• 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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Keith Richards’ 1963 Gibson SG Custom

Ready to Ramble

February 9, 2022 · Jim Carlton

In 1961, Gibson introduced the double-cutaway Les Paul to replace the original version, which had been endorsed by guitarist Les…

Noah Zacharin: Seriously Agile Fingerstyle

February 29, 2024 · Vintage Guitar

“Lester Brown” Live From The Big Lonely From his home in a forest between Ottawa and Toronto, singer/songwriter/fingerpicker Noah Zacharin…

Otis Taylor

March 30, 2017 · Oscar Jordan

Otis Taylor has no concern for your discomfort with racial issues. It’s an artist’s duty to reflect the times, and…

Andy Timmons

Electric Truth

February 8, 2023 · Bret Adams

Is there life after success in a glam-metal band? Many guitarists were asking themselves that question after the scene fizzled…

Don Leady, Austin Legend

February 7, 2023 · Vintage Guitar

One of Texas’ “Big Guitars” on “Rattler Run” Co-founder of the LeRoi Brothers, leader of the Tail Gators, and one…

Cliff Gallup

Crazy Fingers

April 22, 2019 · Michael Dregni

There was a custom at Owen Bradley Film & Recording Studios in Nashville; artists cut vocal tracks with backing from…

  • 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

J.D. Simo

Tele-Free Trio

January 8, 2014 · Zac Childs

J.D. Simo moved to Nashville seven years ago and quickly landed in the coveted hot spot as the lead guitarist…

Kenny Sultan

Left-Coast Blues Machine

September 26, 2012 · Preston Gratiot

Kenny Sultan is a best-selling author of music books and instructional videos covering blues guitar, and is the guitarist in…

Brian Tatler

Still Evil

February 27, 2018 · Greg Prato

Though Diamond Head never achieved the same worldwide commercial success enjoyed by some of its fellow New Wave of British…

Fretprints: Steve Khan

Khan-sequential Guitar

April 8, 2024 · Wolf Marshall

Steve Khan is an internationally acclaimed guitarist with a career spanning more than 50 years. Japan’s Jazz Life proclaimed him…


CLASSIC INSTRUMENTS

Jimmy James’ Psychedelic R&B

September 4, 2024 · Vintage Guitar

“Parlor Strut” on a vintage Harmony! Proving that ’60s import guitars can make cool sounds, Parlor Greens guitarist Jimmy James…

The Leo Krebs Tape Echo Amplifier

Twenty-Three and Thee

July 7, 2022 · Dave Hunter

If you have no recollection of the revolutionary amplifier with 19 knobs, 23 tubes, and built-in tape echo created by…

Dan’s Guitar RX: Creating the Iris DE-11

Something New From Something Old

September 8, 2022 · Dan Erlewine

In last month’s “Approved Gear,” VG reviewed the Iris Guitar Company DE-11. If you missed it, I’d suggest you grab…

Maestro Fuzz-Tone

December 8, 2015 · Michael Dregni

Fuzz. It’s the sound of fury, aggravation, indignation, and – considering the history of the most famous fuzzbox of all…


NEWSWIRE

APPROVED GEAR

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Mu-FX Octave Divider

The Mu Is Back

June 10, 2016 · Michael Dregni

This is rocket science. Or at least as close as a stompbox gets. Sure, building a pedal that tweaks a…

Soldano Astro-20 combo

Rock Machine

November 26, 2024 · Oscar Jordan

Mike Soldano is the man behind amp tones that influenced a generation of guitarists, his hot-rodded ideas having been used…

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…

The Supro Delta King 10

Down To The Crossroads

April 29, 2022 · Bob Dragich

With the increasing popularity of compact, low-wattage combo amps has come an overwhelming variety of choices. Supro has entered the…

WHAT ELSE IS NEW

Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams

Live at Levon’s!

February 9, 2024 · Dan Forte

The term “versatile” is laughable when it comes to Larry Campbell. A handful of the artists he has recorded, produced,…

Lords of Atlantis: Cliché-Free Surf

January 16, 2024 · Vintage Guitar

Ivan Pongracic Lords of Atlantis includes members from a handful of high-profile surf bands, and its debut album is a…

Eric Krasno

Eric Krasno

Funk, Soul, and Jazz

March 10, 2016 · Oscar Jordan

Eric Krasno is on a roll. The guitarist in the soul-jazz organ trio Soulive moonlights with the funk ensemble Lettuce,…

Jazz singer and bassist Esperanza Spalding performing at the North Sea Jazz festival 2012 in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Photo: JBreeschoten/Wikimedia.

