No. 223, July 2011

On the Cover: Tommy Emmanuel. The Australian fingerstyle wiz talks about the influence of Chet Atkins, his new double album, and his very personal connection to his guitars. 

Songs:

• Gordon Lightfoot – "Rainy Day People"
• Irish Traditional – "The Rising of the Moon"

Features: The History of Larson Brothers Instruments. How two Swedish immigrants created some of the most innovative guitars of the early 20th century; Acoustic Preamps. All you need to know about stand-alone acoustic guitar preamps

Lessons: 

• Peppino D'Agostino Lesson. The contemporary fingerstyle guitarist talks about his percussive techniques, unusual alternate tunings, and the importance of melody.
• Basic Bluegrass Soloing Lesson. Eric Thompson explains how to move from Carter-style leads to bluegrass and how to get a powerful flatpicking tone.
• Open-D Tuning Basics. Explore some basic chords and scale patterns in this popular alternate tuning.
• Bass Lines Lesson. Learn how to use and embellish jazzy walking bass in your fingerstyle arrangements.

Gear Reviews: 

• PRS Tony McManus Private Stock
• Taylor Doyle Deluxe DDX
• Godin Multiac ACS-SA Nylon USB