• Super PickupGiveaway 2025

    Super PickupGiveaway 2025

    Win Big! 11 Sets! 11 Winners! Win a set of pickups from one of these sponsors: Deadline is March 15, 2026. Complete the survey below to enter giveaway. One entry…

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Carl Verheyen

Carl Verheyen

On <em>Mustang Run</em> and Making a CD that Lasts

February 19, 0201 · Bob Dragich

Fresh off a 42-show/13-country European tour with his own band, Supertramp guitarist and L.A. studio ace Carl Verheyen has just…

Dan’s Guitar RX: Doubleneck Redux

A Return to Glory for “Jerry”

July 31, 2025 · Dan Erlewine

In 1977, I was doing guitar repair in Big Rapids, Michigan, and my services included picking up and delivering repair…

Jack Casady

Hot Tuna, Part II

January 8, 2012 · Dan Forte

Jazz bass great Anthony Jackson once told Bass Player magazine he was drawn to Jack Casady’s “big, rich, metallic sound…

Jim Kweskin

Where Jazz Meets Folk

December 13, 2024 · Dan Forte

Jim Kweskin grew up in Stamford, Connecticut, and in 1958 entered Boston University, placing him near coffee houses at the…

Jock Bartley

The Return of Firefall

November 26, 2021 · Pete Prown

If you listened to pop radio in the late ’70s, it was hard to miss Firefall, whose soft-rock hits were…

Julian Lage

Jazz Memoir

September 1, 2023 · Oscar Jordan

The latest from Julian Lage contains mesmerizing originals featuring Bill Frisell’s supple artistry and Lage’s potent six-string imagery. View With…

  • Rickenbacker’s Electric 12-Strings

    Rickenbacker’s Electric 12-Strings

    Double-bound for Glory

    George Beauchamp and Adolph Rickenbacher founded Electro String in 1931 to manufacture what everyone would soon call “Rickenbacker” guitars. Success came early and their lap steels set standards of quality,…

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ARTISTS

Eric Sardinas

Eric Sardinas

Resonator Rock

May 3, 2015 · Oscar Jordan

Resonator/slide specialist Eric Sardinas is no blues curator. While he pays homage to the music that inspires him, Sardinas is…

Pop ’N Hiss: Toto

Fine Line

April 8, 2024 · Bret Adams

In 1978, disco ruled the charts and airwaves. Rock teetered on wobbly legs and there was nary a crunchy guitar…

Tyler Morris – 1963 Fender Stratocaster

December 6, 2024 · Vintage Guitar

Tyler Morris – 1963 Fender Stratocaster Tyler Morris guides us through his 1963 Fender Stratocaster in Fiesta Red. Follow Tyler…

Jorma Kaukonen

Hot Tuna, Part 1

November 23, 2015 · Dan Forte

Guitarist Jorma Kaukonen and bassist Jack Casady have been playing music together for 53 years – 40 of them as…


CLASSIC INSTRUMENTS

Gibson Style J Mando-bass

December 16, 2014 · George Gruhn

Decades before Audiovox or Leo Fender dreamed of making a fretted electric bass, Gibson started manufacturing fretted acoustic mando-basses that…

The Pedulla Buzz Bass

Fast and Fretless

September 23, 2019 · Willie G. Moseley

Introduced in 1980, the M.V. Pedulla Buzz Bass is one of the most-enduring examples of an upscale model offered fretless.…

In Detail: Gibson’s 1954-’58 Les Paul Junior

April 26, 2022 · Ward Meeker

In 1952, Gibson’s Les Paul model guitar was brand spanking new.  But it wasn’t cutting-edge. True, it was the company’s…

Classics: October 2021

Ibanez IC200 Iceman

June 10, 2022 · Ward Meeker

Pete Prown’s obsession with the Ibanez Iceman began when the company’s 1978 guitar catalog landed atop dealer display cases; the…


