''Acoustic Guitar'' is a monthly magazine published in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

since July/August 1990 by String Letter Publishing. The magazine offers information, inspiration, and instruction related to acoustic guitars for players of all levels from beginners to teachers. Each issue includes three or so songs with

notation In linguistics and semiotics, a notation is a system of graphics or symbols, characters and abbreviated expressions, used (for example) in artistic and scientific disciplines to represent technical facts and quantities by convention. Therefore, ...

and

tablature Tablature (or tabulature, or tab for short) is a form of musical notation indicating instrument fingering rather than musical pitches. Tablature is common for fretted stringed instruments such as the guitar, lute or vihuela, as well as many fr ...

, lessons, product reviews and interviews of prominent acoustic musicians.

History

''Acoustic Guitar'' was founded in the summer of 1990 under the editorial direction of Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers as a publication of String Letter Publishing of Richmond, California. String Letter had previously been established in 1985 as the publisher of ''

Strings String or strings may refer to: *String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...

'', a magazine oriented towards players of bowed string instruments. The first issue featured the first in a series of columns written by

Sharon Isbin Sharon ( he, שָׁרוֹן ''Šārôn'' "plain") is a given name as well as an Israeli surname. In English-speaking areas, Sharon is now predominantly a feminine given name. However, historically it was also used as a masculine given name. In I ...

, a biography on

Robert Johnson Robert Leroy Johnson (May 8, 1911August 16, 1938) was an American blues musician and songwriter. His landmark recordings in 1936 and 1937 display a combination of singing, guitar skills, and songwriting talent that has influenced later generati ...

, a profile of

Bruce Cockburn Bruce Douglas Cockburn ( ; born May 27, 1945) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist. His song styles range from folk to jazz-influenced rock and his lyrics cover a broad range of topics including human rights, environmental issues, p ...

's song craft, and commentary on the "new"

MTV Unplugged ''MTV Unplugged'' is an American television series on MTV showcasing musical artists usually playing acoustic instruments. The show aired regularly from 1989 to 1999 and less frequently from 2000 to 2009, when it was usually billed as ''MTV Un ...

series. The issue also included musical works for guitar in various styles including

folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Folk Plus or Fo ...

, classical, and

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

. In its first year of publication, ''Acoustic Guitar'' won the Western Publishing Association's "Maggie Award" for Best New Consumer Magazine of the year. The magazine has seen a number of staff changes over the years. Rodgers remained with the magazine through its tenth anniversary collector's edition in 2000. In the summer of 2005, Dan Gabel was named associate publisher of the magazine. And In 2006, Phil Catalfo became the editor of the magazine. He was followed by Scott Nygaard and Greg Cahill, and

Mark Kemp Mark Kemp (born April 10, 1960) is an American music journalist and author. A graduate of East Carolina University, he has served as music editor for ''Rolling Stone'' and vice president of music editorial for MTV Networks. In 1997 he received ...

. Cahill is the creator of the publication's popular online video series called ''Acoustic Guitar Sessions," ''featuring interviews and performances by the likes of Richard Thompson, Ed Sheeran, the Milk Carton Kids, Ani DiFranco, Robert Earl Keen, Valerie June, Bruce Cockburn, and many others. The magazine's current editor is Adam Perlmutter, who had been a contributing editor for many years.

Event sponsorship

The magazine is sponsor or co-sponsor of a number of music festivals, workshops, and trade related events, including MerleFest, the Woodstock Invitational Luthiers Showcase, and the Santa Barbara Acoustic Instrument Celebration."A Guide to events where you'll find ''Acoustic Guitar'' magazine
''Acoustic Guitar'' web site

References

External links

official website
Monthly magazines published in the United States Music magazines published in the United States Guitar magazines Magazines established in 1990