TOP GEAR OF 2021 | GOOD PRACTICING HABITS | PICKING PROWESS

5 SONGS
TO PLAY
BOB DYLAN
TANGLED UP IN BLUE
DOC WATSON &
CLARENCE WHITE
FOOTPRINTS
IN THE SNOW
LARKIN POE
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 | ACOUSTICGUITAR.COM SHE’S A SELF
MADE MAN
AND MORE

Roots-Rocking
Sisters Rebecca

Larkin
& Megan Lovell

Poe

NEW GEAR
JAKOB DYLAN TAYLOR GTE BREEDLOVE IZOTOPE SPIRE
URBAN ASH/ PURSUIT STUDIO
JEFF JEWITT TAYLORSENSE EXOTIC S HERCULES
ADAM LEVIN CONCERT STANDS
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 TENILLE
ARTS
© 2021 PRS Guitars

Tenille Arts wrote her first song at 13 and has been performing and touring
ever since. Seen as one of today’s notable women of country music, Tenille
writes her story and crafts her songs with a PRS SE Acoustic in hand. She
made history when her Somebody Like That release became the first #1
country single written, produced, and recorded by all females. Check out
her new single Back Then, Right Now and catch her on tour across the US.
guil a-20 marley
inspired by Bob marley's
at-home, songwriting guitar
from 56 hope road in kingston.

discover the story behind the guitar

at guildguitars.com/marley

TM and © 2021 Fifty-Six Hope Road Music, Ltd.

Used under license.
bobmarley.com
 CONTENTS
MAGGIE MARGUERITE STUDIOS 2016

“At every point, I Features Special Focus Miscellany

am trying to look 18 Blues Sisters The Year in Gear 10 The Front Porch
for connections, Larkin Poe’s Megan and Rebecca 32 From under 20 bucks 12 Community
Lovell have traveled from bluegrass to more than ten grand, 2021 48 Acoustic Guitar Showcase
bridges for to blues and beyond brought exciting new offerings 77 Ad Index
our audience. By Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers for acoustic guitarists 81 Luthiers’ Row
How can we By Adam Perlmutter
26 21st-Century Guitar Career
invite them in Classical guitarist Adam Levin
and make this deftly bridges multiple styles,
settings, and eras
music stick?
By Mark Small
Discovering how
to do this is a
pathway to the
classical guitar’s
long-term
January/February 2022
sustainability Volume 32, No. 4, Issue 332
and success in
On the Cover
the concert hall.”
Larkin Poe
—ADAM LEVIN
p. 26 Photographer
Josh Kranich

AcousticGuitar.com 5
CONTENTS

Taylor Guitars’ new TaylorSense system, p. 72

COURTESY OF TAYLOR GUITARS

SETUP 60 World Premiere: She’s a Self Made Man 74 Review: Breedlove Pursuit Exotic S
16 Guitar Talk Larkin Poe’s rockin’ declaration Concert Edgeburst CE
The cinematic visions of Jakob Dylan of independence Acoustic-electric with a rich and dynamic voice
By James Volpe Rotondi By Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers By Emile Menasché

PLAY 63 Pickin’: Footprints in the Snow 76 Review: iZotope Spire Studio

38 Here’s How Tackling bluegrass solos by Doc Watson A pro-quality next-gen recorder
Best practices for the woodshed and Clarence White By James Volpe Rotondi
By Judy Minot By Alan Barnosky
77 Review: New Hercules Stands
40 The Basics 66 Campfire: Beautiful Dreamer Practical aids for producing audio
What to do when things get tricky in a Strumming through Stephen Foster’s and video content at home
chord-melody arrangement 19th-century classic By Nick Rossi
By Greg Ruby By Maurice Tani
MIXED MEDIA
44 Woodshed AG TRADE 78 Playlist
Learn Welsh fingerstyle techniques through 68 Makers & Shakers Reviews of a new box of 1960s West Coast
the traditional song “Men of Harlech” Top finishing supplier and luthier Jeff Jewitt folk recordings, and albums by Paul Thorn,
By Luke Edwards By Kate Koenig Sarah McQuaid, Buffalo Nichols, and
George Harrison, plus the film Karen Dalton:
50 Weekly Workout 70 Ask the Expert In My Own Time
Strengthen your playing with economy picking The dark arts of instrument repair
By Ron Jackson By Martin Keith 82 Great Acoustics
Buck Curran’s long-lost 2009 Sobell Model 1
SONGS 72 Review: Taylor GTe Urban Ash By Greg Olwell
56 Acoustic Classic: Tangled Up in Blue and TaylorSense
Bob Dylan’s apparently unfinished masterpiece A punchy little guitar and the app that helps
By Adam Perlmutter you maintain it
By Emile Menasché

6 January/February 2022
BUILT
FROM
THE
SOUND
UP
 SPONSORED acousticguitar.com/332
AG ONLINE

BOOGIE
WOOGIE Video Exclusives
BASSLINES
WITH MARY
FLOWER

SOUL SISTERS
Rebecca and Megan Lovell, aka Larkin Poe, perform an exclusive acoustic duo version of their
song “She’s a Self Made Man.” (p. 60)

Award-winning fingerstyle acoustic

blues guitarist, music educator and
Elixir® Strings artist Mary Flower
breaks down the best fingering for a
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in this quick acoustic guitar lesson.
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8 January/February 2022
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 THE FRONT PORCH

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Collings CJ-45 T
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I
Need to renew, pay a bill, change an
can’t tell you how many times someone has Here he covers Adam Levin, another bright and
address, give a gift, or get answers to your
questions about a subscription? Visit confidently told me that the guitar was youthful guitarist. In a relatively short career,
AcousticGuitar.com/Subscriber-Services. doomed to extinction due to the dominance of Levin has performed and recorded a wide-rang-
Want help with a purchase on our online store? electronic sounds in popular music, and that ing repertoire of eras and styles, most recently
E-mail AcousticGuitarService@Stringletter.com. fewer and fewer young people were being championing the work of contemporary Spanish
drawn to the instrument as they had been in composers while also establishing a nonprofit
RETAILERS
Want to regularly receive free copies of Acoustic great numbers for several generations. But organization to enrich the lives of young people
Guitar for yourself, your staff, and your store? Visit I’ve always taken exception to these bleak through the classical guitar.
Stringletter.com/Retailers.
prognostications and continue to see plenty of Another strong indication of the guitar’s good
WRITERS evidence to the contrary. health can be found in the marketplace. Between
Want to contribute to Acoustic Guitar? Send your Two obvious examples are Molly Tuttle and 2019 and 2020, sales increased by 15 percent on
story idea and recently published writing samples to
Editors.AG@Stringletter.com. Billy Strings, highly skilled young guitarists who the whole. It is evident that many new players
have reconciled the bluegrass tradition with took up the instrument and others reconnected
EVERYONE contemporary influences, receiving accolades with it while sheltering in place in the early days
Mail & Shipping: 941 Marina Way South, Suite E,
Richmond, CA 94804 from both purists and mainstream fans with of the pandemic. Iconic companies like Fender
Front Desk: (510) 215-0010 their unique takes on flatpicking. Similarly, the and Taylor reported record sales during a period
Customer Service: (800) 827-6837 or
sisters Rebecca and Megan Lovell, shown on the when they initially feared the worst. And the
714-226-9782
Fax: 510-217-3522 cover, use bluegrass, blues, and other traditional industry continues to feel robust—just look at the
acoustic styles as the foundation of the roots- many new offerings at all price points in our
Printed in USA
rock songs they play with their popular band, annual year-in-gear roundup. Anecdotally speak-
Except where otherwise noted, all contents Larkin Poe. While Rebecca Lovell might be often ing, it tells me something that one of the costlier
© String Letter Publishing, Inc, David A. Lusterman, seen onstage with a Fender Stratocaster, her new instruments for 2021, the Collings CJ-45 T,
Publisher.
constant companion is a Beard Deco Phonic has been selling faster than the Austin-based
Sidecar—check out her finesse on this vintage- company can build it.
inspired flattop in a video that the Lovell Sisters At the start of a new year, I’m hopeful that
recorded exclusively for the magazine, a duo these promising trends will continue apace.
version of their song “She’s a Self Made Man,” Stay tuned as AG covers more of the talented
also transcribed in this issue. young players who will ensure the guitar’s
Stringletter.com At the same time, there are many young clas- survival—not to mention the new instru-
sical guitarists proving that the instrument and ments you can score, and the music you can
its literature are alive and well. In the May/June learn on them, to help do the same.
issue, Mark Small profiled Irina Kulikova, who in
her recent work has revisited her formative  —Adam Perlmutter
influences growing up as a prodigy in Russia. Adam.Perlmutter@Stringletter.com

10 January/February 2022
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The ACOUSTASONIC PLAYER TELECASTER shown in Butterscotch Blonde. Iconic acoustic voicings. Big electric tones. One powerful Blend Knob.
SETUP Jakob Dylan

GUITAR TALK
one’s always stuck around, but I’ve written the
majority of all my records on that guitar.
“Certain guitars just have life to them, and
you don’t always know why,” he continues.
“Meanwhile, you can spend way too much
money on a vintage guitar that is just dead. I
keep going back to my J-45, without any real
expectations, and it has never let me down.”
While the J-45 may be home base, Dylan is
an omnivore when it comes to guitars, having
toured and recorded with a wide variety of
great instruments over the years, including his
very recognizable 2003 Martin D-42, a gaggle
of prewar Martin 000s, and vintage electric
axes like his Gibson ES-330, Gibson SG Custom,
and Gretsch Falcon.
“I tend to gravitate to the guitars that you
can really dig into, the ones that are kind of
screwed-up in some way, that sound kind
of dirty,” he says. “The pristine guitars that are
really smooth-sounding regardless of what you
throw at them I use mainly for touring,
because that’s mostly going to be me strum-
ming a lot to project and maintain rhythm. But
if I really want to dig in and pull out some
more gritty sounds, I’ll lean on the ones that
have a lot more character.”
ANDREW SLATER While Dylan generally either plays with a
medium pick or bounces back and forth
between two main fingerpicking patterns,
there’s one accessory that nearly always comes
between him and his strings when he’s writing
tunes: the capo. “They’re crucial to the way I
write,” he says. “It’s just so productive for

A Cinematic Vision
giving a song life; to be able to move the capo
around and find out where your voice and the
guitar are sitting together best, and where it
Jakob Dylan uses his trusty Gibson J-45 all just feels good.”
to bring his movie-like songs to life But the capo doesn’t always translate to per-
forming the songs live. Dylan’s current Wall-
BY JAMES VOLPE ROTONDI flowers lineup features Dutch bassist Whynot
Jansveld (Gavin DeGraw, Sara Bareilles,
hey’re all scenes from a movie,” says “That’s the reason why waltzes can work on an Jonatha Brooke), whom he leaned on as a kind
“T Jakob Dylan, describing the nine
tracks on Exit Wounds, his first album with his
LP, or even instrumentals. You’re trying to hit
the key points that shape the record; how you
of bridge to translate the songs from the J-45
launch pad to the wider band arrangements.
band the Wallflowers since 2012’s Glad All close out the first ‘side’; how you start the “Songwriting and playing with the band are
Over. The album is a slow burn of bold folk- second side. I’m always conscious of those two very different environments,” Dylan says.
rock songs, filled with ringing Martins and things when I make a record,” he says. “What I often find is that once the band kicks in
lyrical images that linger long after the final onstage, those higher capo positions just don’t
F major chord has faded. Given the 51-year- DYLAN’S WORKHORSE sound so great. So the process before a tour is
old singer-songwriter and guitarist’s penchant And how does Dylan generate the songs to relearn how to play all of the songs in
for the open-ended phrase in his songs, it’s toward a broader work in the first place? With regular open position—which is a lot of work!
apparent that Dylan is applying his film the help of his longest-serving songwriting But it beats having to remember and to change
analogy to albums in general, too. partner, a mid-1960s Gibson J-45. “I was capo position on every song, not to mention
“It’s not even an especially lofty thing to probably 17 or so when I bought my J-45,” he having the guitar sound thinner and smaller.”
say,” he qualifies. “It’s true, especially if you says, “and it couldn’t have been more than a It took Dylan some time to make the transi-
write them like that, with that idea of a whole few hundred dollars back then. Now, I’ve tion; in many early shows with the Wallflowers
work in mind.” For Dylan, each song on an picked up lots of great guitars since then, he played a Fender Telecaster with a capo, a
album has the job of not only moving the lis- expensive ones even, but a lot of them just feat he’s not keen to reproduce anytime soon.
tener but of setting the stage for the next one. come and go. I don’t quite know why that But he admires certain troubadours who have a

16 January/February 2022
knack for it. “I saw [country legend] George wistful emotional space. This verse from Exit can put aside all your busy work and mind
Jones play about 25 years ago,” Dylan recounts, Wounds’ “I Hear the Ocean When I Wanna See chatter, and just slow down and feel every
“and he played most of the way through a song Trains” captures Dylan’s smoky, sepia-toned lens amount of feeling you’ve got.
with a capo on. When the key suddenly modu- well: In the morning, a fool is quick to pretend/ And, Dylan advises, don’t wait for inspira-
lated, George managed to move the capo to a This night too does not begin. Now with a shot tion to necessarily pop up and strike first. “If
different fret—while he was singing—and glass coming up again/ Elbows down to the bitter you wait to be inspired, you may wait for
barely even looking at the neck. He kept on end/ You’re in the bar light with your smoke years,” he stresses. “You’ve got to just get
strumming the exact same chord shapes without rings/ And a stranger who’s leaning in/ And I’m writing and accept that there will be bad stuff
a stop. It was incredible.” as well as good stuff. You’ve got to be unafraid
of that. Just write, and trust the process of
NAVIGATING THE MYSTERY ‘I tend to gravitate elimination as you get toward a whole album.

to the guitars that you

Dylan, whose father, Bob Dylan (see “Tangled Sure, the best stuff often just falls on your
Up in Blue” on p. 56), arguably invented the head, but if you don’t go to work at this
modern acoustic songwriter, tends to be far can really dig into . . . ’ because you’re waiting for that, it could be a
less topical lyrically, and often more symbolic, —JAKOB DYLAN long, cold winter.
even cryptic, than his legendary namesake. “It may sound clichéd at this point,” he contin-
But he shares a similar mastery of turning ues, “but try to stay out of your own way. If you
conventional phrases on their heads, waxing hoping to black out and land/ Long before you’re write songs and you analyze them too closely
metaphysical, and telling a story with more than friends. you’re in danger of sabotaging yourself. Even
haunting efficiency, even a nonlinear one, “Always be suspicious of the songwriter who those phrases and lines that I’m not 100-percent
as he does so well on the Wallflowers’ 1990s can tell you exactly what a song is about,” Dylan sure what they mean? Well, I’ve learned to appre-
classic “One Headlight.” (“So long ago I don’t cautions. “That may mean they’ve had too much ciate that those lines only came to me that day
remember when/ That’s when they say I lost time to think about it. We’ve all had the experi- and didn’t come to anybody else. You’ve got to
my only friend.”) ence of learning what they’re really about long appreciate those gifts and grab them when they
The songs on Exit Wounds echo that same after we’ve written them.” Instead, he suggests, come. So trust yourself—your instincts are just as
cinematic narrative style and occupy a similarly carve out those moments in your day when you valuable as anything you’ve had to learn.”  AG

acoustic effects, no amp required.

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AcousticGuitar.com 17
 Blues
Sisters How Megan and Rebecca
Lovell of Larkin Poe traveled
from bluegrass to blues rock
and beyond
BY JEFFREY PEPPER
RODGERS

B
ack in 2005, a young bluegrass touring musician’s life, prompting Rebecca
band from Georgia known as the and Megan to regroup and reinvent their
Lovell Sisters took the stage on sound—this time tapping into their love of
the public radio show A Prairie Home Com- classic rock and blues. So in 2010 they
panion for the Talent from Twelve to traded mandolin and dobro for guitar and
Twenty contest. The youngest Lovell, lap steel, and named their new act Larkin
Rebecca, was only 14, but already a com- Poe, after an ancestor who was actually a
manding singer and mandolin player, cousin of Edgar Allen Poe.
joined by Megan, 15, on dobro and In the realm of roots rock, too, the
Jessica, 19, on fiddle. With tight instru- sisters have risen fast. They’ve performed
mental work and seamless sibling harmo- with Elvis Costello and Keith Urban, scored
nies, the band won first prize, and more a Grammy nomination (for 2018’s Venom
awards soon followed—including a man- and Faith), and toured internationally with
dolin contest win for Rebecca at MerleFest a full-band show that’s both electrified and
in 2006, and a John Lennon Songwriting electrifying, powered by Rebecca’s soulful
Contest grand prize in 2008. The Lovell vocals and rhythm guitar, Megan’s soaring
Sisters were clearly on the rise. slide, and their telepathic harmonies. As
After a few years on the bluegrass Larkin Poe they also frequently play as an
circuit, though, Jessica opted out of the acoustic duo (well, semi-acoustic, with

18 January/February 2022
 Rebecca (L) and Megan Lovell
JOSH KRANICH

AcousticGuitar.com 19
LARKIN POE

Megan playing a Rickenbacker lap steel). featured Jerry Douglas. I knew the sound of the drummer. Perhaps in the future, Megan and I
They’ve created hundreds of homegrown duo instrument, but I had never really connected the will do an acoustic tour and the two of us
videos that have racked up, at this writing, 45 sound to how the instrument was played and stripped back, because we do love it very
million views on YouTube, including inspired what it looked like. And when I saw it being much. But I certainly enjoy having a rock per-
covers of artists as diverse as Skip James, played, I was blown away by the vocal quality formance under our belts at this point.
Tony Rice, James Taylor, Led Zeppelin, and and how unique it was. I knew immediately that
the Bee Gees. was what I was headed for. I guess me and frets Megan: Absolutely. I think one of the hardest
Larkin Poe’s latest album of new original don’t really go together, because I tried to play things, going from a string band to an electri-
songs, Self Made Man, came out in the early guitar and banjo and mandolin, but it just was fied drum-driven band, is how loud everything
days of the pandemic. The sisters remained not working. was. But now that’s no problem. In fact, it can
productive during the live-music shutdown, never be too loud.
creating not only online content but two Rebecca, what drew you to mandolin?
releases: the acoustic covers album Kindred Rebecca: I typically say that the mandolin When you play as an acoustic duo, you
Spirits and now Paint the Roses, an orchestral connected with my frenetic energy as a create a very full sound. Do you think that’s a
collaboration with Nu Deco Ensemble recorded preteen, but I think, honestly, it was the reflection of your string-band background?
during a concert livestream. easiest transition. Violins and mandolins have Megan: I think even more so it’s our relation-
As songwriters, guitarists, interpreters, the same tuning, so I was able to quickly find ship as sisters. I mean, we’ve been playing
and performers, Rebecca and Megan—now in my way around just based on the similar together and singing together since we were
their early 30s—are firing on all cylinders. To stringing, and I learned how to use a pick. I four years old. All of that growth together has
learn more about their journey from acoustic really love mandolin. It’s been a huge part of made it very easy to read each other’s minds
roots music to amped-up rock, I caught up developing my instrumental prowess. I don’t musically and perform together no matter what
with the sisters by phone from their home the format is.
bases in Nashville. They also created an
Bluegrass is also great training for vocals,
‘I love the vocal quality
acoustic duo video, especially for AG, of their
song “She’s a Self Made Man” that you can especially with its emphasis on harmonies.
watch on AcousticGuitar.com and learn how of the dobro, but the lap Does that impact the way you sing
to play on page 60. steel can sound like an together today?
Rebecca: Definitely. I think we are lucky in
To start back with the Lovell Sisters days, opera singer. It feels like two aspects: One, we started out singing in a
what first hooked you into playing bluegrass? my true voice.’ choir and had a great vocal coach who really
Megan: We first went to a bluegrass festival —MEGAN LOVELL placed an emphasis on tight harmonies and
when we were 13 years old. It was called pitch. And it’s the same thing in bluegrass. So
MerleFest. We were blown away by getting to see that’s always been a huge focus for us.
all of these incredible musicians at the top of play it as much anymore, based on now being
their game, improvising and sitting in with each in an electrified and drum-heavy group, but it Rebecca, you use a lot of dropped-D tuning
other, and then the joy of the audience and par- was a big love of my life for many years. on guitar. Is that a key part of your sound?
ticipation and dancing. We just loved the energy, Rebecca: I have written a lot in dropped-D
especially coming from a classical background Do you think mandolin, and the chop you over the years. I like the fact that you can get
where we were used to reading the notes off the supply in a bluegrass band, helped you play some power-chord vibes on the low strings of
page. It introduced us to this whole new world of guitar with such a strong sense of groove? the guitar, and it occupies a lot of space, given
what music could mean. Rebecca: Well, thank you for saying that. I that we’re a four-piece band and I am the only
would agree that the mandolin player’s role in rhythm player. Megan is our lead guitarist, but
At the time you were playing violin and any bluegrass band is to serve as the drummer. she is tuned to open G [G B D G B D], so the
piano, right? I do think it helped me develop a more metric lowest she can go is a G note below middle C.
Megan: We started out on violin when sense of time, and it gave me a feeling of So getting more beefiness out of my guitar has
Rebecca was three and I was four, and we rhythm within myself. It was a big step up for been a focus for me as a writer.
picked up piano a few years later. We played me in transitioning to the guitar. But I also am known to wildly cross-tune
in symphonies and quartets and did recitals, my guitar and see what it inspires in terms of
like a lot of kids. But when we went to that String bands are about creating drive without writing. I am a big Chris Whitley fan, and he
festival, we felt immediately that we wanted drums. How did you find the transition into would have just random tuning after random
to be involved in roots music. We quit our playing with a full rock band? tuning written onto his setlist. I thought that
classical lessons cold turkey and became the Rebecca: When we started Larkin Poe in 2010, was really cool before I had to actually imple-
most uncool teenagers, picking up banjos and that’s when we first started playing with a ment the tunings onstage under the time pres-
mandolins. That’s when I was fully introduced drummer. So I think for two, two and a half sure of an audience waiting for you to get
to slide guitar in the form of dobro. years, it was very awkward for us to sync into your guitar in tune. So that is why we have to
more of a drum-orchestrated environment, bring a bajillion guitars.
My understanding is that Jerry Douglas was learning to trust the drummer and to write
JOSH KRANICH

an inspiration. music that had an affinity with drums. So it Can you give some examples of tunings
Megan: Yeah, absolutely. We grew up listening was definitely a transitional period for us. But you use?
a lot to Alison Krauss and Union Station, which at this point, I can’t imagine not having a Rebecca: My favorite one is B A B E B E. I wrote

20 January/February 2022
JOSH KRANICH

AcousticGuitar.com 21
LARKIN POE

The Lovell Sisters—Rebecca, Jessica, and Megan—made a splash on A Prairie Home Companion and at MerleFest.
a song called “Freedom” in that tuning. I have a
Strat that can withstand being tuned down to
a low B, which is pretty damn low for an elec-
tric guitar. But it sounds cool. It’s very ominous.
For “Hard Time Killing Floor Blues,” a cover
of a Skip James song, I tune to open D—
D A D F# A D—which is cool [note that the original
is in D minor, D A D F A D]. I have a song called
“Pink and Red” that is tuned to C G D G B E.

Megan, what was the transition like for you

from dobro over to lap steel?
Megan: Very gradual. At first I had a little bit of
a hard time accepting the lap steel. I think the
idea of taking on pedals and figuring out how to
use an amp and how loud everything is can be
a little bit overwhelming at first. But once I
started to get into the lap steel, I have to say it
was like, “Goodbye, dobro.” Not that I don’t
love the dobro. I think it’s a beautiful instru-
ment, and I still pick it up from time to time.
But the lap steel is my true love.
It’s a fairly easy transition. There’s definitely
a different style in which you play lap steel.
Dobro is more like you manhandle it, whereas
the lap steel just has more sustain naturally. You
have to play it with more finesse, because if you

COURTESY OF LARKIN POE

dig in, you’re going to get a brittle tone. You
need a more gentle touch.
I love the vocal quality of the dobro, but the
lap steel can sound like an opera singer. It feels
like my true voice.

