• 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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HeadRush MX5

Many Riches

October 13, 2022 · Pete Prown

In 2021, Ibanez re-tooled its hollowbody line to devise big surprises like the Japanese-made AF95, a full-bodied archtop with a…

Zac Schulze gets straight to it!

December 8, 2025 · Vintage Guitar

If you’re a fan of Cream, Zeppelin, and Rory Gallagher (who isn’t?), you’ll dig Zac Schulze Gang, a British power…

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…

North Mississippi Allstars

Blues Dance Music

July 5, 2018 · Oscar Jordan

Luther and Cody Dickinson’s latest pushes the boundaries of northern Mississippi blues music by integrating programmed loops and electronic dance…

Allen Hinds

Finding His Spot

April 15, 2019 · John Heidt

Allen Hinds has spent a considerable amount of his 60 years playing guitar, and has kept busy lately with two…

Epiphone’s Professional Guitar and Amp

Epiphone’s Professional Guitar and Amp

February 23, 2016 · George Gruhn

Since the instrument was introduced, those who play the electric guitar have modified it to create new sounds and interesting…

  • 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

Geddy Lee

Bass Conservator

August 7, 2023 · Ward Meeker

In its 40-plus years, Rush evolved on its own terms. Mixing rock and jazz influences, the band’s 19 studio albums…

Joey Santiago

Pixies Repurpose

April 24, 2019 · Ward Meeker

When Charles Thompson adopted the stage name Black Francis to play the Pixies’ first gig – at a bar in…

Shane Theriot

Shane Theriot

Diggin’ Daryl’s

April 13, 2016 · Will Kelly

What does it take to be the lead guitarist and musical director for one of pop’s most celebrated duos, transitioning…

Fretprints: Tony Rice

Newgrass Fusion Master

February 4, 2022 · Wolf Marshall

The world lost one of its most innovative and defining guitar voices on December 25, 2020. Bluegrass maestro Tony Rice…


CLASSIC INSTRUMENTS

Tinsley Ellis’ new dimension

April 30, 2024 · Vintage Guitar

Unplugged, and Worth the Wait! A prominent blues artist since the late ’80s, Tinsley Ellis grabbed the ’37 National Style…

The Birth of Newman Guitars

September 29, 2022 · Vintage Guitar

  Newman Guitars was established in Austin, TX in 1977 by Ted Newman Jones. Ted was a pioneer of design…

Classics: January 2024

Bill Woodward's 1953 Gibson Les Paul

October 4, 2024 · Ward Meeker

Gravitational heavyweights in our culture, beyond baseball, hot dogs, and apple pie, few things say “American” more than music and…

Pop ’N Hiss: Taste

Breakout Blues

August 26, 2025 · Willie G. Moseley

The ’60s may have been the most musically significant decade in the history of popular music, but very few countries…


NEWSWIRE

APPROVED GEAR

Harden Engineering BluesBird

Bird Can Sing

January 27, 2022 · Michael Dregni

If you’re wondering about builder Bill Harden’s inspiration in creating the BluesBird, think Coodercaster – a customized Frankenstein’s monster of…

Fender’s Duel Pugilist Distortion & Dual Marine Layer Reverb

Double Trouble

December 8, 2022 · Michael Dregni

Fender launched its Pugilist Distortion and Marine Layer Reverb in 2018, after VP of Innovation Stan Cotey – who’d previously…

Paul Hartmann Stormy Monday

Travel Tunes

August 28, 2024 · Pete Prown

The typical “travel guitar” is a small, budget-minded instrument that offers varying levels of construction and quality, often forcing compromise…

Area 51 The Alienist Voicing Boost

Manmade Tone Monster

April 24, 2019 · Michael Dregni

Gather ’round, children, for a scary bedtime story. Once upon a time, there was no such thing as a high-gain…

WHAT ELSE IS NEW

Dutch Kazoo Analog Fuzz Pedal

OD Treat

October 28, 2014 · Ray Wuolo

Dutch Kazoo Analog Fuzz Pedal Price: $225 retail Info: www.dutchkazoo.com It’s not easy for a new boutique overdrive or distortion…

Danny Kortchmar

Family Reunion

September 7, 2022 · Pete Prown

Fifty years ago, singer/songwriters like James Taylor, Carole King, and Jackson Browne were busy conquering the rock charts; behind them,…

Chris Stapleton

Higher

October 8, 2024 · Rich Kienzle

 Chris Stapleton’s distinctive style – blending elements of Outlaw country with high-caliber original songs, powerful vocals, and a minimalist, edgy…

Vic Flick

007 Guitar Man

April 12, 2021 · Pete Prown

You may not know the name Vic Flick, but you know his signature motif–that reverby lick from the James Bond…

The Collins Kids

Mostly-Moseley Memories

January 8, 2024 · Willie G. Moseley

Siblings Lorrie and Larry Collins sprang into the public eye in the mid 1950s – dawn of the television era…

Border Crossing

C.F. Martin and the Influence of German and Spanish Guitar Designs

May 30, 2017 · George Gruhn

It has often been said that today’s Martin guitars are direct descendants of the instruments made in Vienna by Johan…

