• 2025 December Issue on Spotify

    2025 December Issue on Spotify

    This month, we feature Rick Derringer, Kid Ramos, Booker T and The M.G.’s, Steve Stevens, Phil Manzanera, Doug Aldrich, Kenny Burrell, Eric Johanson, Gary Moore, and more! Spotify is free…

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  • 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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Fretprints: Billy Bean

Missing Link of Modern Jazz Guitar

August 1, 2022 · Wolf Marshall

The rediscovery of a missing link is cause for celebration in any field – historic, scientific, or musical. In modern…

NICKMOSS-HOME-MAIN-BIG

Nick Moss

Musical Horizons Beyond Chicago

October 8, 2014 · Willie G. Moseley

Since 2007, guitarist/vocalist Nick Moss has released five albums on his Blue Bella label, including two live discs. And while…

John Mayer

Sob Rock

July 13, 2022 · Oscar Jordan

John Mayer’s latest is a somber ode to the soft-rockin’ ’80s – think Henley and Hornsby. But don’t start eye-rolling…

Barney Kessel’s ES-350 Rides Again

Return Of An Icon

October 13, 2022 · Rusty Russell

Bruce Forman acquired Barney Kessel’s beloved Gibson ES-350 in mid 2021. In prep for recording Reunion!, he made the guitar…

Classics: November 2021

Gibson Les Paul Personal

October 28, 2023 · Ward Meeker

Billy Soutar loves the vibe of his 1969 Les Paul Personal and matching LP-12 amp. While the guitar’s mahogany body,…

Have Guitar Will Travel 090 – Happy Fits and Greensky Bluegrass

October 12, 2023 · James Patrick Regan

In Ep 90 of “Have Guitar Will Travel,” host James Patrick Regan speaks with band members from Happy Fits and…

  • Paul Johnson

    Paul Johnson

    The Hepcats Live at the Ajax Novelty Company

    This isn’t live, there may not be an Ajax Novelty Company, and the three felines known as the Hepcats are actually the brainchild of Paul Johnson, whose Belairs were early-’60s…

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ARTISTS

Rik Emmett Fixes it for Us!

January 30, 2023 · Vintage Guitar

 Triumph guitarist shows how to properly play four classic songs Plenty of players on socials post video showing how…

Pop ’N Hiss: Bad Company

Powerful Purity

May 8, 2023 · Bret Adams

Bad Company’s self-titled 1974 debut album defines “classic rock” – no frills, just superb songs and performances from four gifted…

Mark Sampson

Back Cat

November 7, 2025 · Ward Meeker

Epitome of the restless designer/tinkerer, Mark Sampson has co-founded four guitar-amplifier companies, two of which – Matchless and Bad Cat…

Ronnie Montrose

Remembering Ronnie

Phillips Finishes Guitarist’s Final Recordings

December 7, 2014 · Willie G. Moseley

Ricky Phillips has many fond memories of his friendship and musical association with Ronnie Montrose (1947-2012). The bassist is finishing…


CLASSIC INSTRUMENTS

Guild S-200 Thunderbird

July 14, 2020 · Michael Wright

Back in 1958, when Gibson introduced its revolutionary Explorer, Flying V, and mysterious Moderne, the public – rather like Queen…

Jabo, Vince, and Broadcaster 0048

Special Addition

September 9, 2022 · Rich Kienzle

It’s routine for Vince Gill, as one of Nashville’s true connoisseurs of electric and acoustic gear, to receive tips about…

Classics: October 2023

Michael Bloomfield 1963 Fender Stratocaster

June 11, 2024 · Ward Meeker

Antonio Mazzara’s passion for music started at age 10, when he started playing a nylon-string classical guitar before moving up…

Ecco-Fonic

October 12, 2014 · Michael Dregni

John Adomono was an American guitar hero of the Cold War years. JFK named him his favorite guitarist, and Adomono…


NEWSWIRE

APPROVED GEAR

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…

Wampler Pedals’ Bravado

Tone Tweaker’s Delight

April 24, 2019 · Chip Wilson

What’s a pedal platform? Nope, it’s not a carbon-fiber Pinarello mountain bike with Shimano shifters and derailleurs. It’s another term…

Rebel Boards’ Rockstar Pedalboard

Songs from the Wood

March 3, 2015 · Rich Maloof

Rebel Board’s Rockstar Pedalboard Price: $159 (Rockstar); $199 (Rockstar Pro) Info: www.rebel-boards.com. Puzzle-piecing a pedalboard together is equal parts fun…

Eastwood RD Artist

RD Our Lips

July 9, 2018 · Pete Prown

Issued during Gibson’s infamous “Norlin era,” the original RD Artist has become surprisingly collectible over the years, thanks to its…

WHAT ELSE IS NEW

Fender’s Musicmaster and Duo‑Sonic

Little Brothers

August 28, 2018 · Terry Foster

Often forgotten, the diminutive student-grade duo went from concept to reality in short order to capitalize on teenagers taking up…

Steve Wariner

The C.G.P. Connection

May 14, 2012 · Willie G. Moseley

Steve Wariner is among the handful of guitarists designated as a certified guitar player (C.G.P.) by Chet Atkins. The last…

Gemma Ray

May 6, 2016 · Michael Dregni

Gemma Ray might rock the neo-’50s look, but she’s no Wanda Jackson wannabe; her songs and guitar work are not…

The Manakooras

Tiki Twang

June 7, 2023 · Pete Prown

Call it exotica or tiki twang, but the Manakooras play tropical instro that evokes visions of dreamy Pacific islands. Led…

Fretprints: Foghat

Slow Ride to Boogie Wonderland

April 4, 2023 · Wolf Marshall

If the ’70s were the era of good times and excess following the tumultuous ’60s, the boogie band would be…

