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<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<The Acoustic Guitar Wire<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
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1. Welcome to the Acoustic Guitar Wire No. 8
2. Happenings: Healdsburg Guitar Festival, Open Mics
3. New at Acoustic Guitar Central
4. Win a free set of Dean Markley Vintage Bronze strings!
5. Myths about vintage guitars, old wood, and factory axes
6. Highlights from upcoming issues of Acoustic Guitar
7. Giveaway from UltraSound amp!
8. Great new books from String Letter Publishing
9. Free Guitar Clinics with David Hamburger
10. Win a free CD!
11. Weird and amazing tales from the road
12. Great lutherie resources on the Web
13. A.G. Wire archives
14. New mail server: unsubscribe info

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Welcome to the Acoustic Guitar Wire No. 8.

Enjoy the latest acoustic music news, information
about happenings on-line, advance notice of special offers
and giveaways, and previews of new publications from String
Letter Publishing. You'll also get tips and advice about
guitars, gear, and playing, plus a few jokes and the chance
to win a free amp, strings, or CD.

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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News and Notes

For the long weekend of August 15-19, the Healdsburg Guitar
Festival turned a beautiful wine country town into the
center of the guitar lover's universe. More than 90
independent guitar makers showed their handmade instruments
to enthusiastic guitarists, aficionados, and collectors.
Acoustic Guitar magazine was the exclusive media sponsor for
this exciting gathering. Check out some snapshots from this
event at
http://www.acousticguitar.com/healdsburg01/fest01.html

The Guitar Talk Open Mic series continued this summer with
an excellent event at Portland's Artichoke Music. Thanks to
Michael Wonder for making this happen. You can see photos
from this gathering by going to
http://www.acousticguitar.com/ubb/Forum8/HTML/000077.html

The next Guitar Talk gathering will be taking place
Saturday, October 27, at the Loft in Columbus, Georgia.
Festivities will run from 1 PM to 8PM. Read more about the
event and post your questions in the Gigs, Workshops, and
Gatherings forum in Guitar Talk at
http://www.acousticguitar.com/ubbcgi/Ultimate.cgi?

There are Guitar Talk gatherings in the works for other
parts of the country. Rumor has is that a national gathering
might take place next April. Check the Web site often to
find out about upcoming gatherings near you.

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New at Acoustic Guitar Central

New content from the September issue is on-line now, with
the complete text of the Al Di Meola story. We also added
the latest CD reviews, new artists' gear profiles, and more.
See it all at http://www.acousticguitar.com

Homegrown CD Contest

We had so much fun listening to the hundreds of recordings
submitted by Acoustic Guitar readers for the Homegrown CD
Awards last year, that we're going to do it again! Just as
before, we're looking for projects created entirely outside
of the recording industry's borders, music that is played,
recorded, produced, packaged, released, and sold by the
artists themselves.

We'll identify the three highest-quality
projects and present them in the pages of Acoustic Guitar
magazine, along with all the glorious details that went into
making them. We'll also put audio samples and ordering
information up on our Web site, and provide each winner with
a $500 gift certificate from First Quality Musical Supplies.
Get the scoop on qualifications, deadlines, judging, and
prizes, and download an entry form at
http://www.acousticguitar.com/Homegrown/Homegrown2.html

(NOTE: THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. WINNERS WILL BE POSTED
ONLINE IN JULY.)

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Win a free set of Dean Markley Vintage Bronze strings.

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 a free set
of Vintage Bronze strings. Drawings weekly. Sign up today at
http://www.acousticguitar.com/ubbcgi/Ultimate.cgi

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More Myths

There is a lot of misinformation surrounding the proper care
and feeding of an acoustic guitar. In "The Acoustic Guitar
Owner's Manual" contributing editor Richard Johnston of
Gryphon Stringed Instruments debunks common myths about the
acoustic guitar. Over the last three months we've been
sharing these tips with A.G. Wire readers. Here are last
three myths debunked. Got a tip of your own? Send it to
mailto:agwire@stringletter.com

Old guitars sound better than new ones.

Most everyone agrees that a good guitar's tone and volume
improve with time, and theories abound as to why and how it
happens. Regardless of how it happens, be careful about
translating this into meaning that old guitars are
inherently superior to new ones. Also remember that
improvements gained during the breaking-in period have to
level off eventually. You don't want to overlook a good
guitar on its way to greatness in favor of an older guitar
that is already at its best.

