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Trending Now
“[My ’59 Les Pal Junior] sounds so good that whoever’s going to play the main part in a song plays it. I insist! I think the pickups are late ’60s or early ’70s Alnicos, and the damn thing is so warm.” Joe Peña, primary songwriter for the Arizona-based rock band Greyhound Soul, says their latest […]
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Classic Instruments
The Murph 12-String
Tugging At Your Heartstrings
Here’s a story that has “Hollywood blockbuster” written all over it. It’s got so many cinematic staples, you can almost hear “Oscar” murmured in hushed tones. There’s the Holy Grail factor. There’s the underdog, “Rocky” element. And we’ve all heard those true stories of a family reluctantly moving across the country, even though their dog […]
VG Approved Gear
Fender Twin & Deluxe
Fender’s ’57 Twin Amp and ’57 Deluxe - Tweed for Two
Fender “tweed” guitar amplifiers – the Twin, Deluxe, Bassman, Champ, etc., from the 1950s – are the most sought after amps in the annals of guitardom. Whether it is Leo’s legendary circuit design, their tweed covering, top-mounted controls, or just killer tone, the “tweed” amp is a true industry standard that has been copied, reissued, […]
VG Approved Gear
Kay’s K161 Thin Twin
Post-war Blues Box
In his day, Jimmy Reed was a huge influence on everyone from Eric Clapton and Mike Bloomfield to the Rolling Stones and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Among its reissues, Kay Guitar has included the K161 Thin Twin, the guitar irrevocably associated with the legendary Chicago bluesman. Strapped on, the Thin Twin is a hefty axe for […]
Artists
Diamond Rio’s Jimmy Olander
Sworn Gunslinger
Grand Ole Opry member, CMA, ACM, and Grammy winner Jimmy Olander is one of the most-admired players in country music. As co-founder of Diamond Rio, his dedication has always been to the band rather than making a name for himself in Nashville studios, though he is also in-demand as a producer and collaborator who penned […]
Artists
Adrian Vandenberg
Return Of The Flying Dutchman
On Adrian Vandenberg’s latest album, Sin, the Flying Dutchman joins forces with former Yngwie Malmsteen vocalist Mats Levén for the heaviest album of his career. Gothic riffs, Led Zep breakdowns, and classically influenced Euro metal intensity rule. But as always, Vandenberg leans into strong songs and the good notes. What are your thoughts on the […]
Podcasts
Have Guitar Will Travel 053 – Shane Theriot
For the new episode of “Have Guitar Will Travel,” host James Patrick Regan sits with Shane Theriot, musical director and guitarist for Hall and Oates and the internet program “Live from Daryl’s House.” Theriot grew up just outside New Orleans and spent eight years as guitarist for the Neville Brothers. After moving to Nashville he […]
Classic Instruments
Fender’s 5E7 Bandmaster
There’s something about the 3×10 Bandmaster that drives vintage-Fender nuts gaga. Introduced in 1953, it underwent substantial design changes in its first few years, earning status as a true classic every step along the way.
Artists
Bobby Eli
Philly-Soul Pioneer
With this year marking the 50th anniversary of Philadelphia International Records, the spotlight is on the songwriting team of Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff. Founded in 1971, PIR was the epicenter for the Philly sound. An integral part was the guitar playing of Bobby Eli, who can be heard on hundreds of recordings during the […]
VG Approved Gear
D’Angelico Excel SS
Classic Versatility
The modern D’Angelico company specializes in hip semi-hollow guitars with a nod toward their namesake, legendary luthier John D’Angelico. Case in point is the updated version of its Excel SS, which now is dressed with an ebony fretboard and gloss finish options. The Excel SS, touted as the company’s flagship semi-hollow, has maple back, sides, […]
Artists
2025 April Issue on Spotify
TThis month, we feature John Sykes, Mike Campbell, Joe Satriani, Dan Hawkins, Reverend Peyton, Popa Chubby, Savoy Brown, B.B. King, Jimmy Vivino, Alan Gogoll, Paul Johnson, Pink Floyd, Yes, The Wildhearts, and more! Spotify is free or available without ads via a paid subscription. Go to www.spotify.com and search “Vintage Guitar magazine,” or if you […]
Artists
Paul Gilbert
Farewell, Mr. Big
Formed in 1988, Mr. Big was an all-star effort made up of bassist Billy Sheehan, drummer Pat Torpey, vocalist Eric Martin, and guitarist Paul Gilbert. With more chops than a butcher shop, the band used its superpowers to write crowd-pleasing rock anthems and #1 hits. With help from drummer/friend Nick D’Virgilio stepping in for Torpey […]
Artists
Billy Mure
Supersonic Guitarist Remembered
Guitar great Billy Mure (born November 4, 1915) passed away September 25, at the age of 97. He last performed on August 2, playing Dixieland banjo at Squid Lips, where he lived in Sebastian, Florida. Mure played on innumerable sessions from the ’50s to the ’70s, but is best remembered for his Supersonic Guitars albums, […]
Classic Instruments
Roy Smeck’s Gibson L-5
One For the “Wizard”
Player endorsements are part of the tradition of guitarmaking going back to its earliest use for public performance. LeRoy G.A. Schmeck, a.k.a. Roy Smeck, may be history’s most-prolific endorser of fretted instruments. The list includes Washburn (Lyon & Healy) in 1924, the Harmony Vita-Uke and Vita-Guitar in ’27, the Bacon & Day Roy Smeck Silver […]
Classic Instruments
One of Two of a Kind
Gibson’s L-3 Ganus Brothers Special
Making custom instruments has always been problematic for companies designed to manufacture in quantity. Though it had an unenforced policy against one-off projects, this guitar illustrates how the company did just that and demonstrates the struggle between accounting and public relations.
Artists
Pete Huttlinger
A Narrative (and album) From the Heart
To call Pete Huttlinger a survivor is an understatement. The notable Nashville fingerpicker has fought back from a major stroke and end-stage heart failure to record the most important album of his career, McGuire’s Landing. The effort began years ago, and Huttlinger had recorded some of its tracks before being sidelined by his health. A […]
VG Approved Gear
Michael Kelly 1957
Bargain Boutique
Michael Kelly 1957 Price: $875 (list) Contact: www.michaelkellyguitars.com Michael Kelly Guitars has steadily gained a reputation for offering big bang for the buck. The Michael Kelly 1957 model solidbody extends this continuum, representing that meeting point between thoughtful design and quality execution, where modern guitar-manufacturing techniques deliver on their promise. The 1957 abounds with design […]
VG Approved Gear
EVH Stripe Series Star
Romeo Delight
There was time when guitarists waited for new Van Halen records like ferrets on crack. After all, in the early ’80s, Edward Van Halen was a huge deal – a revolutionary upstart who inspired young guitarists to think outside the blues box and diverge from the blues-rock sounds of Nugent, Clapton, and Page. Every new […]