FEATURES
BOB WOOTTON
“Boom-Chika” and the Man in Black
They’d never met, but minutes after Bob Wootton rolled up backstage in a pickup truck, Johnny Cash handed over his Martin saying, “Tune my guitar” before the two walked out to play “Wreck of the Old 97.” By Rich Kienzle
AMP-O-RAMA
The Park Lead 50
British guitarists of a certain age – and their clued-in Yank counterparts – swoon over visions of Park amps, whose name means “vintage Marshall,” but with a twist. By Dave Hunter
GIBSON L-10
Among Gibson’s high-end archtops, it has been overshadowed by the more revered L-5 and less expensive L-7. Still, it is noteworthy because it was the first step toward Gibson developing a full line of archtops in the ’30s. By George Gruhn and Walter Carter
GRANDDADDY TO THE STARS!
Ro-Pat-In’s First Electric Spanish
The story of George Beauchamp’s first successful electric guitar is shrouded in the mists of murky memory. But one critical element of the story recently became more clear. By Lynn Wheelwright and Walter Carter
ELECTRIFYING EARLY JAZZ
The Selmer Modèle Jazz and Stimer M.10 Amp
In the ’30s, the quest for volume was the Holy Grail of guitar construction. When Django Reinhardt began playing his revolutionary jazz, he played it on a revolutionary new jazz guitar. By Michael Dregni
BRAD GILLIS
Hard Rock, High Profile
From Rubicon to Ozzy to Night Ranger, he has made a living playing guitar since he was 19. Today, he’s busy as ever with Night Ranger, his own sound production studio, and hunting down collectible axes and amps! By Ward Meeker
CORT DRAGON ST0STAT
As spectacular as they may be, the PRS Dragon was not the first guitar to carry the name of a mythological beast. First were some Japanese models, then the Cort StoStat. And there is a fascinating story behind this beauty. By Michael Wright
BASS SPACE
Paul Reed Smith #11
Rick Kennell, bassist for ’70s prog-rockers Happy the Man, was one of the very first players to jump aboard the PRS bandwagon. He bought the seventh instrument by Smith, then acquired this one. By Willie G. Moseley
DEPARTMENTS
Vintage Guitar Price Guide
Builder Profile
Swell Pedal Company
Upcoming Events
Vintage Guitar Classified Ads
Dealer Directory
Readers Gallery
FIRST FRET
Reader Mail
News and Notes
Sean Costello 1979-2008, Vince Gill plays benefit, Metheny and Santana live DVDs, In Memoriam, more!
Guitar Dude
The Subdudes Tommy Malone
By Rick Allen
Jimmy Bruno
Sharing the Knowledge
By John Heidt
Matt Rae
Keepin’ Busy
By John Heidt
Ask Zac
By Zac Childs
Les Paul
The Legend and New Book
By Eric C. Shoaf
Joe Renzetti Scores!
By Rick Allen
Vinny Roth
Classified Recording
By John Heidt
Alex Skolnick
From Miles to Metal
By Pete Prown
COLUMNS
The (Way) Back Beat
Beat Portraits: The Lowdown Down Low, Part I
By Peter S. Kohman
Q&A With George Gruhn
Acousticville
What Pick Do You Use?
By Steven Stone
“401K” Guitars
The ’70s Dean Standard
By Gil Hembree
Fretprints
Guitars of the Texas Playboys
By Wolf Marshall
TECH
Dan’s Guitar Rx
Flotsam Fever, Part 3
By Dan Erlewine
Talkin’ Amps With…
John Nelson: State of the Market – Vintage Amps
By David Jung
REVIEWS
The VG Hit List
CD, DVD, and Book Reviews
Steve Miller Band, The Mother Truckers, Jim Lauderdale, Robben Ford, Pat Metheny, The Early Years of the Les Paul Legacy, more!
Check This Action
Al Kooper Keeps Rolling
By Dan Forte
Vintage Guitar Gear Reviews
Sadowski Semi-Hollow, Taylor SolidBody series, Morgan Monroe and The Loar L-style guitars.
Gearin’ Up!
The latest cool new stuff!