How do you think about the relationship of

your two instruments in your arrangements? songs come from the guitar, and then I am over You’re such a powerful live act, but you’ve
The lap steel seems more like another singer top, like a lead guitarist or sometimes like a also done a lot of almost hip-hop-style
than a second guitar. third vocalist. We are a very riff-heavy band. recording, piecing together tracks and using
Megan: Absolutely. We’ve had to be very aware loops and samples. Do you see playing live
of the different spaces that each element of our Do you come up with those riffs as part of and layering tracks like that to be totally
show occupies. There’s Rebecca’s voice, and the songwriting process, or later when you’re different processes?
then there’s my lap steel, which can occupy a arranging a song as a band? Rebecca: At the core, Larkin Poe is my sister
similar range to her voice. So I have to be very Rebecca: Typically, my song inspiration starts and me, and that can be somewhat limiting in
careful, since I don’t want to clash with her. And with the music, so having a riff or chords is the that neither of us are natural-born drummers. I
then we also want to want to fill out the bottom foundational stone from which I then build play the drums, but very badly. A lot of times
end as much as possible. melody and lyric. But I do feel really lucky to there’s only so much that you can verbally
be in a position in the band with a lot of cre- express to another musician about what you’re
Rebecca: If it’s Megan and me as an acoustic ative support from my sister. Megan really looking for in terms of, you know, bpm, swung
duo, how I play acoustic guitar is strictly trying translates melody when she is improvising or or not swung, or are we talking about eighth
to cover rhythm and chords. So if we’re playing in general. So if there’s ever a song notes or 16th notes or four on the floor or a
playing, you know, in E, I am required to play that I don’t feel has a cool riff or something shuffle. So having technology at my fingertips
the low E note to frame out the low end. compelling, we’re able to break it back down to map out exactly what I hear in my head
Within our band, I’m allowed a little bit more to the bones together as a team and write when I’m writing a song, in turn allows an audi-
leeway to work in some riffs. If our bass play- some riffs in the studio. ence to get a clearly distilled version of what we
er’s playing the bass and some key parts, it are creatively trying to put forward.
allows me to break away. But I’ve always Megan: I think that comes from the music we lis- In essence, whenever we record a song in the
viewed myself predominantly as a utility player, tened to growing up. If you think about the Allman studio, the musicians listen to the way in which
just to shore up the gap. I don’t get too fancy. Brothers or Eric Clapton, there’s always going to we portrayed the song [in the demo] and learn
be a main riff that shows up through the song. All it in a way that pays respect to the original
Megan: I don’t know about that. You are such a of the bands we really admire take so much from version while also being fresh and appropriate
huge riff player. Most of the solid riffs in our blues, which is a huge riff-based sort of music. for the stage. We definitely allow arrangements

22 January/February 2022
 ©2021 SANTA CRUZ GUITAR COMPANY
A True Custom Shop
Santa Cruz Guitar Company
LARKIN POE

to shift and flex for live performance. But I do hear original compositions interpreted through perform them on a stage with a lot of power
think part of what makes us unique as a band is the lens of a classical format, very full circle. I behind us. We’re also very excited to be releas-
the ability to marry our very organic musical feel even more grateful that that performance, ing a song called “Mad as a Hatter,” which
knowledge with GarageBand or Logic or Pro which was intended to be a one-night occasion, people have been requesting for so many years.
Tools, to let the creative vision run free—even was so special and we were able to release the
further than it might otherwise. music as an album. When we listened back to I’m curious about “Danger Angel,” one song
the board tapes, there was something true and from Self Made Man that you revisited on
Megan: That’s sort of the feeling behind Self worthwhile that we wanted to share with our the new album. What can you tell me about
Made Man. But Kindred Spirits is essentially live, fans. It is very much a left turn from what we writing that?
just recorded in the studio with the two of us, do in the studio and also on the stage as Larkin Rebecca: “Danger Angel” is one of those songs
and the new record [Paint the Roses] is live with Poe. We like throwing curveballs. that I wrote sitting at my kitchen table with my
Nu Deco Ensemble, so we definitely are branch- acoustic guitar. I was looking to write some-
ing out into that side of things too. Megan: A lot of the songs are from the album thing fairly meditative and hypnotic. I used a
Self Made Man, which we wrote intending to resonator guitar in the studio for the Self Made
Do you see the Nu Deco album as perform live on worldwide tours for 2020. But Man recording. The main loop of the song is
reconnecting with your classical beginnings? then we didn’t get to play any of them live, so it this guitar riff that repeats over and over again.
Rebecca: Absolutely. It was very nostalgic to was great to have a space where we could
Even when the chord changes, the riff stays
the same.
Rebecca: Exactly. It’s kind of a prog-rock move,
where you keep reframing the melodic elements
based on what chord is happening underneath.
But yeah, that song was kind of a little guilty
pleasure for me. I was just messing around
and wrote something lyrically that made me
smile. It’s sort of this superhuman representa-
tion of a bad girl, of a danger angel. It has old
bluegrass-style harmony singing, very high
and lonesome and a little bit dissonant. I
brought it to Megan, and she dug it.

Do you two work on songs more on the

arranging level, or do you also co-write?
JOSH KRANICH

Megan: Rebecca is the main songwriter for the

band, especially lyrically. So a lot of the song
ideas come from her, and then I’ll come in and
we’ll add that special Larkin Poe flavor at the

WHAT THEY PLAY end. She is the lead singer, and even though I
do write, I think my style of writing sometimes
Rebecca Lovell’s go-to acoustic guitar is a Deco Phonic Sidecar, a small-body flattop
differs a little bit vocally. It feels very impor-
built by Maryland’s Beard Guitars, best known for its resonator instruments. She plays
tant to us that the lyrics and melodies she’s
her Sidecar, which takes inspiration from guitars of the 1920s and early ’30s, in all
singing are authentic to her. I love the songs
acoustic settings and throughout the Kindred Spirits album.
that she writes, so I’m very pleased to come in
Onstage with Larkin Poe, Rebecca plays mostly Fender Stratocasters along with,
and make them Larkin Poe.
recently, a Gretsch Jet. “Both Megan and I rely pretty heavily on a very clean Fender
Deluxe-style amp sound: very tube-y, very simple, usually with a short delay, some
Looking back at your days as the Lovell Sisters
overdrive, some reverb,” she says. “Neither of us consider ourselves to be the Edge! In
playing bluegrass, how do you draw the line
Larkin Poe we’re kind of meat and potatoes when it comes to effects.”
from that music to what you’re doing now?
Megan still reaches for her Scheerhorn Dobro on occasion, but with Larkin Poe—
Megan: Man, that’s a good question. I think that
both the duo and the full band—she plays a Rickenbacker, a black-and-white B6
we look back on it as all part of one big long
“Panda” model from the early ’50s. In order to play it standing onstage, she uses a
story. The Lovell Sisters days feel like so
holder that attaches on one side of the body and secures it in the optimal playing
long ago, like a different lifetime, but we also
position. On both dobro and lap steel, she primarily plays in open G (G B D G B D). She
know that the lessons that we learned during
uses a stainless steel Scheerhorn bar, metal ProPik fingerpicks, and a Dunlop M-10
those times are definitely affecting us now.
Zookies plastic thumbpick.
And we are the same people, even though we
For the lap steel, Megan uses an Ernie Ball volume pedal and a custom TB Drive, a
play very different music. That roots music
signature pedal built in Germany by Rodenberg for guitarist Tyler Bryant—who, not
lives deep inside us and still affects what we
coincidentally, is married to Rebecca. “I always play with overdrive on the lap steel
do today and paints the unique picture that is
because it can be a tinny instrument without it,” says Megan. “I like a ballsy drive.”
Larkin Poe. I just feel very thankful for the way
we got started in music.  AG

24 January/February 2022
 The first nylon guitar string.
The first choice of Adam Levin.
G USTIN
AU E

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26 January/February 2022
MAGGIE MARGUERITE STUDIOS 2016
SILVIO RODRIGUEZ

AcousticGuitar.com 27
ADAM LEVIN

Adam Levin
n his relatively young career, classical
guitarist Adam Levin has traversed an
impressive amount of territory as an inter-
national performing and recording artist. The
fourth album of his critically hailed series 21st
Century Spanish Guitar, released in August
2021, chronicles the most recent chapter in the
Spanish guitar legacy by spotlighting new solo
works (and one concerto) by contemporary
Spanish composers.
The recording is one among a dozen in
Levin’s catalog of solo and collaborative proj-
ects. His touring and recording schedule com-
prises solo appearances and bookings with
three different ensembles. The Great Necks, a
group he founded with grad-school colleagues
Matthew Rohde and Scott Borg, has been
turning heads by fearlessly reducing piano and
orchestral repertoire (such as Jean Sibelius’
Finlandia and Gustav Holst’s The Planets) to the
guitar trio format with astonishing musical cre-
ativity and virtuosity. Duo Mantar finds Levin

MAGGIE MARGUERITE STUDIOS 2016

in league with gifted mandolinist Jacob Reuven
playing music by noted Israeli composers. Duo
Sonidos, featuring stellar violinist William
Knuth, plays a range of music—its 2019 album,
Wild Dance, includes selections ranging from
Gershwin songs to film music to arrangements
of concert works by Erich Wolfgang Korngold,
Lukas Foss, Karol Szymanowski, and others.
Levin has won first prize in four interna-
tional competitions and taken top prizes in Sato stressed right-hand planting, scales, and At the university, he studied guitar with Anne
three others. Additionally, he was awarded a arpeggios, and they worked on the Segovia scales Waller, whom he credits with cementing his
Fulbright scholarship and the Kate Neal Kinley (fingerings for the major and minor scales) and musicality and helping him become a solid
Memorial Fellowship. These honors afforded Segovia’s edition of 20 Sor Studies. “By the time I player. He earned bachelor’s degrees in both
him the opportunity to live and study in Spain was 16, I was playing the Bach ‘Chaconne’ and all music performance and psychology before
for three years, during which time he commis- of the Villa-Lobos etudes and preludes,” says heading to NEC for a master’s program with Fisk.
sioned almost 40 living composers spanning Levin. “Sato was staunch about gaining an under-
multiple generations to write the works he standing of a substantial body of repertoire.” PATHWAY TO MUSICIANSHIP
would premiere on the 21st Century Spanish When it came time for college, Levin had “I firmly believe that NEC and my study with
Guitar series. When the fourth volume was dual interests he hoped to combine. He sought Eliot was the path toward my becoming a
released, it went immediately to Number One on to explore his father’s path by taking psychology learned musician,” Levin says. “He was the kind
Billboard’s Traditional Classical Albums chart. and pre-med classes, while also working toward of guitarist and human being I wanted to be—
a music career. He applied to NEC (New someone who commanded many facets of life,
A FIRM FOUNDATION England Conservatory of Music), where Eliot not just classical guitar, but music in general.
Levin grew up in Lake Bluff, Illinois, a town 30 Fisk chairs the guitar program. “Eliot called my Studying with Eliot is a special process. He
miles north of Chicago. His mother is an options folks out of the blue saying he was impressed by understands your personality and is so encour-
trader and his father a clinical psychologist. The my audition tape and really wanted me to study aging and idealistic. He always told me to
senior Levin is also an amateur guitarist and with him,” Levin says. “I had always been star- create a global vision and a 21st-century career
guitar collector who introduced his son to clas- struck by Eliot; he was at the apex of the guitar with many facets. He understood classical
sical guitar. “My father and a great Japanese world for me. I faced a difficult choice.” guitar and his own career, and he saw that
teacher, Shinobu Sato, taught me in the early As it turned out, Chicago-area Northwestern serving the ivory tower was no longer the ideal
days,” Levin recalls. “My father would get me University, which had a five-year program that or where the profession was going. You have to
up at the crack of dawn, 5 AM, to practice— would enable Levin to study classical guitar express yourself through many means: collabo-
not without a lot of kicking and screaming on and the sciences, won the coin toss. “The rations, chamber music, creating arts infrastruc-
my part. But as I look back on that, it was a Northwestern program was stronger for what I ture, and finding fresh repertoire. I had a
beautiful period of time. In the early morning wanted,” says Levin, “but, I [also] became power-packed seven years of study with Eliot.”
I was so fresh and clear-minded. I really cata- Eliot’s private student and went monthly for After earning his graduate degree, Levin’s
pulted myself through lots of technical stuff lessons with him in Boston during the five next goal was to study abroad, and with Fisk’s
and repertoire.” years I spent at Northwestern.” input, he crafted a proposal for a Fulbright

28 January/February 2022
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ADAM LEVIN

scholarship. The final plan involved Levin 19th and 20th centuries. He found the basic like a banjo in the second movement. It is a
going to Spain, where he would study, Spanish musical DNA in the music, but also wonderful piece, and it draws people in. At
pe rform, commission, and re cord ne w neoclassicism, avant-garde, atonal, and elec- every point, I am trying to look for connec-
Spanish guitar music. “I realized it was high tronic elements. In addition to the Fulbright, tions, bridges for our audience. How can we
time to do what Segovia, [Julian] Bream, Levin received support from the Program for invite them in and make this music stick? Dis-
[John] Williams, Fisk, [Sharon] Isbin, and Cultural Cooperation and the Kate Neal Kinley covering how to do this is a pathway to the
others did by championing new music,” Levin Memorial Fellowship, which enabled him to classical guitar’s long-term sustainability and
says. “That became the genesis for the 21st continue in Madrid for three years. success in the concert hall. I think Portraits of
Century Spanish Guitar album series.” Working directly with composers was a the Heartland does this very well.”
He began his Fulbright in 2008, studying new experience. “With all the music I’d
with Gabriel Estarellas, a proponent of new studied up to that point, I learned about com- A PASSION FOR SERVICE
Spanish music who gave Levin introductions to posers and their music through books and It was Fisk who ignited Levin’s passion for com-
many composers. He discovered that a new mentors that were secondary and tertiary munity service through music during his years
renaissance in Spanish music was happening, sources,” he says. “This was an opportunity to at NEC when he began focusing on underserved
producing a more cosmopolitan, global Spanish talk to the primary sources to get their youth and residents at nursing homes. “I did
music than the beloved Iberian repertoire of the opinion on how things sounded.” outreach through the Albert Schweitzer Fellow-
ship to develop programs of study for at-risk
LIFE BEYOND THE PREMIERE high school students” Levin states. “I also
Levin is optimistic that works from the large worked in geriatric homes across Boston and
body of music he’s brought forth will enter the learned how to present myself to two very dif-
guitar canon. He cites “Dues Noves Suggestions” ferent communities.”
by Salvador Brotons, appearing on the first The experience affected Levin deeply.
volume, as a piece with a future. It’s lyrical, “Outreach was not an extracurricular activity
© 2018 BOGDAN URMA PHOTOGRAPHY LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

evocative, and instantly appealing. Receiving but a defining point in my career,” he says.
“Espacio de Guitarra” (“Guitar Space”) from “Through that service, I defined my voice as a
Cristóbal Halffter for the third album was a par- musician.” Levin has amplified his outreach
ticular triumph. Halffter, who passed away in efforts. In 2015, together with his Great
2021 at the age of 91, was esteemed for his Necks compadres Borg and Rohde, Levin
large-scale orchestral works, and it took established Kithara Project, a nonprofit orga-
repeated queries from Levin over the course of nization with a mission to improve the lives
seven years to find a time when Halffter could and opportunities of young people through
write the piece (in 2015). the classical guitar. Kithara operates two
Catalan-American composer Leonardo guitar education programs in Boston and one
Balada, Fisk had told Levin, “is the epitome of each in Albuquerque and Mexico City.
21st-century Spanish music.” He fuses the old “We provide everything that is needed for
and new worlds and contributed multi- comprehensive, tuition-free guitar education:
movement Caprichos to all four 21st Century instruments, footstools, music stands, group
Spanish Guitar volumes. Balada created and private lessons, and field trips to guitar
abstractions on themes of past Spanish society concerts,” says Levin. “For the students

WHAT HE PLAYS masters, including Enrique Granados, Isaac we serve, the guitar is a refuge from the diffi-
Albéniz, and Manuel de Falla. cult socioeconomic strains, the streets, drugs,
Adam Levin plays a pair of guitars
Cuban-Spanish composer Eduardo Morales- and alcohol. Perhaps the most striking of the
built by Massachusetts luthier
Caso contributed to three of the four records. four programs is the one in Mexico City in a
Stephan Connor (profiled in the
Levin worked so frequently with him, that, notoriously dangerous neighborhood. We have
January/February 2020 issue). The
“Eduardo has become like an older brother to been fundraising for four years and are build-
Paladina, built in 2010, has a spruce
me,” he says. The fourth album features a ing a music school that will be completed this
top with a hybrid lattice-and-fan
major Morales-Caso contribution: Concierto de year. It’s been a lot of work, but every time I
bracing system, along with maple
La Herradura. “I think this concerto will be the see those kids, it’s exactly the fuel I need to
back and sides. Made two years
new thing,” says Levin. “It’s a wild piece, continue. It has been an absolute joy to share
earlier, Super Nova has a cedar
expressive, and has an angelic, buoyant second our love of guitar with these youngsters.”
soundboard and Brazilian rosewood
movement. The work is really attractive and Add to Levin’s very packed schedule roles as
back and sides. For this one, Connor
super Spanish with a personal voice.” professor at two New England universities, artis-
created an experimental flying brace
Also appearing on Vol. 4, Jorge Muñiz’s tic director for the University of Rhode Island
pattern. Levin played both guitars on
Portraits from the Heartland stands out with Guitar Festival and the Rhode Island Guitar
21st Century Spanish Guitar, Vol. 4.
its nod toward American bluegrass music. Guild, and new father. He and his wife cele-
On Music from the Promised Land, he
“Muñiz comes from the north of Spain and is brated the arrival of their first son in 2021. With
used the Paladina exclusively. Levin
a disciple of Leonardo Balada,” Levin says. a baby at home, there’s even less sleep, but the
prefers hard-tension Augustine Regal
“Balada has championed folk music through kinetic and indefatigable Levin thrives on
strings on both instruments.
his avant-garde music, and Muñiz feels simi- pushing himself to the limit. He jokes, “Now it
larly about folk music. You hear what sounds just feels like I’m up all night and all day!” AG

30 January/February 2022
 Performance 3 Guitar Capo

OFFERS UNRIVALLED
TUNING STABILITY
SO YOU FOCUS ON
YOUR PLAYING
The Capo Company

www.G7th.com
 2021
THE YEAR
IN GEAR
From under 20 bucks to ten grand,
exciting new offerings for acoustic guitarists
BY ADAM PERLMUTTER

I
t was another strange year for the world of gear. Boasting a Sitka spruce top and siris or ziricote back
Each January, more than 100,000 visitors from and sides, as well as Fishman MX-T electronics with a
around the world normally head to Southern Califor- built-in soundhole tuner, the D-13E ($1,349) gives
nia, where they cram the halls of the Anaheim Conven- players an affordable entry point for an all-solid acoustic-
tion Center to see the latest offerings from across the electric dreadnought. The 00L Earth ($2,249), with its
musical instruments industry. But due to the pandemic, planet-emblazoned soundboard, plastic-free construc-
the annual Winter NAMM was cancelled in January tion, and hemp gig bag, represents Martin’s stance on
2021, for only the third time in the show’s 120-year taking action against climate change—and it’s a real
history. (Not even the 1916 pandemic stopped the head-turner to boot.
event, but World War II did, in 1942 and 1945.) For players looking to add a little chime to their
Makers pivoted to virtual NAMM showcases. And tonal palettes, Martin introduced the Grand J-16E
buoyed by a year of record sales despite—or maybe 12-string ($2,099), an acoustic-electric powerhouse
because of—uncertain times, they introduced an aston- with a Sitka spruce top and East Indian rosewood back
ishing range of new guitars and accessories, both tradi- and sides, and a high-performance neck taper for
tional and forward-looking, at all price points. As usual, enhanced playability. Another new 12 in the lineup, the
throughout the year, AG got its hands on some of the D-35 David Gilmour 12-string ($5,499) boasts a Car-
best new offerings, from D’Addario’s innovative new XS pathian spruce soundboard and sinker mahogany back
strings to top-shelf instruments by Collings and the and sides, a tonewood that Gilmour chose for its rich-
Santa Cruz Guitar Company. ness of sound and appearance. A six-string Gilmour
Here’s an overview of the year in gear, with many of signature version (also $5,499) has an Adirondack
the pieces reviewed in the pages of AG: guitars, sound- spruce top with Martin’s VTS (Vintage Tone System).
reinforcement solutions, and more, for players of all AG checked out the affordably priced acoustic-
stripes. Note that all prices are what you should expect electric GPC-13E ($1,299), a cutaway Grand Perfor-
to pay new in a shop, whether brick-and-mortar or mance model with a solid Sitka spruce top, either
online. And for more detailed information, be sure to mutenye or ziricote back and sides, and a Fishman elec-
check out the in-depth reviews in your back issues of tronics package. Testing a ziricote version, Greg Olwell
the magazine, or online at AcousticGuitar.com. found the GPC-13E to be an excellent all-purpose guitar,
well balanced across the sonic spectrum and easy on the
NEW OFFERINGS FROM THE BIG PLAYERS ears and fingers.
The venerable C.F. Martin introduces bunches of new Having exited from an ill-fated foray into consumer
models each year, and 2021 proved no exception. electronics in recent years, Gibson has clearly shifted the

Clockwise from top left: Martin 00L Earth, Gibson 50s LG-2, Martin GPC-13E Ziricote, Taylor GT K21e, Taylor GT 811e
Gibson Generation Collection,, Gibson Tom Petty SJ-200 Wildflower, Martin D-35 David Gilmour 12-string,

32 January/February 2022
AcousticGuitar.com 33
Top row (L-R): Taylor PS14ce, Cort Gold-Edge, Fender Acoustasonic Jazzmasters, Collings CJ-45 Traditional
Bottom row: Guild BT-240E baritone, Cordoba Protégé C1 Matiz, Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Hummingbird, Santa Cruz Happy Traum Signature Model HT/13

focus back to its bread and butter: guitars. In for students and casual musicians, which has In the last several years Fender has made a
terms of acoustics, the legacy maker added to its become a coveted model on the vintage big splash with a clever series of acoustic-
collection of painstakingly accurate replicas of market. Nick Millevoi, who had been dreaming electric hybrid guitars based on its solidbody
golden-era classics. Instruments in the Custom of owning an LG for years, praised the new shapes—first the Acoustasonic Stratocaster and
Shop Historic Collection now includes everything iteration’s vintage vibe; warm, resonant voice; then a Telecaster version, each delivering classic
from the Pre-War SJ-200 Rosewood ($6,899) to and outstanding playability. acoustic and electric tones in a single package.
the 1942 Banner J-45 ($4,999) and 1960 Hum- In the fall, Gibson announced a new series A Jazzmaster iteration ($1,999.99) was intro-
mingbird (also $4,999), all made in Gibson’s of modern guitars—the Generation Collection duced last year, and Mark Goldenberg found it
newly expanded Bozeman, Montana, shop along- (from $999)—equipped with Gibson’s new to be a pleasure to play, whether as a couch
side new custom signature models like the Player Port, designed to direct the sound toward guitar or sophisticated tool for the studio.
Orianthi SJ-200 ($5,999), Tom Petty SJ-200 the player’s ears for an immersive experience, Toward the end of 2020, Taylor Guitars intro-
Wildflower ($9,999), Noel Gallagher J-150 as well as L.R. Baggs’ Element Bronze electron- duced a new body shape—the Grand Theater
($4,299), and Slash Collection J-45 ($3,499). ics systems. Stay tuned for more coverage of (GT)—and along with it, the new C-Class
Meanwhile, Gibson built on the Acoustic this affordable series. bracing, which builds on the company’s recent
Modern Collection of guitars that, with their slim While known more for electric guitars than V-Class pattern to lend a robust bass response in
necks, contemporary voicing, and advanced elec- acoustics, Fender does have a long history of this compact body size. The Grand Theater line
tronics packages, are clearly intended for today’s making steel-strings, dating back to the 1960s now includes the flagship GT 811e ($2,999),
players. 2021 saw the introduction of the J-45 with models like the Malibu and the Newporter with East Indian rosewood back and sides, and
12-String ($3,399), while the J-45, Humming- taking their inspiration from Southern California the all-koa GT K21e ($4,699). Taylor also
bird Standard, and SJ-200 received new finish beach culture. The company looked back to these unveiled the ultra-deluxe PS14ce Honduran
options, like a traditional ebony. Golden State flattops with the Redondo Mini Rosewood ($9,999), with back and sides made
We auditioned Gibson’s Original Acoustic ($199.99) and Sonoran Mini ($199.99), each from that lush-sounding tonewood, along with a
Series 50s LG-2 ($2,499), an update on a sporting a short scale length and the iconic six- sinker redwood top, and an ornate California
classic originally intended as a budget model in-line Stratocaster headstock. Vine inlay pattern on the fretboard, headstock,

34 January/February 2022
and bridge. (The guitar is also available in a Menasché checked out the top-of-the-line low end and midrange and a bold sound,”
12-fret version.) At the other end of the price Pursuit Exotic S Concert Edgeburst CE according to Kate Koenig.
spectrum, the new AD22e ($1,599) features a ($1,299) and was notably impressed by its As an affordable alternative to U.S.-made
mahogany top and sapele back and sides, all warm voice and excellent projection (see review classics, Epiphone introduced the Inspired by
solid, in a Grand Concert platform. on page 74). Gibson collection, consisting of non-cutaway
Last year also saw the introduction of a Also designed with sustainability in mind, and cutaway J-45 models, a J-200, and stan-
smart new device of interest to all acoustic- Córdoba’s spruce-and-mahogany Protégé C1 dard six- and 12-string Hummingbirds. James
electric Taylor owners: the TaylorSense Guitar Matiz ($249) is available in four bold colors, Volpe Rotondi checked out the iconic six-string
Health Monitoring System ($79.99), measur- each with a matching gig bag made from Hummingbird version ($799), with its avian-
ing temperature, humidity, and physical recycled nylon. This model offers an affordable themed pickguard, and found it to be great-
impacts. The system consists of a sensor box entry point for the new student or the steel- sounding and inspiring to play, writing a handful
that fits into the 9-volt battery compartment on string player looking to branch out to the of tunes in the days after he received the guitar.
most Taylor guitars, which interfaces with the nylon-string, as does Cordoba’s Fusion 5 (from Guild introduced a trio of new jumbo guitars
TaylorSense app on Apple and Android devices. $429), which Nick Millevoi found helped him with built-in Fishman electronics. A standard
(See a review of the TaylorSense, along with the sound convincingly like a classical guitarist and six-string, the F-240E ($399) sports a solid
GTe Urban Ash [$1,599], on page 72.) also summon his inner Chet Atkins. spruce top and mahogany back and sides, as
While once known for its no-frills budget does the B-240E Baritone ($499). Meanwhile,
AFFORDABLE OPTIONS models, in recent years Cort has been steadily the BT-258E ($629) is an eight-string baritone
While Breedlove freshened up its U.S.-made producing affordable instruments that look less with two octave courses and rosewood back and
Premier Series (from $2,399) with L.R. Baggs like student models than boutique guitars. A sides. Greg Olwell was particularly taken with
EAS VTC electronics, the innovative company good case in point is the Gold-Edge ($1,499), the unique instrument’s clarity and massive
also unveiled its Eco Collection (guitars from with its rich appointments, beveled armrest and headroom. Toward the end of the year, Guild
$399) of solid-topped instruments made cutaway, and L.R. Baggs Anthem electronics, a unveiled the A-20 Marley ($399), which repli-
from sustainably harvested tonewoods. Emile “classy, distinguished model with a warm, rich cates Bob Marley’s songwriting partner, an old

