• 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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Scott Gorham

Heavy Fire

March 14, 2019 · Oscar Jordan

It’s hard out there for a ’70s guitar hero. With the struggles of keeping older fans happy verses the challenge…

Fender’s Tweed-to Tolex Transition

Best Face Forward

June 6, 2022 · Dave Hunter

Through its 75 years, Fender has been responsible for myriad leaps forward in the history of guitar-amplifier design and manufacture.…

The Steepwater Band

More Players, More Music

May 9, 2017 · Willie G. Moseley

The Steepwater Band, based in Chicago, has been a trio for most of its career, purveying guitar-based Americana. Guitarist Jeff…

Jeff Senn and Crazy Aces

Dealing Out Twang

June 6, 2014 · Michael Dregni

When you build guitars for a living, you might unwind with another hobby – say, beer-can collecting or crochet. Not…

Zemaitis’ CS Guitars

Super Models

March 5, 2019 · Michael Dregni

Artist. Iconoclast. Guitar builder to the stars. Tony Zemaitis was all that and more. Ronnie Wood and Keith Richards swear…

Check This Action: Back Aboard

May 1, 2023 · Dan Forte

Despite (or because of) the huge Folk Boom of the late ’50s and early ’60s, these days “folk” is almost…

  • Rising Rockers

    Rising Rockers

    Five Alternative Club Classic Amps of the ’50s

    In an era when the sub-20-watt combo is arguably the most popular guitar-amp format, it’s worth remembering that several classics of the category emanate from the ’50s. And just as…

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ARTISTS

Steve Morse

Return of the Dixie Dregs

April 14, 2020 · Pete Prown

Steve Morse has been revisiting the past. A member of Deep Purple since 1994, this year he reunited with the…

“Buy That Guitar” podcast with special guest David Davidson

July 16, 2024 · Vintage Guitar

“Buy That Guitar” podcast with special guest David Davidson Season 01 Episode 02 In Episode 2 of “Buy That Guitar,”…

Ralph Towner

Fifty Years and Counting

April 29, 2024 · Pete Prown

As a young musician, Ralph Towner wrote “Icarus,” a revolutionary jazz piece that became a crossover hit for the Paul…

Eric Bibb

Beyond the Blues

June 30, 2022 · Pete Prown

It’s almost a curse to categorize a musician a “blues artist,” as it implies someone who simply plays standard I-IV-V…


CLASSIC INSTRUMENTS

Magnatone X-5 Zephyr

Last Gasp

June 14, 2023 · Michael Wright

Ever since Lonnie Mack unleashed The Wham of That Memphis Man and Buddy Holly sang “Peggy Sue,” Magnatone amplifiers have…

How Ron Wood’s New Barbarians Saved the Stones

Ear-to-Ear Violence

January 5, 2018 · Michael Dregni

Today, the Rolling Stones continue to perform live, more than 50 years since their first gig. But few realize how…

B.C. Rich Eagle

April 28, 2020 · Michael Wright

When my son was young I used to do “guitar shows” for his classes, showing off 10 or so electric…

Double Neck Triple Neck Vintage guitar magazine Home main

Doublenecks, Triplenecks…

And the California Weird Factor

March 25, 2016 · Deke Dickerson

If you mention doubleneck or multi-neck guitars to your average guitar player, the first thing they’ll likely think of is…


NEWSWIRE

APPROVED GEAR

Dawner Prince Electronics Pulse

A New Spin

February 10, 2022 · Michael Dregni

There are plenty of takes on the Leslie rotating speaker and its most famous stompbox offshoot, the Shin-ei Uni-Vibe. Dawner…

Henriksen’s The Bud

This One’s For You

March 15, 2019 · Pete Prown

In theory, a big guitar amp should sound larger than a smaller one. Then there’s Henriksen’s The Bud. Based on…

The Fender Bullet Deluxe/JP-90

No Frills, Didn’t Fly

January 23, 2014 · Willie G. Moseley

    Fender has tried more than once to market basses with a low-budget vibe. And while the idea is…

ZT Amplifiers Club and Lunchbox Acoustic

Big Things, Small Packages

January 24, 2014 · Sean OBryan Smith

In two short years of existence, ZT Amplifiers has found a unique place for itself in the world of boutique…

WHAT ELSE IS NEW

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…

Chris Spedding

Chris Spedding

Convergence of Legends and Friends

March 23, 2016 · Willie G. Moseley

The career of guitarist Chris Spedding has spanned more than four decades and included a commendable solo career, a stint…

Effector 13 Improbability Drive

“Beam Me Up, Jimi” – The Effector 13 Improbability Drive – spacey, fuzzy, and funky

August 15, 2013 · Phil Feser

We understand how you might react. “Another drive pedal?” There are so many… a lot of them similar, or nearly…

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…

Carr Bloke

Carr Bloke

No Regular Fella

November 11, 2015 · Zac Childs

From early models such as the Carr Slant 6V and the Rambler to more recent offerings such as the Artemus…

