Ian Hunter

Defying the Odds

January 31, 2024 · Tom Guerra

Taking advantage of the time off in the early days of the pandemic, Ian Hunter hunkered down in his Connecticut…

 Yasmin Williams

Art of Collaboration

October 8, 2025 · Pete Prown

Yasmin Williams turned heads a few years ago with her brilliant solo acoustic music, often playing the guitar flat on…

Daniel de Visé

King of the Blues: The Rise and Reign of B.B. King

June 8, 2022 · Michael Dregni

Sixty years, 90 countries, 15,000 concerts – and that tally doesn’t include B.B. King’s early years of juke joints, radio…

Steve Lukather

Bridges to Toto’s Past

April 18, 2024 · Bret Adams

Discussing his ninth solo album, Steve Lukather is a ball of energy – reflective, witty, ready with a joke. “I…

FireBelly Amplifiers’ Tweed 1955SE, PR3512SE

FireBelly Amplifiers’ Tweed 1955SE, PR3512SE

Tale Of Two Princetons

April 1, 2016 · Oscar Jordan

FireBelly Amplifiers’ Tweed 1955SE, PR3512SE Price: $949 (Tweed 1955SE); $1,595 (PR3512SE) Contact: www.firebellyamps.com The quest for vintage tone continues, and…

Hofner 185

April 14, 2016 · Peter Stuart Kohman

Have you heard the line, “If Hendrix had a Magnatone, Strats would be worth $200 now?” A highly debatable proposition,…

  • Rik Emmett

    Rik Emmett

    Canadian Custom

    Rik Emmett is a master of many guitar styles and other artistic endeavors. As co-lead vocalist/guitarist in the hard-rock trio Triumph from 1975 to ’88, he experienced life as a…

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ARTISTS

Robert Randolph

The Sacred Steel, Family, and SRV

January 3, 2014 · Ward Meeker

Living testament to the versatility of the pedal-steel guitar and a rarity in pop music, Robert Randolph adroitly addresses the…

Lee Ritenour

Lee's Six-String Theory

July 29, 2015 · Oscar Jordan

Lee Ritenour’s career accomplishments are the stuff of greatness. With thousands of classic recording sessions and more than 40 albums…

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Steve West

Life Since “Louie, Louie”

May 7, 2016 · Dan Forte

What constitutes a Guitar Hero? Is it Hendrix or Van Halen, or is it your seminal six-string inspiration? Or what…

Wishbone Ash

Powell, Manninen, and <em>Elegant Stealth</em>

November 29, 2013 · Willie G. Moseley

Fans of Wishbone Ash will consider the group’s newest release, Elegant Stealth, the type of innovative guitar music they’ve grown…


CLASSIC INSTRUMENTS

Martin OM-18 and 000-28

March 13, 2014 · Bill Bush

What makes these two Martins remarkable is not necessarily their rarity or historical importance, though both would be welcome additions…

VOXAC50-HOME-MAIN-BIG

Vox AC50

April 21, 2015 · Dave Hunter

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

Vintage Instrument Research

An Ever-Changing Landscape

May 9, 2019 · George Gruhn

Fretted instruments can be examined in much the same way as zoological taxonomist or forensic pathologist would approach them. They…

Yamaha Image

December 26, 2013 · Michael Wright

Some years back, an insurance company promoted itself as “the quiet company.” While they probably wouldn’t like to hear it,…


NEWSWIRE

APPROVED GEAR

Demeter FZO-1 Fuzzy Octavulator

Demeter FZO-1 Fuzzy Octavulator

Fuzz Flavors

October 24, 2014 · Zac Childs

James Demeter has a long history in the amp and effects biz. His project-boxed/Dymo-labeled Tremulator pedal pre-dates the ’90s boutique…

Weller El Dorrado

Rock-and-Roll Screamer

July 10, 2025 · Pete Prown

Tucked away in southwest Illinois near St. Louis, luthier Steve Weller is making interesting instruments. His El Dorrado model is…

Reddick Voyager CS

Mods Made Easy

May 13, 2024 · Rich Maloof

Exploring creative designs at his shop in Georgia, luthier Ian Reddick aimed to solve a common problem – how to…

Becos FX TS8-JZ Ziffer Overdrive

Dirty Deeds

December 8, 2022 · Pete Prown

Based on the highly revered Maxon/Ibanez 808 circuit and co-designed with guitarist Jordan Ziff (Ratt, Marty Friedman, Hot Crazy), the…

WHAT ELSE IS NEW

Kenny Wayne Shepherd

More Trouble

November 9, 2023 · Greg Prato

In 1997, the rock music being embraced by radio and MTV was primarily pop punk (Green Day), rap metal (Limp…

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Randy Bachman

The Album Title Says It All

May 7, 2016 · Willie G. Moseley

Canadian guitarist/guitar collector Randy Bachman is known worldwide for his classic licks in songs by the Guess Who and Bachman-Turner…