AcousticGuitar.com 35
Top row (L-R): MusicNomad KISS setup kit, Boss Acoustic Singer Live LT, Fishman PowerTap Infinity, Mojotone Quiet Coil NC-1
Bottom row: Bose L1 Pro, Augustine strings, Fender Acoustic Preverb and Smolder OD, L.R. Baggs Voiceprint DI

Guild Madeira. Keep an eye out for a review of McGowan checked out this 13-fret beauty, freshened up its packaging with bright new
this neat guitar in an upcoming issue. with its old-growth redwood top, Honduran colors, designed not just to be attractive but
mahogany back and sides, and opulent to help easily distinguish the different sets.
HEIRLOOM-QUALITY BEAUTIES 41-style appointments—the perfect tribute to Mark Small auditioned a pair of Augustine
At a glance, the new Collings CJ-45 Traditional the beloved roots musician and educator. sets—the Imperial and the Regal (both
(from $6,400) looks very similar to the slope- McGowan, a jazz guitarist with demanding $9.99) and was impressed by the ways in
shouldered CJ-35 that has been in the Austin- tastes in instruments, was wowed by the which they enlivened his cedar- and spruce-
based guitar maker’s catalog for years. But the HT/13’s sonic and physical beauty. topped classical guitars.
CJ-45 T—one of only two new acoustic models In one of the year’s more curious product
(unless you count the reissued C100) unveiled STRINGS AND SETUP TOOLS launches, the cleaning, care, and maintenance
since the luthier Bill Collings’ passing, in For acoustic guitarists, the biggest news from company MusicNomad introduced the Keep It
2017—is quite a different animal. It’s built with stalwart strings and accessories manufacturer Simple, Setup (KISS) kit ($159.99)—a package
an entirely new bracing pattern, the result of D’Addario was the introduction of the XS containing all of the tools needed for adjusting
countless hours of R&D and retooling, and is series of strings (from $17.99), with their an acoustic guitar, so many wrenches and screw-
designed to capture the dry growl of the best hyper-thin coating, designed for longevity and drivers and such, plus a booklet explaining
1940s examples, while having superior build strength. Phosphor bronze XS sets are now exactly how to use them. Kate Koenig, admit-
quality and playability. Greg Olwell praised the available for six- and 12-string guitars (as well ting to having had only a little experience
CJ-45 T’s warmth and power, and its “singularly as mandolins) in all of the typical gauges. I setting up her guitars, found that the KISS kit
satisfying sound.” tried a 12–53 set on a Waterloo WL-S and was gave her the confidence to successfully adjust
The Santa Cruz Guitar Company seldom as impressed by the strings’ sound and feel as an old Tacoma dreadnought.
releases new models, so it was a big deal their handsome new packaging.
when SCGC introduced the Happy Traum Augustine, the nylon-string pioneer, still GEARING UP TO BE HEARD
Signature Model HT/13 ($8,800 as reviewed makes the same sets it built its reputation on While the possibility of live music seemed
in the November/December 2021 issue). Sean decades ago. But for 2021, the company bleak for much of 2020, gigs did begin to

36 January/February 2022
return for many musicians in 2021 as some If you have a pickup, then you’ll obviously OD ($149.99)—and, while noting their staid
coronavirus restrictions were lifted. Acoustic need an amp or PA system. We checked out appearance, he did appreciate their utility and
guitarists who had been playing unplugged some solutions good for a range of applications. potential for sonic exploration.
for many months then needed to gear up with The Boss Acoustic Singer Live LT ($399.99) is In an entirely different direction, L.R. Baggs’
sound reinforcement. a small 60-watt package boasting plenty of Voiceprint DI ($399) is a preamp/direct input
Throughout the year, AG checked out a audio flexibility—James Rotondi found it to be a that uses digital signal processing based on
range of products for being heard. Fishman great companion for the singer-songwriter, impulse response (IR). To put it plainly, this
offered a series of systems combining transduc- perfect for the woodshed or small venue. Bose allows you to take an aural snapshot of the
ers with body systems, to capture the informa- updated its L1 Pro series of compact PA systems natural sound of your acoustic guitar, and then
tion that pickups alone tend to miss. Emile with several different versions: the L1 Pro8 use that image in conjunction with a pickup so
Menasché reviewed a humbucker soundhole ($1,199), Pro16 ($1,799), and Pro32 ($2,698– that your guitar sounds more natural when
version, the PowerTap Earth, as well as the $3,098). Doug Young put the L1 Pro16 through plugged in. The Voiceprint DI is the first product
undersaddle PowerTap Infinity (each $299.95), its paces and admired the system’s abundant of its type that can use a smartphone for creating
praising both their great sound, flexibility, and power and clear, evenly dispersed sound. IRs and for accessing the hardware’s advanced
potential for creativity. As for effects pedals, the year saw some features. Doug Young was amazed that he could
For another soundhole solution, Doug excellent offerings tailored specifically for the use his Apple Watch to work the Voiceprint DI,
Young auditioned the Mojotone Quiet Coil acoustic guitarist. After introducing the Crush and he praised the way the system could not just
NC-1 ($189.95), a single-coil unit that, as the Acoustic 30 amplifier, the British amp company capture natural acoustic guitar tone but remove
name suggests, avoids the unwanted humming Orange followed up with the Orange Crush problematic frequencies.
associated with this pickup type. Young found Acoustic pedal ($169). Nick Millevoi tried this Stay tuned throughout the year for AG’s take
that the Mojotone sounds far more natural, class-A preamp and appreciated its transparent on other electronic innovations like these,
balanced, and acoustic-like than the typical EQ options and its groovy design. Millevoi also guitars both boutique and budget, and much
soundhole pickup, also admiring its lightness auditioned a pair of Fender stompboxes—the more—all the tools that will help you play and
and ease of installation. Acoustic Preverb and the Smolder Acoustic sound your very best.  AG

AcousticGuitar.com 37
PLAY
HERE’S HOW

UNSPLASH
Finding Joy
A simple but effective plan for greater enjoyment and productivity in the woodshed
BY JUDY MINOT

ost musicians have had the experience problem is that when you can’t tell you’re clear a way forward. Knowing exactly what
M of going through a practicing slump—a
time when they knew they should be hitting
improving, practicing quickly loses its allure.
This article details how you can set yourself
you’re aiming for will help you focus as you
practice, play, and even listen to music.
the woodshed but found themselves avoiding up to illuminate your progress as you make it— For now, stick with just one goal. It might be
it by procrastinating. Why does this happen? and have more fun as you do it. Before you playing up the neck, integrating a new scale
You may feel overwhelmed: There are just too start, remind yourself what initially made into your breaks, improving your flatpicking
many things you could work on, musically, you choose the guitar. What has inspired you skills, playing in DADGAD tuning, learning a
and you don’t know where to start or what to since then? It might be a style of music, a par- backup pattern for jigs, getting more relaxed
do. It may be that when you do find time to ticular artist, or the sound of the instrument. with singing and playing, knowing the I, IV, and
practice, you can’t summon the energy. Or Maybe you found it a practical way to accom- V chords in three new keys, etc.
you may feel stuck in a rut, just spinning your pany yourself or others. Keep those things in Try to distinguish between achieving a prac-
wheels and not making progress. It’s time to mind as you work through the steps below. tice goal and learning a new tune or song. Think
get back in touch with that love/hunger/ of songs or tunes—whether Django Reinhardt’s
SET A CLEAR AND ACHIEVABLE
1
yearning that made you want to play guitar in “Minor Swing,” Robert Johnson’s “Cross Road
the first place. PRACTICE GOAL Blues,” or Kaki King’s “Gobi”—as the tools you
One of the reasons we often lose enthusiasm Take a minute and think about something you use to accomplish your practice goals.
for practicing is that as we get more accom- want to get out of your playing, jotting down
MEASURE YOUR PROGRESS
2
plished, daily improvements in our playing a few notes if that helps. Choose something
become more subtle. The fact that you don’t you think you could make progress on in Get a notepad or digital device and
always see daily progress actually goes hand in about six weeks. If you’re feeling over- write down your goal, today’s date, and an
hand with becoming a better guitarist. And the whelmed, just doing this step can quickly end date. Every time you practice, spend a

38 January/February 2022
 VIDEO LESSON
acousticguitar.com/332

ASSESS YOUR PROGRESS

4
few minutes working on your goal. You can great choices to make: Do you want to move
spend five minutes, ten, or 20—it’s up to you. When you get to the end date you on to a new goal? Explore this one more
More than that is fine, but don’t get too wrote in your notebook, take a look back. deeply? Is six weeks a good length of time?
stressed out about spending a lot of time. The Did you make more or less progress than you By working just a little more methodically,
most important things are to be consistent expected? What specifically helped you get you can turn practicing into something you
and to write down what you did. there? What worked and what didn’t? Is look forward to. Your time in the woodshed
Make your notes brief: “D and A chords in there anything else you might like to try? can rejuvenate you, fill you with energy,
three positions"; “Accuracy! Top four strings The purpose of your assessment is to help and make you want to go back and do it
only!”; “Gm, Bm, Cm blues scales—practice (5 you do even better next time. Try not to get again tomorrow.
mins), blues improv over looped backing hung up in negative self-evaluation. Instead,
track—70 bpm.” The next time you pull out the congratulate yourself on the fact that you Judy Minot is the author of Best Practice:
guitar you can quickly pick up where you left stuck with the program for six weeks, no Inspiration and Ideas for Traditional Musicians.
off. Run through those minor blues scales matter how imperfectly. Now you have some judyminot.com
again, spend a little more time on the stickiest
one and maybe add a new one. Push the metro-
nome up a couple of clicks. Feeling OK with
DADGAD in one tune? Move on to another.
When you can, give yourself a pat on the
back. Write it down! “Flatpicking: ‘Soldier’s Joy’
90 bpm!!!” Highlight it, underline it, draw a

As we get more
accomplished, daily
improvements in
our playing become
more subtle.

star, whatever. Give your brain a reason to

remember your milestones. Daily notes will
help remind you that you’re moving forward.
You can even flip back through your notes occa-
sionally to see what you’ve been working on.
That may inspire you to revisit something, or
just give you a mental boost.

MAKE IT FUN
3 Watch for signs that practicing is becoming
a chore. As soon as you start to feel that way, take
action. You may want to make your daily goals
less ambitious. Cut out something entirely if it’s
not inspiring you today. For me, the first thing to
go is technical exercises. Some days I love them,
but definitely not always.
Try going slower. When you slow down
enough that you can actually play what you’re
working on, frustrations melt away. Dial down
the metronome or backing track; tap your foot
more slowly. Try to ignore the fact that you’re
playing at only 57 percent of Doc Watson’s
speed. It’s OK, really.
If you feel physically and emotionally
drained when you’re done, that’s not going to
help you get excited about playing next time.
Try practicing for a shorter time or take more
breaks. Set a timer. End your practice session
with a feel-good tune that you play well.

AcousticGuitar.com 39
 THE BASICS

Greg Ruby

Holding
Down the
Harmony
What to do when things
get tricky in a chord-melody
arrangement
BY GREG RUBY

THE PROBLEM:
In playing chord-melody style, you aren’t sure
which chord to use when the melody isn’t a
chord tone or moves too quickly.

THE SOLUTION:
Hold down a triad while playing a chromatic or
diatonic melody, using the classic song “My
Melancholy Baby” for context.

COURTESY OF GREG RUBY

HOLD DOWN THE HARMONY
1 Chromatic melodies typically connect
two chord tones by playing the note or notes in
between. In Example 1, the notes E (the third
of a C major chord) and G (the fifth) are
bridged by way of F and F#. When this occurs,
choose a chord that requires as few fingers as four-to-the-bar rhythm feel. When possible, Baby” (Example 8), a well-loved standard that
possible. For instance, to play Example 2, hold continue to hold the melody note while strum- has been recorded by many jazz greats—
down the C chord with a first-finger barre at ming the chord. guitarist Django Reinhardt and pianists Bill
fret 5, freeing up your other fingers to play the As I have discussed in previous lessons, Evans and Thelonious Monk to name just a few.
additional notes. inversions are a keystone of chord-melody The arrangement opens with the ideas intro-
Example 3 demonstrates the same idea, but playing. In Example 6, move from a G9 (with duced in the first two examples, and the tech-
with a diatonic melody, rather than chromatic. the melody note A on string 1) up to the first- nique of strumming the lower part of a chord is
Keeping the shape shown in the chord frame string C and then down to G7, the B melody used first in measures 3–4 and then in 6–8.
held throughout, use your fourth finger to play note followed by another A. Using only your Be sure to isolate any tricky areas throughout,
the tenth-fret notes. In Example 4, play the Dm9 fourth finger on the first string will make an and really focus on your fretting fingers. In
chord as shown and then, with your second and easier transition between each of the notes measure 17, for instance, release the F chord
third fingers held in place, move your first finger and inversions. when you move your first finger down to play the
to grab the D on string 2, fret 3. [Alternatively, fourth-fret G#. Try keeping the shape of the chord
LET IT GO
3
try barring the strings at the third fret, simply to allow a quick landing back to it on beat 3.
releasing your fourth finger to play the third-fret Sometimes it works best to take the When working through the arrangement,
D. —Ed.] This technique requires careful repeti- chord out of chord-melody playing. It’s always repeat each phrase slowly, being mindful of
tion in order to develop the digital independence an option to let go of a chord after strumming the melody notes and chord tones. Once you
required for a smooth transition. it and briefly let the melody carry the load. In get the hang of the rhythm guitar strumming
Example 7, place the C6/9 chord on beat 1 to as part of the arrangement, try making your
FOLLOW THE CHANGES AND USE
2
support the D melody note, then immediately strums a little quieter in dynamics than the
INVERSIONS let go of the chord and play only the notes C, D, melody. Happy practicing!
When the melody comes to a rest but the chords and E. Not only does this make things easier on
continue, simply play the changes. If possible, your fretting fingers, it gives the ear a welcome Greg Ruby is a guitarist, composer, historian,
use the same chord shape, but only sound the change of texture. and teacher specializing in jazz from the first
lower strings. Example 5 demonstrates a four- half of the 20th century. His latest book is The
PLAY “MY MELANCHOLY BABY”
4
note D9 chord with the second-string E as a Oscar Alemán Play-Along Songbook Vol. 1.
melody note, followed by strumming strings 3–5 Now tie the above concepts together in a Ruby teaches Zoom lessons and classes. For more
during the rest of the measure, providing a chord-melody arrangement of “My Melancholy information, visit gregrubymusic.com.

40 January/February 2022
 VIDEO LESSON
acousticguitar.com/332

Example 1 Example 2 Example 3 Example 4

C
xx 111 x
Cxxadd9
3214
D m9
x 2134 x
8 fr.

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& 44
˙˙
˙˙ ˙
10 8
5 6 7 8 5 6 7 8 8 10 8 5 3
5 9 5
5 10 3
B 5

Example 5 Example 6 Example 7

6
D9 G9 G7 C9
x 2134 x xx 1 2 1 4 x x 13 2 4 x 2 113 x
3 fr.

œœ œ œœ œ
w œœ œœ
4

& # œœœ œœ
œ
œœ
œ
œœ
œ
œœ
œœ
œ œ œ

5 8 7 5
5 3 6 3
5 5 5 5 4 7 2 5 4 5
4 4 4 4 3 5 2
B 5 5 5 5 3

Example 8
“My Melancholy Baby”
C C add9 A7 # 5 A7
xx 111 x xx 3214 1 x 234 x 1 x2 4 3 x
8 fr. 5 fr. 5 fr.

œ œ
œ œ #œ œ ww œ #œ # œœœ # œœœ
& 44 ww w œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
10 8
5 6 7 8 8 8 7 6 5
5 9 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
5 10 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
B 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5

D m9
x 2134 x
D m7
x 1 x 23 x
A9
xx 1 2 1 4
D m7
x 1 x 24 3
A7
1 x 23 x x
D m7
x 1 x 23 x
To Coda fi
5 fr. 5 fr. 5 fr. 5 fr. 5 fr.

œ œœ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
& ˙˙˙
œ #œ œ œ # œœœ œœ œ # œœ œœ
5

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
Ó œ œ
7 5
5 3 2 3 6 5 5 6 6 6 6 6 6
5 5 5 6 6 5 5 6 6 5 5 5 5
3 5 5 5 5
B 5 5 5 5 5
5 5
5 5 5 5

AcousticGuitar.com 41
THE BASICS

G7 G9 G7 D9 G7
xx 1 21 x xx 21 4 x xx 1 2 1 4 x x 13 2 4 x 2134 x 1 x 243 x
4 fr. 3 fr.

œ œ œ œœ œ
œ œ˙ w
4

& œ˙˙ œœ œ
# œœœ œœ œœ œœ w
N œœ œœ œœ œœ
9 1

˙ œ
4 4

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
3 5 8 7 5
3 5 6 3 6 5 3
4 4 4 7 5 5 5 5 4 4 4 4
3 5 3 5 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3
B 5 5 5 5
3 3 3 3

6 D.C. al Coda
C9 D7 G7
x 2 113 x x 3241 x xx 1 2 11 1 x 243 x

œ œ œ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
œ œ
& œœœ œ # ˙˙˙ ... œ N œœ
13

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ
3
3 3 3 5 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
2 5 4 5 5 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
2 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
B 3 5

fi Coda
3 3 3 3

F F #dim7 B7 F #dim7 C6
xx 31 2 1 xx 1 2 1 3 xx 1 21 1 xx 1 2 1 3 2 x1 4 3 x
5 fr. 7 fr. 7 fr. 7 fr. 7 fr.

œœ #œ œœ œ ˙ œœ œœ œœ œœ #œ
# # œœœ œœ œœ #œ
& œœ œœ œ # œœ œ œ
17

œ œ
5 4 5 7 8 7 5
6 6 7 7 7 4 8 7 8 9
5 5 8 8 8 5 9 9
7 7 7 7 7 4 7 7
B 8 8

A7 D m7 G 13 C6
xx 1 21 1 x 1 3 12 1 xx 1231 x 4231 x
5 fr. 5 fr.

˙œ . œœ œœ œœ œ˙ œ #œ œœ œ˙ œ œœ œ
& œœ
# ˙˙ œœ ww
20

œ œ œ œ ˙ œ ww

5 5 3
5 5 5 5 6 8 9 6 5 5 3 1
6 6 6 6 5 5 4 4 2
5 5 5 5 7 7 3 3 2
B 5 5 3

42 January/February 2022
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AcousticGuitar.com 43
 WOODSHED

BRENDAN HOLLIS
Men of Harlech
Learn Welsh fingerstyle techniques and a traditional march arranged for guitar
BY LUKE EDWARDS

ales is home to a fascinating and CHORALE HARMONY AND exercise is to smoothly change between the
W ancient heritage of music, dating back
to the bardic tradition of the sixth century.
PICKING-HAND DYNAMICS
Wales is known as the land of song, and one of
written chords, while trying to emphasize
the highest pitched note of each chord. A
The influences feeding into the Welsh tradi- its greatest cultural exports is large male simple way to do this is to bring the finger that
tion are diverse and intriguing. Heavily choirs. Virtually every town and valley has its is picking the accented note higher up into
featuring harp music, fiddle tunes, and vocal own local ensemble, and some of the tradi- your hand—sometimes even to the point of
ensembles, the general ethos of the music is tional repertoire in this style is nothing short of touching your palm. This will naturally impart
far less doom and gloom than that of its stunning. Customarily led by a pipe organ, and more energy into the string and give that note
more well-known Celtic cousins, Scotland often featuring great numbers of singers, the a volume boost.
and Ireland. resulting sound is a rich and dense wall of Practice the shapes as written, and once you
While the guitar is a relatively alien instru- harmony unlike any other. are comfortable with them, play through the
ment to traditional Welsh music, I believe it In a similar manner to religious hymns, exercise first accenting the highest note, then
has fantastic potential to explore this ancient the harmony is often parallel and mono- again accenting the middle note, and finally
music in exciting new ways. In this lesson, we phonic, rich with cadences and detail. once more accenting the bass note. This tech-
will explore some of the common techniques Achieving this enormous sound on just six nique of playing block chordal harmony while
and ornaments associated with the style, and guitar strings is no easy feat. However, with making the melody stand out is used exten-
show how they can be used to great effect in the correct right-hand dynamic and timbral sively in “Men of Harlech.”
your playing. The piece culminates with a fin- control, the guitar is capable of a surprisingly Another good exercise to help refine this
gerstyle arrangement of a classic Welsh march, effective approximation. technique—and to improve your playing and
“Men of Harlech,” that’s packed with Celtic Example 1 shows the chords in the key of C fretboard knowledge in general—is to apply
technique and ornamentation. major played as block voicings. The aim of this the same techniques to your major scale in

44 January/February 2022
 VIDEO LESSON
acousticguitar.com/332

double-stops. Examples 2a and 2b demon- time before the grace note is quickly cut or technique to create variation on a melody. It
strate the C major scale harmonized in two tapped to its principal note afterwards. can often be a little challenging to locate the
intervals common to Welsh music, sixths and right notes within reach, and it’s not always
tenths, respectively. HARP-LIKE EFFECTS entirely feasible, but if you get it right the
Example 3 approaches the same idea of Another technique I am very fond of imple- resulting sound is enchanting.
accenting individual notes. This time the menting in my arrangements of Welsh music is A great way to work on campanella tech-
accented notes are within a repeated arpeg- natural harmonics. This is a popular technique nique is through scale practice. In Example 6, I
giated picking pattern, rather than block chords. for the harp (the national instrument of Wales), have written out a G major scale both ascend-
The exercise repeats a picking pattern over and I also feel that it helps achieve a harp-like ing and descending. Pay close attention to the
a C major chord, but each repetition accents a quality on the guitar. It’s not always possible to fingerings, as due to the stretches there is only
different note. This same idea can then be play an entire musical phrase using only the one manageable way to play it. Take the exer-
repeated with any other picking pattern you natural harmonics on the guitar, but when you cise slowly and try your best to sustain every
like, so feel free to experiment. are able to do so it can be a very effective note as long as possible. With careful practice
An idea to take this even further: Practice method of restating the melody in a different you will be able to play this scale at great
the same exercises again with varying pick- way and getting more mileage out of your speed—often faster than in the traditional
ing-hand placement. The closer that hand arrangements. This is especially important in manner, as the notes are already prepared in
plays to the neck (sul tasto), the warmer the Welsh and Celtic music, where the A and B advance on the adjacent strings. Try working
tone; the closer to the bridge (sul ponticello), sections combined often total only 16 bars, so out other scales and melodies in campanella
the brighter the sound. Through proper appli- many arrangement techniques are necessary to style for yourself and you can become very pro-
cation of timbral and dynamic control, you produce a performance-length arrangement. ficient at it with a little practice.
can achieve a much greater sense of depth in
your playing and can accentuate certain mel- MEN OF HARLECH
odies and parts of a piece at will. While the guitar Written in 1794, “Men of Harlech” (Example 7)

CUTS AND TAPS

is a relatively alien depicts the seven-year siege of 1461 at Harlech
castle. This stands as the longest known military
Much like its Irish and Scottish counterparts, instrument to assault in the history of the British Isles. This
Welsh music is rich with ornamentation. traditional Welsh piece has featured prominently in Welsh culture

music, I believe it has

Fiddle tunes such as reels, jigs, hornpipes, through films such as 1964’s Zulu and 1941’s
and songs from the Dawnsio (Welsh dance) How Green Was My Valley. It is immensely
tradition are especially good examples of fantastic potential to popular as a patriotic song, often heard at rugby
this. Two of the most common and effective explore this ancient matches and at any other gathering of the

music in exciting
fretting-hand ornaments are cuts and taps— Welsh, and is still used to this day as a regi-
incredibly brief grace notes intended to give mental march for the Welsh Guards.
a melody more character. new ways. Throughout this arrangement, I have
Quite often, the way a cut or tap will be packed in every technique discussed earlier in
implemented is by playing a different note than the lesson to give you a chance to practice
the intended melody note, before instantly In Example 5 I have written out the melody them in context. The piece begins with the
either pulling off or hammering on to the prin- of the very famous and beautiful Welsh song use of chorale harmony in bars 1–4; examples
cipal note. A staple of the genre, this technique “Calon Lân” (“Pure Heart”) using only natural of cuts and taps can be found most promi-
can be extensively heard on Celtic instruments harmonics. If you are new to this technique it nently in bars 17–20; and campanella tech-
like the Irish low whistle or the uilleann pipes. may take some patience to get the harmonics to nique makes an appearance in bar 27. There
A cut is generally played one scale tone sound clearly. Natural harmonics are most com- is also ample opportunity to make use of the
higher than the principal note before being monly played at frets 12, 7, and 5, but in this picking-hand dynamic techniques mentioned
quickly pulled off to the lower destination arrangement I’ve also used those found at the in examples 1–3. A simple way to do this is to
note, and a tap is the opposite, played lower ninth fret. Focus on accuracy of finger place- accent any up-stemmed note in the notation.
than the principal note and quickly being ham- ment and picking closer to the bridge—the I encourage you to experiment with volume
mered on. Familiarize yourself with these payoff in sound is well worth the effort! I would and timbral changes throughout the song by
ornaments by playing Examples 4a and 4b, also recommend paying close attention to the altering your right-hand placement and inten-
making sure to add an appropriate amount of suggested fingering I have written for the fret- sity. This can add a tremendous amount of
vigor and speed to ensure no volume is lost ting hand, as this will make getting between depth and character to your performance.
and no rhythmical value is unnecessarily the different harmonics easier. (Note that while I hope that you enjoy learning this joyful
added to the grace note. I use my second finger on certain notes, feel Welsh tune, and that it inspires you to delve
I have included bass notes for these exam- free to use your third finger instead if that’s deeper into the spectacular repertoire and heri-
ples, both to make the exercise more musical more comfortable.) tage of Wales.
and to highlight a common misconception Another gorgeous solution for replicating
when reading grace notes. Although the grace the sound of the harp, campanella (“little bell”) Luke Edwards, the author of Songs of Wales for
note for either the cuts or taps appears before technique requires finding melody notes on Fingerstyle Guitar (Mel Bay Publications), is a
the bass note on the score, in reality, they multiple strings to allow several notes to ring contemporary guitarist and educator based in
occur on the same beat. Therefore, the grace out at the same time. Again, like the use of Cardiff, Wales. Edwards teaches guitar interna-
note and bass note should sound at the same natural harmonics, this is a great arrangement tionally via Skype and Zoom. lukemusic.co.uk

