In Memoriam: Rusty Russell

March 20, 2024 · Ward Meeker

Rusty Russell, a Nashville-based guitarist, songwriter, photographer, and writer who accompanied notable country and jazz musicians in studios and on…

Alex Machacek

Stripped Down

February 16, 2015 · Oscar Jordan

When you get the thumbs-up from icons like John McLaughlin and Chick Corea, it’s got to feel good. But, fusion…

Have Guitar Will Travel – 016 Featuring Doug Kauer

September 17, 2019 · James Patrick Regan

Today, James Patrick Regan is speaking with Doug Kauer, a guitar builder and the owner of two guitar lines: Kauer…

Railhammer Hyper Vintage Humbucker

Poles Apart

August 6, 2015 · Lisa Sharken

Railhammer Hyper Vintage Humbucker Price: $139 list/ $89 direct Info: www.railhammer.com Developed by Joe Naylor of Reverend Guitars, Railhammers are…

Brian Tarquin

Brian Tarquin

No Idle Hands

May 2, 2016 · John Heidt

Brian Tarquin is more than keeping busy. In the space of six weeks, he recently released two very different instrumental…

The Fender Showman

The Showman

September 23, 2013 · Dave Hunter

In addition to several significant shifts in style and presentation, for Fender, the transition of the late 1950s into the…

  • 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…

    Read more >>

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ARTISTS

Aaron Eisenberg

Tonal Dedication

March 4, 2019 · Johnny Zapp

L.A.-based rockers The Soft White Sixties prove you don’t have to be old to be classic. Originally from San Francisco,…

Eugene Grew

Long-Lost Motown Session Master

December 28, 2017 · Brian Wright

To the surprise of many Motown fans, a man emerged in 2011 claiming to have played guitar on “Money” and…

Blu DeTiger

Funk-Pop Pioneer

August 12, 2025 · Ward Meeker

When she was seven years old, sibling rivalry spurred Blu DeTiger to get a bass so she could play along…

In Memoriam: André Duchossoir

1949-2020

November 22, 2021 · Ward Meeker

André Duchossoir, author of renowned books Gibson Electrics: The Classic Years, The Fender Telecaster: The Detailed Story of America’s Senior…


CLASSIC INSTRUMENTS

Star Board: Craig Bartock

Star Board: Craig Bartock

April 4, 2015 · Vintage Guitar

This month, we take a guided tour of the pedalboard belonging to Craig Bartock, guitarist with Heart. Craig Bartock, a…

Gibson EH-150

An Odd Gibson EH-150

10 Strings, Lap-Style

January 20, 2016 · George Gruhn

Lap-steel guitars were the first commercially available electrics – ancestors of the guitars we plug in today, regardless of their…

Vox/Thomas Organ V-14 Super Beatle

Solid Sound

September 20, 2023 · Dave Hunter

After producing some of the most-iconic guitar amplifiers of the early 1960s, Vox leaned unwittingly into a failing technology –…

Fender AA964 Princeton

What’s (Not) in a Name

October 24, 2023 · Dave Hunter

Getting the job done – five simple knobs on the Princeton’s control panel. 1966 Fender Princeton • Preamp tubes: one…


NEWSWIRE

APPROVED GEAR

Gibson Theodore Standard

Flower Power

July 10, 2025 · Rich Maloof

Named in honor of Ted McCarty, the Theodore is based on a design the legendary Gibson president penciled into a…

Singleton Guitars Capella

Shining Bright

March 2, 2017 · Oscar Jordan

Mark Singleton holds the distinction of being a smokin’ guitarist as well as, for the past 24 years, a builder…

Analog Man’s King of Tone Overdrive

Holiest of Holies

June 1, 2022 · Oscar Jordan

Amid this golden age of music gear, the Analog Man King of Tone Overdrive, first produced in 2005 in collaboration…

Jam Pedals’ Delay Llama & Wahcko Wah

What’s In A Name?

July 23, 2019 · Oscar Jordan

Positioning its sonic M.O. squarely in the 1960s and ’70s, Jam Pedals strives to create a distinct line of effects.…

WHAT ELSE IS NEW

Ohana Ukueles

Ohana Ukuleles

Serious Fun

September 7, 2014 · Steven Stone

Ohana Ukuleles Price: $249 (SK-35, CKP-70R); $259 (SK-28) Info: www.ohana-music.com. Just like guitars, ukuleles come in all quality levels, from…

Jimmy James

Unadulterated Guitar

April 5, 2022 · Oscar Jordan

Not even a pandemic can stop the Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio. After a successful European tour, they were lean, mean,…

Gretsch G5260 Electromatic Jet Baritone

From Surf to Cinema

March 8, 2023 · Michael Shirek

In the days before seven- and eight-string guitars, the easiest way to go low was to grab a baritone guitar.…

Ace Frehley

July 6, 2016 · Oscar Jordan

Ace is back – and he told you so! The former Kiss guitarist shares a buffet of the gems that…

Super PickupGiveaway 2025

December 11, 2025 · Vintage Guitar

Win Big! 11 Sets! 11 Winners! Win a set of pickups from one of these sponsors: Deadline is March 15,…