Railhammer Billy Corgan Z-One Humcutters

Clear Crunch

November 13, 2023 · Pete Prown

In the quest for tone, the secret is a combination of pickups, wood, construction, and the magic in a player’s…

Vox’s AC30CH and V212C Cabinet

Get Back

July 9, 2018 · Michael Dregni

The Beatles helped popularize Vox amps, and Sir Paul tours with them today because they still have that sound –…

Status Quo’s Francis Rossi

On Guitars, Music, and Elusive Success

October 13, 2015 · Elliot Stephen Cohen

“I’m only as good now as I should have been when I was 25,” laughs Francis Rossi, the 64-year-old lead…

MARK DUTTON

Mark Dutton

A.K.A. “Muddy”: Vintage Vibes, Retro Grooves

January 24, 2017 · Johnny Zapp

Mark “Muddy” Dutton is one cool cat with an impressive resumé and an affinity for the budget-friendly basses of yesterday.…

Scott Sharrard’s fiery slide!

August 28, 2024 · Vintage Guitar

Little Feat ace plays outro from “You’ll Be Mine” In case you’re wondering how Scott Sharrard got the gig wearing…

Duke Robillard’s Swingin’ R And B!

June 14, 2022 · Vintage Guitar

 Blues/Jazz Great Jams on “Four Bills” Duke Robillard’s custom-made J.W. Murphy 17” archtop is the perfect accomplice for this…

Jim Campilongo & Steve Cardenas

Mutual Musical Idiosyncrasies

October 25, 2024 · Oscar Jordan

Steve Cardenas and Jim Campilongo have been playing guitar together for a long time, though the constellations only recently aligned…

Andrew Hendryx - Novice Mandolin Lesson

Andrew Hendryx – Novice Mandolin Lesson

November 25, 2019 · Doug Yellow Bird

For his latest lesson, Andrew Hendryx grabbed his Gibson F-4 mando. “I’m excited about this one,” he said. “It gives…

EHX Walking on the Moon Flanger/Filter Matrix

Andy Flange

June 26, 2024 · Pete Prown

With its mouthful of a name – The Andy Summers Walking On the Moon Flanger/Filter Matrix – the latest Electro-Harmonix…

Fender’s ’68 Custom Deluxe Reverb

Fender’s ’68 Custom Deluxe Reverb

Improving on a Good Thing

April 19, 2016 · Phil Feser

Fender’s ’68 Custom Deluxe Reverb Price: $999.99 list Contact: www.fender.com In 1968, Fender gave its amp line what collectors today…

Terry Burrows

May 15, 2016 · Michael Dregni

Two boards, three pickups, some hardware, and various electric bits and pieces: Stratocasters are simple creations at heart. But setting…

Don Felder

Don Felder

Six-Stringed Summer Stock

June 23, 2015 · Willie G. Moseley

Former Eagles guitarist Don Felder is spending the summer with a few friends. On an extended tour with Styx and…

Guyatone LG-160T

The Secret's Out!

May 24, 2006 · Michael Wright

Like plants, Japanese guitars have an almost secret life of which few people outside are aware. While many Americans in…

Wylde Audio Odin Grail Genesis Bullseye

Berserker Broadax

July 10, 2019 · Oscar Jordan

Zakk Wylde emerged from New Jersey in the late ’80s to give Ozzy Osbourne’s music a style and attitude unlike…

Flamin’ Groovies

Live 1971 San Francisco

June 27, 2017 · Pete Prown

Flamin’ Groovies are best known for the ’76 power-pop gem “Shake Some Action,” but this show – recorded five years…

Michael Sweet

Frontman, Shredder

December 3, 2013 · Oscar Jordan

The yellow-and-black attack of the Christian-metal band Stryper has returned. The band’s new album, Second Coming, helps mark 30 years…

Lance Lopez

Supersonic Blues Machine

February 27, 2018 · Oscar Jordan

Lance Lopez is a guitar-slinging blues machine that burns like Texas hot sauce in August. He has scorched the festival…

The PRS SE Custom 24 Semi-Hollow Piezo

Swiss Army Hybrid

September 5, 2025 · Rich Maloof

PRS hits on its long-running trifecta – versatility, playability, aesthetic appeal – with its new twist on the electric/acoustic hybrid,…

Reverend’s Rick Vito Signature Soul Shaker

Built For Speed

October 15, 2021 · Pete Prown

Blues-/roots-rocker Rick Vito knows what he wants from a guitar, and the Reverend Soul Shaker is proof. An art deco-inspired…

Larry Collins

1944-2024

November 1, 2024 · Ward Meeker

Larry Collins, a guitar prodigy mentored by renowned flatpicker Joe Maphis, and half of the ’50s brother/sister act The Collins…

Allan Holdsworth

The Man Who Changed Guitar Forever!

May 26, 2017 · Pete Prown

With a career spanning 45 years, Allan Holdsworth’s blistering, bop-fueled legato radically altered our approach to electric guitar, and he’s…

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Singular Sound BeatBuddy

Drums Even You Can Play

May 6, 2016 · Michael Dregni

Everyone knows a good drummer joke. Or two. Drummers are indeed a special breed. Singular Sound’s BeatBuddy drum-machine pedal, however,…

Pat Travers

Pat Travers

Full Blast

February 18, 2016 · Ward Meeker

It’s an elite class – rock guitarists who crossed the Atlantic to achieve their rock-star dreams. Somewhere between the mid-’60s…

“Buy That Guitar” podcast with special guest Kevin Borden

July 30, 2024 · Vintage Guitar

“Buy That Guitar” podcast with special guest Kevin Borden Season 01 Episode 04 In Episode 4 of “Buy That Guitar,”…