ESSENTIAL GEAR
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ACOUSTIC GUITAR BOOKS
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Lessons, gear, and guitar news from Acoustic Guitar magazine and www.acousticguitar.com.
February 21, 2008
Editor's Note
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IN THIS ISSUELessons |
Welcome
to AG Notes! We’ve covered a lot of ground in this issue,
from the intense nylon-string guitar heroics of Rodrigo y Gabriela
to the fascinating story
of Larrivée Guitars, a family business in the truest sense
of the term. Also be sure to check out Playlist reviews of Neil
Young’s latest album as well as Justin Townes Earle’s
new CD (if you recall, his father, Steve, graced Acoustic Guitar’s
February cover). And don’t miss Senior Editor Teja Gerken’s
video reviews of the Washburn WB400SWK and the Lace LF-150SCE guitars.LESSONS
RODRIGO
Y GABRIELA
Fusing musical styles and defying convention, incendiary Mexican duo Rodrigo
y Gabriela is rewriting the rules for the nylon-string guitar. An exclusive Acoustic Guitar lesson. With audio examples. [More]
PRIVATE
LESSON: DON ALDER
The 2007 Winfield winner sheds some light on the tricks that helped
him claim last year’s fingerstyle championship title. With audio
examples. [More]
SPONSOR: MONTREAL GUITAR SHOW
GEAR REVIEWS
FEATURED:
LARRIVÉE GUITARS
Forty years since building his first guitar, Jean Larrivée and
family helm one of the most respected guitar companies in the world. [More]
NEW
GEAR REVIEW: WASHBURN WB400SWK
Contemporary interpretation of an antique body style stakes out
unusual sonic territory. With video. [More]
NEW
GEAR REVIEW: LACE LF-150SCE
Pickup specialists release a buttery-smooth and versatile flattop. With video. [More]
NEW
GEAR REVIEW: ROLAND AC-90
Easy-to-use amp captures organic acoustic tones in a feature-rich
package with power to spare. With video. [More]
SPONSOR: THE NEWPORT GUITAR FESTIVAL IN MIAMI BEACH
Hundreds of luthiers display hand built guitars, combined with South Florida's Premiere Vintage show. Hundreds of acoustic mini concerts and dozens of seminars. The ultimate guitar experience for players, collectors, and guitar enthusiasts. Booths are still available for suppliers and dealers!
For more info, please visit: www.newportguitarfestmb.com.
WHAT’S HAPPENING!
PLAYLIST CD REVIEWS
Neil Young Chrome Dreams II
A
sequel to the ’70s album that Young never released (though it became
a much-discussed bootleg), Chrome Dreams II straddles the line
between two very different styles: the gentle, wistful acoustic feel of Harvest and Harvest Moon and the careening, raunchy Crazy Horse sound found on classics such as Ragged Glory and Rust Never Sleeps. Opening with the gentle acoustic strummer,
“Beautiful Bluebird,” and segueing into the swampy, banjo-driven
“Boxcar,” Chrome Dreams II finds Young striking consistent
themes of wandering, aging, lost souls, and offering hymn-like affirmations
of love and faith. Although Young stumbles on the syrupy “Shining
Light” and the cloying “The Way” (with its saccharine
children’s chorus), he shows he’s still capable of unveiling
classic nuggets such as the short-and-sweet “The Believer.”
Although it doesn’t reach the heights of his classic albums, Chrome
Dreams II shows a legendary artist beginning to regain his focus.
(Reprise)
—Mark Smith
Justin Townes Earle The Good Life
Father:
Steve Earle. Middle namesake: a certain Mr. Van Zandt. Resultant expectation
of being disappointed by this album: high. Emotion I experienced when
disappointment did not happen: surprise. His debut benefits heavily from
top-notch support and production, in the midst of which his unsteady voice
is still developing. But he wrote these songs, and he tangled together
the blues, country, folk, and ragtime strands that compose everything
from the jumpy “Hard Livin’” to the melancholy “Lone
Pine Hill.” It’s not quite Steve or Townes, but The Good
Life is a good start. (Bloodshot
Records)
—Patrick Bourland
For more CD reviews, go to www.acousticguitar.com/playlist.
NEW
PRODUCTS
Elixir Cables are available in 10-, 15-, 20-, and 30-foot lengths with right-angle and straight jack plugs. Designed as low-capacitance cables for transmitting sound with minimal tone coloration, the cables feature non-twist memory and a limited lifetime warranty.
EVENTS
The 2008 Montreal Guitar Show (June 27–29) will offer hundreds of artisan guitars by luthiers such as Manzer Guitars and Renaissance Guitars as well as concerts and workshops. The show will take place during the first weekend of the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, which will feature more than 500 concerts over the span of 10 days.
COMING UP IN ACOUSTIC GUITAR MAGAZINE
MAY 2008: Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers interviews John Sebastian about his project with David Grisman; home studios for every budget; a primer on capos; reviews of the Goodall short-scale RGCSS and Timberline cutaway; and music to the Rolling Stones’ “Wild Horses.”
JUNE 2008 Keller Williams interview and lesson; new products from NAMM; five great guitar towns; reviews of the Zemaitis flattop and the Yamaha CPX; and music to Stevie Ray Vaughan’s “Life by the Drop."
JULY 2008 Slide guitar lesson with Bob Brozman; interview with KT Tunstall; composite guitars; reviews of the Gibson J-45 True Vintage and the Tascam DP-02 8-track digital recorder; and music to Hank Williams’s “Your Cheatin’ Heart” and the traditional “Fire on the Mountain.”
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