December 2008

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FEATURES

BRENT ROWAN
Nashville Trail Blazer
The studio vet has worked with everyone from George Jones to Robert Plant. A strong religious upbringing kept him from listening to pop music in his youth, but taught him much about how music can affect people. By Zac Childs

AMP-O-RAMA
The “Silverface” Fender Princeton Reverb
The definitive “student amp,” this diminutive wailer has long been the secret weapon of elite guitarists at the other end of the scale. And it lost very little in the transition from “blackface” to “silverface.” By Dave Hunter

GIBSON’S “BLOND” J-35
Guitar enthusiasts often consider the finish Fender applied to its early Teles and Esquires to be quintessential “blond.” But those were not the original blond guitars. Behold this extremely rare offering from the house of Orville! By George Gruhn and Walter Carter

HOWARD LEESE
Heart-Less But Guitar-Laden
He was an integral member of Heart when “Barracuda” swam up the charts, and helped the band achieve superstar status. These days he jams with Paul Rodgers, is recording a solo album, and builds custom guitars. By Wolf Marshall

SLIM BRYANT
Early Country Guitar’s Last Man Standing
Widely credited as the first country guitarist to infuse jazz and pop harmonies into the genre, he’s the last living link between pre-World-War-II country music and the 21st century. This December, he turns 100. By Rich Kienzle

THE KALAMAZOO KG-1
Its brand may not be on a top-flight list of collectibles, but there’s much to this humble instrument that makes it special, not the least of which is the fact it’s technologically innovative and, well… it was actually made by Gibson! By Michael Wright

BASS SPACE
The Turner Model 1
Rick Turner, former guitarist for Ian and Sylvia, built the first Alembics before founding his own company and offering some of the most unique axes to come out of California. This was his first bass. By Willie G. Moseley

DEPARTMENTS

Vintage Guitar Price Guide

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Dealer Directory

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Readers Gallery

FIRST FRET

Reader Mail

News and Notes
The Jazzmaster Turns 50, Wayman Tisdale update, Martin sells prototypes, Dean Zelinksky’s new guitars, In Memoriam, more!

Jerry Reed
1937-2008
By Rich Kienzle

David Berzansky
Steel Wheeler
By Wally Marx, Jr.

Frank Carillo
World Traveler, Gretsch lover
By Willie G. Moseley

Ask Zac
By Zac Childs

Buzz Campbell
Hot Rod Rockabilly
By Wally Marx, Jr.

Greg Howe
Solving the Mystery
By John Heidt

Gerry Beaudoin
In The Swing of Things
By Willie G. Moseley

Mark Selby
Triple-Crown Winner
By John Heidt

COLUMNS

The (Way) Back Beat
Beat Portraits: English R&B, Cradle of the Rock Guitar Hero
By Peter S. Kohman

Q&A With George Gruhn

Acousticville
Play Nice!
By Steven Stone

Guitars With Guts
1918 Enrique Garcia No. 195
By R.E. Bruné

“401K” Guitars
The Price Point of Change
By Gil Hembree

Fretprints
Buck Owens and Don Rich
By Wolf Marshall

TECH

Dan’s Guitar Rx
Big Blues Setup
By Dan Erlewine

Talkin’ Amps With…
George Metropoulos: Building a Kit Amp, Part 3 – The Test!
By David Jung

REVIEWS

The VG Hit List
CD, DVD, and Book Reviews
Experience Hendrix, CCR, Jerry Douglas, Elvin Bishop, ZZ Top, The Clash, The Fretless Bass, more!

Check This Action
Musicians’ Musicians
By Dan Forte

Vintage Guitar Gear Reviews
Guitar cabinets by Guitar Armoire, Access N Sight, Guitarmadore; L-Style Guitars by H&D, Gibson, and Running Dog; Burriss Royal Bluesman; Burns Steer Cutaway; V Pick

Gearin’ Up!
The latest cool new stuff!

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