The Eclectic Guitar

A guitar magazine writer and editor in conversation with musicians and luthiers, with note-for-note transcriptions.

By Adam Perlmutter

· Launched 2 years ago

Waiting to Be Asked

On my daughter discovering the guitar and exploring open-D tuning on a family heirloom, along with her requested transcription of the Longest Johns…

19 hrs ago • Adam Perlmutter

Hearing Everything: Duck Baker Looks Back on a Long and Rich Life in Music

The fingerstyle great reflects on a lifetime of pursuing whatever caught his ear—and where it has taken him. Plus, a transcription of his quirky…

Jun 18 • Adam Perlmutter

Remembering James Blood Ulmer (1940–2026)

A few thoughts on a true guitar original, along with a transcribed excerpt of his piece “Page One: Grand Finale.”

Jun 16 • Adam Perlmutter

Lady Day: An Unaccompanied Intro by Julian Lage

A free-time improvisation from Joe Lovano’s new Paramount Quartet album, transcribed here, showcases the guitarist’s melodic imagination, harmonic…

Jun 5 • Adam Perlmutter

A Blank Canvas: Matthew Stevens on the Fender Telecaster’s Chameleonic Appeal

The guitarist-composer discusses growing up in Toronto, the ideas behind his music, and playing an acoustic once owned by Elliott Smith. Includes a…

Jun 3 • Adam Perlmutter

Far From Standard: Emma Harner on Alternate Tunings, Odd Meters, and Finding Her Own Path

The guitarist and singer-songwriter discusses intuitive harmony, contemporary classical influences, and the thinking behind her “math folk” songs. Plus…

May 27 • Adam Perlmutter and Emma Harner

Chasing Perfection: Steve Nall of Collings Guitars on Craft, Curiosity, and the Pursuit of Better Tone

The Austin, Texas maker’s head luthier discusses new models, tonewoods, and the obsessive details behind some of today’s most sought-after guitars, plus…

May 17 • Adam Perlmutter

Inside the Song: Wendy Eisenberg on Time, Memory, and the Emotional Lives of Guitars

The Brooklyn-based musician discusses improvisation, writing, and the ways certain instruments can reshape a player’s relationship to the past—plus a…

May 11 • Adam Perlmutter