One of three stunning L-series models (along with its brothers, the El Toro and Cleopatra) introduced by guitar builder Teye, the single-cutout/mahogany-body Apache has a maple cap that echoes a Les Paul, and most guitarists will instantly recognize the influence of Tony Zemaitis in its etched-aluminum plates and inlaid faux turquoise. Workmanship on the Apache …

Is there a better platform for guitar customization than the Tele? Easily sourced lumber combine with straightforward electronics and hardware for a characteristic sound. Michael Kelly et al have been developing this formula for their Custom Collection: good old swamp ash (a frequently used Tele timber) augmented by artfully applied exotic hardwood veneers and electronic …

Brian Wampler, who developed a reputation first for modding effects pedals, then for building originals including a custom overdrive for heavy-hitter country picker Brad Paisley, plays by the rules set forth by the best boutique builders: employ first-rate components, true-bypass wiring, and excellent fit and finish. Instructions are clear and thorough, and Wampler even pays …

In the early 1950s, the grand old luthiers like Epiphone and Gibson couldn’t believe there would ever be a market for solidbody guitars. In contrast to their glorious archtop hollowbodies, the electric planks lacked beauty and artistry and tone. But times and tastes changed, proving that notion wrong – at least on the point about …

The Dayton (Ohio) Blues Society and WYSO 91.3 radio will honor David Hussong, proprietor of Fretware Guitars and a longtime contributor to Vintage Guitar, during a ceremony October 25 to commemorate 30 years of broadcasting his “Shakin’ Dave Hussong’s Hall of Fame Blues” program. The event, at Gilly’s Jazz, 132 S. Jefferson Street, Dayton, will be …

Throughout most of the 1970s, Les Pauls ruled the guitar roost. But toward the end of the decade, some players became interested in more-sophisticated electronics, especially active circuitry. Suddenly, souped-up guitars by Alembic, B.C. Rich, Ibanez, and Aria Pro II surged in popularity. This new trend did not take Gibson by surprise, and the challenge was …

Neil LeVang was about to get a lecture. Days earlier, the A-list studio guitarist’s new boss, Lawrence Welk, had golfed with a couple well-known singers who mentioned that LeVang had played on their sessions. “Neil,” Welk implored in his famous German accent, “If you thought as much about this (band) as recording with all these …

Visual Sound’s H20 V3 Liquid Chorus & Echo and VS-XO Premium Dual Overdrive Price: H20 V3 $199 (list); VS-XO $199 (list) Contact: www.visualsound.net Since bursting on the scene with its Visual Volume, Tennessee-based Visual Sound has earned a reputation for sounding great and for solid construction. The company has introduced the next step in its …

Cort Z44 Price: $569 list/under $400 street Contact: cortguitars.com Just about everywhere you look these days, manufacturers are devising new spins on the single-cutaway solidbody. Cort has been a player on the import scene for decades and, with its Zenox-series Z44, shows it’s serious about being a player in the world of the single-cut. The …

If you grew up listening to music in the ’70s, you probably associate the name J. Geils with a five-piece band that played raucous rock and roll to hip-shaking partiers. Led by guitarist John “Jay” Geils, the group toured the world and recorded more than a dozen albums, selling millions through the early ’80s. Originally …

It has been 40 years since the passing of Jimi Hendrix. In his honor, this month we will look at two unexplored aspects of his life and work, including the largely untapped oeuvre of Jimi’s later studio work – the period after 1968’s Electric Ladyland, when he was touring heavily but still recording countless hours …

From the origins of country-rock to Jimmy Page, Metallica, and a slew of modern country-pickin’ wizards, the string bender lends unique sounds to any form of music by giving players an “extra hand.”

Bassist/vocalist Greg Lake, a force in the advent of progressive rock in the early 1970s with Emerson, Lake and Palmer (ELP), died December 7 following a battle with cancer. He was 69. This article originally appeared in VG the May and June 1994 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication …

As the 1960s rolled into the ’70s, Gibson had established itself in the electric-bass market with front-line instruments such as the solidbody EB-0/EB-3 and Thunderbirds, as well as the semi-hollow EB-2 series. However, it struggled to win a share of the budget market despite offering a bass version of its popular Melody Maker and the …

If you’ve been to a Jeff Beck concert in the past few years, you may have said to yourself, “Who’s that other guy onstage?” It happens to be Nicolas Meier, a Swiss virtuoso who for more than a decade has also led his own groups, such as the world-metal group Seven7. A monster picker, Meier …

If you saw Tony MacAlpine on his early-2015 tour, you probably noticed a young woman accompanying him on a seven-string guitar. Berklee grad Nili Brosh effortlessly harmonized with MacAlpine, and when asked, played some wicked solos. She recently finished her second solo album, A Matter Of Perception, an inspiring work full of volcanic soloing, brutal …

Eliot Lewis was just 10 years old when he started rubbing elbows with legendary performers, thanks to a friend’s father who was a heavyweight in the music business. “Every week, he’d take us to see acts like the Who, Alice Cooper, and Elton John,” he recalled. Earlier, though, the music of Glen Campbell prompted him …