• 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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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…

Check This Action: Everybody Gone Surfing?

June 8, 2022 · Dan Forte

My favorite quote about the demise of surf music is not the oft-repeated Hendrix line in “Third Stone From The…

Recording Electric Guitars

The Art of Home Recording

July 8, 2016 · Dave Hunter

The process might seem simple – stick mic in front of amp, press "Record." Truth is, though, that even just…

Sebastià Gris’ flavorful Two-for One

June 10, 2024 · Vintage Guitar

 Fresh from Barcelona Sebastià Gris used his Gibson SG as eye-candy to play a sample of “Clickbait,” from his…

Prodigal Sunburst

Joe Walsh Reunites with a ’59 Les Paul Standard

March 9, 2023 · Ward Meeker

A master of delivering crystal-clear musical messages with an off-kilter wit, whether talking, singing, picking, or sliding on guitar, everything…

Jim Lauderdale & The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys

The Long and Lones-ome Letting Go

October 29, 2024 · R.K. Watkins

Bluegrass became part of Lauderdale’s oeuvre decades ago through his collaborations with Ralph Stanley and Roland White. East Tennessee’s Grammy-nominated…

  • Rickenbacker’s Electric 12-Strings

    Rickenbacker’s Electric 12-Strings

    Double-bound for Glory

    George Beauchamp and Adolph Rickenbacher founded Electro String in 1931 to manufacture what everyone would soon call “Rickenbacker” guitars. Success came early and their lap steels set standards of quality,…

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ARTISTS

Have Guitar Will Travel 139 – Buck Dharma from Blue Oyster Cult

December 12, 2024 · James Patrick Regan

In episode 139 of “Have Guitar Will Travel,” presented by Vintage Guitar Magazine, host James Patrick Regan speaks with guitarist…

Roman Bulakhov

Ukrainian Trailblazer

August 6, 2024 · Pete Prown

If there’s a 21st-century guitar style, Roman Bulakhov is a prime example, particularly how he fuses rock, funk, jazz, hip-hop…

Steve Vai

Taming The Hydra

November 7, 2025 · Oscar Jordan

After finishing a sold-out tour with Joe Satriani and Eric Johnson for the G3 Reunion concerts, Steve Vai joined Adrian…

Fretprints: Randy Rhoads

Transcendent Tribute

August 19, 2024 · Wolf Marshall

September 20, 1980, marked the release of Ozzy Osbourne’s debut solo album Blizzard of Ozz, a hard-rock recording that introduced…


CLASSIC INSTRUMENTS

First ’Burst

May 30, 2017 · Walter Carter

In May of 1958, a worker at the Gibson factory pulled two Les Paul guitars – serial numbers 8 3087…

Fender’s First Reissues

The CBS Era Concludes in Style

March 2, 2016 · Edward B. Driscoll Jr.

By the late 1970s, cumulative changes in the details of the various classic guitar models on the market – Fender’s…

The Original ES-150

How Gisbson Won The ES War

December 14, 2020 · Andre R. Duchossoir

The story of the ES-150, Gibson’s first commercially successful electric guitar, has been told many times, and its association with…

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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…


NEWSWIRE

APPROVED GEAR

The Taylor 712e

Naturally Bold

March 13, 2019 · Phil Feser

Taylor Guitars recently redesigned their 700 Series, to add performance bracing, two-piece maple/spruce bridge plate, protein (hide) glue on bridge…

Lace Cybercaster LS

Modern Mixer

July 10, 2019 · Chip Wilson

The mere name of Don Lace’s Cybercaster may set calloused fingertips to head-scratching. After all, “cyber” connotes cutting-edge, futuristic. How…

Eastwood EEB-1 and EUB-1 Basses

Horizontal Vibe

July 1, 2020 · Phil Feser

Eastwood’s EEB-1 and the EUB-1 take their design inspiration from Ampeg’s quirky mid-’60s Horizontal Bass series, the brainchild of Dennis…

The Universal Audio Astra Modulation Machine

Stately Shimmer

May 10, 2022 · Oscar Jordan

Famous for well-regarded interfaces, plug-ins, and vintage-gear emulations, Universal Audio has entered the pedal business with the Astra Modulation Machine,…

WHAT ELSE IS NEW

Supro Huntington

July 3, 2019 · Ward Meeker

Looking supremely ’60s-like with its gorgeous, vintage-y cherry-red finish, petite body, and fancy-topped pickups, the Supro Huntington is inviting as…

Late 1920s Gibson L-1 "Florentine" Home page main

Late 1920s Gibson L-1 (Flattop)

Gibson "Florentine"

April 9, 2015 · George Gruhn

Because I don’t know what to call this Gibson guitar, I refer to it as a “Florentine,” for lack of…

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…

Joe Louis Walker

All-Original Blues

February 2, 2024 · Greg Prato

A member of the Blues Hall of Fame, Joe Louis Walker’s music always has unmistakable blues elements. His latest album,…

