Gibson Falcon 5

Timeless

December 23, 2024 · Charlie Wilkins

Drawing inspiration from its classic Skylark amplifiers of the 1950s and ’60s, Gibson is revisiting those beloved tones with the…

Mr. Smith goes to Rudy’s

“Upstairs” at a famed NYC guitar boutique

June 10, 2020 · Art Department

Nashville has Music Row and London has Soho, but if your heart starts palpitating at the mere mention of carved…

Classics: August 2021

Guild F-20 Troubadour and Dan Armstong Lucite

April 4, 2022 · Ward Meeker

John Wiley couldn’t have known it then, but when his parents rewarded two years of applying himself to guitar lessons…

Area 51 Fuzzwah

Two Great Tastes

May 30, 2019 · Michael Dregni

Fuzz wahs are nothing new, of course. Released under scores of badge-engineered monikers, they’ve promised aural overload ranging from sirens…

The Mike Eldred Trio

August 30, 2016 · Michael Dregni

The Mike Eldred Trio’s latest was recorded at Memphis’ hallowed Sun Studios, but the deep blues are straight outta the…

Have Guitar Will Travel – 046 Featuring Richard Fortus

March 10, 2021 · Art Department

Richard Fortus, longtime guitarist with Guns and Roses, joins host James Patrick Regan in the new episode of “Have Guitar…

  •  VG Q&A: Harmony History

     VG Q&A: Harmony History

    And an Archtop Mystery

    I recently received two guitars as gifts and am trying to learn more about them. The first is a Harmony I believe is from the early ’70s. Its serial number…

    Read more >>

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ARTISTS

Tommy Shaw and James “J.Y.” Young on “The Mission”

Mars, Pluto… And Styx

April 26, 2019 · Willie G. Moseley

Styx’s 2017 album, The Mission, revived the band’s concept album in its chronicling of a flight to Mars, and represents…

Steve Boone

Low-end with the Lovin’ Spoonful

September 9, 2024 · Willie G. Moseley

 The iconic quartet known as the Lovin’ Spoonful germinated in New York City’s Greenwich Village in the mid ’60s and…

Glen Campbell

1936-2017: A Legend Departs

April 25, 2019 · Rich Kienzle

The end of Glen Campbell’s journey was a matter of time once he and his family announced his Alzheimer’s diagnosis…

The Steepwater Band

More Players, More Music

May 9, 2017 · Willie G. Moseley

The Steepwater Band, based in Chicago, has been a trio for most of its career, purveying guitar-based Americana. Guitarist Jeff…


CLASSIC INSTRUMENTS

Classics: April 2023

Kim Simmons’ 1973 Gibson Les Paul

December 16, 2023 · Ward Meeker

For Gio da Silva and several million others in Generation X, the mid ’90s were an exciting time. Young adults…

The Guitars of Ernst Heinrich Roth

International Influence

December 21, 2023 · Cliff Hall

Now just a sleepy town in Germany, over the last 200 years, Markneukirchen has been home to countless luthiers ranging…

Star Board: Joe Moss

Star Board: Joe Moss

December 18, 2015 · Vintage Guitar

Joe Moss is the archetypical blues “road dog,” regularly rolling out of his home base of Chicago to wail for…

Intriguing Twosome

A Look at Gibson’s EB-6

July 9, 2018 · Willie G. Moseley

As the ’50s drew to a close, Gibson was locked in a heated battle with Fender for a share of…


NEWSWIRE

APPROVED GEAR

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…

Black Cat’s D&S and N-Fuzz

Two Faces of Fuzz

November 29, 2016 · Pete Prown

Located in south-central Connecticut, Black Cat blends an ear for vintage tones with an eye toward modern function and bulletproof…

Jam Pedals’ LucyDreamer Supreme

Crunchilicious

October 14, 2019 · Oscar Jordan

Like so many boutique gear companies, Jam Pedals has established a distinct sonic stamp. Its effects have an uncompromising retro…

OVERTURE-JS_HOME-MAIN-BIG

Overture JS-Session

Do-It-All Guitar?

August 5, 2013 · Sean OBryan Smith

Overture JS-Session Price: $ 1,499. Info: overtureguitars.com When designing a new guitar, builders often face a quandary. Some go to…

WHAT ELSE IS NEW

Home Feature Image

Fender Custom Colors in the 1960s

Misty Lakes, Foamy Shores

January 2, 2017 · Andre R. Duchossoir

In the 1950s, America’s fascination with the automobile was running at a fever pitch. The booming economy of the country’s…

Albert King’s THC Flying V

Coterie Complete

January 2, 2026 · Willie G. Moseley

Robert Johnson has been a fixture in the vintage-guitar community for more than a half-century. As a player and music…

Peerless Retromatic

Peerless Retromatic

Modern Vintage

April 27, 2016 · Pete Prown

Peerless Retromatic Price: $1,699 Info: www.peerlessguitars.eu While many new guitars of the last decade have touted authentic (or semi-authentic) “retro”…

Kenny Wayne Shepherd

Into The Future

September 9, 2024 · Oscar Jordan

Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s Dirt On My Diamonds Volume One finds the Strat-wielding blues-rocker blending the best elements of pop country,…

Brad Gillis

Playin’ On

July 20, 2022 · Ward Meeker

A member of the cutting-edge vanguard that made the Floyd Rose locking vibrato a huge part of ’80s rock guitar,…

