It's easier than ever to grab a guitar and a microphone and hit record—but how can you get the most out of your recording session? We sat down with Joe Gore and Molly Miller, both guitarists and studio pros, for a conversation about how to prepare.

Thanks to G7th for sponsoring this episode. Learn about the Performance 3 and the other ranges of G7th capos at www.G7th.com. 

Additional resources:

• Listen to Part 2 on Patreon.
• Visit Molly Miller's website.
• Visit Joe Gore's website and watch his video lesson for Acoustic Guitar on developing rhythmic independence in your thumb.
• You might also like our "Get Gig Ready" and "Why Should I Plug In?" podcast episodes.
• Check out "A Guide to Getting Started with Home Recording" by Doug Young.

The Acoustic Guitar Podcast theme music is composed by Adam Perlmutter and performed for this episode by Joe Gore—entirely on his 2014 Kris Barnett classical guitar. The percussion is thumps and taps on the body. There’s some home recording processing, like added subharmonics for the bass and compression/EQ for the percussion. 

This episode is hosted by Nick Grizzle and E.E. Bradman, produced by Tanya Gonzalez, and directed and edited by Joey Lusterman. Executive producers are Lyzy Lusterman and Stephanie Campos Dal Broi.

The Acoustic Guitar Podcast is produced by the team at Acoustic Guitar magazine, including:

• Publisher: Lyzy Lusterman
• Editorial Director: Adam Perlmutter
• Managing Editor: Kevin Owens
• Creative Director: Joey Lusterman
• Digital Content Director: Stephanie Campos Dal Broi
• Digital Content Manager: Nick Grizzle
• Marketing Services Manager: Tanya Gonzalez

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We catch up with Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Dave Alvin while they’re on the road touring their new album, Texicali. Great collaborators and friends, our guests reflect on writing and playing together, defying genre expectations, acoustic guitars, and (most importantly) having a good time.

Support the show:

• Join us on Patreon
• Make a donation on PayPal
• Give a rating and review

Additional Resources:

• Visit Dave Alvin's website.
• Visit Jimmie Dale Gilmores’s website.
• Learn to play Alvin's "King of California" in the May 2007 issue of Acoustic Guitar magazine.
• Learn to play "Dallas" by the Flatlanders in the November 1996 issue of Acoustic Guitar magazine.

The Acoustic Guitar Podcast theme music is composed by Adam Perlmutter and performed for this episode by Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers.

This episode is hosted, directed, and edited by Joey Lusterman and produced by Tanya Gonzalez. Executive producers are Lyzy Lusterman and Stephanie Campos Dal Broi.

The Acoustic Guitar Podcast is produced by the team at Acoustic Guitar magazine, including:

• Publisher: Lyzy Lusterman
• Editorial Director: Adam Perlmutter
• Managing Editor: Kevin Owens
• Creative Director: Joey Lusterman
• Digital Content Director: Stephanie Campos Dal Broi
• Digital Content Manager: Nick Grizzle
• Marketing Services Manager: Tanya Gonzalez

Support the show

We launched the Acoustic Guitar Podcast two years ago and the show has grown a lot in that time, thanks to listeners like you! This re-release of our first-ever episode includes Part Two which previously had only been available to our Patreon supporters. 

In this episode, we share stories of first guitars. Tune in for renowned musicians Eric Bibb, Bruce Cockburn, Courtney Hartman, Richard Thompson, Badi Assad, Sharon Isbin, and Tommy Emmanuel; heartwarming, inspiring, and surprising tales from the community; plus previously unheard recordings of Doc Watson and Michael Hedges; and Dick Boak demonstrates the first instrument he ever built, long before his storied career with C.F. Martin & Co began.

Additional resources:

• Learn more about the artists who shared their stories in this episode: 
  • Badi Assad, Eric Bibb, Dick Boak, Bruce Cockburn, Tommy Emmanuel, Courtney Hartman, Sharon Isbin, Richard Thompson. 
• If you want to keep your first (or second, third, or 30th!) guitar in top playing condition, check out the Acoustic Guitar Owner’s Manual and Acoustic Guitar Care & Maintenance guides.
• Join our Patreon community to access bonus podcast episodes, exclusive live workshops, and more. 

The Acoustic Guitar Podcast theme music is composed by Adam Perlmutter and performed for this episode by Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers.

This episode is hosted by Nick Grizzle and Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers, produced by Tanya Gonzalez, and directed and edited by Joey Lusterman. Executive producers are Lyzy Lusterman and Stephanie Campos Dal Broi.

