The founder of Hohner was Matthias Hohner, a young German fellow who at age 24 founded the company in 1857. In those days the company produced harmonicas and still does today. In fact, the Hohner company and Bob Dylan recently announced the Bob Dylan Collection of hand-signed harmonicas.

The guitars however did not begun production until the 1970s. The Hohner Telecaster played by Prince was built in the early 70s. and played on his early albums from “For You” to “Prince”, “Dirty Mind”, “Controversy”, “1999″ and “Purple Rain”.

The Hohner Telecaster guitar was recently re-issued. Here is a short video from a recent 2008 NAMM show.

Here’s another short video where you can hear some slide guitar played on a blue, Hohner acoustic guitar.

So if you are curious to check out some Hohner guitars just head over to our acoustic guitar page and search on Hohner guitar.

Vintage Guitars 2009 Wall Calendar

This is a great calendar if you are into vintage guitars or otherwise just liking gazing at cool and innovative guitars. The calendars are created in lovely Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada and in fact many of the images are photographed by a former guitar student of mine.

I have the 2008 calendar and will be using it for a few more months. I actually did not look ahead at all the pictues so that each month I got a nice surprise when I saw the featured guitar. There are some great images. I have the calendar on a wall in my teaching studio so that I can get some inspiration during those occasional, trying lessons.

You can order the Vintage Guitars 2009 Wall Calendar now at Amazon.

For you vintage types, I also came across a new DVD entitled Solidbodies, The 50 Year Guitar War.

It basically traces the co-development of the Les Paul and the Stratocaster and the age old battle of what’s the best guitar. Kind of like the Rolling Stones / Beatle thing. Have you ever met anyone who liked both bands equally? You’re either into the Stones or you’re a Beatle fan.

There is featured commentary by the great Joe Bonamassa, named Best Blues Guitarist by Guitar Player Magazine’s readership in their 2008 Reader’s Choice Awards.  Anyway, if you’ve got a strat or a Les Paul (doesn’t everyone?) then you might want to check this out.

The beauty of selling used guitars online is that there are no geographic limitations. You can find customers anywhere in the world. The benefit also of selling online versus a consignment arrangement is that you get to keep most if not all of the money yourself. If you take your guitar to a music store or used instrument dealer, thirty or forty percent of the selling price will go to them.

So, if you are ready to begin your online selling adventure, here are 5 tips to make it go smoothly:

1. Take a flattering picture of your instrument. Since this is a used guitar that you are selling the buyer will want to see a clear picture of the condition of the instrument. Try not to conceal anything. Make the picture look good but don’t try and deceive the buyer.

2. Write a compelling description. Try and inject a bit of passion into your description without creating hype. Also, it is useful to tell the potential buyer why you are selling. Are you just tired of the instrument? Have you decided to sell your acoustic guitar because you are only interested in playing electric?

3. Decide how you will accept payment. Don’t forget that the buyer may live on the other side of the country. Do you want to wait weeks for a money order to arrive? One service that many people use is PayPal. You receive your money instantly and there is also a comfort level for the buyer as they can always use PayPal in the event of a dispute.

4. Make sure that you figure out what the shipping costs will be to various parts of the country. You need to also decide whether you will sell outside of your country. If you live in Canada, will you ship to the United States? Also remember, that when you ship across borders there are custom and taxation issues. Are you paying this or is the purchaser?

5. Where do you want to post your ad? You can use an online auction site like Ebay or a classified ads site like Kijiji, Craig’s List or Guitars for Sale Online. If you use Ebay make sure you are clear on how the auctions work. What happens if you find a buyer through an ad in Craig’s list and yet your auction has a week to run on Ebay and you have some bids. You can probably get out of the auction but just make sure you know what you are doing so that you don’t find yourself locked in an uncomfortable situation.

And in the end. Have fun! The sooner you sell that used guitar the sooner you can buy a new one.

As we will see, buying an acoustic guitar is not as easy as it might seem. There are many varieties of acoustic guitars available and a wide range of prices.

In terms of prices, be prepared to pay at least $100 for a beginners guitar and don’t be shocked if you see instruments costing over $10,000. You will pay a lot less for a factory-made model built in China or Korea than for a hand-made American or Canadian guitar.

The reason for the discrepancy in prices is due to the materials used and the level of craftsmanship. However, it is important to understand that there are many excellent guitars built that do not cost a great deal. The level of guitar manufacturing has improved significantly over the last few decades and many excellent guitars can be had for under $500. Although it is tempting to purchase a more expensive guitar, the average beginner does not need a guitar of that calibre and will probably not even be able to appreciate it.

Here are five tips for buying an acoustic guitar:

1. Decide on a budget. Before you walk into your favorite guitar store determine how much you are prepared to pay beforehand. Here are some tips for deciding:

Up to $300 - good beginners guitar
$500 - $1,000 - intermediate range
$1,000 - $2,000 - serious student
$2,000 - $5,000 - semi-professional or professional
$5,000+ - professional guitarist or you just love fine guitars and can afford it.

2. Decide if you want a soundboard made from real wood. Many inexpensive guitars have plywood soundboards. The better guitars have soundboards made from spruce or cedar. Spruce or cedar soundboards produce a much better sound than plywood. There are a few guitar companies that produce inexpensive guitars with real wood soundboards.

3.Try out different styles. Each guitar maker will have many styles of guitar, many in the same model category. Different styles may include dreadnaught, jumbo, grand concert, etc. These styles are somewhat generic but vary a bit between manufacturers. These names refer generally to the shape and size of the guitar which will of course determine the sound of the guitar to a certain extent. You may also have to decide if you want a cutaway design or a more traditional style.

4.Do you want to get a nylon string classical guitar or a steel string? Nylon string guitars are easier on the fingers if you are a beginner but their necks are wider which means you have to stretch your fingers a bit more. Steel string acoustics have a more narrow neck but the steel strings are a bit painful if you have not yet developed calluses on your left hand.

Classical guitars are best used for fingerstyle playing and are suited to the classical, jazz and latin styles whereas a steel string acoustic is better suited to strumming chords and using a pick.

5. Do you want onboard electronics? If you think that you might want to amplify your acoustic guitar then consider getting a guitar with a build in pickup and preamp. This will allow you to plug your guitar into an amplifier without the need for a microphone.

The only task left is for you to go visit your local guitar store and try out some guitars. In the end, the final decision on what to purchase should be based on finding a guitar that you enjoy playing and a guitar that has a sound that is pleasing to you. Now go buy that guitar and get practicing.