• Duke Robillard – Lowdown

    Duke Robillard – Lowdown

    Vintage Guitar is happy to offer the premier of the new music video by Grammy nominee Duke Robillard. “Lowdown” is the  first single from his upcoming album, Blast Off!, set…

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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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Fender Bassbreaker 45 Combo

Hybrid Love Child

March 31, 2017 · Oscar Jordan

Fender’s new nine-product Bassbreaker series combines popular traditional amplifiers with modern technology. Classic tones and flexibility are the name of…

Marshall’s DSL1C

Small Stack

June 21, 2022 · Bob Dragich

For those who love classic British tone, nothing beats the sound of a Marshall stack cranked to 10. Unfortunately, unless…

Ibanez EKM100

Ibanez EKM100

Soul On Ice

March 4, 2016 · Oscar Jordan

Ibanez EKM100 Price: $2,799.99 (list) Contact: www.ibanez.com Fans of contemporary soul, jazz, and funk should be well aware of Soulive.…

Heil Talk Box

January 7, 2016 · Michael Dregni

When Peter Frampton began using the Heil Talk Box in 1974, he remembers it being viewed with skepticism as an…

The Legendary Tones Lynch Mod

No-mod Hot Rod

April 5, 2022 · Tom Guerra

Designed for guitarist George Lynch, the Lynch Mod introduces an additional, non-permanent gain stage to the classic Marshall circuit. The…

Pop ’N Hiss: UFO’s Lights Out

Shining Bright

December 23, 2024 · Bret Adams

Most critics and fans agree that the finest studio album by British hard-rockers UFO was 1977’s Lights Out. The group’s…

  • Carr Skylark Special 1×12

    Carr Skylark Special 1×12

    Take Flight

    Arriving a little more than 10 years after the original Skylark, Carr Amplifiers’ new Skylark Special adds versatility and enhanced tonal depths to squeeze a lot more into this diminutive…

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ARTISTS

Kid Ramos’ Revelation!

August 29, 2025 · Vintage Guitar

West Coast legend melds blues with gospel Check out Kid Ramos using a ’56 Harmony H62 running through a vintage…

Gilby Clarke - Grit & Glory

Grit & Glory

Gilby Clarke and His Guitars

May 9, 2016 · Ward Meeker

The drive to succeed – along with certain workaholic tendencies – revealed themselves early in rock guitarist Gilby Clarke. On…

Robert Cray

Robert Cray

Four Nights Of 40 Years

July 8, 2016 · Oscar Jordan

Five-time Grammy winner Robert Cray has always played serious blues. But, early on, he sidestepped a genre that would descend…

Fretprints: Dave Grohl

Beyond Grunge

February 8, 2023 · Wolf Marshall

“Alternative rock” – more descriptor than genre – was a reaction to hair bands, technical excess, and pop-metal formulae. It…


CLASSIC INSTRUMENTS

The Story of Melobar

Stand-Up Steel

October 4, 2022 · Willie G. Moseley

Born in Northern California in 1920, Walt Smith took piano lessons and became a child prodigy on several instruments before…

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…

Clapton’s Fool

History’s Greatest Guitar?

November 23, 2015 · J. Craig Oxman

Eric Clapton’s The Fool. A name immediately recognizable to guitarists, yet baffling to others. What is Clapton’s Fool? Very simply,…

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Hosts “Storied Strings” Exhibit

Guitars In Art

August 10, 2023 · Ward Meeker

Dr. Leo Mazow’s vision for the new “Storied Strings: The Guitar in American Art” exhibition at the Virginia Museum of…


NEWSWIRE

APPROVED GEAR

Lovepedal Purple Plexi

Glory & Overtones

February 9, 2023 · Oscar Jordan

Fans of guitarists with superb tones routinely spot Lovepedal boxes on pedalboards in almost every music genre. From their early…

SviSound’a Overdrive OverZoid oz01

Svi Sound’s Overdrive OverZoid oz01

Full Steam

March 9, 2016 · Rich Maloof

SviSound’a Overdrive OverZoid oz01 Price: $165 (list) Contact: www.svisound.com Tonally and aesthetically, SviSound’s Overdrive OverZoid is a study in good…

DYNAMIC 2040 HOME MAIN BIG

Dynamic Amplifiers 2040 Series

Tone to "Dy" For

February 24, 2014 · Phil Feser

Dynamic Amps 2040 series Price:  $2,570 (VA Combo) David Carambula’s Dynamic 2040 series of amplifiers consists of three models: Vintage…

Maxon Fuzz Elements Pedals

Maxon Fuzz Elements Pedals

Elemental Fuzz

April 28, 2016 · Michael Dregni

Maxon Fuzz Elements Pedals Price: $189 to $199 Contact: www.maxonfx.com Classic fuzz pedals are some of the fine wines of…

WHAT ELSE IS NEW

Jim Kelley Reverb Model

Legend, Resurrected

December 2, 2016 · Bob Dragich

Jim Kelley began making his highly acclaimed guitar amplifiers 1978. His big revelation came while he was still doing mods…

Relic the Hague’s Scumbag

Rock-and-Roll Animal

May 30, 2019 · Pete Prown

On the surface, the Scumbag is a simple rock beast. With a 25.5″-scale neck, maple fingerboard, and bolt-neck construction, it…

In Memoriam: Anthony Klassen

November 13, 2023 · Ward Meeker

Anthony R. Klassen, a guitar builder and founder of New Era Guitars, passed away December 13 at his home in…

The Marcus King Band

December 30, 2016 · John Heidt

It’s easy to see why Warren Haynes has so much respect for young Marcus King. The 20-year-old guitarist, vocalist, and…

