•  Reverend Sensei H90

    VG Approved Gear

     Reverend Sensei H90

    Live Wire

    So you want a Gibson-style solidbody that can cover humbucker-powered rock, yet also twangier/glassier tones using a P-90 pickup. Check. You also want to grab high frets via double-cutaway and have the pitch reliability of a tune-o-matic bridge and locking tuners. Got it. One more thing: it’s got to look cool and old-school. Hmm…. sounds

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Mu-FX Octave Divider

The Mu Is Back

This is rocket science. Or at least as close as a stompbox gets. Sure, building a pedal that tweaks a guitar’s signal around and about isn’t exactly putting a man…

Lazy J 20

Deluxe inspiration

The Lazy J 20 Price: $2,700 (reviewed) Contact: www.lazyjprojects.com After moving to England and leaving behind the vintage Fender Deluxe he modified as a gigging amp, Jesse Hoff decided to…

Gretsch G5191BK Tim Armstrong Electromatic

Cool Player, Punk Heart

Few punk-rock guitarists have made their mark like Tim Armstrong. Through his work with renowned punkers Rancid, Armstrong has torn it up on stages worldwide, and key to his presence…

Armadillo Blues Preamp/Roadkill Fuzz

The boost you need, with no noise

The TAL Audio Armadillo Blues Preamp/Roadkill Fuzz is a dual-purpose pedal the company describes as “A low-noise instrument preamp with a footswitchable harmonic overdrive designed for the professional musician.” Professional…

Universal Audio Max and Del-Verb

Smart Stomps

After rolling out several “amp-in-a-box” pedals last year, Universal Audio is back with a fresh line of stompboxes to help guitarists groove. The Max Preamp/Dual Compressor gives models of famous…

Amalfitano Pickups

Houston Hot, Texas Cool

Texas-based Amalfitano Pickups specializes in hand-wound pickups as well as pickup rewinding and restoration. Owner Jerry Amalfitano uses high-grade Alnico magnets, 42-gauge vintage enameled magnetic wire, vintage-style cloth-covered leads, and…

The DoleSonic Vintage 108 Woody

Not Your Dad’s Boutique Amp

The guitarist’s greatest quests is most often that of the tone that resides within their heads. That quest drove guitarist Ken Doles to design his own amplifier. The tone in…

Sadowsky Semi-Hollow

Jazz Axe, Plus

With his newest creation, luthier Roger Sadowsky endows his entrant into the world of semi-hollow guitars with capabilities to cover the demands of blues, rock, and fusion. And while Sadowsky…

Banker Excalibur Derringer

Lordy Mama, Light My Fuse

Gibson guitars from the ’50s and ’60s are some of the most-sought after instruments on the planet, and re-creating the look, tone, and feel from that golden era is no…

Pigtronix Philosopher’s Tone 2

See The Light

Optical compressors are known for making guitars sound smooth and musical – a truth well-captured in the latest Pigtronix offering, which adds greater sound-sculpting capabilities to their groundbreaking Philosopher’s Tone…

D’Angelico’s EX-DC and EX-SD

D’Elegance and Power

D’Angelico’s EX-DC and EX-SD Price: $1,769 list/$1,259 street (EX-DC); $1,659 list/$1,185 street (EX-SD) Info: www.dangelicoguitars.com John D’Angelico produced just 1,164 guitars during his career on Kenmare Street in New York…

ZT Extortion Expressive Distortion

Mutant Distortion

ZT Amplifiers put their name on the map four years ago with the compact Lunchbox solid-state amp. Now they continue along the road less traveled with the Extortion Expressive Distortion.…

Guild’s Orpheum Slope Shoulder 14-Fret Rosewood Dreadnought

Guild’s Orpheum Slope Shoulder 14-Fret Rosewood Dreadnought

Reviving the ’30s

Guild’s Orpheum Slope Shoulder 14-Fret Rosewood Dreadnought Price: $4,999 (list); $3,799 (street) Info: www.guildguitars.com. Compared to Martin’s longstanding factory location in Pennsylvania, Guild’s acoustic guitar factory has been a gypsy.…

