•  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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Epiphone Jorma Kaukonen Riviera Deluxe

Plenty of go to match the show

Epiphone’s Jorma Kaukonen signature model Riviera is a straight-up pleasure to look at. For starters, there’s the beautiful maple top and striking gold hardware appointing the cherry-finished semi-hollow body. But…

Rockn’ Stompn RS-4

Order!

Powering up your favorite rig in the wrong order can lead to, at minimum, a loud pop through your valued speaker. Rockn Stompn solves that problem with the RS-4; a…

Xaviere XV 700

Lofty Promises, Fulfilled

The Massachusetts-based guitarfetish.com is an instrument/parts importer that carries a complete line of goods, from pickups and vibratos to knobs and pots. Its guitar line, dubbed “Xaviere,” consists of 11…

DGN Blaster

Jerry in a Box

DGN Guitars’ Dan Neafsey is known mostly for his guitar craftsmanship, notably the Kalos and Terrapin models inspired by Jerry Garcia’s one-off axes, as well his Paragon series (VG, August…

Marshall JCM800 2203

Marshall JCM800 2203

Preamp tubes: three ECC83. Output tubes: four 6550. Rectifier: solidstate Controls: Pre-Amp Volume, Master Volume, Treble, Middle, Bass, Presence. Speakers: four Celestion G12T-75 12″ speakers per cab. Output: approximately 100…

BC Audio JTX45 Octal Plex

Plexi Class

In an amp world full of boutique clones, Bruce Clement has developed a unique twist on the venerable ’60s British plexi circuits using octal preamp tubes, true point-to-point wiring, and…

Breedlove Pursuit Exotic S Concert Amber 12-String CE

Tonal Transcendence

In 1990, Steve Henderson and Larry Breedlove quit their day jobs at Taylor Guitars and moved to Oregon, where they set to work building their own. Through the decades, they…

Analog Man Bi-Comprossor

Analog Man Bi-Comprossor

Fresh-Squeezed Sounds

Analog Man Bi-Comprossor Price: $275 Info: www.analogman.com Mike Piera, a.k.a. Analog Man, is known for creating pedals with a vintage flavor. Clients include guitarists who want to achieve that classic…

Fender Jimi Hendrix Stratocaster

Flipped Axis

Pity the poor right-handed masses. Emulating the vibe of Jimi’s various Strats has always been tough on them. Some players chase down one of the precious few vintage left-handed Strats,…

76 Watts the Hard Way

The VG Low-Watt Boutique Tube Amp Shootout

For many electric guitarists, the sound coming out of an amp is just not happening until power-tube saturation enters the tonal spectrum, with the richness and warmth you just don’t…

Dr. Z Z Wreck Combo

Dr. Z Z Wreck Combo

Tone On The Go

Dr. Z Z Wreck Combo Price: $2,999 Info: www.drzamps.com. Originally designed as a head with a matching 2×12 cabinet, the Z Wreck came about at the request of country super-picker…

Fret-King Esprit III

Déjà Vu, Again

What do you get when you cross a Gibson Explorer with a Fender offset and Firebird vibe? The answer is the Fret-King Esprit III, designed by Trev Wilkinson as part…

Positive Grid’s Experience Hendrix For Spark & BIAS FX 2

Get Experienced

In the pantheon of guitar gods, few are studied to the degree of Hendrix. And, given the warp speed at which tech moves today, it should come as no surprise…

Jon Kammerer Guitars’ Pegasus

Jon Kammerer Guitars’ Pegasus

This Horse Has Wings

Jon Kammerer Guitars’ Pegasus Price: $2,300 (list) Contact: www.jonkammerercustoms.com Anyone who has ever plugged an acoustic guitar into an amp or PA is well-acquainted with the bone-crushing howl of hollowbody…

Positive Grid’s Experience Hendrix For Spark & BIAS FX 2

Get Experienced

In the pantheon of guitar gods, few are studied to the degree of Hendrix. And, given the warp speed at which tech moves today, it should come as no surprise…

