A Winters Day in a Deep and Dark December…
by Simon and Garfunkel
February, 1966
Nearly 53 years ago….
Category: Acoustic Guitars
Reviews, essays, and articles relating to acoustic guitars, and related accessories.
Tenderly and verily I say, Happy Boxing Day
Paulus Schäfer – Joost Zoeteman 4tet – “Tenderly”
Paulus Schäfer: acoustic guitar
Joost Zoeteman: jazz guitar
Wim de Vries: drums
Jasper Somsen: double bass
Recorded @ Deventer Schouwburg October 25 2018.
Dick Boak Art Exhibit – NYC November 17, 2018
The Illustrations and Guitars of Dick Boak
with the paintings of Tullio Desantis
Saturday November 17, New York City, I will be playing solo acoustic fingerstyle guitar for my friend Dick Boak at the opening of “Illustrations and Guitars by Dick Boak and Paintings by Tullio Desantis.”
273 Bleecker Street (formerly Matt Umanov Guitar Shop,) NY, NY 10014.
5 – 9 PM.
For those unfamiliar, Dick was the longtime good will ambassador and public face for C. F. Martin & Co., the premiere builder of acoustic guitars in the world, before his retirement earlier this year.
Tullio Desantis is a painter, author, and educator who Boak cites as a major inspiration for his art and outlook.
Live guitar music provided by our very own T Spoon Phillips
The Music of One Man’s Guitar
T Spoon Phillips – Lost and Haunted Ways
Hear the full compositions of the original guitar music used in our video reviews at onemanz.com, and Spoon’s guitar demos at maurysmusic.com
Click to hear mp3 excerpts from all the tracks (may not work on all browsers)
“…a brilliant piece of musical art for the ages. Bravo, Spoon!” – Rhys Ord
Available on CD and as a Digital Download*
CD – $15 + $5 processing, Total $20 – Click to Buy
CD Outside USA – see below!
Digital Download – $12 + $3 processing fee, Total $15 – Click to Buy
CD and Download Combination (best deal) Total $25 – Click to Buy
CDs will be mailed within 24 hours of payment.
*The Digital Download is a pre-order, as it is still in production. Expected completion date is August 20, 2018.
The Download will include two copies of the album, in remastered 24-bit high definition wav files and mp3 files.
If providing additional donations, please specify in the note area “CD Only,” “Download Only,” “CD/Download Combo.”
Canada, the UK, and Europe: CDs are $30, but will include a coupon for a FREE digital download.
For other locations, and for other payment options, please inquire here or at onemanz.com.
Check out Spoon’s detailed notes on each track HERE.
T Spoon Phillips New Album
Lost and Haunted Ways, the new album by T Spoon Phillips
Here at last, the original solo acoustic guitar compositions
Have you ever wanted to hear the pieces Spoon uses for his One Man’s Guitar video reviews in their entirety? Well now you can! Along with many others…
Official Release, Thursday, August 9.
*Early Bird Special for Martinfest attendees*
Martin 000-28 (2018) Review
Martin Guitar’s bright future and storied past merge in the 000-28 (2018)
Enduring through the decades, now refreshed with a long-awaited makeover
Select Specifications: Solid tonewoods throughout, including Indian rosewood back and sides, Sitka spruce top with scalloped 5/16″ Sitka spruce bracing; short-scale High Performance neck with Modified Low Oval profile, ebony fretboard with 1-3/4″ width at the bone nut, 2-1/8″ width at 12th fret; ebony bridge with compensated bone saddle, 2-5/32″ string spacing; Style 28 (2018) appointments including Aging top toner, herringbone purfling, Antique White binding, abalone Diamonds and Squares fret position markers, Style 28 back strip, chrome color open back Schaller GrandTune tuners.
“…this new short-scale 000 has a full-bodied voice that immediately says it is no “small guitar.” The bass has Grade A beef in its rosewood brisket, a satisfying heft in the midrange fundamentals under a firm flatpick, and trebles that sound precise and strong when picking out melody, or glint like whitecaps atop a flood of sweeping strums that swell and heave with the woody warmth from the Stika/rosewood undertone. And yet, when played with delicacy, notes from the unwound strings roll out from arpeggios as defined, delicate, and pure as sunlit dewdrops…”
Full Review With Video Here
Updates to the Understanding Martin Model Designation article
After far too long, I have updated the popular article, Martin Model Designation.
Martin’s Standard Series (2018) specs now included
I very much appreciate all the mail I receive from this article alone and I regret that other technical difficulties have kept me from updating it for 2018.
Until now that is!
And as ever, if you come across any typos or errant text, please do drop me a line at oneman@onemanz.com, or via the contact form at the bottom of each post or page.
Summer NAMM 2018 Recap
Acoustic guitars of note among the booths and pavilions of Nashville NAMM
Something for every budget and taste
The summer installment of the biannual trade show of the National Association of Music Merchants took place on July 28-30, at the Music City Center in Nashville, Tennessee. While never having quite the impact and inventory of Winter NAMM, the 2018 summer show provided some interesting additions to this year’s lineup of new guitars. Most of those being electric guitars, the acoustics required some sleuthing to track down. But they still cover most price ranges and a great deal of the familiar brand names.
