Fender Palomino
Whether all collectors are as attached to nicknames as guitar enthusiasts is unclear. Do salt-and-pepper shaker collectors have fond shortcuts for, say, a Popeye...
Gibson SG Les Paul
In 1961, Gibson replaced its Les Paul series with a new line of lightweight, ultrathin, all mahogany, double-cutaway solidbodies the SG (for solid guitar)....
First Guitar of Rock and Roll
Like a hound dog hit by lightning, the first notes of rock and roll blasted out of radios across the country in July of...
Gibson Goldtops
In the good ol' days of 1952, jazzmeister Les Paul strutted to the center of the world's stage and proudly whipped out his golden...
The First “Mary Kaye” Stratocaster
The Fender "Mary Kaye" Stratocaster. A term guitar aficionados have come to associate with a ’50s Strat with blond finish with gold-plated hardware...
Although Mary...
1976 Hagstrom Jimmy
In the world of archtop guitarmaking, the legendary luthier James L. D'Aquisto (1935-'95) is considered one of the greats. A jazz guitarist, D'Aquisto was...
Höfner’s Fledermaus Gitarre
Much like the scant records of almost every large-scale American guitar manufacturer, production logs at Höfner's headquarters in Hagenau, Germany, aren't big on details....
In Detail: Gibson’s 1954-’58 Les Paul Junior
In 1952, Gibson’s Les Paul model guitar was brand spanking new. But it wasn’t cutting-edge. True, it was the company’s first solidbody electric guitar,...
Carlos Santana
Carlos Santana is illustrating a point. "Most people play like this - around the note," he says, making a fist with his left hand...
A Hero’s Gretsch 6117
In the 1960s, the astronauts were bigger cultural icons than the Beatles.
And no, that’s not the Colorado-based surf band that hit with songs like...