Customer Reviews

Acoustic Guitar

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

If you love to pull out that acoustic and knock off a few songs when the world seems to be going crazy and your soul needs the healing energy of music, then you should read this magazine. It provides good product reviews, playing tips, and song tabs. Also helpful are tips for tuning up and maintaining your guitar so it stays in the best playing condition. Although I am not a fan of magazine ads, the ads in this magazine are cool because they provide useful information about new products and services that would otherwise be difficult to discover. The interviews with top acoustic players like James Taylor, Neil Young & Bert Jansch are also a big plus. In all honesty, I do not read every issue--I grab issues when they have something I am interested in. In sum, if you are serious about playing that Martin or Gibson sitting in the corner, then read Acoutic Guitar every now and then--you will learn something!

Most guitar magazines are about mainly equipment and to a lesser extent, the thrash/metal/punk/whatever hero of the moment. "Acoustic Guitar" is different. It does talk about equipment, sure, but the primary focus has always been the music and the artists.

I have a couple years' worth of "Acoustic Guitar" on my bookshelves, unlike another popular magazine that gets read and tossed or given away. I don't save every issue, but I save a lot, as there's so much timeless information and good music to be found. In the few issues withing arm's reach I see a story on the music of "O Brother Where Are Thou?" with an arrangment of "Man of Constant Sorrow". Here's an article on Jazz Manouche and Django Reinhardt, with a tutorial written by John Jorgenson. Another issue spotlights the then-new MTV Unplugged phenomenon, and has a transcription of Clapton's unplugged "Layla".

Issues have covered contemporary singer-songwriters, Cuban "Son" music, African music, 1920s American Jazz guitarists... just about anything that can be played on a guitar. Evry issue is a surprise, and even if it doesn't have one of your favorites it'll have something you'll find interesting and useful.

This a good magazine for someone who wants to learn to play folk or fingerstyle music. I have tried all of the other magazines and this magazine as far as content and price are above the rest. That being said, this magazine is only a good suppliment for your guitar learning. Even if you don't desire to do anything but strum an acoustic guitar, I don't think this magazine can be your one source of literature. I would recommend that this magazine be purchased along with one of the mainstream magazines such as Guitar One or Guitar World.

It is wonderful to see a magazine that focuses on the acoustic guitar player. So many magazines seem to zero in primarily on the electric guitarist and rock/metal artists. This magazine has a bit of everything. Interviews with musicians of various genres, music with notation and tabs, and tips on different guitar techniques. It's a great way to get to know artists whom I've never heard of before and seek out their music to listen to.

I don't subscribe to this magazine (I'm a coffee shop magazine buyer), but I do buy it frequently. I'm a new guitarist who owns two acoustic guitars.

Just to balance out the one star reviews I read here, I must say that this is a first rate publication, really outstanding, and that I've never had any problems with my subscriptions. I've been a loyal and avid reader for over six years. Give it a try. It will inspire on many levels.

I've been subscribed to Acoustic Guitar Magazine since December 2003. I really enjoy every issue in its entirety. It has a variety of sections such as: Guitar and equipment reviews, artist interviews, Music CD's reviews, music to play, guitar lessons, vintage guitars and history, tips, events etc,. Advertising is always moderate. I am seriously thinking to start purchasing past issues. Good stuff !!Indeed a Great Guitar Magazine !!

I am a noodler as far as guitar playing and I use to like "Play Guitar!" by this publisher until they did away with it. Anyway, I took out a subscription to these guy's mag and pretty much enjoyed it most of the time. Still missed Play Guitar! though. Man. The problem I have with this mag is there is not enough basic stuff in it for me and it is really, really expensive. Also it does have a lot of fingerpicking stuff that it seems like entire issues are dedicated to. That's not all bad though. Plus all the equipment reviews seem to be positive. I have gone to Guitar Center to checkout some of the equipment that was reviewed and in my very amateurish opinion found them to be junk which has made me lose confidence in the magazine equipment reviews. I won't re-subscribe right now simply b/c it is just too expensive for me. Oh - though - the online lessons are pretty cool. Come down on the price and I will gladly go for it again, even though I cannot use every issue to my advantage.

I have been buying this mag since its inception, I have saved many of the issues because the info has been extremely helpful for my guitar playing and being able to read about the pros that i listen to , how they write, play,what they use for equipment has been intertaining and informative. they have recently made changes in format and writing mostly for the better.I espeally apreceate their having more on song writing. as far as i'm concerned this is the best guitar mag out there and i'm a guitar magazine junky enjoy. John M. Eadie

Acoustic Guitar Magazine rose from the ashes of the far superior magazine FRETS. For those of you too young to remember FRETS was an off shoot of Guitar Player Magazine and was an absolute bible for acoustic musicians. FRETS featured contributions by legendary writers like Mark Hanson and covered actual string instrument players regardless of their ability to sell magazines but based on their ability as players and what they offered the readers in the way of education and enlightenment.

Since its beginnings Acoustic Guitar Magazine has only flirted with covering real guitar players and they've NEVER covered GRAMMY winners like Ed Gerhard or international Fingerstyle Champion Doug Smith! Acoustic Guitar Magazine regularly features interviews with the same tired singer songwriters (some who play well ,some who are marginal guitar players) and even Rock stars...hoping to sell magazines to casual passers by at magazine racks I guess. Recently they did feature a player Andy McKee, but he is something of an internet sensation (as they call him) and frankly, everything he's done has been done better by Preston Reed (another artist never featured on their cover and barely noticed by the magazine)...and lets see there is also Laurence Juber (2 x GRAMMY winner) who has produced nearly 20 acoustic guitar albums and soundtracks but has never featured on the cover of Acoustic Guitar Magazine and was only truly featured inside about 16 years ago! The list of great Acoustic Guitar players not covered in that magazine is longer than the ones they have covered in their 20 years.

What I am saying is that this magazine doesn't live up to its name and is an overpriced waste to subscribe to. Read it in 2-5 minutes at the news stand or book store of your choice and maybe buy one copy a year that amazingly has some content! Fingerstyle Guitar Magazine was a welcome addition to the periodical world when they entered the game nearly 20 years ago as they did fill the huge gap between Acoustic Guitar Magazine and FRETS..but sadly that bi-monthly magazine seems to have lost its focus and its editorial staff seems to have interests elsewhere.

It you live in Canada be warned,magazine is always late by at least one issue,their customer service very unhelpful. buy it at the newsstand.