
Small Screen, Big Pickin’
It’s not often that prime-time network television captures an audience of working class, professional musicians. In 1968, players watched Elvis Presley and Scotty Moore swap their Gibson SJ-200 and a Super 400 during Elvis’ “Comeback Special.” More recently, it’s been done with grace in a fictional musical drama. “Nashville” aired for four seasons on ABC, […]
Chris Tapp’s “Got No Right”
Cold Stares’ Guitarist Digs In, Grooves Out Chris Tapp grabbed his real-deal Gibson ’52 goldtop (running through a Kingtone Blues Power pedal into a Fender ’65 Super Reverb) to do tasty bits from “Got No Right,” a song from new Cold Stares album, “Voices.” The disc is a feast for anyone who craves a bit […]
Epiphone Joe Pass Emperor-II PRO
In the early 1950s, the grand old luthiers like Epiphone and Gibson couldn’t believe there would ever be a market for solidbody guitars. In contrast to their glorious archtop hollowbodies, the electric planks lacked beauty and artistry and tone. But times and tastes changed, proving that notion wrong – at least on the point about […]
The Rolling Stones
There’s a moment in the DVD of their Los Angeles concert in 2002 that says everything about the Stones. In the middle of “Hand Of Fate,” Ronnie Wood stops strumming to light a cigarette. When it goes out seconds later, Keith Richards stops riffing to offer his lighter. In other hands, such casual air could […]
Kevn Kinney
As any fan of Drivin ’N Cryin can attest, Kevn Kinney at his creative best surrenders little to the greatest singer/songwriters in pop – his message is delivered in succinct, pointed turns of phrase transmitted by a voice like no other and accompanied by riffs that sink deeper than a treble hook. Drivin ’N Cryin […]
Phantom Guitarworks’ Teardrop
Phantom Guitarworks is dedicated to producing odd-shaped guitars based on designs introduced in the early 1960s like the Vox Mark VI “Teardrop,” which helped the company make a name in guitars. While Jack Charles at Phantom is painstakingly true to the originals, this limited edition Teardrop hollowbody, in all of its purple-and-chrome glory, ups the […]
Dan’s Guitar RX: Finding An Old Friend, Part 2
In the September, issue I told the story of the ’58 ES-335 I sold to my friend, Al, for $225 in 1966. Al passed away earlier this year and left the guitar to me. He’d modified its electronics, so I’m restoring them, and I’ll complete the job with my repair buddy, Gene Imbody. A master of […]
Jeff Beck
What is jazz? What is rock? These questions perpetually confound and divide music experts and listeners. Similar spirited debates have raged over “jazz-rock fusion.” While there is no definition, Jeff Beck fans know the answer is Blow by Blow. The groundwork for jazz-rock was laid by Miles Davis, whose In a Silent Way (1969) and […]
Greg Howe
Greg Howe is a globe-trotting, guitar-clinic-teaching, concert-performing fusion monster. He’s known for taking risks and pushing his playing into fresh environments. His latest album, Wheelhouse, shows the guitarist coming full circle to delve into the stylistic tropes that brought him worldwide attention. Crammed with funky grooves and wah-imbued soloing, it also contains soul-drenched blues, swing, […]
Area 51 Fuzzwah
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 […]
2022 July Issue on Spotify
This month we feature Andy, Summers, Joe Walsh, Jack Day Trio, Grand Funk Railroad, Bill Haley’s Comets, Robin Trower, Popa Chubby, Rolling Stones, MSG, Surfrajettes, Mike Campbell, Rush, and 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 […]
Carbe and Durand
The combo of two acoustic guitars and what could be considered modern-day standards seems on first blush like a recipe for a pretty common record. With a duo as talented and imaginative as Liza Carbe and J.P. Durand, though, it’s not plain in any way. The real beauty in this album, aside from the obvious […]
Jerry Riggs
Jerry Riggs grew up in the ’60s/early ’70s, and though his hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee, wasn’t a mecca like Nashville or Macon, he says, “I was lucky to be exposed to a lot of great music, from Chet Atkins to James Brown, from Hendrix to traditional Appalachian mountain folk songs. I’m privileged to have grown […]
Dale Watson and his Lonestars
On Sundays, when he’s not on the road, Dale Watson and his band play the Texas Big T Roadhouse and host their Chicken S#!t Bingo game. This record captures the fun. It showcases not only a terrific band, but Watson’s natural talent as an MC and gameshow host. There’s plenty of great music, too. Watson’s […]
Gibson ES-335 Joe Bonamassa Signature Model
Gibson ES-335 Joe Bonamassa Signature Model Price: $3,335 (street) Contact: gibson.com. The collaboration of Gibson and blues-rocker Joe Bonamassa began with a limited run of goldtop Les Paul’s in 2009, followed by a more-affordable Studio version and another Custom Shop version, the latter sporting a beautiful flamed-maple top. Gibson and Bonamassa have teamed up again […]
Dutch Kazoo Analog Fuzz Pedal
Dutch Kazoo Analog Fuzz Pedal Price: $225 retail Info: www.dutchkazoo.com It’s not easy for a new boutique overdrive or distortion pedal to stand out in today’s thick fog of clipped signals, high gains, and crunchy fuzz. After all, properly tweaked, they all can be made to sound about the same, right? This may not be […]
Aerosmith
This long-lost relic was recorded before the band’s 1973 debut LP, with guitarists Joe Perry and Brad Whitford (aged 21 and 19), bassist Tom Hamilton, and drummer Joey Kramer fueling the fire behind frontman Steven Tyler. Using Perry’s two-track Wollensak 1280 tape machine, these songs were captured at their basement rehearsal space (in a Boston […]