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The Acoustic Guitar Wire

From Acoustic Guitar Magazine
www.acousticguitar.com

March 2004 Issue 26

This issue is sponsored by Acoustic Pro Musician
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1. Welcome to the Acoustic Guitar Wire
2. Acoustic Pro Musician
3. Larrivée Guitar Giveaway
4. Acoustic Guitar Cruise II
5. New at Acoustic Guitar Central
6. Win "The Clam" by CaseXtreme
7. News and Notes
8. Tortoise Tones
9. On the Web: Cigar-Box Guitars
10. Highlights from Upcoming Issues of Acoustic Guitar
11. Try a FREE Issue of Acoustic Guitar Magazine
12. Great Books from String Letter Publishing
13. Win a Free CD!
14. The Guitarist's Diet
15. AG Wire Archives
16. Contact and Unsubscribe Info

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WELCOME TO THE ACOUSTIC GUITAR WIRE NO. 26

It might as well be spring, and with the new season comes
the latest acoustic music news, special offers, giveaways,
helpful tips, and information about new releases from String
Letter Publishing this edition of AG Wire, brought to you
by the editors of Acoustic Guitar magazine.

This newsletter is best viewed in 10-point Courier. Our
hyperlinks are formatted to be "hot" in most email programs.
If your software doesn't support click-through linking from
email, just cut and paste the URLs into your Web browser.
Please note: some email programs have problems reading URLs
that wrap onto a second line. You may have to cut and paste
the wrapped portion of the URL into your Web browser in
order for the URL to work properly.

If you have received a forwarded copy of this newsletter and
would like to subscribe, fill out our online form:
http://www.acousticguitar.com/agwire/entry.html

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ACOUSTIC PRO MUSICIAN

Dear Fellow Guitar Player,
At Acoustic Pro Musician, you will find guitars by such
well-known luthiers as Goodall, Collings, Ryan, Petros,
Tobias and others. Danny will also work with you on your own
custom guitar. Owning a handmade custom guitar is the
ultimate in satisfaction. Handmade is not out of your reach.
New instruments are coming in at all times so check our
website or call Danny often. All guitars come with custom
cases, $200 of guitar accessories, and free shipping.
Playing for an audience of One, Danny Brevard
Acoustic Pro Musician
Corporate Office:(800)658-1167
dbrevard@lcc.net
http://www.acousticpromusician.com

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ENTER TO WIN A LARRIVÉE SLOPE-SHOULDER DREADNOUGHT GUITAR

Acoustic Guitar and Larivée have teamed up to give you a
chance to win the brand-new 12-fret slope-shoulder
dreadnought from Larrivée, featuring a beveled tortoise-
style pickguard, mahogany neck, flame maple binding with
herringbone purfling, and master-grade Sitka spruce top with
abalone rosette, with retail value of $3,400.

Second prize is mahogany and spruce LV-03 cutaway with a B-
Band A5 pickup system, valued at $1,549, and third prize a
Larrivée mahogany parlor guitar worth $729 retail.

To enter the contest and see the grand prize package, go to
http://www.acousticguitar.com/giveaway2/ag135larriveegive/la
rrivee_give.html

To meet some of our previous giveaway winners, go to
http://acousticguitar.com/giveaway2/winners/index.html

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ACOUSTIC GUITAR SAILS AGAIN!

Guitar-picking voyagers are already signing up for the
second annual Acoustic Guitar Cruise, scheduled to sail the
eastern Caribbean Oct. 23-30. Join publisher David A.
Lusterman, AG editor Scott Nygaard, fingerstyle ace Peppino
D'Agostino, Taylor Guitars founder Bob Taylor, guitar wizard
Happy Traum, singer-songwriter Wendy Waldman, and scores of
your peers on the luxurious Holland America Line's ms
Zuiderdam. Find out more at
http://www.acousticguitarcruise.com

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NEW AT ACOUSTIC GUITAR CENTRAL
http://www.acousticguitar.com

Check out all the authentic Acoustic Guitar apparel
(including sweatshirts, caps, and T-shirts in several
styles) and accessories (travel tumblers, duffle bags, and
more) at the Acoustic Guitar Online Store. We're still
offering a free designer key chain/bottle opener with any
$30 purchase. Fingertip shopping at
http://www.acousticguitaronlinestore.com

Fine tune your chops this summer at a music camp or
workshop. More than 150 programs are listed and described in
the new online version of Acoustic Guitar's Summer Study
Guide posted at:
http://www.acousticguitar.com/search/summer/index.asp

The April issue of Acoustic Guitar magazine arrived on
newsstands March 9. Read these excerpts online now:

-- Her Best Day: Rickie Lee Jones is singing (and writing)
again, about politics, love, and her new life in southern
California.

