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Dan Wilson’s celebration of jazz legends

On his latest album, “Things Eternal,” jazz wizard Dan Wilson fuses post-bop, spirituality, and the songs of Stevie Wonder into a satisfying musical journey. Here, Dan and his Benedetto Pat Martino share a take on Herbie Hancock’s “Tell Me a Bedtime Story.” Catch our interview in the September issue. Read Now!

Nils Lofgren Shines Solo – Again

An in-demand sideman for more than 50 years, guitar wizard Nils Lofgren has worked with Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, and done solo work while appearing with everyone from Roy Buchanan to Ringo Starr. He grabbed his ’64 Gibson J-50 (tuned in Open G) to play this acoustic rendition of “Ain’t the Truth Enough?,” from the recently released “Mountains.” Read our interview in the September issue. Read Now!

Dan Wilson’s celebration of jazz legends

On his latest album, “Things Eternal,” jazz wizard Dan Wilson fuses post-bop, spirituality, and the songs of Stevie Wonder into a satisfying musical journey. Here, Dan and his Benedetto Pat Martino share a take on Herbie Hancock’s “Tell Me a Bedtime Story.” Catch our interview in the September issue. Read Now!

Nils Lofgren Shines Solo – Again

An in-demand sideman for more than 50 years, guitar wizard Nils Lofgren has worked with Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, and done solo work while appearing with everyone from Roy Buchanan to Ringo Starr. He grabbed his ’64 Gibson J-50 (tuned in Open G) to play this acoustic rendition of “Ain’t the Truth Enough?,” from the recently released “Mountains.” Read our interview in the September issue. Read Now!

Classic Instruments

Classics: January 2023

Jay Mitzner’s ’53 Gibson Les Paul.

Overhearing his 13-year-old son noodling on a beginner guitar in his bedroom one day in 1958, it occurred to Murray Mitzner that the boy was not only passionate about the instrument, he was good on it. Looking to foster his skills, Murray put young Jay in lessons with local Brooklyn jazz guitarist Rector Bailey, who […]

by Ward Meeker
Artists

Megan Lovell’s New Lap Steel

Slide Sub

In the summer of 2021, Megan Lovell decided enough was enough of her vintage Rickenbacker Model B. While she loved the feel, sound, and vibe of the instrument dubbed “the Panda,” for years it had been taking a toll on her body during Larkin Poe’s high-energy live shows. Knowing something had to give (and preferring […]

by Ward Meeker
VG Approved Gear

Eastwood RD Artist

RD Our Lips

Issued during Gibson’s infamous “Norlin era,” the original RD Artist has become surprisingly collectible over the years, thanks to its melted-Firebird shape and active electronics from the Moog synthesizer folks. Now, the reissue masters at Eastwood have resurrected the RD with some differences, including a price below the four-figure values of vintage models. Eastwood’s RD […]

by Pete Prown
Oz Noy
Artists

Oz Noy

Dishing Out More Twisted Blues

Oz Noy is talented enough to pay the bills not only as a first-call New York session cat, but also as a prolific creative force in contemporary fusion. His current release is Twisted Blues Volume 2, and it’s the perfect bookend to the critically acclaimed first volume. In it, he turns the much-loved genre of […]

Classic Instruments

Gibson Super Jumbo 100

The Super Jumbo 200 is Gibson’s most celebrated flat-top model, and deservedly so, thanks to its use by cowboy movie stars in the pre-World War II years and by country music stars in the post-war years. The Super Jumbo 100, on the other hand, is one of Gibson’s more obscure models – a status it […]

George Gruhn and Walter Carter
Music

Def Leppard

Diamond Star Halos

Def Leppard has always emphasized loving ’70s glam rock and protested being labeled a heavy metal band. Okay – but ’81’s raw High ‘n’ Dry, ’83’s Pyromania, and ’87’s Hysteria proved their hard-rock bona fides. While conducting sonic and stylistic experimentation the past few decades, they’ve kept a toe in their own mega-successful water. The […]

Classic Instruments

Fender Jazz Bass

“Stack-knob” is a catch phrase that for decades has perked the ears of collectors; these relatively rare examples of the earliest Fender Jazz Bass are among the first electric basses to be “collected” instead of just bought, sold, and played! Along with the ’50s Precision, they stand as the ultimate Fender bass – sought for […]

Artists

Davey Johnstone

Ringmaster for Reg

Countless millions are fans of Davey Johnstone’s work, even if they don’t know his name. Anyone who appreciates pop music from the past 50 years has heard his guitar, mandolin, or banjo on hits by Elton John and many others. Johnstone has been an essential part of John’s band for most of the superstar’s career. […]

