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Mick Ralphs (1944-2025)

We’re saddened to hear of the passing of Mick Ralphs, who had been featured in VG several times. We’ll publish a memorial in the September issue.

Playlist: A Mick Ralphs Sampler – Definitive Listening (2025)
Fretprints: Mick Ralphs by Wolf Marshall (September 2023)
Pop ’N Hiss: Bad Company by Bret Adams (September 2022)
Mick Ralphs by Elliot Stephen Cohen (April 2017)
Mick Ralphs by Willie G. Moseley (December 2011)
Mick Ralphs by Lisa Sharken (November 1999)
Mick Ralphs by Willie G. Moseley (November 1999)
Pictured: Mick Ralphs: mickeydb/wikimedia commons.

Mick Ralphs (1944-2025)

We’re saddened to hear of the passing of Mick Ralphs, who had been featured in VG several times. We’ll publish a memorial in the September issue.

Playlist: A Mick Ralphs Sampler – Definitive Listening (2025)
Fretprints: Mick Ralphs by Wolf Marshall (September 2023)
Pop ’N Hiss: Bad Company by Bret Adams (September 2022)
Mick Ralphs by Elliot Stephen Cohen (April 2017)
Mick Ralphs by Willie G. Moseley (December 2011)
Mick Ralphs by Lisa Sharken (November 1999)
Mick Ralphs by Willie G. Moseley (November 1999)
Pictured: Mick Ralphs: mickeydb/wikimedia commons.

Artists

A Mick Ralphs Sampler – Definitive Listening

Curated by Vintage Guitar’s Willie G. Moseley, this playlist showcases the evolution of Mick Ralphs’ sound through various songs he wrote or co-wrote. Included are tracks from Mott the Hoople, which Ralphs sang, along with selections from Bad Company featuring all three lead vocalists: Rodgers, Howe, and Hart. Mott the Hoople “You Really Got Me” […]

by Willie G. Moseley
Artists

Roine Stolt

Progressive Double-Duty

If you want to see a hard-working guitar ace, look no further than Roine Stolt, who has been going non-stop for more than 25 years. The Swedish axeman is currently busy with two major prog bands, both of which have released albums in 2021; the Flower Kings launched Islands while Transatlantic offered The Absolute Universe […]

by Pete Prown
Artists

“Buy That Guitar” podcast with special guest David Davidson

“Buy That Guitar” podcast with special guest David Davidson Season 01 Episode 02 In Episode 2 of “Buy That Guitar,” presented by Vintage Guitar magazine, host Ram Tuli is joined by David Davidson of Well Strung Guitars to discuss the most-valuable guitars in today’s market. Collectors looking to buy iconic production-model guitars can expect to […]

VG Approved Gear

Frenzel FM-DP1 Tube Preamp

Old-School Bang Without Breaking the Bank

For five decades after he built his first guitar amp in 1952, Jim Frenzel designed tube and solidstate equipment for the military, FAA, and Texas Instruments. But it wasn’t until 2001, after his retirement, that he returned to tube guitar amps. Frenzel’s philosophy is pretty straightforward; he designs and builds amps that easily dial up […]

Maxon Fuzz Elements Pedals
VG Approved Gear

Maxon Fuzz Elements Pedals

Elemental Fuzz

Maxon Fuzz Elements Pedals Price: $189 to $199 Contact: www.maxonfx.com Classic fuzz pedals are some of the fine wines of the vintage guitar world. Guitarists talk like Frenchified sommeliers when discussing Fuzztones, Tonebenders, and Tube Screamers as if they were hundred-year-old bottles of Bordeaux. “Mais oui, this all-original ’67 Fuzz Face with vintage germanium NKT275 […]

Artists

Thinkin’ Thin

Heroes of the Semi-Hollow

The semi-hollowbody electric guitar is one of the most revered axes in the plugged-in universe, offering the playability of a solidbody with the warm, woodier tone of a fat archtop. Yet the term “semi-hollow guitar” is somewhat confusing, as few can agree on a precise definition. There is the classic design of the Gibson ES-335 […]

Artists

Pete Anderson

Disciple of the Hook

Detroit native Pete Anderson made a name for himself in the ’80s, playing a ton of twang while Dwight Yoakam sang. In the last 20 years, though, he has become known as an player who can adroitly back virtually any act, a first-rate music producer, and a record-label head. A disciple of ’50s rock-and-roll and […]