The best Martins were made before the company lost all its
best wood in a fire.

There are probably more myths about the Martin Guitar
Company than about all the other acoustic guitar makers in
North America combined. Mike Longworth, Martin's historian
and public relations man for almost 30 years, once said:
"Pick any year you like, and that's when Martin either had a
fire or the company was bought out by the Japanese, or
both." The worst fire at Martin only scorched one or two
guitar bodies. Most of the "best wood lost in a fire" myths
are a result of Martin's switch from Brazilian rosewood to
east Indian rosewood in 1969, but this change had nothing to
do with a fire.

Handmade guitars sound better than factory-made guitars.

At the risk of being booed loudly at the next luthiers'
convention, I think this is another myth. For one thing, the
terms handmade and factory-made can be quite misleading.
Many independent guitar makers who work alone use as many
jigs, fixtures, and power tools as the big manufacturers. Is
using a router the same as using a chisel? OK, what if the
router is controlled by a computer? If one person works
alone, making all the decisions and completing all the steps
in building a guitar, but uses a computer-controlled machine
to shape all the parts, is the result still a handmade
guitar? Factory guitars today are probably better than ever
before, and independent builders, at least in the U.S., are
far more "jigged up" than in the past, blurring the
distinctions between "handmade" and "factory-made" guitars.
The bottom line is that you can't generalize about the
quality of an instrument by the type of shop in which it was
made; use your hands, ears, and eyes instead.

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 October issue is hitting the newsstands next week.
Highlights include

--Our exclusive interview with singer-songwriter Shawn
Colvin
--A look back at fingerstyle pioneer John Fahey
--A special feature about guitars in the classroom
--Gear, gear, gear! (Did we mention gear?)

November is our big gear special featuring a review of ten
great dreadnoughts and an in-depth look at the pickup and
amplification setups of the pros. You'll also get music to
play from Duncan Sheik, Bach, and more.

In December we pay tribute to the memory of Chet Atkins,
visit with Mary Chapin Carpenter, and get to know Irish
guitar wizard John Doyle. Lots of music to play in this
issue, plus a review of kids' guitars, a look at National
Reso-Phonic, and EQ 101 for guitarists.
Don't miss out on any of these great features! Subscribe to
Acoustic Guitar today. Sign up on-line at
www.acousticguitar.com/service/service.html#subscribe or
call toll free (800) 827-6837.

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Giveaways

Enter our to win a great acoustic guitar amplifier from
UltraSound. We're giving away two AG-50DST amplifiers.
Steven McKee won the first one, but you could win the
second.

To enter
http://www.acousticguitar.com/giveaway2/ultrasound/

To read about the amp:
http://www.acousticguitar.com/issues/ag100/ultrasoundreview.shtml

To meet our latest contest winners:
http://www.acousticguitar.com/giveaway2/winners/index.html

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New from String Letter Publishing

VINTAGE GUITARS: The Instruments, the Players, and the Music
is the first pictorial reference work to offer guitar
enthusiasts, players, and collectors an opportunity to
explore the eventful, perpetual give-and-take between
musicians and instrument makers that produced America's
popular music and its quintessential instrument.

--Generously illustrated with more than 150 photographs of
players, instruments, catalog pages, and other memorabilia.
--Features everything from the elegant American guitars of
the 19th century to the evolving dreadnought, jumbo, 12-
string, archtop, resophonic, and more--the original
instruments as well as contemporary incarnations and
reissues.
--Spotlights the guitars of Leadbelly, Jimmie Rodgers, the
Everly Brothers, Tony Rice, Emmylou Harris, Ben Harper, and
others.
Both soft and hardbound editions are now available.

Vintage Guitars, Limited Edition, hardbound, slip-cased,
individually signed (152 pp.) #21330781 (300 copies only)
$100
Vintage Guitars, Softbound Edition (152 pp.) #21330780
$39.95
http://www.acousticguitar.com/books/Guidebooks.html#vintage

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Congratulations! You've decided to play one of the most
popular, accessible instruments in the world. Now, where to
begin?

Filled with the information beginners of all ages need to
know, THE BEGINNING GUITARIST'S HANDBOOK by Jeffrey Pepper
Rodgers takes new players step by step through the process
of shopping for a guitar, setting goals, learning to play,
and sharing music with others.