AcousticGuitar.com 45
WOODSHED

Example 1 Example 2a Example 2b

Diatonic sixths Diatonic tenths

> >
C Dm Em F G A m B dim C
> > > > œ
> > œ œ œ œ œ œ
4 œ œœ œ œ
œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ
œ œ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
& 4 œœ œ œœ œœ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

0 1 3 5 7 8 10 12 0 1 3 5 7 8 10 12
1 3 0 0 1 3 5 6 8 10
0 2 5 7 9 10 12 2
2 3 5 7 9 10 0 2 3 5 7 9 10 0 2 3 5 7 9 10
B 3 3

Example 3 Example 4a Example 4b

Cuts Taps
C
# j
œ j
œ œ œ j œ
& œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ j j
œ j
œ j j œ
œ œ >œ œ œ œ >
œ œ œ œ
œ
œ
> œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
>

3 2 2 0 0 2
1 1 1 1 3 1 1 0 0 1 1 3 3 5
0 0 0 0
2 2 2 2 2 0
B 3 3 3 3 2 3
3
0 2 3

Example 5

· ‚ 4 ‚ 1‚ ‚ 2‚ · · ‚ 4 ‚ 1‚
“Calon Lân”
‚ · · ‚
# 4 ‚ ‚ ‚ 2‚ ‚ ‚ ‚
1 1 2 1
4

‰ J ‰ J
1 1 1 1 1 1

& # 4 ‰ J
1 1 4 1
2

harm. throughout

12 12 12
7 7 12 7 7 7 7
7 7 7 7 5 7 7
7 7 7 7
B 9

Example 6
Campanella technique
· ‚ ‚ 2 ‚ 4 ‚ 1· ‚ ‚ ‚ · 4 œ 1œ œ 4œ œ 1 œ 3œ
## #
‰ J œ 3 œ 1œ œ
1 1 1 1 2 1

œ 1œ œ
4

1 œ
1

& 4
œ 4
3

let ring throughout

0 3 3 0
12 12 0 3 7 7 3 0
7 7 7 7 7 2 5 5 2
7 9 5 5
B 9

Example 7
“Men of Harlech”
C F G C G /B C D m7 C G /B A m7 G G7
j j
œœ œœ œœœ
& 44 œ˙˙ . œ œœ .. œœ
œ
œœ œœ œœ
œ œœ œœ œœ œ˙ œ œ˙ œ
˙ œ. J œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙

0 1 0
1 0 0 1 3 1 1 1 1 3 1 0 0
0 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 2 0
2 3 0 2 0 3
B 3
1
3 2 3 3 2 0
3

This arrangement copyright © 2021 Luke Edwards. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

46 January/February 2022
 VIDEO LESSON
acousticguitar.com/332

C F G A m7 G /B C F C G C

œ
2/3 CIII
j j
œ˙ . j œœ œœ œœ
j
œœ
œ
˙
j
œ. œ˙ . œ
w˙w.
œ œ
œ œœ œœ j j
5
j j
& œ
˙˙ œ œ
œ ˙
œ
œ
œ œ œ œ ˙

0 3 5 3 3 0 0
0 1 0 0 0 1 1 3 1 1 1 3 1
0 2 0 0 0 5 0 0 0
2 3 3
B 3
1 3
0 2 3 3
3
3

C F C G /B C Dm A m/ C G /B F /A G F G
j j œ œ
& œœ . œ œ œ œ . œ œ œ œœ œ
œ
œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
9

œ œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œJ
J
0 1 0
1 0 0 1 3 1 3 1 0 0
0 2 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 2 0
2 3 2 0 3 0 0 0 0
B3 1
3 3 2 3 3 2 0
3 1 3

j
C F C G /B C F C G C
j j œ œ œ. j
œœ œœ œ. œ
& œœ . œ œ œ œ. œ œ œ œœ œœ œ ˙. œ
13

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

0 5 3 0 0
1 0 0 1 3 1 1 3 1 1
0 2 0 0 5 0 0 0
2 3 3 2 0 2 3 2 0
B3 1
3 3 2 3 3
3
3

j j
G C
j j œ. œ œœ .
j
œ œ ˙.
œœ . ˙.
j j
j j
œ œœ . œ j œœ œ œ œ
17

& œ œ
œ œ
œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ
1 3 3 1 0 1 1 3 3
1 3 3 1 0 1 1 3 3 1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0
B 3 3 3 3
3 3 3 3

j j j j
G /B C D m G G7
œ. œ œ. œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
j
21
œ œ. œ œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ
&œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ œ œ œ
œ
3 1 0 1 3 1 0 1 3 5 4 3 0 1 3 3 3 3
6 5 3 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0
0 3 0
B3 3 3 3 3 2 3
3

AcousticGuitar.com 47
WOODSHED

#
F (( # 4)
F
jj CC D
j
C G G G C F
. j
D m6 G /B G 77
œœ . œœ ˙˙
C G C F
.
œœ . œ œœ ˙˙ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ j jj
4) m6 /B

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ . œj œ . œ
25

& œœ œ œ œœ œ œœ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œœ œ
& œœ œœ œ œ œ œœœ œœ œ œœ .. œœ œ œ . œ œ
25

œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ
œ œœ œœ ˙˙ œ œœ œœ
5 5 3 1 1 0 0
5 0 5 3 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 1 3 3 3 0 3 0 0 1 0 0
5 0 1 0 1 0 2 1 0 1 3 0 3 0 3 3 5 0 0
0 0 1 0 0 2 0
3 5 2 0 0 2 0 0 0 5 7 0
3 0
0 3 2 0 2 3
B
B
3 2 0 3
3 3
0
0
2
2
8
8
7
5
5
3 0
3
3 2
3
3 1
3
3
3
3 3 1

A G C F C G C
‚‚ ‚ ..
A m7 G /B C F C G C
j ‚‚
m7 /B

œœj j ‚ ‚‚ ..
2/3 CIII

œœ œœj
2/3 CIII
j
œ œ
œ œœ œ œj œœ .. œ .. ww JJ JJ gg www
œœ œœ œ
30

& œ œœ œ œœ œ œœ œœ œ
& œ œœ œœ
œ
ggg ww
30

œ œ œœ œœ ww gg ww
œ harm. g
ggg 010
harm.

ggg 100
0 3 5 3 0 0 12 12
1 3 0 3 5 3 0 3 0 1 12 12

ggg 232
1 0 3 0 0 5 0 3 0 1 5 7
0 0 0 5 0 0 5 7

gg 333
3 2 0
B 0 2 3 3 3 2 0 3
B g
0 2 3 3 3 3
3

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AcousticGuitar.com 49
 WEEKLY WORKOUT

Economy picking combines elements from a variety of different picking styles.

COURTESY OF RON JACKSON

Economic Growth
How to strengthen your picking skills through efficient patterns
BY RON JACKSON

ome of my favorite guitarists—whether sweep picking, along with legato technique. through these figures, try to keep your wrist
S acoustic or electric or both—have very
different picking styles. Pat Metheny plays using
You can look at economy picking as the best of
all worlds. In this Weekly Workout, you’ll work
relaxed and pick as close to the strings as pos-
sible, while picking all of the notes evenly.
quite a bit of legato technique, letting his fret- on the basics of alternate and sweep picking, as It’s a little more difficult to alternate pick con-
ting hand carry the heavy load. John McLaughlin well as legato techniques for your fretting secutive notes on adjacent strings, as shown in
and Al Di Meola, by contrast, articulate almost fingers. You’ll then combine these approaches Example 2a. This is where sweep picking—
every note using alternate picking, while Les to take your picking to a higher level. using a single downstroke or upstroke to play
Paul and Barney Kessel were known for their across two or more strings—comes in handy.
sweep picking. WEEK ONE Example 2b shows just how efficient sweep
I personally prefer combining all of the This week I’ll introduce some rudimentary picking can be. You can play the C chord in just
above styles in an approach known as economy picking exercises, which can also serve as great two strokes: Use a downstroke from strings 5–1
picking—a amalgamation of alternate and warmups. I suggest using a metronome, and then an upstroke from strings 2–4. After
starting at a slow tempo and gradually building
up speed. The first few examples are based on

Beginners’ Tip #1 Beginners’ Tip #2

an open C chord, so be sure to hold down that
shape throughout while you concentrate on
Experiment with a variety of picks in your picking hand. Though picking approaches can vary
different materials, sizes, and thick- Examples 1a–b are designed to get you widely between players, try angling
nesses to find the one that works accustomed to alternate picking—downstrokes your pick about 45 degrees, and
best for you. (remember, toward the floor) followed by playing straight on the string.
upstrokes (toward the ceiling). As you play

50 January/February 2022
 VIDEO LESSON
acousticguitar.com/332

Week
Week 1
1
WEEK 1
Week 1
Week 1
Example 1a
Example 1a Example
Example 1b
1b
4 1a œœ œœ
Example 1a Example 1b
& 444
Example
œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ Example 1b
œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ
&
& 4 œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œœ
& 4 œ≥ œ≤ œ≥ œ≤ œ œ œ œ œ≥≥ œ≤≤ œ≥≥ œ≤≤ œ œ œ œ œ≥ œ≤ œ œ œ≥≥ œ≤≤ œ œ œ œ œ≥≥ œ≤≤ œ œ
œ≥≥ œ≤≤ œ≥≥ œ≤≤ œ≥≥ œ≤≤ œ≥≥ œ≤≤ ≥ ≤≤ ≥≥ ≤≤ œ≥≥ œ≤≤
≥ œ≥≥ œ≤≤ ≤≤ ≥≥ ≤≤ ≥≥ ≤≤ œ≥≥ œ≤≤
≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥≥ ≤ 0≥ 0≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤
≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ 11≥ 1≤
1
1≥
1
1≤
1 ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ 11≥ 1≤
1
0≥
0
0≤ 1≥ 1≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤
0 1 1
0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0
2 2 2 2 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
B
B
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2 0 0 0 0
1 1 1 1 3
3
3
3
2
2
2
2 0 0
1 1 1 1
0 0
2
2
2
2
B 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 3 3 2 2 2 2
B 3 3 3 3 3 3
Example
Example 2a
2a Example
Example 2b
2b Example
Example 3
3
Example 2a Example 2b Example 33
œœ œœ œœ œœ
3

.. œœ œœ œœ œ .... .. œœ œœ œœ œ .... œ œ3 œœ œ œœ3 œœœ œœ œœ œœ

Example 2a Example 2b Example
3 333 3

& œœ œ œœ œ œœ œ œ œœ œœ œœ
3 3 3 3
3

& .. œ œœ œ œ .. œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œœ3 œ œœ œœ3 œœœ

3 3 3

œ œœ .. œ œœ .. œœ œœ œ œœ œ œ œœ3 œ
3

& œ œ œ œ œ œ
3

œ œ œ œ
3 3

.. œœ œ .. œœ œ œ œœ
3

& œ≥ œ œ œ≥ œ≤ œ œ œ œ œ œ≥ œ œ œ≥ œ œ≥ œ3 œ3 œ œ œ œ œ≤ œ œ œœ œœ œœ
œ≥≥ œ≤≤ ≤≤ ≥≥ ≤≤ œ≥≥ œ ≤≤ ≤≤ ≤≤ œ œœ œ≤≤ œœ œ≥ œ
≥≥ ≥≥ ≤≤ ≥≥ ≥≥ ≥≥ ≤≤ œ≥≥
3 3

≥ ≤ ≤ 0≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ 0≤ ≤ ≤
3 3

.. ≥ ≤ ≥ 1≤ 0≥ 1≤ ≥ ≤ .. .. ≥ 1≤ .. ≥ 0 ≥ 0 11 ≥ 0≤ 1≤ ≤ ≤ ≥
0 0 3

.. 0 2 .. .. 0 2 ..
3
0 1 0 1 0 0 1
1 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 1

.. 33 . .. 33 .
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 2 . .
0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 1
2 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 2 2 00 2
0 0 2 0 2 2 2
2 0 1 0 1 0 0 2 0 2
B 2 2 3 2 2 3 3 2
. 33 2 . . 33 2 . 3 2
1 1 1 1 1 1 3
B
B
2
2
0 2
2
0 0 2 3 2 0 2
2
0 0 0 0 2 0 2 3
2 2 3
2 3
3 3
2 3 3 3
3 2
3 2
3 3 3
B
Example 4a
3
Example
3 3
Example 4b
3 3
Example 4a 4b
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.. bb œœ bbb œœœ nnn œœœ
Example 4a Example 4b
œ # œ4an œ
Example
.. œœ ## œœ nn œœ œ .. .. œœœ œ #œ #œ nœ nœ #œ #œ .. .. b œ œœ œ bb œœ
Example
œ nn œœ œ nœ .. œœ œ bœ nœ œœ ..
&
& .. œ # œ n œ œ œ .. .. œ .. .. b œ œ œ b œ œ nœ œ nœ .. .. b œ b œ n œ œ œ bœ nœ œ ..
& .. ≥ ≥ œ œ #œ œ nœ .. .. ≥ œ #œ #œ nœ nœ #œ #œ .. .. ≥ ≥ .. .. ≥ ≥ œ œ ..
& ≥≥ ≥≥ ≥≥ ≥≥ ≥≥ ≥≥ ≥≥ ≥≥ ≥≥ ≥≥ ≥≥ ≥≥ ≥≥ ≥≥ ≥≥ ≥≥
≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥
.. 1 .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. ..
1≥ 2 1≥ 3 1≥ 4 1≥ 3 1≥ 3 2≥ 4 1≥ 3 2≥ 4 4≥ 3 4≥ 2 4≥ 1 4≥ 3 4≥ 2 3≥ 1 4≥ 2 3≥ 1

.. 1 .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. ..
1 2 1 3 1 4 1 3 1 3 2 4 1 3 2 4 4 3 4 2 4 1 4 3 4 2 3 1 4 2 3 1
1 2 1
1 3 1
1 4 1
1 3 1 3 2
2 4 1
1 3 2
2 4 4
4 3 4
4 2 4
4 1 4
4 3 4
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3 1 4
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.. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
2 1 3 1 4 1 3 3 2 4 1 3 2 4 4 3 4 2 4 1 4 3 4 2 3 1 4 2 3 1
B
B
B . . . . . . . .
B
Week 2
Week 2
Week
WEEK 2
2
Example
Week 2 5
Example 5 Example
Example 6
6
#
Example 5 Example 6
& # 5
# œœ œœ
nn œœ nn œœ nn œœ nn œœ
Example Example 6
&
& # œ œœ œœ œœœ œœ œœ nœ œ nœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ nœ œ nœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
& œœ≥ œ≤ œ≥ œ≤ œ œ œ≤ œ œ œ≤ œ≥ œ≤ œœ œœ œ œ≥ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ≥ œ≤ œœ
œ≥≥ œ≤≤ n œ≥≥ n œ≥≥ œ≤≤ œ≥≥ œ≤≤ œ≥≥ œ≥≥ œ œ≥≥ œ≤≤ n œ≥≥ n œ≥≥ œ œ≥≥ œ œ≥≥
œ≥≥ œ≤≤ œ≥≥ ≤≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ œ≥≥ œ≤≤ œ≥ œ≥ œ œ≥≥ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≥ ≥ œ≥≥ œ≤≤ œ≥
≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≤ ≥
2 3 5 3 2 2 3 5 3 2
B
B
2
2
3
3
5
5
2
2
3
3
5
5
3
3
2
2 5
5
3
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5
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3
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5
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2
2 5
5
3
3
2
2
B 3
3
3
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5
5
2 3 5 2 3 5 3 2 5 3 2 5
5
5
3
3
3
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3
3
5
5
5
2 3 5 2 3 5 3 2 5 3 2 5
5
5
3
3
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B 3 5
2 3 5 5 3 2
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2 3 5 5 3 2
5 3

Example
Example 7
7 Example
Example 8
8
## .
Example 7 Example 8

& # .
Example 7
nn œœ œœ nn œœ .. .
..
Example 8
nn œœ œœ nn œœ ..
& # ... œ œœ œœ œœœ
& œœ
œ
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. œœ≥ œ≤ œ≥
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.. .. .. ..
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3 2 5 3
3 2 5 3 5
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2
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3 2 5 3
3 2 5 3
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B 3 5 5 5
5 3 3 5
2 3 5 5
5 3
AcousticGuitar.com 51
WEEKLY WORKOUT

picking each note, try resting your plectrum on which will make them a little easier to play. End This week’s last exercise, Example 12,
the adjacent string, so that you’re ready to play the week with Example 8, featuring economy involves economy picking in four-note groups.
the next note immediately—great practice for picking. Practice these figures until you can Note where you sweep on adjacent strings—
building speed! Try using the same approach to play them with ease, and if you like, transpose like between 4 and 3 on beat 1, and 3 and 2
play Example 3, but with three-string sweeps in them to other modes or scales as well. on the “and” of 1—and use slurs where possi-
eighth-note triplets. ble, like beats 2 and 4 of bar 1, etc. For an
The focus shifts to the fretting fingers for WEEK THREE added challenge, transpose these exercises
the next pair of exercises, involving slurs. This week you’ll explore picking approaches on higher up the neck; for instance, moving each
Example 4a features some chromatic hammer- the A minor pentatonic scale (A C D E G). I note up three frets for the C minor pentatonic
ons, while Example 4b incorporates pull-offs. chose this scale because it’s so common in scale (C Eb–F–G–Bb).
Use downstrokes throughout, and play as
smoothly and evenly as possible, with the WEEK FOUR
slurred notes sounding at equal volume with While the previous exercises have been largely
those that are picked. For an added workout, scalar, this week you’ll focus on a jazzy line
try practicing these examples up the neck and Remember to based on a I–VI–ii–V (Fmaj7–D7b9–Gm9–C7b9)
on other strings as well. angle your pick progression in the key of F major, with lots of

WEEK TWO
slightly for the arpeggios and chromatic notes to keep you on
your toes. Example 13 shows the lick with
This week you’ll be working towards economy sweeps, which will alternate picking. Work through it a few times
picking the G Mixolydian mode (G A B C D E F) make them a little to get it under your fingers and in your ears.

easier to play.
in one octave. Begin with alternate picking, as Because of arpeggios like the Fmaj7 in the first
shown in Example 5. For an added workout, measure, it’s very efficient to play the lick using
try switching the order of the pick strokes, sweep picking, as shown in Example 14. And
starting on an upstroke. Next, play the scale by shifting some of the fret locations, you can
mostly in downstrokes, bringing hammer-ons add pull-offs and hammer-ons to ease the
Example 15
and pull-offs into the mix (Example 6). guitar music as the basis of many blues and burden on your picking hand (Example 15).
Move onFto maj7 D7 b9
sweep picking across two adja- rock tunes, and becauseGitm9 really lends itself to C 7 b 9 efficiency, end with Example 16,
For maximum

œ bœ œ œ œ œ bœ bœ œ œ œ œ
&b ‰ J œœœœ œ œ œ
3

œ #œ bœ œ n œ œ œ œ œ
cent strings, as notated in Example 7. Remem- economy picking. Begin by playing the scale in which combines all of the approaches in an

œ œ œ œ œ #œ œ
ber to angle your pick slightly for the sweeps, fifth position, starting with strict alternate economy picking exercise.  AG
picking (Example 9).
3
≤ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ pentatonic
≥ ≥ scale
≤ in both
≥ ≥hands, ≥try playing
≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≥
Once you have a firm grasp on the A minor

Beginners’ Tip #3 Beginners’ Tip #4

it
5 4 1 with hammer-ons and pull-offs, using only
5 2 2 5 2 0 5 6 8 6 5
Always remember to maintain
3 2 3an even 4 1as depicted
downstrokes, 0 7 5
in Example 10. Note For any5given
8 lick or piece, try 8
different
7
B
volume between picked notes and 3
how the two-notes-per-string
5 6
5 8
configuration 8 5 6 picking
7 approaches and go with the
those articulated with hammer-ons and makes it feel natural to add these slurs. To play one that allows you to play the most
Example 16
pull-offs. the scale with sweep picking, it’s best to shift to cleanly and expressively.
F maj7 D 7 b 9 second position, then to G m9(Example 11). C7 b9
œ bœ œ œ œ b œ b œ œ œ œ œ ..
fifth

& b .. ‰ J œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
3

œ œ #œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ œ #œ 3
≤ THE≥ NEXT
TAKE IT TO ≥ LEVEL
≥ ≤ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤
. 5 a ii–V–I progression (Dm7–G7 b 9–Cmaj7) in the key of C major.
.
. .
5 4
Here is an advanced
5 jazz pattern5based on 5 The
6 figure
8 6 5 works
well with economy7 picking 7 7 5 4
8 7 8and includes sweeps, hammer-ons,
6 5 3 and pull-offs.
7 5
5 8 As with 8 any
5 8
5 challenging passage, practice8 this
7
B 5 6
6
one slowly at first, going for a clean and even attack, before playing it at a relatively brisk clip.
7

Take It to the Next Level

œ
D m7
œ œ œ bœ
G7 b9
œ bœ œ œ œ #œ
C maj7
œ œ œ œ
& 44 œ œ œ œ nœ œ œ bœ œ œ
œ bœ œ nœ
3 3
≥ ≤ ≤ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≥ ≤ ≥
8 5 4 3
6 6 6 3 4 5 3
7 6 5 4 7 5 4 2
7 7 5 4 3 2
B 5 4 2 3

52 January/February 2022
 VIDEO LESSON
acousticguitar.com/332

Week 3
Week 3
Week
Week 3
WEEK 3
3

œœ œœ
Example 9 Example 10
œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
Example 9 Example 10
œœ œœ œœ
44333
œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
Example 9 Example 10
œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
Example 9 Example 10
& œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
& œ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
&
& 443 œœœ œœ œœœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ≥ œœ≤
œœ
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≥
≤≤
≤
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5≥
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5≥
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5≥
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8≤
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5≥
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≤≤
≤
≥≥ ≤≤ ≥≥ ≤ ≥
≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥
≤ ≥ ≥≥ ≥ ≥≥
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5≥
≥
5≥
8
8
5 7 5 8 5 8 5 8 5 7 5 5 7 5 8 5 8
5 8 5 8 5 8 5 5 8 5 8
5 7 5 7 5 8 8 5 7 5 7 5 5 7 5 7 5 8
B
B 5 8
5
5
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7
5
5
7
7
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5
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5 7
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5 8 5 5 8
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B
B 5
5
5
8
8
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5
5
7
7
5 7 7 5 7
7
5
5 8
8
8
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5
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5
5
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5
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7
5 7

œœ
Example 11
œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
Example 11
œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
Example 11
œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
Example 11
& œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
&
& œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
& œœ œœ œœ≥ œœ œœ≥ œœ œœ œœ≤ œœ
≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ œœ œœ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≤ ≤ ≤ ≤ ≤ œœ≥
5≥
≥ ≥≥ ≥≥ ≥≥ ≥≥ ≥≥ ≥ ≥≥≥ ≥≥ ≥≥ ≥≥ ≥≥ 5≥
≥8≤≤ 5≤≤ ≤≤ ≤≤ ≤≤ ≤≤ ≥≥ ≥
5≥ 8≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ 5≥ 5≥8≤ 5≤ 5≤ ≤ ≤ ≤
3
5 3 3 8
5 8 5 7 5 2 5 3 5 3 5 8 5 8 5 7 5
5 8 5 3 5 3 5 8 5 8 5
8 5 7 5 7 5 2 5 2 5 3 5 8 5 7 5 7 5
B
B
7
7
5
5 7
7
5
5
7
7
5
5 8 5 5
3
3
5
5
2
2
5
5
2
2
5
5
7
7
5
5 7
7
5
5
7
7
5
5 8 5
B
B
7 5 7
7
5
5 8
8
8
5
5
5
5
5
5
3
3
5
5
2 5 7 5 7
7
5
5 8
8
8
5
5
5
Example 12
Example 12
œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
44 œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
Example 12
œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
Example 12
& 444 œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
&
& œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
& 4 ≥ ≤ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥
≥≥ ≤≤ ≥≥ ≥≥ ≥≥ ≥≥ ≤≤ 5≥
≥ ≥≥ 5≥
≥ 8≥
≥5≤≤ ≥≥ ≤≤ 5≥
≥ ≤≤ ≥≥ ≤≤ ≥≥ ≤≤ ≥≥
≥ ≤ 5≥ ≥ 5≥ 8 ≥ 5 8≤ 5≥5≥ 8 5≥
8
8 8≥5≤ 8≥ 5≤ 5≥ 8≤ 5 ≥ 8 5 ≤ 5≥ ≤ ≥
5 7 5 5 7 5 8 7 5 8 5 5 8 5 8 8 5 8 5 5 8 5 7 8 5 7 5 5 7 5
5 5 8 5 8 5 5 8 5 8 8 5 8 5 5 8 5 8 5 5
7 5 7 5 5 7 5 8 7 5 8 5 8 8 5 8 5 7 8 5 7 5 5 7 5 7
B
B
7
7
5
5
7
7
5
5
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
5
5
7
7
5
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7
B
B 4
7 7