J.D. Simo

Psychedelia and Satan

December 2, 2022 · Oscar Jordan

Psychedelic bluesman J.D. Simo deploys impressive wah skill, blistering fuzz tones, and hypnotic grooves that will expand your consciousness. His…

Category 5 Samantha

Hook, Line, and Tone

May 3, 2023 · Charlie Wilkins

Blues-rocker Samantha Fish (VG, December ’21) electrifies audiences with her high-energy shows. A decade ago, she began favoring Category 5’s…

Larry McCray

Blues Without You

March 10, 2023 · Oscar Jordan

After 40 years of playing under the radar, Rust Belt bluesman Larry McCray finally gets his big break. On Blues…

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…

Popa Chubby

Head, Heart, and Hands

October 12, 2015 · Oscar Jordan

Popa Chubby is back on the road again, preaching the gospel to blues fans around the world. His new album,…

Fender’s 1957 Precision Bass

Fender’s 1957 Precision Bass

January 5, 2016 · Willie G. Moseley

When an instrument maintains the same basic design and profile for more than a half-century, it’s safe to say that…

Recording Acoustic Guitars

The Art of Home Recording

April 24, 2017 · Dave Hunter

Recording an acoustic guitar is very different from recording an electric, employing different microphones, placement, and technique. Here are a…

Bruce Kulick

Wielding Power On BK3

May 15, 2014 · Lisa Sharken

With his new album, BK3, Bruce Kulick brings out the big guns on what he calls his “…strongest solo disc…

Guild’s S-100/S-200 “Kickstand” Models

November 30, 2016 · George Gruhn

Much like several other well-known manufacturers, Guild has, through the years, changed ownership, locations, and identities. Guild was founded in…

The Audiovox 736 Electric Bass and 936 Amp

Rare Pair

August 12, 2022 · Peter Blecha

Eight decades ago, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer revealed the story of Paul H. Tutmarc debuting his latest invention – a solidbody…

Electro-Harmonix POG III Big Generator

Big Generator

October 9, 2025 · Pete Prown

Introduced in 2005, the Electro-Harmonix Polyphonic Octave Generator – a.k.a. POG – has spurred a handful of offshoots and updates.…

Trevor Rabin

Return with Rio

August 7, 2024 · Greg Prato

It’s hard to believe that 34 years have passed since Trevor Rabin issued a solo album featuring his vocals. But…

Ditson’s Style 11 and the Birth of the Dreadnought

Martin’s Big Step

April 15, 2019 · George Gruhn

In the early 20th century, any shopper who walked into the Charles H. Ditson & Company music stores in New…

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…

FENDER BANDMASTER 5E7

Fender 5E7 Bandmaster

January 29, 2016 · Dave Hunter

Preamp tubes: one 12AY7, two 12AX7 Output tubes: two 6L6s, fixed biased Rectifier: 5U4G tube Controls: Volume, Volume, Treble, Bass,…

Reggie Young

Memphis R & B to Nashville Studios

December 20, 2001 · Guy Lee

Reggie Young passed away on January 17, 2019. Here is an extensive interview he did with VG in 2001. Reggie…

The Gibson Starfire TR 1000 RVT

Trans-Galactic Toneway

October 6, 2022 · Dave Hunter

Relatively unsung among early entrants to the field of solid-state guitar amplifiers, Gibson was the first high-output, high-quality manufacturer to…

Billy Strings

Me/and/Dad

December 25, 2023 · Rich Kienzle

Grammy-winning flatpicking wizard Billy Strings was everywhere in 2022. Rightly seen as part of the vanguard of a new generation…

National Dueco

Still Resonating

January 8, 2018 · Michael Dregni

Blues man Charlie Parr recently philosophized in VG that National resonator guitars are as much mechanical creation as musical instrument,…

2023 February Issue on Spotify

February 2, 2023 · Vintage Guitar

This month we feature Jim McCarty, Joe Robinson, Vinnie Moore, Tom Rotella, Anthony Gomes, Humble Pie, Jimi Hendrix, The Cult,…

Fender American Vintage II 1954 Precision Bass

Ageless Anchor

August 4, 2024 · Michael Shirek

It wasn’t literally the first electric bass, but Fender’s Precision was the genesis of the instrument the world knows today.…

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…

Ray Cummins # 6

Ray Cummins – Guitar Tutorial #6

January 3, 2019 · Doug Yellow Bird

Ray Cummins’ sixth exclusive lesson for VG demonstrates how to play with a steady thumb, a la Chet Atkins. Train…

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Avid Technology Eleven Rack

Rack and Roll

June 10, 2016 · Pete Prown

The proliferation of digital guitar gear grows by leaps and bounds every year as more players learn to love the…

Kay’s K161 Thin Twin

Post-war Blues Box

July 5, 2018 · Pete Prown

In his day, Jimmy Reed was a huge influence on everyone from Eric Clapton and Mike Bloomfield to the Rolling…