VINTAGE SPOTLIGHT
38 THE MIGHTY DREADNOUGHT The powerful, wide-waisted guitar that Martin developed in 1916 changed the course of guitar history. Richard Johnston looks back at the evolution of the world's most popular acoustic guitar and recommends some affordable vintage models.
48 'BORN AGAIN For a growing number of players, Hermann Weissenborn's hollow-neck Hawaiian steel guitars from the '20s and '30s are the ultimate lap-slide guitars. Ben Elder unravels the mysteries of the Weissenborn and related instruments, and looks at their contemporary revival in the hands of David Lindley and others.
60 SPIRIT OF THE WEST The singing cowboy phenomenon of the 1930s, '40s, and '50s created an empire of radio shows, recordings, and brightly painted catalogue guitars. Michael Wright traces the story of these cowboy guitars and the hat men for whom these humble collectibles were named.
DEPARTMENTS
6 CONTRIBUTORS
7 MAIL
13 MUSIC NOTATION KEY
14 JUMP STREET Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Happenings, and Hit List record reviews.
21 A.G. LETTER Russell Letson goes guitar hunting at the 1995 Chicago Vintage Roundup.
24 WOOD CHOPS: Slide On: Nontraditional tunings, artificial harmonics, and other slide tricks. With an arrangement of an aria from Guiseppe Verdi's Un Ballo en Mascera. By Dale Miller
29 SONG CRAFT Case Studies: Peter Case rediscovers the roots of his rock. With music to "Breaking the Chain." By Denise Sullivan
82 FOR BEGINNERS Song Accompaniment. With music to "Down in the Valley." By Happy Traum
86 REVIEWS Homespun blues videos, and a quartet of new instrumental guitar CDs.
90 GEARBOX Equipment picks from this issue's featured artists, new product spotlights, and a review by Chris Proctor of the Korg G2 Acoustic Guitar Processor.
97 SOLO Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers introduces "Larry the Logger Two-Step," the 1977 ragtime gem from Doobie Brother Pat Simmons.
103 DEAR A.G. Answers to your questions, plus the Tip Sheet.
106 GREAT ACOUSTICS 1994 Gibtone. By Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers
Cover: A 1939 Martin D-45, photographed by Eric Harger for David Grisman and Tony Rice's 1994 recording Tone Poems, a celebration of vintage instruments.
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