Martin 5-28 Terz sounds alive. Projection is impressive as the sound bursts forth from the top, and the same for the sustain that seems to hang around for eternity before a gradual, natural decay. It’s fun to hold the petite body on your lap and feel its pronounced resonance. Harmonics are downright heavenly.

It’s also fun to try alternative, slack-terz tunings. For example, dropping the top and bottom strings a whole step puts it in drop F. So, when you finger and strum what would be a dropped D chord, the sound is a high, extra-resonant F. Playing a powerful tune like Neil Young’s “Cinnamon Girl” sounds crazy cool. And the Martin Terz has plenty of headroom to handle powerful playing. It’s a tough little cookie.

You can also simply tune it down to standard, but for that Martin recommends putting on medium-gauge strings and getting a setup to accommodate the change.

As for who the Martin 5-28 Terz is for, I can think of several player categories. Anyone looking for a new tool in the studio could find the Terz handy as well as inspirational. You will wind up playing unique parts. Songwriters will certainly come up with different stuff. Students and all small folk will appreciate its diminutive body, which is surely one of the reasons Dolly Parton was a terz player. Her fans will likely dig the Martin 5-28. Collectors seeking something unique will also appreciate it.

I had a ball putting this instrument through the paces. I can’t really think of anything negative to say about the experience. It plays and sounds like a dream, and the craftsmanship is impeccable. The only cautionary statements I’d mention concern price and tone.

Having spoken with prominent makers at length about the topic of small guitars, I can testify that they’ll all tell you it’s harder to make a great-sounding little acoustic — not easier. That makes them more labor-intensive to build. So, while it’s natural to expect, say, a hamburger at McDonald’s to cost less than a quarter pounder, that doesn’t apply to acoustic guitars. A small guitar may take a little less wood to make than a big one, but it’s more arduous to assemble, leading to a comparable cost.

As for tone, a terz guitar is supposed to sound bright, chimey, and ring like a little bell. That’s not a bug, it’s a feature. This one has that light tone in spades, and it springs forth from the instrument like a ray of sunshine bursting through a cloudy day. Pick one up if you’re down to brighten up your tonal palate.

SPECIFICATIONS

Terz 5-28

CONTACT martinguitar.com

PRICE $3,599 street, hardshell case included

NUT WIDTH 1.75", bone

NECK Select hardwood, satin finish, Modified Low Oval with High-Performance Taper

INLAYS Mother-of-pearl

FRETBOARD West African ebony, 21.38" scale

FRETS 18

TUNERS Nickel open gear with butterbean knobs

BODY Solid East Indian rosewood back & sides, solid spruce top with Aging Toner color and gloss finish

BRIDGE Ebony with bone saddle

ELECTRONICS None

FACTORY STRINGS Martin Authentic Acoustic Lifespan 2.0 Phosphor Bronze Custom Light gauges .011—.052

WEIGHT 3.1 lbs (as tested)

BUILT USA

PRO Fantastic, fabulous pop, projection and playability from the smallest Martin

CON None, but be aware a terz guitar is meant to be tuned up a minor third for a bright tone

“For me, Martin is the songwriter’s guitar,” says British folk-rock phenom Jake Bugg, knocking out a few cool voicings backstage on one of Martin’s new 00L-16E models. “Maybe it’s the warmth, or the midrange quality, but if you just hold a chord and really listen, it’s like the guitar is trying to tell you where to go.”

That’s as good a description of the magic of a good guitar as you’re likely to hear. And it’s the unspoken philosophy behind Martin’s latest “refresh” of one of their less storied guitar lines, the oft under-the-radar 16 Series. Indeed, Martin launched 11 brand new 16 models — with three new finishes: Cherry Cola, Blue Denim and Cream — on September 15 with much fanfare, cocktails, hot chicken, and buzz aplenty at SoBro’s uber-hip InDo Nashville event space as the kick-off event for the city’s annual AmericanaFest celebrations.

Packed to the gills, the afternoon bash included excellent solo performances by Bugg, Grammy Award–winning singer-songwriter Brandy Clark, Canadian country star Tenille Townes, as well as Gunnar and Matthew Nelson and rising American acoustic duet Marfa. Notable attendees sipping bevvies included YouTube guitar instruction powerhouse Marty Schwartz, vintage guitar authority George Gruhn, Martin CEO Thomas Ripsam and roots rock legend Webb Wilder.

Evident among the throng was a small fleet of local pickers adorned with silver clothing and silver head-to-toe makeup. Why the silver, you ask? Well, it’s a nod to the adventurous spirit of the revamped 16 line, and their cool cast of custom colors, the type of thing literally no one wants to see on a D-28 or D-18.

“That’s what so fun about the 16 line for us,” says Martin’s Director of Product Management, Joey Osisek, a.k.a. Joey O. “With the 28 and 18s, we’re very aware of maintaining a certain tradition there—in a way, we’re almost shadow boxing with that legacy, and even those materials and finishes.

