• 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…

    Read more >>

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…

Jimmy Olander’s D-Bender Baritone

December 4, 2023 · Vintage Guitar

 Big-string licks galore! In the mood to play a bit, December cover guy Jimmy Olander grabbed a guitar he…

Phil Collen

A Rock Cat Plays the Blues

February 27, 2018 · Greg Prato

In the eyes of many, there’s quite a difference between arena rock and blues rock. But not to Phil Collen,…

The Dean Ween Group

March 30, 2017 · Dennis Pernu

The Dean Ween Group’s debut showcases all the genre-hopping shenanigans that became the stock in trade of Ween’s first band…

Gretsch Malcolm Young “Red Beast” Signature Jet

Let There Be Rock

September 11, 2023 · Oscar Jordan

Forty-odd years beyond when AC/DC first hit American airwaves, the band still inspires multitudes of guitarists with intoxicating riffs, mesmerizing…

Rush

Rush 50

January 14, 2026 · Pete Prown

The goal of any anthology is to capture the broad scope of an artist’s career. Rush 50 is a strong…

  • Check This Action: Up Jumped Elmore

    Check This Action: Up Jumped Elmore

    When someone recently asked me to recommend the most essential Elmore James album, I answered, “Any and all.” I’ve never heard a bad Elmore cut, and I’ve heard nearly everything…

    Read more >>

NOW AVAILABLE!

CURRENT ISSUE

Join 25,700+ subscribers & be notified when new articles & more becomes available!

ARTISTS

Jorma Kaukonen

Hot Tuna, Part 1

November 23, 2015 · Dan Forte

Guitarist Jorma Kaukonen and bassist Jack Casady have been playing music together for 53 years – 40 of them as…

Luther Dickinson

Luther Dickinson

Acoustic Odyssey

December 9, 2013 · Oscar Jordan

When Luther Dickinson isn’t writing and performing with the North Mississippi Allstars or on the road with The Black Crowes,…

Beat Portraits: Burns Volume 1

Beginnings – The Early 1960s

January 31, 2018 · Peter Stuart Kohman

In early 2009, VG columnist Peter Stuart Kohman turned his focus on Burns, the pioneering British guitar builder. We’ve compiled…

Mick Abrahams

This Was (And Still Is…)

November 30, 2016 · Willie G. Moseley

British guitarist Mick Abrahams is best remembered for his work on Jethro Tull’s first album, This Was, followed by a…


CLASSIC INSTRUMENTS

Peter Green

Peter Green

A Guitar For Greeny

April 22, 2016 · Werner Althaus

Establishing the provenance of a vintage guitar can be a daunting task, even for a seasoned pro. In the case…

The Birth of the Gretsch Duo Jet

Gretsch Gets With It!

March 4, 2022 · Edward Ball

In 1950, Leo Fender introduced the Broadcaster. The first solidbody electric Spanish guitar to bear his soon-to-be-famous name, its thin…

“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…

“Buy That Guitar” podcast with special guest Larry Wexer

August 20, 2024 · Vintage Guitar

“Buy That Guitar” podcast with special guest Larry Wexer Season 01 Episode 07 In Episode 7 of “Buy That Guitar,”…


NEWSWIRE

APPROVED GEAR

Collings Julian Lage OM1 JL

Great Expectations

July 3, 2019 · Pete Prown

The late Bill Collings and his craftsmen are renowned for their beautiful-sounding guitars. It’s apt they’ve connected with a beautiful-sounding…

Ibanez BWM1 Bob Weir Cowboy Fancy

Return of Cowboy Fancy

January 8, 2018 · Pete Prown

The mid ’70s were a time for bold experimentation in guitar design, particularly with electronics. Guitarists were discovering replacement pickups,…

Maxon Fuzz Elements Pedals

Maxon Fuzz Elements Pedals

Elemental Fuzz

April 28, 2016 · Michael Dregni

Maxon Fuzz Elements Pedals Price: $189 to $199 Contact: www.maxonfx.com Classic fuzz pedals are some of the fine wines of…

OVERTURE-JS_HOME-MAIN-BIG

Overture JS-Session

Do-It-All Guitar?

August 5, 2013 · Sean OBryan Smith

Overture JS-Session Price: $ 1,499. Info: overtureguitars.com When designing a new guitar, builders often face a quandary. Some go to…

WHAT ELSE IS NEW

Jimmy Vivino – Canned Heat Shuffle

November 29, 2024 · Vintage Guitar

Solo on a Rare Martin Jimmy Vivino and his Martin Paul Simon PS 2 OM prototype (which was gifted to…

The Peavey HP2

Best Of Both Worlds

February 9, 2022 · Pete Prown

Introduced in 1996, the EVH Wolfgang was an evolution of Eddie Van Halen’s previous models from Music Man, Kramer, and…

The Fractal VP4

Pedal Power

September 8, 2025 · Pete Prown

Famous for amp and cabinet models made to replace an amp for direct recording or plugging right into a PA,…

Howard Roberts

H.R. Was a Dirty Guitar Player!