Here are some of the most interesting acoustic guitars seen at Summer NAMM
Alvarez
Alvarez Artist Series was attracting attention with the updated AGW77AR showing up on Twitter videos throughout the weekend.
This long-scale Grand Auditorium model has walnut top with forward-shifted scalloped bracing and walnut back and sides, and their new, sleeker body bevel. Priced to sell at $499.
See all the 2018 Alvarez guitars here.
Bourgeois
Luthier Dana Bourgeois clearly enjoys his trips to NAMM, and always comes up with some some seriously amazing one-of-a-kind guitars, like this OMS wood deluxe, with a redwood top and figured English walnut for the back and sides!
Check out Bourgeois Guitars’ Facebook page for an eye-popping array of this NAMM’s belles of the ball.
Or go to their main website to what’s new and interesting, and which dealers landed these very special instruments.
Epiphone
“The AJ-220S has a unique bell-like shape, a larger lower bout, and a small round upperbout which gives this new addition to our Advanced Jumbo family of guitars a unique voice.” These guitars feature a glued-in dovetail neck joint, mahogany back and sides, and solid Sitka Spruce tops, or an optional solid mahogany top that has its own mahogany burst toner option.
Typical price $269. And there is also the cutaway acoustic-electric AJ-220SCE for $369.
Offered in a variety of colored and burst finishes, these cutaway Super Jumbos feature the Shadow eSonic-II™ Stereo Pickup System and Grover machine heads, pricing starts at $459.
“The EJ-200SCE reimagines the historic ‘J-200 Jumbo’ acoustic guitar now featuring a Solid Spruce top, Grover Rotomatic™ machine heads, and the revolutionary new Shadow eSonic-II™ Stereo Pickup System that maintains your true acoustic tone when plugged in to an amp or PA system.”
Guild
The new Jumbo Junior is a smaller jumbo model made with a solid Sitka top and Guild’s arched back of either mahogany or maple. These should prove comfortable couch or travel guitars for a MSRP of $555
Martin
C. F. Martin & Co. had a smallish offering compared to the January show, but it is spread across board. These include, but are not limited to a new affordable Road Series model, the 000RSG, with solid Siris back and sides and a solid Sitka spruce top (MAP $1,499,) two limited edition models made from black walnut, GPCE Black Walnut Ambertone, and the DE Black Walnut Ambertone which come with Fishman electronics(MAP $2,649 each,) a black, slope shoulder Jimmy Buffet Custom edition to go along with the Broadway musical Margaritaville (MAP $5,999,) the had-to-happen D-16EPD with soundboard featuring the iconic poker playing dogs painting (MAP $2,799,) and the stunning OM Arts and Crafts 2018 featuring ornate pearl inlay evoking the aesthetic of the Arts and Crafts movement in design, as well as German white oak back and sides, a torrefied Adirondack spruce top, Guatemalan rosewood trim with a MAP of $13,999.00.
See all the new Martin models here.
Taylor
After introducing their new “V Class” bracing at Winter NAMM, Taylor Guitars released a new Builder’s Series model at Summer NAMM, the maple Builder’s Edition 614ce, as well as new Grand Auditorium models in their affordable 300 Series, the 314ce (Saple/Sitka) and the 324ce (Tasmanian Blackwood/mahogany) and 400 Series, 414ce (Ovankok/Sitka) and the 414ce-R (Indian rosewood/Stika) that feature V Class bracing, and individual cosmetic appointments.
This debut was accompanied by the announcement that Taylor expects to convert all their series to the new bracing. It is intended to deliver a “more dynamic voice.” And from my experience with their Winter NAMM offering it does do exactly that, at least when compared to similar Taylors made the previous year.
The Builder’s Edition 14ce has solid figured Big Leaf maple back and sides with a torrefied solid Sitka spruce top, beveled armrest, new Silent Satin finish with a Wild Honey burst on the back and sides (optional for the top,) and Scepter faceplate and fretboard inlays are among the impressive features.
The 300 and 400 Series instruments will begin shipping in July and include the 314, 314ce, 324, 324e, 324ce, 414e-R,414ce, 414ce-R
About NAMM
NAMM, the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM), established in 1901, is the not-for-profit association that strengthens the $17 billion global music, sound and event technology products industry. Our association and our trade shows serve as the crossroads for professionals wanting to seek out the newest innovations in music, recording technology, sound, stage and lighting products. Membership also includes access to the latest industry news and education, opportunities for music advocacy and cost-saving programs that will help your business thrive. All of these activities and programs are designed to promote music making for people of all ages and to help create a more musical world.
Bob Dylan turns 77
Happy Birthday Bob!
May it take less than 77 years before the nation of your birth starts to hear you
Bob Dylan’s music and lyrics will be studied and marveled at a century after the last person alive today is dead and gone.