Ibanez Artcore AGS73FM and Vintage VSA500HB

Solid Semis

In the past several years, many import guitar brands have improved their build quality while continuing to offer their goods at very friendly prices. They’ve included a variety of semi-hollow…

Epiphone 1963 Firebird V

Legacy-Worthy

Looking to up the ante in the market battle with Fender, in October of 1962, Gibson CEO Ted McCarty asked retired auto designer Ray Dietrich to sketch some ultra-modern guitar…

Fender Player Jaguar

Updated Offset

Priced at entry level and built in Mexico, Fender’s Player Series provides affordable access to Fender’s most iconic solidbodies. The Player Jaguar updates a classic offset with a handful of…

Maestro Electronics Titan Boost and Arcas Compressor Sustain

Louder, Tighter

Maestro Electronics has been around for 60 years and is best known for creating the FZ-1 Fuzz-Tone used by Keith Richards to play the legendary lick on “Satisfaction.” Maestro recently…

Music Nomad Precision Setup Gauge Set

The Set Up

There’s nothing like playing a properly set-up guitar, but taking it to a repair shop can be expensive – especially if you regularly play more than one instrument. With proper…

Blade California

Tone By Analysis

Long before Gary Levinson started making guitars under the Blade moniker, he was, like many builders, a guitar repair tech. He spent much of the 1960s and ’70s in that…

Crate V Series Amps

Durable, versatile, and affordable

St. Louis Music has been building Crate amplifiers since the late 1970s, and straight out of the chute, they gained a reputation for being well-designed, good-sounding, affordable, and oh-so-cute in…

Luker Chameleon Combo

The Luker Chameleon Combo

True to Its Colors

The Luker Chameleon Combo Price: $1,850 (list) Contact: www.lukeramps.com Considering the state of modern vacuum tubes, a surprising number of great tube amps are currently being built. And of those,…

The Reverend Koch Gristle 90

Pop The Hood

What happens when you mix a classic design with the creativity of twang ace Greg Koch? You get the Reverend Gristle 90, which may look like a sporty T-style guitar…

Reddick Voyager Custom

Swap Meet

The concept of pickup-swapping guitars has been around for decades, almost always with cumbersome results. With the Voyager, Reddick Guitars has devised a fresh approach. The essential idea has been…

LANEYL50H-HOME-MAIN-BIG

Laney L50 Head and L412 Cab

Classic British Tone

Laney L50H/L412 Price: $1,990 (head); $1,499 (cab) Info: laney.co.uk. Lyndon Laney is no stranger to fans of the iconic British stack. Established in 1967, Laney Amplification found its early fame…

Demeter Fat Conrol, Compulator, and Reverb

Trio

Every once in a while, someone who has “genius” written all over him hits the music scene. In James Demeter’s case, it’s a moniker he earned through years of behind-the-scenes…

Backlund 400

Over the Moon

If George Jetson – or his daughter Judy, for that matter – played guitar, it’s safe to assume they’d go in for the Backlund 400, a futuristic-looking solidbody that’s part…

Carl Martin’s Red Repeat Delay Echo, Greg Howe’s Lick Box

Boxes of Rock

After hearing – and taking to heart – feedback from players, Carl Martin recently upgraded its Red Repeat Delay Echo by adding tap tempo and modulation functions. The former allows…

Keeley Electronics Dark Side

Floyd Fare

In the multi-verse of effects pedals, Robert Keeley’s compressors, dirt boxes, and workstation gizmos are a thing of beauty – particularly in the realm of pedals that provide multiple sounds.…

Martin 00-28 Modern Deluxe

Contemporary Vintage

Not every acoustic needs to blow the walls out with volume and projection; there are critical styles of guitar that require subtlety and nuance. The Martin 00-28 Modern Deluxe is…

Rick Turner Model 1 Deluxe LB

All-Terrain Guitar

Ever wonder about that strange-looking guitar Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac has been playing all these years? The same one John Mayer has occasionally been spotted with as well? It’s…