Popa Chubby

Head, Heart, and Hands

October 12, 2015 · Oscar Jordan

Popa Chubby is back on the road again, preaching the gospel to blues fans around the world. His new album,…

Taylor Baritone-8

Crazy Eight

May 10, 2014 · Pete Prown

The Taylor Baritone-8 Price: $3,998 list; $3,200 street Info: www.taylorguitars.com Some guitarists are happy with conventional guitars and basses. Others,…

DryBell Vibe Machine 3

Big Deepness

February 8, 2024 · Oscar Jordan

DryBell Musical Electronic Laboratory’s original Vibe Machine (its take on the classic Univibe) was developed 11 years ago and received…

Michael Johnny Walker

Michael Johnny Walker

Vintage Attitude Required

July 5, 2016 · Johnny Zapp

The term “vintage” isn’t always literal when it comes to gear, but it certainly can be used to describe attitude.…

The Electra Endorser

December 2, 2025 · Michael Wright

Flame-top guitars were fairly common during the 1970s “copy era,” but few reached the levels of figure we often see…

The Pinecaster: Early Electric Guitars 1920-1955

Nacho Baños and Lynn Wheelwright

January 17, 2023 · Michael Dregni

Four volumes, 960 pages, more than 1,000 photos and historical documents – The Pinecaster is heavier than the heaviest 1958…

  • Popa Chubby

    Popa Chubby

    I Love Freddie King

    The latest from blues dynamo Popa Chubby is a star-studded tribute to the late great Freddie King. Produced by Mr. Chubby and Mike Zito, I Love Freddie King is a…

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ARTISTS

Pop ’N Hiss: Led Zeppelin’s IV

Heaven Sent

August 1, 2022 · Bret Adams

It’s impossible to overstate the influence Led Zeppelin’s “untitled” fourth album – call it IV, ZoSo, Runes, Four Symbols, whatever…

STEVEHOWE_HOME-MAIN-BIG

Steve Howe

Yes: In The Present

August 27, 2015 · Oscar Jordan

Progressive-rock icons Yes are still going strong after more than 40 years of recording and performing. Throughout their reign as…

Pop ’N Hiss: Deep Purple’s Machine Head

Definitive Riffs

January 14, 2025 · Pete Prown

Now regarded as the “Beethoven’s 5th” of rock and roll, “Smoke on the Water” became a surprise hit in the…

Dario Lorina

Black Label Soloist

May 21, 2019 · Greg Prato

Best known as Zakk Wylde’s right-hand man in Black Label Society, Dario Lorina is an accomplished shredder in his own…


CLASSIC INSTRUMENTS

’66 Epiphone Casino

April 6, 2020 · George Gruhn

In the Epiphone line of the 1960s, the Casino occupied middle ground. In appearance as well as electronics it ranked…

Keith Richards’ 1977 Mesa/Boogie Mark I

Still Rollin’

November 30, 2023 · Dave Hunter

As ubiquitous as the little 1×12″ Mesa/Boogie Mark Series combo has become over the past 48 years – and as…

Premier Twin 12

February 5, 2016 · Dave Hunter

Sometimes it takes just the slightest aesthetic twist to get an amp nut all worked up. This 1960 Premier Twin…

Vintage Instruments and the Ban on Ivory Trade

Vintage Instruments and the Ban on Ivory Trade

February 3, 2016 · George Gruhn

A presidential executive order issued February 11 proposes a wide ban on trade in ivory has widespread implications for trade…


NEWSWIRE

APPROVED GEAR

The Epiphone ES-175 Reissue

Return of a Classic

August 26, 2013 · Pete Prown

There are plenty of affordable hollowbodies on the market, but Epiphone’s recent reissue of the Gibson ES-175 is almost a…

The Clark Gainster

Trick Your Tweed

June 10, 2020 · Art Department

Before he got into the effects pedal biz, Michael Clark had a reputation for building killer tweed-inspired amps. In 2001…

AmpRX BrownBox Voltage-Reduction Unit

AmpRX BrownBox Voltage-Reduction Unit

Vintage-Safe Voltage

January 22, 2016 · Zac Childs

AmpRX BrownBox Voltage-Reduction Unit Price: $269.00 (list) Contact: www.amprx.net Amplifier repairman and builder Patrick Geraghty was frustrated with the sound…

Xotic Guitar XSS-1 Super S Style

Tribute To The King

October 9, 2025 · Oscar Jordan

Xotic’s S-style guitar line pays homage to the man who revolutionized rock guitar in the ’80s. Hint: He was hot…

WHAT ELSE IS NEW

Gibson Theodore Standard

Flower Power

July 10, 2025 · Rich Maloof

Named in honor of Ted McCarty, the Theodore is based on a design the legendary Gibson president penciled into a…

Home Feature Image

Larry Parypa

Sonics Thunder

May 7, 2016 · Elliot Stephen Cohen

“I never thought this would happen to us all these years later,” marvels Sonics guitarist Larry Parypa on the reception…

Paul Benjaman: Tulsa twanger

August 27, 2024 · Vintage Guitar

Funky solo from “Undercover of Night” On his new album, “My Bad Side Wants a Good Time,” Paul Benjaman serves…

2021 October Issue on Spotify

November 2, 2021 · Doug Yellow Bird

This month we feature Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready, Blind Melon’s Christopher Thorn, ZZ Top, Brian May, Eric Clapton, Robben Ford,…

Check This Action: Box of Cacti

October 30, 2023 · Dan Forte

The 1970 debut album by Cactus blasted off with a gnarly guitar riff for the ages, as the band’s rendition…