October 7, 2014 · Jim Carlton

In his prime, Howard Roberts played more than 900 studio dates annually and recorded the hippest guitar records of the…

Gibson’s “Non-Reverse” Firebirds

When Down Was Up

February 4, 2024 · Peter Stuart Kohman

Some guitars get no respect, at least historically. At the dawn of the ’70s, Gibson’s original (1963-’65) Firebirds were already…

Teisco Checkmate 30

Café Culture

December 16, 2023 · Dave Hunter

In a world where the best riffs often come when one is lounging in the family room, sipping espresso and…

Teye Apache

Sound, Feel, Mojo

March 6, 2017 · Ray Wuolo

One of three stunning L-series models (along with its brothers, the El Toro and Cleopatra) introduced by guitar builder Teye,…

Home Feature Image

Music Man HD-130 Reverb

November 13, 2018 · Dave Hunter

Intended to be the masterpiece of a titan in guitar-amp design, Music Man amps of the mid/late ’70s are all…

Brad Paisley

March 30, 2017 · Rick Allen

Pop music, modern country – what’s the difference anymore? For both, everything is bigger and splashier. Yet, nimbly as Brad…

Steve Evans’ Guitars & Cars Passion Project

Pretty Pairs

April 12, 2023 · Ward Meeker

Steve Evans was just 12 years old in 1968, when he began to appreciate the sleek bodies of electric guitars…

Retro and Wonderful

The EHX Mainframe Bit Crusher

December 6, 2021 · Oscar Jordan

The Mainframe Bit Crusher is a nasty little pedal that warps, mangles, distorts and produces lo-fi digital sounds and trippy…

Luna Art Vintage Parlor Acoustic/Electric

Rustic Charm

April 4, 2023 · Michael Shirek

Luna’s newest entry in its Vintage Series, the Art Vintage Parlor takes modern playability and puts it in a rustic…

National-Dobro Model C

December 21, 2021 · Dave Hunter

We’ve seen some pristine vintage pieces in these pages over the years, but as far as time-capsule amps go, when…

PRS SE 245 Single Cut

Dressed to Impress

August 28, 2013 · Pete Prown

PRS SE 245 Single Cut Price: $650 (street). Info: prsguitars.com Pick up the PRS SE 245 and turn it around…

King Crimson and Toby Amies

In the Court of the Crimson King

October 30, 2023 · Pete Prown

This film asks the musical question, “Is Robert Fripp a virtuoso guitarist, sensitive tone-poet – or brutal taskmaster?” The answer…

Gary Moore: The Official Biography

Harry Shapiro

July 7, 2023 · Pete Prown

The ultimate unsung hero, Moore made a seismic impact on heavy guitarists, without being a huge star himself. That’s the…

The 1966 Murph Squire II-T

So-Cal Attention Getter

October 13, 2021 · Michael Wright

Despite what many enthusiasts believe, there has been only one really significant “lawsuit” that defined a class of guitars –…

’53 Gibson Les Paul Junior

May 2, 2018 · George Gruhn

Gibson records say the Les Paul Junior was introduced in 1954. But this instrument has tone and volume pot codes…

Mojo Hand Octaverse

Reverse Gears

July 6, 2023 · Pete Prown

The Mojo Hand Octaverse is billed as a “dedicated reverse octave delay,” which is a mouthful, but accurate. It offers…

PRS Silver Sky

Stratospheric

October 14, 2019 · Pete Prown

Paul Reed Smith has for years experimented with Leo-inspired concepts, and his newest guitar, conceived in collaboration with rocker John…

Great sounds, good times: Igor Prado

May 17, 2022 · Vintage Guitar

Brazilian guitarist plays American funk Igor Prado, organist Raphael Wressnig, and their band bring all-American funk on the new album,…

Jonathan Wilson

Rare Bird

October 8, 2019 · Kathleen Johnson

Given his busy career as a player and in-demand producer, it’s not surprising that singer/songwriter Jonathan Wilson needed more than…

Wolf Marshall

Jazz-Lore Generator

January 3, 2025 · Ward Meeker

Wolf Marshall was absorbing music before he could walk or talk. Born to a mother who was a concert pianist,…

Jorma Kaukonen

Hot Tuna, Part 1

November 23, 2015 · Dan Forte

Guitarist Jorma Kaukonen and bassist Jack Casady have been playing music together for 53 years – 40 of them as…

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…

Have Guitar Will Travel 082 – Drew Holcomb, Foy Vance and Christophe Paubert

January 6, 2023 · James Patrick Regan

In the latest episode of “Have Guitar Will Travel,” host James Patrick Regan connects with three artists – two musicans…

David Hamburger: masterful playing, 00-18 deep dive

July 26, 2024 · Vintage Guitar

David Hamburger and his ’56 00-18 Singer/songwriter David Hamburger is also an impressive fingerstyle player who knows a great guitar…

J.D. Simo

Playing for Elvis

July 13, 2023 · Oscar Jordan

Psych-blues guitar maestro J.D. Simo was the wizard behind the guitar work heard on Elvis, the new Baz Luhrmann film…

Home Feature Image

25 Most Valuable Effects

May 24, 2015 · Dave Hunter

Text by Dave Hunter Data compiled by Alan Greenwood and Gil Hembree Vintage Guitar is marking 25 years of publication…