James Rotondi – Acoustic Guitar https://acousticguitar.com lessons, music to play, and how-tos for all guitarists Wed, 30 Jul 2025 14:17:08 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://i0.wp.com/acousticguitar.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/AG_Favicon.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 James Rotondi – Acoustic Guitar https://acousticguitar.com 32 32 103806923 Americana Champion Margo Price Takes Flight with Her New Signature Gibson J-45 https://acousticguitar.com/americana-champion-margo-price-takes-flight-with-her-new-signature-gibson-j-45/ https://acousticguitar.com/americana-champion-margo-price-takes-flight-with-her-new-signature-gibson-j-45/#respond Wed, 30 Jul 2025 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=148379 Margo Price on porch swing with signature model Gibson J-45 acoustic guitar, Courtesy of Gibson Brands, Inc. The Nashville singer-songwriter talks about her bond with her instruments, her songwriting philosophy, and more.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/americana-champion-margo-price-takes-flight-with-her-new-signature-gibson-j-45/feed/ 0 148379 Review: Martin’s New D-28 and D-X2E Billy Strings Signature Models https://acousticguitar.com/review-martins-new-d-28-and-d-x2e-billy-strings-signature-models/ https://acousticguitar.com/review-martins-new-d-28-and-d-x2e-billy-strings-signature-models/#respond Wed, 25 Jun 2025 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=147739 Martin-D-28-and-D-X2E-BILLY-STRINGS Inspired by two of Strings’ longtime musical companions, the stage-worthy D-28 and the road-ready D-X2E reflect the flatpicker's fast rise and deep roots.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/review-martins-new-d-28-and-d-x2e-billy-strings-signature-models/feed/ 0 147739 Interview: How Billy Strings Became the Most Electrifying Bluegrass Artist of His Generation—Without Leaving the Old Songs Behind https://acousticguitar.com/interview-billy-strings-electrifying-bluegrass/ https://acousticguitar.com/interview-billy-strings-electrifying-bluegrass/#respond Sun, 08 Jun 2025 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=147862 Billy Strings onstage in Asheville, North Carolina, Photo: Jesse Faatz March 1, 2025: It’s Billy Strings’ second consecutive packed-to-the-rafters show at the 17,000-capacity Bridgestone Arena in his adopted home of Nashville. As he and his crack band trade fantastic fours on mandolin, banjo, fiddle, and guitar on songs like the modern classic “Dust in a Baggie,” the blinding “Highway Hypnosis,” the trippy FX showcase “Meet […]]]> https://acousticguitar.com/interview-billy-strings-electrifying-bluegrass/feed/ 0 147862 Five Young Players Honoring Tradition While Shaping New Acoustic Sounds https://acousticguitar.com/five-young-players-honoring-tradition-while-shaping-new-acoustic-sounds/ https://acousticguitar.com/five-young-players-honoring-tradition-while-shaping-new-acoustic-sounds/#respond Sun, 27 Apr 2025 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=147339 Five Young Players Honoring Tradition While Shaping New Acoustic Sounds Presley Haile, Kapali Long, Jobi Riccio, Presley Barker, and Lizzie No are creating music that’s vivid and raw, honest and personal, and firmly rooted in the deep musical traditions they continue to hold sacred.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/five-young-players-honoring-tradition-while-shaping-new-acoustic-sounds/feed/ 0 147339 Review: Taylor’s Flagship 814ce Builder’s Edition Sees New Boutique-Approved Variations https://acousticguitar.com/review-taylor-814ce-builders-edition/ https://acousticguitar.com/review-taylor-814ce-builders-edition/#comments Wed, 06 Mar 2024 14:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=143347 Taylor Builder's Edition 814ce acoustic guitar With its perfectly dressed frets, spot-on neck relief, excellent action, and smooth joints and edges, the build quality on the 814ce is simply unimpeachable.