Week
Week
WEEK 4
4
Week
Week 4
Example
4 13
Example 13
Example
Example
F maj7 13
13 D7 b9 G m9 C7 b9
7 b9 7 b9
maj7œ œœ Db 77œ bb 99 œ
œœ b œ œ œ œ # œ C 77 bb 99 œœ bb œœ bb œœ œœ œ
F 3
D G C
Fb maj7
‰ œœ œœ
bb ‰‰ JJœœœ
maj7 m9

œœ œœ œ œœ
F D G C
& œœ œœ bb œœ bb 3œœ œœ œœœ
3

œœ œœ œœ bb œœ œœ œœ œœ ## œœ bb œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
G m9
œœ œœ œœ œœ ## œœ œœ œœ
3 m9

& œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
3

&
& b ‰ JJ œœ œœ œœ œ œ #œ bœ œ œœ œœ≥ œœ≤ œ≥ œœ œœ œœ≥ ## œœ≤ œœ œœ
≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ b œ≤ ≥œ œœ≤ œœ≥ œœ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ 3
≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤
≥≥ ≤≤ ≥≥ ≤≤ ≥≥ ≤≤ ≥≥ ≤≤ ≥≥ ≤≤ ≥≥ ≤≤ ≥≥ ≤≤ ≥≥ ≤ ≥
≥≥ ≤≤ ≥≥≥ ≤≤≤ ≥≥≥ ≥≥≥ ≤≤≤ ≥≥≥ ≤≤≤
≤ ≥≥ ≤≤ ≥≥ ≤≤ ≥≥ ≤≤ ≥≥ ≤≤ ≥≥ ≤≤
3
≤≤
3

5≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ 4≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤
5 5 5 4 5 5 6 8 6 5
5 5 7 7 5 4 5 7 5 4 7 5 5 8 5 6 8 6 5 8 7
5 4
B
B
5 7 8
5 7
7 8
7
7
8
8
7
7
5
5
5
5 7
7
5
5
4
4
6
6
5
5 8 5 6
5 8 7
5 8 7
5
5
8
8
5
5
6
6
7
7
5
5
8
8
5
5
6
6
8
8
6
6
5
5 8
8
7
7
B
B
8
8
7
7
8
8
7 7 5 4 6
6
5
5 8
8
8
5
5
5
6
6
6
5 8 7
5 8
5 8
8
5
5
6
6
7
7
5 8 8 7

Example 14
Example 14
Example
F maj714
Example 14 D7 b9 G m9 C7 b9
7 b9 7 b9
maj7œ Db 77œ bb 99 œ C 77 bb 99 bb œœ bb œœ œœ œ
F D G C
œœ œœ b œ œ œ œ # œ œœ
3

Fb maj7
‰ œœ œœ
maj7 m9

bb ‰‰ œœœJJ œœ œœ œ œœ
F D G C
& œœ œœ bb œœ bb 3œœ œœ œœœ
3

œœ œœ œœ œ œ œœ œœœ œœœ œœ
G m9
œœ œœ bb œœ œœ œœ œœ ## œœ bb œœ œœ œœ ## œœ œœ
m9

œœ œœ
3

& œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
3

&
& b ‰ JJ œœ œœ œœ œ œ # œ bb œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
œœ≤ œœ≥ œœ≥ œœœ≤ œœ≥ œ œœ≥ ## œœ≤
≥ œ≥ ≤ ≥
≤ ≥ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ 3
≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤
≤≤ ≥≥ ≤≤ ≥≥ ≥≥ ≤≤ ≥≥ ≤≤ ≥≥ ≤≤ ≥ ≥≥ ≤≤ ≥≥ ≤≤ ≥≥ ≤≤ ≥≥ ≤≤ ≥≥ ≤≤ ≥≥ ≤≤ ≥≥ ≤≤
3
≥≥ ≤≤ ≥≥
3

5≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ 4≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ 1≤ 2≥ 4≤ 2≥ 1≤ ≥ ≤
5 5 5 4 5 2 3 1 2 4 2 1 3 2
5 5 7 7 5 4 5 7 5 3 2 5 3 2 5 3 1 2 4 2 1 3 2
5 4 1 2 4 2 1
B
B
5 7 8
5 7
7 8
7
7
8
8
7
7
5
5
5
5 7
7
5
5
9
9
6
6
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5 8 5 6
5 3 2
5 3
2 5
5
3
3
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2
2
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3
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B
B
8
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5 3
5
5 3 5
5
6
6
2 5

AcousticGuitar.com 53
WEEKLY WORKOUT

Example 15
Example 15
F maj7 D7 b9 G m9 C7 b9
F maj7œ Db 7œ b 9
œ œ bb œœ bb œœ œœ œ œ œ
C7 b9
& bb ‰‰ Jœ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œœ b œ œœ œ œ # œ b œ œ
3
G m9
n œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ #œ bœ œ œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ œ 3 œ œ œ
3

& J œœœ œ œ œ œ≥ œ≥ œ œ≥ ≤ œ #œ
≤ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ 3 ≥
≤ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≥
5 4 1
5 2 2 5 2 0 5 6 8 6 5
5 3 2 3 4 1 4 1 0 7 5 5 8 8 7
B 5 2
3 2 3
2 5 2 0
4 1 0
3
5 6
5 8
7 5
8 5 6 7
5 8
5 6 8 6 5
8 7
B 3
5 6
5 8 8 5 6 7
Example 16
Example 16
F maj7 D7 b9 G m9 C7 b9
F maj7œ Db 7œ b 9
œ œ bb œœ bb œœ œœ œ œ œ ..
C7 b9
& bb ... ‰‰ Jœ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œœ b œ œœ œ œ # œ b œ œ œ
3
G m9
œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œœ ## œœ œ œ œ œ 3 œ œ œ ..
3

& . J œœœ œ œ œ œ #œ bœ œ
≤ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≥ œ
≥ œ≥ œ ≤ ≥ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≤ 3 ≥ ≤
≤ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤
. 5 5 .
. 5 57 8 7 .
4
5 5 5 6 8 6 5

B . 8 7 .
7 4 7 5 4 7 5 5 8
8 7 8 5 5 6 5 3 5 8 8 5 6 7 5 6 8 6 5
7 7 7 5 4 5 6 7 5 5 8
B 8 7 8 6 5 3
5 6
5 8 8 5 6 7
Take It to the Next Level

Dœm7
G7 b9
œ œ œ bœ bœ œ
Take It to the Next Level
D m7 C maj7
44 œ œ œ œ b œ œ œ œ œ nn œœ œœ b œ œ œœ œœ ## œœ œ œ
G7 b9
œ œ œœ œœ œœ œ b œ œ œ œ b œ n œ
C maj7
& 44
& œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ bœ œ nœ
The
≤ ≥ coffee subscription
≥ ≤ created
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3 3
≥ ≤ 3≤ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≥ ≥3 ≥ ≤ ≥ ≥ ≤ ≥
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 SONGS WATCH BOB DYLAN PLAY “TANGLED UP IN BLUE”
acousticguitar.com/332

Tangled ACOUSTIC CLASSIC

Up in Blue
Bob Dylan’s apparently
unfinished masterpiece
BY ADAM PERLMUTTER

ob Dylan has been known to endlessly

B tweak his songs up through when he’s
recording them in the studio—and even after.
“Tangled Up in Blue,” first released on Dylan’s
1975 album, Blood on the Tracks, is a song he
can’t seem to stop working on. As evidenced on
various live versions, he has continued to retool
the tune in concert for decades, adjusting not
only the lyrics but the tempo, key, chord voic-
ings, and other aspects.
The box set The Bootleg Series, Vol. 14: More
Blood, More Tracks offers a glimpse into Dylan’s
idiosyncratic process, with eight different takes
of “Tangled Up in Blue” aside from the original

COLUMBIA RECORDS
studio recording. The transcription here cap-
tures the intimate and intense first take—just
Dylan and his guitar and harmonica, with
support from bassist Tony Brown.
It’s striking how dissimilar this rendition is
from the full-band album version most listen-
ers know and love. Some of the lyrics are recording at bobdylan.com/songs.) As for the Open-E tuning requires raising strings 4 and
switched from the first to the third person and guitar accompaniment, the main acoustic on 5 a whole step from standard, and string 3 a
there are many other differences: For instance, the album version plays mostly basic open half step. If you’d prefer not to put the extra
in the third verse, the location is Los Angeles, shapes, all of them triadic. But on the first take tension on your guitar’s neck, just tune to open D
rather than New Orleans, and the gig is in an Dylan plays in open E, using two- and three- (D A D F# A D) and use a capo at the second fret
airplane plant rather than on a fishing boat; finger shapes whose relationships to the open to match the recording. Whichever option you
the words in the bulk of the sixth verse are strings sometimes result in complex chords choose, be sure to not just to play “Tangled Up in
completely different. (You can compare the heard far more often in jazz than folk, like Blue,” but also explore the harmonic and textural
lyrics in this transcription to that of the studio Emaj9/D# and B11. possibilities inherent to the open tuning.  AG

TANGLED UP IN BLUE WORDS AND MUSIC BY BOB DYLAN

Tuning: E B EE
Tuning: GssBBEEGss B E Tuning: E B E Gss B E

Intro/Harmonica Solo Solo

Intro/Harmonica Intro/Harmonica Solo
q = 120 q = 120 q = 120
E E D /E
E
x x0 231 E D /E
xx0 231 D /E x x0 231
x x0 231
7 fr. 7 fr.
E xx0 231
5 fr.
D /E
xx0 231 DE /E
x x0 231
7 fr.x x0 231 5 fr. xx0 231 x x0 231 5 fr. xx0 2317 fr.
7 fr. 5 fr. 7 fr. 5 fr.

œœ œœ œœ œœœ
# # # # 4# .# œœœ œœœ Û Û Û n œœœ Û Ûœœ Û# # #Û# 4Û ..Ûœ n œœœÛ
œœœ
Û ÛÛn œœœ Û œœœnÛœœ Û Û ÛÛ Û
œ
Ûœœ Û ÛÛ nÛœœœœ
& &4 #. #œ 44 Û.. Û Û Û
œ Û n œ Û Û4
& Û œ Û œÛ Û Û Û Û Ûœ Û Û œ Û ÛÛÛ ÛÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ Û
œ œ œ

. 98 Û 7 Û Û Û 76 Û Û5 Û Û Û .Û98 76Û 98 Û ÛÛ 5 Û 7 Û76 Û Û ÛÛ Û Û76 Û ÛÛ Û765 Û98 ÛÛ ÛÛ Û Û Û Û

7 5 5 7 5 7 5 5 7

. 0 . 98 Û Û 0Û Û 76 Û Û Û. 0 Û 0Û Û 76 98 0 Û Û Û Û0 Û Û 076 Û Û Û Û Û
B .0 B
0 0 0
B
Copyright © 1974, 1976 UNIVERSAL TUNES. Copyright Renewed. All Rights Copyright
Reserved.©Used
1974,
by1976 UNIVERSAL
Permission. TUNES.
Reprinted Copyright Renewed.
by permission LLC. Reserved. Used by Permission. Reprinted by permission of Hal Leonard LLC.
All Rights
of Hal Leonard
56 January/February 2022
Copyright © 1974, 1976 UNIVERSAL TUNES. Copyright Renewed. All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission. Reprinted by permission of Hal Leonard LLC.
 Shop With The String Experts

Elixir Strings® coating

technology extends tone life
longer than any other brand’s
- coated or uncoated - strings.
(Elixir Strings player survey)

www.stringsbymail.com

SHUBB
STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT, AND CIRCULATION
(Required by 39 USC 3685)
(1) Title of Publication: Acoustic Guitar (2) Publication No.: 1049-9261 (3) Date of
Filing: October 1, 2021 (4) Frequency of Issue: Bi-monthly (5) No. of Issues Published
Annually: 6 (6) Annual Subscription Price: $29.99 (7) Complete Mailing Address of
Known Office of Publication: 941 Marina Way South, Suite E, Richmond CA 94804-3768
Capo Royale (8) Complete Mailing Address of the Headquarters of General Business Offices of the
Publisher: 941 Marina Way South, Suite E, Richmond CA 94804-3768 (9) Full Names
and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher: David A. Lusterman, 941 Marina Way
New finish! The dazzling iridescence of... South, Suite E, Richmond CA 94804-3768, Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses
of Editor: Adam Perlmutter, 941 Marina Way South, Suite E, Richmond CA 94804-3768,
Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Managing Editor: Kevin Owens, 941 Mari-
na Way South, Suite E, Richmond CA 94804-3768 (10) Owner: String Letter Publishing,
Inc., 941 Marina Way South, Suite E, Richmond CA 94804-3768 Owner: David A. Luster-
man (11) Known bondholders, mortgagees, and other security holders owning or holding
1 percent or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages or other securities: None (12)
Repeat Riff x2 (Lucinda Williams version) N/A (13) Publication Title: Acoustic Guitar
C (14) Issue G Date for Circulation Data Below:
September/October 2021 (15) Extent and Nature of Circulation:
3. Do I want too much? PRECEDING
AVERAGE COPIES 12 MONTHS
Bridge (Mary Chapin Carpenter version) Am F
EACH ISSUE PUBLISHED
COPIES OF NEAREST TO
SINGLE ISSUE FILING DATE
Dm7 G F Am I going overboard to want that touch?
15 a. Total Number of Copies (Net press run) 36,986 37,624
Dm E7 Am G G7 15 b. Paid Circulation C G
(1) Paid Mail Subscriptions through USPS 17,110 16,316
I shout it out to the night
(3) Sales through dealers and carriers,
street vendors, counter sales 4,582 5,027
(3) Paid distribution outside USPS, foreign subs Am 2,139 F 2,078
Subtotal (3) 6,721 7,105
Give me what I deserve,
15 c. Total Paid Circulation (Sum of 15b(1) and 15b(3) ) 23,831
’cause it’s my right
23,421
15 d. Free or Nominal Rate Distribution
(1) Free or Nominal Rate Mail Subscriptions 1,774 1,711
(4) Free or Nominal Rate Distribution Repeat Pre-Chorus
Outside the Mail 0 0
15 e. Total Free Distribution (Sum of 15d(1) and 15d(4) 1,774 1,711
15 f. Total Distribution (Sum of 15c and 15e) 25,605 25,132
15 g. Copies Not Distributed 11,381 12,492
15 h. Total (Sum of 15f and 15g) Repeat Chorus x2 (go to F between
36,986 choruses)
37,624
15 i. Percent Paid (15c and divided 15f times 100) 93% 93%
16 a. Electronic Copy Circulation 20,180 19,011
16 b. Total Paid Print Copies (Sum of 15c and 16a) 44,011 42,432
Repeat Copies
16 c. Total Print Distribution and Paid Electronic Riff x2
(Sum of 15f and 16a) 45,785 44,143
16 d. Percent Paid (Both Print & Electronic Copies)
info@shubb.com • www.shubb.com (16b divided by 16c) 96% 96%
Signed, David Lusterman, Publisher
707-843-4068
AcousticGuitar.com 57
TANGLED UP IN BLUE

E D /E E E maj9/D # A /C #
x x0 231 xx0 231 x 21 000 xx 31 00 x 2 0 13 0
7 fr. 5 fr.

# # # # n œœœ œœœ œœœ œ œ œœ

& œ Û Û Û Û Û Û œ Û Û Û Û œœœ Û œœœœ Û Û Û # œœœœ Û Û Û œœœ Û Û Û Û Û Û ..

Û Û Û Û Û Û Û Û Û Û Û Û Û Û Û Û Û Û Û Û Û Û Û .
5 7 5 0 0 0

.
7 9 7 0 0 2
6 8 6 0 0 0 1
0 0 0 4 2 0
B
F #m7 C #m
0 5 4 2
E E maj9/D # A /C #
2 x0 13 0 x 2 00 3 0 x 21 000 xx 31 00 x 2 0 13 0

# ## .. œœœ Û Û Û Û Û Û œœœ Û Û Û Û Û Û Û œœœœ

& # œ œœ œ Û Û œœœœ Û Û Û œœœœ Û Û Û Û Û Û ..
œ œ
œ

. 21 Û Û Û Û Û Û Û Û Û Û Û Û Û Û Û Û Û Û Û Û Û Û Û Û .
0 0 0 0 0

.0 .
2 0 0 2
0 0 0 1
0 4 2 0
B 2 5 4 2

F #m7
2
E maj7/B B 11 E
2 x0 13 0 x0 213 0 x0 213 0 000000

## œœœ Û Û Û Û Û Û Û Û œœœœ Û Û œœœœ Û œœ Û Û Û Û Û Û

& ## œ œœ Û Û Û Û Û Û
œ œ œ œœ

Û Û Û Û Û Û Û Û Û Û Û Û Û Û Û Û Û Û Û Û Û Û Û
0 0 0 0
2 4 2 0
1 3 1 0
0 4 2 0
B 2
0 0 0
0
Verse
E D /E E D /E
x x0 231 xx0 231 x x0 231 xx0 231
7 fr. 5 fr. 7 fr. 5 fr.

##
& # # .. ‰ œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. #œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œj ‰ Œ
1. Ear - ly one morn - in’ the sun was shin - in’. he was ly - in’ in bed,
2. She was mar - ried when they first met, soon to be di - vorced. He
3.–7. See additional lyrics
8. Harmonica solo
E D /E E E maj9/D # A /C #
x x0 231 xx0 231 x 21 000 xx 31 00 x 2 0 13 0
7 fr. 5 fr.

##
& ## ‰ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ nœ œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ
Œ
œ.
won - drin’ if she’d changed at all, if her hair was still red.
helped her out of a jam, I guess, but he used a lit - tle too much force. And
E D /E E D /E
x x0 231 xx0 231 x x0 231 xx0 231
7 fr. 5 fr. 7 fr. 5 fr.

#### j ‰. r
& œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ n œ œj ‰ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ
Her folks, they said their lives to - geth - er sure was gon - na be rough. They
they drove that car as far as they could, a - ban - doned it out West. And

58 January/February 2022
 WATCH BOB DYLAN PLAY “TANGLED UP IN BLUE”
acousticguitar.com/332

E D /E E E maj9/D # A /C #
x x0 231 xx0 231 x 21 000 xx 31 00 x 2 0 13 0
7 fr. 5 fr.

##
& ## œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰. œ
r
œ
nev - er did like Ma - ma’s home - made dress; Pa - pa’s bank - book was - n’t big e - nough. And

F #m7 C #m
split up on a dark, sad night, both a - gree - ing it was best. And

E E maj9/D # A /C #
2 x0 13 0 x 2 00 3 0 x 21 000 xx 31 00 x 2 0 13 0

#### Œ
& œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
he was stand - in’ on the side of the road, rain fall - in’ on his shoes.

F #m7 C #m
she turned a round to look at him as he was walk - in’ a - way. And

E E maj9/D # A /C #
2 x0 13 0 x 2 00 3 0 x 21 000 xx 31 00 x 2 0 13 0

#### ≈ œ œ œ œ œ œ ≈
& œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
Head - in’ out for the old East Coast, Lord knows he’s paid some dues get - tin’ through.
she said, “This can’t be the end. We’ll meet an - oth - er - day on the a - ve - nue.

F #m7
1.-7. 8.
E maj7/B B 11 E A /C # E E
2 x0 13 0 x0 213 0 x0 213 0 000000 x 2 0 13 0 000000 000000

## U
& ## œ Œ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ
œ Œ Ó
∑ .. ∑ ∑
3

œ œ
 Tan - gled up in blue.

3. He had a job in the great north woods 5. She lit a burner on the stove 7. So now I’m goin’ back again
Working as a cook for a spell And offered me a pipe Got to get to her somehow
But he never did like it all that much “I thought you’d never say hello,” she said All the people we used to know
And one day the axe just fell “You look like the silent type” They’re an illusion to me now
So he drifted down to L.A. Then she opened up a book of poems Some are mathematicians
Where he reckoned to try his luck And offered it to me Some are doctors’ wives
Workin’ for a while in an airplane plant Written by an Italian poet Don’t know how it all got started
Loading cargo on to a truck From the 13th century Don’t know what they’re doin’ with their lives
But all the while he was alone And every one of them words rang true But me, I’m still on the road
The past was close behind And glowed like burnin’ coal Headin’ for another joint
He’d seen a lot of women Pourin’ out of every page We always did feel the same
But she never escaped his mind Like it was written in my soul We just saw it from a different point of view
And he just grew From me to you Tangled up in blue
Tangled up in blue Tangled up in blue

4. She was workin’ in a topless place 6. He was always in a hurry

And I stopped in for a beer Too busy or too stoned
I just kept lookin’ at the side of her face And everything she ever did plan
In the spotlight so clear Just had to be postponed
And later on as the crowd thinned out He thought they were successful
I’s just about to do the same She thought they were blessed
She was standing there in back of my chair With objects and material things
Said to me, “What’s your name?” But I never was impressed
I muttered somethin’ underneath my breath And when it all came crashing down
She studied the lines on my face I became withdrawn
I must admit I felt a little uneasy The only thing I knew how to do
When she bent down to tie the laces of my shoe Was keep on keepin’ on
Tangled up in blue Like a bird that flew
Tangled up in blue

AcousticGuitar.com 59
 WORLD PREMIERE WATCH AN EXCLUSIVE VIDEO OF LARKIN POE PLAYING “SHE’S A SELF MADE MAN”
acousticguitar.com/332

Rebecca (L) and Megan Lovell

JOSH KRANICH
She’s a Self Made Man
Larkin Poe’s rocking declaration of independence
BY JEFFREY PEPPER RODGERS

he title track of Larkin Poe’s 2020 album four-and-a), treating each pair of eighth notes During the slide solo, Rebecca switches to
T Self Made Man is a blues rock banger,
with crunchy electric guitar by Rebecca
like the first and third notes of the triplet.
Play the verse riff mostly between the fifth
mostly string percussion punctuated with
occasional strums. Notice in the chord library
Lovell and scorching slide by Megan Lovell. and seventh frets on the bottom three strings, that the G shape she uses is simply octave G
The group revisited the song with orchestral and use palm muting to bring out the groove. notes. Whether on electric or acoustic, her
backing from Nu Deco Ensemble on the new Add slides throughout, as shown, and a bluesy rhythm parts are lean and mean.
live release Paint the Roses. Now comes a quarter bend on the G (flatted third) in the As a bonus, we’ve included Megan’s lap steel
third incarnation of the song—an acoustic first measure. As noted in the lyric/chord solo, adapted for standard guitar in open-G
duo take, recorded exclusively for AG, that is chart, for the song’s intro and ending, use riffs tuning. (Her lap steel tuning is G B D G B D,
transcribed here. derived from the verse. while open-G guitar is D G D G B D.) The nota-
As you can see in the accompanying video Only in the chorus do you move away from tion is in the key of E, capo 2, to be consistent
at AcousticGuitar.com/332, “She’s a Self Made the tonic E chord or strum any chords at all. with the rhythm guitar part, but the capo is irrel-
Man” also rocks on flattop guitar—Rebecca Summon your inner Pete Townshend at the evant here—the solo uses no open strings. (In
plays her Beard Deco Phonic Sidecar. Capo at end of the first bar of the chorus: play a quick other words, you could leave off the capo and
the second fret to match the video’s key. 16th-note down-up strum on the B5, then hit play everything two frets higher than shown in
During the verse, play all single notes in the chord again on the downbeat of the next the tab.) Play the whole solo with a slide, as
sync with the vocal melody, which is based on measure and let it ring. In the fourth measure, Megan does, or try it fretted, using bends in
the E blues scale (E G A B b B D). Start each on the A, mute the strings and strum up with place of some of the half-step slides.
measure with the open sixth string—either a the pick to create a percussive snap. The If you tackle this song on slide, Megan
single quarter note or a pair of eighths. To dial chorus form expands the second and third suggests, “Pay special attention to pitch—it
in the swing feel, try counting the beats in times around, looping back through the can get away from you pretty easily—and
triplets (one-and-a, two-and-a, three-and-a, B5-to-A move with different lyrics. play with a hefty dose of attitude.” AG

60 January/February 2022
SHE’S A SELF MADE MAN WORDS AND MUSIC BY REBECCA ANNE LOVELL AND MEGAN RENEE LOVELL

Chords, Capo II Verse Riff

B b5
3
( q q =q e )
E5 B5
023 xxx x 134 xx x 134 xx

##
E5
j3
& # # 44 .. nœ œ
#œ nœ nœœ
j
n œ œ n œ œ œj œ nœ œ nœ œ
œ œ œ
j
A
x0 111 x
A sus4
x0 1 12 0
G
1 x 4 xxx œ œ 1/4
œ œ
.
Em E
. 7 8 7 5 5 5
0 23 000 0 23 1 00
B 0 0
5 7
0
5 7 7 5 7
0 5 7 7
5 7 7

#### .. j3
& nœ œ œ nœ nœ œ œ nœ nœ œ œ nœ nœ œ nœ œ nœ
œ œ œ
œ œ œ nœ œ
j
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
.
. 5
B 0
5
7 5 3 0 0 0
5
7 5 3 0 0 0
5
7 5 3 0 0 0 5 7 7
5 7 7
0
5
7 5 3 0