NEWSWIRE

APPROVED GEAR

Charis Acoustic SJ

Charis Acoustic SJ

Spirit in the Wood

February 1, 2016 · Chip Wilson

Charis Acoustic SJ Price: $4,800 (base); $7,100 (as reviewed) Info: www.charisacoustic.com. The spiritual aspects of music perhaps originate with the…

Harmony Comet

Michigan Meteor

June 21, 2022 · Bob Cianci

Whoever coined the phrase “Everything old is new again” knew what they were talking about. The resurrected Harmony brand, associated…

Bogner Oxford Fuzz

Highly Educational

May 30, 2019 · Phil Feser

Teaming with Rupert Neve, Bogner Amplification has developed a line of pedals based on its renowned amp channels. One result,…

Republic’s Classic Concert Ukulele

Dainty Device

October 3, 2019 · Michael Dregni

National launched its first ukulele in 1927, combining a brass-bodied, nickel-plated uke with the sweet-sounding amplification of a resonator cone.…

WHAT ELSE IS NEW

Bad Cat Black Cat 1×12 Combo

Roarin’ Back

December 23, 2023 · Charlie Wilkins

When Bad Cat Amplifiers trimmed its line to just four models with modern circuits, some wondered if they’d capture the…

Lonnie Mack

Strike Like Lightning

April 24, 2024 · Sean McDevitt

Lonnie Mack hadn’t released an album in eight years when this comeback effort arrived in January of 1985. His first…

Vox Symphonic Bass

Fender Bender

July 12, 2023 · Peter Stuart Kohman

Despite the way collectors and dealers freely apply the term “lawsuit guitars,” documented examples are few. One time it did…

John Wetton

Back In Asia

July 13, 2020 · Willie G. Moseley

Bassist/vocalist John Wetton has exhibited his solid chops and plaintive baritone voice through the decades in King Crimson, Asia, and…

Pop ’N Hiss: Uriah Heep’s Demons and Wizards

Under Its Spell

May 6, 2022 · Bret Adams

Hard rock/heavy metal and progressive rock were burgeoning genres in the early ’70s, and music fans by the millions eagerly…

Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols

Ruffian Riffs

November 2, 2018 · Greg Prato

Grown men wearing capes. Stadium concerts with self-indulgent instrumental solos. Lyrics that had nothing to do with reality. Rock stars…

Quilter Labs’ Aviator Cub

High Flyer

April 7, 2022 · Rich Maloof

Quilter Labs has gained a rep for busting popular perceptions. They’ve attempted to step up their game with this single-channel…

SITORI-HOME-MAIN-BIG

Sitori Sonics pedals

New Highs with Sitori Sonics’ Doob Dreamer, Tidal Phase, and Reel Repeat

September 14, 2015 · Tom Guerra

Sitori Sonics pedals Price: $188 list (Doob Dreamer, Reel Repeat); $168 (Tidal Phase) Info: sitorisonics.com. Despite the vast possibilities of…

Strymon’s Riverside Multistage Drive

Down By The River

April 16, 2019 · Phil Feser

At first glance, the Strymon Riverside Multistage Drive doesn’t look much different from the rest of the herd. But dig…

Check This Action: Up Jumped Elmore

January 14, 2026 · Dan Forte

When someone recently asked me to recommend the most essential Elmore James album, I answered, “Any and all.” I’ve never…

GJ2 Arete 5-Star Featured Image

GJ2 Arete 5-Star

Monster of Rock

June 5, 2015 · Pete Prown

Bergen Guitars ST and TL Price: $3,999 Info: www.gj2guitars.com. Grover Jackson is a name forever associated with classic metal and…

Robert Lockwood, Jr.

