Eric “Roscoe” Ambel is accomplished guitarist (Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Steve Earle) and go-to “roots rock” producer (Bottle Rockets, Nils Lofgren, Ryan Adams, and many more). In 2012, he added “erstwhile tavern owner” to his CV. Worse, when Ambel’s Lakeside Lounge fell victim to gentrification, New York City lost what many swore was the …

The proliferation of digital guitar gear grows by leaps and bounds every year as more players learn to love the world of tones and effects offered by the technology. You’ll obviously get no argument from us that tube amps and analog stompboxes are great, but for more and more musicians, digital is here to stay. …

In 2014, Fishman introduced their Fluence line with the goal of combining vintage tone with freedom from the inductance problems that impact even the most hallowed vintage pickups. Rather than traditional windings, Fluence pickups incorporate two 48-layer boards, seemingly resulting in zero noise. Designed with input from guitar virtuoso Greg Koch, the innovative Gristle-Tone addition …

With a career spanning 45 years, Allan Holdsworth’s blistering, bop-fueled legato radically altered our approach to electric guitar, and he’s now the recipient of this 12-CD retrospective (for those in the cheap seats, check out the two-CD version, Eidolon). Listen to “Checking Out” from 1982’s I.O.U. album and you already know he’s moving into new …

FireBelly Amplifiers’ Tweed 1955SE, PR3512SE Price: $949 (Tweed 1955SE); $1,595 (PR3512SE) Contact: www.firebellyamps.com The quest for vintage tone continues, and while budgetary concerns might keep many guitarists from owning the real deal, the demand has created a market for affordable hand-built amplifiers with old-school sounds and specs. The father-and-son team of Steven and Scott Cohen …

On June 23 of last year, the blues lost one of its greatest singers with the death of Bobby “Blue” Bland at age 83. Best known for a 20-year run with Duke Records that yielded such classics as “I Pity The Fool,” “I’ll Take Care Of You,” and his reworking of T-Bone Walker’s “Stormy Monday …

Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here” on Mandolin Andrew Hendryx returns with his Collings MF5, this time demonstrating how to play the Pink Floyd classic “Wish You Were Here” on mandolin. Keep up with Andrew at www.andrewhendryx.com. See more lessons, VG adds new lessons monthly!

For performers, the struggle to amplify acoustic guitars properly never goes away. But as Schertler shows, things are getting better. It’s generally accepted that a combination of pickups can yield better results, especially that special blend of a magnetic pickup and mini-condenser microphone. With their M-AG6 model, Schertler offers a solution. The Magnetico pickup is …

Central Texas folks might think of Johnny Nicholas as restaurateur; others know him as one of the most experienced, authentic, and versatile blues performers. Growing up in Connecticut, he migrated to Ann Arbor as a member of the Boogie Brothers in the early ’70s, later to land in Austin after joining Asleep At The Wheel. …

Fender’s Classic Player Strat HH Price: $949.99 (list) Contact: www.fender.com One of the great guitar myths is that pro Fender players always use single-coil pickups. Many do, of course, but many have replaced those singles with noise-free humbuckers, whether full-sized units or others shrunk to fit Strat or Tele routs. Next time you’re at a …

Roger Mello of SeaGlass Guitars officially opened shop in 2011. Today, he offers four electric models; his Route6jr maintains the simplicity of the guitars that inspired it while re-creating their classic features in a high-end, handcrafted solidbody. The Route6jr’s set-neck, lightweight design will feel familiar to those fond of a Les Paul Special and/or Junior, …

Regardless of the state of pop or rock music, it’s invigorating when a group comes along to remind us what rock and roll sounds like when it’s written from the soul, played from the gut, and delivered with conviction. Offering all but the smell of the hot EL34s, Rival Sons’ latest album, Great Western Valkyrie, …

Don Rich’s recording career lasted only 13 years, beginning as the fiddle player on Buck Owens’ 1961 debut. But Owens released as many as four albums a year, and like Merle Haggard’s Strangers and Ernest Tubb’s Texas Troubadours, Owens’ Buckaroos cut several albums without their leader. This 17-track compilation – with three cuts culled from …

Roland Micro Cube Price: $130 (street) Info: www.rolandus.com. Every once in a while you have to pinch yourself and thank your lucky stars to be a guitarist in the 21st century. The Roland Micro Cube is a good illustration of this phenomenon; a dinky, portable amp that runs on AA batteries, it weighs just over …

After decades away from the music scene, guitarist Wally Stocker is back on his feet again and back where he belongs, playing lead guitar with a new lineup in The Babys. From 1977 to ’80, the group amassed a string of radio-friendly hits including “Isn’t It Time,” “Every Time I Think of You,” “Head First,” “Back …

Considered by many to be the ultimate orchestral rhythm guitar, these very rare instruments are among the most sought-after, and possess a sound epitomized by a power and projection unsurpassed by any other archtop acoustic.

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 …