Andrew White Guitars’ Freja 1013W

Shape Shifter

May 30, 2019 · Chip Wilson

Though electric guitars have undergone radical change since the world first laid eyes on Rickenbacker’s “frying pan,” acoustics have rarely…

Andrew Hendryx

Andrew Hendryx – Lesson: “Into The Mystic” on a mandolin

March 15, 2019 · Andrew Hendryx

Andrew Hendryx lesson of Van Morrison’s “Into The Mystic” on Mandolin Andrew Hendryx uses his Collings MF5 (with D’Addario strings)…

Don Leady, Austin Legend

February 7, 2023 · Vintage Guitar

One of Texas’ “Big Guitars” on “Rattler Run” Co-founder of the LeRoi Brothers, leader of the Tail Gators, and one…

Biography of a Phantom: A Robert Johnson Blues Odyssey

Robert “Mack” McCormick

March 20, 2024 · Bret Adams

The legend of Robert Johnson looms large, from his music to the myth of the Faustian bargain made at the…

Dale Watson

Dale Watson

Keep On Truckin’

April 14, 2016 · John Heidt

The seeds of the latest album from Dale Watson were sown in 1998, when he released The Truckin’ Sessions .…

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…

Ted Greene Remembered

November 10, 2020 · Jim Carlton

You know what happened: discretionary income for the first time and the rise of the indies with things that the…

Delisle Island Carney/Drifter Amp-in-Case Combo

Delisle Island Carney/Drifter Amp-in-Case Combo

Econo Classic Reimagined

February 26, 2016 · Ray Wuolo

Delisle Island Carney/Drifter Amp-in-Case Combo Price: $4,000 (list) Contact: www.island-instruments.com A half-century ago, before Marshalls were stacked and ’Bursts dangled…

Davey Johnstone

Ringmaster for Reg

November 17, 2022 · Bret Adams

Countless millions are fans of Davey Johnstone’s work, even if they don’t know his name. Anyone who appreciates pop music…

Fender Player Jaguar

Updated Offset

October 15, 2021 · Rich Maloof

Priced at entry level and built in Mexico, Fender’s Player Series provides affordable access to Fender’s most iconic solidbodies. The…

Mick Fleetwood & Friends

Celebrate the Music of Peter Green & Early Years of Fleetwood Mac

May 10, 2022 · Oscar Jordan

British blues icon Peter Green passed away July 25, 2020, at the age of 73. As one of the founding…

Squier Paranormal Custom Nashville Stratocaster

No Choice Required

November 26, 2024 · Bob Dragich

Can’t decide between a Tele and a Strat? The new Squier Paranormal Custom Nashville Stratocaster may ease your worried mind.…

Toronzo Cannon

Blues The Chicago Way

May 9, 2017 · Oscar Jordan

“I’m not trying to be a starving artist at 48 years old,” says blues man Toronzo Cannon when asked if…

Barney Kessel’s ES-350 Rides Again

Return Of An Icon

October 13, 2022 · Rusty Russell

Bruce Forman acquired Barney Kessel’s beloved Gibson ES-350 in mid 2021. In prep for recording Reunion!, he made the guitar…

Metal Pedals’ Raw Hide, Hard Core XXX

Saddle Up!

August 8, 2014 · Sean OBryan Smith

Metal Pedals’ Raw Hide, Hard Core XXX Price: $175 (Raw Hide); $230 (Hard Core XXX) Info: www.metalpedals.com. For many discerning…

Janne Haavisto

Finnish Instro Auteur

April 25, 2019 · Pete Prown

There’s a long history of instro and surf-rock from Scandinavia, perhaps none deeper than that of Janne Haavisto, formerly with…

Gibson Style R Harp Guitar Feature Image

Gibson Style R Harp Guitar

February 3, 2015 · George Gruhn

Harp guitars with a standard six-string guitar neck and varying numbers of sub-bass harp-style strings have been made by a…

Carvin 8-15-B

Mail-Order Prize

January 11, 2024 · Dave Hunter

In the days when the printed catalog was king, Carvin guitars and amplifiers often boasted a stature that outweighed their…

Jeff Hanna

Decades of Dirt

May 9, 2023 · Ward Meeker

One’s taste in music usually starts in the home, where immersion can fuel the subconscious. Jeff Hanna’s parents loved Ella…

What’s So Special About Guitar Picks

May 9, 2018 · Eric C. Shoaf

You may have one in your pocket. They only cost about 25 cents. But if you have always used one…

Paul Mehling

Fab Four Gypsy of Tone

March 14, 2019 · John Heidt

One of the world’s foremost Djangophiles, Paul Mehling has for many years been at the forefront of Gypsy jazz in…

EKO 995

February 22, 2012 · Willie G. Moseley

The Beatles’ appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show” in February of 1964 is often referred to as the most important…

Valco FX Five-0

Garage Band

January 18, 2023 · Pete Prown

The Valco FX Five-0 was conceived as “Dick Dale in a box.” Offering overdrive, reverb, and tremolo – each with…

Manny Charlton

Dog Days

June 10, 2022 · Bret Adams

“I always say it’s the song, the performance, and then the production.” Nazareth guitarist/producer Manny Charlton believes those three things,…