The F-5 mandolin, for example, was introduced in 1922 in an effort to kick-start mandolin sales after the mandolin orchestra boom began dying. You’ve mentioned that some instruments took a while to get known. The golden era hasn’t changed: ’50s electrics and 1920s and ’30s acoustics were the ones sought after then, and they still are. The same ones that were popular when I opened the store in January 1970. Which vintage models are most in-demand these days? The number of vintage Martins is way, way smaller, because the ones that most of the collectors are really looking for were made from about 1928 through the early ’40s. The number of vintage guitars, however, is tiny. Fender didn’t get started until 1946, but Fender makes a lot more guitars per year than Martin, and it didn’t take long for Fender to make more guitars than Martin had made in their entire history. Now they’re now well past 2,000,000, which means the majority of Martin guitars ever made have been made since 2004. For one thing, there are a lot more recent-issue and utility-used guitars out there than vintage guitars. What’s the main difference between the vintage and new guitar markets? new ones, the state of the vintage guitar market, and the future. It’s no surprise, then, that Gruhn, 73, has plenty to say about prewar instruments, speculators and collectors, old guitars vs. Gruhn is best known, however, for the Nashville store he opened in 1970, a shrine for serious players and collectors around the world.Īs Gruhn Guitars approaches its 50th anniversary, it’s hard to name an influential guitarist who hasn’t bought an instrument from the famously articulate and opinionated New York native, a Nashville resident since 1969. He’s a magazine columnist, frequent interview subject, and author of several reference books on guitar history, including Gruhn’s to Vintage Guitars: An Identification Guide for American Fretted Instruments (now in its third edition) and Acoustic Guitars and Other Fretted Instruments: A Photographic History, all co-written with Walter Carter. G eorge Gruhn is synonymous with vintage guitars. So we're asking you to give just $1 (or whatever you can afford) right now.įrom the May/June 2019 issue of Acoustic Guitar | BY E. Time to break down a few of my favorite models.Hey, fellow guitarist! Did you know 99.9% of visitors to this site will scroll past this message without making a contribution? Many plan to pledge later, but then forget. Whether it be an undersaddle, electric soundhole or contact style pickup, the best sounding acoustic guitar pickups will leave your audience clueless to the fact that you’re not actually mic’d up.
The best acoustic guitar pickups will give you mobility in live performances while “picking up” the subtle nuances in your sound waves, allowing for a clear output and projection of your guitar’s tone. Plus, you’re apt to pick up unwanted background noise and distort your tone.īut what if you’re playing with your trusty vintage Martin, the one that’s not an acoustic-electric guitar?Įnter the always useful acoustic pickup. The problem with mic’ing up for a live performance, though, is that you’ll be mostly stationary on the stage, with your position dependent on the location of the microphone. You could also use that same microphone setup to reach the far corners of a decent-sized venue for a live gig. When it comes to playing in the studio, your best bet to project that classic pure acoustic sound will be a quality microphone.
The shape of your guitar also plays a big role in the type of sounds it makes. Mahogany for its bright projection, spruce for that classic twang, exotics for a unique sound and big price tag, and so on. Manufacturers often hype their choice of tonewoods over other brands for just this reason. The best acoustic guitars are known for their rich, deep and distinct tones.