B b5
Chorus Riff

####
B5 A E5
œœ Û Û . ÛÛ | Û Û n b œœ Û www ¿¿¿ Œ Œ .. ..
play four times

& ¿ nœ nœ œ œ nœ
œ bœ w ¿ œ œ œ
≤
¿¿
Û ÛÛ | Û Û ¿¿ . .
. .
2

¿
4 3 2
4 3 2
B 2 1 0
10 0 0
5
7 5 3 0
Intro: verse riff from bars 4–5 (ignore repeat sign) Chorus 1 Chorus 2
B5 B b5 B5 B b5
E5 Like it or not, I don’t give a damn Like it or not, I don’t give a damn
1. I’ve been down and out, now I’m up again A A Asus4
When I roll the dice, everybody wins Lord, have mercy, I’m a self made man Lord, have mercy, I’m a self made man
Like a cannonball moving down the track E5 B b5 B5 B b5
Baby’s on her way, she ain’t coming back Whoa, self made man I’ve got a plan up top and two strong hands
Never coming back, never coming back A
Baby’s on her way Whoa, self made man Lord, have mercy, I’m a self made man
E5
E5 E5 Whoa, self made man
2. Shooting out the lights and the smoke alarms 3. I can’t let it go, gotta do or die
Keep your fingers crossed, I’m a lucky charm For an underdog, I’ve been riding high Whoa, self made man
Like a cannonball moving down the track Gonna juice it up in my Pontiac
Baby’s on her way, she ain’t coming back Baby’s on her way, she ain’t coming back Solo
Never coming back, never coming back Never coming back, never coming back E5 G E5 G
Baby’s on her way Baby’s on her way E5 G Em E G
Never coming back, never coming back Never coming back, never coming back
Baby’s on her way Baby’s on her way Repeat chorus 2

End with verse riff bars 7–8 (sim.) to E chord

Copyright © 2019 2 Defpig Publishing. All Rights Administered by BMG Rights Management (US) LLC. All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission. Reprinted by permission of Hal Leonard LLC.
AcousticGuitar.com 61
SHE’S A SELF MADE MAN

Solo
Tuning: D G D G B D, Capo II
3
( q q =q e )

~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~~

E5 G
#### 4 œ œ œ nœ ˙ j j3 œ œ œ nœ ˙
& 4Œ J J œ œ œ #œ nœ nœ J J œ œ jbœ j œ
œ
J œ œ J œ œ

~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~~

3 3 3 3 3 3

9 9
8 8
9 6 6 9 9 6 6 9
7 8 7 5 7 8 7 8 7
B 9

~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~
œ n œ œ œ ~~~~~~~~
E5
#### œ œ œ nœ #œ
j œ œ
j œ ˙ œ
j
œ nœ œ nœ œ œ
œ
5

& J J
~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~
~~~
3 3 3

9 8 9 8 9 9 7
8 8 8
9 9 9 7 9 9 7

G E5
œ3 œ ‹ # œœj œœœ œœœ n œ n œ ~~~~~~
œ. nœ ~~~~~~
# # # # b œj œ
œ œ œ œ J œ œ œ
8
j j j
& œ œ œ nœ œ œ
œ

~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~
3 3 3 3

9 9 8 9
8 9 10 8 10 8
8 9 6 9 6
8 7 8 7 8 7 8 7 5
B 9 9

œœœ œœœ œ nœ œ ~~~~~~

G Em
~~~~~~~
#### œ œ
j
œ. nœ œ œ œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ
n œœ J
11

