• Seymour Duncan Announces the Slash 3.0 Pickup Set

    Seymour Duncan Announces the Slash 3.0 Pickup Set

    SANTA BARBARA, January 13th, 2026 – Seymour Duncan, a leading manufacturer of guitar and bass pickups, effects pedals, and pedal amps, is proud to announce that the Slash 3.0 Pickup…

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  • Thomas Custom Guitars

    Thomas Custom Guitars

    Rarities from the Pacific Northwest

    Certain makes and models of electric guitars are rightfully prized for their elegant physical designs and superior craftsmanship. Even better are those also revered for their playability and particularly rich…

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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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Rev Rock

Billy Gibbons Goes Solo

November 29, 2016 · Ward Meeker

“BFG ain’t anybody ’cept BFG,” proclaims ZZ Top co-founder/front man/face Billy Gibbons, discussing his first solo album, Perfectamundo. “What is…

Gibson’s Fabulous Florentines

Archtop Elite

January 3, 2025 · Wolf Marshall

The image of Elvis Presley on his 1968 NBC “comeback special” was, in a word, badass. Dressed in black leather…

Fret-King Esprit III

Déjà Vu, Again

December 6, 2021 · Bob Cianci

What do you get when you cross a Gibson Explorer with a Fender offset and Firebird vibe? The answer is…

Donner LAX Comp

To The Limit

January 18, 2024 · Pete Prown

Whether used for funky tones, a gentle sonic sheen, or as gatekeeper for your rig’s volume, compressors are handy –…

Steve Miller

Some People Call Him Rock Icon

January 7, 2011 · Ward Meeker

Not until after he turned 40 did it occur to Steve Miller that he never really needed to fear whether…

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…

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ARTISTS

Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams: Funky Syncopation

July 29, 2024 · Vintage Guitar

Fine pickin’ on “The Way You Make Me Feel” Husband-and-wife team Martin D-18, while Teresa comps on an Emmylou Harris…

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…

John Pizzarelli

From Stage to Seven-String

April 28, 2024 · John Heidt

The John Pizzarelli Trio is back on the road supporting its latest album, Stage and Screen. Joined by Isaiah J.…

Thom Rotella

Chart Topper

October 4, 2023 · Jim Carlton

Sitting with his TV Jones custom archtop, exploring “Unit 7” – the tune made famous by Cannonball Adderley and Wes…


CLASSIC INSTRUMENTS

Valco ‘Thunder stick’

April 5, 2010 · Nathaniel Riverhorse Nakadate

Put your gut money on a dark horse every so often, and you might find the rest of the regurgitating…

United They Stood, Part 2

Ghosts of Jersey City

July 11, 2022 · Peter Stuart Kohman

In the history of guitars, the tale of United Guitar Corporation is a ghost story – little documented and lost…

Ampeg Gemini II G-15

Ampeg Gemini II G-15

April 5, 2016 · Dave Hunter

Preamp tubes: three 12AX7, one 6CG7, one 7199. Output tubes: two 7868. Rectifier: solidstate Controls: volume, treble and bass on…

Prototypes and Pathfinders

Five Amps That Set the Tone – Or Hoped To

October 2, 2024 · Dave Hunter

Groundbreaking and undeniably collectible guitar amplifiers have made frequent appearances in this space over the years, but so have prototypes,…


NEWSWIRE

APPROVED GEAR

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Strymon El Capistan dTape Echo

Endless Echo

June 10, 2016 · Michael Dregni

Like politics, religion, and overdrive pedals, echo boxes are sure to incite staunch views, heartfelt arguments, and perhaps even fisticuffs.…

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…

Supro Amulet 1×10

Old-School Soul

December 23, 2023 · Charlie Wilkins

Paying homage to low-powered tube amps from yesteryear, the Supro Amulet was designed to re-create classic Supro sounds with a…

Strobel Rambler Travel Bass

Traveling in Style 

December 2, 2016 · Phil Feser

As a rule, travel guitars and basses are intended to help one keep up their chops while on the road…

WHAT ELSE IS NEW

Jubu Smith

Jubu

May 31, 2025 · Pete Prown

John “Jubu” Smith (Whitney Houston, Tony! Toni! Tone’!, Raphael Saadiq) has joined with seven-string renegade Charlie Hunter for an instrumental…

Dumpstaphunk

Where Do We Go From Here

May 4, 2022 · Oscar Jordan

Dumpstaphunk’s fourth studio album combines earthy ’70s funk, vintage soul, ripping guitar, and New Orleans swagger. The NOLA natives consist…

Joe Osborn photo: Ed Hirsch.

