Marshall 2100 Lead & Bass

Rock Breaker

February 1, 2024 · Dave Hunter

Adescendant of the legendary “Bluesbreaker” combo that helped launch the cranked-Marshall sound into the annals of rock, the 2100 combo…

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…

Oddfellow Caveman Drive

Oddfellow Caveman Drive

Tone Evolution

February 2, 2016 · Pete Prown

Oddfellow Caveman Drive Price: $174.99 (list) Info: www.oddfellowfx.com. Handmade in California, the Oddfellow Caveman Drive is a boutique pedal whose…

Phil Keaggy & Mike Pachelli

Guitar Adventures

September 1, 2023 · Pete Prown

Listening to Adventure-us, one may think they’re hearing one guitarist, but it’s really two masters – Phil Keaggy and Mike…

Epiphone’s Masterbilt Century Deluxe Classic

The New Vintage

April 19, 2019 · Michael Dregni

Most vintage aficionados admire the grand old acoustic archtops of the 1920s and ’30s, but admire them from afar. They’re…

E.W.S. Little Fuzzy Drive

E.W.S. Little Fuzzy Drive

Tiny Footprint, Huge Sound

February 2, 2015 · Tom Guerra

E.W.S. Little Fuzzy Drive Price: $160 (list); $130 (street) Info: www.ews-us.com. At 1.5″ x 3.5″, the E.W.S. Little Fuzzy Drive…

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    Super PickupGiveaway 2025

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ARTISTS

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…

Philip Sayce’s Guitar Meditation

April 25, 2024 · Vintage Guitar

Exploring, Expanding Absorbing and exuding great vibes from his living room, Philip Sayce and his PRS Silver Sky (plugged into…

Pete Anderson

Disciple of the Hook

November 13, 2014 · Ward Meeker

Detroit native Pete Anderson made a name for himself in the ’80s, playing a ton of twang while Dwight Yoakam…

Jeff “Skunk” Baxter

License To Thrill

April 11, 2023 · Oscar Jordan

To a generation of music fans, Jeff “Skunk” Baxter was one of the most recognizable guitarists of the early ’70s.…


CLASSIC INSTRUMENTS

Booker White’s 1933 National Duolian

Hard Traveled

May 30, 2017 · Michael Dregni

“Hard Rock.” That’s the name used by Mississippi blues man Booker White to christen his 1933 National Duolian. And Hard…

Steve Wariner’s ’62 Fender Jazz Bass

January 27, 2014 · Willie G. Moseley

An eye-popping collectible in its own right, this Olympic White ’62 Fender Jazz Bass scores a few points higher on…

Fixing Tuner Holes in a Rare Gibson

Replacement Plague

October 14, 2021 · Dan Erlewine

I’ve worked on plenty of old Gibsons, but guitars like this 1939 J-55 are rare. It’s only the second one…

Muireann Bradley, Old Soul

January 22, 2024 · Vintage Guitar

Vintage Blues, Vintage L-50 Direct from Ireland, 17-year-old Muireann Bradley indulges us (and tugs at our Led Zep heartstrings) with…


NEWSWIRE

APPROVED GEAR

Fishman’s Fluence Greg Koch Gristle-Tone P90

A Quiet Place

June 15, 2022 · Pete Prown

With the miracle of micro-electronics, you can pack a massive amount of tone into a tight space. Case in point:…

Breedlove’s Jeff Bridges

The Wood Abides

January 27, 2022 · Pete Prown

Sustainably sourced guitars – those constructed with wood harvested from managed land rather than the wilds – are often on…

Carvin PB4

Carvin PB4

Classic Looks, Modern Function

June 4, 2015 · Sean OBryan Smith

Carvin PB4 Price: $1,899 (list/base); $869 (street/base) Info: www.carvinguitars.com. Trends come and trends go, but tradition stands the test of…

The Logan Telemaster

Masterful Mashup

March 7, 2022 · Bob Cianci

Though Bob Logan has been building guitars since 1972, he worked in construction for a few decades before fully dedicating…

WHAT ELSE IS NEW

Cornford Hurricane

Exemplary "extension of your playing" amplifier

December 29, 2004 · Phil Feser

Since its introduction, English amp builder Paul Cornford’s 6-watt Harlequin recording amp has had a reputation for great sound. Many…

Dan’s Guitar RX: A New Tool Makes Luthiery Easier

With a Little Help…

April 4, 2022 · Dan Erlewine

I recently discovered a sturdy pedestal stand that holds a guitar by its neck and makes repair, builds, and setup…

The Universal Audio Astra Modulation Machine

Stately Shimmer

May 10, 2022 · Oscar Jordan

Famous for well-regarded interfaces, plug-ins, and vintage-gear emulations, Universal Audio has entered the pedal business with the Astra Modulation Machine,…

Marty Friedman

Marty Friedman

En Fuego on Inferno!

November 12, 2014 · Oscar Jordan

As he gears up for a co-headlining tour with Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Gus G., Marty Friedman has 13 solo albums…

Coco Montoya

Hard Truth

May 26, 2017 · John Heidt

It’s been awhile since Coco Montoya’s last studio effort, but he comes out firing here. From the Albert King-style blast…

Fingerpicked Country-Folk, Malcolm Holcombe-Style!

