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<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<The Acoustic Guitar Wire<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
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1. Welcome to the Acoustic Guitar Wire No.3
2. Music news
3. New on the Web at www.acousticguitar.com
4. Tips and advice: Myths Debunked
5. Highlights from upcoming issues of Acoustic Guitar
6. Three-way guitar giveaway
7. New from String Letter Publishing
8. Win a free CD!
9. The joke's on the drummer
10. Radio on the Web
11. A.G. Wire archives
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Welcome to the Acoustic Guitar Wire No. 3.
We bring you the latest acoustic music news,
information about happenings on-line, advance notice
of special offers and giveaways, previews of new
publications and recordings from String Letter Publishing,
and a few jokes, plus tips and advice about guitars, gear,
and playing.

This newsletter is best viewed in 10-point Courier.
Our hyperlinks are formatted to be "hot" in most mail
readers. If your reader doesn't support click-through
linking from e-mail, just cut and paste the URLs into your
Web browser.

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Music News: Classical CDs, Woody show, and all that "Jazz"

Classical guitar fans can celebrate the release of some new
CDs. Check out:
David Russell, "David Russell Plays Baroque Music"
Dale Kavanagh, "20th Century Variations"
Amadeus Guitar Duo, "Mediterraneo"
The Odeum Guitar Duo, "Forgotten Romance"
David Tanenbaum, "Pavane"

The Smithsonian's "This Land Is Your Land: The Life and
Legacy of Woody Guthrie" opens this week at the National
Steinbeck Center in Salinas, California. The exhibit
includes rare photos, Woody's notebooks and sketches, and
newly released interviews and music. For complete info
call (831) 796-3833 or visit http://www.steinbeck.org

Ken Burn's new documentary "Jazz" on PBS is generating lots
of talk and lots of opinions. So far we think it's pretty
grand, despite the Wynton Marsalis overload and the endless
stream of talking heads. Great heapings of musical history,
amazing recordings, and Burns' patented trick of making B &
W still photos come to life in living color make this worth
watching even if you aren't a serious jazz buff. See more at
http://www.pbs.org/jazz/

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New at Acoustic Guitar Central

We've updated the site this week with new content from the
February issue of Acoustic Guitar magazine. Check out the
latest CD reviews, artists' gear profiles, and more. Read an
exclusive interview with songwriter and guitar genius
Richard Thompson by your humble Web and A.G. Wire editor.
The story includes a transcription of Thompson's song
"Turning of the Tide," a Gearbox sidebar, and a Great
Acoustics pinup shot of his trusty Lowden.
http://www.acousticguitar.com/issues/ag98/feature98.shtml

We have a new free lesson on-line with flatpick wizard Scott
Nygaard. Learn to play "Soldier's Joy," a classic fiddle
tune, using tablature, notation, text, and Real Audio sound
clip examples.
http://www.acousticguitar.com/lessons/

Many of you know Scott as Acoustic Guitar's managing editor,
but he is also one of the finest flatpickers anywhere. Scott
will be hanging out in our Guitar Talk "Playing Guitar"
forum on Friday, January 26, to answer questions about
flatpicking, fiddle tunes, bluegrass, and more. Check in
early to post your questions.
http://www.acousticguitar.com/ubbcgi/Ultimate.cgi

By the way, there's always a good discussion about guitars,
players, and acoustic music going in the Guitar Talk
forums. Register to participate and automatically get a
chance to win an electronic tuner. Sign up today at
http://www.acousticguitar.com/ubbcgi/Ultimate.cgi

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Tips and Advice: Guitar Myths Debunked

The "Acoustic Guitar Owner's Manual" is chock-full of handy
information for keeping your instrument in good playing
condition. In one chapter, contributing editor Richard
Johnston of Gryphon Music debunks 15 common myths about
acoustic guitar. Here are two. Look for more in future
issues of the A.G. Wire.

1. A guitar's sound comes out of the soundhole.
Anyone who has used one of those soundhole plugs to prevent
feedback when using a pickup knows that acoustic guitars
still make a lot of noise when you tape their mouths shut.
The soundboard moves air both inside and outside the guitar
when it is activated by string vibration, and sound travels
through the spruce as well. Most folks agree that a guitar
sounds better when the soundhole(s) are open, however.

2. Satin finishes are thinner (or more natural) and result
in a better sounding guitar than gloss finishes.
A satin finish isn't much different than gloss in
composition, and although the dull sheen makes it look
thinner, the film thickness is usually about the same (the
exceptions are some inexpensive guitars with almost no
finish at all). What most people don't realize is that a
satin finish is achieved by adding a chemical to regular
lacquer to eliminate the shine when it dries, and that such
finishes can be buffed out to look glossy. Satin-finished
guitars often develop shiny areas (especially on the neck)
where the finish is rubbed as you play. These low-gloss
finishes are less expensive for manufacturers because the
time-consuming process of rubbing out is eliminated.

For more tips and advice, be sure to check out the
Acoustic Guitar Owner's Manual:
http://www.acousticguitar.com/books/Guidebooks.html#agom

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Highlights from upcoming issues of Acoustic Guitar magazine:

The March issue will be a knockout. Put on your shades to
look at:
-The Barenaked Ladies (with tab for their hit "Pinch Me")
-Blues great John Cephas
-Archtop nylon-strings

In the pipeline for upcoming issues:
-English folk sensation Kate Rusby (with music to play)
-Acoustic Jam Band Extravaganza! (with transcription)
-Summer Study Guide to Workshops and Camps
-The Big Blues Special
-A Fingerstyle Cornucopia
-Gear, gear, gear! (Did we mention gear?)

Don't miss out on any of these great features! Subscribe to
Acoustic Guitar today. Sign up on-line at
http://www.acousticguitar.com/service/service.html#subscribe
or call toll free (800) 827-6837.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~SPONSOR~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This edition of the Acoustic Guitar Wire is brought to you
by the people's key of D, and by the lonely notes in the
key of E-flat, who would like to remind you that if you
want to play jazz, you need to practice your scales.

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Giveaways

Enter our three-in-one giveaway and get a chance to win
a set of three guitars from LaSiDo. Get the details at
http://www.acousticguitar.com/giveaway2/lasido/index.html

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New recordings from String Letter Publishing

"River of Song" features 11 great songs from the pages of
Acoustic Guitar magazine, with performances by ranging from
Ani DiFranco to Nic Jones to Jody Stecher. See more at
http://www.acousticguitar.com/recordings/recordings.html

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Win a Free CD!

We're giving away a free CD of acoustic guitar music to the
contributor of the best music joke or gig story. 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. Our prizewinner this month is
Mark Crawley, who said it was time to stop picking on the
bass players and start picking on the drummers.

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Music jokes Nos. 437--439

Q: What do you call a person who likes to hang around with
musicians?
A: A drummer.

Q: How do you get a drummer off of your front porch?
A: Pay him for the pizza.

Q: How do you get a drummer to start playing?
A: Try tuning your guitar.
 
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Hot Links to Cool Sites: Web Radio

The March issue of Acoustic Guitar has a great new story on
Web-based radio. Here is a sample from the list of links to
Web sites where you can listen to music while pretending to
work.

http://www.icast.com
http://www.liveireland.com
http://www.live365.com
http://www.louisianaradio.com
http://www.mp3.com
http://www.spinner.com
http://www.worldclassrock.com

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Free back issues of the A.G. Wire are available on-line at:
http://www.acousticguitar.com/wire_archives/index.shtml

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Send news, comments, and requests:
mailto:agwire@stringletter.com
Copyright © 2001 String Letter Publishing. All Rights
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Publishing.