“But the 16s never had that consistent identity, so it’s much more open-ended, and we’re able to really have fun with it. I’m telling ya,” Osisek laughs, “we’re going to get weird with it, brother.”

Weird is good! But a little history first. Martin's style 16 dates back to 1961, when the company introduced it as an affordable, understated alternative to its more ornately appointed instruments. It offered mahogany guitars built to style 18 construction standards, but with simpler trim. The 16s briefly resurfaced in the 1980s as a catch-all designation for trade show specials that were not for wider sale, but allowed Martin to experiment with outside-the-box designs.

Soon after, the first D-16s reached general release in mahogany, ash, walnut, and koa, and by the early ’90s, the D-16 was featuring scalloped, forward-shifted bracing, along with tortoise binding and pickguards. In the decade to follow, the 16 Series became Martin’s outlet to explore more “outside” tonewoods, construction methods and body configurations, eventually settling into the acoustic-electric, all-solid-wood niche most players know today.

In a sense, then, the 16 series was the perfect line for a funky refresh, and that was certainly the impression the Nashville launch was intended to convey. In addition to the three new finishes, the lineup comprises 11 new models, and marks a genuine departure in body-shape terms. The range now features three very rarely seen body shapes in the Martin canon, from intimate, responsive 00Ls and warm, punchy sloped-shoulder dreads to powerful Jumbos, a balanced Grand Performance cutaway, and a room-filling Grand Jumbo 12-string.

The new DSS-16E is Martin's first-ever short-scale slope-shoulder Dreadnought, with a 24.9-inch scale, akin to a certain other noted maker’s best-known acoustic. (“Keep in mind,” notes Osisek, “the first dreadnought Martin ever built was a slope-shouldered dread for Gibson, so that’s part of our legacy, too.”) The built-in electronics have shifted, too. The outgoing generation used Martin's in-house E1 preamp, while the new models switch to an L.R. Baggs Element preamp (a sonic upgrade that trades away the E1's built-in tuner).

Where the refresh really announces itself, though, is in its finishes. Bold gloss-top finish options including Blue Denim, Cherry Cola, Cream, Black Smoke and 1935 Burst sit alongside more traditional natural tops with a vintage tint. While the price tag on the 16s is typically less than the Standard series, it’s worth noting that this is decidedly not a “budget line.” Each guitar is still handcrafted in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, with all-solid-wood construction.

As the afternoon strummed on, Martin set up a Wheel-of-Fortune-style prize wheel somewhere near the bar (sorry, details get hazy at this point…) and a clutch of lucky winners wobbled off with a small run of Series 16 accessories and lifestyle merchandise, including Blue Denim and Cherry Cola steins, a Cherry Cola ringer T-shirt, a Blue Denim corduroy hat, and a Blue Fade leather strap. (Hey, how come I didn’t walk away with any swag!).

For those of you who missed this one-of-a-kind Martin Sweet 16 party, here are the salient details of each of the new Style 16 models.

00L-16E (1935 Burst, Black Smoke, Blue Denim. $2,499.99 each)

A slope-shoulder 00 body pairs a gloss spruce top with satin solid mahogany back and sides for a warm, woody voice with punchy mids and controlled lows. It runs the short 24.9" scale with scalloped X-bracing, built for fingerstyle players and songwriters who want touch and response from a compact body.

DSS-16E (1935 Burst, Black Smoke, Cherry Cola. $2,499.99 each)

Martin's first-ever short-scale slope-shoulder Dreadnought, also on the 24.9" scale. Solid spruce top over solid mahogany back and sides, ebony fingerboard and bridge, 20 frets, open-gear nickel tuners. A warm, punchy dreadnought voice in a more compact-feeling package.

J-16E (1935 Burst, Cream, Black Smoke. $2,599.99 each)

The Jumbo body in the lineup, aimed at players who want bold volume and deep bass for stage work. The Cream finish is built with a solid spruce top over solid East Indian rosewood back-and-sides—the one rosewood guitar among the three Jumbo finishes—giving it extra low-end depth and shimmer compared to its mahogany siblings.

GPC-16E ($2,599.99)

A Grand Performance cutaway with 000 depth, finished in a more traditional natural top with vintage tint rather than the bold gloss colors. It's pitched as the balanced, comfortable option in the range, a stage-ready cutaway for easy upper-fret access.

Grand J-16E 12-String ($2,599.99)

A Grand Jumbo 12-string, also in natural top with vintage tint, built for lush shimmer, rich overtones, and room-filling sound. The big, chorus-textured option for broad strummed chords or layered accompaniment in a live set.

Ben Harper is the kind of cat who can put a guitar together from scratch, so his input on a signature model carries extra gravitas. His Taylor Gold Label 512ce SE Grand Concert is the first new acoustic he’s endorsed in many moons, and this edition holds special promise.

Taylor introduced its transformative Gold Label design featuring fanned V-Class bracing in 2025 on select Super Auditoriums and Dreadnoughts to a chorus of rave reviews for its bountiful warm tone. I remember talking to Harper about his gig routine during the time frame when the Gold Label Collection was rolling out, and happened to mention how I felt that Taylor had a true breakthrough on its hands. He surprised me by saying that he was obsessed with a prototype Gold Label 510e, which is a dreadnought.

