No. 324 September/October 2020
Special Issue: 30 Years of Acoustic Guitar
This collector’s issue, culled from AG’s deep archives, celebrates 30 years of the magazine with a focus on legendary players across a variety of genres. Plus, we look back at three decades of acoustic guitar innovations and revisit some of the most popular lessons, songs, and gear features that AG has run over the years.
Features
In-depth interviews with Doc and Merle Watson, Eric Bibb, Elizabeth Cotten, Joni Mitchell, Chet Atkins, John Renbourn, and John Williams
Lessons
Dive into Bob Dylan’s under-appreciated acoustic style; learn a cool fingerstyle blues lick from Happy Traum; Peppino D’Agostino on alternate tunings; five tips on using arpeggios from Gretchen Menn; jazz comping strategies from Ron Jackson
Gear
Doug Young looks back at 30 years of acoustic guitar innovations and we ponder the age-old question: is one guitar enough?
Songs
- “Blackbird”– by The Beatles
- “House of the Rising Sun” – Tony Rice’s rendition of this traditional favorite
- “Big Yellow Taxi” – Joni Mitchell’s open-E classic
- “I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow”– Direct from the soundtrack of O Brother, Where Art Thou?
- “Baby, Please Don’t Go” — Big Bill Broonzy’s early ’50s version
- “Minuet in D Minor” – J.S. Bach for steel-string in DADGAD tuning
- “$20 Bill (for George Floyd)” – Tom Prasada-Rao’s poignant and topical tune
And More!