Koll Super Glide Almighty

Grady’s Choice

October 14, 2019 · Pete Prown

What do you get when you cross a Jazzmaster, Les Paul, Gretsch Duo Jet, ES-335, and Tele? You just might…

Fender’s 60th Anniversary Jazz Bass

Golden-Era Glory

February 7, 2022 · Michael Shirek

Though it looks to be straight from a ’60s catalog, Fender’s 60th Anniversary Jazz Bass isn’t a true reissue. Rather,…

Bob Seger and the Borneo Band

Lakeview High School, St. Clair Shores, Michigan, April ’73

November 4, 2020 · Ken Settle

If you were a Detroit kid in the 1960s, it was impossible to cruise Woodward Avenue and not hear a…

Harp Legend Charlie Musselwhite

May 30, 2025 · Vintage Guitar

Stringin’ on “Blue Lounge” Harp legend Charlie Musselwhite has recorded and performed with a stunning array of guitarists in his…

Gibson J-35

Gibson J-35

July 5, 2016 · George Gruhn

Dreadnought guitars originated as early as 1916 with instruments made by Martin and distributed by Ditson, followed in 1931 with…

Keeley Noble Screamerb

Ultimate Mash-Up

August 27, 2024 · Oscar Jordan

Just when guitarists thought the golden age of gear couldn’t get better, Robert Keeley has combined two great pedals that…

Gibson Johnny Smith

June 29, 2015 · George Gruhn

In 1961, Gibson’s Johnny Smith model not only associated Gibson with one of the most popular guitar stylists of the…

Steve Wariner

The C.G.P. Connection

May 14, 2012 · Willie G. Moseley

Steve Wariner is among the handful of guitarists designated as a certified guitar player (C.G.P.) by Chet Atkins. The last…

Dan’s Guitar RX: Installing an Acoustic Pickup System

Un-Unplugged

November 10, 2022 · Dan Erlewine

For years, one of the most common jobs I’ve been asked to do is put a pickup in an acoustic…

Outlaws

Rising Tides

December 30, 2025 · Bret Adams

By the mid ’70s, Southern rock emerged as one of the most-exciting and successful genres in pop music, thanks to…

Last In Line

May 15, 2016 · Oscar Jordan

This album reunites Mark 1 of the late Ronnie James Dio’s solo band, including Vinny Appice, the late Jimmy Bain,…

Paul Gabriel Vintage Guitar magazine

Paul Gabriel

Rollin’ With Robillard

April 26, 2016 · Willie G. Moseley

For Paul Gabriel, the opportunity to work with fellow guitarist Duke Robillard happened decades after they’d met and first played…

Status Quo’s Francis Rossi

On Guitars, Music, and Elusive Success

October 13, 2015 · Elliot Stephen Cohen

“I’m only as good now as I should have been when I was 25,” laughs Francis Rossi, the 64-year-old lead…

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…

Sebastian Nagel

Meditations in Funk

November 12, 2023 · Oscar Jordan

Germany’s Sebastian Nagel is a producer, composer, session guitarist, performer, and fan of the funk. His latest project finds him…

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…

Fender Micro Mustang

May 10, 2022 · Dennis Pernu

Fender’s Micro Mustang is a pocket-sized contraption offering 12 amplifier models including classic Fender, “British,” and “American,” along with 12…

Dan’s Guitar RX: Building a From-Scratch Class Project

Rock-And-Roll High School(er)

April 6, 2023 · Dan Erlewine

Students at Federal Hocking High School here in Athens County, Ohio, are given the opportunity to propose internships in work that…

Demeter FZO-1 Fuzzy Octavulator

Demeter FZO-1 Fuzzy Octavulator

Fuzz Flavors

October 24, 2014 · Zac Childs

James Demeter has a long history in the amp and effects biz. His project-boxed/Dymo-labeled Tremulator pedal pre-dates the ’90s boutique…

VG Hall of Fame 2012 Inductees

January 9, 2013 · Vintage Guitar

Guild Bluesbird

Flyin’ High Again

April 24, 2019 · Bob Cianci

The Guild Bluesbird has a long history that began in the 1950s with Guild’s answer to the Gibson Les Paul…

The Pickaso Guitar Bow

Fiddle Stick 

October 15, 2021 · Pete Prown

Ever since Jimmy Page grabbed a bow for “Dazed and Confused,” players have tried to bridge the gap between guitars…

Gibson Falcon 5

Timeless

December 23, 2024 · Charlie Wilkins

Drawing inspiration from its classic Skylark amplifiers of the 1950s and ’60s, Gibson is revisiting those beloved tones with the…

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Siegmund Missing Link

Rounding Out the Board

June 10, 2016 · Tom Guerra

Looking like a Sputnik-era satellite, the Missing Link from Siegmund Guitars and Amplifiers may be the perfect way to –…