No. 251, November 2013
XBLUES SOLOING
Lessons on how to add extra dimension and color to your blues leads. By Andrew DuBrock and Pete Madsen.
DOWN THE DARK HIGHWAY
On his new album, Steve Earle sings about America’s downtrodden with a folksinger’s passion. By Adam Levy.
BLUES TOOLS
Five working blues players on the guitars they count on for gigs, recording, and songwriting. By Teja Gerken.
ACOUSTIC CLASSIC
Bird on the Wire: Leonard Cohen.
PRIVATE LESSON
Contemporary Bluegrass Flatpicking: Courtney Hartman on playing fiddle tunes and using chord inversions as lead guitarist in the hot new bluegrass band Della Mae. By Orville Johnson.
NEW GEAR
Fender TPD-1: Mahogany and spruce dreadnought from new Fender Acoustic Custom Shop has a classic look and versatile tones. By Adam Perlmutter.
D’Angelico EXL-1: Vintage re-creation with clean sound and classic styling redefines the affordable archtop. By Sean McGowan.
IN THE STORES
Capo Clips and Schertler Basik, with reviews of Graph Tech Ratio tuners and the Gretsch G9240 Alligator resonator guitar.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT
Trixie Whitley: The singer-songwriter and Black Dub vocalist gives in to the guitar. By Derk Richardson.
SONGCRAFT
Writing Songs with GarageBand: How Erin McKeown uses her Mac and iPhone to develop song ideas. By Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers.
SHOPTALK
Bamburg Guitars: Colorado luthier builds modern steel-string flattops in his one-man shop. By Teja Gerken.
PLAYLIST
WEEKLY WORKOUT
Diminished Scales and Arpeggios: Learn how to play and solo with diminished-seventh arpeggios, scales, and patterns. By Sean McGowan.
WOODSHED
Hybrid Picking: How to get new sounds by blending flatpick and fingerstyle technique. By Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers.
SONGBOOK
Hear My Train a Comin: Jimi Hendrix.
GREAT ACOUSTICS
1975 Gallagher 670M. By Teja Gerken.
21 TIPS FOR BETTER ACCOMPANIMENT
How to make your guitar parts more distinctive and deepen the impact of your songs. By Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers.
PATTY GRIFFIN
After digging into gospel and touring with Robert Plant’s Band of Joy, the singer-songwriter returns with the all-original American Kid. By Derk Richardson.
MICHAEL GURIAN
From his days as a luthier in the 1960s and ’70s to running a successful parts factory, Michael Gurian has had a long and influential life in the guitar trade. By Orville Johnson.
ACOUSTIC CLASSIC
The River. Words and music by Bruce Springsteen.
PRIVATE LESSON
Traditional Folk Song Accompaniment: Jefferson Hamer on the flatpicking and hybrid-picking styles he uses to accompany folk ballads. By Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers.
NEW GEAR
Gibson J-35: Gibson brings back a classic slope-shoulder, this time with stage-ready electronics. By Adam Levy.
Boulder Creek ECGC-7VB: Stylish, affordable acoustic-electric with contemporary features. By Adam Perlmutter.
Zoom A3: Clean, compact preamp provides myriad effects, modeling, and EQ to help you color and perfect your amplified sound. By Doug Young.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT
Aoife O’Donovan: The voice of Crooked Still and the Goat Rodeo Sessions steps out solo. By Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers.
SONGCRAFT
Painting Pictures: Ellis Paul shares tips and exercises that can help you sharpen your lyrics. By Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers.
THE BASICS
Seventh Chords: Learn how to build major seventh, minor seventh, dominant seventh, and other seventh chords. By Andrew DuBrock.
SHOPTALK
Traugott Guitars: California solo guitar maker offers ultra high-end steel-strings. By Teja Gerken.
PLAYLIST
WEEKLY WORKOUT
Ascending and Descending Slurs: These hammer-on and pull-off exercises will strengthen your hand and increase your finger independence. By Scott Nygaard.
GREAT ACOUSTICS
1965 Goya T-18. By Teja Gerken.
JASON ISBELL
How the former Drive-By Trucker, newly sober, dug deep on the songs of Southeastern. By Kenny Berkowitz.
CLASSIC STEEL
Virtuoso fingerstylists Michael Chapdelaine, Tony McManus, and Tim Sparks face the challenges of adopting the classical repertoire to the steel-string guitar. By Teja Gerken.
