Martin OM-18 and 000-28

March 13, 2014 · Bill Bush

What makes these two Martins remarkable is not necessarily their rarity or historical importance, though both would be welcome additions…

The Coulter Company

The Coulter Company

More Rarities from the Pacific Northwest

July 5, 2016 · Peter Blecha

The eye-catching and technologically innovative stringed instruments created by Frank Evans Coulter in the early 20th century are so exceedingly…

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…

Ramble FX Twin Bender Fuzz

Whole Lotta Fuzz

March 4, 2022 · Oscar Jordan

Fuzz comes in a lot of flavors. From spitty or choked-off splat to gritty gated sounds, from classic ’60s to…

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 .…

Andrew Hendryx on a ’64 Fender Mandocaster

March 3, 2023 · Andrew Hendryx

 Andrew Hendryx Demoing ’64 Fender Mandocaster On a recent mandolin safari, Andrew Hendryx visited a shop in Asheville, North…

  •  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 >>

NOW AVAILABLE!

CURRENT ISSUE

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

ARTISTS

Motörhead Bassist Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister Passes

1945-2015

December 29, 2015 · Willie G. Moseley

Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister, founding bassist for the iconic heavy metal band Motörhead, died December 28, two days after reportedly being…

Bill Pitman

Bill Pitman

The Man From The Wrecking Crew

February 9, 2016 · Jim Carlton

On a recent episode of his TV talk show, David Letterman mentioned to guest Cher that he’d just seen the…

Tracii Guns

Black Diamond Shine

January 11, 2024 · Artemis Records

There’s no denying that with Tracii Guns manning L.A. Guns’ lead-guitar slot, the sleaze veterans become a different animal. Since…

Scott Holiday

Unrivaled Son

February 17, 2016 · Johnny Zapp

Regardless of the state of pop or rock music, it’s invigorating when a group comes along to remind us what…


CLASSIC INSTRUMENTS

Gibson Wall-Board Guitar

Out of the Woods, Off the Wall

September 28, 2024 · Deke Dickerson

In the world of “guitarcheology,” it’s well-documented that the truly interesting stuff – prototypes, one-offs, custom instruments – usually surface…

The Vox Saturn IV

June 30, 2015 · Willie G. Moseley

In the mid 1960s, England’s Vox company was in the right place at the right time. Buoyed by frontline British…

Gibson Style J Mando-bass

December 16, 2014 · George Gruhn

Decades before Audiovox or Leo Fender dreamed of making a fretted electric bass, Gibson started manufacturing fretted acoustic mando-basses that…

Rickenbacher Model 200A

August 5, 2015 · Dave Hunter

Several vintage amplifiers that have graced these pages over the years have taken us back to the early days of…


NEWSWIRE

APPROVED GEAR

Reverend Billy Corgan

Smashing Sounds

January 9, 2023 · Pete Prown

Reverend’s new twist on its Billy Corgan Signature guitar updates several features but remains a stylish retro-meets-modern solidbody. The most…

Danelectro ’59 Resonator

Book This Dano

July 5, 2018 · Chip Wilson

While guitar enthusiasts expend a lot of brain power waxing poetic about tonewoods, for many VG readers of a certain…

GODIN-HOME-MAIN-BIG

Godin’s A4 and A5 Ultra SA

Brave New Basses

December 31, 2014 · Sean OBryan Smith

Godin A4/A5 Ultra SA Price: $1,395 (A4 Ultra SA fretted); $1,645 (A5 Ultra SA fretless) Info: godinguitars.com. For years, Godin…

Tx-Watt Flagship

Tone Big as Texas

January 30, 2023 · Tom Guerra

For more than three decades on the Texas roadhouse circuit, guitarist Jack Kay’s love of vintage Fender and Marshall tones…

WHAT ELSE IS NEW

Carl Martin’s Roadie Bandmate 15

Tone-Rich Traits

May 21, 2019 · Oscar Jordan

Denmark’s Carl Martin has built a following with its PlexiTone series of overdrives and effects pedals used by stars the…

Radial Tonebone Shotgun and Mix-Blender

Swiss-Army Stompboxes

July 9, 2018 · Tom Guerra

Whether it’s due to shrinking pedalboard real estate, shrinking discretionary budgets, or both, stompboxes that serve more than one function…

Saint Blues

St. Blues Bluesmaster, Blindsider, and Delta Blues Box

Straight from the Delta

August 6, 2013 · Rich Maloof

Saint Blues Bluesmaster/Blindsider Price: $2,399 (Bluesmaster); $2,550 (Blindsider) Info: saintblues.com St. Blues’ history stretches back to the days when its…

Nicolas Meier

Jeff Beck Sideman Steps Out

March 2, 2017 · Pete Prown

If you’ve been to a Jeff Beck concert in the past few years, you may have said to yourself, “Who’s…