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/review-taylor-814ce-builders-edition/feed/ 1 143347 Review: Martin’s Super D and D-18 StreetLegend—Two Bold New Takes on Classic Dreadnoughts https://acousticguitar.com/review-martin-super-d-and-d-18-streetlegend/ https://acousticguitar.com/review-martin-super-d-and-d-18-streetlegend/#comments Fri, 06 Oct 2023 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=141797 C.F. Martin and Co. Custom Shop Super D (left) and D-18 StreetLegend acoustic guitars Two new guitars that stretch the parameters of the models they take after without abandoning their core sonic or build qualities.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/review-martin-super-d-and-d-18-streetlegend/feed/ 2 141797 Guitar Talk: Jimmy Buffett on His Evolving Collection of Golden-Era Instruments https://acousticguitar.com/guitar-talk-jimmy-buffett-on-his-evolving-collection-of-golden-era-instruments/ https://acousticguitar.com/guitar-talk-jimmy-buffett-on-his-evolving-collection-of-golden-era-instruments/#comments Sat, 02 Sep 2023 14:15:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=122610 Jimmy Buffet at home with guitars Jimmy Buffett passed away September 1, 2023 at 76. Today, we're revisiting this conversation with the "Margaritaville" singer-songwriter about his collection of rarified golden-era guitars.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/guitar-talk-jimmy-buffett-on-his-evolving-collection-of-golden-era-instruments/feed/ 1 122610 Review: Gibson’s J-45 50s Faded and Keb’ Mo’ “3.0” 12-Fret J-45 Are Two New Takes on the Classic Workhorse https://acousticguitar.com/review-gibsons-j-45-50s-faded-and-keb-mo-3-0-12-fret-j-45/ Fri, 14 Jul 2023 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=138644 Gibson J-45 50s Faded and Keb Mo 3.0 12 Fret J-45 Both models stick to the strengths and depart from the script in terms of our preconceived ideas about the J-45 shape.]]> 138644 How Guitar Duo Rodrigo y Gabriela Is Informed by Eastern Spiritual Practices—and Thrash-Metal  https://acousticguitar.com/how-guitar-duo-rodrigo-y-gabriela-is-informed-by-eastern-spiritual-practicesand-thrash-metal/ https://acousticguitar.com/how-guitar-duo-rodrigo-y-gabriela-is-informed-by-eastern-spiritual-practicesand-thrash-metal/#respond Sun, 21 May 2023 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=135764 Rodgrigo y Gabriela playing guitars On their latest release, In Between Thoughts... A New World, the spiritually inclined pair have invested their pan-genre musical values with some of their own more metaphysical ones. ]]> https://acousticguitar.com/how-guitar-duo-rodrigo-y-gabriela-is-informed-by-eastern-spiritual-practicesand-thrash-metal/feed/ 0 135764 Review: Taylor American Dream AD27e Flametop Exudes a Relaxed Class https://acousticguitar.com/taylor-american-dream-ad27e-flametop-review/ https://acousticguitar.com/taylor-american-dream-ad27e-flametop-review/#respond Tue, 14 Jun 2022 20:56:23 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=132282 Taylor AD27e acoustic guitar in case It’s no accident that Taylor calls its recent line of more affordable guitars—including the AD27 reviewed here—the American Dream series. All of the instruments are built at Taylor’s Southern California factory. With prices ranging from roughly $1,500 to $2,200, the series hopes to be the budget bridge that allows Taylor aspirants to grab the brass ring without falling into the abyss of debt. ]]> https://acousticguitar.com/taylor-american-dream-ad27e-flametop-review/feed/ 0 132282 Review: Martin’s Modern Deluxe D-45 and 012-28 Are Majestic Flattops with Vintage-Inspired Designs and Modern Features https://acousticguitar.com/review-martin-modern-deluxe-d-45-and-012-28/ https://acousticguitar.com/review-martin-modern-deluxe-d-45-and-012-28/#respond Wed, 08 Jun 2022 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=131960 Martin Modern Deluxe D-45 and 012-28 With the top-shelf Martin Modern Deluxe D-45 and 012-28 acoustic guitars, there’s no arguing with the overwhelming quality and class of the materials and craftmanship—and depth of sound.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/review-martin-modern-deluxe-d-45-and-012-28/feed/ 0 131960 Amp Review: VHT True Acoustic 60 Is a Versatile Combo with Clean Sounds https://acousticguitar.com/vht-true-acoustic-60-combo-amp-review/ https://acousticguitar.com/vht-true-acoustic-60-combo-amp-review/#respond Wed, 20 Apr 2022 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=129023 VHT True Acoustic 60 guitar amplifier The VHT True Acoustic 60 guitar amp displays relatively little harmonic distortion, even at high-volume settings. Read more in this review!]]