Sarah Borges’ plays “Wasting My Time”

June 20, 2022 · Vintage Guitar

Roots-rocker’s solo, essential take Sarah Borges grabbed her Stonetree Custom Roscoe Special for this take on “Wasting My Time,” from…

Mike Campbell

Got Lucky

December 8, 2025 · Bret Adams

Mike Campbell is one of the most-heard guitarists on earth thanks to his work in the legendary Tom Petty and…

Otis Taylor

March 30, 2017 · Oscar Jordan

Otis Taylor has no concern for your discomfort with racial issues. It’s an artist’s duty to reflect the times, and…

Jazz Player of the Year

February 6, 2017 · Vintage Guitar

George Benson Awarded in 2018 Even within the category of jazz, it’s hard to pin down guitar wizard George Benson.…

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…

Roger Glover

Time Machine

January 14, 2025 · Bret Adams

Deep Purple’s 1972 album, Machine Head, is one of rock’s totemic monsters, especially its best-known track, “Smoke on the Water,”…

  •  VG Q&A: Harmony History

     VG Q&A: Harmony History

    And an Archtop Mystery

    I recently received two guitars as gifts and am trying to learn more about them. The first is a Harmony I believe is from the early ’70s. Its serial number…

    Read more >>

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ARTISTS

Eric Zolan

Funky and Blue

January 4, 2024 · Pete Prown

Guitarist Eric Zolan whips up a perfect confection of jazz, blues, and R&B in his playing, heard on his latest,…

ZZ Top

The First 20 Years, Un-Remixed

March 3, 2014 · Dan Forte

Usually, the hook with boxed reissues is that they include previously unreleased songs, alternate takes, live material, and maybe some…

Jim Peterik

Collection Reflection

May 9, 2019 · Willie G. Moseley

Guitarist/songwriter Jim Peterik, who helped compose hit songs like “Eye of the Tiger” and “Hold On Loosely,” has remained active…

Ally Venable

Heart of Texas

March 2, 2022 · Oscar Jordan

On her fourth album, Ally Venable serves up a heaping helping of poignant songs wrapped in Texas-style blues-rock. Ballsy wah…


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…

Gibson Super Jumbo 100

December 23, 2015 · George Gruhn

The Super Jumbo 200 is Gibson’s most celebrated flat-top model, and deservedly so, thanks to its use by cowboy movie…

Gibson J-185

The Gibson J-185

November 20, 2015 · George Gruhn

The J-185 is regarded by many players and collectors as the finest-sounding Gibson flat-top made after World War II. The…

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…


NEWSWIRE

APPROVED GEAR

Tech 21 Steve Harris SH1 Signature SansAmp

Tone of the Beast

March 6, 2023 · Pete Prown

Tech 21’s Steve Harris SH1 Signature Sans Amp celebrates the tone of metal icon Harris, Iron Maiden’s bassist, songwriter, and…

Gibson’s J-45 50s Faded

Lore Holder

January 18, 2024 · Michael Shirek

In the decade leading up to World War II, guitar builders started scaling up their acoustic offerings to meet the…

The Xaviere XV-JT90 and XV-585

Planks for Pennies

September 19, 2013 · Pete Prown

Xaviere is a company that imports its guitars from China, sets them up in its Massachusetts shop, then sells direct.…

McGregor Cozmic Fuzzball

Sweet & Gnarly

November 9, 2022 · Oscar Jordan

The culmination of a quest to build the perfect transparent overdrive, Garth Heslop’s Cozmic Fuzzball is the third pedal in…

WHAT ELSE IS NEW

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,…

Home Feature Image

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…

Danelectro Viscount

January 11, 2016 · Dave Hunter

1961 Danelectro Viscount Preamp tubes: two 12AX7, one 6AU6 Output tubes: two 6V6GT Rectifier: 6X5 Controls: Volume, Tone, Vibrato Strength,…

Manouche courtesy of La Pompe Attack

March 27, 2023 · Vintage Guitar

(Gypsy) Jazzin’ a James Taylor Tune La Pompe Attack shows us their take on James Taylor’s “Traffic Jam,” from their…

“Buy That Guitar” podcast with special guest Alan Greenwood

January 14, 2025 · Vintage Guitar

Season 02 Episode 1 VG’s “Buy That Guitar” podcast opens its second season with host Ram Tuli joined by Alan…

Dallas Shaftesbury 30

March 7, 2017 · Dave Hunter

We mine the rich seam of obscure vintage American tube amps on a regular basis here in the pages of…

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…

National Bel-Air, Photo courtesy George Gruhn Big thmbnail

National Bel-Air

May 4, 2016 · George Gruhn

The idea of Gibson providing guitar parts to another prominent guitar maker is laughable today, but in the 1940s and…

