For guitarists - and others

For everyone who owns an acoustic guitar and wants to know how to get it sounding its best and keep it that way, Acutab Publications have published a new DVD, Get to know your acoustic guitar, by Marty Lanham, master luthier and Nashville's first choice for instrument maintenance, repair, and restoration. Among many topics covered are buying your first guitar and moving up to better ones. The two-hour DVD costs $35.00. Acutab have a high reputation for instructional material, and this looks like being useful to very many musicians.

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Cathal Cusack reports:

As you probably know importing tortoiseshell is now illegal and lots of guys in the US are using picks called 'Tortis', made from animal protein. They are supposed to sound as close to real tortoiseshell as makes no difference. They are not cheap but they don't wear out either. The bluegrass connection can be seen here - Mike Compton and a couple of Winfield winners must know something. They are available in Europe here.

I've no financial interest, etc., etc.!

Cathal also sends news from Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer, including the new Marcy Marxer Cello Banjo by Gold Tone. Marcy demonstrates the new instrument with three tunes on YouTube, including this clip of 'Angeline the baker'. Your editor's first thought was: 'Wow! What a great sound!' His second thought was that Irish music now has the atom bomb.