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Season 03 Episode 01 In Episode 3.2 of “Buy That Guitar,” presented by Vintage Guitar magazine, host Ram Tuli engages with Binky Philips, a notable New York-based rock musician, guitarist, songwriter, and journalist. Known for his enduring presence in the city’s music scene since the early 1970s, Binky shares his experiences during a transformative era […]
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Roland V-Studio 20 Price: $300 (street) Info: www.rolandus.com. Home digital recording has come a long way in the last 20 years, to the point where top bands are cutting full albums at home. But there is still a learning curve for the uninitiated, and the software and hardware choices are dizzying. Enter Roland, whose V-Studio […]
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VG Approved Gear
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 ’11). Ever the tone-tinkerer, Neafsey also makes pedals, pickups, amps, and intra-guitar circuits. His latest is the Blaster, a pedal based on the booster Garcia […]
Classic Instruments
The Höfner Model 485G
At the end of World War II, the town of Schönbach, in western Bohemia, became Luby, Czechoslovakia, and the people of German ethnicity were expelled. The changes affected the fortunes of more than Framus and Tatra guitars – it also redirected the trajectory of Höfner guitars, perhaps best known for the “Beatle bass” played by […]
Artists
Sue Foley’s Pinky Tele
Powerhouse Blues on “Dallas Man” Sue Foley and her band (Corey Keller on drums and John Bradley on bass) tear through a chunk of “Dallas Man,” one of the tracks from her album, “Pinky’s Blues.” Sue is playing Pinky III, a paisley Tele given to her by Billy Gibbons, running through a Boss reverb pedal […]
VG Approved Gear
Furch Blue Deluxe SW
Czech Mate
You might not recogonize the Furch brand, but the Czech Republic builder has spent that last 40-plus years gaining a reputation for building high-quality acoustic guitars. One of the company’s newer builds is Blue Deluxe SW. Basic specifications for the grand-auditorium cutaway include a Sitka spruce top with black walnut back and sides – as […]
VG Approved Gear
Taylor’s 326ce Urban Ash
Tonewood Tales
When hunting for a new acoustic, it’s useful to learn about tonewoods and construction, as both play a huge role in how an instrument sounds. With Taylor’s Grand Symphony body shape, the 326ce Urban Ash departs from other flat-tops in several respects. Sides and back are made from a California species of ash tree (Fraxinus […]
Artists
Davy Knowles
Manx Bluesman
The Isle Of Man, which sits in the middle of the Irish Sea, measures 15 by 30 miles. The quaint Manx country’s claims to fame are the annual TT motorcycle races, the largest working waterwheel in the world, and being the birthplace of the Gibb brothers before they moved to Australia and became the […]
VG Approved Gear
Carr Impala
Big-Block Tone
Carr Impala Price: $2,490 (retail, in black); $2,640 (two-tone) Info: www.carramps.com. While the new Carr Impala amplifier gets its name and some of its aesthetic inspiration from the classic Chevy muscle car, its tone inspiration comes from one of the classic ’60 workhorse amps – the Fender Bassman. The Impala’s overall look and vibe are […]
Artists
Classics: Larkin Poe
American Gothic
The latest album from Grammy-nominated axe-slinging sisters Rebecca and Megan Lovell is a showcase of artists rising to new heights. Full of heartfelt tales and brawny guitar tones, Blood Harmony is an exhibition of craft that mines great stories from scribes of the American south and mixes them with elements of Southern rock, blues, and […]
Artists
Pop ’N Hiss: The Rolling Stones’ Beggars Banquet
Feast Your Ears
The Rolling Stones were back. Well, they’d never really gone anywhere, but most fans thought they’d lost their way with 1967’s psychedelic experiment Their Satanic Majesties Request. Widely considered rivals to the Beatles, the Stones were accused by some of copying the colossal influence of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, issued earlier that year. […]
Classic Instruments
Dobro Model 27
Brother Oswald's Dobro - Country Music History Maker
The melodic, evocative warbling of a resonator guitar has for decades been a fixture in country music, and knowledgeable fans will tell you there’s one primary individual to thank for it – Pete “Bashful Brother Oswald” Kirby. Kirby was born in Sevierville, Tennessee, in 1911. His introduction to the resonator occurred circa 1929, thanks to […]
Classic Instruments
The Leilani Lap Steel and Amplifier
You can receive more great articles like this in our twice-monthly e-mail newsletter, Vintage Guitar Overdrive, FREE from your friends at Vintage Guitar magazine. VG Overdrive also keeps you up-to-date on VG’s exclusive product giveaways! CLICK HERE to receive the FREE Vintage Guitar Overdrive. As Hawaiian music gained popularity in the 1920s and ’30s, performers […]
Artists
K.K. Downing
Preaching Metal
Classic heavy metal will never fade as long as K.K. Downing remains one of its torchbearers. Sermons of the Sinner, the debut album by his new band, KK’s Priest, is everything a metal disciple would want and expect. Downing shocked metal fans when he left Judas Priest in 2011, after more than 40 years with […]
Artists
In Memoriam: Tony “T.S. McPhee
Groundhogs leader Tony “T.S.” McPhee ranked with the greatest British blues guitarists, whether solo acoustic or ensemble electric, slide or fretted. He died June 6 at 79. McPhee’s ability to tap into authentic blues and venture beyond its confines was remarkable. “Tony played with his fingers on a cherry red Gibson SG, and his ability […]
Artists
Michael Staertow
Gramm Backer
You may not recognize the name, but Michael Staertow has been playing some of classic rock’s most memorable riffs for Lou Gramm, the voice of Foreigner. Hailing from Gramm’s hometown of Rochester, New York, Staertow also performed recently with the Buffalo Philharmonic, and at the 2014 Rochester Music Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, sharing the […]
Artists
Duke Robillard
Swingin’ with Singers
Robillard needs no introduction here, as he’s been one of the leading old-school players of the past 40 years – his allegiance to authentic tones and honest blues licks is legendary. His latest, They Called it Rhythm & Blues, features numerous guest singers, such as Tele stylist Sue Foley, iconic guitarist John Hammond, Kim Wilson, […]
Artists
Don Leady, Austin Legend
One of Texas’ “Big Guitars” on “Rattler Run” Co-founder of the LeRoi Brothers, leader of the Tail Gators, and one of the Big Guitars From Texas, Don Leady is an Austin legend. Here, he plays “Rattler Run” from his new album, “Road to Enchanted Rock,” just for you, VG follower! That’s his trusty ’66 Fender […]
Artists
Samantha Fish: Slide-Blues Fury!
“I’m Done Runnin’” on a D-18 VG readers know Samantha Fish is the real deal. Here, she uses a Martin D-18 Modern Deluxe on an unplugged arrangement of “I’m Done Runnin’,” the ripping lead track from her new album, “Paper Doll.” Catch our review in the May issue. Read Now!