• 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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North Mississippi Allstars

Prayer For Peace

June 27, 2017 · Oscar Jordan

If you’re a fan of heart-stopping slide guitar, you’re likely familiar with Luther Dickinson and his wicked blend of gospel-saturated…

Roine Stolt

Progressive Double-Duty

February 3, 2022 · Pete Prown

If you want to see a hard-working guitar ace, look no further than Roine Stolt, who has been going non-stop…

Steve Gunn

Steve Gunn

Folk Rock’s New Visionary

March 16, 2016 · Kathleen Johnson

Steve Gunn’s Way Out Weather is a textured effort that takes cues from a diverse palette including John Fahey, Chicago…

Have Guitar Will Travel – 051 Featuring Greg V.

May 25, 2021 · James Patrick Regan

Guitarist Greg V. has backed songwriter Bonnie Hayes, Randy Jackson, Ronnie Montrose, drummer Buddy Miles, and stepped into a certain…

FOMOfx Virtual Jeff Pro

Whammy For All

December 8, 2022 · Bob Dragich

On most guitars, installing a traditional vibrato is a task ranging from difficult to impossible. And even done right, mechanical…

Ricky Byrd

Cool and Greasy

April 3, 2014 · Elliot Stephen Cohen

“I wanted to make the type of album I would’ve liked to have heard when I was 13 – cool 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

Buddy Emmons

Buddy Emmons

1937-2015

July 5, 2016 · Rich Kienzle

Buddy Emmons, who revolutionized the pedal-steel guitar both musically and technically, died July 21 in Nashville after suffering a heart…

“Buy That Guitar” podcast with special guest Rick Hogue

September 3, 2024 · Vintage Guitar

“Buy That Guitar” podcast with special guest Rick Hogue Season 01 Episode 09 In Episode 9 of VG’s “Buy That…

John Jorgenson

Stringed-Instrument Ecstasy

January 24, 2017 · Willie G. Moseley

The title of John Jorgenson’s new three-CD boxed set, Divertuoso, combines two words – “diverse” and “virtuoso” – to aptly…

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band

It was 50 years ago today…

Vintage Guitar magazine Presents Greg Martin's Head Shop

June 1, 2017 · Greg Martin

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


CLASSIC INSTRUMENTS

Martin 00-18

August 8, 2014 · John Pearse

They were days, before Kent State, when everywhere you looked, kids sat under trees, singin’ songs and swappin’ licks. Fresh-faced…

Michael Bloomfield’s ’63 Telecaster

Michael Bloomfield’s ’63 Telecaster

This Guitar Killed Folk!

January 22, 2025 · Ward Meeker

A silver-spoon teen who loved sneaking into Chicago’s southside blues clubs, Michael Bloomfield reveled in absorbing all he could from…

The Fender “High-Powered” Twin

May 15, 2024 · Dave Hunter

1958-’59 Fender Twin Preamp tubes: one 12AY7, two 12AX7 Output tubes: four 5881 (6L6 equivalents), fixed bias Rectifier: GZ34 (5AR4)…

Epiphone Crestwood

’60s Un-Gibson Solidbody

July 14, 2017 · Eric C. Shoaf

Gibson’s acquisition of Epiphone in 1957 presented a tremendous challenge to guitar designers and marketers at the company. One challenge…


NEWSWIRE

APPROVED GEAR

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…

Fire-Eye Red-Eye Twin DI

Double Your Pleasure

April 23, 2019 · Steven Stone

In a simple system, even a basic direct-input box with little in the way of adjustments will work fine. But…

Orangewood Guitars’ Echo 12 Live

Fresh-Squeezed Jangle

May 10, 2022 · Bob Dragich

Twelve-string sales ebb and flow in part with the popularity of a song featuring one. Orangewood Guitars aims to change…

Henretta Engineering Pedals

Henretta Engineering Pedals

Good Things, Small Packages

September 7, 2014 · Michael Dregni

Henretta Engineering Pedals Prices: Green Zapper, Bluebird, and Purple Octopus, $125 each; Chord Blaster, $140 Info: www.henrettaengineering.com. Bigger is not…

WHAT ELSE IS NEW

Scott Sharrard’s fiery slide!

August 28, 2024 · Vintage Guitar

Little Feat ace plays outro from “You’ll Be Mine” In case you’re wondering how Scott Sharrard got the gig wearing…

2022 December Issue on Spotify

December 2, 2022 · Vintage Guitar

This month we feature Smith/Kotzen, Jeff Berlin, Mike Morgan, Marty Robins, The Sheepdogs, GA-20, Rolling Stones, Marshall Tucker Band, Creedence…

Yasmin Williams

Fearless Imagination

January 26, 2022 · Oscar Jordan

On her latest album, Urban Driftwood, Yasmin Williams’ wanderlust expands beyond the acoustic polyphony her fans know well. The songs…

Epiphone Joe Pass Emperor-II PRO

Archtop Ruler

January 24, 2017 · Michael Dregni

In the early 1950s, the grand old luthiers like Epiphone and Gibson couldn’t believe there would ever be a market…

Eastwood’s Airline Bighorn

Goin’ “Old-Store”