So it’s interesting that for his signature model he wound up going with the same wood combination of mahogany and spruce, but on a more compact Grand Concert. What’s also noteworthy is that it’s part of a suite of newfangled Grand Concerts featuring a slightly shorter scale length and a bit of increased body depth. The concept is that it would all add up to what Taylor describes as “a supremely comfortable, intimate feeling guitar to match its articulate, warm sound.”

I watched Harper and Taylor’s Andy Powers unveil his signature model at the NAMM Show at a duo performance they put on for a lucky little audience that was either in the know or happened to be hanging around the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus. Harper’s tone sounded amazing through the P.A., and he handed his guitar to me for a Quick Look after the set. It felt great in hand then, and I’m excited to have a review unit to put through thorough paces now.

A Burst of Sunshine

Harper’s signature model radiates with a sunny aesthetic. Its gorgeous top features a stunning golden-brown shaded edgeburst and fine glossy finish. Complementary cream pickguard and cream Crest inlays make it one of the warmest-looking, most inviting acoustics I’ve ever seen. The first thing I thought when I took it out of its distinctive British Cocoa Bronco case was that if this baby sounds like it looks, then it’s going to be a perfect day of picking and grinning on the back porch.

Warming Up to the New Grand Concert

Plucking and strumming in all sorts of ways, my first impression was that it delivered a nice blend of warmth and articulation as expected. There didn’t seem to be as much bass and power acoustically as I’d remembered hearing from the stage, and of course there was less than the larger Gold Label models I’d tried previously, which notably had chunkier-sounding rosewood back and sides. Players in search of that tone on a new Grand Concert might audition the 712e as well.

Considering the Grand Concert’s somewhat compact shape there sure is a decent sense of sonic depth, perhaps a tad more than typical from being a 1/4" deeper than a traditional Grand Concert, although that doesn’t transform this into some sort of boomer edition. It’s very balanced from low to high with a focus in the middle range.

Fanned V-Class bracing clearly sounds different on different body and wood types, and mahogany can sound very different from one guitar to another depending on the cut. In this case it sounds more refined and articulate than the fundamentally darker tones of some mahogany models, and surely a good deal of that is attributable to its torrefied spruce top.

I had a couple other guitars in similar sizes on hand for comparisons, and the Harper Grand Concert was, well, comparable. I didn’t find it to be bigger or louder, but it did feel silkier and sound smoother. It’s somehow vintage in its mellow warmth, yet simultaneously quite contemporary in its precision. That’s the essence of the Gold Label design.

Plug & Play

After plenty of acoustic auditioning, I remembered to plug the BH GL 512e into a Circa 74 and… That’s the sound I’d heard at the NAMM Show when Harper and Powers played onstage, and it completely belies the body size. Taylor’s new Claria acoustic pickup system packs a lot of power into its punchy-sounding preamp, which is capable of tonal transformation through amplification.

Roll back the Mid-Contour control to mellow it out, bring out the bass, and turn what is a natural fingerpicking instrument into more of a strummer, moving towards dreadnought territory. Push it forward and the pop-factor is off the charts. Fingerstyle passages come alive like Frampton in ’76. Every nuance of a bluesy finger bend becomes apparent.

Play With Me

The bottom line was that I couldn’t stop playing Harper’s Grand Concert. I’d put it down, and pick it right back up again. There’s something truly intimate about the way this Gold Label 512e feels — the neck in your hand, its body in your bosom. It’s very light, resonant and responsive. The short scale makes strings easy to bend. Harmonics leap forth with ease and bloom with fabulous sustain.

The Harper signature seems to get where you’re coming from and help you express that feeling. It’s very responsive to a light touch, so you can play with great delicacy. One of my favorite things to do was lower the tuning and fingerpick some string-snapping, old-timey blues with crazy string bends, harmonic flares and pick squeals à la Catfish Keith. The compact body and short scale length make it ideal for that kind of stuff.

Or you can play a happy song such as Harper’s “Steal My Kisses” and it bounces right along on your lap. Sometimes I’d wander aimlessly for a while staring off at the horizon or the television and almost forget it’s even there until a sequence of notes or a chord I’d never considered appeared out of thin air.

As always with all new Gold Label and Next Generation Taylors, I appreciate the precision flexibility of the Action Control Neck. Andy Powers says, “Simply turn the adjuster screw to dial in the string height after dialing in the neck relief with the truss rod.” I simply wish the groovy tool in the demo videos came with the guitar for those handy, on-the-fly adjustments that can be made right through the sound hole while the strings are still attached.

Express Yourself

Ben Harper is one of the most expressive performers on the planet. He’s always had a unique ability to get his point across with a whisper or a scream. It follows that his signature Taylor would possess that quality above all else. The Ben Harper Gold Label 512e Special Edition Grand Concert is one of the most expressive acoustics you’ll find, the kind that helps you develop your own signature voice on the instrument.

