SONGS TO Play
18 "Who'll Stop the Rain"
CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL
20 "I Will Follow You into the Dark"
DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE
50 "All Pent Up" ADAM PERLMUTTER
59 "Complicated Shadows"
ELVIS COSTELLO
102 "Thumbin' the Blues"
CRAIG DOBBINS
106 "The Drunken Sailor" SHARON ISBIN,
arr. EDWARD FLOWER
52 ELVIS COSTELLO
On Secret, Profane, and Sugarcane, the mercurial songwriter is armed
with his Gibson J-50, a top-notch string band, and tales of murder
and rock 'n' roll mayhem—1850s style. By Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers
62 DESIGNING THE PERFECT
FINGERSTYLE GUITAR
Five renowned guitarists and guitar makers talk about the process
of designing and building a great fingerstyle guitar. By Doug Young
68 12-STRINGS FOR ANY BUDGET
We test six 12-strings ranging in price from $330 to S3,900.
By Pete Madsen and Teja Gerken
ACOUSTIC CLASSIC
“Who’ll Stop the Rain” Creedence
Clearwater Revival’s iconic song from
Cosmo’s Factory.
CONTEMPORARY CLASSIC
“I Will Follow You into the Dark”
From Death Cab for Cutie’s 2005
album, Plans.
PRIVATE LESSON
Muriel Anderson: The award-winning
guitarist talks about making music
come alive, developing speed, and
playing in odd time signatures. With
the Lick of the Month. By Doug Young
NEW GEAR
RainSong Concert Series
CQ-WS1000N2: A lively, rich-
sounding carbon-fiber grand concert.
By Charles Saufley
Daisy Rock Bubinga Butterfly:
Affordable, easy-to-play acoustic-
electric jumbo delivers strong bass and
wide dynamic range. By Nicole Solis
DPA 4099 Microphone: New clip-on
microphone from Danish audio experts
provides studio-quality guitar sound
onstage. By Doug Young
88 SHOPTALK
Inside the Box: Loose braces can
affect a guitar’s tone and structural
integrity. Here’s how they’re repaired.
By Dan Erlewine
92 LUTHIER'S WORKBENCH
Doerr Guitars: Michigan-based luthier
specializes in fingerstyle guitars with
innovative double bevels. By Andy Volk
IN THE STORES
Parker PAB40 acoustic bass, ModTone
MT-CT tuner, RoboKey Snake, and
more.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT
Justin Townes Earle: The son
of Steve Earle comes into his own.
By Scott Nygaard
HERE'S HOW
Choosing a Flatpick: The shape,
thickness, and materials of your pick
have a big effect on your tone.
By Scott Nygaard
30-MINUTE LESSON
Harmonics: Learn to command the
bell-like tones of natural and artificial
harmonics. By Lance Allen
THE BASICS
Pentatonic Scales: Express yourself
with these easy five-note major- and
minor-pentatonic scale patterns.
By Adam Perlmutter
94 GUITAR PRO
Guitar-Malting School: How aspiring
luthiers learn their trade at the
Galloup School of Guitar Building
and Repair. By Dan Erlewine
96 PLAYLIST
Reviews of new recordings by
Bob Dylan, Michelle Shocked,
Bill Callahan, and more.
98 WOODSHED
Alternating-Thumb Guitar
Fundamentals: Bring your alternating-
thumb technique back to the basics to
overcome roadblocks in your playing.
By Craig Dobbins
106 SONGBOOK
Edward Flower’s arrangement
of “The Drunken Sailor.”
By Sharon Isbin
114 GREAT ACOUSTICS
Petros TUnnel 13 grand concert.
By Charles Saufley