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Season 03 Episode 01 In Episode 3.1 of “Buy That Guitar,” host Ram Tuli is joined by longtime VG contributor Willie G. Moseley, who describes himself as a “stereotypical Babyboomer guitar lover.” They discuss lesser-known instruments made by Robin, Mosrite, and Peavey, then address the challenges in downsizing their guitar collections. Links: Vintage Guitar magazine […]
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The fretless has long been mysterious territory for bassists dazzled by the sonic achievements of Jaco Pastorius, Pino Palladino, and Tony Franklin but reluctant to compromise their intonation. The Fender Player Fretless Jazz Bass seeks to give bassists that timeless vibe without a major investment, plus a few bonuses. Made in Mexico, the Player Jazz […]
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Artists
Ally Venable
Fire and Honey
Ally Venable’s latest album, Real Gone, features excellent production, accessible songwriting, intense guitar playing, and guest spots by Joe Bonamassa as well as blues legend Buddy Guy. But, ardent blues fans won’t be distracted from the main event as Venable brings her unique blend of pentatonic fire and honey. Sit back, or you might get […]
Artists
Greg Martin
Facts of Life
The pandemic knocked the Kentucky Headhunters’ 2020 plans out of whack, just like every other artist. It’s the primary reason That’s a Fact Jack! is the boisterous, Grammy-winning Southern rock/country band’s first studio album in five years. Lead guitarist/co-founder Greg Martin and segment host on Vintage Guitar’s Youtube channel, explained how the band started 2020, […]
Artists
Monster Mike Welch
From Phenom To Blues Veteran
Twenty-seven years after his debut album at age 17, Monster Mike Welch delivers perhaps his best disc yet with Nothing But Time. Co-produced with multi-instrumentalist Kid Andersen, it features bass legend Jerry Jemmott, who worked with Aretha Franklin, B.B. King, and countless others. A commanding guitarist and music scholar, Welch flirts with heroes from Magic […]
Classic Instruments
Alive! Guitar Revived
The Tale of Frampton’s ’54 Les Paul Custom
Gifted to Peter Frampton after a 1970 Humble Pie concert at Fillmore West in San Francisco, for years, this ’54 Les Paul Custom made famous on the gatefold cover of Frampton Comes Alive! was his unfailing companion. And like many road dogs, it has a long, bittersweet history. Modded by Humble Pie fan Mark Mariana, […]
Classic Instruments
Rickenbacker Transonic
Rickenbacker Transonic TS100 Topology: Solid State Output: 100 watts RMS Controls: Volume, Treble, Bass controls and Hollow, Mellow and Pierce switches on each channel; Tremolo Speed and Depth, Reverb, and Fuzz-Tortion on Custom channel. Speakers: two 12″ Altec 417. A major artist’s endorsement of a piece of gear is often seen as a springboard to […]
VG Approved Gear
ValveTrain PowerTrain Studio 20
Tube Savior
We’ve all watched the guitar amp deconstruct before our eyes, as pedals, preamps, and power amps all shrink – and migrate to the pedalboard. The builders at ValveTrain know this, and have developed a way to deploy your favorite stompboxes and modeling gear, yet retain that essential tube tone. Enter the PowerTrain Studio 20 and […]
Music
Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Live in France: The 1966 Limoges Concert
Sister Rosetta Tharpe (1915-’73) became a musical fountainhead after emerging in the ’40s as a singing, guitar-picking firebrand performing pop and gospel. She was one of Johnny Cash’s favorite singers, and guitarists through the decades have admired her work. She was 51 when she performed this never-released gospel show, her sole accompaniment a Gibson Barney […]
Artists
In Memoriam: Tony “T.S. McPhee
Groundhogs leader Tony “T.S.” McPhee ranked with the greatest British blues guitarists, whether solo acoustic or ensemble electric, slide or fretted. He died June 6 at 79. McPhee’s ability to tap into authentic blues and venture beyond its confines was remarkable. “Tony played with his fingers on a cherry red Gibson SG, and his ability […]
Classic Instruments
Classics – March 2021
Scarce and beautiful, Gibson’s Flying V was an ahead-of-its-time marketing failure when introduced in 1958. Made of exotic limba (a mahogany cousin from Africa trademarked in the U.S. as “Korina”) and being joined the following year by the equally radical lightning-bolt shape of the Explorer didn’t bolster sales, which means today the two rank amongst […]
Artists
Nick Moss – clean and tasty on “Scratch N Sniff”
Instro-rock, fully greased Get ready to have your funtime socks knocked off, ‘cuz this exclusive Nick Moss run through “Scratch N Sniff” is dangerous! A track from his latest album, “Get Your Back Into It!,” he’s doing it with his Fender Custom Shop ’53 Tele plugged into a ’57 Valco Tonemaster (in black and tan, […]
Classic Instruments
Microphones and Their Uses
The Art of Home Recording
The means to make high-quality home recordings are well within the grasp of every guitarists. But, they can only as good as what you put in. We dig into the most essential piece of gear outside the recording system itself – the microphone.
Music
Eric Johnson
Europe Live
When Eric Johnson came to prominence, he sounded like nothing anyone had ever heard before. He made a Strat sound like a violin, and transformed the Fuzz Face into an instrument of highbrow elegance. The press conjured images of a Texas guitarslinger weaned on Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, and Chet Akins, but hearing him was […]
Artists
Dave Amato
Collect 'Em and Smile
This year marks Boston-born Dave Amato’s 19th annum with REO Speedwagon. The guitarist moved to California in 1980 and became a working session player before gigging with Ted Nugent, Jimmy Barnes, and Cher, then landed the gig with REO, which has taken him around the world and seen him acquire many classic instruments. Amato’s first […]
Artists
Gwenifer Raymond
Fierce Fingerstyle
Expect the unexpected from Gwenifer Raymond. Born in Wales, England, she was inspired by underground bands like the Pixies and Nirvana, while her deft fingerpicking style was shaped by Mississippi John Hurt, Skip James, Roscoe Holcomb, and John Fahey. Just as surprising, Raymond has a Ph.D. in astrophysics and works in video-game production. Her new […]
Artists
Buzz Feiten
Unsung Hero
An unsung hero, accomplished inventor, and builder possessing priceless musical knowledge, Buzz Feiten’s list of session credits could fill a phone book – from Jimi Hendrix and B.B. King to Wilson Pickett and Etta James. But, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band/Woodstock alumnus remains a grounded, inspired, and prolific man whose status in music history gives […]
Artists
Hall and Hoppen
Ongoing with Orleans
In the ’70s, the guitar-driven melodic rock of Orleans was all over the radio, with hits such as “Dance With Me,” “Still The One,” and “Love Takes Time” carried by tight harmony vocals and Allman-influenced guitar leads by John Hall and Larry Hoppen (1951-2012). Thanks to Hall and longtime bassist Lance Hoppen, the group stayed […]
Artists
Glen Campbell
1936-2017: A Legend Departs
The end of Glen Campbell’s journey was a matter of time once he and his family announced his Alzheimer’s diagnosis in 2011. With the media watching, his career ended with a farewell tour backed by a band that included several of his children. He was 81 when he died at a care facility in Nashville […]