Elite Acoustics EAE D6-8 Pro

Power-Packed

September 12, 2023 · Pete Prown

A knee-jerk first impression of the Elite Acoustics D6-8 Pro might be, “Dang, that is small.” But its one-foot cube…

Guitarist/Producer Yates McKendree Shines on “Wise”

February 27, 2023 · Vintage Guitar

 New album reflects array of influences Though just 21, Yates McKendree is already a veteran of storied stages, and…

1980 Renaissance T-200G Home thumb

Renaissance T-200G

January 8, 2014 · Michael Wright

What is it about Plexiglas? It’s so cool. You can see through it onstage. It’s dense, yet resonant. You’d think…

MIM Hosts Stephen Stills and Ushers in Dragons and Vines Exhibition

December 7, 2016 · Johnny Zapp

On November 5th, Phoenix, Arizona’s Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) celebrated the opening of their newest exhibition, “Dragons and Vines: Inlaid…

The Epiphone Nancy Wilson Fanatic

Heart Pounder

March 30, 2022 · Steven Stone

Sometimes, it takes awhile to dial-in a good idea. The Epiphone Nancy Wilson Fanatic improves on Gibson’s Nighthawk design from…

James Patrick Regan talks to blues-rocker Jared James Nichols

Have Guitar Will Travel – 008 Featuring Jared James Nichols

May 28, 2019 · James Patrick Regan

In this episode of “Have Guitar Will Travel,” host James Patrick Regan talks to blues-rocker Jared James Nichols. Known for his…

  • 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,…

    Read more >>

NOW AVAILABLE!

CURRENT ISSUE

Join 25,700+ subscribers & be notified when new articles & more becomes available!

ARTISTS

History of a Mystery

Kurt Hendrick and His Enigmatic Axes

December 18, 2015 · Willie G. Moseley

One of the most-enigmatic brands in the history of American guitars was a line of funky solidbody electrics created by…

Randy Rhoads

Diary of an Axeman, 30 years Later

March 11, 2014 · Pete Prown

(RIGHT) Rhoads’ polka-dot guitar was built in 1979 by Karl Sandoval, with a mahogany body, modified ’60s Danelectro non-adjustable maple…

Gary Hoey

Reverence and Feel

March 11, 2019 · Oscar Jordan

On Dust & Bones, Gary Hoey continues his foray into blues using one part guitar virtuosity, one part production skill,…

Jake Andrews – “ Apricot Brandy”

September 4, 2023 · Vintage Guitar

Austin Stalwart Goes Full Steam for “Apricot Brandy” Jake Andrews was just eight years old when he sat in at…


CLASSIC INSTRUMENTS

Gibson’s Depression-Era Exports

February 2, 2016 · L.B. Fred

Many aren’t aware that some of the archtop guitars Gibson produced during the Depression were marketed under different brand names,…

The Birth of the Gretsch Duo Jet

Gretsch Gets With It!

March 4, 2022 · Edward Ball

In 1950, Leo Fender introduced the Broadcaster. The first solidbody electric Spanish guitar to bear his soon-to-be-famous name, its thin…

Wandré Modele Karak

November 2, 2017 · Michael Wright

We all recognize that guitars are art, but rarely has the instrument been as consciously approached from this perspective by…

Fender Precision Bass

June 13, 2023 · George Gruhn and Walter Carter

The Fender Precision Bass, introduced in 1951, was arguably more revolutionary and more influential on popular music than the Telecaster…


NEWSWIRE

APPROVED GEAR

Mayfly Goddess Chorus

Come As You Are

February 8, 2024 · Charlie Wilkins

Chorus pedals have been around for decades and for many players are an integral part of their tone. But not…

Providence Anadime Chorus ADC-4

Providence Anadime Chorus ADC-4

Don’t Call It a Comeback

July 31, 2015 · Oscar Jordan

Providence Anadime Chorus ADC-4 Price: $249 (list) Contact: www.providence-ltd.com The chorus pedal holds the distinction of once having been extremely…

Fender Micro Mustang

May 10, 2022 · Dennis Pernu

Fender’s Micro Mustang is a pocket-sized contraption offering 12 amplifier models including classic Fender, “British,” and “American,” along with 12…

Harmony Comet

Michigan Meteor

June 21, 2022 · Bob Cianci

Whoever coined the phrase “Everything old is new again” knew what they were talking about. The resurrected Harmony brand, associated…

WHAT ELSE IS NEW

Tom Teaches the Blues!

Win a $2,100 Waterloo WL-14L!

