No. 359 Fall 2026

Special Focus: The Art of Apprenticeship
Six leading luthiers—Kathy Wingert, Isaac Jang, Maegen Wells, Tom Ribbecke, Michael Wichmann, and Michael Dittmann—discus the state of their trade and the importance of learning-teaching relationships.

Feature articles include Isa Burke’s insightful conversation with cover artist Courtney Hartman, who reveals the process behind her latest solo-acoustic release, With You: From the Garden Shed, and how motherhood led to fresh inspiration and creative perspective; an introduction to the 2026 cohort of Acoustic Guitar Teaching Artists—Janet Noguera, Morgan Harris, Jackson Emmer, Greg Ruby, and Elsie Franklin; and a check-in with fingerstyle legend Duck Baker.

In the lessons department, Elsie Franklin shares fundamental fingerpicking tips, and Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers shows how to make your guitar sound like a harp, and how to discover fresh sounds by capoing above the fifth fret.

Songs to play include a two-guitar arrangement of J.S. Bach’s “Invention No. 10”; a World Premiere of Paul McCartney’s evocative “Days We Left Behind”; Memphis Minnie’s bluesy “What’s the Matter with the Mill?”; a study in flatpicking via Norman Blake’s solos on “Texas Gales”; Ethan Sherman’s uncluttered arrangement of “Lakes of Pontchartrain”; and Maurice Tani’s easy-ish version of the folk classic “Frankie and Johnny.”

Plus, Ty Danco and Doug Baumoel of the Archtop Foundation talk about their mission to celebrate luthiers and inspire players; AG’s gear expert Martin Keith tackles slipping tuners and temperamental instruments; Greg Ruby reviews the innovative new Martin OM-35 Inception; Maya de Vitry’s All My Faith reviewed; and more!