Kim Simmonds

Kim Simmonds

Back to Basics with Savoy Brown

November 11, 2014 · Willie G. Moseley

Under the aegis of founder Kim Simmonds, Savoy Brown has always been a band “subject to change.” Formed in 1965,…

Positive Grid Spark

Cloud Nine

October 15, 2021 · Pete Prown

Once upon a time, you had a guitar, amp, and pedals – a complete guitar universe. Today, there’s a fourth…

Eric Ambel

August 2, 2016 · Dennis Pernu

Eric “Roscoe” Ambel is accomplished guitarist (Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Steve Earle) and go-to “roots rock” producer (Bottle Rockets,…

Dobro Model 27

Brother Oswald's Dobro – Country Music History Maker

December 22, 2014 · Vintage Guitar

The melodic, evocative warbling of a resonator guitar has for decades been a fixture in country music, and knowledgeable fans…

Scott Holt

Mojo Risin’ in Foghat

August 6, 2024 · Bret Adams

It’s been more than 50 years since Foghat unleashed its freewheeling rock and roll, steeped in its blues beginnings. Sonic…

Owen Campbell

February 27, 2017 · Rick Allen

While the electric guitar might define rock and roll, Owen Campbell elevates the image of the acoustic guitar as an…

Henry Garza

Henry Garza

From Tragedy to Revelation

September 8, 2014 · Oscar Jordan

Los Lonely Boys’ new album, Revelation, draws from several influences while retaining the band’s Texas/Mexican identity. Collaborating with a group…

 Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson, Steve Vai

Bass Convergence

November 7, 2025 · Oscar Jordan

Recorded at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles on their 2024 U.S. tour, G3 Reunion Live reunites the virtuosos who…

Santa Cruz HT/13 Happy Traum

Fingerstyle Dream

August 11, 2022 · Michael Shirek

In a career spanning more than 60 years, Happy Traum has been a fixture of the American folk scene, from…

Tremcaster Single Ninety Home Feature Image

Tremcaster Single Ninety

Best of Both Worlds

January 7, 2014 · Sean OBryan Smith

Today’s guitar market is one of extreme preferences. For some, the idea of countless options and exotic woods and craftsmanship…

Cordoba Stage

Classical Gas

October 11, 2023 · Bob Cianci

With a 1.5″/fully chambered mahogany body, the Stage – Cordoba’s first foray into the world of nylon-string electric guitars –…

Howard Roberts

H.R. Was a Dirty Guitar Player!

October 7, 2014 · Jim Carlton

In his prime, Howard Roberts played more than 900 studio dates annually and recorded the hippest guitar records of the…

Pop ’N Hiss: Wishbone Ash’s Argus

Twin-Lead Loadstone

July 6, 2022 · Willie G. Moseley

Founded in 1969, Wishbone Ash attained fast fame in the U.K. with its meshing of intricate twin-lead-guitar passages and harmony…

John McLaughlin

The Montreux Years

January 17, 2023 · Pete Prown

This retrospective from the Swiss jazz festival spans 28 years, covering miles of jazz-rock territory. In 1984, McLaughlin formed a…

Joanne Shaw Taylor

Passion and Soul

July 27, 2022 · Oscar Jordan

British blues-rock guitarist Joanne Shaw Taylor is leaving her mark on the classics. With The Blues Album, Taylor’s husky vocals…

Fender Mustang II Amp

Practiced Past

December 27, 2017 · Pete Prown

When you check out an amp like the Fender Mustang II, you may wonder if the term “practice amp” still…

Have Guitar Will Travel 096 – Chad Kinchla (Blues Traveler) and Todd Park Mohr (Big Head Todd and the Monsters)

April 1, 2024 · James Patrick Regan

In episode 96 of “Have Guitar Will Travel,” host James Patrick Regan speaks with Chan Kinchla from Blues Traveler and…

Tom Petersson

Lower-End Innovator

June 10, 2020 · Willie G. Moseley

It’s been a long time comin’… Like his longtime bandmate, Rick Nielsen, Cheap Trick bassist/songwriter Tom Petersson collects classic stringed…

Otis Taylor

March 30, 2017 · Oscar Jordan

Otis Taylor has no concern for your discomfort with racial issues. It’s an artist’s duty to reflect the times, and…

Robben Ford

The One and Only

April 8, 2014 · Dan Forte

There’s never been a shortage of young guitar hotshots, but in recent years, particularly among blues players, these phenoms seem…

Gretsch Roots Collection: Jim Dandy Flat-top, Dixie 6 Guitar-Banjo

Back to the Country

December 15, 2014 · Dennis Pernu

Gretsch Roots Collection: Jim Dandy Flat-top, Dixie 6 Guitar-Banjo Price: $239 retail (Jim Dandy Flat Top) and $499 retail (Dixie…

Andrew Hendryx on a ’64 Fender Mandocaster

March 3, 2023 · Andrew Hendryx

 Andrew Hendryx Demoing ’64 Fender Mandocaster On a recent mandolin safari, Andrew Hendryx visited a shop in Asheville, North…

Cornford Hurricane

Exemplary "extension of your playing" amplifier

December 29, 2004 · Phil Feser

Since its introduction, English amp builder Paul Cornford’s 6-watt Harlequin recording amp has had a reputation for great sound. Many…

Knaggs Chena Old Violin

Righteous Axe

October 11, 2023 · Oscar Jordan

With notable string-bending monsters like Larry Mitchell, Eric Steckel, and Steve Stevens singing the praises of Knaggs Guitars, Peter Wolf…