The guitarists’ quest for tone is never-ending. But it’s more than just what an instrument is made of, but how it’s played and even what the playing “tools” are made of. How you strike the strings is what makes your sound different from the sound of the next player. Last time, we highlighted fingerstyle picking. […]
Have you ever wondered how two people can play the exact same guitar but get different sounds? That’s because there’s a lot more to tone than just the instrument itself. In fact, some players can make a “mediocre” guitar sound amazing because of their technique and musicality, while a beginner can struggle to get much […]
What are the most important parts of an acoustic guitar that contribute to its sound? The strings? The body shape? Certainly these affect the tone, but perhaps the most critical is the tonewood used to build the instrument. By the amount of paint and lacquer slapped on by some manufacturers, it might seem that wood […]
Resonator guitar history From the soul-piercing wail of Delta blues to the homespun sounds of bluegrass masters to the edgy tones of modern Americana, resonator guitars have been lending their distinctive voice to pop for nearly 90 years. Or should we say distinctive “voices.” To savvy players, painting all resonators with the same brush is […]
A properly setup guitar can mean the difference between an OK guitar, and a great guitar. I believe that pretty much any guitar has the potential to be a great guitar, as long as it has been set up correctly. A lot of beginning guitar players who are really struggling to find the motivation to […]
When choosing between solid vs laminate wood acoustic guitars, there are a number of considerations. Almost all acoustic guitars are made of various types of wood. A small number of manufacturers use composite materials, fiberglass, or carbon fiber (either for the back and sides or the entire structure), but since the vast majority of instruments you’ll […]
Previously, we talked about why it’s important to not cheap out on your first guitar, but to make an investment in your guitar-playing future. This can sound like a scary prescription, though, because guitars can range from $50 to tens of thousands… and even into the millions for collectible axes. So how do you find […]
Few musical instruments capture the imagination and passion of people across all ages, walks of life, and musical tastes, like the guitar. How often have you heard someone, after attending a concert or performance of some kind that featured the guitar, say, “I always wanted to learn to play!”? And the great news is that […]