Michael Staertow

Michael Staertow

Gramm Backer

April 11, 2016 · Chuck Riley

You may not recognize the name, but Michael Staertow has been playing some of classic rock’s most memorable riffs for…

Mark Tremonti

Three-Band Man

August 10, 2022 · Greg Prato

The odds of any guitarist being in a highly successful rock band are long. Chances of being in two are…

Punky Meadows

Heavenly Guitar

April 18, 2019 · Greg Prato

In the 1970s, glam-rockers Angel carved a niche with five albums of arena-rock anthems and an image that stood in…

Joe Louis Walker

All-Original Blues

February 2, 2024 · Greg Prato

A member of the Blues Hall of Fame, Joe Louis Walker’s music always has unmistakable blues elements. His latest album,…

Otis Redding

Live At The Whisky A Go Go: The Complete Recordings

July 5, 2018 · Oscar Jordan

“Are you ready for star time?” That’s the introduction by emcee Al “Brisco” Clark to the six-CD boxed-set of Otis…

Check This Action: The Sound Of The Surf

September 12, 2023 · Dan Forte

Before acts like the Beach Boys and Jan & Dean sang about surfing, guitar bands in Southern California started playing…

  • 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…

    Read more >>

NOW AVAILABLE!

CURRENT ISSUE

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

ARTISTS

John Entwistle

John Entwistle 1944-2002

September 7, 2015 · Vintage Guitar

John Entwistle Ode to the Ox 1944-2002 By Ward Meeker Pop music lovers – especially those with an ear tuned…

Warren Haynes

Gov’t Revolution

April 23, 2019 · Oscar Jordan

Digging through the Gov’t Mule catalog recalls a legacy of great music. More than just another jam band, the group…

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…

Mark St. John

The Lost Kiss Interview

March 13, 2024 · Pete Prown

With the release of Kiss’ recent live album, Off The Soundboard: Poughkeepsie, New York, 1984, fans hear one of precious…


CLASSIC INSTRUMENTS

Big Beat Boys

Musings on Fab and Gear, 50 Years Ago

March 9, 2016 · Peter Stuart Kohman

Americans tend to link the beginnings of the Beatles phenomenon to a specific date – February 9, 1964, when the…

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…

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…

Eastwood EEB-1 and EUB-1 Basses

Horizontal Vibe

July 1, 2020 · Phil Feser

Eastwood’s EEB-1 and the EUB-1 take their design inspiration from Ampeg’s quirky mid-’60s Horizontal Bass series, the brainchild of Dennis…


NEWSWIRE

APPROVED GEAR

The JangleBox J-Boost

Seamless Sheen

March 5, 2019 · Oscar Jordan

Twelve years ago, Janglebox founder Steve Lasko set out to create effects pedals that capture the sparkling clean chime made…

EHX Ripped Speaker Pedal

Tore Up

May 3, 2023 · Bob Cianci

Since the dawn of rock and roll, guitarists have (by accident or with intent) loosened tubes, sliced, or poked holes…

Fender’s 70th Anniversary Esquire

One-Pickup Wonder

February 10, 2022 · Michael Dregni

In the past, Fender has paid homage to its history with precise replicas of certain classics. The company’s 70th Anniversary…

Cimarron Guitars’ Model P

From the Parlor to the Stage

September 24, 2013 · Sean OBryan Smith

Cimarron Guitars has being making custom instruments since 1978 in the dry, mild climate of southwest Colorado. The company’s Model…

WHAT ELSE IS NEW

Fretprints: Kim Simmonds

Ode to the British Blues Icon

December 23, 2023 · Wolf Marshall

Leader and guiding spirit of Savoy Brown, Kim Simmonds was an architect of the ’60s British Blues movement. A powerful…

Martin Turner

Low-End Unorthodoxy

March 2, 2017 · Steve Rosen

When he transitioned from playing guitar, former Wishbone Ash bassist Martin Turner kept a pick in his right hand and…

Earliest Gretsch 6120

…Revealed!

February 3, 2014 · Edward Ball

The Gretsch company rose to the upper echelon of guitar manufacturers in the 1950s with the introduction of a diverse…

Austin Guitarst Eric Hisaw on “Someone Else.”

