•  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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UAFX Galaxy ’74 Tape Echo & Reverb

Space, Man

The original Roland Space Echo was a thing of sonic beauty, used by everyone from Brian Setzer to Bob Marley and Radiohead. Universal Audio has ported that vibe into the…

Wampler’s Ego Mini Compressor and Faux Tape Echo v2

Both Ends

With an extensive line of nearly 30 devices, it’s no surprise Wampler Pedals has entries in both the traditional-size and a micro pedal markets – and pedals to cover both…

The Logan Telemaster

Masterful Mashup

Though Bob Logan has been building guitars since 1972, he worked in construction for a few decades before fully dedicating himself to custom builds. Today, he specializes in models like…

The Prestige Classic TBK

Hidden Treasure

One of the best-kept guitar secrets, Prestige is a small Vancouver-based operation that has flown under the radar for 18 years. The company farms its own tonewoods, which are shipped…

ZT Amplifiers’ Lunchbox Junior

Tasty Treat

ZT Amplifiers Lunchbox Junior Price: $149 (street) Info: www.ztamplifiers.com. ZT Amplifiers is known for producing compact amps that generate sounds which defy their size. Their latest, the 35-watt ZT Lunchbox Junior,…

Relic the Hague’s Scumbag

Rock-and-Roll Animal

On the surface, the Scumbag is a simple rock beast. With a 25.5″-scale neck, maple fingerboard, and bolt-neck construction, it has the design and spunky nature of a Strat or…

Electro-Harmonix Tube Zipper

Exotic Tones For Eclectic Players

Hailed by its creators as the greatest product introduced by Electro-Harmonix in over 20 years, the new Tube Zipper was developed jointly by E-H’s legendary stompbox guru, Mike Matthews, and…

The Carr Artemus

A Blend of Dick, Leo, and Steve

Steve Carr made a name for himself building fine amplifiers such as the Slant 6V and the Rambler. His Artemus model used four EL84 tubes, but was not a subtle variation on a classic design,…

Martin 00-17S Black Smoke

New From Nazareth

When C.F. Martin Guitars endured the deprivations of the Depression and World War II, they still found ways to build first-class guitars – just without the trademark frills of herringbone,…

Brimstone Audio Crossover Distortion XD-1

Bi-Amping in a Box

Brimstone Audio Crossover Distortion XD-1 Price: $299.95 Info: www.Brimstoneaudio.com. Brimstone Audio is a relatively new company that hit the ground running, entering the stomp-box arena with some innovative ideas that…

Gries 5

Champ of Champs?

Gries 5 Price: $879 Info: www.griesamps.com The Fender Champ is one of the most popular amps of all time. Offering great tone at low volumes, it’s ideal for both practice…

Godin A6 Ultra Baritone

Sub Sandwich

The basic premise of a baritone is that it allows guitar players to occasionally twang genuine bass notes – not enough to get in the way of the bassline, but…

Yamaha DG Stomp

Plug 'n' Play Preamp for Recording

It’s always been a struggle for home recordists to capture a good guitar tone on tape or hard disk. Yamaha, however, wants to cure that often aggravating dilemma. To that…

Floyd Rose Model One

Redmond Model One

With his 1977 introduction of the Floyd Rose Locking Tremolo, Floyd Rose, the man, revolutionized the guitar tremolo and added a new dimension to a guitar player’s arsenal of tricks…

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…

Eastwood MRG Lap Steel

Slide Piece

Now more than 90 years old, the lap steel was the earliest example of an electric guitar and remains a stringed instrument every guitarist should try, largely because it’s so…

Demeter Mighty Minnie Pedalboard Amplifier

Demeter Mighty Minnie Pedalboard Amplifier

Mighty Fine

Demeter Mighty Minnie Pedalboard Amplifier Price: $899.99 Info: www.demeteramps.com Years ago, backstage after a concert, slide-guitar virtuoso Sonny Landreth mentioned to renowned amp designer James Demeter that it would be…

National Dueco

Still Resonating

Blues man Charlie Parr recently philosophized in VG that National resonator guitars are as much mechanical creation as musical instrument, which is why maintaining the function of vintage Nationals comes…

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John Page Classic Ashburn

Turn the Page

With the creation of John Page Classic Guitars in 2006, the guitar builder, designer, and co-founder of the Fender Custom Shop opened a new chapter in his already illustrious career.…

Wampler Pedals’ Bravado

Tone Tweaker’s Delight

What’s a pedal platform? Nope, it’s not a carbon-fiber Pinarello mountain bike with Shimano shifters and derailleurs. It’s another term for the Bravado 40-watt head designed by pedal impresario Brian…

BMF Effects’ GeSpot Fuzz

Pure Pleasure

If the sheer number of fuzz pedals available today is any indication, the “noisy” little boxes are perhaps the most popular effects. One outfit that offers a good selection amid…

Dogu Custom Electric Guitars’ MOS-01

Dogu Custom Electric Guitars’ MOS-01

This Old Strat

Dogu Custom Electric Guitars’ MOS-01 Price: $2,200 (list) Contact: www.actionfigurestudios.com Improving upon classic designs is a consistent theme in the guitar-manufacturing community. While many companies take a pragmatic approach to…

Sweet Sustain

Guitar Tech Craig’s Dino Sauce Compressor

Imagine a Strat tuned to open G, a D chord being floated at the seventh fret with a Craftsman deep-well socket. What is that ethereal sweetness and sustain under Lowell…

Frenzel FM-DP1 Tube Preamp

Old-School Bang Without Breaking the Bank

For five decades after he built his first guitar amp in 1952, Jim Frenzel designed tube and solidstate equipment for the military, FAA, and Texas Instruments. But it wasn’t until…

Grez Mendocino Short Scale Bass

Time-Machine Tone

In the beginning, there was the Precision Bass. Following Leo Fender’s revelation, things branched out in all directions as builders experimented with the idea that the double bass could be…

Strymon Iridium Amp & IR Cab

Model Citizen

It can be tough, living in the golden age of gear tech. Which piece of amazing equipment to get next? Strymon’s Iridium might be worth a look. A stompbox-sized amp…

Ernie Ball’s Music Man Cutlass/Stingray

Talkin’ Tonewoods

For many builders of solidbody guitars, the challenge is to improve on a handful of pioneering designs from the 1950s and ’60s. No one knows this better than Ernie Ball…

Blues Guitars On A Budget

A New Breed of L-Style

Picture the archetypal 1930s blues man, photographed with a studio backdrop, jaunty hat, knowing leer…. What else do you see? A guy with not too much money, that’s what! That’s…

Henriksen’s JazzAmp 112-ER

All That Jazz

Henriksen’s JazzAmp 112-ER Price: $999 (retail) Info: www.henriksenamps.com. Traditionally, jazz guitarists have sought a mellow tone in which single notes exhibit a horn-like timbre. Unfortunately, this often means sacrificing chord…