In the world of guitars, what's vintage and what isn't is subject to interpretation. The sample in question may be a true classic, such as the 1961 Gibson Les Paul SG, or something as recent as a 2002 PRS Golden Eagle. But what's more than just a matter of opinion is that many of these beauties still sound great after - in some cases - more than 50 years.

Guitars look fairly simple. A body and neck hold a set of taut strings and the musician clamps the string down at different points and strums or picks. Out comes music. But there's more to the story...

Though the primary sound of an acoustic guitar is produced by vibrations from the soundboard (top), something has to set that wood oscillating. And, of course, since the wood is a fixed shape and material it can inherently only produce one basic sound. The infinite variety of guitar music is the product of its strings.

Some guys (or gals) can play all day at top speed for years and never suffer. Others will develop tendonitis, carpal tunnel or any of a number of elbow, arm, wrist or finger problems. Part of that is the genetic luck of the draw. There's not much to be done about that (yet). But you can shift the odds in your favor by monitoring and possibly modifying your technique.