& J
~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~
3 3 3
3 3

7 9 9 9 12 9
7 9 9 10 8 10 8
7 9 9 9 9 9 7 7 9
9
B

>~~~~~~~ >˙~~~
E G
~~~~~~ œ œ œ œ ˙
#### nœ œ œ œ œ nœ œ
j j
j œ œ
Œ
14
œ
&
~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~
3 3 3

7 9 7 7 9 7 14 14
5 8 8 7 8 8 8
9

B
62 January/February 2022
 PICKIN’ VIDEO LESSON
acousticguitar.com/332

Doc Watson
STATE ARCHIVES OF NORTH CAROLINA, RALEIGH, NC

Footprints in the Snow

Tackling masterly bluegrass solos by Doc Watson and Clarence White
BY ALAN BARNOSKY

he 1964 performance by Doc Watson and On Treasures Untold, the duo’s playing is interesting. The solo is full of fun little licks that
T Clarence White together at the Newport
Folk Festival is a stellar demonstration of flat-
loose, creative, and joyful—though not intended
as such, excellent material to be studied as an
can quite easily be picked up and used else-
where, like the G-triad (G B D) move in bar 38,
picking. As heard on a series of duets on the exemplar of flatpicking technique. The track followed by a cool ending phrase in bars 39–40.
album Treasures Untold, the recording “Footprints in the Snow” features the interplay Played on the chorus changes, White’s solo
captures both players early in their careers. of both guitarists’ unique styles over a well- begins as Watson’s ends, in bar 48, and serves
Watson emerged on the scene beginning in known favorite of the bluegrass repertoire. as a contrast to Watson’s rhythmic chromatic
1960 as part of the folk music revival, and To learn the piece, I would suggest first famil- style. White’s approach is highly syncopated; it
White gained widespread notoriety in early iarizing yourself with the melody and the basic deviates from the melody and incorporates
1964 with his creative leads on the Kentucky chord changes. The song follows a simple struc- some colorful chord choices, like the substitu-
Colonels’ Appalachian Swing. ture: a 16-bar verse alternating with a chorus of tion of a Bb triad (Bb D F) for a C7 chord in bars
The two guitarists had clearly distinctive the same length. I’ve notated the melody to the 58–59 and jazzy G7, G9, and C6 voicings in the
styles: Watson applied old-time fiddle music to verse and chorus as sung by Watson, which sits last several measures.
the guitar, resulting in a sound that was rhyth- nicely in the open position when played on guitar. There are other recordings of White playing
mic, driving, and melodic. White, on the other Watson’s 16-bar solo, taken on the verse’s this song (on 33 Acoustic Guitar Instrumentals
hand, was influenced by guitarists (most chord changes, is a perfect introduction to his and Muleskinner), and while those versions are
notably including Watson, as well as Joe improvisational approach. Typical of his style, equally astounding, none of them are quite like
Maphis and Django Reinhardt) and therefore he sticks close to the song’s melody while also this one. Watson’s emphatic “Yeah, man!”
developed a sound that catered more to the including impressive scalar runs, slides, and during the solo makes it all the more fun to
steel-string and its unique voice instead of emu- short bluesy passages. The consistent eighth- listen to. Modern flatpickers often blend
lating the fiddle tradition. Even with such dif- and quarter-note phrasing gives the solo White’s approach with that of Watson’s, but few
ferent approaches, Watson and White defined momentum and rhythmic bounce, while also can match the magic that was captured on this
the sound of bluegrass guitar. adding a bit of syncopation that keeps things 1964 live recording. AG

AcousticGuitar.com 63
 FOOTPRINTS IN THE SNOW TRADITIONAL, AS PERFORMED BY DOC WATSON AND CLARENCE WHITE

Verse

h = 110
C C7 F G7

&C œ œ œ Jœ œ . œJ œ œ. œ œ œ ˙. Œ œ.
j
œ œ œ J J J J œ œ œ
1. Some folks like the sum - mer - time when they can stroll a - bout. Walk - ing through the
2. Now she’s up in heav - en with the an - gel band. Some day I’m go - ing to

C C7
œ œ œ j œ œ œ œ œ
& œJ œ œ œ œ œ œ j Œ
6

J œ ˙. œ œ œ œ J J
mead - ows green is pleas - ant no doubt. Just give me the win - ter - time when
join her in that hap - py land. Ev - ’ry - time the snow falls

œ œ œ œ œ
F G7 C
œ ˙ Œ œœ œ j j Ó Œ œ
11

& J J œ˙ œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ w

snow is on the ground,
for I found her when the snow was on the ground. I
brings back mem - o - ries,

Chorus

j œ œ.
C G7
œ œ œ œ œ œ. j Ó œ œ œ œ
17

&˙ œ œ œ œ ˙
œ œ. œ J
traced her lit - tle foot - prints in the snow, in the snow. Found her lit - tle

C C7
j j œ ˙. œ œ œ œ œ œ
&œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. Œ
22

˙ œ œ ˙ œ œ œ œ œ J J J
foot - prints in the snow, Lord. Bless that a hap - py day when Nel - lie lost her

To Coda fi
F G C
& ˙. Œ j j Ó ‰ j
28

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ w œ œ œ
way, for I found her when the snow was on the ground.

B 3
0 2

Solo 1 (Doc Watson)

C C7 F G7
œ œ œœ œ œœ œœ n œ œ œ œ nœ
&œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ
j j
œ
33

œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ
#œ œ
œ
3 3 0 0 1 0
0 1 3 5 5 5 4 5 4 5 3 1 1 0
0 2 0 2 2 0 0
0 2 3 2 2 1 0 0
B 3 2 3 2

This transcription copyright © 2021 Alan Barnosky. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

64 January/February 2022
 VIDEO LESSON
acousticguitar.com/332

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ ¿
C C7

&œ œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ. œ œ
38

œ
#œ œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ

3 3 3 3 ¿
3 3 5 3 1 3 5
2 4 4 4 4 3 2 0 0 0 2 0 0
1 2 1 2 0 1 2
B 3
0 3 0 3

œ œ œ œ #œ œ
F G7 C
œ
œœ œ œœ œœ œ œ n œ
œœœ
*

œœœ ‰
43

& œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ # œ œ œ n œ b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ. œÓ # œ
3 5 3 3 0 1 1 1 0 0
4 1 1 1 0 0 1 1
2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 2 2 1 0 0 1 2 0 1 0 2 3 4
B 2 3 0 3
3
0 2 3

*Upstemmed notes played

by Clarence White.

Solo 2 (Clarence White)

œœ .. œ
C G7
œ œ œ. j œœ
œ œ. œ œ œ ‰ j œ œ bœ œ n œ
49

&˙ œ J œ
#œ nœ œ œ œ nœ œ œ
≥
3

3 3
1 3 3
0 0 2 0 0 0 2 4 4
2 3 0 0 2
B 1 2 1 0
3
0 1 2

C C7
. œ j
& Œ ‰ b Jœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ # œ œ œ b œ œ n œ œ n œ œ œ œ œ œœ b œœ . b œJ œœ Û Û ‰ œœ
54

J J

ÛÛ
1
1 1 1 3 3
3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 3 3 2
3 0 2 2 2 0 1 2 1 0 1 2 3
B 3 3

D.C. al Coda fi Coda

œœ œ j U
F G7 G9 C6 G C
& œœ œœ œœ œœ n œœ Œ Œ œ œ ‰ œœœ œœœ œœ œœœ œœ œœ œœ Û Û œœ œœœ œ œœ Û Û Û Û &Œ Û |
60 65

œœ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

ÛÛ ÛÛÛÛ Û |
1 1
1 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1
2 2 0 4 2 0 0 2 2 2 2 2
2 3 3 3 0 0 2 2 2 2 2
B x
3
x
3
2
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 B
AcousticGuitar.com 65
 CAMPFIRE

Beautiful Dreamer
Strumming through a classic by the “father of American music”
BY MAURICE TANI

eautiful Dreamer” was written by major. Our arrangement transposes it to the

“B Stephen Foster (1826–1864)—often
called the “father of American music”—at the
more guitar-friendly key of C, with just a
handful of chords, most of them open: C, Dm7,
Maurice Tani
end of his prolific career and published shortly G, F, D7, and E. While most of these Campfire
after his untimely death. With its lilting rhythms selections are in common (4/4) time, “Beautiful
and romantic lyrics, the song is one of America’s Dreamer” is in 9/8—that’s nine eighth notes
most beloved serenades. per bar. Don’t feel intimidated if you’re not same bass note for each chord—for instance,
Although “Beautiful Dreamer” was popular familiar with this meter. If you play along with the third-fret C for the C chord and the open D
long before the advent of recording or radio, the video, you’ll likely find that it’s easy enough for the Dm7 throughout.
Bing Crosby had a huge hit with it 1940. The to channel the waltz-like feel. For a two-bar intro, I use a figure based on
tune was revived again in the 1960s, a full I like to play the song with a fairly active the song’s melodic hook, built around the C, F,
century after it was written, with artists like the accompaniment part. As shown in the verse and G chord shapes, and I play variations on it in
Searchers and Billy J. Kramer with the Dakotas pattern notated below, I tend to play a bass other parts of the song over the G chord. If it’s too
attempting to update the song for the youth note followed by two strums, occasionally difficult, feel free to omit it, but I would recom-
market with a rock ’n’ roll sound. adding a walk-up for a bit of spice, as in the last mend working it up if you can, as it really makes
“Beautiful Dreamer” was originally written measure. While I like to change bass notes to the arrangement more engaging—and more fun
with piano accompaniment in the key of E b keep things interesting, you could stick on the to play—and that’s what it’s all about.  AG

BEAUTIFUL DREAMER WORDS AND MUSIC BY STEPHEN FOSTER, ARRANGED BY MAURICE TANI

Accompaniment Pattern
C D m7 G C
x 32 0 1 0 xx0 211 3 2 0004 x 32 0 1 0

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
& 98 œ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
œ œ
œœ œœ œœ œœ
œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ
etc.
1 1 1 1 1 1 3 3 3 3
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1
0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 2 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2 2 2 2 2 2 0 0 3 2 0 2 2 2 2
B 3
3 0
0
3
2 3
3 3
0 2

This arrangement copyright © 2022 String Letter Publishing.

Accompaniment
F C Pattern
G C C D m7
C
T 342 11 x 32 0 1 0 3 2 0004 D
x 32 0 1 0 m7 x 32 0 1 0 G xx0 211 C
x 32 0 1 0 xx0 211 3 2 0004 x 32 0 1 0

& 998 gg œœ œ
œœ
œ gg œœ œ œ
œœggg œœ œœœ
œ œœ .œ œ
œœœ œœ œœ œ œ œ œœ œœœœ œœ œœ œœ . œœ œœœ œœ œœœ . œœœ .œœ œ œ œ œœ œœ . œ œŒ
.
&8 œ œ œ œ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ
œ œ œ Beau - ti - œful
Beau - ti - ful œ - er, wake
dream
out on the sea. œ
un - to me.
œ œ œ
1 g1 .1 0 1 0 0
dream - er,

ggg 23 ggg 0 0 0 etc.

.1 1
0 1 1 1

1gg 2
0 0 0 1 01 0 2

0g 3
1 1 1 1 3 3 3 3
1 12 3
1 2 01 1 2 1 12 2 1 1 0 0 2
0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1
B 0
2 2
0
2
0
2
30
2
0
2 0
0 2
2 2
3 3
2 2
0
2 3 2 0 0 0 0 0
3 2 0
0
2
0
2
0
2
0
2
G B 3
3 0 C 0
3
2
D m7 3
3 3
0 2
3 2 0004 x 32 0 1 0 xx0 211
This arrangement copyright © 2022 String Letter Publishing.

66 January/February 2022

œ. Œ. Œ. œ œ œ Œ.
5
 98 œ œ œx g œ œ œ œ x
&g
g œ g
g œœœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œœœ œœœ x. œ
. œ œ œ œ . œ . xx œ
œ œ
œ œ. Œ.
98 œ œ œ gg œ œ œ œ
32 0 1 0 3 2 0004 32 0 1 0 32 0 1 0 0 211

œ . œ œ œ œ œ.
T 342 11

œ œœ Œ.
&ggFœ x gggCœœœ œ œ Gœ œ œ x Cœ œ œ œ œœ œœ œ œ œ x.Beau œ . xxDwake
œ œ œ
œ œ.
gœ œ œ œ œ œ WATCH
C - ti - ful dream - er,
9
m7 un - to

œ œ . œ œ Œ.
me.

œ œ g
& 8 gg œ 0 1 gg 1œœœ œ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ 1œ 1œœ 1œœ . œ œ dream .
œ - er,œ . out œ œDREAMER”
.
T 342 11 32 0 1 0 3 2 0004 32 0 1 0 32 0 1 0 0 211

.
Beau - ti - ful dream - er, out on the sea.

ggg 23 gg 02 0 02 03 02 0 2 0 œ 02 02 œ œ œ . œ œ œ
Beau MAURICE
- ti - TANI
ful PERFORM
dream - THIS
er, ARRANGEMENT
wake un OF- “BEAUTIFUL
to me.
1 -0 1 acousticguitar.com/332
0 1 g1
Beau ti - ful on the sea.

g3
&B 98 ggg 23œœ œ œ gggg 02œœœœ 0œ 02œœ 03œœ 02œœ 0œ œ 2œ 0œœ 3 02œœœ 02œœœ 3
0 0 2
0 2 . œ
..Beau - œti - œful 0œ dream0 . - er,
œ 2œ . out 0 œ sea. œ . Œ.
1 1 1 1 -0 1 2 0 0
Beau ti - ful dream - er, wake un - to me.

œ œ
3 3

œ 2œ . 1 0 1 0 0 œ
2

G B g 2 0 1 ggg 10 0 0 0 0 1 œ 1 C1 œ 0
0 on the

g 3 ggg 2 2 3 2 0 2
3 3 3

.Beau - ti - ful dream - er,2 out

D m7
G B g
0 3 x0 0 3 2

g
3 2 0004 Beau - ti
32 0 1 0 - ful dream - er, wake
xx un - to me. 0 211
2 2 0 0
C D
0 1 g1 .1 0 1 0 0
3 3 0 2 on
m73 the sea.

g g
g
3 2 0004 3 x 3 32 0 1 0 xx 0 211

gg 3 ggg 2 2 3 2 0 2 .
1 1 1

œ . œ œ . Œ . Œ . œ œ œ . Œ.
œ. œ œ œ œ œ.
5
2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
&œ B g œ œ œ œ œ 3œ œ . 3 œ
G 2 C2 2 0 D m7 0

. . . œ œ Œ.
x xx 3

œ œ œ œ. œ œ Œ Œ œ
3 2 0004 3 3 0 2 32 0 1 0 0 211

œ . world œ œ.
5

& Star
Gœ - light and dew - drops Cœ .
œ œfor œ x thee. œ . xxDheard
œ œ
œ
œ0 . and thee. Œ . . Sounds œ ofœ the œ rude Œ.
are wait - ing Sounds of the rude in the day,

Œ
m7

œ œ . . œ 2œborne,œ .
5

& Star
œ œ œ œ . œ .
Mer - maids are chant - ing the wild Lo - re - lei. O - ver the stream - let va - pors are borne,

œ - œre œ- lei.œ œ vaœ - pors

3 2 0004 32 0 1 0 0 211

œ are
- light dew - drops are wait - ing for world heard in the day,
Mer - maids are chant - ing the wild Lo 1
O - ver 0 the 1 stream - let
0 2 2 0 0

œ . œ œ 0 . the wild Lo - re - lei. Œ . Œ . œ œ œ 0 . - let œborne,œ . Œ.

5

&œ œ 3œ 3œ 2œ 0œ 2œ 2œ . œ 2œ . 0œ
0 3 3 2 0 2 2 1 0 the 1 2 0 0
Star - light and dew - drops are wait - ing for thee. Sounds of rude world heard in 3 the day,
B
œ œ
0 - maids
Mer 2
are 2
chant - ing O - ver the stream va - pors are 2
0
B G0 0 2 2 0 C
1 0
G
1
0 C
3
2
Star - light and dew - drops are wait - ing for thee. Sounds of the rude world heard in the day,
3 2 0004
Mer - maids are chant - ing 3 wild
the 3 2 - 0
Lo re 2- 2
lei. x 32 0 1 0 0004
O - 3 2ver 2
the stream - let 0x 32- 0 1pors
va 0 0
3 are borne,
BG
3 2 0004 0
C
x 32 0 1 0 1
G
3 20
0004 1
C
x 32 0 1 0

œ. Œ. Œ. Œ.
0 2 2 0 0 2

œ œ œ. œ. œ œ œ .
9

&B œ œ œ œ
G C G C
œ œ
3 3 2 0 2 2 2 0 0

œ œ œ. Œ. Œ. œ
x 32 0 1 03

œ. œ . Œ.
3 2 0004 x 32 0 1 0 3 2 0004

œ œ œ. œ. œ
9

& lulled
Gœ œ allœ œ œa - way.
Cœ . Gœ - œti - fulœ dream C ofœ my œ
œ . -- er, œ.
œ0 . the Œ. Œ. Œ.
by the moon - light have passed Beau queen song,

œ œ œ. œ. œ œ œ heart,
9

& lulled
œ œ œ œ - titi -- ful
Beau - œ
3 2wait - ing to fade at the bright com - ing x morn. Beau - ti - ful dream er, x beam on my heart,

œ
0004 32 0 1 0 3 2 0004 32 0 1 0

œ morn.œ. œ œ . œ.
by moon - light have all passed a - way. Beau dream - er, queen of my song,
wait - ing to fade at the bright com - ing ful dream - er, beam on my
0 2 2 0 0 2 2 0

&B œ œ . œ œ œ. morn. Œ . Œ. œ. œ œ œ œ. Œ.
9

œ 3œ 0œ
3 3 2 0a - way. Beau - 3 0 dream - er, 2 song,

œ œ
0

œ
lulled by the moon - light have all passed ti - ful queen of my

œ 3œ .
3 2 3

œ.
0 - ing
wait 2 fade
to 2 0
at the bright com - ing 0 - ti - ful dream
Beau 2
- er, 2
beam 0 my heart,
on
3 3 2 0 2
BD07 0 2 moon
2 - light
0 G passed a - way. C
2
0 - ti - ful dream - er,
2 D m7 2
3
0 my song,
lulled by the have 3 2all Beau queen of
xx0 213
wait - ing to fade at 3 bright
the 3
0004 2 0 x 32 0 1 0
Beau - 3 0 dream - er, xx0 211 2 heart,
BD 7 G com - ing morn.
3 C ti - ful 2 D m7beam on my 3
xx0 213 0 3 2 0004 x 32 0 1 0 xx0 211

œ
&Bxx œ œ œ œ. œ3 Œ. Cœ
œ œ œ œ œ œ. 2 œ. Œ.
0 2 2 0 0 2 2 0

œ .3 œ œ œ œ.
13
D7 G
3 2 0 3 0 D m7 2

œ œJ
3

&œ œ œ woo Œ. œ œ œ œ. Œ.
0 213 3 2 0004 x 32 0 1 0 xx0 211

œ. œ œ œ œdy.. œ.
13

J œ.
- part. 
œm7 bus
œ - deœy throng.
œ
D G C are the cares Dlife’s
& listœ while
œ œI woo œ Œ . Gone
œ are œ cares Œ.
list7 while I thee with soft mel - o - Gone of

œ mel œ - 0œo - œ the

œ deœ - 2part. 
œ. . œ . ofofœ . œ.
13

œdy.
xxe’en as x Then will all clouds xxsor - row

J
0 213 the morn on the stream - let and
3 2 0004 sea. 32 0 1 0 of 0 211

œ - row
thee with soft life’s bus - y throng.
1
e’en the 0
1 morn
as 3
on 1
the 0
stream - let and sea. 1
Then 0
will 1 clouds
all sor

œ 3œ C0œ œ . 
œ
2 2 0 0

&B œ œ œ œ . œ œ œ œ œ. Œ. œ œ œ œ. Œ.
13
2 0 0

œG.
1 while
list 0 1I woo 3
thee 1
with 0
soft mel - 0
o - dy. 1
Gone 0 the
are 1 cares of life’s bus
3 - y throng.
J
2
e’en as the morn on the 2 and 0
stream - let sea. 0
Then will all clouds of sor - row de - 2 part.
2 0
G1 0 1
Blist E 0 F 1 0 x 32C


3 2 0004
3 1 0 0 23 1 00 T 342 11
10 1 0 3 2 0004 x 32 0 1 0
while I 2
woo thee with soft 2 - o -
mel 0
dy. Gone are the cares 0 of 2
life’s bus - y throng.
G
e’en as the morn on the E and
stream - let sea. F Then C clouds
will x all 2G 0 C0 - part.
3of sor - row
3 x 32 de
B1
3 2 0004 0 23 1 00 T 342 11 32 0 1 0 2 0004 010

& œ œ œ œ œ. Œ. œ œ œ x œ œ0 œ 2 œ œ 0 œ 3 x 0. Œ. ..
17 0 1 3 1 0 0 1 0 1
G 2E F C G C
œ œ œ œ ˙.
2 0 2

Œ. œF œ œ Cœ œ œ Gœ œ œ C˙ . Œ. ..
3 2 0004 0 23 1 00 T 342 11 32 0 1 0 3 2 0004 32 0 1 0

& Gœ œ œ œ œ .
17
B
œa- wake
œ unœ - toœ E˙ . ˙
œ - 0œti - fulœ dream
œ - er,œ . Œ. œ œ œ œ œ Œ. ..
17

& Beau
Beau - ti - ful dream - er, me. Beau - ti - ful xdream - er, a - wake un - to x me.

œa- wake
œ unœ - toœ ˙. 1 - er, œ œ unœ - toœ me. .
3 2 0004 0 23 1 00 T 342 11 32 0 1 0 3 2 0004 32 0 1 0

me. Beau - 0
ti - ful
1 dream a - wake
˙.
.
0 2 2 0 2 0

&B œ œ œ œ œ . Œ. œ - œti - fulœ dream

œ - er,0œ 2a - wake Œ. ..
17
3 3 2 0 2 2 3 2 0

œ œ œ œ ˙. œ 2œ 0œ 3˙ . .
0 0 1 1

œ
Beau
0 - ti - ful
2 dream
2 - er,
0 a - wake un - to me. Beau
2 un - to 3
me.

.
3 3 2 0 2 3
B0 0 2 2 0
.
0 1 1
2 0
Beau - ti - ful dream - er, 3 3
a - wake 2 - to
un 0 2
me. Beau - ti - ful dream - er, 2 3
a - wake 2 - to
un 0 me.
B .
3

.
0 0 1 1
0 2 2 0 2 0
3 3 2 0 2 2 3 2 0
B 3

AcousticGuitar.com 67
AG TRADE

PHOTOS BY SCOTT MARX

MAKERS & SHAKERS

Coats of Many Colors

Jeff Jewitt and his dual roles as a top finishing supplier and luthier
BY KATE KOENIG

eff Jewitt has always loved taking things era and immediately became obsessed. His some video courses in organic chemistry on VHS
J apart. When he was a kid, he dismantled his
father’s lawnmower, eager to understand how it
interest in science never waned, but rather
took a backseat when he was sent to prep
tapes and taught himself the subject.
Jewitt then set out to not only produce colo-
worked. (Unfortunately for his dad, he was school as a teenager and found himself gravi- rants but to invent a product that would remedy
unable to put it back together.) “That’s kind of the tating towards the arts, later majoring in studio a perennial industry dilemma. At the time, a
way I’m wired,” he says. “When I want to under- art at Kenyon College, in Gambier, Ohio. finisher needed one type of product for staining
stand something, I go pretty deep into it.” In the time between his graduation from bare wood, another for making the spray color
This penchant for autodidacticism has served Kenyon and the launch of his furniture refinish- for a sunburst, and yet another for other tasks
him well in his long professional life. Without ing business, Jewitt got married, bought a house, like touchups and coloring grain filler. Jewitt
any formal training in lutherie, Jewitt, now in his and made it his mission to make a guitar—a task says, “I thought, ‘Maybe I can just make a one-
late 60s, has made a name for himself as a he now describes as his Everest conquest. He size-fits-all solution!’”
sought-after boutique guitar maker. But behind joined the Guild of American Luthiers, sub- After a bit of trial and error, Jewitt eventually
the scenes, he is as well known—if not more so— scribed to the Stewart-MacDonald catalog, and arrived at a successful formula, and in 1995
for his manufacturing business, Homestead then, after acquiring copies of David Russell brought the finished product, TransTint, to
Finishing Products, which provides colorants for Young’s The Steel String Guitar: Construction & Stewart-MacDonald, the luthier supplier, who
many of the biggest names in the musical instru- Repair and William Cumpiano and Jonathan bought the idea immediately. Today, Jewitt’s con-
ment industry and beyond. In fact, there’s a good Natelson’s Guitarmaking: Tradition and Technol- centrated dye-based colorant (sold as ColorTone
chance that the color on your favorite guitar may ogy, built his first instrument in 1985. under StewMac) is used by Gibson, Martin, Taylor,
have come from one of his products. At the time, Jewitt didn’t see himself making Collings, Breedlove, and Santa Cruz, among other
a steady income from lutherie. So then, in 1988, major guitar companies, as well as hundreds and
TECHNICOLOR VISIONS he began refinishing furniture, a trade he hundreds of small boutique makers. Homestead
As a child growing up in Cleveland in the learned from his father, who would refurbish Finishing Products sells everything from finishes to
1960s, Jewitt had a natural proclivity for antique pieces on weekends. He remained in polishes and waxes to HVLP (High Volume Low
science. Captivated by the Mercury and Apollo that field until the early 1990s, when he had the Pressure) spray equipment to stains and colorants,
space programs, he dreamt of becoming an crazy idea that he could make colorants for the marketing both homemade products as well as
astronaut. Then, as he got older, he imagined music industry. It wasn’t long before he realized distributing those made by other brands.
himself becoming a chemist. Meanwhile, he that he needed a deeper understanding of chem- Jewitt is currently phasing out the majority
got into the guitar during the height of the folk istry to make it in the business, so he bought of his products to focus exclusively on colorants.

68 January/February 2022
 Jeff Jewitt buffing the finish on a new build for the next Acoustic Guitar auction and working on the bracing for another guitar.

COURTESY OF JEFF JEWITT

Having less variety in his inventory means less to just focus on the musical instrument business builds. That’s my favorite part—making some-
time filling small orders, and more time for and maybe a few other things to pay the bills.” body’s dream realized.”
building guitars. In the meantime, the Trans- Fortunately, that success has enabled him to His goal is to build guitars that sound as good
Tint/ColorTone product line has left an indelible pursue his dream of making guitars, a part of as they look, and when it comes to gauging the
mark on the industry. “Sherwin-Williams has told the business he established around 2012, after quality of the materials and the product while it’s
me that my yellow is different from anybody having built on the side over the years. While he in the process of being built, Jewitt steers clear of
else’s on the market, and that’s the reason that still makes all of his colorants by hand, he’s modern technology such as frequency spectrum
they buy from me,” he says. “And I’ve been told hired someone to fill all the orders, which allows analyzers to measure a guitar’s tone. “I’m still
that if I ever discontinue my red, I’ll have death him more time to build guitars during the more of the intuitive, old-school type of builder
threats from just about everybody that does week—something he balances with spending in that I’m just tapping the wood all the time as
Gibson repair work. It’s just a dead ringer for time problem-solving colorant issues. I’m building,” he says, laughing.
some of the old Gibson colors.” Going back and forth between the Home- At the end of the day, Jewitt admits the quality
Jewitt’s clients run the gamut—alongside stead Finishing and guitar shop areas of his of the product can depend on luck of the draw. He
those in instrument making (which also include 8,000-square-foot Cleveland facility can lead to has carefully built instruments using the finest
Steinway & Sons, the piano company), he sup- some humorous scenarios—in which that self- tonewoods—like sinker mahogany or Honduran
plies manufacturers in furniture and flooring, as taught organic chemistry education comes in rosewood and Italian spruce, assembled with hot
well as the film, aerospace, and automotive indus- handy. Jewitt says, “It can be a problem in that hide glue—and been underwhelmed by the fin-
tries. His products have been used on the sets of the raw materials that I use are very powdery. ished results. On the other hand, he’s experienced
the Twilight Saga series, The Green Mile, and other Sometimes I’ll get a bunch of dye powder stuck many of those special and unpredictable moments
movies, and to decorate the interior of Sikorsky in my hair when I’m over there, and then I’ll go in lutherie when a finished guitar sounds brilliant,
helicopters. In addition to his main business, he’s to wet down a soundboard and all of a sudden, I unlike any other. “It’s like, ‘Wow, how did that
authored six books and six online courses on fin- see little spots of turquoise and red and purple. happen?’ You never know, quite frankly,” he says.
ishing and guitar making—enthusiastically But fortunately, I know how to get rid of them.” Despite having made it as the guitar indus-
endorsing the same self-taught method that led Jewitt’s average output is six to eight try’s leading colorant supplier and achieving his
him to accomplish what he had so long believed guitars a year, most of them smaller sizes like dream of becoming a luthier, Jewitt says that his
to be impossible. He never envisioned achieving 00s and 000s. He is currently working on a favorite parts of the job are the endless creative
so much, but repeatedly brings everything back to few commissions. One is for former Major avenues and the rewards of navigating them.
his main philosophy that has helped him every League Baseball player Derek Dietrich, who “What I love about building acoustic guitars is
step of the way: “If you can build a guitar, you can requested that the guitar match the color of that there’s always something different to do,” he
do anything,” he says. his signature bat. Upon inspecting the bat, says. “You go on social media or whatever and
Jewitt saw that it was manufactured by Victus you see something that somebody else has done
A SELF-MADE MAKER Sports—a company that just so happens to be and you go, ‘Wow, that’s really cool, I want to
According to Jewitt, his successful colorant busi- a Homestead Finishing customer. “That made incorporate that.’ You’re always upping your own
ness has reached its apex. Now, he says, “I want life easy,” he says. “And I love commission game, and I just love that.” AG

AcousticGuitar.com 69
ASK THE EXPERT

Fine scratches can often be eliminated with a simple buffing.

The Dark
Arts of
Instrument
Repair
How a skilled tech can make
dings and scratches disappear
BY MARTIN KEITH

Q:
The top of my 1972 Martin D-18 re-
cently got a good ding, about the size
of a small pea; the finish is cracked
and the spruce is depressed. Is there any way this

PXHERE PHOTO
can be repaired?
—Richard Hannah, via email

A:
Thanks for the question. Touchup is
one of the real dark arts of instru-
ment repair, and one that exists in Older finishes, such as shellac and nitrocellu- scratch and establish a new surface. This is
an almost entirely different universe from lose lacquer, are more likely to shatter, whereas fussy work, and best left to professionals. The
structural and functional repairs. A good newer polyester or polyurethane finishes are film thickness of many fine instrument finishes
touchup person needs an understanding of sometimes strong and flexible enough to follow is often less than .010-inch thick, and it can be
both the mechanical and chemical properties the dent without breaking. all too easy to sand through entirely—an
of the finish, as well as foresight into how Scratches are topical abrasions of the finish outcome that is very best avoided.
both the finish and the repair will age. Vintage film that don’t penetrate to the wood below. The final broad category is finish cracks,
finishes require very different techniques than Often caused by picks, belt buckles, shirt which are fractures in the film itself. (Please
modern ones, and a bad touchup can really buttons, and other everyday menaces, these note that I am not discussing cracks in the
spoil the effect of an otherwise competent can quickly make a brand-new guitar look wood itself in this case, just the finish.) This
repair job, as well as the resale/market value worn—just ask any luthier who has ever type of damage often occurs on guitars with
of the guitar. There are some really brilliant exhibited at a guitar show! Fortunately, since thicker finishes, when the film becomes thick
touchup artists in the field, and their work can scratches are topical, they are often easier to enough to be rigid. Wooden instruments
sometimes appear to border on magic. repair. Fine ones can often be made to disap- move and fluctuate with humidity and tem-
Surface damage mostly falls into a few pear with a simple buffing. I use and recom- perature changes, and a successful finish is
general categories—dings/dents, scratches, and mend the Novus #2 liquid polish for anyone thin and flexible enough to accommodate
cracks. Sometimes, a particular piece of that wishes to try this themselves. Use a soft that movement. When it is too thick, it will be
damage will be a combination of these. Dents cloth and fairly firm pressure, and buff until unable to move with the wood, and it will
are actual 3D impressions in the surface, the surface regains a glossy sheen. If you’re simply crack instead. In the best cases, it
usually caused by impact. These are most lucky, a small scratch will just vanish. will develop the fine-line checking pattern
common in the soft wood of guitar tops, but Deeper scratches, such as those sometimes that is often sought-after in vintage guitars.
can be easily found all over a well-loved guitar. left by string ends on headpieces or around However, in other cases, especially those that
In addition to crushing the cellular structure of the bridge, may need wet sanding with fine- have resulted from sudden extreme shifts in
the wood itself, a dent will either distort or grit sandpaper prior to buffing, to cut the temperature, the cracks are much less appeal-
fracture the film of finish that lies above it. finish down to the level of the bottom of the ing to look at.

GOT A QUESTION? If AG selects your question

Uncertain about guitar care and maintenance? The ins-and-outs of guitar for publication, you’ll
building? Or another topic related to your gear? Ask Acoustic Guitar’s receive a complimentary
repair expert Martin Keith by sending an email titled “Repair Expert” to copy of AG’s Acoustic
Editors.AG@stringletter.com and we’ll forward it to Keith. Guitar Owner’s Manual.

Martin Keith

70 January/February 2022
 Finish cracks can often be dealt with by using age, then I may use a slightly less fussy the depth and severity of a dent. I have even
capillary action to draw a repairing substance approach. I would likely start by using butyl cel- had moderate luck applying water and heat
into the crack. On modern finishes, I have seen losolve or lacquer retarder to minimize the below the ding from inside the guitar, rather
cracks and other problems vanish before my eyes appearance of the checking. If the dent is than coming at it from above.
as I applied a drop of water-thin cyanoacrylate shallow and the instrument is not museum- Touchup techniques go far beyond what is
(aka super glue). The glue is drawn into the grade, I might then build up the surface back to described above, and the best touchup artists
crack, and bonds to both sides of the fracture, level using medium-viscosity superglue, applied use all variety of tricks, from painting in grain
restoring strength and optical clarity to the film. in fairly thin layers and allowed to dry without lines to chemically aging either the wood or the
The same technique works with vintage lacquer, chemical acceleration. Once built up to above repair so it will blend with a vintage guitar’s
though much more care is needed when using the original surface, this can be sanded flat and surface. This work lies at the intersection of
these glues around lacquer—their solvents will buffed to a gloss that will match the surrounding chemistry, fine art, and highest-level woodwork-
dissolve the surrounding finish, so any stray lacquer fairly well. Despite the fact that the ing, and often involves tricks and improvisations
drop can cause a problem. Lacquer retarder, an wood is still dented, this kind of repair can often that reveal a brilliant mind at work.
additive designed to slow the curing of lacquer be surprisingly difficult to spot. Some repair techs, such as the truly
during spraying, is also sometimes used to repair If the dent is deeper, a common technique amazing Iris Carr, bring the work to a level
topical fractures in the same way. is to try to use heat and moisture to reswell that defies belief, but not every instrument
Getting back to your guitar: This is a com- the wood back into shape before touchup. This requires such a level of work. An experienced
pound problem, as you have both a surface dis- can be very effective, but it must be done care- luthier or tech has usually seen dozens or hun-
turbance (dent) and some associated cracking in fully—heat and moisture are also dangerous to dreds of guitars with typical dings and dents,
the finish. When faced with this kind of touchup, lacquer finishes, and the wrong approach can and has a vocabulary of techniques to mini-
I usually start by evaluating the overall condition cause hazes or blushing in the lacquer, dark mize their visual impact. The nitrocellulose on
and value of the instrument. If it is otherwise spots, burns, and other problems. However, your Martin is probably the most serviceable
pristine and has the potential to be a collectible- with experience and a light touch, a skillful finish ever used on a production guitar, as well
grade guitar, then a fairly advanced approach to touchup artist can often use a well-placed as the most common, so a competent repair-
touchup may be required. However, if the instru- drop of water and some heat to steam the person can most likely make it much less
ment is a “player” with some normal wear for its wood back into shape, dramatically reducing obvious. Good luck! AG

GUITAR FOUNDATION OF AMERICA

INTERNATIONAL
CONVENTION & COMPETITIONS
University of Indianapolis
INDIANAPOLIS, IN
JUNE 27–JULY 2, 2022
Hosted by Nemanja Ostojić,
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guitarfoundation.org

AcousticGuitar.com 71
 NEW GEAR

Taylor GTe
Urban
Ash and
TaylorSense
A little guitar that packs
a punch—and an app that
helps you maintain it
BY EMILE MENASCHÉ

ome players are diligent about caring for

S their instruments, dropping them right into
their cases after every use and always storing
them in temperature- and humidity-controlled
environments. These guitarists refill their instru-
ment humidifiers like clockwork, and they
never, ever leave a guitar in the car after a gig.
Despite having good intentions, I am
admittedly not among this cohort—and a few
of my instruments have the cracks to prove it.
That’s why I find the TaylorSense Guitar
Health Monitoring System so intriguing. Com-
bining an iOS/Android app with a Bluetooth-
equipped smart battery compartment, the
technology provides critical data on humidity,
temperature, impact damage, and battery
life—everything you need to know to keep
your Taylor guitar in good health.
I got a chance to test the TaylorSense system
preinstalled on one of the latest Taylor models,
the GTe Urban Ash. (The GT stands for Grand
Theater and the e for electronics.) Before
digging into the tech, however, the guitar itself
deserves some attention.

FAMILIAR CURVES, NEW DIMENSIONS

Taylor calls the Grand Theater a new category
in size, feel, and sound. I don’t know if I’d go
that far—there’s been a trend towards smaller,
player-friendly instruments over the last few
years. But the GT does bring a new element to
Taylor’s product line without straying from the
company’s core design philosophy. The GT’s
curves are based on Taylor’s largest body size,
the Grand Orchestra, scaled down for comfort
and portability.
At 18.5 inches long, 15 wide and 3.75 deep,
the GTe is compact yet provides enough volume
to produce a full sound with plenty of over-
tones. Taylor says its new C-class bracing plays
an important role in the GT’s ability to punch
above its weight sonically. Maybe it also helps

72 January/February 2022
 acousticguitar.com/332

with the GT’s impressive consistency across the both—the GT I tested definitely combines With a simple and intuitive interface, the
frequency spectrum—more on that in a bit. playing ease with effortless sound production. TaylorSense app has four main features: A
The review model sports a Sitka spruce top As you might expect with a smaller body, digital hygrometer, which monitors the humid-
and urban ash back and sides cut from trees in the GT’s bass is tight, as opposed to deep. But ity level of the guitar; a thermometer that reads
need of removal from municipal areas in it’s not thin, and the GT’s strumming sound the ambient temperature; impact sensors that
Southern California, reflecting Taylor’s commit- would fit nicely in a rock/pop/country band alert you when your guitar takes a serious
ment to sustainably and ethically sourcing tone- mix. Meanwhile, the midrange and upper reg- knock (like through a careless airline baggage
woods. (For the backstory, see “Taylor Guitars isters really jump off the instrument. The highs handler); and a gauge that warns you when the
Discovers a New Sustainable Tonewood in Its are crisp without being spikey; the mids are battery power drops below 30 percent (and
Own Backyard” at AcousticGuitar.com.) articulate and clear. As a result, the GT sounds again when it dips below ten percent).
balanced across its frequency range with a Setup was easy. First, I downloaded the app,
INSPIRING PLAYABILITY AND TONE consistent blend from low to high. Six-note then registered the guitar and app with Taylor.
Made from tropical mahogany, the guitar’s chords have a strong and articulate presence; With the app installed, I followed the instructions
neck sits extremely comfortably in my hand. the tones blend but didn’t blur. to gently place my phone near the soundhole,
