5 Best Blues Guitars [and reviews!] • Acoustic Tuesday 121

What makes a blues guitar good for playing the blues?

This week on Acoustic Tuesday, I’m tackling a question that thousands of guitarists have asked for the last 100 years.

This week’s blues-infused episode will also cover the 5 best modern blues guitars, a few blues guitar resources, and a blues duo that you can’t miss.

As always, you can watch Acoustic Tuesday at 10am every Tuesday.

This Week on Acoustic Tuesday…

This episode is blues-infused. As such, almost everything featured in this episode has to do with the blues.

I’m building a blues guitar course that’s going to come out on Tony’s Acoustic Challenge in January. To get you ready, I’m focusing on the blues…

Why?

Blues is the basis of so many different musical genres
The historical significance cannot be ignored by any guitar geek
Sometimes, the blues is the perfect medicine for a variety of moods

For those reasons and more, I’m bringing you some awesome blues guitar content!

3 Criteria for a Good Blues Guitar

1. Tone — You want your blues guitar to sound good, plain and simple. Specifically, you’re looking for focused projection and a sense of bark and grit in it. In addition, look for blues guitars that don’t have rich sustain and overtone qualities. You’re looking for a punchy, direct sound.

2. Vibe — Whether you want to call it looks, aesthetics, or mojo, the vibe of a blues guitar is important. When you’re playing a blues guitar, you want to convey that you mean business. It can be something as simple as a matte finish or as complex as a vintage headstock inlay.

3. Playability — Pay close attention to finger-style comfort. Keep your nut width wide so you can do more intricate chord voicings, your string spread wide so you have more room to fingerpick, and your neck to be comfortable in your hands.

5 Best Blues Guitars

Using these 3 criteria, I put together a list of the 5 BEST blues guitars made recently.

These blues guitars may not be able to compete with vintage classics, but they’re well worth the investment if you want to play blues guitar.

5) Waterloo WL14L

Waterloo has made some great guitars, and the WL14L is no exception.

While the jet-black finish might throw you off, the tone on this guitar is killer.

Check out this review to learn and hear more about the Waterloo WL14L.

4) Martin 00L17

For a stand-out, modern-made blues guitar, look noo further than the Martin 00L17.

There’s a balanced tone in the 00L17 that I really appreciate. It has a little grittiness but maintains a warm tone in certain registers.

To hear this beautiful guitar in a blues setting, be sure to check out this review.

3.) Beard Deco Phonic Sidecar

This smaller-body design is very similar to some of the other guitars on this list.

However!

This big exception is how punchy and focused the tone of this guitar is. There are few guitars like the Beard Deco Phonic Sidecar.

While the back and sides are birch laminate, I want you to move past the idea that laminate=cheap.

The use of laminate in this guitar cuts down on overtones and sustain, which is extremely helpful in playing the blues.

You can check out more of the Sidecar in AT episode 103.

2.) Fraulini 12-string

This guitar is a reconstruction of Lonnie Johnson’s 12-string guitar.

In fact, Charlie Parr played this very guitar.

This particular guitar has a shorter scale and a grittiness that you just cannot ignore. It’s powerful, loud, and not to be ignored.

1.) Gretsch Jim Dandy

Unassuming and extremely playable, Gretsch’s Jim Dandy guitar is an awesome, affordable guitar.

Here’s an awesome clip of Eric Bibb playing the song “Turner Station” on a Jim Dandy guitar.

It’s got the vibe, tone, and comfort, all at an affordable price.

Blues Guitar Resources

If you’re interested in learning about the production history of blues guitars or you’re looking to research a possible purchase, I have a couple of resources for you.

The Stella Guitar Book

If you’re at all interested in hunting for vintage blues guitars in pawn shops and antique stores, you have to know about Stella Guitars.

Specifically, there’s an awesome book written by Neil Harpe called “Stella Guitars: The history and lore of the guitars of Oscar Schmidt.”

Filled with tons of pictures, facts, and information about a legendary company, this book is an awesome resource for anyone looking to purchase a blues guitar.