If you want a good example of how marketing shapes our lives, you only have to think about how readily the idea of progress is accepted by consumers, in relation to certain products. With digital cameras, for example, progress is seen not only as good but indispensable. Every year, makers such as Canon and Nikon launch new models that boast the highest-ever image quality and the most-advanced features ever brought to market.
But what if we were talking about malt whisky, instead of cameras? In that context, progress feels like a dirty word. Heritage, tradition and craft are the qualities we think about as we swirl the amber liquor around in our glass. And yet, behind the scenes, technology helps improve our favourite drinks, just as it does cameras. From improving maturation to filling casks more precisely, whisky is better today because distillers use tech alongside traditional techniques to craft their spirits.
What has all this got to do with guitars, you may ask? Well, an argument can be made that acoustic guitars, as products, are a little like whisky. We like the idea of craftsmanship being behind their rich sound but shy away from the idea that technology, too, can make guitars perform better than they used to. For example, we revere the iconic acoustic guitars that were made by hand in the workshops of early 20th century America – and with excellent reason in many cases. But talk to any vintage-guitar dealer and they’ll tell you that for every jaw-droppingly great vintage flat-top there are many wall-hangers that don’t sound or play halfway as good.
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Esta historia es de la edición May 2023 de Guitarist.
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Sonic Shaper
Electro-Harmonix revisits the effect that launched the company with the LPB-3 Linear Power Booster and EQ
Platinum Blonde
PRS has updated its Texas-voiced David Grissom signature amp with more features, lower wattage and a more approachable price tag
TAN LINES
Many of us regard straps as a bit of an afterthought, but to find one that matches the quality of a custom or vintage guitar, Rod Boyes of Pinegrove Leather can help
ELECTRIC STRINGS
Your tone starts with your strings - strike a balance between sound, tuning and durability with six of our favourites
DIFFERENT WINDS
While there's no end to repros of all the classic pickup styles, more and more pickup makers are mixing things up to move forward - Cream T is a good example
Long termers
A few months' gigging, recording and everything that goes with it - welcome to Guitarist's longterm test report
Top Guns
Chapman's new factory move coincides with a bit of a rethink. We track down the key players all around the world
the Wishlist
Dream gear to beg, borrow and steal for...
Reach For The Star
Earlier this year Guild reorganised its 70s-era Polara range. We spent some time with this mid-range 2024 model: a modern pawn-shop prize or a copy too far?
HIGH FLYER
Adrian Thorpe of ThorpyFX remembers the flight path - and turbulence behind Chris Buck's Electric Lightning overdrive/boost, named after a fighter jet and packing a bona fide valve