No. 236, August 2012

Punch Brothers
Chris Thile and Chris Eldridge on how the adventurous string band broke out of the bluegrass mold. By Kenny Berkowitz.

50 Years of Takamine Guitars
How Takamine became an internationally recognized maker of acoustic-electric and classical guitars. By Adam Perlmutter.

Custom Guitar Gallery
Acoustic Guitar presents a sample of the guitars you'll find at luthier shows like the Montreal Guitar Show or the Healdsburg Guitar Festival.

DEPARTMENTS

ACOUSTIC CLASSIC
Last Train to Clarksville. Music and lyrics by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart. By Andrew DuBrock.
Goodnight Irene. Traditional. By Andrew DuBrock.

PRIVATE LESSON
Contemporary Flatpicking Lesson. Ross Martin on composing for the Matt Flinner Trio and using slurs and open strings in his melodic lines. With video and tab. By Sean McGowan.

NEW GEAR 1
Taylor 710ce Review. Acoustic Guitar reviews Taylor's latest acoustic-electric dreadnought. With video. By Adam Perlmutter.

NEW GEAR 2
PRS SE Angelus Standard Review. Acoustic Guitar reviews a stylish yet affordable cutaway grand auditorium. By Scott Nygaard.

NEW GEAR 3
DigiTech iStomp Review. Acoustic Guitar reviews DigiTech's flexible effect pedal. With video. By Gino Robair.

PLAYER SPOTLIGHT
Stephane Wrembel. The French Gypsy jazz guitarist talks about Midnight in Paris and how a trip to the Django Festival changed his life. By David McCarty.

THE BASICS
Ragtime Blues Fingerpicking Lesson. Learn to play syncopated ragtime phrases in the style of Blind Blake and others. With video and tab. By Orville Johnson.

SPECIAL FEATURE (GEAR)
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SHOPTALK
Alternative Tonewoods. Why eco-friendly woods and FSC certification matter to guitar makers. By Teja Gerken.

PLAYLIST
Brandi Carlile, Bear Creek. By Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers.
David Olney, The Stone. By Céline Keating.
Loudon Wainwright, Older Than My Old Man Now. By Phil Catalfo.
Paul Thorn, What the Hell is Goin' On?. By Kenny Berkowitz.
Rani Arbo and Daisy Mayhem, Some Bright Morning. By Céline Keating.
Ray Wylie Hubbard, The Grifter's Hymnal. By Michael Lohr.
Rory Block, I Belong to the Band: A Tribute to Rev. Gary Davis. By Bill Wagner.
Trampled By Turtles, Stars and Satellites. By Sarah Welsh.

WOODSHED
Create Solo Lines from Chord Shapes. Use familiar open-position chord shapes like E, C, and A to build lead lines that will fit any chord progression. With video and tab. By Sean McGowan.
Enhancing the Alternating Bass. Embellish your fingerstyle bass lines with passing tones, pinches, and accents. With video and tab. By Alex De Grassi.

SONGBOOK
Stand By Me. Words and Music by Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller and Ben E. King. By Nick Charles.
The Wreck of the Old 97. Learn to play a traditional classic arranged for the guitar by Jody Stecher. With video and tab. By Jody Stecher.

GREAT ACOUSTICS
1985 Takamine EF360S. By Teja Gerken.