Classic Instruments

The Gibson Starfire TR 1000 RVT

Trans-Galactic Toneway

Relatively unsung among early entrants to the field of solid-state guitar amplifiers, Gibson was the first high-output, high-quality manufacturer to bring one to market. And while it quickly proved the touted new technology wasn’t what many guitarists wanted, that didn’t stop others from following suit. The transistor revolution taking over electronics in the 1950s should […]

Artists

Mike Stern

Mixed Sources

Mike Stern made his name playing with Blood, Sweat & Tears, Jaco Pastorius, Miles Davis, and others, carving a notable solo career while constantly seeking to broaden his musical voice. On his latest album, Eclectic, Stern pairs with rock guitarist Eric Johnson; the former engaging his rock side while the latter explores his jazz influences. […]

Artists

Have Guitar Will Travel 077 – Patrick Davis

For Ep 77 of “Have Guitar Will Travel,” host James Patrick Regan speaks with Patrick Davis, from Songwriters in Paradise. A native of South Carolina, Patrick was raised in a musical family and has played his share of gigs for tip money. They discuss his beginnings as a songwriter, and how Hootie and the Blowfish […]

Dean Zelinsky Tagliare Z-Glide Custom
VG Approved Gear

Dean Zelinsky Tagliare Z-Glide Custom

Future Tense

Every so often, a builder gives the art of guitar design a firm shove into the future. The Dean Zelinsky Tagliare Z-Glide Custom certainly fits into that category. On the surface, it’s a high-performance “super Strat” with basic features that should seem familiar, but this solidbody aims to pack the features of two or more […]

Classic Instruments

Classics: July 2022

Jack Jones Doubleneck

In November of 1954, 16-year-old Jack Jones walked into a Seattle pawn shop and noticed a strange doubleneck guitar. “It was like a magnet – I knew it was meant to be mine,” he said. The tag was marked “$125.” “I offered the entire $110 that was in my pocket,” he added. “The guy’s wife […]

Music

Larry Coryell

Barefoot Man: Sanpaku

The lastest from the godfather of fusion guitar harkens back to his ’71 album Barefoot Boy, revisiting the energy, philosophy, and spirit of that period. “Sanpaku” opens the set with Coryell’s take on modal funkiness as a gateway to more harmonically expansive compositions. “Back To Russia” and “If Miles Were Here” showcase seasoned musicianship, authority, […]

Music

Walter Trout

Broken

With his reputation long established, Walter Trout has nothing to prove, but a good deal more to say, vocally and instrumentally. The blues remain at the heart of all 12 of the moody tracks on this extended set. Fortunately, Trout didn’t go overboard with guests and instead chose quality material, nearly all of it original. […]

Artists

Andrew Hendryx on a ’64 Fender Mandocaster

 Andrew Hendryx Demoing ’64 Fender Mandocaster On a recent mandolin safari, Andrew Hendryx visited a shop in Asheville, North Carolina, and had a go on a ’64 Fender Mandocaster. In true safari fashion, he explored some interesting tones! Keep up with Andrew at www.andrewhendryx.com

VG Approved Gear

Area 51 Fuzzwah

Two Great Tastes

Fuzz wahs are nothing new, of course. Released under scores of badge-engineered monikers, they’ve promised aural overload ranging from sirens to tornadoes. Problem is, most have sounded like novelty toys – funky and great for party tricks, but that’s about it. Area 51’s Fuzzwah changes that. This pedal can make the weird sounds, sure, but […]

VG Approved Gear

Black Cat’s D&S and N-Fuzz

Two Faces of Fuzz

Located in south-central Connecticut, Black Cat blends an ear for vintage tones with an eye toward modern function and bulletproof construction. On the fuzz front, they have captured two distinct period flavors with a pair of versatile stompboxes. The D&S is a modern replica of a 1974 Maxon D&S (distortion and sustain), which itself was […]

VG Approved Gear

To The Limit

The Effectrode LA-1A Leveling Amplifier

In the world of guitar effects, there are consumer-grade pedals and pro-grade pedals. The former are affordable and fun, the latter are for players who crave stellar sounds and are willing to pay a little more for them. Enter Effectrode’s LA-1A Leveling Amplifier. In short, it’s a studio-grade compressor in a foot pedal, and its […]

Artists

Yates McKendree

Blues Emotion

Yates McKendree hasn’t yet turned 22, but he has already digested a lifetime’s worth of American roots music. The proof is in his debut album, Buchanan Lane, which is named for the street where he makes his home in Franklin, Tennessee. A 13-song collection, it reflects varied musical influences including blues icons like B.B. King […]

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