Acoustic Guitar – Details, episodes & analysis

We catch up with Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Dave Alvin while they’re on the road touring their new album, Texicali. Great collaborators and friends, our guests reflect on writing and playing together, defying genre expectations, acoustic guitars, and (most importantly) having a good time.

Support the show:

• Join us on Patreon
• Make a donation on PayPal
• Give a rating and review

Additional Resources:

• Visit Dave Alvin's website.
• Visit Jimmie Dale Gilmores’s website.
• Learn to play Alvin's "King of California" in the May 2007 issue of Acoustic Guitar magazine.
• Learn to play "Dallas" by the Flatlanders in the November 1996 issue of Acoustic Guitar magazine.

The Acoustic Guitar Podcast theme music is composed by Adam Perlmutter and performed for this episode by Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers.

This episode is hosted, directed, and edited by Joey Lusterman and produced by Tanya Gonzalez. Executive producers are Lyzy Lusterman and Stephanie Campos Dal Broi.

The Acoustic Guitar Podcast is produced by the team at Acoustic Guitar magazine, including:

• Publisher: Lyzy Lusterman
• Editorial Director: Adam Perlmutter
• Managing Editor: Kevin Owens
• Creative Director: Joey Lusterman
• Digital Content Director: Stephanie Campos Dal Broi
• Digital Content Manager: Nick Grizzle
• Marketing Services Manager: Tanya Gonzalez

Support the show

We launched the Acoustic Guitar Podcast two years ago and the show has grown a lot in that time, thanks to listeners like you! This re-release of our first-ever episode includes Part Two which previously had only been available to our Patreon supporters. 

In this episode, we share stories of first guitars. Tune in for renowned musicians Eric Bibb, Bruce Cockburn, Courtney Hartman, Richard Thompson, Badi Assad, Sharon Isbin, and Tommy Emmanuel; heartwarming, inspiring, and surprising tales from the community; plus previously unheard recordings of Doc Watson and Michael Hedges; and Dick Boak demonstrates the first instrument he ever built, long before his storied career with C.F. Martin & Co began.

Additional resources:

• Learn more about the artists who shared their stories in this episode: 
  • Badi Assad, Eric Bibb, Dick Boak, Bruce Cockburn, Tommy Emmanuel, Courtney Hartman, Sharon Isbin, Richard Thompson. 
• If you want to keep your first (or second, third, or 30th!) guitar in top playing condition, check out the Acoustic Guitar Owner’s Manual and Acoustic Guitar Care & Maintenance guides.
• Join our Patreon community to access bonus podcast episodes, exclusive live workshops, and more. 

The Acoustic Guitar Podcast theme music is composed by Adam Perlmutter and performed for this episode by Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers.

This episode is hosted by Nick Grizzle and Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers, produced by Tanya Gonzalez, and directed and edited by Joey Lusterman. Executive producers are Lyzy Lusterman and Stephanie Campos Dal Broi.

The Acoustic Guitar Podcast is produced by the team at Acoustic Guitar magazine, including:

• Publisher: Lyzy Lusterman
• Editorial Director: Adam Perlmutter
• Managing Editor: Kevin Owens
• Creative Director: Joey Lusterman
• Digital Content Director: Stephanie Campos Dal Broi
• Digital Content Manager: Nick Grizzle
• Marketing Services Manager: Tanya Gonzalez

Special thanks to our listeners who support the show on Patreon.

Support the show

How does competition fit into the creative process? We're joined by Abby Posner, Rachel Garcia, and Thu Tran for a candid roundtable discussion all about songwriting competitions. Explore the highs and lows of participating in these events, how to pick which song to enter, and the impact contests can have on a guitarist's career. 

Additional resources:

• Listen to Part 2 on Patreon.
• Visit Abby Posner’s website and watch the video for "Get Loud" - her 2023 USA Songwriting Competition grand prize winning song. Her latest album is Second Chances.
• Visit the Singer and the Songwriter's website and listen to "The Art of Missing You" - their West Coast Songwriters International Song Contest winner. Their latest album is In the Bleak Midwinter.
• Visit Jeffrey Pepper Rodger's website for an inside look at his song "Fly" - a grand prize winner of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest.
• Learn more about the contests mentioned in this episode: John Lennon Songwriting Competition, Kerrville's Grassy Hill New Folk Competition, NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition, USA Songwriting Competition, West Coast Songwriters International Song Contest.