Duke Levine

Bonnie’s New Guitar Man

April 27, 2023 · Bob Dragich

After 29 years on the road, Bonnie Raitt guitarist George Marinelli decided to take a break. Stepping into the role…

Ball Amps 1950s GE TV

Turn Up The Television

April 19, 2019 · Michael Dregni

Randall Ball crafts vintage amps like no others. At his workshop in Kearneysville, West Virginia, he translates tried-and-true schematics into…

Jackie Venson

Emotional Intelligence

July 2, 2019 · Oscar Jordan

Soul-pop stylist Jackie Venson has been conquering the road-warrior touring circuit, and gained an enviable spot on Gary Clark, Jr.’s…

Spectrum 5

December 30, 2013 · Michael Wright

Joining playful mid-’60s cultural icons such as the Ford Mustang, NBC’s “The Monkees,” the Beatles’ “Nowhere Man” and Cassius Clay, the…

Duane Betts

Father to Son

April 28, 2024 · Greg Prato

It’s understandable if you detect a certain Southern-rock flare in the music of singer/guitarist Duane Betts. After all, his father…

Fretprints: The Beatles’ Revolver

Sonic Floodgates

January 14, 2025 · Wolf Marshall

If any rock album can be labeled “groundbreaking,” it’s the Beatles’ Revolver. A sweepingly innovative masterpiece, it divides the ’60s…

SRV Behind The Scenes

Four Years In Pictures: Offstage With Stevie Ray Vaughan, 1986-1990

June 27, 2017 · Dan Forte

The life of blues-rock icon Stevie Ray Vaughan was under a microscope even before his tragic death in a helicopter…

HomeWrecker Pickups

Slumbering Strats, Awake!

March 10, 2015 · Oscar Jordan

In 2011, session guitarist Joshua Hernandez began winding pickups in his living room. From these modest beginnings, and with no…

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…

Review: “Gimme All Your Lovin’: The Blues, Boogie, and Beard of ZZ Top’s Billy F. Gibbons”

May 1, 2025 · Bret Adams

In his prologue, author Christopher McKittrick acknowledges the difficulty of condensing Gibbons’ six-decade career into one book, partially due to…

2024 June Issue on Spotify

June 7, 2024 · Vintage Guitar

This month we feature Marty Friedman, Twisted Sister, Blackberry Smoke, Blue Öyster Cult, Rick Vito, Judas Priest, Kay-Ta Matsuno W.C.…

Gretsch 6130 Round-up

Head ‘em out!

March 29, 2019 · Ward Meeker

The romantic concept of the “Old West” – an enduring element of American pop culture – was spurred by pulp…

Valvetech Suplex

A Kinder, Gentler Plexi

July 13, 2016 · Oscar Jordan

Used by rock royalty, the 100-watt Marshall Model 1959 Super Lead unleashed hellacious tones. Problem was, it was ridiculously loud…

The Rascals’ Gene Cornish

Wild Legacy

April 26, 2019 · Elliot Stephen Cohen

Gene Cornish is fond of the time he spent in the ’60s pop band The Rascals, which he credits for…

Pasquale Grasso

One-Man Duo

July 22, 2022 · Pete Prown

In the 1940s, jazz pianist Art Tatum wowed audiences with a virtuoso technique that sounded like two players. Today, Pasquale…

Tech 21’s Boost Series Pedals

The Way Up

December 6, 2013 · Max Prown

Tech 21 Boost Pedals Price: $149 each, street Contact: www.tech21nyc.com Tech 21’s new Boost Series of fuzz, overdrive, and distortion…

Godin A6 Ultra Baritone

Sub Sandwich

February 9, 2023 · Pete Prown

The basic premise of a baritone is that it allows guitar players to occasionally twang genuine bass notes – not…

Have Guitar Will Travel – 014 Featuring Robert Berry

August 19, 2019 · James Patrick Regan

The new episode of “Have Guitar Will Travel” features Robert Berry, renowned bassist in The Greg Kihn Band. A passionate progressive-rock…

Two Generations of Rock: The Kentucky HeadHunters and Black Stone Cherry

Family Practice

April 15, 2021 · Will Kelly

Whether you’re talking music or family, in the rolling hills of Kentucky, roots grow deep and strong. The Kentucky HeadHunters…

The Zelinsky Dellatera Custom

Easy on the senses

March 5, 2019 · Zac Childs

Dean Zelinsky’s history as a guitar builder includes unique designs that are toneful and eyecatching. To many, he might be…

Nalle Colt

Keeping Old-School Alive

May 11, 2016 · Oscar Jordan

Vintage Trouble has emerged as one of the hardest working bands on the music scene. Laced with an ultra-cool visual…

Genzler Acoustic Array Pro

Pro on the Go

July 23, 2019 · Pete Prown

As gigs at coffeehouses, street festivals, and farmers’ markets become more common, a growing legion of performers is being supported…

Chris Squire

1948-2015

November 28, 2016 · Pete Prown

Yes bassist Chris Squire died June 27th at age 67, after a brief battle with leukemia. Squire co-founded Yes in…

 Fretprints: Larry Carlton

Revisiting Room 335

January 2, 2026 · Wolf Marshall

In 1978, Larry Carlton was atop the unforgiving environs of L.A.’s music studios, where technical prowess, precision, creativity, tone, and…

The D’Angelico Excel Mandolin

March 13, 2015 · George Gruhn

The 1,164 archtop guitars made by John D’Angelico have brought him great renown as the finest individual archtop guitar builder…