> https://acousticguitar.com/vht-true-acoustic-60-combo-amp-review/feed/ 0 129023 Review: Gibson’s New Generation Collection Is an Affordable Line of Soundport-Equipped Acoustics https://acousticguitar.com/review-gibsons-new-generation-collection-is-an-affordable-line-of-soundport-equipped-acoustics/ https://acousticguitar.com/review-gibsons-new-generation-collection-is-an-affordable-line-of-soundport-equipped-acoustics/#respond Wed, 16 Feb 2022 14:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=127794 Gibson Generation Collection acoustic guitars (Left to right,-G-200, G-45, G-Writer, G-00) Gibson has released a new line of acoustic guitars with soundports, the Generation Collection. HEre's our review of the Gibson G-45 and the Gibson G-200.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/review-gibsons-new-generation-collection-is-an-affordable-line-of-soundport-equipped-acoustics/feed/ 0 127794 Amythyst Kiah Gives Old-Timey Music a New-Timey Sound https://acousticguitar.com/amythyst-kiah-gives-old-timey-music-a-new-timey-sound/ https://acousticguitar.com/amythyst-kiah-gives-old-timey-music-a-new-timey-sound/#respond Tue, 01 Feb 2022 14:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=128089 Amythyst Kiah with a G-45 Gibson acoustic guitar It's the stuff you can’t teach that makes Amythyst Kiah's music so impactful: a wicked right-hand fingerpicking and pick stroke, plus a voice full of power and authority.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/amythyst-kiah-gives-old-timey-music-a-new-timey-sound/feed/ 0 128089 Review: iZotope Spire Studio Allows Pro-Quality Audio Recording on the Fly https://acousticguitar.com/izotope-spire-studio-recorder-review/ https://acousticguitar.com/izotope-spire-studio-recorder-review/#comments Sun, 16 Jan 2022 14:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=126984 action shot of a vocalist singing into the iZotope Spire Studio unit while holding a smartphone and using the izotope spire studio app The new Izotope Spire Studio is packed with professional features that make it a proper recording and tracking device for acoustic guitarists.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/izotope-spire-studio-recorder-review/feed/ 1 126984 Jakob Dylan Uses His Trusty Gibson J-45 to Bring His Movie-like Songs to Life on the Wallflowers’ ‘Exit Wounds’ https://acousticguitar.com/jakob-dylan-uses-his-trusty-gibson-j-45-to-bring-his-movie-like-songs-to-life/ Tue, 23 Nov 2021 14:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=127237 Jakob Dylan sitting in backseat of a car Jakob Dylan's new album with the Wallflowers, Exit Wounds, was written the help of his longest-serving songwriting partner, a mid-1960s Gibson J-45 acoustic guitar.]]> 127237 Guitar Review: Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Hummingbird https://acousticguitar.com/guitar-review-epiphone-inspired-by-gibson-hummingbird/ https://acousticguitar.com/guitar-review-epiphone-inspired-by-gibson-hummingbird/#respond Wed, 17 Nov 2021 16:10:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=125736 epiphone hummingbird pickguard The street price on Epiphone’s "Inspired By Gibson" Hummingbird acoustic guitar? Just $799—and you get much of the vibe of its costlier Gibson counterparts.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/guitar-review-epiphone-inspired-by-gibson-hummingbird/feed/ 0 125736 Does Nashville Have the Best Guitar Shops in the Country? https://acousticguitar.com/does-nashville-have-the-best-guitar-shops-in-the-country/ Sun, 19 Sep 2021 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=124884 Famous female guitarists mural at Fanny’s House of Music in Nashville Here's a look inside Music City’s "Temples of Spruce" to find out if Nashville really does have the best guitar shops in the country.]]> 124884 Meet 5 Maverick Guitarists Playing Their Way into Nashville’s New Frontier https://acousticguitar.com/5-up-and-coming-nashville-guitarists/ https://acousticguitar.com/5-up-and-coming-nashville-guitarists/#respond Wed, 01 Sep 2021 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=124707 Nasvhille Guitarists Aaron Lee Tasjan, Elizabeth Cook, Jake Workman, Lillie Mae, Lilly Hiatt Each of these singular six-string devotees has made the acoustic guitar their key partner in writing the next chapter of Nashville’s story.