January 17, 2022 · Vintage Guitar

Redoubtable singer/songwriter and a beloved ’58 Gibson Malcolm Holcombe shows us how he does “Good Intentions,“ from his new album,…

Watkins Scout

Merit Badge

July 9, 2019 · Dave Hunter

Watkins amps never landed big stars, or at least didn’t hold on to the endorsements of guitarists once they became…

Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band

Honeysuckle

December 8, 2025 · Oscar Jordan

Resonator-slide specialist Reverend Peyton returns to his primary influences – early 20th-century African-American music – compelling him to shout from…

The Bad Cat Era 30

Retro-Great

December 5, 2025 · Dave Hunter

So often has the phrase “Mark Sampson era” been applied to pre-2000 Matchless amps or early examples of the Bad…

The PRS Studio

Bird Watcher

April 1, 2022 · Pete Prown

The new Studio model is the culmination of many decades of work from the design minds at PRS, as they…

J Mascis

Heavy Steps : Dinosaur Jr. Journey

January 27, 2022 · Ward Meeker

Fans recognize the first three albums by Dinosaur Jr. – Dinosaur, You’re Living All Over Me, and Bug – as…

Gibson Theodore Standard

Flower Power

July 10, 2025 · Rich Maloof

Named in honor of Ted McCarty, the Theodore is based on a design the legendary Gibson president penciled into a…

The Fender Showman

The Showman

September 23, 2013 · Dave Hunter

In addition to several significant shifts in style and presentation, for Fender, the transition of the late 1950s into the…

Supro’s 600R DeLuxe

Supro’s 600R DeLuxe

“The Magic of Concert Hall Sound”

January 23, 2017 · Michael Dregni

In the early days of reverb, no one was thinking about surf music; they were striving instead to replicate the…

Wes Montgomery: His Life and His Music

Oliver Dunskus

December 9, 2021 · Wolf Marshall

You don’t have to be a bebopper thumbing a Gibson L-5 to appreciate the music of Wes Montgomery – arguably…

The Wampler Catacombs

Shimmer Box

September 8, 2025 · Pete Prown

In the pedal market, the category of reverbs and delays is straight fire these days. Wampler has jumped in with…

Magnatone Varsity Reverb

Too Cool For School

May 21, 2019 · Michael Dregni

Face it. They may look oh-so-cool, but rarely do you really, truly need that full amp stack. Most gigs for…

Alairex H.A.L.O.

Heavenly Possibilities

July 22, 2014 · Oscar Jordan

Alairex H.A.L.O. Price: $399 Info: www.alairex.com. Guitarist Alex Aguilar is a veteran player, former guitar-mag columnist, and today runs an…

North Mississippi Allstars

Prayer For Peace

June 27, 2017 · Oscar Jordan

If you’re a fan of heart-stopping slide guitar, you’re likely familiar with Luther Dickinson and his wicked blend of gospel-saturated…

Meris LVX Delay

Next-Gen Echo

September 17, 2024 · Pete Prown

Designed for guitarists drawn to effects with a simple, straightforward interface, Meris LVX Modular Delay System is an attention-getter. Perfect…

Echoplex EP-2 Feature Home Page Vintage Guitar magazine

Echoplex EP-2

February 17, 2015 · Michael Dregni

Sam Phillips didn’t invent tape echo with his mid-’50s recordings of Elvis, but he just as well may have. So…

The Epiphone Excellente

February 10, 2015 · George Gruhn

When Gibson acquired Epiphone in 1957, the plan was to introduce a new line of Epis that would be made…

1843 Martin & Coupa

Retail Rarity

September 20, 2019 · George Gruhn

In 1833, C.F. Martin, Sr. and his family arrived in New York City. A trained luthier, Martin had studied under…

Chordal Colorations

Iconic Axes of Different Hues

October 3, 2015 · Michael Dregni

Though their colors are complementary, Brian May’s Red Special and Brian Setzer’s ’59 Gretsch 6120 couldn’t be more different in…

Ca. 1960 Custom Mosrite/Gretsch

A Bakersfield/Brooklyn Cowboy

October 2, 2024 · Peter Stuart Kohman

In the history of vintage guitars, Gretsch and Mosrite are sometimes linked, and often associated with ’50s hot-country pickers and…

Yamaha THR10

Practice Perfection?

December 10, 2013 · Phil Feser

Yamaha THR10 Price: $299 Contact: usa.yamaha.com As a rule of thumb, practice amps are a compromise. Blissfully portable, they typically…

Bad Cat Jet Black Combo

Back in Black

September 17, 2024 · Charlie Wilkins

Guitar players around the globe praised Bad Cat’s Black Cat amp for its tone, but wanted more punch. Its ear…

Chemistry Design Werks’ Holeyboard 123

May 10, 2022 · Julian Burtell

Chemistry Design Werks’ Holeyboard 123 is made of 1/8″ aluminum with overlapping surfaces that can be adjusted from 13″ to…

Jesse Valenzuela

Revisits the Gin Blossoms

May 26, 2020 · Ralph Heibutzki

(Calling All) Angels Tonight: Gin Blossoms guitarist Jesse Valenzuela and his reunited colleagues learned some intriguing lessons on tour in…