August 23, 2013 · Phil Feser

Most everyone has seen a department-store-catalog guitar (or two!) from the ’60s or ’70s. With their funky, cool body shapes…

Hound Dog Taylor, Son Seals, and Others

October 4, 2016 · Rick Allen

“I’m A Woman” sings Koko Taylor in her face-smacking distaff take on Bo Diddley’s “I’m A Man” to open this…

Fall Philly 2014

November 13, 2014 · Lisa Sharken

[caption id="attachment_19277" align="alignleft" width="300"] We are here at the Philly show checking out all the killer guitars! Here's a '54…

Donner DST-400

Seeing Green

February 7, 2023 · Dennis Pernu

If the pandemic had a silver lining beyond more time at home with our toys, it was the growth of…

Check This Action: Where’s Eric?

October 28, 2022 · Dan Forte

Eric Clapton and London’s Royal Albert Hall are virtually synonymous. In various contexts he has played the storied venue more…

Greta Van Fleet

The Battle at Garden’s Gate

January 24, 2022 · Oscar Jordan

Surviving the slings and arrows of Led Zeppelin comparisons, a world tour, and Grammy win, Greta Van Fleet’s second LP…

Quest for Volume

Django Reinhardt's Selmer #503

April 15, 2020 · Michael Dregni

Revolutionary jazz demanded a revolutionary jazz guitar. In the summer of 1935, just as his Quintette du Hot Club de…

Rex Solidbody

Italian Connection

November 30, 2023 · Michael Wright

An internet search for “Rex guitars” will turn up a fair – if confusing – amount of information about the…

J.R. Cobb

Classic Bands, Classic Songs

March 4, 2019 · Willie G. Moseley

When he joined Atlanta Rhythm Section in early 1972, J.R. Cobb and Barry Bailey had more in common than simply…

Benson Model 300H

Wrecking Ball

January 6, 2023 · Dave Hunter

Even with all the excellent guitar amps available by the late ’60s, nothing was quite good enough for jazz and…

Tab Benoit

What 10 Sounds Like

October 4, 2025 · Oscar Jordan

I Hear Thunder marks a return to recording for Tab Benoit. With 13 years between albums, he is recording music that…

Fender Pro Junior IV SE

More Function, Fewer Funds

September 11, 2023 · Bob Dragich

In a sea of inexpensive, feature-laden digital modeling amps, Fender is doubling down on its simple all-tube Pro Junior IV…

Fearless Guitar Heroes

Metallica’s Hammett and Hetfield Stage Legendary Solidbodies

July 10, 2019 · Ward Meeker

Metallica emerged as the antithesis to corporate rock and the “hair metal” that dominated L.A.’s Sunset Strip in the ’80s.…

The Les Paul Becomes The SG

Double Time

April 24, 2019 · George Gruhn

It may be difficult to imagine now, but Gibson’s original Les Paul was only a modest success. Introduced in 1952,…

Hofner 185

April 14, 2016 · Peter Stuart Kohman

Have you heard the line, “If Hendrix had a Magnatone, Strats would be worth $200 now?” A highly debatable proposition,…

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…

Kenny Brown

Mississippi Slide

July 22, 2022 · Oscar Jordan

The Black Keys’ latest album, Delta Kream, is a collection of blues standards from the Mississippi Hill Country. Drummer Patrick…

Not Done Yet

Eric Clapton

September 5, 2025 · Pete Prown

Nearly 60 years after “For Your Love” – the hit that prompted him to leave the Yardbirds – Clapton can…

GluBoost MasterGlu, Fill N’ Finish, MasterTint, and Gludry Accelerator

Stick-To-It-Iveness

May 21, 2019 · Oscar Jordan

There exists a subculture of guitarists who build, customize, or resurrect their own instruments, or help friends with theirs. GluBoost’s…

Gibson Barney Kessel Custom Prototype Vintage guitar magazine

Gibson’s Experimental Kessel Prototype

Gibson Barney Kessel Custom model

May 18, 2016 · George Gruhn

This is a guitar which for all practical purposes appears to be a Gibson Barney Kessel Custom model, but the…

Dan’s Guitar RX: Finding An Old Friend, Part 2

What Goes Around…

July 26, 2024 · Dan Erlewine

In the September, issue I told the story of the ’58 ES-335 I sold to my friend, Al, for $225…

Brian Tarquin

Music, Books, and Bookings

July 2, 2019 · John Heidt

Brian Tarquin is thriving in “steady as ya’ go” mode. Since his VG  interview in February ’15, he has released…

Gretsch 6130 Round-up

Head ‘em out!

March 29, 2019 · Ward Meeker

The romantic concept of the “Old West” – an enduring element of American pop culture – was spurred by pulp…

Classics: February 2022

Chuck Panozzo’s Gibson ES-125

October 6, 2022 · Ward Meeker

For nearly five decades, Chuck Panozzo has been the bassist in Styx, enjoying the ride as it went from playing…

Forrest Lee, Jr. and Friends

August 26, 2014 · Michael Dregni

Forrest Lee, Sr. was a country music legend most folks have likely never heard tell of. So why should they…