Stromberg G-5

May 7, 2023 · George Gruhn and Walter Carter

In the world of archtop guitars, the Stromberg name represents the ultimate instrument – in size, at least – in…

The Brothers Comatose Cover “Stickshifts and Safetybelts”

January 30, 2024 · Vintage Guitar

“Hardly Strictly Bluegrass” From San Francisco Here’s a dose of bluegrass flavor courtesy of The Brothers Comatose, playing a cover…

Gary Rossington

1951-2023

January 11, 2024 · Ward Meeker

As a boy, Gary Rossington would grab a broom and mime in front of a mirror whenever an Elvis Presley…

Chris Hillman 

Time Between; My Life as a Byrd, Burrito Brother, and Beyond

October 14, 2021 · Rich Kienzle

Though he began as a California bluegrass mandolin picker, Chris Hillman cemented his place in rock history as the Byrds’…

DryBell Unit67

Balkan Boost

October 15, 2021 · Oscar Jordan

DryBell Musical Electronic Laboratory has been kicking out great pedals for a few year, with clients like Mike Landau, John…

John Wetton

Back In Asia

July 13, 2020 · Willie G. Moseley

Bassist/vocalist John Wetton has exhibited his solid chops and plaintive baritone voice through the decades in King Crimson, Asia, and…

  • 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

Kirk Fletcher

The Mid-life Crisis Sessions

June 9, 2023 · Oscar Jordan

Back from barnstorming the globe, blues guitarist Kirk Fletcher’s latest is music for the people. Heartache by the Pound is…

Ace Frehley

The Space Man’s Cover Plan

May 9, 2017 · Greg Prato

Few guitarists in hard rock have proven as influential as Ace Frehley; just about any guitarist interviewed after the mid…

Pop ’N Hiss: Robin Trower’s Twice Removed from Yesterday

Think Again

June 14, 2024 · Bret Adams

The solo career of guitar icon Robin Trower took off like a rocket in the early ’70s after he left…

The Collins Kids

Mostly-Moseley Memories

January 8, 2024 · Willie G. Moseley

Siblings Lorrie and Larry Collins sprang into the public eye in the mid 1950s – dawn of the television era…


CLASSIC INSTRUMENTS

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Beyond the Parlor

Part Two: Man and Machine

April 29, 2016 · Tim Brookes

Ed. Note: In part two of his series on the guitar in 19-century America, Tim Brookes addresses the common belief that the guitar…

Martin’s “12-Fret” 000-42

December 21, 2013 · George Gruhn

Martin has never been a stranger to producing certain guitars in very limited quantities. But just how rare is the…

Greg Martin’s ’53 Fender Telecaster!

Greg Martin’s ’53 Fender Telecaster

Vintage Guitar magazine Presents Greg Martin's Head Shop

December 28, 2017 · Doug Yellow Bird

This is a regular series of exclusive Vintage Guitar online features where The Kentucky Headhunters’ Greg Martin looks back on…

John Sebastian & Arlen Roth

Reimagine the Lovin’ Spoonful

February 6, 2023 · Dan Forte

In the ’60s, the Lovin’ Spoonful boasted one of the most impressive song catalogs in rock and roll. During the…


NEWSWIRE

APPROVED GEAR

Friedman Motor City Drive & Fuzz Fiend

Sonic Rapture

April 26, 2019 · Oscar Jordan

An innovative designer, builder, and repairman, Dave Friedman has worked with some of the biggest names in the music industry,…

Golden Age Pre-73 MkIII, Ear Trumpet Edwina, and Avantone CR-14

The Front End

July 5, 2018 · Pete Prown

Strike up a conversation with anyone who records music and they’ll talk your ear off about mics and preamps. If…

Killer Guitar Components Killer Trem Bridge

Bridging the Gap

March 1, 2017 · Phil Feser

In the mid 1950s, Leo Fender and his crew spent countless hours on the design and manufacture of their revolutionary…

Shaw Audio Bass 130

Classic Tone for the Modern World

August 10, 2016 · Sean OBryan Smith

Tennessee amp builder Kevin Shaw loves restoring old cars – and creating fine-sounding amplifiers. His ToneRod SE and Fulltilt 18…

WHAT ELSE IS NEW

Fretprints: Billy Duffy

Personality of The Cult

October 13, 2023 · Wolf Marshall

Co-founder of The Cult, Billy Duffy was Britain’s last ’80s guitar hero, with an attitude and sound that embodied the…

BB King Vintage Guitar magazine main home

Remembering B.B. King

September 18, 2015 · Willie G. Moseley

Ed. Note: Everyone associated with Vintage Guitar magazine is saddened to learn of the passing of B.B. King. In 1995, Mr. King…

John Wetton

Back In Asia

July 13, 2020 · Willie G. Moseley

Bassist/vocalist John Wetton has exhibited his solid chops and plaintive baritone voice through the decades in King Crimson, Asia, and…

The Surfrajettes

On ’Board

March 10, 2023 · Pete Prown

The Surfrajettes delight their fans with the perfect wave of jangly guitars, kooky kitsch, and ’60s fashion. After several years…

Homestead Amps HS50

Tone On The Range

January 25, 2017 · Chip Wilson

So, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown and Waylon Jennings walk into a bar… No, wait, they walk into a NAMM Show. And,…