SPECIFICATIONS

Ben Harper Gold Label 512e SE

CONTACT taylorguitars.com

PRICE $2,999 street, British Cocoa Bronco deluxe hardshell case included

NUT WIDTH 1.75", white Tusq

NECK Neo-tropical mahogany, standard carve, satin finish, cream Crest inlays

FRETBOARD Honduran rosewood, 24.875" scale

FRETS 20

TUNERS Taylor polished bronze

BODY Solid mahogany back & sides, torrefied spruce top with fanned V-class bracing with tonal rout

BRIDGE Honduran rosewood with compensated white Micarta saddle

ELECTRONICS Claria pickup system with volume, tone and Mid-Contour controls mounted in sound hole

POWER 9V battery

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

WEIGHT 4.2 lbs (as tested)

BUILT USA

PRO Beautiful, comfortable, light, resonate, very dynamically responsive. Surprisingly bold amplified tone perfect for live performance

CON I was hoping for a little more oomph acoustically, although the response to nuance is quite nice. Would be handy to include tool for adjusting the Action Control neck

Martin is releasing two new Joe Bonamassa signature acoustic guitars inspired by his treasured 1937 Martin 00-18 shade-top.

The 00-18 Joe Bonamassa ($3,999.99) and 00-10E Retro Joe Bonamassa ($1,299.99) are available now from Martin dealers and at martinguitar.com.

Although he’s widely known as one of the foremost blues-rock guitarists today, Bonamassa is an acoustic player as well. He purchased the shade-top from John Shults at True Vintage Guitar, “who found it in Ohio and bought it from the original owners family,” Bonamassa revealed in a June 15 Facebook post. “Price tag of 45 dollars still on it.”

The new Martin guitars include a handcrafted Nazareth-built model and a more accessible version produced at Martin's Navojoa, Mexico facility. Both feature a custom 1937-style sunburst and carefully replicated top wear based on Bonamassa's original guitar, capturing the appearance of an instrument that has spent decades making music.

This collaboration is Bonamassa’s second with Martin, following on his 2024 Martin 000-45 Joe Bonamassa Limited Edition.

“If you told me when I was a kid that I'd be sitting here in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, with not one, but two signature guitars, I'd be like, ‘You’re out of your mind,’” Bonamassa said.

“This is the high-water mark for me, because you’re going, ‘It’s a Martin!’”

Handcrafted in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, the 00-18 Joe Bonamassa pairs a solid spruce top with genuine mahogany back and sides for a warm, clear, and responsive voice. Its compact 00 body offers balanced tone and comfortable playability equally well suited to blues, folk, fingerstyle playing, and songwriting.

Golden Era scalloped X-bracing delivers an open, dynamic response, while faux tortoise binding, the custom 1937-style sunburst, and replicated top wear faithfully reflect the appearance of Bonamassa's original pre-war instrument. A Golden Era Modified Low Oval neck profile with a standard taper provides a comfortable vintage-inspired feel.

Bonamassa brought an early prototype into the studio and compared it directly against his original 1937 Martin.

“When we put the mic in front of it, my producer said, 'I like that one better,’” Bonamassa recalled of the Nazareth-built model.

Each 00-18 Joe Bonamassa includes a hardshell case.

Crafted in Martin's Navojoa facility, the 00-10E Retro Joe Bonamassa pairs a solid spruce top with solid sapele back and sides for balanced tone, warmth, and focused projection. Its custom 1937-style sunburst and visually replicated top wear mirror the distinctive character of Bonamassa's original guitar. Scalloped spruce X-bracing supports a responsive acoustic voice, while a Performing Artist neck with a high-performance taper offers smooth, approachable playability.

The model also features Martin E1 electronics with volume, tone, and phase controls, along with a built-in chromatic tuner, making it equally at home onstage, in the studio, or around the house. Bonamassa personally tested the onboard electronics in live performance before approving the final production model.

Each 00-10E Retro Joe Bonamassa includes a softshell case.

After celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2024 with special editions, including choice Legacy models honoring Bob Taylor’s most essential acoustic designs, Taylor is all about pushing the envelope further forward with the Next Generation. Primary features include an Action Control neck, scalloped V-Class bracing and Taylor’s new Claria acoustic pickup system.

Of all the Next Gen models, the Builder’s Edition 514ce is particularly interesting. The 514ce has always held a special place in the Taylor line and in the hearts of a great many players, including me. The traditional pairing of solid mahogany back and sides with a red cedar top yields a particularly warm tone that is plenty articulate, making it applicable to practically any musical style.

The Grand Auditorium body with a Venetian cutaway and electronics makes it super versatile and stage worthy. Being in the middle of the main American range means that the 514ce is in the middle of the price range as well, and it looks good without being too fancy. It’s simply a great, all-around workhorse.

The Next Generation Builder’s Edition 514ce promises to take everything to the next level, and it stands on the shoulders of some notable recent developments. In 2018, Andy Powers redesigned the 514ce with V-Class bracing. Taylor is always working with new tonewoods, and in 2022 Taylor revamped the 500 Series using sustainably sourced Urban Ironbark and switching to a torrefied Sitka spruce top.