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/5-up-and-coming-nashville-guitarists/feed/ 0 124707 Guitar Review: PRS’ Punchy Tonare Parlor SE P20E Evokes a Bygone Era at a Budget Price https://acousticguitar.com/guitar-review-prs-punchy-tonare-parlor-se-p20e-evokes-a-bygone-era-at-a-budget-price/ https://acousticguitar.com/guitar-review-prs-punchy-tonare-parlor-se-p20e-evokes-a-bygone-era-at-a-budget-price/#respond Sun, 21 Feb 2021 13:05:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=120883 PRS SE P20E guitar in Vintage Natural finish The PRS Tonare Parlor SE P20E guitar evokes the spirit, sound & form factor of a classic parlor while bearing the imprint of PRS’ signature aesthetics and playability.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/guitar-review-prs-punchy-tonare-parlor-se-p20e-evokes-a-bygone-era-at-a-budget-price/feed/ 0 120883 Amp Review: Boss Acoustic Singer Live LT Is a Compact and Versatile Creative Tool https://acousticguitar.com/amp-review-boss-acoustic-singer-live-lt-is-a-compact-and-versatile-creative-tool/ https://acousticguitar.com/amp-review-boss-acoustic-singer-live-lt-is-a-compact-and-versatile-creative-tool/#respond Fri, 29 Jan 2021 00:39:18 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=121727 Boss acoustic singer live LT amp The Boss Acoustic Singer Live LT lets you tap into a certain live electricity at apartment volumes, in kitchen-sized spaces, and at motel room locales. That's creative gold right there. It's true that the amp won’t supply the audience for you, but on second thought, the version of you that passes through its circuit board may well help you find one. ]]> https://acousticguitar.com/amp-review-boss-acoustic-singer-live-lt-is-a-compact-and-versatile-creative-tool/feed/ 0 121727 Al Di Meola Takes Classic Beatles Tunes to New Places https://acousticguitar.com/al-di-meola-takes-classic-beatles-tunes-to-new-places/ Thu, 15 Oct 2020 20:05:36 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=120173 Al Di Meola After nearly 50 years exploring the most remote destinations on the musical map, Al Di Meola’s homecoming to formative influences The Beatles was always going to involve new languages and fresh perspectives. The travelogue that preceded it, after all, carried the New Jersey native across a universe of sound and syncopation—from pioneering jazz fusion greats […]]]> 120173 Guitar Review: Martin’s Radical New Acoustic-Electric SC-13E Uses Innovative Construction for Playability and Tone https://acousticguitar.com/gear-review-martin-sc-13e/ https://acousticguitar.com/gear-review-martin-sc-13e/#respond Tue, 15 Sep 2020 13:45:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=117832 Martin SC-13E acoustic-electric guitar Martin's affordable new SC-13E acoustic guitar boasts a fresh, out-of-the-box redesign—even flying in the face of Martin’s usual traditional glued dovetail joint!]]> https://acousticguitar.com/gear-review-martin-sc-13e/feed/ 0 117832 Guitar Review: Gibson G-45 Studio https://acousticguitar.com/gear-review-gibson-g-45-studio/ https://acousticguitar.com/gear-review-gibson-g-45-studio/#comments Fri, 17 Jan 2020 16:26:42 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=113905 Gibson G-45 Studio acoustic guitar Gibson's G-45 Studio acoustic guitar is a more affordable cousin of its beloved namesake, the J-45 acoustic guitar. See how it stacks up on our review.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/gear-review-gibson-g-45-studio/feed/ 1 113905 Guitar Talk: Keb’ Mo’ on His Evolution as an Acoustic Player https://acousticguitar.com/guitar-talk-keb-mo-on-his-evolution-as-an-acoustic-player/ https://acousticguitar.com/guitar-talk-keb-mo-on-his-evolution-as-an-acoustic-player/#respond Mon, 23 Sep 2019 16:32:23 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=112506 guitarist Keb' Mo' Multiple Grammy Award-winning American blues artist Keb’ Mo’ counts collaborations with Taj Mahal, Jackson Browne, and Bonnie Raitt among his many golden moments.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/guitar-talk-keb-mo-on-his-evolution-as-an-acoustic-player/feed/ 0 112506