• Duke Robillard – Lowdown

    Duke Robillard – Lowdown

    Vintage Guitar is happy to offer the premier of the new music video by Grammy nominee Duke Robillard. “Lowdown” is the  first single from his upcoming album, Blast Off!, set…

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  • 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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Magic Magnets

TV Jones’ Starwood Humbuckers

April 16, 2020 · Oscar Jordan

Best known for making the vintage-sounding Magna’Tron, Power’Tron, and Supra’Tron pickups, TV Jones has expanded its well-regarded line to include…

J.D. Simo

Playing for Elvis

July 13, 2023 · Oscar Jordan

Psych-blues guitar maestro J.D. Simo was the wizard behind the guitar work heard on Elvis, the new Baz Luhrmann film…

Gittler Classic Home Feature Image

Gittler Classic

Back to the Future

June 10, 2016 · Zac Childs

The Gittler guitar was invented in the late 1970s by Allan Gittler, whose vision to reduce the guitar to its…

PRS SE NF3

Expanded Options

May 8, 2025 · Bob Cianci

The latest result of PRS Guitars “reverse-engineering”/ reconsidering its own instruments, the SE NF3 is the first PRS to be…

Radial Tonebone Shotgun and Mix-Blender

Swiss-Army Stompboxes

July 9, 2018 · Tom Guerra

Whether it’s due to shrinking pedalboard real estate, shrinking discretionary budgets, or both, stompboxes that serve more than one function…

John Scofield

January 27, 2017 · Rich Kienzle

The history of jazz guitarists playing country tunes is long and distinguished, starting with Slim Bryant, Les Paul, and George…

  • Carr Skylark Special 1×12

    Carr Skylark Special 1×12

    Take Flight

    Arriving a little more than 10 years after the original Skylark, Carr Amplifiers’ new Skylark Special adds versatility and enhanced tonal depths to squeeze a lot more into this diminutive…

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ARTISTS

Chris Cain

Tales to Tell

June 10, 2022 · Oscar Jordan

Armed with a new deal with Alligator Records and producer Kid Andersen (of Rick Estrin & The Night Cats), Chris…

Jimmy Nalls

1951-2017 Guitar Stars Honor a Fallen Hero

April 24, 2019 · Dan Forte

On June 22, the musical journey of guitar great Jimmy Nalls ended due to the effects of Parkinson’s Disease and…

Robert John & The Wreck’s Henry James

July 28, 2023 · Vintage Guitar

Cali-Style Southern Rock Southern-fried rock from California? You bet it’s tasty. Check out the guitar work of Henry James Schneekluth…

Pat Rush

Johnny, James, Et Al

March 29, 2017 · Tom Guerra

If the name “Pat Rush” doesn’t immediately ring a bell, the names of people he’s played with – Muddy Waters,…


CLASSIC INSTRUMENTS

Gibson Basses in The ’70s

Gibson Basses in The ’70s

Plucky Trio from the “Downer Decade”

February 29, 2016 · Willie G. Moseley

Guitar enthusiasts have long heard that the 1970s were the “downer decade” for Fender and Gibson, both of which introduced…

Mosrite Joe Maphis

July 14, 2020 · Willie G. Moseley

The 1960s were arguably the most memorable decade in the history of American guitar manufacturing. True, some legendary electric guitar…

First Guitar of Rock and Roll

Scotty Moore’s Gibson ES-295

June 10, 2022 · Michael Dregni

Like a hound dog hit by lightning, the first notes of rock and roll blasted out of radios across the…

Standel 400S

June 12, 2023 · Willie G. Moseley

In the early days of the American electric guitar/amplifier industry, Standel was known for building high-quality amplifiers used by the…


NEWSWIRE

APPROVED GEAR

Fishman’s Fluence Greg Koch Gristle-Tone Pickups

Voices Not In Your Head

July 5, 2018 · Tom Guerra

In 2014, Fishman introduced their Fluence line with the goal of combining vintage tone with freedom from the inductance problems…

Grez Mendocino Short Scale Bass

Time-Machine Tone

April 3, 2023 · Michael Shirek

In the beginning, there was the Precision Bass. Following Leo Fender’s revelation, things branched out in all directions as builders…

Gretsch G5191BK Tim Armstrong Electromatic

Cool Player, Punk Heart

November 5, 2013 · Sean OBryan Smith

Few punk-rock guitarists have made their mark like Tim Armstrong. Through his work with renowned punkers Rancid, Armstrong has torn…

Donner DST-400

Seeing Green

February 7, 2023 · Dennis Pernu

If the pandemic had a silver lining beyond more time at home with our toys, it was the growth of…

WHAT ELSE IS NEW

Check This Action: Playing Guitar With The Ventures

December 8, 2022 · Dan Forte

Think of your favorite rock band, and imagine sitting in with them – or better yet, being a member. The…

Exquisite fingerstyle from Will Ackerman

August 11, 2022 · Vintage Guitar

Trademark Melodies from an Icon Will Ackerman and his Steve Klein guitar show us a piece of the lovely “I…

Mike McCready

Strat Swap: Fender CS Mark Anniversary of Ten

June 13, 2022 · Ward Meeker

“I smashed a lot of guitars!” says Mike McCready of his nights onstage as Pearl Jam rode the crest of…

1968 Fender Vibrolux Reverb

Silver Serenade

May 21, 2019 · Dave Hunter

Amplifier collectors swarm to models with descriptors like “first year” and “golden age,” but other types can be far more…