For the 50th anniversary, they chose the 514ce as a historic model, representing the 30th anniversary of the iconic Grand Auditorium body style. Taylor recognized its significance with a Legacy Edition featuring throwback specs, including X-bracing and a return to the classic mahogany-and-cedar tonewood combination.

I have more experience playing a Taylor 514ce than any other acoustic since I picked up a 1998 edition back in 2008. As a result, I was compelled to review both the 514ce Urban Ironbark and the Legacy 514ce. The Next Generation 514ce is now available in both a standard edition, in traditional mahogany and cedar, and as a luxurious Builder’s Edition in either Natural or Kona Burst finish on a Sitka spruce top with Shamel Ash back and sides. I had to try the Builder’s Edition experience in Kona Burst.

Fresh Face

At first glance, this is the most attractive 514ce yet. The dusky sunburst top with glossy finish and Firestripe pickguard is uniquely beautiful. Large faux pearl Compass fretboard and peghead inlays add a bit of bling. So does the Antique Chrome hardware, although the golden hardware of a classic 514 might look even more complimentary.

The single-ring faux pearl rosette is a bit of a disappointment compared to the three-ring abalone rosette of a classic 514ce. But it’s still an unquestionably beautiful guitar, though perhaps not unquestionably more beautiful than my ’98, simply younger in a new style with a fresh face.

Modern/Classic Tone

The classic 514 tone shone through right away in this Next Gen model, and that’s a great thing. It’s not exactly the same as mahogany and cedar, but Shamel Ash and Sitka combine to render a very similar sound: woody with a dry finish. And it feels great to know that the former is harvested sustainably under Taylor’s Urban Wood Initiative.

While I appreciate the many attributes of V-Class bracing, such as superior sustain and tuning accuracy, I’ve also felt there was little something missing compared to the classic X-braced models. Perhaps V bracing was making the top a bit stiff and therefore slightly stiff sounding.

However, this guitar resonates right out of the box. It’s not quite as balmy in the bottom as some of the new Gold Label Taylors I’ve tried — more like the original 514 tone I’ve grown to know and love. Perhaps scalloping the bracing a bit has allowed the top to flex more freely, resulting in a friendlier tone that still has the deadly note precision of V-class.

Playability, Playability, Playability

This is where the Builder’s Edition 514ce truly shines. Every note is viable, from the very lowest to the very highest on each string. The neck and frets feel silky smooth, encouraging exploration, and intonation is spot-on everywhere. Chords come together with ease, while notes ring true with individual overtones.

Since this is a Builder’s Edition model, the body has beveled edges under the strumming arm and on the cutaway. That makes strumming feel comfortable and makes notes in those short fret rows at the very top of the fingerboard a bit easier to reach and hold.

I found the factory action agreeable and stable, but having the ability to make my own string height adjustments via Taylor’s Action Control Neck was handy. You can reach the adjustment screw through the sound hole and set string height to your preference. However, it would be nice if Taylor included a tool like the one shown in their demo videos. Either way, I wish every one of my acoustics had beveled edges and an Action Control Neck.

Plugged In with Claria

When Taylor started moving away from its long-standing Expression 2 System on some models, it seemed like maybe something was up, and apparently that was the Claria Pickup System. The new kid in town is actually a classic piezo undersaddle pickup with a flexible, proprietary preamp. It’s kind of crazy that after years of lobbying about piezo sensors sounding better when positioned behind the bridge, as in the ES2, Taylor is now back to the traditional undersaddle piezo strip.

But apparently it’s all about the new preamp. Tested through a Circa 74, it sounded supper peppy. There’s plenty of power with a noticeable zing compared to a basic undersaddle pickup. Controls include volume and tone, plus a handy Mid-Contour. I pegged the volume, put the tone at center indent and focused on the mids.

Rolling it back scoops the mids, which sounds nice and mellow when strumming a simple chord progression with a pick, such as Bob Seger’s “Night Moves.” Pushing it forward makes notes project with ever-increasing articulation, which is perfect when you need a fingerstyle passage to pop.

Claria’s Mid-Contour control location near the fretboard side of the sound hole makes it very accessible on the fly, so you can truly use it to great effect during a performance. The downside, from my perspective, is there’s not enough room left to throw a magnetic pickup to run my usual dual-signal chain. The good news is that I generally use the sound hole pickup to add more string pop, and the Claria offers plenty of that, especially when pushing the Mid-Contour.

Taylor’s Next Generation features are awesome. I appreciate the acoustic-tone improvement from scalloping the V-bracing, the precision flexibility of the Action Control Neck, and the dynamic plugged-in pleasure of the Claria Pickup System. Having them on a fresh-looking, classic-sounding, modern-playing performance machine such as the 514ce is a big win.

I can honestly say that out of all the 514ce models I’ve tried, this is the one I’d prefer to take to the stage right now. Kudos to Taylor for making a lovely modern version of my ol’ fav.