Donner LAX Comp

To The Limit

January 18, 2024 · Pete Prown

Whether used for funky tones, a gentle sonic sheen, or as gatekeeper for your rig’s volume, compressors are handy –…

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…

Border Crossing

C.F. Martin and the Influence of German and Spanish Guitar Designs

May 30, 2017 · George Gruhn

It has often been said that today’s Martin guitars are direct descendants of the instruments made in Vienna by Johan…

MICHAEL ANGELO BATIO

Michael Angelo Batio

The Fine Art of Face Melting

May 17, 2016 · Oscar Jordan

Michael Angelo Batio is one of the most prodigious guitarists on Earth. Since his stint with the rock band Holland…

The Fender Master Series

April 16, 2018 · Gary Koehler

Dan Smith had an idea – a solidbody guitar with routed chambers that would provide unique resonant tonal characteristics. And…

Jam Pedals Harmonious Monk Mk2 & Boomster Mk2

Brothers In Tone

June 26, 2024 · Oscar Jordan

Jam Pedals continually evolves its line by creating a cool menagerie of point-to-point stompboxes that adapt to a multitude of…

Richie Kotzen

Venn Master

August 12, 2025 · Pete Prown

If a Venn diagram reveals a surprising truth between overlapping concepts, Richie Kotzen is the Venn core of heavy rock,…

In Memoriam: Tony “T.S. McPhee

April 3, 2024 · Dan Forte

Groundhogs leader Tony “T.S.” McPhee ranked with the greatest British blues guitarists, whether solo acoustic or ensemble electric, slide or…

Mark Sebastian

Mark Sebastian

Hometown Noir

December 29, 2015 · Willie G. Moseley

Mark Sebastian’s new album, The Real Story, is a paean to his musical roots in the Big Apple. “About a…

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…

Tim Bogert’s Modified Fender

One Fudged Bass

August 22, 2013 · Willie G. Moseley

When Vanilla Fudge helped pioneer the progressive-rock movement in the latter half of the ’60s, bassist Tim Bogert played more…

Kirk Fletcher

The Mid-life Crisis Sessions

June 9, 2023 · Oscar Jordan

Back from barnstorming the globe, blues guitarist Kirk Fletcher’s latest is music for the people. Heartache by the Pound is…

Dewa Budjana

Dewa Budjana

Fusion/Progressive/World Music from Indonesia

January 24, 2015 · Willie G. Moseley

Back home in Bali, Indonesia, guitarist Dewa Budjana is noted for his work with the pop band Gigi, but recently,…

Martin 00-28 Modern Deluxe

Contemporary Vintage

June 29, 2023 · Pete Prown

Not every acoustic needs to blow the walls out with volume and projection; there are critical styles of guitar that…

KRAMER_PACER_HOME-MAIN-BIG

Kramer 84 and Pacer Vintage

Tap, Shred, Dive!

January 4, 2016 · Sean OBryan Smith

Kramer 84/Pacer Vintage Price: $1,166 (84); $1,267 (Pacer Vintage) Info: kramerguitars.com It’s hard to think of ’80s guitars as vintage,…

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…

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,…

In Memoriam: John Regan

April 3, 2024 · Ward Meeker

John Regan, a songwriter, producer, and bassist who was a member of Peter Frampton’s band and Frehley’s Comet, died April…

The Gibson ES-5

Instrument Profile

June 10, 2020 · George Gruhn

Gibson, like all American guitarmakers, had to shut down electric guitar production for three years during World War II. But…

Schertler’s Magnetico AG6

Direct Results

April 24, 2019 · Pete Prown

For performers, the struggle to amplify acoustic guitars properly never goes away. But as Schertler shows, things are getting better.…

ZVEX Woolly Mammoth 7

Fuzzy Beast

March 6, 2017 · Michael Dregni

Zachary Vex masterminds some of the most radical and downright fun pedals known to mankind. And as he states in…

Vox’s AC10C1

Vox’s AC10C1

Blast of the Past

July 6, 2016 · Michael Dregni

Few amps give such an instant jolt of history as a Vox. The golden nameplate, that distinctive crisscross speaker fabric,…

Have Guitar Will Travel 072 – Shannon Lauren Callihan

March 30, 2022 · Vintage Guitar

Episode 72 of “Have Guitar Will Travel” features host James Patrick Regan speaking with young R&B singer/songwriter Shannon Lauren Callihan,…

Pat Martino

1944-2021

August 29, 2022 · Wolf Marshall

Music suffered an incalculable loss with the passing of Pat Martino, who died in his sleep on the morning of…

Gibson K-5 Mandocello

August 26, 2021 · George Gruhn and Walter Carter

The violin-style f-holes of Gibson’s F-5 mandolin, L-5 guitar, and other Style 5 instruments, are the most famous and most…