1985 Guild Nightbird Prototype Home Main Big

1985 Guild Nightbird Prototype

March 17, 2016 · George Gruhn

In early 1984, Mark Dronge, son of the Guild founder Alfred Dronge, was president of Guild. That year, Mark and…

Carr Skylark Special 1×12

Take Flight

January 14, 2026 · Dave Hunter

Arriving a little more than 10 years after the original Skylark, Carr Amplifiers’ new Skylark Special adds versatility and enhanced…

Bobby “Blue” Bland

The Guitarists of Blues’ Crown Prince

October 16, 2015 · Dan Forte

On June 23 of last year, the blues lost one of its greatest singers with the death of Bobby “Blue”…

Kenny Burrell

Playing It, Meaning It, Living It

April 25, 2016 · Wolf Marshall

Few can claim the title of living legend. Kenny Burrell is just such a person. In fact he’s more –…

Fender American Vintage II ’57 Stratocaster

Period Piece

October 11, 2023 · Pete Prown

Sure, we all drool over Fender Custom Shop axes, but those instruments are sometimes out of wallet’s reach. Coming to…

Beat Portraits: Burns Volume 10

Saga of The Lost Supersounds

February 21, 2018 · Peter Stuart Kohman

In early 2009, VG columnist Peter Stuart Kohman turned his focus on Burns, the pioneering British guitar builder. We’ve compiled…

Eli “Paperboy” Reed

“Always” Music

September 1, 2023 · Oscar Jordan

Guitarist/producer Eli “Paperboy” Reed understands the emotional thread between blues, gospel, R&B, and country music. He has created his own…

Brian F. Wright

The Bastard Instrument: A Cultural History of the Electric Bass

May 2, 2025 · Pete Prown

There isn’t enough serious literature about the electric bass, but this book is a worthy contribution. The author takes us…

Elliot Easton

Different Directions

January 9, 2014 · Willie G. Moseley

Lefty guitarist Elliot Easton has chosen a different route for his most recent musical venture, but its sonic direction should…

GA-20’s Matt Stubbs and Pat Faherty

FlashBack Sounds, Forward Steps

August 8, 2023 · Ward Meeker

Musical gateways opened by Jimi Hendrix and the Doors led Matt Stubbs to become a disciple of Johnny “Guitar” Watson,…

Jim Campilongo

Jim Campilongo

“I’m a Guitar Player”

August 14, 2014 · Oscar Jordan

It’s been two years since Jim Campilongo put out a solo record, but on the new Dream Dictionary, his patented…

Fender Bassbreaker 45 Combo

Hybrid Love Child

March 31, 2017 · Oscar Jordan

Fender’s new nine-product Bassbreaker series combines popular traditional amplifiers with modern technology. Classic tones and flexibility are the name of…

Peter Tuffrey

British Guitarists 1952-1972: Electric Pioneers

October 29, 2024 · Pete Prown

Peter Tuffrey is an author of general-interest books (several about English trains) who is adroit at compiling information. This one…

Fall Philly 2014

November 13, 2014 · Lisa Sharken

[caption id="attachment_19277" align="alignleft" width="300"] We are here at the Philly show checking out all the killer guitars! Here's a '54…

Epiphone’s ES-339 PRO

Scale-Sized Kicks

July 8, 2015 · Pete Prown

Epiphone’s ES-339 PRO Price: $400 street Info: www.epiphone.com. The Gibson ES-335 quickly revealed its versatility and tone following its introduction…

Electro-Harmonix Synth9

Downright Synth-Ful

May 21, 2019 · Pete Prown

For 40 years, guitar synthesizers have come and gone, but the Electro-Harmonix Synth9 looks to be a game-changer for several…

Walrus The Melee

Super Soaker

December 23, 2023 · Pete Prown

Just when you think you’ve seen everything, along comes Walrus’ The Melee: Wall of Noise, a pedal with a built-in…

Kenny Wayne Shepherd

Blues From the Backroads

June 9, 2020 · Michael Dregni

Stepping into the spotlight to play the blues with the classic bands that backed Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf, most…

Carlos Santana

Holding That Tone

April 5, 2022 · Dan Forte

Carlos Santana is illustrating a point. “Most people play like this – around the note,” he says, making a fist…

Rory Gallagher’s Photo-Finish

Legend’s Best

October 13, 2021 · Tom Guerra

The year 1977 saw upheaval in rock and roll, from the death of Elvis Presley and Lynyrd Skynyrd’s plane crash…

Snowy White

British Blues Deluxe

April 27, 2023 · Pete Prown

There’s a reason Pink Floyd, Thin Lizzy, and Roger Waters secured the services of Snowy White – his extraordinarily soulful…

Home Feature Image

Strymon El Capistan dTape Echo

Endless Echo

June 10, 2016 · Michael Dregni

Like politics, religion, and overdrive pedals, echo boxes are sure to incite staunch views, heartfelt arguments, and perhaps even fisticuffs.…

Tony Gilkyson

Avenging Angel

October 8, 2024 · Dan Forte

You know an album is promising when its sidemen include Buck Owens pedal-steeler Jay Dee Maness and Watts 103rd Street…

Mike Morgan

Back With the Blues (and More)

July 26, 2023 · Dan Forte

On Mike Morgan and the Crawl’s tenth album and first new release in 15 years, 63-year-old Morgan shows maturity, command,…

Sebastià Gris’ flavorful Two-for One

June 10, 2024 · Vintage Guitar

 Fresh from Barcelona Sebastià Gris used his Gibson SG as eye-candy to play a sample of “Clickbait,” from his…