SPECIFICATIONS

BE 514ce

CONTACT taylorguitars.com

PRICE $3,499 street, hardshell case included

NUT WIDTH 1.75", black Tusq

NECK Neo-tropical mahogany, long-tenon, standard carve, satin finish, faux pearl Compass inlays

FRETBOARD West African ebony, 25.5" scale

FRETS 20

TUNERS Gotoh 510 Antique Chrome

BODY Solid Shamel ash back & sides, solid Sitka spruce top with scalloped V-class bracing

BRIDGE West African ebony with compensated white Micarta saddle

ELECTRONICS Claria Pickup System with Volume, Tone, and Mid-Contour controls mounted in sound hole

POWER 9V battery

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

WEIGHT 4.5 lbs (as tested)

BUILT USA

PRO Elegant, modern take on the classic 514 with fabulous playability and comfort. Articulate and warm acoustic tone; punchy, sculptable amplified tone

CON None, but it would be so handy if Taylor included a tool for adjusting the Action Control Neck

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.

Effects pedals have always gone hand in hand with electric guitars and amplifiers to produce everything from sumptuous ambience to wild, cascading distortion. Acoustics don’t necessarily have that same historic relationship with pedals. The thing is, a huge proportion of the acoustic guitar market will now come equipped with a pickup and preamp, allowing you to plug your acoustic into an amplifier, PA, or today’s subject, the best acoustic guitar pedals.

Truthfully, there’s no singular ‘best’ pedal for acoustic guitar; it just depends on what you want to do with your tone. If you’re looking for an acoustic preamp pedal, then check out the Fishman Aura Spectrum. If it’s reverb you're after, I love the EQD Avalanche Run. For those who need a looper, have a look at the Pigtronix Infinity II.

If you’re unsure of which pedal is best for you, visit the how to choose section below. If you have any other questions, scroll down to the FAQ section, where it might already have been answered by the gear nuts here at Guitar Player. I’ve also included a glossary of key terms for complete beginners, which breaks down the techno-babble frequently used when discussing acoustic pedals.

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 transforms it into a far more organic, mic’d-up sound. That doesn’t mean you can’t have plenty of your original tone, 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 that 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 has 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 an acoustic compressor pedal.

Build quality

Built into a compact form 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 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 it with your dry sound, making it seamless when you engage the compressor, rather than there being large volume jumps.

Best delay

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.

If you’re looking for the best value for money, it’s hard to see past the Fender CC-60S. With a solid top and a comfortable concert body, it’s a budget option that feels like anything but. For those looking to treat themselves on their first acoustic, the Martin 000-10E Retro packs centuries of acoustic heritage in an incredibly comfortable body.

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. Not only that, while working in a guitar store, helping beginners choose an acoustic guitar was my bread and butter. It gave me immense joy to select the best fit for an enthusiastic starter, and I’m going to tackle this list with the same gusto.

Since this article is for beginners, I have included a few useful sections below. Firstly, my how-to-choose section will inform you of three vital points to consider when purchasing. The key terms section clears up commonly mentioned terms and acoustic guitar jargon, while the FAQs will answer the most-asked questions I encountered in the guitar store.

Best overall

Overview

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.

Build quality

About the build quality, it features a torrefied solid spruce top and layered walnut back and sides and sounds rich, clear, and articulate. Torrefied tonewood ultimately means it has been heat-treated to add stability and produce a purer tone, a nice addition for a beginner guitar. Also, the ebony (or eucalyptus depending on availability) fingerboard adds a darker aesthetic that complements the bright top nicely.

Playability

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. The Grand Concert shape is nice and comfortable too and is perhaps more subtle than its dreadnought counterpart, ideal if you are a little smaller, or are buying for a younger guitarist.

Sounds

Due to the torrefied tonewood, 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. In 2025 – and still the case in ‘26 – Taylor added its proprietary ES-B pickup system. Ultimately, it gives you the option to plug into an amplifier 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

Overview

Even if you’re new to guitar, chances are, you’ll likely recognize Fender’s iconic electric models. The Stratocaster and Telecaster are very early inductees in the guitar hall of fame. However, the Californian brand also creates many beginner-friendly acoustics and there are few better budget options than the CC-60S.

Build quality

The ‘S’ in the moniker stands for ‘solid’, referring to the solid spruce tonewood used for the top. 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 top is joined by laminate walnut back and sides, which, although it is less tonally complex than the solid top, does offer fantastic stability and durability, ideal for slightly clumsy beginners.

Playability

The concert-sized body shape is fairly compact, meaning that players of all sizes and statures will be comfortable playing it. With a 25.3” scale length, it is ever-so-slightly shorter than the typical 25.5” length that Fender utilizes, so it’s a viable option for adults too, as it isn’t incredibly short. Fender has equipped this neck with their ‘easy-to-play’ profile that has been made with those just starting out in mind.

Sounds

Thanks to the solid top and fairly compact body, the CC-60S has a sweet, articulate tone that responds well to both fingerpicking and strumming. It isn’t as loud as a Dreadnought, but the well-rounded tone will offer plenty of encouragement to a beginner when they start to find their feet. If you’re after a basic but great-sounding acoustic guitar at a reasonable price, then this really is one to consider.

