Take Five When one thinks of bands with two (or more) lead guitarists, groups like the Eagles, Buffalo Springfield, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Wishbone Ash, the edition of Fleetwood Mac featuring Peter Green and Danny Kirwan (and Jeremy Spencer on slide), and of course the Allman Brothers Band’s Dickie Betts and Duane Allman come to mind …

Guitarist Albert Castiglia’s blues-based music has gone through a lot of changes since VG first interviewed him in 2008. In that span, he has released five more albums, including this year’s Big Dog, which was produced by guitarist Mike Zito (June ’16). Castiglia admits that his singing and playing have taken a very noticeable turn, …

Colin Linden’s Still Live is a step back to his first recording – a live album made three decades ago. In the years that separate the two, Linden has become a first-call guitarist for roots artists including Robert Plant, Gregg Allman, the Band, Alison Krauss, Mavis Staples, Lucinda Williams, Diana Krall, Emmylou Harris, and others. …

For more than a half-century, the world has known of guitarist Dave Davies and his raucous electric sound, thanks to the earliest hits of the Kinks. The band’s third single, “You Really Got Me” (released in August, 1964) and “All Day and All of the Night” (debuting that October) were sonic primers for budding guitarists. …

While guitarists have more platforms than ever when it’s time to showcase their music, rising above a sea of marketing-savvy musicians makes it difficult to gain recognition. Gustavo Assis-Brasil is an artist whose music deserves greater acknowledgment. His album, Chromatic Dialogues, is a refreshing vacation from rock and blues, offering a compelling sophistication, and erudite …

Eric Lindell’s past efforts have showcased his multiple skills, and this latest is no different. His songwriting is strong as ever, his interpretive skills are impeccable, he handles various instruments with ease, and there’s no questioning his vocals. The emphasis for him has always been roots music – mostly R&B and sweet soul, with some …

Though there’s no denying Billy Sheehan’s exceptional technical talents on the bass, he has always kept sight on the importance of the song – as evidenced by his work with David Lee Roth, Mr. Big, and the Winery Dogs. He recently returned to the fold with Mr. Big, the rock band that also features Paul …

Modified or repurposed amps generally don’t fit into our monthly discussion here, but some are representative enough of a certain standard to make an exception. Witness this gem from 1952. Designed for general-purpose public address with a microphone or gramophone attached, as often as not you’ll find it reworked as a sweet-sounding tweed-style guitar amp …

James hits BottleRock again and speaks to blues-rock guitarist Hamish Anderson, singer/songwriter Matt Maeson, and Bay Area picker Milo Horstman. Each episode is available on Apple Podcast, Stitcher, iheartradio, Tune In, Google Play Music, and Spotify! Have Guitar Will Travel, hosted by James Patrick Regan, otherwise known as Jimmy from the Deadlies, is presented by Vintage …

Decades before Audiovox or Leo Fender dreamed of making a fretted electric bass, Gibson started manufacturing fretted acoustic mando-basses that were tuned the same as an upright bass. Joe Spann, author of Spann’s Guide to Gibson 1902-1941 has assembled serial and work-order number information documenting Gibson’s production prior to World War II, which indicates mando-bass …

Bassist/vocalist Wayne Nelson has decades of experience with the Little River Band and was the first American to join the band (in 1980). He’s seen numerous changes in personnel, including his own departure from 1996 to ’99. The band recently released a new album, Cuts Like A Diamond. A native of Peoria, Illinois, Nelson grew …

The ECM label is renowned for its brand of atmospheric jazz-fusion highlighted by gorgeous audio quality. Two of its guitar masters – Ralph Towner and John Abercrombie – have released new albums. An acoustic specialist, Towner’s new disc is all-solo guitar, either classical or 12-string, and delivers his brand of intoxicating fingerstyle improvisation. “Dolomitti Dance” …

Pity the poor right-handed masses. Emulating the vibe of Jimi’s various Strats has always been tough on them. Some players chase down one of the precious few vintage left-handed Strats, flip it over, restring it, and suffer the oddities. Others swap lefty necks onto righty guitars. Either way, it’s never quite right (pun intended). Fender’s …

Gregg Wright is a force to be reckoned with. He took the top spot in the Southern California Blues Society’s annual Battle of the Blues Bands, and will move on to represent Southern California at the International Blues Challenge, in Memphis. He has opened for Albert and Freddy King, but is probably best remembered as …

To complement our February 2016 issue survey of the semi-hollow electric guitar, we tested 12 examples of the form as it exists today. Plus, check out 2 featured articles in the issue “Thinkin’ Thin — Heroes of the Semi-Hollow” and “47 Semi-Hollow Guitars” on pages 86-94 (may need to tap the PREVIEW button) of the …

Headless guitars and basses, which had their heyday back in the big-hair/thin-necktie ’80s (think Power Windows-era Geddy Lee), still have a few diehard fans who like the instruments’ compact, lightweight design. But for the most part, headless guitars have, of late, been somewhat relegated to the “travel guitar” market. However, at the request of longtime …

Lap-steel guitars were the first commercially available electrics – ancestors of the guitars we plug in today, regardless of their shape. The popularity of Hawaiian music in the 1930s had a great deal to do with a surge in popularity of lap steels – and quickly after, the introduction of Spanish-style steel-string and electric guitars. …