-- Reviews of new CDs by John Reischman and John Miller,
K.J. Denhert, David Mallett, Blind Willie McTell, Patty
Loveless, David Grisman, and others.

The April issue also includes Teja Gerken's survey of
current digital modeling trends in acoustic amplification;
profiles of fado singer Mariza and singer-songwriters
Darrell Scott and Rosie Thomas; a musical journey along
Highway 61; and lessons in fiddle-tune flatpicking and
banjo-derived fingerstyle techniques for guitar.
http://www.acousticguitar.com

Acoustic Guitar magazine subscribers, now you can take care
of all your subscription needs online. Our website has been
upgraded to include easy access to your personal account.
You can pay your bill, renew, give a gift, and change your
address all online. And of course, new subscribers can sign
up online, too. Save yourself time and hassle by coming on
over to http://www.acousticguitar.com/Subs/index.html

Get more every month when you subscribe to Acoustic Guitar
magazine. Get a FREE preview issue today.
https://subscribe.pcspublink.com/subscribeFormGeneric.asp?tr
ack=JG073B&pub=GUIT&term=12
or call toll-free (800) 827-6837.

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TALK IT UP AND WIN "THE CLAM" TRAVEL CASE BY CASEXTREME

You can always find lively, opinionated, and informative
discussion about guitars, players, and acoustic music at
Guitar Talk, home of the online discussion forums at
Acoustic Guitar Central. Chat about Gear, Players, Playing
Guitar, and more, and check up on and post your own events
in the Gigs, Workshops, and Gatherings forum.

And when you register to participate, you automatically get
a chance to win "The Clam," a fly it safe guitar transporter
made of incredibly strong corrugated polypro plastic. Each
case comes with detachable wheels, a shoulder strap, and six
special dense foam C-pads.

Get the details when you sign up today at
http://www.acousticguitar.com/ubbcgi/Ultimate.cgi

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NEWS AND NOTES

Version 3.0 of the popular eMedia Guitar Method, Vol. 1 CD-
ROM has been updated with 20 new demonstration videos, a new
modern rock guitar chapter, and native OS X compatibility.
http://www.emediamusic.com

The limited-edition DVD Julian Bream: My Life in Music
offers an in-depth profile of the great classical guitar and
lute virtuoso and a full hour of performance footage,
including Benjamin Britten's Nocturnal, Op. 70 and Richard
Rodney Bennett's Sonata for Solo Guitar. Bonus features
include archival music clips, additional camera angles for
two performances that reveal the intricacies of Bream's
technique, and additional interviews with the guitarist.
http://www.musiconearth.co.uk

Entries for the 2004 USA Songwriting Competition--in 15
categories from pop, rock, and country to dance/electronica
and novelty--are being accepted through May 28. The grand
prize winner, selected by industry pros, will receive a
lavish package of cash, merchandise, and exposure, valued at
more than $50,000. Find the details at
http://www.songwriting.net

For more news and events, check out our online listings:
http://www.acousticguitar.com/issues/ag135/happs135.html

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TORTOISE TONES

Jennifer Whitebook of Carson City, Nevada, wonders why
tortoiseshell picks have such a great reputation, and picker
Jim Nunally offers this answer and advice.

Let me start by saying that if you don't use tortoise
picks now, I wouldn't recommend getting used to them. Many
tortoise and turtle species (including the hawksbill turtle,
long harvested for tortoiseshell) are on US endangered and
threatened species lists, and more than a dozen are banned
from trade.That said, tortoiseshell has a certain hardness
that helps create a crisp, clear tone, and since it is so
hard, a slightly thinner tortoise pick will have the same
response as a thicker plastic one. Shell picks also create a
nice click that defines a note on recordings.