Dr Z Octal Six 1×12 combo

Valve Variation

August 13, 2025 · Charlie Wilkins

Classic guitar amplifiers have made certain vacuum tubes household names (among gearheads) – 12AX7, 12AT7, 6L6, 6V6, EL84, and EL34.…

Gibson Super 400

August 13, 2024 · George Gruhn and Walter Carter

Much of America was still recovering from the Depression in 1934 when Gibson introduced a guitar at a price that…

Fretprints: Johnny Meeks

Rock-and-Roll Guitar Pioneer

November 10, 2022 · Wolf Marshall

In the 1950s, “rock” music was a melange of blues, country, and hillbilly that also snared elements from boogie-woogie, gospel,…

Dennis Budimir

November 13, 2023 · Jim Carlton

Renowned studio guitarist Dennis Budimir died in Los Angeles on January 10. He was 84. Early in his career, Budimir’s…

Ray Cummins Tutorial No. 07

Ray Cummins – Guitar Tutorial #7

October 28, 2019 · Doug Yellow Bird

Ray Cummins’ latest exclusive lesson for VG expands on the art of playing “thumbstyle” a la Chet Atkins. Using his…

Moving Pictures: How Rush Created Progressive Hard Rock’s Greatest Record

Will Romano

January 25, 2024 · Bret Adams

Rush’s Moving Pictures is often regarded as the band’s masterpiece, and this book unpacks the creative efforts of frontman/bassist Geddy…

Khalif Wailin’ Walter

DIY Blues

August 12, 2025 · Oscar Jordan

Blues guitarist Khalif Wailin’ Walter now makes his home in Essen, Germany, but the sound that emanates from his fretboard…

John Pizzarelli

McCartney Memo

November 28, 2016 · Rich Kienzle

John Pizzarelli wasn’t surprised to receive a FedEx package from Sir Paul McCartney in 2014, given that he (and his…

Mike Zito

Back to Solo Soul-Searching

March 3, 2017 · Willie G. Moseley

Following a stint of nearly four years in the Royal Southern Brotherhood, Texas-based guitarist Mike Zito is focusing on his…

Andy Brown Quartet and Brian Bromberg

Two of the Best in Jazz

May 15, 2016 · Dan Forte

Not every jazz guitarist who plays solo can also blow in a group context, and vice versa. Some adept at…

Black Cat’s D&S and N-Fuzz

Two Faces of Fuzz

November 29, 2016 · Pete Prown

Located in south-central Connecticut, Black Cat blends an ear for vintage tones with an eye toward modern function and bulletproof…

Mesa Boogie California Tweed 6V6 2:20 1×10 Combo

Ankle Biter

June 29, 2023 · Charlie Wilkins

Classic Fender tweed amps are known for fat, warm clean tones, but even more for their raunch when cranked. Mesa…

Chuck Loeb

“Most Wanted” For Melody

June 23, 2020 · John Heidt

From its terrific melodies to the meat-and-potatoes playing that makes him a mainstay of smooth jazz radio, guitarist Chuck Loeb’s…

National Model N-720

Star of an Era's End

November 3, 2005 · Michael Wright

Most acoustic guitar players will likely show disdain for any instrument with a bolt-on neck. Even though there have been…

Steve Stevens plays “77”

August 28, 2025 · Vintage Guitar

Steve Stevens plays “77” Live from the dressing room at Wembley Arena just before a sold-out performance with Billy Idol,…

The Quaker City Night Hawks

April 24, 2016 · Oscar Jordan

Advertised as “The spirit of ZZ Top meets Texas boogie rock,” the Night Hawks play up the image of unpretentious…

The Martin OM-28

January 7, 2025 · George Gruhn and Walter Carter

Although popular music of the 1920s featured the tenor banjo as the preferred rhythm instrument, the guitar’s popularity rose steadily…

National-Dobro Model C

December 21, 2021 · Dave Hunter

We’ve seen some pristine vintage pieces in these pages over the years, but as far as time-capsule amps go, when…

Roland’s Blues Cube Artist

Roland’s Blues Cube Artist

March 25, 2016 · Phil Feser

Roland’s Blues Cube Artist Price: $1,169 (list)/$899 (street) Contact: www.rolandus.com Roland has reinvented and relaunched its Blues Cube combos with…

Joe Louis Walker

All-Original Blues

February 2, 2024 · Greg Prato

A member of the Blues Hall of Fame, Joe Louis Walker’s music always has unmistakable blues elements. His latest album,…

Stephen Ulrich

One-Man Band

December 13, 2023 · Pete Prown

New York-based guitarist Stephen Ulrich is known for the suspenseful “crime jazz” and surf-rock tones of his instrumental trio, Big…

Zeppelin Design Labs Cortado MkIII

May 10, 2022 · Julian Burtell

Zeppelin Design Labs Cortado MkIII contact microphone can record everything from acoustic guitars to a train bridge with a frequency…

Check This Action: Jimmie’s Blues Box

August 3, 2022 · Dan Forte

Don’t think music can be life-changing? Try moving 1,700 miles. In 1987, I moved from Northern California to Austin, Texas,…

Two Legendary Les Paul Deluxes

Southern Gold

April 24, 2019 · Willie G. Moseley

In the late 1960s, Gibson reintroduced the single-cutaway Les Paul based on its classic ’50s model. But, a new version…