Carvin Belaire 212

A Classic, Re-Voiced

When Lowell Kiesel started Carvin in 1946, his focus was on electric guitar pickups and lap steels. He had a fair amount of initial success, as many top country and…

Marchione Guitars’ 16″ Archtop

The Golden Mean

In 1922, Gibson introduced Lloyd Loar’s L-5, lauded as the first modern archtop. Luthiers have been “advancing” the design ever since.  Marchione Guitars’ 16″ Archtop shows how the violin family…

Fishman’s Fluence Greg Koch Gristle-Tone P90

A Quiet Place

With the miracle of micro-electronics, you can pack a massive amount of tone into a tight space. Case in point: Fishman’s Fluence Gristle-Tone P90, designed in collaboration with guitar maven…

The Carvin LB70

Höfner Hybrid

When a Carvin instrument has been featured in this space over the years, it was a either a doubleneck or an unusual custom instrument. And while the 1977 LB70 featured…

Godin

Godin’s 5th Avenue CW Kingpin II and Richmond Dorchester – Funky to Fab

We’re living in a golden age of retro guitars – a period when you can barely turn around without tripping over some cool, vintage-styled plank. Granted, the retro fad has…

Fishman’s Fluence Greg Koch Gristle-Tone Pickups

Voices Not In Your Head

In 2014, Fishman introduced their Fluence line with the goal of combining vintage tone with freedom from the inductance problems that impact even the most hallowed vintage pickups. Rather than…

ValveTrain 205

Five Watts, Just So

Rick Gessner is a tweed amp enthusiast who has more than made a splash since entering the fray in 2005. His versions of tweed-era Fender classics (with subtle refinements), along…

The Jext Telez Jonathan Wilson’s Canyon Climber, Jext Face

Fuzz Buzz

There’s nothing subtle about Jext Telez stompboxes; they’re about loud colors, loud sounds, and loads of fuzz. The latest creations from designers Bob Ebeling and Colin Simon harken to the…

Avante Gryphon

Avante Gryphon

Game Changer?

Avante Gryphon Price: $1,495 (street) Info: www.veilletteguitars.com People bandy about the term “game changer” so often these days it barely means a thing, but the Avante Gryphon may be just…

The Drew & Sebastian Avenger

Multi-“caster”

At first glance, the D&S Avenger looks like a long-lost prototype from Leo’s shop, with its offset-waist shape and familiar pickup/ hardware/ control setup. The Avenger’s two-piece alder body sports…

Frantone Peachfuzz

One Furry Lead Tone

The Frantone Peachfuzz bears a strong physical and functional resemblance to the Frantone “The Sweet” pedal we tested in the December ’01 issue. Like the Sweet, the Peachfuzz is housed…

PRS 25th Anniversary Swamp Ash Special NF

From Jimi to Eric to Angus

PRS 25th Anniversary Swamp Ash Special NF Price: $3,908 (retail)/$2,329 (street) Contact: PRSguitars.com. The PRS 25th Anniversary Swamp Ash Special NF is a guitar that attempts to thread many needles:…

Gomez Amplification “G” Reverb

Wet, Hot, or Blue

As amp builders go, Dario G. Gomez is about as fresh as they come. Though he has been repairing tube amps for many years, he started offering his own amp…

Immix Eleven V-Series 30 Amp/Cab

Immix Eleven V-Series 30 Amp/Cab

Lights! Sound! Action!

Immix Eleven V-Series 30 Amp/Cab Price: Amp $1,995 (list); cabinet $895 (list) Contact: www.immix11.com Remember the first time you encountered the Rick 331LS Light Show guitar? You thought, wow, that’s…

Strymon Cloudburst

Celestial Seasonings

Equipped with powerful delay, modulation, and pitch-shifting abilities, Strymon’s new Cloudburst stretches its “Ambient Reverb” label by adding space and depth to the conventional effect. Beyond that, its orchestral pad…