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The 1970s is often called “the Copy Era” for the dominating presence and spectacular success of Japanese “copies” of popular American guitars, most notably of the Gibson Les Paul. Indeed, it was with these “copies” that many Japanese manufacturers honed their chops and became world-class guitar makers. In fact, it was a lawsuit filed by […]

Richie Kotzen

Better Days Coming

Richie Kotzen is one of today’s busiest rock guitarists. In addition to being a long-time solo artist (and possessing an awesome singing voice), he manages his time between the Winery Dogs (with Billy Sheehan on bass, Mike Portnoy on drums) and most recently, Smith/Kotzen, in which he’s teamed with Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith. The […]

This month we feature Steve Lukather, Dominic Miller, Steve Khan, Sam Kiszka, Selwyn Birchwood, Dave Davies, Brennen Leigh, and much more! Spotify is free or available without ads via paid subscription. Go to www.spotify.com and search “Vintage Guitar magazine,” or if you already have an account Listen to the complete list HERE. Don’t miss Vintage […]

Steve Cropper

An MGs/Rascals Soul Summit

Before they were called Booker T. & The MGs, the first song the house band for Memphis’ Stax label cut on their own was the instrumental “Green Onions” – which went to number one on the R&B chart and number three on Pop in 1963. Since then, Tele man Steve Cropper has become perhaps the […]

ToneConcepts, Nels Cline Co-Op on Goo Distortion Pedal

The ToneConcepts Goo distortion pedal was designed in cooperation with guitarist Nels Cline. It has controls for Volume, Shininess (tone), and Viscosity (gain), a cast-aluminum Hammond housing, and an all-analog circuit on PCBs hand-made in Toronto using through-hole components tested for tolerance. Its aesthetics are inspired by the 1958 film The Blob, with graphics representing […]

Gibson GA-200 Rhythm King Vintage Guitar magazine

Gibson GA-200 Rhythm King

Preamp tubes: two 12AX7, one 12AY7, two 6BJ8, two 6SK7, one 6V6 (used as a voltage divider) Output tubes: two 6550 Rectifier: GZ34 Controls: Ch1: Volume, Treble, Bass; Ch2: Volume, Treble, Bass, Compressor Speakers: two 12″ Norelco/Phillips twin-cone speakers Output: approximately 60 watts RMS We generally love amps of the tweed era for their ability […]

1985 Guild Nightbird Prototype Home Main Big

1985 Guild Nightbird Prototype

In early 1984, Mark Dronge, son of the Guild founder Alfred Dronge, was president of Guild. That year, Mark and I struck a deal to design six acoustic Guild guitars in two different body sizes. These were introduced at the 1984 summer National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) show in Chicago. Reaction to the acoustics […]

Eilon Paz

Stompbox: 100 Pedals of the World’s Greatest Guitarists & Stompbox Vintage & Rarities

Sure, we’ve all got a “thing” about guitars. And for many, amps strike a similar chord. But there’s something special about stompboxes that inspires a fetish in fans. They’re dangerous and weird and unpredictable – in all the best ways. These two books – available separately or in the double slipcase set – are like […]

Fretprints: Tony Rice

Newgrass Fusion Master

The world lost one of its most innovative and defining guitar voices on December 25, 2020. Bluegrass maestro Tony Rice – singer, composer, supremely accomplished sideman, solo artist, and flatpicking virtuoso – personified the evolution of an American folk form and its cross-pollination with jazz, classical, and pop tangents. With Rice’s imaginative vision and prodigious […]

Sebastian Nagel’s Satisfying Funk

Winston Brothers groove it up on “Drift” Sebastian Nagel and his band, The Winston Brothers, balance groove, melody, and space in their super-satisfying instrumental funk. Here, Sebastian runs his ’56 Gibson ES-125 (converted to lefty and souped up with ’60s DeArmond pickups) through a ’70s Fender reverb tank and a ’63 Super to play “One […]

Have Guitar Will Travel – 012 Featuring Ken Emerson

In this episode of Have Guitar Will Travel Podcast James speaks with Ken Emerson. Ken is one of the world’s most highly regarded traditional Hawaiian slack key & steel guitarists living today. He is an excellent player of both and he switches easily between them during his performances. We speak about his connection and playing […]