Popa Chubby’s Dangerous Attitude

November 23, 2023 · Vintage Guitar

NYC blues beast rips on “I Don’t Want Nobody A fixture in New York City blues joints and familiar face…

Vega Model 120

April 4, 2017 · Dave Hunter

Viewed from our contemporary perspective, it’s difficult to fully appreciate how different the music scene in general – and the…

Have Guitar Will Travel – 042 Featuring Dave Rude

January 12, 2021 · Art Department

The latest episode of “Have Guitar Will Travel” features Tesla guitarist Dave Rude. Host James Patrick Regan sits with the…

The Ultimate Book of Blues Guitar Legends

The Ultimate Book of Blues Guitar Legends

August 13, 2025 · Bret Adams

  The blues is the foundation of nearly all American popular music, and this book by Vintage Guitar’s music editor…

Santana IV

January 27, 2017 · Dan Forte

Describing Carlos Santana’s guitar playing, Greg Rolie, the Santana band’s original keyboardist, declares, “It’s real music; it’s not just a…

GizmoAudio’s Ripsaw and Sawmill Jr.

GizmoAudio’s Ripsaw and Sawmill Jr.

Just Like the First Time

January 7, 2016 · Ray Wuolo

Durham Electronics’ ReddVerb Price: $180 each (list) Info: www.gizmoaudio.com Most guitar players’ first pedal was a distortion/OD, often acquired after…

Bell 30 RV Stereo-Reverb Combo

Accordion to Plan

August 5, 2022 · Dave Hunter

1961 Bell 30 RV Stereo-Reverb • Preamp tubes: three 6EU7, one 7199, one 12AU7, one 12AX7 • Output tubes: four…

Uli Jon Roth

Return to Tokyo

April 24, 2019 · Greg Prato

In the 1970s, rockers were cranking out now-classic live sets with stunning regularity – Jimi Hendrix’s Band of Gypsys in…

Jack Bruce

Shadows and (Erstwhile) Short-Scale Basses

April 14, 2016 · Willie G. Moseley

Veteran bassist Jack Bruce is back in action with a new album and tour. Best known for his membership in…

BAKERSFIELD-HOME-MAIN-BIG

Basses from Bakersfield

March 4, 2014 · Willie G. Moseley

The history of guitar manufacturing in the Bakersfield area of California includes names like Mosrite, Hallmark, and Standel. One of…

The Epiphone Devon Tremolo EA-35T Combo

Tonally TransAtlantic

January 25, 2022 · Dave Hunter

After giving the upstart Fender a run for its money in the amplifier department throughout the 1950s, Gibson segued into…

Martin’s DJr-10E StreetMaster

Dread, Not

July 6, 2022 · Michael Shirek

The big, booming dreadnought has been a Martin hallmark since its debut in the 1930s. From that tradition comes Martin’s…

Fretprints: Mick Ralphs

Delivering in Bad Company

April 29, 2024 · Wolf Marshall

Unabashedly British and irresistibly swaggering, Bad Company personified ’70s arena rock. Detractors denounced them as machismo, but fans have bought…

The Roland Space Echo

Perfect Slap-Back

September 4, 2015 · Michael Dregni

When Brian Setzer kickstarted the Stray Cats into action in 1979, his gear lineup was a hodgepodge of orthodox rockabilly…

Matchless JJ-30

Stage Staunch

May 9, 2019 · Dave Hunter

Rare and sought-after, in part because only about 40 were built, the Matchless JJ-30 John Jorgenson is the only Signature…

Fender Strat-o-Sonic

May 27, 2020 · Phil Feser

Mahogany body, P-90-style pickups, wraparound tailpiece, 243/4″ scale? Sounds like a Gibson Les Paul Special. But alas, the instrument bearing…

Star Board: Jared Scharff

Star Board: Jared Scharff

April 12, 2016 · Ward Meeker

“Saturday Night Live” staff guitarist Jared Scharff uses this custom pedalboard, built by Matt Brewster, 30th Street Guitars, New York…

Brad Gillis

Playin’ On

July 20, 2022 · Ward Meeker

A member of the cutting-edge vanguard that made the Floyd Rose locking vibrato a huge part of ’80s rock guitar,…

Steve Miller Band

J50: The Evolution of The Joker

August 12, 2024 · Bret Adams

Miller’s beloved eighth album was recorded and mixed in 17 days, culminating in a jumble of rock, pop, R&B, and…

Gregg Wright plays “Hey Li’l Girl”

May 27, 2022 · Vintage Guitar

Fiery riffs from a blues-rock legend! Gregg Wright has opened for Albert and Freddie King, and toured with The Jacksons.…

Have Guitar Will Travel 104 – Pete Sears and Roger McNamee (Moonalice)

June 21, 2024 · James Patrick Regan

In episode 104 of “Have Guitar Will Travel”, presented by Vintage Guitar Magazine, host, James Patrick Regan. is at BottleRock…

Greg Koch: Gristly “Blues”

May 22, 2025 · Vintage Guitar

Greg Koch: Gristly “Blues” Greg Koch fearlessly wrings the sort of vibrato that only a Tele will tolerate from his…

Heart

August 30, 2016 · Michael Dregni

Heart is beating hard again. It’s been four years since Ann and Nancy Wilson’s last release, but the sisters are…

Jay Geils

More of That Jazz

April 13, 2017 · Johnny Zapp

Guitar maestro Jay Geils is a musical chameleon. In the ’70s, the J. Geils Band kicked out nine records that…