The Acoustic Guitar Podcast theme music is composed by Adam Perlmutter and performed for this episode by Thu Tran.

This episode is hosted by Nick Grizzle and Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers, produced by Tanya Gonzalez, and directed and edited by Joey Lusterman. Executive producers are Lyzy Lusterman and Stephanie Campos Dal Broi.

The Acoustic Guitar Podcast is produced by the team at Acoustic Guitar magazine, including:

• Publisher: Lyzy Lusterman
• Editorial Director: Adam Perlmutter
• Managing Editor: Kevin Owens
• Creative Director: Joey Lusterman
• Digital Content Director: Stephanie Campos Dal Broi
• Digital Content Manager: Nick Grizzle
• Marketing Services Manager: Tanya Gonzalez

Special thanks to our listeners who support the show on Patreon.

Support the show

Like so many musicians of a certain generation, our guests started playing guitar in large part because of the Beatles. Today, Laurence Juber, Mimi Fox, and Tim Sparks each take a different approach to arranging, adapting, reharmonizing, and reimagining these tunes. Tune in for a lively roundtable discussion, chock-full of inspiring musical examples, all about playing the music of the Beatles on acoustic guitar.

Additional resources:

• Access Part 2 of this episode on Patreon.
• Visit Laurence Juber's website. Watch his Acoustic Guitar Sessions performance and pick up a copy of DADGAD Guitar Essentials to take an in-depth lesson with the fingerstyle master.
• Visit Mimi Fox's website. Watch her perform “Blackbird” for Acoustic Guitar Sessions.
• Visit Tim Spark's website. Learn how he arranged composer John Zorn’s avant-jazz project Masada for acoustic guitar.

This episode is hosted by Nick Grizzle and Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers, produced by Tanya Gonzalez, and directed and edited by Joey Lusterman. Executive producers are Lyzy Lusterman and Stephanie Campos Dal Broi.

The Acoustic Guitar Podcast is produced by the team at Acoustic Guitar magazine, including:

• Publisher: Lyzy Lusterman
• Editorial Director: Adam Perlmutter
• Managing Editor: Kevin Owens
• Creative Director: Joey Lusterman
• Digital Content Director: Stephanie Campos Dal Broi
• Digital Content Manager: Nick Grizzle
• Marketing Services Manager: Tanya Gonzalez

Special thanks to our listeners who support the show on Patreon.

Support the show

From the Newport Folk Festival to art museums in Norway and every open mic, stadium, and radio station in between – if it’s a gig, Pieta Brown, Christopher Paul Stelling, and Sean Rowe are ready for it! This roundtable of well-traveled acoustic guitarists has played tons of shows across the globe – and are here to share insights, stories, laughs, and ideas to get you ready to play out, too.

Additional resources:

• Listen to Part 2, where our guests share gig horror stories and advice for guitarists just starting out.
• Visit Pieta Brown's website and watch this Acoustic Guitar Sessions video for an intimate performance and to learn about her childhood, her family, and her guitars.
• Visit Christopher Paul Stelling's website and read his interview with Ben Harper about songwriting, guitars, and growing up in a famous music store. Watch his latest Sessions video, too.
• Visit Sean Rowe's website and watch his Acoustic Guitar Sessions performance, which features a trifecta of songs including a moving version of the Sade's “By Your Side.”

The Acoustic Guitar Podcast theme music is composed by Adam Perlmutter and performed for this episode by Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers.

This episode is hosted by Nick Grizzle and Gretchen Menn, produced by Tanya Gonzalez, and directed and edited by Joey Lusterman. Executive producers are Lyzy Lusterman and Stephanie Campos Dal Broi.

The Acoustic Guitar Podcast is produced by the team at Acoustic Guitar magazine, including:

• Publisher: Lyzy Lusterman
• Editorial Director: Adam Perlmutter
• Managing Editor: Kevin Owens
• Creative Director: Joey Lusterman
• Digital Content Director: Stephanie Campos Dal Broi
• Digital Content Manager: Nick Grizzle
• Marketing Services Manager: Tanya Gonzalez

Special thanks to our listeners who support the show on Patreon.

Support the show

Catch up with one of your favorite bluegrass bands! Sara Watkins, Sean Watkins, and Chris Thile discuss breathing new life into classic tunes, what their kids really think of their music, and a whole lot more.