CORDOBA GUITARS
A visit to the nylon-string guitar company’s new American shop, where it’s building a new Master Series inspired by iconic classical luthiers. By Adam Perlmutter.
PRIVATE LESSON
Alternate-Tuning Accompaniment: How award-winning fingerstylist Vicki Genfan uses alternate tunings and tapping techniques to accompany songs. By Teja Gerken.
ACOUSTIC CLASSIC
"Thing Called Love" by John Hiatt.
NEW GEAR
Manuel Rodriguez FG Madagascar: Cedar-top classical carries on the Spanish tradition. By Adam Levy.
Ibanez AEG1011: Impressively crafted and affordable acoustic-electric with traditional vibe and contemporary playability. By Adam Perlmutter.
Yamaha THR5: Tiny feature-laden amp is a perfect practice partner. By Doug Young.
IN THE STORES
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT
Luke Winslow-King: The singer-songwriter and slide player digs into gospel, jazz, and country blues. By Kenny Berkowitz.
THE BASICS
Simple Percussive Grooves: How to power up your rhythm parts with muting and string percussion. By Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers.
SHOPTALK
Classical Innovations: How the modern classical guitar has evolved in the 20th and 21st centuries. By Teja Gerken.
HOLIDAY SHOPPING ESSENTIALS
Readers sound off on 5 essential items they can’t live without. By Greg Olwell.
HOLIDAY SHOPPING GUIDE
PLAYLIST
WEEKLY WORKOUT
Picking-Hand Power: These fingerstyle exercises will help you build strength and independence in your picking-hand fingers. By Sean McGowan.
WOODSHED
Shaping Your Diatonic Solos: Improve your rock guitar solos by thinking critically about what you play. By Andrew DuBrock.
SONGBOOK
“Gypsy Davy” Traditional, arr. by Jody Stecher.
“Guardame Las Vacas” Music by Luis de Narváez, arr. by Patrick Francis.
GREAT ACOUSTICS
Joshia de Jonge Classical. By Teja Gerken.
BLUES SOLOING
Lessons on how to add extra dimension and color to your blues leads. By Andrew DuBrock and Pete Madsen.
DOWN THE DARK HIGHWAY
On his new album, Steve Earle sings about America’s downtrodden with a folksinger’s passion. By Adam Levy.
BLUES TOOLS
Five working blues players on the guitars they count on for gigs, recording, and songwriting. By Teja Gerken.
ACOUSTIC CLASSIC
Bird on the Wire: Leonard Cohen.
PRIVATE LESSON
Contemporary Bluegrass Flatpicking: Courtney Hartman on playing fiddle tunes and using chord inversions as lead guitarist in the hot new bluegrass band Della Mae. By Orville Johnson.
NEW GEAR
Fender TPD-1: Mahogany and spruce dreadnought from new Fender Acoustic Custom Shop has a classic look and versatile tones. By Adam Perlmutter.
D’Angelico EXL-1: Vintage re-creation with clean sound and classic styling redefines the affordable archtop. By Sean McGowan.
IN THE STORES
Capo Clips and Schertler Basik, with reviews of Graph Tech Ratio tuners and the Gretsch G9240 Alligator resonator guitar.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT
Trixie Whitley: The singer-songwriter and Black Dub vocalist gives in to the guitar. By Derk Richardson.
SONGCRAFT
Writing Songs with GarageBand: How Erin McKeown uses her Mac and iPhone to develop song ideas. By Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers.
SHOPTALK
Bamburg Guitars: Colorado luthier builds modern steel-string flattops in his one-man shop. By Teja Gerken.
PLAYLIST
WEEKLY WORKOUT
Diminished Scales and Arpeggios: Learn how to play and solo with diminished-seventh arpeggios, scales, and patterns. By Sean McGowan.
WOODSHED
Hybrid Picking: How to get new sounds by blending flatpick and fingerstyle technique. By Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers.
SONGBOOK
Hear My Train a Comin: Jimi Hendrix.
GREAT ACOUSTICS
1975 Gallagher 670M. By Teja Gerken.
Lessons on how to add extra dimension and color to your blues leads. By Andrew DuBrock and Pete Madsen - See more at: http://www.acousticguitar.com/Magazine/Issues/249#sthash.NpGq7pil.dp