The Acoustic Guitar Podcast is produced by the team at Acoustic Guitar magazine, including:

• Publisher: Lyzy Lusterman
• Editorial Director: Adam Perlmutter
• Managing Editor: Kevin Owens
• Creative Director: Joey Lusterman
• Digital Content Director: Stephanie Campos Dal Broi
• Digital Content Manager: Nick Grizzle
• Marketing Services Manager: Tanya Gonzalez

Special thanks to our listeners who support the show on Patreon.

Support the show

Does playing acoustic guitar provide benefits beyond the joy and satisfaction of making music? Join music wellness specialists Michelle Qureshi and Ian Wilkerson to learn about a range of music therapy experiences and explore the physical, emotional, spiritual, and clinical benefits of playing and listening to acoustic music.

Thank you to Strings By Mail for sponsoring this episode. Explore guitar strings and special offers at stringsbymail.com.

Additional Resources:

• Michelle Qureshi is a classically trained guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, composer, Reiki Master, practicing yogi, student of Shamanism, and presenter of sound experiences. Learn more at michellequreshi.com.
• Ian Wilkerson is a board certified music therapist, breathwork coach, guitarist, singer-songwriter, and the founder of Bay Area Music Therapy.
• Read the "Possible Mechanisms for the Effects of Sound Vibration on Human Health" article referenced in this episode.

Support the show:

• Listen to Part 2 on Patreon
• Make a donation on PayPal
• Give a rating and review

The Acoustic Guitar Podcast theme music is composed by Adam Perlmutter and performed for this episode by Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers.

This episode is hosted by Nick Grizzle and E.E. Bradman, produced by Tanya Gonzalez, and directed and edited by Joey Lusterman. Executive producers are Lyzy Lusterman and Stephanie Campos Dal Broi.

The Acoustic Guitar Podcast is produced by the team at Acoustic Guitar magazine, including:

• Publisher: Lyzy Lusterman
• Editorial Director: Adam Perlmutter
• Managing Editor: Kevin Owens
• Creative Director: Joey Lusterman
• Digital Content Director: Stephanie Campos Dal Broi
• Digital Content Manager: Nick Grizzle
• Marketing Services Manager: Tanya Gonzalez

Support the show

Catch up with singer-songwriter (and La Luz lead guitarist) Shana Cleveland in this bonus Acoustic Guitar Sessions episode. We talk shredding, open tunings, playing guitar outside, and enjoy a performance of “Quick Winter Sun” from her latest album, Manzanita.

Support the show:

• Join our community on Patreon, where you’ll find bonus podcast episodes, exclusive guitar workshops, and plenty more great perks.
• Make a donation on PayPal
• Leave a review on Apple Podcasts (This helps other guitarists find the show and helps us. We really appreciate it!)

Support the show

Guitarists Nathan Salsburg and James Elkington discuss collaboration, instrumental composition, unusual guitar fragrances, and their new album, All Gist.

Thank you to Strings By Mail for sponsoring this episode. Explore guitar strings and special offers at stringsbymail.com.

Additional Resources:

• Order All Gist on Bandcamp.
• Visit James Elkington's website.
• Read our 2018 "Guitar Talk" interview with Elkington.
• Watch our 2018 Acoustic Guitar Sessions video with Salsburg.
• Learn to play Nathan Salsburg’s “B.B.” - a melodic instrumental with an unusual origin.

Support the show:

• Listen to Part 2 on Patreon
• Make a donation on PayPal
• Give a rating and review

The Acoustic Guitar Podcast theme music is composed by Adam Perlmutter and performed for this episode by Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers.

This episode is hosted by Nick Grizzle, produced by Tanya Gonzalez, and directed and edited by Joey Lusterman. Executive producers are Lyzy Lusterman and Stephanie Campos Dal Broi.

The Acoustic Guitar Podcast is produced by the team at Acoustic Guitar magazine, including:

• Publisher: Lyzy Lusterman
• Editorial Director: Adam Perlmutter
• Managing Editor: Kevin Owens
• Creative Director: Joey Lusterman
• Digital Content Director: Stephanie Campos Dal Broi
• Digital Content Manager: Nick Grizzle
• Marketing Services Manager: Tanya Gonzalez

Support the show

Catch up with folk singer-songwriter Katherine Priddy in this bonus Acoustic Guitar Sessions episode. We talk family, guitars, touring with Richard Thompson, and enjoy a performance of “Father of Two” from her latest album The Pendulum Swing.

