Duke Acoustic - Guitars, gear and the playing that goes with them

Guitars, gear and the playing that goes with them — reviews, setup guides and technique written plainly, with the reasoning shown rather than hidden.

The 45-50% humidity rule is a target, not a cliff

A close-up photo of a vintage acoustic guitar in a hard case, showcasing its elegant design and wood grain.

The belief: your acoustic guitar has to live at 45-50% relative humidity, and if the reading drops below that, the wood is about to crack. The reality: 45-50% is a target, not a cliff. Taylor and Martin both build their instruments in roughly 45-55% RH, and the practical safe zone is about 40-55%. A guitar sitting at 38% for a week is not in danger. What actually damages wood is extremes and rapid swings — a room that sits at 20-35% all winter, or a … Read the article

The Nashville Number System: a chart that survives a key change

An open notepad with handwritten notes and a pen resting on it, with the edge of an acoustic guitar alongside

The singer decides at soundcheck that the song sits better a step down. If your chart says G – D – Em – C, you are … Read the article

80/20, phosphor bronze or coated: choosing acoustic strings

Close-up of bronze-wound acoustic guitar strings running from the bridge pins over a bone saddle towards the soundhole

The acoustic string wall is a bad place to make a decision. Twenty near-identical packages, all promising warmth and brightness in the same breath, and no … Read the article

Measure first, adjust second: an acoustic setup walkthrough

A guitar maker in an apron working on an acoustic guitar neck in a workshop, with the guitar body on the bench

Most guitars that get described as “hard to play” are not badly built. They are badly set up, and the owner has been compensating with their … Read the article

Solid top, laminate sides: where the money goes on a cheap acoustic

Close-up of the soundhole, rosette and steel strings on a mahogany-topped acoustic guitar

Two acoustics hang side by side in the shop. One is $200, the other $500, and the wood on the front looks near enough identical. The … Read the article

Tablets on stage: yes or no?

A white tablet standing upright on a small wooden stand on a wooden table

Yes — but only if you set it up like a piece of stage equipment rather than like a phone you happened to bring along. That … Read the article

The L.R. Baggs Session DI has no tone controls, and that is the argument

A pedalboard with cables and a setlist on a wooden stage floor

Almost every acoustic DI pedal sells itself on its tone controls. Bass, mid, treble, maybe a sweepable midrange if you spend a bit more. The L.R. … Read the article

Gear

What the TC-Helicon Play Acoustic actually does for a solo act

A musician playing acoustic guitar and singing into a microphone at a small indoor venue

A solo acoustic act is a thin arrangement. One guitar, one voice, and two or three hours to fill. Everything you can do to make that … Read the article

Gear

The PolyTune Clip and what polyphonic tuning is actually for

Close-up of an acoustic guitar headstock and tuning machines

There is a particular kind of dead air that happens on a patio gig. You have finished a song, the applause has run out, and you … Read the article

Duke Acoustic

Guitars, gear and the playing that goes with them — reviews, setup guides and technique written plainly, with the reasoning shown rather than hidden.

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