The matte finish provides a broken-in feel right If strumming is a strength, then fingerstyle open and close the battery compartment, and
out of the box. At 24.125 inches, the GT’s and single notes are the GT’s superpower. Okay, presto, the guitar started transmitting data to my
20-fret eucalyptus fingerboard is significantly maybe that’s overstating it. But the same quali- phone. With unseasonably tropical early fall
shorter than the standard 25.5-inch scale, yet it ties that give the chords so much presence really weather in New York, I immediately got a red
doesn’t play like a travel guitar or student add to the pleasure of fingerpicking on the alert: The app told me that humidity averaged 65
model. Even with my long fingers, all the instrument. It’s easy to control the attack, tone, percent over a 72-hour period, a bit above the
proportions feel just right. dynamics, and sustain across arpeggios, making recommended range of 40–60 percent.
As usual from Taylor, the action is low, the something relatively mundane, like a figure To tackle the problem, I clicked the Fix
intonation true, and the frets well-dressed. A based on an open C chord, seem full of possibili- button right below the humidity display. Clearly
black Tusq nut and Micarta saddle provide a ties. I also really appreciate the GT’s strong mid- written instructions explained how the guitar
solid and resonant foundation for the strings. range and fast attack for lead playing. The could be affected by high and low humidity. The
The tuning stability is exceptional, even when shorter scale makes string bending easier, but app recommended putting the guitar in its case
subjected to heavy bends. To me, playability isn’t the tension doesn’t feel too loose or indefinite. and using D’Addario’s Two-Way Humidification
just about fingering ease or comfort. It’s also The GTe is equipped with Taylor’s Expression System to bring it back within range.
about the ability to produce inspiring tone and System 2 (ES2), which uses a trio of undersaddle Affordable and apparently easy to install,
project it to your audience. I’ll take an instru- sensors, each calibrated to capture a pair of the TaylorSense system is a no-brainer if you
ment that requires more effort if the resulting strings. Controls include bass, treble, and volume, own a Taylor and are concerned about keeping
tone is better. Sometimes, however, you get with the knobs mounted unobtrusively on the it in a safe environment. To me, TaylorSense’s
guitar’s shoulder. A phase switch is housed on humidity monitor and alert system alone is
the preamp itself, which is accessible through the worth the price of admission, especially because

SPECS soundhole. The ES2 has been around for a while,

so I won’t do a full review here, other than to say
it will continue tracking the instrument’s condi-
tion when it’s put away in its case. And after
BODY 14-fret Grand Theater shape; it works as expected and does quite a nice job of getting four-figure repair estimates on cracked
Sitka spruce top with C-Class bracing; capturing the GTe’s core tone. guitars, I can only wish I’d had those warnings
urban ash back and sides; ebony bridge coming to my phone over the years.
with Micarta saddle; tortoise pickguard; TAYLORSENSE
Fitting in the battery box at the base of the GTe, URBAN COOL
Urban Sienna finish
the TaylorSense system ($79.99 street) is even As a package, the GTe Urban Ash really
NECK 24-1/8"-scale tropical mahogany less intrusive than the controls for the electronics. impressed me. This is the second Taylor built
neck; dual-action truss rod; eucalyptus (Note: Taylor guitars are not currently being sold from non-traditional tonewoods I’ve tested
fretboard; 20 frets; 1-23/32" black Tusq with TaylorSense preinstalled.) The system can recently. (See a review of the AD27 in the
nut; Taylor nickel mini tuners be retrofitted to any Taylor guitar with electronics November/December 2020 issue.) Both guitars
powered by a 9-volt battery—those equipped have demonstrated that there’s plenty to be
OTHER Taylor Expression System 2 with Taylor’s Expression System (ES1, ES2), ES-T, gained from exploring new materials, espe-
electronics; Elixir Phosphor Bronze Light or ES-N pickups will work. (Taylors using AA cially when those materials are mated to clever
strings (.012–.053); Taylor AeroCase; batteries are not compatible). and well-executed designs.
left-handed available If you already have an acoustic-electric Even with its smaller dimensions, the GTe
Taylor but aren’t sure which pickup system it doesn’t feel like a travel guitar and plays and
MADE IN United States has, the company’s website offers illustrated sounds like a front-line instrument. As for the
PRICE $1,599 street, plus $79.99 for instructions on how to check compatibility, idea of an acoustic guitar made from ash,
order the right version, and install the electron- Taylor does offer GT models built from more
TaylorSense (sold separately)
ics. Based on the online instructions, retrofit- traditional woods, with fancier finishes—and
taylorguitars.com ting the battery box on an existing guitar looks higher price tags. But considering its sound,
like a relatively easy DIY process requiring no playability, cool factor, and price, the GTe Urban
specialized tools. Ash is a total winner. AG

AcousticGuitar.com 73
 NEW GEAR

Breedlove
Pursuit
Exotic S
Concert
Edgeburst
CE
A responsibly sourced
acoustic-electric with a rich
and dynamic voice
BY EMILE MENASCHÉ

esigned in the U.S. and built in China,

D Breedlove’s Pursuit Exotic S series was
conceived to be more than just another entry-
level import line. Yes, starting at $749, these
guitars cost a fraction of their American-
made counterparts. But according to Breed-
love, they also demonstrate both the need for
and the benefits of using unusual and
sustainable tonewoods—and of sourcing
those materials responsibly.
Breedlove’s website lists 11 Pursuit Exotic S
models, with a range of wood and finish combi-
nations, from $539 street. At $1,399, the single
cutaway acoustic-electric Pursuit Exotic S
Concert Edgeburst CE featured here sits at the
top of the series’ price pyramid—but it’s still
about $700 less expensive than Breedlove’s
lowest priced U.S.-built Concert model.

HANDSOME AND WELL BUILT

Right out of the box, the Pursuit’s appearance
lives up to the Exotic handle, thanks to a
dramatically figured solid koa top highlighted
by Breedlove’s Edgeburst gloss finish. Photo-
graphs don’t quite capture the beauty of the
koa’s contrasting grains, with dark stripes
flowing along the length of the top, offset by
rich tobacco brown. The back and sides are
made from layered koa and African mahogany.
Though less eye-catching than the top, their
grain and finish continue the visual statement
to give the guitar a cohesive appearance.
The 25.3-inch scale 20-fret fingerboard is
made from ovangkol, a sustainable alternative
to rosewood, as is the bridge. Both the 1.69-
inch nut and bridge saddle are Tusq, a syn-
thetic ivory substitute. Other details include
handsome faux tortoiseshell binding, brass

74 January/February 2022
 acousticguitar.com/332

fretboard inlays, and an attractive matte The Pursuit’s African mahogany neck joins up the sound for strummed chords, while the
copper motif seen in the headstock’s Breedlove the body at the 14th fret, with an unobtrusive pad of the thumb produces a percussive “thonk”
logo, as well as the tuners and strap buttons. cutaway open to around the 16th fret. Its for jazzier comping.
In terms of fit and finish, almost every detail profile is rounded and moderately deep—fitting
is outstanding right out of the box. The neck’s in what I think of as the comfortable middle— SIMPLE BUT EFFECTIVE ELECTRONICS
satiny texture is smooth and comfortable. The and should accommodate most players. While not all models in the Pursuit series come
nicely dressed frets and well-rounded nut all Unplugged, the Pursuit has a rich, warm with onboard electronics, those in the Exotic S
feel great to the touch—not a jagged edge to be sound that projects well, with a strong mid- subcategory sport a Fishman Presys piezo
found. Intonation is spot on, and tuning proved range emphasis and tight but polite low end. pickup and preamp system. The control panel
to be remarkably stable in typically unpredict- Played fingerstyle, the midrange emphasis sits in the guitar’s upper shoulder—not the pret-
able Northeast weather. Often, I’d take the adds weight to arpeggiated lines and single- tiest solution, though it’s more compact than
guitar off its stand, strum a chord, and find it note passages. The guitar isn’t as bright or that of most preamps. Instead of being housed
was still in tune from the day before. cutting as you might get from other tonewood in the endpin, the output jack sits in a panel on
My only complaint is that the action above combinations, and whether that’s a plus or the lower side of the guitar, which also has a
the tenth fret is a little high for my taste. minus is really a matter of individual taste and battery compartment—a plus since you can add
Looking closely, however, I’d say setup is more musical application. or remove a strap without unplugging.
to blame than construction. If I owned the Some players might prefer a punchier bass The Presys’ control layout is basic but effec-
guitar, I’d take it to a trusted tech, and a good relative to the midrange, but plenty of guitars tive: You get a single volume knob and push-
guitar dealer would probably adjust the setup deliver that kind of sound. The Pursuit’s mid- buttons for Contour (a mid-cutting EQ), Phase,
before it hit the display rack. range focus makes for a nice contrast to more and Tuner. The preamp puts out plenty of level.
conventional-sounding flattops. I really like Some players might prefer a more elaborate
TONAL PURSUITS onboard EQ, but I find the simplicity appealing.
When it comes to gig-friendly instruments, it’s Unless you’re plugging into an amp or mixer
hard to beat a concert-sized guitar. The body with inadequate tone controls, an onboard EQ
dimensions are comfortable, while still isn’t strictly necessary.
providing enough volume to produce very
Unplugged, the If you need a tonal variation, the Contour
strong tone. At 19.875 inches long, the button works well. There’s more midrange with
Pursuit’s box ranges from 3.58 inches deep at Pursuit has a rich, the button up (off); activating the control pro-
the neck to 4.2 inches at the tail block. With a warm sound that duces a nice scoop that brings out the bass and
15.37-inch lower bout, 11.28-inch upper bout,
and a nine-inch waist, the guitar hangs nicely
projects well, with a treble—perfect for open chord strumming. The
overall level doesn’t change much between the
on the strap and perches happily on the knee. strong midrange two settings, so you could easily use Contour to
emphasis and tight switch from scooped rhythm to thick lead. The

but polite low end.

Presys also has an onboard tuner, which mutes
the output when active. It may not be fancy, but
SPECS it’s fast, its display is very easy to read, and it’s
accurate enough for day-to-day use.
BODY Cutaway Concert shape; solid
koa top; layered African mahogany and PURSUING NEW IDEAS
koa back and sides; ovangkol bridge; how smoothly the tone transitions from low to Taken on its own, the Breedlove Pursuit Exotic S
Tusq saddle with 2-1/8" spacing; faux midrange to treble—especially on arpeggiated Concert Edgeburst CE is an attractive and well-
tortoiseshell binding; Edgeburst finish chords and stacked triads. made guitar at a reasonable price. If the instru-
Still, if the Pursuit I tested has one out- ment I tested is anything to go by, a good setup
NECK 25.3" scale African mahogany standing strength, it’s the way it resonates and is all you’d need to make for a gigging work-
neck; 20 frets; ovangkol fretboard with sustains with bell-like overtones on single horse equally effective for unplugged or ampli-
16" radius; 1-11/16" Tusq nut; copper notes. Held notes have an impressively long fied performances. Unplugged, its mid-focused
closed-gear tuners; stained satin finish and steady decay, and after I lift my fingers, the timbre and overtone rich sustain give it a unique
guitar maintains the harmonic vibrations in a voice that encourages melodic playing.
OTHER D’Addario XT Phosphor Bronze way that makes simple passages sing. Even But I think there’s also a bigger picture to
expensive guitars can sound a bit thin on the consider. If Breedlove’s use of alternative woods
Light strings (.012–.053); Fishman
high E string, but the Pursuit’s mid focus lends is meant to be a statement about sustainable
Presys I electronics
fullness to those notes as well. guitar building, I’d argue that delivering that
Changes to finger and pick attack demon- message through a relatively affordable
MADE IN China
strate the guitar’s range of sonic colors. product like this makes the Pursuit Exotic S
Strummed, it produces a loud and muscular series more than an exercise in socially respon-
PRICE $1,399 street
sound that would hold its own in a fairly large sible messaging. Over time, this may bring
ensemble. It wouldn’t take much to overpower these materials into the mainstream while
breedlovemusic.com
a quiet instrument or singer, so dynamic aware- encouraging sustainable growth and harvest-
ness is essential. A lighter pick seems to open ing. That’s a noble pursuit indeed. AG

AcousticGuitar.com 75
 new gear
NEW GEAR

iZotope
Spire
Studio
Next-generation recorder
gives pro-quality audio
results on the fly
BY JAMES VOLPE ROTONDI

alk to singer-songwriters at any level and

T the majority of them will tell you that they
capture their song ideas on their smartphones,
using voice memo, video, or other nonmusical
apps, which don’t allow them to do anything
with the tracks they’ve captured. Others will
tell you they use dedicated recording software,
though they might complain that the setup
costs and the required technical mindset,
which drains valuable emotional and creative
energy that could be used for, well, writing
songs, are too restrictive.
This is where iZotope Spire Studio ($299
street) comes in. It’s a professional songwrit-
ing device on a very human scale. Spire uses

COURTESY OF IZOTOPE
the power and storage space of that phone or
tablet you already spend too much time on, via
the free, sophisticated Spire: Music Recorder &
Studio recording/processing app. And Spire
Studio uses its own Wi-Fi network to out-
source the tracking equipment to a small,
cylindrical device that’s about the size of a you strum your guitar, sing, or both: Spire Again, that’s a huge amount of work you won’t
peanut butter jar and weighs in around 1.5 Studio will speak to the app, identify the instru- have to think about. (Some features will
lbs. It’s a whip-smart compact sketch pad that, ment you’re using, and set your ideal input require the Spire Pro subscription, which is
especially in its new second-generation form, levels and EQ settings for you. free of charge.)
is packed with professional features that make That’s huge right there. If you like, find a Do another take, add an overdub, a harmony,
it double as a proper tracking device. vocal, guitar, or master effect that inspires up to eight tracks in all. To mix, go to the mix
The very sturdy yet light and compact Spire you—everything from vocal tuning to modula- page on the Spire Song Maker app: Use the little
Studio unit contains a built-in omnidirectional tion to compression and beyond—or wait until grid display to touch-move instruments around
condenser microphone, two preamps (upgraded afterwards, when you can choose from that the stereo field or add effects—from lovely
in the second generation), and a pair of head- same fine array of effects drawn from iZotope’s reverbs and delays to raunchy distortions and
phone outputs, plus transport controls, meters, well-regarded Ozone, Nectar, and other pro compression—and even widen or narrow the
two XLR/TS mic/line inputs with phantom signal-processing plugins. Spire Studio will stereo field with ease.
power, and more—all excellent. Spire Studio automatically add compression, EQ, and satura- Immediately upload your piece within the
runs via an AC power adapter or rechargeable tion to vocals for a refined sound that would Song Maker app to Soundcloud or social media;
batteries. It’s even cute, kinda like Darth Vader’s take the uninitiated hours to dial in. export your complete masterpiece as a WAV or
tiny baby brother. (I do wish it came with a pro- Find your tempo by tapping it in, or simply M4A file, or export the individual tracks/stems
tective travel bag, though.) setting it, and start recording. (You can also to send to your collaborators, producer, or band
Working with the Spire Song Maker/Spire record without a click, naturally. And you can members for use and further processing on
Studio partnership is really liberating, and this import beats, and track to them, too.) When your album. Yes, the tracks sound that good.
is also where the second-generation features you’ve finished, the latest Spire Studio will The second-generation Spire Studio is
really shine. Put your headphones on, plug even clean up your audio for you, removing exactly the kind of device that acoustic players
them into Spire Studio, connect via the Spire unwanted air conditioner hum, plosives, street and songwriters in particular will absolutely
Studio Wi-Fi network, and launch the app. noise, etc., using tools culled from iZotope’s thrive on creatively. You might say it’s made for
Press the Soundcheck button on Spire Studio as RX line, like Noise Removal and Pop Filter. our tribe. izotope.com AG

76 January/February 2022
 NEW GEAR

Hercules Stands
DG107B
Universal mic
and camera
arm stand
Practical new products for producing
audio and video content at home
BY NICK ROSSI

f the many challenges that have arisen yet flexible way to temporarily clamp a micro- DG207B
O for guitarists over the past year and a
half, perhaps the most daunting has been how
phone or camera to a desk or table. Out of the
box, the unit is solid, with a minimum of plastic
Universal
smartphone
holder
high the bar of home audio-video production parts. The black metal construction gives it a
has been raised. With so many players of all professional feel and the included Velcro cable
proficiency levels providing so much well- ties help keep things tidy. With two swivel
produced online content, effectively turning points and a 360-degree radius at the clamp phone holder ($49.99) can mount to a desk/table
one’s home studio, workstation, or corner of joint, it’s a versatile piece of equipment that’s or to the above stand, perfect for capturing both
the room into a viable recording, streaming, relatively easy to set up. I found the unit smartphone/tablet video and microphone audio.
or teaching space is becoming the rule rather worked best in conjunction with the standard Like the mic stand, the holders are sturdy, and
than the exception. kind of shelving found in contemporary wall their rubber teeth gently cradle a smartphone or
Hercules Stands offers new products to aid and workspace units, which likely will appeal to tablet with ease. Other potential applications
in these pursuits. The DG107B universal mic a good number of players working out of include use in studio, home, or live settings, either
and camera arm stand ($59.99), which can be smaller spaces. as a recording device or a performance aid. The
used in conjunction with the EZ microphone Hercules' DG207B universal smartphone succinct, easy-to-follow instructions will have one
clip (an additional $14.99), provides a sturdy holder ($39.99) and DG307B 2-in-1 tablet and ready to go in no time. herculesstands.com AG

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AcousticGuitar.com 77
MIXED MEDIA
Various Artists
The Village Out West: The Lost Tapes of Alan Oakes
Field Recordings of the 1960s California Folk Music Scene
(Smithsonian Folkways Recording)

Robins, Sapoznik, and Jeff Place co-produced

the set, which includes illuminating essays,
musician biographies, poster reproductions,
and historical photographs.
Apparently recorded mostly from 1965 to
1971 (not every track is identified with a date
and venue), the performances bounce around
genres and idioms: bluegrass, gospel, old-time
folk and string-band music, Piedmont and
Delta blues, Celtic ballads, Woody Guthrie
tunes. Despite the ad hoc recording setups, the
sound is stunningly good, with minimal
amounts of ambient and /or audience noise, a
testament to Oakes’ mic placement and
McClellan’s restoration skills. CD 1 opens with
a version of “Beaumont Rag” performed by
Hank Bradley on fiddle, Doc Watson on guitar,
and Rick Shubb (of Shubb capos fame) on
banjo, and CD 2 closes with the same trio
playing “O, Them Golden Slippers.” In
between, we are treated to a survey of a scene
that makes us both envious of those who
partook firsthand and grateful to Oakes for
obsessively hauling his tape recorder into
clubs such as the Jabberwock in Berkeley and
the Old Gallery in Fresno, as well as various
living rooms, including his own.
BARRY OLIVIER
In addition to Watson, who’s featured on
eight songs, the big names from back East
PLAYLIST include blues giant Mississippi Fred McDowell,
fingerpicking icon Reverend Gary Davis, the
Doc Watson, John Cohen, and Mississippi John Hurt at the Berkeley Folk Festival, 1964.
New Lost City Ramblers (Mike Seeger, John
Cohen, and Tracy Schwarz), and singer-
songwriter Mark Spoelstra (who relocated to

Lost ’60s Folk

California after success in New York and
Cambridge). They add abundant star power, but

from the Golden State

the locals prove themselves worthy company
with stellar guitar-picking, banjo-plucking,
fiddling, and singing. Among the West Coasters

New set reveals a vital scene thousands of miles are natives (including Bradley, Shubb, guitarist
Sandy Rothman, guitarist-singers Larry Hanks
from Greenwich Village and Roger Perkins, harmonica ace Will Scarlett,
BY DERK RICHARDSON and fiddler Sue Draheim) and transplants
(Scottish singer Alan MacLeod, Caribbean-bred
he centrality of New York’s Greenwich the influential Berkeley Folk Music Festival, Roger Renwick, Missourian fiddler Ron Hughey,
T Village in the folk music revival—aka
“the great folk scare”—of the 1950s and ’60s
1958–1971) to Fresno—was (and still is) a
hotbed of vernacular music in its own right,
Kentuckian fiddler Dad Crockett, Arkansas-born
singing guitarist Jim Ringer, and others).
cannot be denied. But the Village back East appreciation of which is deepened in this Every listener will zero in on favorite tracks
was not the only epicenter of passion for 51-track sampler from the lost tapes of civil and discoveries; perhaps unaccompanied vocal-
traditional and old-time acoustic music in the engineer, folk music aficionado, and amateur ist LaWanda Ultan, solo banjoists Gene Bluestein
United States, as amply evidenced in a new audio engineer Alan Oakes. or Jerry Houck, or autoharpist-singer Kilby
two-CD set of recordings captured at festivals, Something like a minor league Alan Lomax Snow. The singing duos of Kathy & Carol, Hanks
concerts, music workshops, and house parties or Harry Smith, Oakes, who died in 2019, with Spoelstra or Perkins, Caroline and Sandy
in Northern and Central California. The envi- would have remained obscure and unsung had Paton, and Sandy and Jeanie Darlington are riv-
rons of NYC’s Bleecker and MacDougal streets not his widow, Marnie, contacted Deborah eting, and the several appearances of Sweet’s
gave us such beloved icons as Dave Van Ronk Robins, the folk-singing partner of Larry Hanks. Mill Mountain Boys and the Bradley-Shubb-
and Fred Neil, and such future celebrities as Robins took the tapes to Oakland, California, Watson trio are especially energized. The com-
Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, and Peter, Paul & Mary. sound engineer Mark “Wally” McClellan for bined senses of intimacy and exuberance
But “The Village Out West”—a California digitization, and to musician/writer/radio throughout make for listening as delightful as it
sprawl that ranged from Berkeley (home to producer Henry H. Sapoznik for cataloging. is enlightening.  AG

78 January/February 2022
 Sarah McQuaid George Harrison Paul Thorn
The St. Buryan Sessions All Things Must Pass Never Too Late to Call
(Shovel and a Spade) (Deluxe 50th Anniversary Edition) (Perpetual Obscurity/Thirty Tigers)
(Apple/Capitol/Universal)

A beautiful reimagination of her finest songs A solid remix plus acoustic demos 12th album is his most stirring yet

With all her concert dates cancelled by the The triple-LP All Things Must Pass marked There’s no one else like Paul Thorn, a walking
coronavirus, singer-songwriter Sarah McQuaid George Harrison’s transition from Beatle to contradiction of saint and sinner, boxer and
decided to stay close to home, recording in the solo artist, though he already had produced poet, tough guy and sensitive soul, Missis-
English village where she’s lived for the past 1968’s Wonderwall Music soundtrack and sippi belter and acoustic guitarist. They’re
14 years. There, in the cavernous 15th-century 1969’s synth-laden Electronic Music, both all gathered here on Never Too Late to Call,
St. Buryan’s Church, playing solo to engineer/ instrumental. All Things Must Pass, co-produced his 12th album, held together with an
producer Martin Stansbury, she collected two by Harrison and Phil Spector (who had worked honest sense of his shortcomings, an insis-
decades of songs and reimagined them into with The Beatles on Let It Be), is steeped in the tent moral compass, and a healthy dose of
the strongest album of her career, also released ex-Beatle’s devotion to Indian philosophy and country funk.
as a series of YouTube videos. reverence for rock ’n’ roll. The album opens with the quiet fingerpick-
McQuaid’s voice, a fragile, starkly resonant This remastered, super deluxe 50th anniver- ing of “Two Tears of Joy,” a chance for Thorn
alto, has always been a thing of folk-trad sary edition, executive produced by Harrison’s to preach the gospel of gratitude to his family
beauty, but here, with ambient mics placed son, Dhani, and remixed by Paul Hicks, tamps and his god, thankful that the “mercy they’ve
around the church’s interior, it takes on a new down Spector’s original dense, reverb-heavy shown me has made me wanna be a better
joyfulness and a deeper darkness. At the same wall of sound, which included Harrison, Peter man.” It closes with the Ole Miss–inspired
time, her beloved Andy Manson acoustic Frampton, and three members of Badfinger all “Holy Hottie Toddy,” a hard-partying anthem
guitar keeps all its warm, ringing precision, playing acoustic guitars. It includes five CDs about loving everybody right now, celebrating
while her DADGAD tuning takes on a rich, and a Blu-ray disc with Dolby Atmos, 5.1 sur- the glorious mess we’re in, because “life goes
plangent sustain as its sound travels up and round, and hi-res stereo mixes. There’s also a by so fast you better not blink/ You might not
down the nave. (If you listen closely, you can 60-page book and a poster. have as much time as you think.”
hear trucks driving past the church, and the Thirty previously unreleased demos, most In between, there’s an unsent letter to his
distant chattering of swallows.) acoustic guitar driven, include such flattop sister (“Never Too Late to Call”), an aching
The album’s only “new” song is a shimmer- nuggets as a stripped-down title track and a confessional (“What I Could Do”), a string-
ing version of the jazz standard “Autumn Dylan-esque version of “Apple Scruffs”—Dylan snapping homage to James Brown (“Sapalo”),
Leaves,” while the rest are highlights from her wrote “If Not for You” for the album and collabo- a keyboard-rocking devotional (“Here We
catalog, including “Last Song,” which inter- rated with Harrison on “I’d Have You Anytime.” Go”), and a door-slamming duet with his
twines the lives of mother, daughter, and Dylan’s influence also is felt on “Ballad of Sir wife that tests the waters between giving up
granddaughter; the instrumental “The Day of Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll)” and the hybrid-picked and staying put (“Breaking Up for Good
Wrath, That Day,” performed on electric demo of “Run of the Mill.” The breezy acoustic- Again”). Thorn’s four-piece road band rocks
guitar; and the beautifully brittle “Time to rock mantra “Dehra Dun,” the cheeky “Cosmic solid on a handful of up-tempo cuts, but
Love,” about the present moment. All gain in Empire,” and the melodic “Tell Me What Has really, the show is Thorn’s songwriting, his
subtlety, wisdom, and understanding in these Happened to You” are among 13 demos that didn’t raspy baritone, and his nearly-solo acoustic
solo arrangements. Best of all, 2012’s “In make the album’s final cut. But it’s especially and gut-string guitars. That’s what makes
Derby Cathedral”—where McQuaid sings of rewarding to hear the unplugged version of “My Never Too Late to Call his most serious, most
the names carved into the church’s stone Sweet Lord,” the hit single that captured the spirit stirring album yet, with all the heartbreak-
walls—takes on new life, deftly merging past of ’70s-era counterculture kids who went in search ing vulnerability a former middleweight can
and present. —Kenny Berkowitz of spirituality in the late hippie era. —Greg Cahill muster. —KB

AcousticGuitar.com 79
PLAYLIST FILM

Bob Dylan, Karen Dalton, and Fred Neil

COURTESY OF GREENWICH ENTERTAINMENT

Buffalo Nichols
Buffalo Nichols
(Fat Possum)

Hard-hitting blues on great debut album

Born in Houston, Carl Nichols took a winding

Karen Dalton:
In My Own Time
road to the blues, passing through a long
series of Baptist church gigs, Milwaukee bars,
European cafés, and West African tours

Underappreciated folk music figure gets her due

before returning to the States, breaking up
his folk duo, and landing solo in Austin. Now
billing himself as Buffalo Nichols, he’s BY BLAIR JACKSON
writing songs that channel the music he
heard growing up into a weary, deeply lived ne of the most compelling and enigmatic documentary called Karen Dalton: In My Own
vision that’s focused on “putting more Black
stories” into acoustic blues.
O figures to emerge during the Greenwich
Village folk era, Karen Dalton (1937–1993),
Time, directed by Richard Peete and Robert
Yapkowitz. Using a combination of rare
At heart, he’s a storyteller, confessing the as Bob Dylan famously noted in his book footage of Dalton performing, archival photo-
blues in tales of broken promises, gunshot Chronicles, “sang like Billie Holiday and graphs, illuminating interviews with fellow
wounds, traffic stops gone wrong, cross-eyed played guitar like Jimmy Reed.” That’s no musicians, friends, and lovers, plus excerpts
looks in the mirror, and late-night tours of exaggeration, though I’d say her fine guitar from her poetry, letters, and other writings
Hell from people who swear they’re “gonna playing was as informed by folk sources—she (read by Angel Olsen), the filmmakers trace
find out how bad things can get.” Real bad, primarily played a Gibson 12-string, as well Dalton’s saga—her days growing up poor in
that’s for sure, and despite all that suffering, as six-string and banjo. She was, first and rural Oklahoma, marrying and having her
there’s a sweetness in Nichols’ playing, foremost, an interpreter of blues and folk first child in her mid-teens; heading to New
which relies on open C# tuning, a brass slide tunes (old and new), but her recorded output York and falling into the Greenwich Village
on his ring finger, and a couple of rough- was slight: just two albums—the moody, folk scene, where she was widely acclaimed;
and-ready resonator guitars by Mule and stripped-down, folk-blues masterpiece It’s So her peripatetic nature and her discomfort
Recording King. Hard to Tell Who Loves You the Best in 1969 with some of the demands of the music
After years as a journeyman, playing and the more musically ambitious (and to my industry, which led to occasional acts of what
everything from country to death metal, ears, over-produced) In My Own Time in appear to be career self-sabotage; and her
Nichols distilled his influences into a rest- 1971. Neither was commercially successful. long, sad decline.
lessly contemporary, hard-hitting blues, When she died in 1993 of AIDS-related But this is no shallow, over-dramatized
calling on the ghosts of R.L. Burnside, Elmore complications at the age of 55, following Behind the Music story. Rather, it’s a deep,
James, Blind Willie Johnson, Blind Willie years of drug abuse and unsuccessful stints in soulful, revelatory exploration of a talented but
McTell, Bukka White, and a long line of rehab, she had all but been forgotten. fragile soul who rarely seemed completely com-
blues-rock guitarists. On this startlingly good However, just as the brilliant but doomed fortable in her own skin or in the music business.
debut, Nichols stakes out a new name and a Nick Drake has been rediscovered in the Along the way, we’re treated to her heartfelt per-
new style, finding a voice that perfectly fits decades since his passing, so, too, has Karen formances of songs written or popularized by
the moment. And like the speaker in “These Dalton been embraced by new generations of Billie Holiday, Fred Neil, Elmore James, Tim
Things,” he’s ready to face the future head- admiring musicians and fans. The culmina- Hardin, Dino Valenti, and others, most featuring
on, knowing “I’m beaten and I’m broken/ but tion of this latter-day fascination with Dalton Dalton’s sure, nuanced 12-string work. I highly
I’m coming back for more.” —KB is a beautifully made and quite moving recommend you check it out!  AG

80 January/February 2022
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AcousticGuitar.com 81
 GREAT ACOUSTICS WATCH BUCK CURRAN PLAY HIS CUSTOM SOBELL
acousticguitar.com/332

Buck Curran with his 2009 Stefan Sobell Model 1

GUITAR PHOTOS: BLUE-G, TOKYO, JAPAN; ARTIST IMAGE COURTESY OF BUCK CURRAN
2009 Sobell Model 1
The guitar that got away—with a happy ending
BY GREG OLWELL

early every guitarist has a yarn about the Sobell’s prized tonewood reserves. Curran Model 1, telling him how great it was—and that
N one that got away. While most end with
some degree of regret and longing, singer-
requested that the back be made from four
joined pieces, rather than the customary two, for
he ought to do whatever was needed to own
it. When Curran was in a position to buy the
songwriter and guitarist Buck Curran’s tale about improved stability. He went with Sobell’s Sicilian guitar a couple years later, he was keenly disap-
his 2009 Stefan Sobell Model 1 is more uplifting. Model 1 shape, which splits the difference pointed to learn that it had already been sold. He
Curran had been fixated on Sobell guitars between a 000 and a dreadnought, and eagerly then lost track of the instrument, but kept search-
ever since seeing fingerstyle great Martin awaited the instrument’s completion. ing for it until April 2021, when it surfaced at
Simpson perform on a Butterfly Model 1 back in Unfortunately, the challenges of being a Blue-G, a boutique shop in Japan. The guitar
1991. Years later, after spending time with a few full-time musician and family man during the was priced out of reach, but Curran had the
Sobells that didn’t work out for him for one Great Recession ended up making it impossi- good fortune to secure it through a last-minute
reason or another—including a stint owning ble for Curran to take delivery of his com- investor in a crowdsourcing effort, and after 12
Simpson’s Butterfly—Curran decided to commis- pleted dream guitar in 2009, so with great long years, it was soon in his hands.
sion a custom Sobell. sadness he asked Sobell to sell the finished Now that he has it, how does it sound?
Curran is also a luthier—he worked for Dana instrument. As it was based on Curran’s par- “It’s super responsive—notes just fly out of it.
Bourgeois from 2002–2009—and he had specific ticular specs, Sobell had a hard time finding It has huge, complex fundamental tones with
ideas about what he wanted in a guitar. The a buyer, and the guitar remained slumbering plenty of gorgeous overtones,” Curran says. “I
instrument would have a top made of bearclaw- in his workshop for years. feel incredibly fortunate to finally have this
figured red spruce that Curran had handpicked One day out of the blue, in June 2015, Curran guitar, and I’m looking forward to recording
in Maine, along with a particularly nice set of received an email from the luthier Paul Hostetter, some improvised guitar instrumentals with it
Madagascar rosewood back and sides from who had just visited Sobell’s shop and played the as soon as possible.”  AG

Acoustic Guitar (ISSN – 1049-9261, USPS - 5581) is published bi-monthly by String Letter Publishing, Inc., 941 Marina Way South., Suite E, Richmond, CA 94804. Periodical postage paid at
Richmond, CA 94804 and additional mailing offices. Printed in USA. Canada Post: Publications mail Agreement #40612608. Canada Returns to be sent to Imex Global Solutions, PO Box 32229,
Hartford, CT 06150-2229. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to Acoustic Guitar, String Letter Publishing, Inc., PO Box 91149, Long Beach, CA 90809-1149.

82 January/February 2022
 L I F E S PA N® 2.0 ST R I N G S

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