Joe Osborn

A Few (Hundred) Hits

July 8, 2004 · Vintage Guitar

Ed. Note: Joe passed away December 14th, 2018, he was 81. Joe Osborn. His face has never been on a…

Billy Gibbons

On The Move

December 4, 2013 · Lisa Sharken

Before ZZ Top, Billy Gibbons launched his career as guitarist and front man with a Texas-based group called the Moving…

Dio

August 30, 2016 · Oscar Jordan

There’s his music, his style, and his metal-culture influence. But above all, Ronnie James Dio is responsible for creating one…

Neil LeVang

Neil LeVang

Six Strings Behind — and Beyond — Champagne Music

January 29, 2015 · Rich Kienzle

Neil LeVang was about to get a lecture. Days earlier, the A-list studio guitarist’s new boss, Lawrence Welk, had golfed…

Larry Coryell

January 26, 2017 · Oscar Jordan

The lastest from the godfather of fusion guitar harkens back to his ’71 album Barefoot Boy, revisiting the energy, philosophy,…

Mark Lettieri’s funky finesse

January 2, 2025 · Vintage Guitar

Virtuoso take on “Greenspace” Stepping out from his band, Snarky Puppy, Mark Lettieri exhibits the finesse, funk, and fury that…

Terry Burrows

May 15, 2016 · Michael Dregni

Two boards, three pickups, some hardware, and various electric bits and pieces: Stratocasters are simple creations at heart. But setting…

JangleBox Acousticomp

Sweet Woodiness

November 26, 2024 · Oscar Jordan

Compression and sustain are the icing on most guitarist’s tonal palette. While many use such effects in service of electric…

Steve Lukather

Bridges to Toto’s Past

April 18, 2024 · Bret Adams

Discussing his ninth solo album, Steve Lukather is a ball of energy – reflective, witty, ready with a joke. “I…

Fender Coronado XII Wildwood

Instrument Profile

June 10, 2020 · Michael Wright

Sex, drugs, and rock and roll. Yea, baby! Okay, to be honest, there’s no real evidence that this 1967 Fender…

Jussi Jaakonaho

Sunburst Finnish

July 18, 2019 · Pete Prown

There’s a vibrant instro-guitar scene in Finland and among its chief architects is Jussi Jaakonaho. Well known as a producer…

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25 Most Valuable Basses

May 24, 2015 · Peter Stuart Kohman

Vintage Guitar is marking 25 years of publication with a year full of features. This month, using data compiled for…

Steve Dawson

Deeper Roots

April 3, 2024 · Pete Prown

Calling Steve Dawson a “roots” artist seems a disservice to a musician so eclectic and wildly talented. On Eyes Closed,…

The Chicago Blues Box Buddy Guy Signature Amp

Buddy’s New (Tool) Box

June 24, 2020 · Art Department

Whether you’re a blues guitarist, jazz guy, or a power-chord rock player, certain players draw your attention, whether for the…

Steve Dawson and his Tricone, “Singin’ the Blues”

September 6, 2023 · Vintage Guitar

Roots Artists Expands the Genren The wildly talented Steve Dawson uses a modern National Tricone for this take on “Singin’…

The Electra Endorser

December 2, 2025 · Michael Wright

Flame-top guitars were fairly common during the 1970s “copy era,” but few reached the levels of figure we often see…

Trey Gunn

Touch-Guitar Tip of the Hat

January 5, 2018 · Willie G. Moseley

When profiled by Vintage Guitar in 1992, Trey Gunn was playing a Chapman Stick alongside guitarist Robert Fripp in a…

Walrus Audio Eras Five-State Distortion

Serious Saturation

January 30, 2023 · Oscar Jordan

After its Ages Five-State Overdrive proved popular, Walrus Audio dipped back into the concept with a box offering five distortion…

The Collings SoCo Deluxe

November 23, 2020 · Phil Feser

Whether you’re a fan of the flat-top or simply appreciate a good archtop, chances are you’re familiar with Collings Guitars.…

Cliff Goodwin

335 Reunion

April 18, 2014 · Willie G. Moseley

Cliff Goodwin was catapulted into the big time on a decade-long stint with Joe Cocker that began in the late…

Willie G. Moseley

Bakersfield Guitars: The Illustrated History

November 17, 2022 · Michael Dregni

No, this is not a history of Joe Maphis, Don Rich, Buck Owens, Roy Nichols, Merle Haggard, and the other…

RnR Hall of Famer Richie Furay and his gorgeous ’53 Gibson J-200!

December 6, 2022 · Vintage Guitar

Buffalo Springfield/Poco Founder Covers a Country Favorite Richie Furay and his ’53 SJ-200 share a glimpse of their bucolic space…

Tech 21 Fly Rig 5

Tech 21 Fly Rig 5

Tone To Carry-On

March 21, 2016 · Rich Maloof

Tech 21 Fly Rig 5 Price: $249 (list) Contact: www.tech21nyc.com Long before the Line6 POD, the Box of Rock, or…

Mud Ride: A Messy Trip Through The Grunge Explosion

Steve Turner with Adem Tepedelen

April 24, 2024 · Dennis Pernu

Mudhoney never really cashed in on the early-’90s grunge sweepstakes. In fact, its members have largely eschewed the G word.…

Epiphone Emperor Swingster

Juke-Joint Jammer

August 9, 2013 · Sean OBryan Smith

Though its high-point in terms of popular exposure may have occurred when McCartney, Lennon, and Harrison “discovered” the Casino, Epiphone…

The Fender Master Series

April 16, 2018 · Gary Koehler

Dan Smith had an idea – a solidbody guitar with routed chambers that would provide unique resonant tonal characteristics. And…

Jake Andrews’ video encore: “Eyes On The Prize”

September 8, 2023 · Vintage Guitar

Austin Great Goes Full Steam for “Eyes On The Prize” Jake Andrews’ video encore: “Eyes On The Prize” Jake Andrews…