No. 225, September 2011

On the Cover: Robbie Robertson. The legendary guitarist opens up about the Band, collaborating with Eric Clapton, and his collection of vintage Martins.

Songs: 

• Gerry Rafferty and Joe Egan – "Stuck in the Middle"
• W.C. Handy – "St. Louis Blues"
• Celtic Standard – "The Lark in the Morning"

Features: G. Love. On Fixin' to Die, the Philadelphia native churns out his bluesy take on Americana--with help from the Avett Brothers; R.S. Muth Guitars Profile. New York State luthier builds innovative steel-string flattops; Balancing Fact and Fiction. How to make your songs “true enough,” so they resonate as true even when you’ve made up some of the details.

Lessons:

• Lightnin’ Hopkins Lesson – A lesson in the style of the legendary blues artist
• Fretting with the Picking Hand Lesson – Creating new chord voicings by fretting with both hands
• Eight-Bar Blues Patterns – Learn to play the blues over these shorter-than-usual progressions
• Jamming on the I, IV, and V Chords Lesson – Spot progressions built around these three important chords, and put them to work at your next jam session 

Gear Reviews:

• 5 Adirondack-Top Dreadnoughts from Blueridge, Boucher, Eastman, Martin, and Santa Cruz. 
• Guild F-30CE Standard
• ZT Acoustic Lunchbox Amp