Best compact

Overview

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, while more experienced guitarists appreciate the rich, balanced tone and premium build quality.​

Build quality

The standard GS Mini is a straight-shooting guitar, and Taylor strips it back to basics. The guitar is built using a solid spruce top and layered sapele back and sides. A familiar tonewood combination that balances quality, tone, and affordability. An appreciated addition is the Taylor-branded gig bag, perfect for protection whilst on your way to guitar lessons.

Playability

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.

Sounds

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! There isn’t a pickup on the standard GS Mini, but you can upgrade to the GS Mini-e if you’d prefer to have that option further down your guitar career.

Best acoustic electric

Overview

If you’re seeking an affordable acoustic guitar fitted with a pickup (aka an acoustic-electric guitar) for use at gigs or open-mic nights, then this is one to consider. Although Ibanez is known for its shred-friendly line of electric guitars, the Japanese company has also been crafting acoustics since 1935. The PC14MHCE offers a budget-friendly electrified option that will allow a beginner to plug in and play.

Build quality

It’s got a laminate okoume top, back, and sides, lending the guitar a full and warm sound. Other tonewood features include a laurel fingerboard and bridge, while the vintage-style open-back tuners offer a classy, traditional look on an otherwise modern guitar. The weathered black open-pore finish lets the guitar breathe and looks natural overall, contrasting beautifully with the white binding.

Playability

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. I’ve personally played many of these guitars, and the satin-smooth, slim-profile neck encourages beginners with its friendly dimensions and finish.

Sounds

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.

Best premium

Overview

When you’re just beginning, you don’t need to spend a lot of money. However, if you want to treat yourself and invest in your learning, the Martin 000-10E is a fantastic premium choice. In 2026, Martin overhauled the Road Series, of which the 000-10E is a part, and gave it vintage aesthetics that provide a classy guitar for beginners to grow with. Not only that, but if you stick with it, the 000-10E is of high enough quality to remain in your collection long after you’ve moved past the beginner phase.

Build quality

The ‘Retro’ in the name is best represented by the build. The solid spruce top features an aging toner pioneered by Martin’s custom shop, while the solid sapele back and sides are finished with a darker mahogany stain. Add black binding, black tuning machines, and a simple soundhole rosette, and you get a stunning ‘lived-in’ vintage vibe. The ebony fingerboard completes the look and is another mark of Martin’s top-quality craftsmanship.

Playability

One of the main reasons I selected the 000-10E Retro is its beginner-friendly playability. Martin’s 000 body shape is similar to an auditorium – smaller and more compact than dreadnoughts – making it ideal for beginners who want a comfortable guitar. The 24.9” scale is a ‘Goldilocks’ length that both adults and younger players will find user-friendly. The PA neck profile is very inviting; its oval shape feels slim, and the satin finish helps beginners glide up and down the neck as they progress.

Sound

When it comes to tone, the 000-10E is one of the most versatile acoustic shapes out there – it will handle anything you throw at it. As a beginner, you’ll likely explore a range of genres, and the 000-10E will perform with aplomb. Whether you’re strumming chords, trying fingerpicking, or even playing lead-style riffs, expect clarity, fantastic sustain, and articulation. Plus, the Martin E1 pickup allows you to amplify your tone when you’re ready for the stage.

Best classical

Overview

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. I am not exaggerating when I say this guitar can be found in classrooms the world over; it is perhaps as beginner-friendly as you can get.

​Build Quality

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. It’s a guitar that is more than the sum of its parts, as the laminate spruce top and ‘locally sourced tonewood’ back and sides aren’t particularly dazzling. However, Yamaha knows how to take modest materials and turn them into a beginner-friendly acoustic that will go the distance.

Playability

The neck has a smooth satin finish, and the low action makes it easy to play straight out of the box. Even if you aren’t particularly interested in classical guitar, the soft nylon strings are popular with beginners who are trying to build up their finger strength. Otherwise, the body isn’t quite as bulky as a Dreadnought, with a slightly slimmer depth than most steel-string acoustic guitars.

Sounds

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. 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

I’ve lost count of how many times I have helped a fresh-faced guitarist select their first beginner acoustic guitar. From kids as young as five to teenagers and adults, these are the three considerations I would always suggest. Following this process should result in a guitar that is comfortable, well-fitting, and gives you the best start for your learning journey.

1. Body Shape

Initially, learning the guitar is uncomfortable. Even the most prodigious talent starts out feeling a bit uncomfortable when sitting down with their first acoustic. Therefore, it’s imperative to select a body shape that is comfortable for your frame. A lot of this is common sense. If you’re buying for a young child, a jumbo probably isn’t the best bet, as the bouts are large, the body is deep, and small arms will have no chance of reaching from the soundhole to the first fret.

The same goes for adults. Although many players start with a travel guitar, this may not be the best option if you’re 6 feet 5 inches with an equally large wingspan. Taking your time to sit down with a few different body shapes will soon determine what suits your frame and feels most comfortable.