If you must get ahold of a tortoiseshell pick, you can
legally recycle the material used on jewelry and knickknacks
in days gone by. I have fashioned picks from pieces of shell
I found on vintage belts, bracelets, and earrings, as well
as the centerpiece of an old wicker fan. You'll need such
tools as a fine-tooth coping saw, files, sandpaper, and a
vise to achieve the desired shape ,thickness, and flatness.

In a recent blindfold test, I chose a Tortis faux
tortoiseshell pick (originated by luthier John Greven and
now made by Dave Skowron, http://www.redbeartrading.com),
assuming it was real tortoise. It sounded great to me and
felt good too.

Get more tips, advice, and answers to questions about
guitars, gear, and history by visiting the Q&A section at
http://www.acousticguitar.com

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ON THE WEB

Did you know that Blind Willie Johnson, Charlie Christian,
Carl Perkins, Jimi Hendrix, and even George Benson all
started out playing cigar-box guitars or ukuleles? That's
just a bit of fascinating history you'll find at the Cigar
Box Guitars website, which also has feature profiles, an art
gallery, and discussion forums. Check it out and find out
about the First Cigar-Box Guitar Fest in Carollton,
Kentucky, May 14-16.
http://www.cigarboxguitars.com/

Get more every month when you subscribe to Acoustic Guitar.
Get a FREE preview issue today!
https://subscribe.pcspublink.com/subscribeFormGeneric.asp?tr
ack=JG073B&pub=GUIT&term=12
or call toll-free (800) 827-6837.

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HIGHLIGHTS FROM UPCOMING ISSUES OF ACOUSTIC GUITAR MAGAZINE

Our May issue, which hits newsstands April 6, will
include:

-- A cover story on Taylor Guitars' 30 years of innovative
guitar making.

-- Feature interviews with bluesman Corey Harris and indie
singer-songwriter Jonatha Brooke.

-- Profiles of pop chanteuse Sarah McLachlan and Gypsy jazz
phenom Joscho Stephan.

-- Lessons in slide and slack-key guitar.

In June we investigate the impact of digital downloading on
the independent musician; hear from John Jorgenson on what
it's like to play Django in a new feature film; profile
Peter Finger and Matt Nathanson; and present lots of new
music to play.

Don't miss out on any of these great features! Subscribe to
Acoustic Guitar today. Sign up online and get a FREE preview
issue
https://subscribe.pcspublink.com/subscribeFormGeneric.asp?tr
ack=JG073B&pub=GUIT&term=12
or call toll-free (800) 827-6837.

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SUBSCRIBE TO ACOUSTIC GUITAR

Would you like to preview a complimentary issue of Acoustic
Guitar? To send for your FREE TRIAL ISSUE, just click the
link below. If you like it and decide to continue, pay just
$29.95 for 12 issues and save 50% off the cover price. If
for any reason you decide not to continue, simply write
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ISSUE is yours to keep, no matter what.

Get a FREE preview issue today!
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ack=JG073B&pub=GUIT&term=12

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NOW AVAILABLE FROM STRING LETTER PUBLISHING

The String Letter Publishing online store now offers books
and videos by and about musicians featured in AG. The latest
titles include John Mayer's 'Room for Squares,' Lyle
Lovett's 'Pontiac,' 'Rory Block Teaches
Classics of Country Blues Guitar,' and 'Best of Dave
Matthews Band for Easy Guitar.' Peruse these selections and
more at
http://www.stringletter.com/index.asp

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WIN A FREE CD!

Humor us--and win! We're giving away a free CD of acoustic
guitar music to the contributor of the best music joke or
gig story each month. To enter, simply send your favorite
music joke or anecdote about a gig from hell to
mailto:jokes@stringletter.com. Be sure to include a mailing
address in case you win. We'll award a new prize with each
edition.

This month's winner is Lindsay Schnug from Upland,
California.

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WAITING FOR THE ELECTRICIAN

Have you heard about the new Atkins diet? The CHET Atkins
diet--you just pick at your food.

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AG WIRE ARCHIVES

Back issues of the AG Wire are available online at:
http://www.acousticguitar.com/wire_archive/index.shtml

To subscribe to the AG Wire, go to
http://www.acousticguitar.com/wire_archive/index.shtml

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Send news, comments, and requests:
mailto:agwire@stringletter.com
Copyright (c) 2003 String Letter Publishing. All Rights
Reserved. You are welcome to forward this email to your
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Letter Publishing is prohibited. Acoustic Guitar Wire and
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Publishing.

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