The Nashville Number System: a chart that survives a key change
The singer decides at soundcheck that the song sits better a step down. If your chart says G, D, Em, C, you are now rewriting it … Read the article
80/20, phosphor bronze or coated: choosing acoustic strings
The acoustic string wall is a bad place to make a decision. Twenty near-identical packages, all promising warmth and brightness in the same breath, and no … Read the article
Measure first, adjust second: an acoustic setup walkthrough
Most guitars that get described as “hard to play” are not badly built. They are badly set up, and the owner has been compensating with their … Read the article
Solid top, laminate sides: where the money goes on a cheap acoustic
Two acoustics hang side by side in the shop. One is $200, the other $500, and the wood on the front looks near enough identical. The … Read the article
Tablets on stage: yes or no?
Yes, but only if you set it up like a piece of stage equipment rather than like a phone you happened to bring along. That distinction … Read the article
The L.R. Baggs Session DI has no tone controls, and that is the argument
Almost every acoustic DI pedal sells itself on its tone controls. Bass, mid, treble, maybe a sweepable midrange if you spend a bit more. The L.R. … Read the article
What the TC-Helicon Play Acoustic actually does for a solo act
A solo acoustic act is a thin arrangement. One guitar, one voice, and two or three hours to fill. Everything you can do to make that … Read the article
The PolyTune Clip and what polyphonic tuning is actually for
There is a particular kind of dead air that happens on a patio gig. You have finished a song, the applause has run out, and you … Read the article