This episode is sponsored by ToneWoodAmp, a magnetically attached game-changing multi-effects device for acoustic guitars. Get reverb, delay, and more—no amp required! Learn more at tonewoodamp.com.

Additional resources:

• Access Part 2 of this episode on Patreon.
• Listen to Celebrants via Amazon, Bandcamp, or others.
• Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers teaches you how to play guitar like Nickel Creek's Sean Watkins and interviewed the band for the July-August 2023 issue of Acoustic Guitar magazine. 
• You'll find music to play for "This Side" in our 2002 Digital Archive and Chris Thile's "On Ice" in our 2005 Digital Archive.
• Read a profile of the Watkins Family Hour on the site of our sister publication, Strings magazine.

The Acoustic Guitar Podcast theme music is composed by Adam Perlmutter and performed for this episode by Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers.

This episode is hosted by Nick Grizzle and Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers, produced by Tanya Gonzalez, and directed and edited by Joey Lusterman. Executive producers are Lyzy Lusterman and Stephanie Campos Dal Broi.

The Acoustic Guitar Podcast is produced by the team at Acoustic Guitar magazine, including:

• Publisher: Lyzy Lusterman
• Editorial Director: Adam Perlmutter
• Managing Editor: Kevin Owens
• Creative Director: Joey Lusterman
• Digital Content Director: Stephanie Campos Dal Broi
• Digital Content Manager: Nick Grizzle
• Marketing Services Manager: Tanya Gonzalez

Support the show

In this roundtable discussion, Diego Figueiredo, Gwenifer Raymond, and Yasmin Williams share their unique perspectives on composing for solo guitar. Through conversation and inspiring demonstrations, our guests explore the differences between improvising and refining a piece, techniques for making one guitar feel like a full band, and more.

This episode is sponsored by ToneWoodAmp, a magnetically attached game-changing multi-effects device for acoustic guitars. Get reverb, delay, and more—no amp required! Learn more at tonewoodamp.com.

Additional resources:

• Listen to Part 2, where our guests discuss first songs, life-changing compositions, favorite tunings, and advice for finding your own voice on guitar.
• Visit Diego Figueiredo's website and watch this Acoustic Guitar Sessions video for his lightning-fast performance of the bossa nova standard, “One Note Samba.”
• Visit Gwenifer Raymond's website and watch her video lesson on how to play John Fahey's "Uncloudy Day."
• Visit Yasmin William's website and learn to play one of her compositions, "New Beginnings," a contemplative study in open-D tuning. Learn more about her unique Skytop Grand Concert built by luthier Eric Weigeshoff.

The Acoustic Guitar Podcast theme music is composed by Adam Perlmutter and performed for this episode by Gwenifer Raymond.

This episode is hosted by Nick Grizzle, produced by Tanya Gonzalez, and directed and edited by Joey Lusterman. Executive producers are Lyzy Lusterman and Stephanie Campos Dal Broi.

The Acoustic Guitar Podcast is produced by the team at Acoustic Guitar magazine, including:

• Publisher: Lyzy Lusterman
• Editorial Director: Adam Perlmutter
• Managing Editor: Kevin Owens
• Creative Director: Joey Lusterman
• Digital Content Director: Stephanie Campos Dal Broi
• Digital Content Manager: Nick Grizzle
• Marketing Services Manager: Tanya Gonzalez

Support the show

While both our guests are lauded for their electric guitar chops, this episode is all about playing unplugged. Join Eric Johnson and Gretchen Menn for a wide-ranging conversation exploring ego, joy, musical growth, and how to get good tone. (Hint: it's about a lot more than gear!)

Thanks to ToneWoodAmp for sponsoring this episode. Learn more about their magnetically attached, game-changing multi-effects device for acoustic guitars at tonewoodamp.com — get reverb, delay, and more, no amp required!

Additional resources:

• Check out Eric Johnson's website.
• Read this interview with Eric Johnson, which was the cover story of the February 2017 issue of Acoustic Guitar magazine.
• Check out Gretchen Menn's website.
• Order a copy of The Way Music Works and Reading Between The Lines: The Acoustic Guitar Guide to Musical Literacy, both by Gretchen Menn.