1915-2006

June 23, 2020 · Dan Forte

With the death of Robert Lockwood, Jr., the blues world lost one of the few direct links to Robert Johnson…

Tracy G

Dio Disciple

July 9, 2019 · Greg Prato

Ronnie James Dio had a knack for collaborating with talented guitarists – Ritchie Blackmore in Rainbow, Tony Iommi in Black…

Damon Fowler Brings the Blues

June 2, 2023 · Vintage Guitar

Slow and Tasty on “Taxman” Damon Fowler has shared stages with Dickey Betts and Butch Trucks, so it makes sense…

Walrus Audio Deep Six and Mayflower; Celestial Effects’ Cancer Wah the Fuzz?

Walrus Audio Deep Six and Mayflower; Celestial Effects’ Cancer Wah the Fuzz?

Trio of Tappers

October 14, 2015 · Pete Prown

Stompboxes range from organic, transparent circuits that let a guitar’s natural tone shine through, to effects that intentionally color the…

E.W.S. BMC2

E.W.S. BMC2

Tiny Green Giant

July 7, 2016 · Anders Fransson

As mini-sized pedals continue to gain in popularity they are also becoming increasingly refined and versatile in their layouts. One…

Blood, Sweat & Tears

What the Hell Happened to Blood, Sweat & Tears?

April 24, 2024 · Oscar Jordan

In 1970, Blood, Sweat & Tears was one of the most popular bands on Earth. The Woodstock headliner’s second album…

2025 December Issue on Spotify

January 7, 2026 · Doug Yellow Bird

This month, we feature Rick Derringer, Kid Ramos, Booker T and The M.G.’s, Steve Stevens, Phil Manzanera, Doug Aldrich, Kenny…

Greta Van Fleet

The Battle at Garden’s Gate

January 24, 2022 · Oscar Jordan

Surviving the slings and arrows of Led Zeppelin comparisons, a world tour, and Grammy win, Greta Van Fleet’s second LP…

Derek St. Holmes

Nuge Redux

January 7, 2016 · Willie G. Moseley

Singer/guitarist Derek St. Holmes’ relationship with guitarist Ted Nugent has had its ups and downs. The two have been associated…

Nick Moss

Backbone Shiver

July 11, 2024 · Oscar Jordan

On Get Your Back Into It!, guitarist Nick Moss and harmonica savant Dennis Gruenling combine blues, swing, and rock and…

Dave Mason with Chris Epting

Only You Know & I Know

May 30, 2025 · Bret Adams

Guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Dave Mason has endured the familiar rock-star highs and lows in his unusual career, and several unique experiences are…

Fletcher Bright and Bill Evans with Norman and Nancy Blake

May 15, 2016 · Michael Dregni

  This jam session recorded in veteran fiddler Fletcher Bright’s living room in Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, exudes a warmth, passion,…

Rush

February 27, 2017 · Pete Prown

Grab your hankies, Rush fans – this DVD doc captures moments from the trio’s R40 farewell tour, along with reminiscences…

Rivera Shaman Series Pedals

Holy Tones

May 25, 2016 · Max Prown

Rivera Shaman Series Pedals Price: $299 each (street) Info: www.rivera.com. With roots stretching to the late ’70s, SoCal-based Rivera Amplification…

Scott T. Jones’ battle, axes

April 1, 2022 · Vintage Guitar

Rippin’ Midwestern Jazz-Rock St. Louis’ own jazz-fusion mainstay Scott T. Jones runs through a few tunes – on a few…

Jeff Plankenhorn

New Innovations For Lap Steel

December 26, 2017 · Willie G. Moseley

Jeff Plankenhorn has always made music his way, using stringed instruments he created. He picked up guitar at age 10,…

Home Feature Image

Gretsch’s “Golden” Tenors

January 30, 2014 · Edward Ball

In the 1950s and early ’60s, the electric guitar was establishing itself as a key part of the new voice…

Five Classic Amps

Five Classic Amps

A Tone-Spotter’s Arsenal To Cover It All

March 31, 2016 · Dave Hunter

When it comes to classic guitar tones – whether it’s blues through a Dumble, country through a Fender, rock through…