July 7, 2017 · Tom Feldmann

 Vintage Guitar is teaming with Collings Guitars and Stefan Grossman’s Guitar Workshop to present an exclusive eight-part series on…

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,…

Moniker Dixie Solid

Click to Customize

November 21, 2014 · Rich Maloof

Moniker Dixie Solid Price: $849 (base) Info: www.monikerguitars.com. Moniker Guitars recently launched a line of customizable electric guitars that players…

Saga Gitane DG-250M

Saga Gitane DG-250M

One Loud Blond

April 9, 2015 · Chip Wilson

Saga Gitane DG-250M Price: $949 Info: www.sagamusic.com Features: Open-gear 14:1-ratio tuners, solid spruce top with “petite bouche” oval soundhole, birdseye…

The PRS HX 50 and HX 2×12 Cabinet

Jimi Jam

July 11, 2022 · Tom Guerra

Paul Reed Smith has earned a reputation building guitars of the highest quality. It wasn’t until just over a decade…

Epiphone by Gibson Firebird 500

Race on

January 6, 2023 · Michael Wright

Gibson will forever be celebrated for its heritage of innovation, including guitars that didn’t look like the common perception of…

The Peavey ValveKing II Micro-head 20-Watt Amplifier

The Peavey ValveKing II Micro-head 20-Watt Amplifier

Royal Rock

May 5, 2016 · Oscar Jordan

The Peavey ValveKing II Micro-head 20-Watt Amplifier Price: $429.99 Contact: www.peavey.com Famous for their sturdy build and quality overdriven sounds,…

Phil Brown

A different kind of Jimi

July 13, 2020 · John Heidt

Records featuring the music of Jimi Hendrix are pretty far from a new thing. Since Jimi’s death, various forms of…

Del McCoury

Absolute Pride

January 4, 2023 · Rich Kienzle

Del McCoury remembers the seeds of his new album, Almost Proud. “I played the Grand Ole Opry on Tuesday night,…

Mr. Sun

Plays Duke Ellington’s Nutcracker Suite

January 9, 2025 · Dan Forte

In 1960, Duke Ellington’s orchestra recorded his reimagining of Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker Suite.” He and arranger Billy Strayhorn took ample liberties…

Fretprints: Fenton Robinson

Unsung Blues Icon

June 4, 2022 · Wolf Marshall

In the encyclopedia of American music, there oughta be a picture of Fenton Robinson next to “unsung blues hero.” Drop…

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…

Jim Campilongo

Taking Chances With Kindness

September 20, 2019 · Oscar Jordan

Fans of forward-thinking Telecaster spank and cluck will get a kick out of Jim Campilongo’s new album, Live At Rockwood.…

Songbirds: Museum with a Mission

Treasures in Tennessee

April 19, 2019 · Rusty Russell

Ask anyone who geeks out on vintage guitars, from the well-heeled collector to the dreamer whose prized possession is a…

Brian Setzer

What a Dude Does

August 17, 2024 · Bret Adams

You can’t keep an iconic rocker down. Brian Setzer’s The Devil Always Collects is his first album in more than…

Lace Cybercaster LS

Modern Mixer

July 10, 2019 · Chip Wilson

The mere name of Don Lace’s Cybercaster may set calloused fingertips to head-scratching. After all, “cyber” connotes cutting-edge, futuristic. How…

Shredding and songcraft – Kire Najdovski

December 22, 2022 · Vintage Guitar

Talas guitarist offers taste of “1985” Kire Najdovski does a great take on “Close to the Killer,” from Talas’ new…

Duke Levine, solo guitar on a ’70s country stalwart!

September 28, 2022 · Vintage Guitar

Classic licks on a ’60s Teisco and blackface Princeton Reverb” Boston native Duke Levine’s impressive career has included stints with…

Carvin’s GH24 Greg Howe Signature

Carvin’s GH24 Greg Howe Signature

Super Unleaded

July 6, 2016 · Oscar Jordan

After decades of jumping from one guitar manufacturer to another, Greg Howe recently began working with Carvin (more specifically, Kiesel)…

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…

Steve Dawson

July 6, 2016 · Michael Dregni

Steve Dawson shines as a session player and producer supporting other artists’ work. But when he hides away in his…

Cash Box Kings

Oscar’s Motel

February 9, 2024 · Rich Kienzle

For two decades, the Cash Box Kings have stood apart from the multitudes of “blues bands” that focus on bar-band…

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…

 Greg Koch

Way Of The Gristle

January 14, 2026 · Oscar Jordan

On Blues, Greg Koch reaches the outskirts of infinity with an album that showcases his wicked guitar skills and love…

Ralph Towner

Fifty Years and Counting

April 29, 2024 · Pete Prown

As a young musician, Ralph Towner wrote “Icarus,” a revolutionary jazz piece that became a crossover hit for the Paul…

Price’s highly modified Les Paul Jr. (shown here in ’77) has been his primary guitar for years.

Rod Price

Opens Up

February 6, 2020 · Willie G. Moseley

Part One It used to be that photos didn’t lie. But nowadays (as supermodels and tabloids have proven) that’s not…

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…

Check This Action: The Salad Days of British Blues

October 29, 2024 · Dan Forte

What springs to mind when you hear the term “British blues movement”? Is it covers of Slim Harpo, Muddy Waters,…

Walrus Audio’s Mako Series MKII

December 5, 2025 · Oscar Jordan

Walrus Audio’s Mako Series MKII bolster the sounds of their first-gen predecessors, using altered algorithms, new controls, and better tonal…