No. 343 November/December 2023

Special Focus: Sustainable Tone
From embracing alternative woods to rethinking how and where materials are sourced to modifying instrument design, we take a close look at what steps manufacturers like Taylor, Martin, D’Addario, and others are taking to make their businesses greener as they look to the future.

Also inside are profiles of acoustic artists from across the musical spectrum: an interview/retrospective with classical guitar great Sharon Isbin; a check-in with the ever-eclectic nylon-string jazz guitarist Ralph Towner; and a chat with Spanish guitarist Twanguero, who recorded his latest album, Carreteras Secundarias Vol. 2, in the heart of the Costa Rican jungle.

Lessons comprise an introduction to chart reading in real time by Berklee professor Jane Miller, a primer on tremolo picking technique by Gretchen Menn, and a Weekly Workout on expanding your harmonic vocabulary using Django Chords by gypsy jazz specialist Greg Ruby.

Songs to play include Tracy Chapman’s Grammy-winning hit "Fast Car"; a fresh take on "Guitarra Picante" by Ralph Towner; "Red Haired Boy," a flatpicking classic as arranged by Jamie Stillway; a campfire-ready version of "On Top of Old Smoky;" and Sean McGowan’s jazzy fingerstyle rendition of the holiday evergreen "Over the River and Through the Woods."

Also featured in this issue are tips on creating a basic home recording studio, an interview with Italian luthier Noemi Schembri, and a review of City of Gold, the bluegrass-drenched new release from Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway.

And on the gear side, we check out two new dreadnoughts from C.F. Martin and Co.—the powerful Super D and the new-look D-18 StreetLegend—as well as Fishman’s AFX Pedals, a new line of effects tailored for acoustic players.