VG Approved Gear

The Xaviere XV-JT90 and XV-585

Planks for Pennies

Xaviere is a company that imports its guitars from China, sets them up in its Massachusetts shop, then sells direct. The company’s XV-JT90 Offset Hybrid is a solidbody with a body shape reminiscent of a Jazzmaster, yet it has a bridge pickup more like you’d find on a Telecaster, making it more adaptable for everything […]

Artists

Michael Schenker

Temple Of Rock

Michael Schenker has had the kind of stormy past that could give Keith Richards a run for his money. He will forever be tied to iconic bands such as The Scorpions, UFO, and The Michael Schenker Group, but he’s his own man. Along with newfound sobriety, Schenker’s latest solo album, Temple Of Rock, ushers in […]

Artists

Mike Vernon

Surf-Guitar Ace Mike Vernon Chills on “Lucky Boy” Surf-instro revivalist Mike Vernon grabbed his (semi-hollow) Gretsch Tennessee Rose (with flatwounds) plugged into his Roland 77 to play “Lucky Boy.” Named after his dog, the tune is from his new album, “Burnin’ & Churnin’,” which showcases his skill and compositional creativity. Catch our review in the […]

Fuchs Blackjack-21 II Combo
VG Approved Gear

Fuchs Blackjack-21 II Combo

Hit Me!

Fuchs Blackjack-21 II Combo Price: $1,750 Info: www.fuchsaudiotechnology.com Andy Fuchs is an authority in the world of guitar amps. One of his great accomplishments has been to closely replicate and refine certain legendary boutique-amp tones. With the Blackjack-21 II, Fuchs Audio Technology makes more accessible what the company has already put within reach of boutique […]

Grant Geissman
Artists

Grant Geissman

Jazz-Rock Renaissance

’70s culture may have provided a target-rich environment for parodied depictions of giant Afros, bell-bottom jeans, and Saturday Night Fever, but anyone who was alive then remembers Chuck Mangione’s Feels So Good. Huge in 1977, the album remains symbolic of the jazz-pop that was strong at the time. The extended guitar solo on the title […]

Artists

Jimmie Vaughan

Full Plate, New Strats

After trading football for guitar at age 13, Jimmie Vaughan forged a remarkable career as a blues-roots guitarist, first with The Fabulous Thunderbirds then with a string of solo records and the occasional collaboration. Today, his plate is full as ever – gigs, new music, and new limited-edition signature guitars from the Fender Custom Shop […]

Andrew Hendryx
Lessons

Andrew Hendryx – Lesson: “Into The Mystic” on a mandolin

Andrew Hendryx lesson of Van Morrison’s “Into The Mystic” on Mandolin Andrew Hendryx uses his Collings MF5 (with D’Addario strings) to show you how to play his arrangement of the Van Morrison masterpiece “Into The Mystic,” from his upcoming album, “Deep River.” You can catch Andrew on tour this spring with Dangermuffin and Yonder Mountain […]

Joe Osborn photo: Ed Hirsch.
Artists

Joe Osborn

A Few (Hundred) Hits

Ed. Note: Joe passed away December 14th, 2018, he was 81. Joe Osborn. His face has never been on a record jacket or album cover. Odds are most have heard his name, but have no idea what his musical accomplishments have meant to contemporary pop music. If you listened to the radio or owned a […]

VG Approved Gear

Jim Kelley Reverb Model

Legend, Resurrected

Jim Kelley began making his highly acclaimed guitar amplifiers 1978. His big revelation came while he was still doing mods and repairs. A customer brought in an Ampeg SB12 for service. Seems his girlfriend had overwatered a fern that was sitting on the amp and decided to turn it on to see if she had […]

VG Approved Gear

Rick Turner Model 1 Deluxe LB

All-Terrain Guitar

Ever wonder about that strange-looking guitar Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac has been playing all these years? The same one John Mayer has occasionally been spotted with as well? It’s the Rick Turner Model 1, and if you want the straight dope on this unique instrument, you’ve come to the right place. Rick Turner, co-founder […]

Artists

Jock Bartley

The Return of Firefall

If you listened to pop radio in the late ’70s, it was hard to miss Firefall, whose soft-rock hits were plastered all over AM airwaves, notably “You Are the Woman,” “Just Remember I Love You,” and “Strange Way.” Firefall is back with Comet, their first album in 25 years. Featuring original lead guitarist Jock Bartley, […]

GIBSON FIREBIRDS
Classic Instruments

Gibson Firebirds

Say the words “custom color” to a collector or enthusiast and most will think of “Fender.” But Gibson had its own multicolored baby – the Firebird. Born in 1963 and put to rest in ’69, the Firebird was Gibson’s third full-line attempt at the solidbody market. While it did not do as well as the […]

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