Pat Martino

Redefined Jazzman

March 2, 2022 · Wolf Marshall

Pat Martino is a legend. He has been delighting the globe’s collective ear for more than 50 years, making an…

Warwick Thumb Bass

Generational Innovation

April 15, 2019 · Willie G. Moseley

Founded in the early 1980s by Hans-Peter Wilfer, Warwick has a familial connection to another well-known German brand from a…

Johnny Nicholas

Musical Polyglot

March 15, 2019 · Willie G. Moseley

Considering the varied musicality of Austin, Texas, it’s no wonder singer/songwriter Johnny Nicholas makes his home in the Texas capitol.…

Birthright: A Black Roots Music Compendium

Various artists

January 24, 2024 · Dan Forte

This double-CD’s 40 tracks represent a wide swath of black roots music, from zydeco to gospel, from a Mississippi fife-and-drum…

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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.…

1965 Gibson Thunderbird

Cardinal Red Rarity

January 8, 2018 · Willie G. Moseley

Looking to finally make a real dent in Fender’s solidbody bass market, in the mid ’60s Gibson launched a line…

Carvin’s AE185-12

Stairway to Heaven

January 8, 2014 · Pete Prown

Carvin’s AE185-12 Price: $1,239 (base retail) Info: www.carvinguitars.com. Most guitarists love the sound of a 12-string, but the thought of…

Fretprints: Ronnie Montrose

America’s Metallic Answer

March 31, 2022 · Wolf Marshall

The cultural and musical hotbed that was San Francisco in the ’60s produced numerous important bands – Santana, Grateful Dead,…

PRS Guitars’ McCarty

Ted Talkin’

March 6, 2017 · Pete Prown

In the late 1980s, Ted McCarty, the man who served as president of Gibson during the company’s “golden age,” became…

Warren Haynes

G-Mule Shout!

February 27, 2015 · Ward Meeker

Gov’t Mule’s blues-based rock has never followed a formula, opting instead for an improvisational modus operandi that gives its music…

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…

Daion Headhunter HH-555

April 30, 2010 · Michael Wright

The trajectory of the Japanese guitar industry in many ways has mirrored that of the United States, though in a…

Tommy Emmanuel

Accomplice Two

February 9, 2024 · Rich Kienzle

On this rich, diverse collection of duets, Emmanuel and Billy Strings get right to it with an exuberant medley of…

Eric Ambel’s New-Guitar Magic

June 27, 2022 · Vintage Guitar

Producer/player’s experience may be like yours! Guitarist/producer Eric Ambel talks about how a guitar can inspire a new lick, which…

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…

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Top 50 Guitar Songs of the ’70s

May 25, 2015 · Vintage Guitar

By the Readers and Staff of Vintage Guitar Vintage Guitar marked 25 years of publication with a year full of…

Ally Venable

Fire and Honey

March 7, 2024 · Oscar Jordan

Ally Venable’s latest album, Real Gone, features excellent production, accessible songwriting, intense guitar playing, and guest spots by Joe Bonamassa…

VG Q&A: Parlor Mystery

Plus, a Pro’s List of Repair Glues

January 2, 2026 · Dan Erlewine

My neighbor has an old parlor guitar that he asked me to clean up after years in storage. Inside the…

Jazz Guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel: Deep, Rich, Sparkling on a Baritone

March 30, 2023 · Vintage Guitar

Moody, Introspective, Intimate Kurt Rosenwinkel’s new album features him improvising solo on nine tracks like this one, “Peace Please.” That’s…

Fretprints: Robben Ford

The Early Years: Emergence of a Blues/Jazz Virtuoso

January 24, 2022 · Wolf Marshall

“Who is this kid?” gasped incredulous attendees of the Guitar Explosion festival at the Hollywood Bowl in June, 1973. It…

Joe Bonamassa

Betting On Yourself

October 11, 2021 · Oscar Jordan

The British effect on American blues is undeniable. From the wicked guitar stylings of Paul Kossoff and Mick Taylor to…

Raul Malo’s Instrumental Side

November 1, 2023 · Vintage Guitar

 Mavericks frontman with a vintage Jazzmaster Though he is renowned and beloved for his vocals in the Mavericks, Raul…

Roy Buchanan

When a Guitar Plays the Blues

June 19, 2024 · Pete Prown

After a recording hiatus, the blues-rock pioneer enjoyed a 1985 comeback with this Telecaster manifesto, now reissued on vinyl. The…

Motörhead Bassist Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister Passes

1945-2015

December 29, 2015 · Willie G. Moseley

Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister, founding bassist for the iconic heavy metal band Motörhead, died December 28, two days after reportedly being…

Jake Shimabukuro

Ukulele Hero

August 29, 2022 · Dan Forte

It’s one of the most unlikely success stories in music. Armed with a four-string tenor ukulele, a young Hawaiian videos…

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…

Eric Johnson

July 25, 2014 · Oscar Jordan

When Eric Johnson came to prominence, he sounded like nothing anyone had ever heard before. He made a Strat sound…