I have been playing acoustic guitars since very late in  Jimmy Carter’s administration when I played my first C chord on my sister’s beautiful Alvarez guitar.  My high school buddy actually did me a huge favor when he ran over my truly awful all-plastic and metal acoustic guitar with his car and gave me the electric bass I’ve had ever since in return.  It was back to the pawn shop later that year for an bolt-on neck Epiphone acoustic that smelled like pipe tobacco and kerosene from the heater in the store.  Still got that.

I play with a pick as well as in hybrid (pick and fingers) style.  I often use a thumb pick for more traditional fingerpicking styles (after Maybelle Carter, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Robert Johnson, Roscoe Holcomb), using 2-, 3-, and 4-fingers and thumb.  In the past year I have taught the techniques listed above as well as popular songs by Neil Young, The Carter Family, The Eagles, Bon Jovi, James Tayor, Pink Floyd, The Everly Brothers, Gillian Welch, Eric Clapton, Sheryl Crow, Dave Matthews, Jack Johnson, and many, many others. 

Here’s an interesting one I got from a violin shop I was working in as an instrument repairman in the days of Bush I- they were almost going to throw it out.  I like these kinds of guitars (the ones that almost get thrown out) for their individuality.  It’s definitely a box with strings on it, but it doesn’t sound like any other one.  This is my desert island guitar- plywood, paint,
and all that jazz.