That's the common trope when you're on a field trip in the third grade, or when, 30 years later, you're talking to a financial planner. I try to follow that rule religiously, to the point where folks can't tell whether I'm playing dumb or am just, in fact, kinda slow. I guess the jury is still out.

With that in mind, here's my latest dumb question: How the heck does an acoustic instrument stay together?

Glue, sure. A "dovetail joint," you may answer, or "bolt-on." I get that,...