Support the show:

• Join our community on Patreon, where you’ll find bonus podcast episodes, exclusive guitar workshops, and plenty more great perks.
• Make a donation on PayPal
• Leave a review on Apple Podcasts (This helps other guitarists find the show and helps us. We really appreciate it.)

Support the show

You've probably heard the old adage that "tone is in the hands." But what does that really mean? And what makes tone good? We asked 14 prominent acoustic guitarists to weigh in, and got 14 unique responses. You'll want to listen with a notebook in hand, because this episode is a treasure trove of practical advice, musical examples, insights, and exercises to try.

Thanks to Henriksen Amplifiers for sponsoring this episode. For demo videos and more information, visit www.HenriksenAmplifiers.com or follow on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

Additional resources:

• Learn more about our guests: Abigail Dowd, Amber Russell, Chris Pierce, Eric Skye, Jason Vieaux, Lisa Liu, Maddie Witler, Pete Madsen, Raye Zaragoza, Ron Jackson, Sarah McQuaid, Sean McGowan, Tim Bertsch, and Valerie Turner.
• Read "15 Acoustic Guitar Pros Share Tips on Tone" from the January 2017 issue of Acoustic Guitar magazine.
• Check out our popular Weekly Workout series for interesting technical workouts that will get your fretting- and picking-hand fingers working in different ways.

 Our intro music for this episode was the Prelude from Bach's Cello Suite No. 1, performed by Sean McGowan. 

This episode is hosted by Nick Grizzle, produced by Tanya Gonzalez, and directed and edited by Joey Lusterman. Executive producers are Lyzy Lusterman and Stephanie Campos Dal Broi.

The Acoustic Guitar Podcast is produced by the team at Acoustic Guitar magazine, including:

• Publisher: Lyzy Lusterman
• Editorial Director: Adam Perlmutter
• Managing Editor: Kevin Owens
• Creative Director: Joey Lusterman
• Digital Content Director: Stephanie Campos Dal Broi
• Digital Content Manager: Nick Grizzle
• Marketing Services Manager: Tanya Gonzalez

Special thanks to our listeners who support the show on Patreon.

Support the show

Catch up with singer-songwriter Naima Bock in this bonus Acoustic Guitar Sessions episode. We enjoy an impromptu performance of a new song—“Showers”—then discuss Bock’s roots in Brazilian and British folk music and get a rundown of her guitars and gear. Listen to her album Giant Palm and visit NaimaBock.com to learn more.

Support the show:

• Join our community on Patreon, where you’ll find bonus podcast episodes, exclusive guitar workshops, and plenty more great perks.
• Make a donation on PayPal
• Leave a review on Apple Podcasts (This helps other guitarists find the show and helps us. We really appreciate it.)

Support the show

We caught up with Alejandro Escovedo ahead of the release of Echo Dancing – his latest album in a legendary, genre-expansive career. Escovedo candidly discusses how painful personal experiences inform his songwriting, how he first picked up the guitar, why he prefers to play acoustic, and what makes Austin, Texas a great town for songwriters.

Support the show:

• Listen to Part 2 on Patreon to learn about the guitars and gear Escovedo tours with, his memories of touring with John Prine, and how music can get us through hard times.
• Make a donation on PayPal
• Give a rating and review

Additional Resources:

• Pre-order Echo Dancing on Bandcamp (or check your local record store or preferred music streaming platforms on March 29.)
• Visit Alejandro Escovedo's website.
• Watch our 2016 Acoustic Guitar Sessions video with Escovedo.
• Read "Six-String Sagas" where 13 artists, including Alejandro Escovedo, share their guitar stories.

The Acoustic Guitar Podcast theme music is composed by Adam Perlmutter and performed for this episode by Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers.

This episode is hosted by Nick Grizzle and Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers, produced by Tanya Gonzalez, and directed and edited by Joey Lusterman. Executive producers are Lyzy Lusterman and Stephanie Campos Dal Broi.

The Acoustic Guitar Podcast is produced by the team at Acoustic Guitar magazine, including:

• Publisher: Lyzy Lusterman
• Editorial Director: Adam Perlmutter
• Managing Editor: Kevin Owens
• Creative Director: Joey Lusterman
• Digital Content Director: Stephanie Campos Dal Broi
• Digital Content Manager: Nick Grizzle
• Marketing Services Manager: Tanya Gonzalez

Special thanks to our listeners who support the show on Patreon.

Support the show