2. Steel vs nylon

Then, what type of strings are you going to learn with? The two options are steel strings – typically made with a steel core and metal winding – or nylon strings – which are made with nylon and are much softer. Steel strings are usually what most guitarists who are into rock, blues, or metal will sonically prefer, but they can feel a bit harsh on your fingers to start with.

That’s where nylon strings come into play. Although traditionally used for classical and flamenco music, nylon is a much softer material and therefore a bit more forgiving on your fingers. They are much softer in tone, so they don’t usually appeal to players, sonically, of the above genres.

Nylon strings are popular with young beginners as they tend to feel more comfortable on the fingers. However, if you’re an adult, you may want to skip the middleman and persevere with steel strings, as after all, that’s what you’ll likely graduate to if you stick with it.

3. Tonewood

Lastly, when you have decided on body shape and string type, you should think about what tonewood you want to go for. After all, this doesn’t just affect the tone; it’ll also determine how much money you are going to spend. Solid wood, which is naturally occurring wood, sounds richer and can offer greater resonance, sustain, and clarity. As opposed to laminate, which is made by gluing thin wooden veneers together.

Laminate may not share as rich tonal properties as solid wood, but it’s incredibly durable and a little less expensive. A great in-between for beginners is an acoustic guitar with a solid top and laminate back and sides, as the solid top helps with a richer sound while keeping costs affordable.

FAQs

Key terms

• Action: This refers to the distance between your strings and the frets. High action can make the strings harder to push down for beginners.
• All-solid: An all-solid guitar is one that utilizes solid, natural wood as opposed to laminate wood for the guitar’s top, back, and sides. This produces a pure, resonant, and sweet acoustic tone.
• Binding: A material – typically plastic, wood, or abalone – that decorates the outer edges of the guitar’s body, neck, or sometimes the headstock.
• Bout: There are two bouts on an acoustic guitar: the lower bout, which is the curved section of the lower side of the body, and the upper bout, which is the smaller curved section near the neck.
• Bridge: The bridge is the part of your guitar that anchors the strings to the guitar’s body. On an acoustic guitar, it houses the bridge pins and the saddle on the top of the body.
• Bridge pins: These are pointed pins that push into the bridge, which keep your strings anchored down. Bridge pins simply work by friction.
• Capo: A guitar capo will change the pitch of your guitar by laying a bar across all strings. They can either be spring-loaded or locked into place via a wraparound.
• Cutaway: The carved-out section of the lower bout that gives a guitarist easier access to the higher frets.
• Dreadnought (Dread'): One of the most famous acoustic guitar body styles. It is the second largest – after jumbo – and is named after a famous British battleship of the same name.
• Fret buzz: This happens when the strings rattle and vibrate off of metal frets, either due to a poor setup or high frets.
• Gig bag: An accessory to store your acoustic guitar in when travelling or when you are at home. It will typically have straps to allow you to carry your guitar like a backpack.
• Intonation: This refers to the pitch accuracy across the neck when you fret a note. Bad intonation means that when fretting a note, it will pull it out of tune compared with the open note.
• Laminate: A type of guitar construction that is made from gluing multiple layers of wood veneer together. It is less expensive than solid wood and is very durable, but doesn’t share the same tonal qualities as solid wood.
• Luthier: A luthier is a specialized guitar craftsman who will craft, repair, and build guitars.
• Nut: This is the strip of material - typically plastic or bone - that sits at the end of the neck and the start of the headstock. A nut keeps the strings in place and evenly spaced across your fingerboard.
• Parlor: This is an acoustic guitar body shape that is quite small and slim and derives its name from the parlors where these guitars were traditionally played.
• Piezo: A type of acoustic pickup that sits within the guitar’s body, attached to the underside of the top right at the saddle. It works by detecting the string vibrations and turning those into an electrical signal.
• Playability: A term used to describe how well a guitar plays, which is determined by the action, setup, feel of the neck, comfort levels while playing, and overall ease of use.
• Relief: A guitar neck needs a slight bit of relief, which is the amount of forward curvature needed to give the strings room to vibrate freely.
• Saddle: A thin strip of material – usually plastic or bone – that sits on the bridge and provides a break angle for the strings so they aren’t completely flat.
• Scale length: The distance between the nut and the saddle on a guitar.
• Setup: A guitar’s ‘setup’ is a process of getting the action, intonation and neck relief correct by a series of adjustments. Think of it like a car tune-up, as being the process of getting everything feeling, playing, and sounding correct with your guitar.
• Solid top: This refers to an acoustic guitar’s top when it uses solid, natural wood as opposed to laminate wood.
• Truss rod: A metal rod that runs through the neck of a guitar and helps control its curvature. It can be adjusted to add or reduce relief in the neck, helping to keep the action and playability where they should be.
• Tuners (Machine heads): The mechanisms on the headstock that allow you to tighten or loosen each string to change its pitch. They are used to tune the guitar and keep each string at the correct pitch.

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.

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.