Radial Tonebone Hot British V9 and North-Star

Tone Deep Down

July 3, 2019 · Oscar Jordan

Since the mid ’90s, Radial Engineering has been making audio products with a rep for superb performance and top-tier construction.…

Roy Buchanan and Tom Principato

Masters of the Telecaster

May 2, 2017 · Dan Forte

In 1972, Roy Buchanan shook up the guitar world with his self-titled debut album. The tones he extracted from his…

Rick Nielsen

Storied Career

January 5, 2018 · Elliot Stephen Cohen

“Many years ago, I was in the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ dressing room with my son, Daxx,” recalls Rick Nielsen. “Flea…

Jorge Garcia

Led Bop

February 3, 2022 · Pete Prown

Jazz covers of rock songs often fall flat on their face, but Cuban-American guitarist Jorge Garcia nails it on Crossover.…

Fender Nile Rodgers Hitmaker Stratocaster

Good Times

March 9, 2023 · Oscar Jordan

Guitarists know Nile Rodgers as funkmaster general of Chic, but he looms even larger as a Grammy-winning producer whose skill…

Remembering Tom Petty

May 21, 2019 · Ward Meeker

In the colossal wake of the Beatles, Tom Petty – more than most – was that kid the Byrds spoke…

2021 Readers’ Choice Awards

May 24, 2022 · Vintage Guitar

Each year, Vintage Guitar asks fans to select Readers’ Choice winners for Player of the Year in four categories, along…

Supro Huntington

July 3, 2019 · Ward Meeker

Looking supremely ’60s-like with its gorgeous, vintage-y cherry-red finish, petite body, and fancy-topped pickups, the Supro Huntington is inviting as…

Orange Super Crush 100 Head

Convincing Crunch

March 13, 2023 · Charlie Wilkins

When speaking of guitar amplifiers that have become part of rock-and-roll lore, you best mention the iconic Orange brand as…

Rik Emmett

Ten Telecaster Tales

January 14, 2026 · Pete Prown

At the risk of starting a brawl, Rik Emmett’s guitar work was arguably too good for Triumph. As evidence, his…

Gibson J-185

The Gibson J-185

November 20, 2015 · George Gruhn

The J-185 is regarded by many players and collectors as the finest-sounding Gibson flat-top made after World War II. The…

Ace Frehley

10,000 Volts

January 9, 2025 · Bret Adams

Kiss’ original guitarist didn’t appear at the band’s final concert, crushing the rock-and-roll dreams of diehard fans. But, his latest…

Dominic Miller’s Tasty “Mi Viejo”

August 30, 2023 · Vintage Guitar

Sting Guitarist’s Serene Harmonic Expressionism Using his new artist tribute model classical (the label says “1/1”!) made by K. Yairi,…

Collings OM1 T

Faultless Flat-Top?

January 8, 2018 · Steven Stone

To the hands, hearts, and minds of many an experienced guitarist, an OM-size body with a 25.5″ scale feels the…

Pop ’N Hiss: Bruford’s Allan Holdsworth

Landmark Fusion of One of a Kind

March 31, 2022 · Pete Prown

Jazz-rock fusion was vastly popular in the mid 1970s, but began to run out of steam as the “smooth jazz”…

Michael Wilton

Michael Wilton

Rebuilding the Queensrÿche Brand

August 31, 2015 · Oscar Jordan

The highly publicized firing of singer Geoff Tate from the band Queensrÿche has divided fans and spawned two touring bands…

Reverend Mike Watt Wattplower

July 3, 2019 · Phil Feser

During four years of back and forth, Reverend Guitars and legendary punk-rock bassist Mike Watt (Minutemen, Firehose, Stooges), developed a…

John Scofield

Uncle John’s Band

August 12, 2024 · Pete Prown

Cue up the title cut and admire John Scofield’s chord-melody approach to the Grateful Dead’s 1971 FM hit. While Sco’…

King Snake Three Bone

Latter-Day “Legend”

February 9, 2023 · Michael Dregni

Gibson’s ES-5 is a legend, but it’s also a bit idiosyncratic thanks to funky out-of-phase pickups and a non-intuitive control…

Manouche Latcho Drom Swing 42

Hot Club Hot Stuff

December 27, 2017 · Michael Dregni

In the galaxy of Gypsy jazz guitars, the Modèle Special Chorus made by Sicilian-born, Parisian-based Antoine Di Mauro was something…

Prince

Rhapsody In Purple

April 20, 2017 · Oscar Jordan

A year after his death, VG remembers Prince, a musical revolutionary, whose emergence was jarring, even for the most youthful…