Support the show:

• Join Our Community on Patreon
• Make a donation on PayPal
• Give a rating and review

The Acoustic Guitar Podcast theme music is composed by Adam Perlmutter and performed for this episode by Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers.

This episode is hosted by Nick Grizzle, produced by Tanya Gonzalez, and directed and edited by Joey Lusterman. Executive producers are Lyzy Lusterman and Stephanie Campos Dal Broi.

The Acoustic Guitar Podcast is produced by the team at Acoustic Guitar magazine, including:

• Publisher: Lyzy Lusterman
• Editorial Director: Adam Perlmutter
• Managing Editor: Kevin Owens
• Creative Director: Joey Lusterman
• Digital Content Director: Stephanie Campos Dal Broi
• Digital Content Manager: Nick Grizzle
• Marketing Services Manager: Tanya Gonzalez

Special thanks to our listeners who support the show on Patreon.

Support the show

Go behind the workbench to explore the unique challenges and joys of guitar repair and restoration!

What do Dana Bourgeois, Mamie Minch, and Martin Keith have in common? They’ve all been the author behind Acoustic Guitar magazine’s question-and-answer column “Ask the Expert,” for one. Now we find out what these guitar experts wish more people would ask about their instruments, and what advice they have for you.

Support the show:

• Listen to Part 2 on Patreon to hear some hair-raising repair horror stories, plus get actionable advice for you and your guitars.
• Make a one-time contribution to the show on PayPal.
• Leave a review on Apple Podcasts (This helps other guitarists find the show and helps us. We really appreciate it!)

Additional resources:

• Dana Bourgeois founded Bourgeois Guitars in 1974. He recently completed his 10,000th guitar, a custom OM Style 45.
• Mamie Minch is the co-owner of Brooklyn Lutherie and an active blues player.
• Martin Keith is a luthier, repair and restoration expert, and working musician.
• Read a selection of past Ask the Expert articles.
• Visit Frank Ford’s frets.com.
• Get a copy of the Acoustic Guitar Owner’s Manual or download the complete edition of Acoustic Guitar Care & Maintenance.

The Acoustic Guitar Podcast theme music is composed by Adam Perlmutter and performed for this episode by Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers.

This episode is hosted by Nick Grizzle, produced by Tanya Gonzalez, and directed and edited by Joey Lusterman. Executive producers are Lyzy Lusterman and Stephanie Campos Dal Broi.

The Acoustic Guitar Podcast is produced by the team at Acoustic Guitar magazine, including:

• Publisher: Lyzy Lusterman
• Editorial Director: Adam Perlmutter
• Managing Editor: Kevin Owens
• Creative Director: Joey Lusterman
• Digital Content Director: Stephanie Campos Dal Broi
• Digital Content Manager: Nick Grizzle
• Marketing Services Manager: Tanya Gonzalez

Special thanks to our listeners who support the show on Patreon.

Support the show

We sat down with Bruce Cockburn after the release of O Sun O Moon – his latest album in a distinguished career spanning five decades. Cockburn discusses creativity, guitars, songwriting, and even gives us a lesson in EADGAD tuning.

Support the show:

• Listen to Part 2 on Patreon
• Make a donation on PayPal
• Give a rating and review

Additional resources:

• Listen to O Sun O Moon on Amazon, Apple, or Spotify.
• Check out Bruce Cockburn's website.
• Watch our 2015 Acoustic Guitar Sessions video with Cockburn.
• Order a copy of Play Guitar Like the Great Singer-Songwriters and explore the styles of Cockburn and 13 other great guitarists.

The Acoustic Guitar Podcast theme music is composed by Adam Perlmutter and performed for this episode by Bruce Cockburn.

This episode is hosted by Nick Grizzle and Jeffrey Pepper Rogers, produced by Tanya Gonzalez, and directed and edited by Joey Lusterman. Executive producers are Lyzy Lusterman and Stephanie Campos Dal Broi.

The Acoustic Guitar Podcast is produced by the team at Acoustic Guitar magazine, including:

• Publisher: Lyzy Lusterman
• Editorial Director: Adam Perlmutter
• Managing Editor: Kevin Owens
• Creative Director: Joey Lusterman
• Digital Content Director: Stephanie Campos Dal Broi
• Digital Content Manager: Nick Grizzle
• Marketing Services Manager: Tanya Gonzalez

Special thanks to our listeners who support the show on Patreon.

Support the show