Readers’ Choice Awards Inductees 1990-Today

October 4, 2017 · Vintage Guitar

Vintage Guitar magazine has been honoring those who inspired and awed us as guitar players, fans, and listeners by inducting…

Elliot Easton

Star Board: Elliot Easton

November 25, 2015 · Ward Meeker

Elliot Easton’s “Pedalboard” Though Elliot Easton enjoys his loaded full-size Pedaltrain board, his new band, The Empty Hearts (with Clem…

Dad’s Day 2017

VG’s Annual Ode to Fathers Who Inspire

June 13, 2017 · Vintage Guitar

This article originally appeared in VG August 2017 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized…

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…

Tinsley Ellis’ “Devil May Care” attitude

April 15, 2022 · Doug Yellow Bird

Blues ace gets rowdy on his 345 through a tweed Champ The fiery Tinsley Ellis and his ’67 Gibson ES-345…

Joanna Connor

Best Of Me

May 13, 2024 · Oscar Jordan

With a decades-long career and a boatload of albums to her credit, slide queen Joanna Connor is no stranger to…

Schertler’s JAM 150

Schertler’s JAM 150

Plays Well with Others

October 21, 2015 · Rich Maloof

Schertler’s JAM150 Price: $1,249.99 (list); $999.99 (street) Info: www.schertler.com Schertler’s JAM150 is a compact combo amp capable of pulling double-duty…

Carvin Audio’s X1 Preamp

Welcome Back

October 14, 2019 · Pete Prown

The recently re-tooled Carvin Audio has stayed active with product offerings aimed at the player/sound-reinforcement segment. Its new X1 combines…

Vox Pacemaker V-3

February 12, 2014 · Dave Hunter

1965 Vox Pacemaker v-3 Preamp tubes: three Mullard ECC83 (12AX7) Output tubes: two Mullard EL84, cathode-biased, no negative feedback Rectifier:…

National Bel-Air, Photo courtesy George Gruhn Big thmbnail

National Bel-Air

May 4, 2016 · George Gruhn

The idea of Gibson providing guitar parts to another prominent guitar maker is laughable today, but in the 1940s and…

Home Feature Image

Joe Satriani

Shockwave Supernova

May 7, 2016 · Oscar Jordan

Joe Satriani’s latest record is a concept album that bridges the gap between traditional blues guitar techniques, and the fiery…

Have Guitar Will Travel – 020 Featuring Dan Hawkins

December 11, 2019 · James Patrick Regan

In this episode of “Have Guitar Will Travel,” host James Patrick Regan speaks with Dan Hawkins, producer and guitarist for…

Jeffrey Scott

Going Down to Georgia on a Hog

March 20, 2024 · Dan Forte

Sometimes it seems like all new blues recordings, be they acoustic or electric, sacrifice substance in favor of pyrotechnics –…

Chris Tapp’s “Got No Right”

March 7, 2023 · Vintage Guitar

Cold Stares’ Guitarist Digs In, Grooves Out Chris Tapp grabbed his real-deal Gibson ’52 goldtop (running through a Kingtone Blues…

One Unforgettable ’60s-Oddity Magnatone

Monster Mash

July 2, 2019 · Dave Hunter

Drew Moniot and his band, The Sequins, were on top of the world, playing Gibson SGs through endorsement-deal amp stacks…

Red Witch Zeus Bass Fuzz Suboctave and SoloDallas Schaffer Replica

Circuits Gone Wild

March 5, 2019 · Pete Prown

Fuzz and octavers are among the hottest pedals around, with some builders even melding them to great effect. The Red…

Daredevil Pedals’ Atomic Cock

Daredevil Pedals Atomic Cock

Green Monster

January 27, 2016 · Oscar Jordan

Daredevil Pedals’ Atomic Cock Price: $150 (list) Info: www.daredevilpedals.com. Despite the many clever take-aways one could derive from its name,…

Overview of the electric room at Guitarlington guitar show, taking place this weekend in Arlington, TX.

Guitarlington 2016

October 17, 2016 · Vintage Guitar

[caption id="attachment_25877" align="alignright" width="640"] Overview of the electric room at Guitarlington guitar show..[/caption] [caption id="attachment_25878" align="alignright" width="480"] A 1936 Martin…

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…

Way Huge Saffron Squeeze MkII

Way Huge Saffron Squeeze MkII

Fresh-squeezed

July 7, 2016 · Oscar Jordan

Twenty years after its launch, the Way Huge Saffron Squeeze compressor has been improved upon. Doing fierce business with an…

Tony Valentino

75, Still Rockin’

March 29, 2017 · Elliot Stephen Cohen

Most fans of classic-rock radio know The Standells garage-punk classic “Dirty Water,” which was listed in Rolling Stone’s “Top 500…

VG Q&A: Jimi Flip

Plus, Precision Bass rests and an odd Galliano

October 12, 2023 · Peter Stuart Kohman

I’ve never read why Jimi Hendrix played and set up a right-hand Strat to play left-handed. Surely, he could’ve found…

The Rivolta Combinata Bass VII

Euro Flash

July 18, 2022 · Pete Prown

Rivolta’s Combinata VII bass takes ideas from Rickenbacker, Höfner, and various European builders lost to history and wraps them into…