Crazy Tube Circuits Stardust, Splash MKII, and Pin Up Fuzz

Pure Sanity

Crazy Tube Circuits Stardust, Splash MKII, and Pin Up Fuzz Price: $290 (splash MKll); $260 (Pin Up Fuzz); $235 (Stardust) Contact: www.crazytubecircuits.com Athens, Greece – birthplace of the Olympics, democracy, Western philosophy – and killer boutique effects. Under the aegis of Christos Ntaifotis, Crazy Tube Circuits has been building pedals since 2005 with the goal […]

Martin D-42 Modern Deluxe

Boom Box

Martin’s new Modern Deluxe line offers a tantalizing idea – a traditional-looking/playing premium acoustic, but with high-tech innovations under the hood. Being a revised take on an iconic dreadnought, it brings high expectations. As a dread, the acid-test for the D-42 is relatively easy; just give it a big strum and listen for the cannon-powered […]

Greg Martin John Sebastian’s ’59 Gibson Les Paul Standard Vintage Guitar magazine Feature Image

John Sebastian’s ’59 Gibson Les Paul Standard

Vintage Guitar magazine Presents Greg Martin's Head Shop

This is a regular series of exclusive Vintage Guitar online features where The Kentucky Headhunters’ Greg Martin looks back on influential albums and other musical moments. On November 30, 1966, my older brother, Gary, cousin Larry, and their friend, Hubert, took me to see The Lovin’ Spoonful at Memorial Auditorium, in Louisville. It’s a cloudy […]

Dick Taylor

From R&B Psychedelia With the Pretty Things

When the Pretty Things’ 50th anniversary was marked with Bouquets From A Cloudy Sky – a huge boxed set containing 11 CDs and other goodies – the cover of the 100-page, 12×12 hardcover book pictured lead singer Phil May and lead guitarist Dick Taylor. Of course, there were other band members, and May and Taylor […]

The Surfrajettes

On ’Board

The Surfrajettes delight their fans with the perfect wave of jangly guitars, kooky kitsch, and ’60s fashion. After several years touring and releasing singles, their first full album, Roller Fink – a mix of originals and carefully picked covers – has finally rolled ashore. VG caught up with guitarists Shermy and Nicole to talk about […]

The Ray Butts EchoSonic

If you want to talk star-user ratio, the Ray Butts EchoSonic is near the top of the heap. Most accounts agree that fewer than 70 amps were ever made, yet owners among that modest number include Chet Atkins, Luther Perkins, Roy Orbison, Paul Yandell, Carl Perkins, and, the most celebrated in EchoSonic lore, Elvis Presley […]

Pasquale Grasso

Be-Bop!

A genuine six-string phenomenon, Pasquale Grasso (VG, November ’21) is redefining jazz guitar with a radical approach, making one instrument sound like two. Your ears may hear a duo at the opening of “A Night in Tunisia,” but it’s the Italian flash playing, in real time, with a unique hybrid-picking technique. With heart-stopping speed, he […]

Various Artists

Bill Frisell and Thomas Morgan and Dominic Miller

Bill Frisell is a living jazz icon, famed for his ethereal tone and snaking post-bop lines. Here, he partners with Thomas Morgan for a live set – just guitar and standup bass – cut at the Village Vanguard in New York. It’s intimate and beautiful, as you’d expect from ECM. “It Should Have Happened A […]

Blackberry Smoke Unplugs

Ds and LGs

By sound and association, Blackberry Smoke walks a fine stylistic line. A good ol’ rock band when it started rollin’ in Atlanta 15 years ago, its following has more recently grown in front of crowds gathered to see headliners like country superstars Zac Brown Band and Eric Church. So, it sort of made sense that […]

The PRS HX 50 and HX 2×12 Cabinet

Jimi Jam

Paul Reed Smith has earned a reputation building guitars of the highest quality. It wasn’t until just over a decade ago he tried his hand at building amps, pairing with Texas amp guru Doug Sewell. Smith and Sewell more recently traveled to Seattle to blueprint one of Jimi Hendrix’s Marshall 100-watt heads, purportedly an amp […]

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