Esperanza Spalding

May 15, 2016 · Oscar Jordan

Popularly known as that cute female jazz bassist with the Afro who bogarted the Best New Artist Grammy away from…

Taylor AD11e-SB

Small Gem

January 18, 2024 · Pete Prown

This latest addition to Taylor’s American Dream line builds on its Grand Theater (GT) series of small-body guitars, the goal…

St. Blues Scoundrel

St. Blues Scoundrel

Walking the Dog

May 2, 2015 · Rich Maloof

St. Blues Scoundrel Price: $1,898 (list)/$1,349 (street) Contact: www.saintblues.com Intended as a versatile instrument for the player with a budget…

Wata

Mega-Decibel Fuzz

April 25, 2019 · Greg Prato

Anyone who digs fuzzed-out hard rock with amps pushed to their limit should add Boris to their play list. Hailing…

Gibson Barney Kessel Custom Prototype Vintage guitar magazine

Gibson’s Experimental Kessel Prototype

Gibson Barney Kessel Custom model

May 18, 2016 · George Gruhn

This is a guitar which for all practical purposes appears to be a Gibson Barney Kessel Custom model, but the…

1962 Gretsch Country Gentleman Custom

Atkins Oddity

April 6, 2023 · Peter Stuart Kohman

By the early 1960s, the Fred Gretsch Company was riding high with an array of eye-catching electric guitars highlighted with…

D’Angelico Excel EXL-1

Laudable Likeness

July 24, 2019 · Michael Dregni

Few vintage guitars are as vaunted as John D’Angelico’s original handcrafted Excel archtops. Building a new – and affordable –…

Dawner Prince Electronics Pulse

A New Spin

February 10, 2022 · Michael Dregni

There are plenty of takes on the Leslie rotating speaker and its most famous stompbox offshoot, the Shin-ei Uni-Vibe. Dawner…

Jimi Hendrix

January 27, 2017 · Oscar Jordan

James Marshall Hendrix is undoubtedly the greatest rock guitarist who ever lived, and Experience Hendrix LLC is now releasing a…

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 Metallica Blacklist Album

Various artists

September 12, 2022 · Pete Prown

Conquering the charts 30 years ago with their “black album,” Metallica has become the global ambassador for heavy metal –…

Fender Precision Bass Elite II

On a Tangent In Its Time

April 18, 2014 · Willie G. Moseley

Precision Bass has been offered in a myriad of models in its 50 years of existense, including a number of…

Ray Cummins

Pal of Chet, Friend of Les

March 29, 2017 · Jim Carlton

Chester and Lester were enamored of his talent. Moreover, they called Ray Cummins a friend, and his journey includes turning…

Check This Action: A Year In Their Life

November 7, 2025 · Dan Forte

Recently, I stumbled onto one of those “reaction” videos by a New Zealander named Courtney, who wasn’t sure if she’d…

Pepper Keenan

Down with CoC

February 27, 2018 · Greg Prato

It’s difficult enough to be a member of one metal band, let alone two. But Pepper Keenan is pulling double-duty…

Newman Guitars’ Honeycomb Chambered Jr.

Way Cool Version

June 7, 2023 · Tom Guerra

Following Ted Newman Jones’ passing in 2016, protégé Jeff Smith took over Newman Guitars and is furthering the vision, using…

Check This Action: So Long, Charlie and Top

January 23, 2024 · Dan Forte

I was saddened to hear of the passing of ’50s rocker Charlie Gracie on December 16. The 86-year-old rocker sure…

Nickel Creek

Celebrants

January 23, 2024 · Oscar Jordan

Returning for their first album in nine years, Nickel Creek is back in all its forward-thinking, postmodern-bluegrass glory, led by…

John Scofield

January 27, 2017 · Rich Kienzle

The history of jazz guitarists playing country tunes is long and distinguished, starting with Slim Bryant, Les Paul, and George…

Yamaha Image

December 26, 2013 · Michael Wright

Some years back, an insurance company promoted itself as “the quiet company.” While they probably wouldn’t like to hear it,…

GIBSON FIREBIRDS

Gibson Firebirds

May 4, 2015 · R.K. Watkins

Say the words “custom color” to a collector or enthusiast and most will think of “Fender.” But Gibson had its…

DAN ROSE AND HIS TASTY TAKE ON A CLASSIC

January 15, 2022 · Vintage Guitar

DAN ROSE AND HIS TASTY TAKE ON A CLASSIC! Dan Rose used his ’58 ES-175 (with a PAF at the…

Marcin

Dragon In Harmony

October 9, 2025 · Oscar Jordan

Acoustic/electric sensation Marcin effortlessly traverses the fretboard with a guitar style that embraces the companionable influences of classical, flamenco, and…

George Gruhn

How a Zoologist Became a Guitar animal

May 15, 2024 · Louis R. Carlozo

If you bumped into a bearded, corduroy-jacketed George Gruhn in a Nashville coffee shop, you might think you’d stumbled upon…

Steinar Karlsen

Nordic Surf Slinger

March 2, 2017 · Pete Prown

Scandinavia is no stranger to good “instro” music. The past 60 years have produced guitar-fueled legends like the Spotnicks (Sweden),…

National Style O

National Style O

February 11, 2010 · George Gruhn

Although it has never been the favorite guitar of Hawaiian players, National’s Style O, with its shining metal body and…