Drawing on his decade as the editor of Acoustic Guitar
magazine, as well as extensive interviews with teachers and
experts, Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers provides a wealth of advice
for a strong start on the guitar and years of fun,
adventure, and inspiration.

Beginning Guitarist's Handbook (128 pp.) #21330758
$14.95
http://www.acousticguitar.com/books/Guidebooks.html#begin

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FREE ACOUSTIC GUITAR CLINICS

Come and get a first-hand introduction to the groundbreaking
new ACOUSTIC GUITAR METHOD from author David Hamburger.
The Method is the first and only comprehensive print-and-
audio series that introduces beginning guitarists of all
ages to traditional American roots music, using authentic
techniques and songs.
http://www.acousticguitar.com/books/LessonBooks.html#method

TEACHERS

You'll have an opportunity to ask questions about all the
books in the series and find out how each book serves
students at different skill levels.
As an acoustic guitar teacher, you may have been piecing
together an assortment of materials to formulate lessons for
your students, making your own simplified arrangements and
transcriptions. The Acoustic Guitar Method is organized to
make your teaching as logical, progressive, and rewarding as
possible, offering beginning students a comprehensive
introduction to the songs, artists, and history of
traditional American music.

STUDENTS

If you've never held a guitar, or you know just a few
chords, come to this clinic! Author David Hamburger will
show you how to get started with The Acoustic Guitar Method,
Book One.

He'll cover open chords, basic strums, single note picking,
and country backup, plus a few songs from the folk and blues
repertoire, according to student level.

REGISTER NOW FOR THE CLINIC THAT'S RIGHT FOR YOU!
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2001
Teacher Clinic 6:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Student Clinic 7:15 - 8:45 p.m.
Tall Toad Music
43 Petaluma Blvd. N.
Petaluma, California 94952
Call (707) 765-6807 for more information
Web site: http://www.talltoad.com
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2001
Teacher Clinic 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
Student Clinic 2:30 - 4:00 p.m.
Gryphon Stringed Instruments
211 Lambert Ave.
Palo Alto, California 94306
Call (650) 493-2131 for more information
Web site: http://www.gryphonstrings.com
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2001
Teacher Clinic 4:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Student Clinic 5:15 - 6:00 p.m.
Watermelon Music
207 E Street
Davis, California 95616
Call (530) 758-4010 for more information
Web site: http://www.watermelonmusic.com
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2001
Teacher Clinic 6:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Student Clinic 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
American Music
4450 Fremont Ave. N.
Seattle, WA 98103
Call (206) 633-0465 for more information
Web Site: http://www.americanmusic.com
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2001
Teacher Clinic 11:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m.
Student Clinic 12:30 - 2:00 p.m.
Dusty Strings
3406 Fremont Ave. N.
Seattle, WA 98103
Call (206) 634-1662 for more information
Web Site: http://www.dustystrings.com

NOTE: CHECK OUT THE LATEST CLINICS ONLINE AT
http://www.acousticguitar.com/method/clinics.html

The Acoustic Guitar Method clinics are sponsored by:
Fishman Transducers
Gibson Original Acoustic Instruments
CF Martin & Co.
National Reso-Phonic
John Pearse Strings

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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
Ted Muir, who relays this tale from his years as a road
warrior.

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Ouch! That Hurts!
We were a local band playing covers and favorites from the
'60s, '70s, and '80s, and we thought we were pretty good. We
had made a couple of LPs--vinyl in those days--which we
sold at gigs. One night after a gig our drummer took the van
home, and as it was late, left the drums, P.A., amps, and
other gear in the van outside his house. When he woke up
next morning--no van! To cut a long story short, eventually
the police found the van and contacted the drummer to go
along to collect the van which was abandoned about 50 miles
away. Of course, all the gear had been stolen. But to add
insult to injury, the only thing the thieves left behind was
the box of LPs!

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On the Web: Great Lutherie Sites
Acoustic Guitar magazine's On the Web department offers
great information about hot spots on the Internet. The
August issue featured some great on-line resources for
luthiers. Want to learn more about how your guitar was made?
Ever wonder how a neck reset is done? Dying to try your
hand at instrument repair? Try a few of the links below.
http://www.aspi.net/users/kumorek
http://www.dave.weimer.com
http://www.ehhs.cmich.edu/~dhavlena
http://www.frets.com
http://www.jps.net/kmatsu
http://www.mimf.com
http://www.stewmac.com

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

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