June 1, 2023 · Vintage Guitar

 Rockabilly Meets Punk! Straight outta Austin, Eric Hisaw and his early-’80s import Fender Tele play a cool living-room rendition…

Höfner’s Fledermaus Gitarre

A Bat By Any Other Name

May 1, 2022 · Ward Meeker

Much like the scant records of almost every large-scale American guitar manufacturer, production logs at Höfner’s headquarters in Hagenau, Germany,…

Alive! Guitar Revived

The Tale of Frampton’s ’54 Les Paul Custom

February 1, 2021 · Ward Meeker

Gifted to Peter Frampton after a 1970 Humble Pie concert at Fillmore West in San Francisco, for years, this ’54…

Pentangle

The Albums

July 5, 2018 · Dan Forte

Take Five When one thinks of bands with two (or more) lead guitarists, groups like the Eagles, Buffalo Springfield, Quicksilver…

Reddick Voyager CS

Boss Delay Machine DM-101 Reddick Echo Heaven

June 26, 2024 · Pete Prown

Love the simplicity and warmth of analog in your effects? Well, meet Boss’ new Delay Machine DM-101, housed in a…

Vox Pacemaker V-3

February 12, 2014 · Dave Hunter

1965 Vox Pacemaker v-3 Preamp tubes: three Mullard ECC83 (12AX7) Output tubes: two Mullard EL84, cathode-biased, no negative feedback Rectifier:…

Freddie Green

Artistry in Rhythm

December 5, 2024 · Jim Carlton

Fellow musicians called him “Pep” or “Pepperhead.” He was also known as “Mr. Rhythm,” and he could drive a band…

Sam Kiszka

Ethereal Energy

April 3, 2024 · Ward Meeker

Guitar rock in 2023 doesn’t get bigger or ballsier than Greta Van Fleet. A veritable steamroller since “Highway Tune” launched…

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…

Blackberry Smoke Unplugs

Ds and LGs

March 3, 2017 · Ward Meeker

By sound and association, Blackberry Smoke walks a fine stylistic line. A good ol’ rock band when it started rollin’…

The Minus 5 and the Monkees

Monkee Business

August 2, 2016 · Dennis Pernu

The 1960s – that halcyon decade which Americans today are most inclined to reconsider with dewy eyes – is in…

ISAAK_HOME-MAIN-BIG

Chris Isaak

Sun Worship

May 9, 2014 · Ward Meeker

Most pop-music fans became aware of Chris Isaak through his 1991 hit “Wicked Game” and its uber-high-profile video, directed by…

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…

Waterloo WL-14

Waterloo WL-14

Modern Johnson

February 16, 2016 · Chip Wilson

Waterloo WL-14 Price: $2,100, $1,890 (street) Contact: www.collingsguitars.com or www.waterlooguitars.com Robert Johnson slid into a photo booth, dangling a cigarette…

Woodstock 1969

Ten Years After

September 8, 2025 · Dan Forte

Though he was a multifaceted guitarist, Ten Years After’s Alvin Lee had a reputation as a speed demon – not…

Laurence Juber

Laurence Juber

Still Wingin’ It

June 21, 2016 · Willie G. Moseley

Fingerstyle guitarist Laurence Juber is best known for his association with Paul McCartney’s Wings, but has recorded two dozen solo…

“Buy That Guitar” podcast with special guest Howie Statland

September 10, 2024 · Ram W. Tuli

“Buy That Guitar” podcast with special guest Howie Statland Season 01 Episode 10 In Episode 10 of VG’s “Buy That…

Ethan Brosh

Ethan Brosh

Living The Dream

August 6, 2015 · Oscar Jordan

In case you were wondering, shred is not dead, and Ethan Brosh is determined to keep it that way. The…

Have Guitar Will Travel – 043 Featuring Ranger Doug

January 26, 2021 · Art Department

The new episode of “Have Guitar Will Travel” features host James Patrick Regan’s conversation with “Ranger Doug” Green, guitarist, front man,…

The Soldano

Super Lead Overdrive

January 12, 2015 · Dave Hunter

One of the leaders of what we might call the second wave of high-end high-gain tube amps, Soldano has been…

Zakk Wylde

Stripped Down BLS for Unblackened

July 18, 2014 · Lisa Sharken

When Zakk Wylde was asked to record a new DVD/CD package, he decided to give his Black Label Society fans…

Have Guitar Will Travel – 023 Featuring Jedd Hughes

February 12, 2020 · James Patrick Regan

In Episdoe 23 of “Have Guitar Will Travel,” host James Patrick Regan speaks with singer/songwriter/A-list session guitarist Jedd Hughes. A…

King, Landon Visit the Delta

Bucket (List) Full ’O Blues

April 25, 2019 · Willie G. Moseley

Five decades after their bands first charted with hit singles, two guitar legends recently reunited for a sojourn to the…

NRBQ

New Rhythm And Blues

January 27, 2017 · John Heidt

This five-disc retrospective captures the essence of what is one of America’s best, if not best-known, bands from the past…

The Beatles’ Casinos

January 17, 2018 · Andy Babiuk

Of all the guitars made famous by the Beatles, the only one that John, Paul, and George had in common…

Budda’s Baby Budda Amp Head

Big-Boy Tone

September 21, 2015 · Oscar Jordan

Budda Amplification staked its claim in 1995 with the Twinmaster boutique amplifier. Its hand-wired construction and user-friendly tones were hits…