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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…

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

Douglas Naselroad
Instrumental Healing
Music heals the soul. For many, crafting the instruments that make music has healing power, too. In 2012, the non-profit…

Brian Tarquin
Music, Books, and Bookings
Brian Tarquin is thriving in “steady as ya’ go” mode. Since his VG interview in February ’15, he has released…

Eastwood RD Artist
RD Our Lips
Issued during Gibson’s infamous “Norlin era,” the original RD Artist has become surprisingly collectible over the years, thanks to its…

Have Guitar Will Travel 092 – Chris Shiflett (Foo Fighters)
In this episode, host James Patrick Regan catches up with Chris Shiflett to discuss his latest solo album, working with…

Eric Clapton
Still Slowhand
There’s a lot of looking back going on here. For his 23rd solo album, Eric Clapton reunites with producer Glyn…
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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,…
ARTISTS

Seth Lover
Humbuckers and Other Lover innovations
The history of the musical instrument business is full of stories, from the drab to the miraculous. Some bean counters…

Les Paul
Birth of a Guitar Icon
Fifty years ago, Gibson’s new Les Paul Model was quickly becoming one of the company’s most popular guitars, and (though…

Dan Fogelberg
The sociopolitical attitude of the American population is often said to be gauged in reference to a town in Illinois.…
Eric Johnson
Getting Up Close With Eric Johnson
Eric Johnson’s latest release, Up Close, is his most lively studio project to date. With a looser vibe and the…
CLASSIC INSTRUMENTS

Vox AC50
Vox AC50 Preamp tubes: one ECC82 (12AU7), three ECC83 (12AX7) Output tubes: two EL34s, fixed-biased Rectifier: solidstate Controls: Volume, Treble…

Universal Audio’s OX Amp Top Box
The Tube Abides
Since the mid ’60s, electrical engineers have been trying to drive a stake into the heart of the vacuum tube,…

Gibson Humbucker
Crunchy, Clean Dirt
Gibson and Fender may be the longstanding heavyweight rivals of the electric guitar game, but they have one very important…

Classics: October 2021
Ibanez IC200 Iceman
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
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Live Wire
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Narrow(field) Win
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Take Flight
ValveTrain 205
Five Watts, Just So
Rick Gessner is a tweed amp enthusiast who has more than made a splash since entering the fray in 2005.…

Railhammer Billy Corgan Z-One Humcutters
Clear Crunch
In the quest for tone, the secret is a combination of pickups, wood, construction, and the magic in a player’s…

Mayfly Goddess Chorus
Come As You Are
Chorus pedals have been around for decades and for many players are an integral part of their tone. But not…

Demeter FZO-1 Fuzzy Octavulator
Fuzz Flavors
James Demeter has a long history in the amp and effects biz. His project-boxed/Dymo-labeled Tremulator pedal pre-dates the ’90s boutique…
WHAT ELSE IS NEW
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More Personal
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Rare Pioneer

Vintage Instruments and the Ban on Ivory Trade
A presidential executive order issued February 11 proposes a wide ban on trade in ivory has widespread implications for trade…

Oz Noy & Andrew Synowiec
Recreational Substance
Fusion guitar experts Oz Noy and Andrew Synowiec join forces for an album of shameless note density and post-bebop shred.…

Benjamin Kushner
Soul Patrol
Drawing from a vast well of American R&B and soul, Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal deliver powerhouse sounds from their…

D’Angelico Excel EXL-1
Laudable Likeness
Few vintage guitars are as vaunted as John D’Angelico’s original handcrafted Excel archtops. Building a new – and affordable –…













































