• Veillette-Citron Shark

    Veillette-Citron Shark

    It’s not often a guitar can be said to have been inspired by a TV show, but that is the case with this 1982 Veillette-Citron Shark, which came about as…

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  • Super PickupGiveaway 2025

    Super PickupGiveaway 2025

    Win Big! 11 Sets! 11 Winners! Win a set of pickups from one of these sponsors: Deadline is March 15, 2026. Complete the survey below to enter giveaway. One entry…

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  • Zac Schulze gets straight to it!

    Zac Schulze gets straight to it!

    If you’re a fan of Cream, Zeppelin, and Rory Gallagher (who isn’t?), you’ll dig Zac Schulze Gang, a British power trio that’s carrying the torch with both hands; they’ve played…

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NEWSWIRE

ARTISTS

Tony Iommi

The Godfather of Metal Guitar Gets Fused

January 2, 2007 · Lisa Sharken

Hailed as one of the most influential rock guitarists of all time, Tony Iommi thwarted the obstacles of what might…

Tim O’Brien

Trailblazing Triple-Threat

December 13, 2001 · Steven Stone

If Tim O’Brien was a ballplayer, he’d be at least a “triple threat.” He’s a superb songwriter, a stellar mandolin…

Nancy Wilson

Beautifully Unbroken

May 9, 2017 · Johnny Zapp

Responsible for guitar-laden classics such as “Crazy On You,” “Love Alive,” and “Devil Delight,” Nancy Wilson has been inspiring musicians…

Freddie Roulette

December 14, 2023 · Ward Meeker

Freddie Roulette, noted blues lap-steel guitarist and singer, died at his home in Vallejo, California, on December 24. He was…


CLASSIC INSTRUMENTS

Nioma Guitars

Rarities from a West Coast Music School

September 2, 2014 · Peter Blecha

NIOMA musical instruments from the 1930s and ’40s – with their vaguely Hawaiian-looking name – have mystified vintage-guitar enthusiasts over…

One of Two of a Kind

Gibson’s L-3 Ganus Brothers Special

July 9, 2018 · George Gruhn

Making custom instruments has always been problematic for companies designed to manufacture in quantity. Though it had an unenforced policy…

PRS Basses

Subjective Funk & Cool

June 6, 2001 · John J. Slog

The Paul Reed Smith bass was introduced at the January ’96 NAMM show. Set-neck and bolt-on (CE model) models were…

William Peale, Jr. Gibson Super 400

Sharp-Shooter Special

April 9, 2019 · George Gruhn

The iconic “singing cowboy” was created by Hollywood actors like Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, Tex Ritter, and others. Many used…


APPROVED GEAR

Seymour Duncan’s Whole Lotta Humbucker, 59/Custom Hybrid Pickups

Dream Babies

June 17, 2014 · Zac Childs

Seymour Duncan’s Whole Lotta Humbucker Price: $94 59/Custom Hybrid Pickups Price: $89 Info: www.seymourduncan.com. In lean times, who can afford…

Carr Amplifiers’ Mercury V

Carolina Combo

April 16, 2019 · Ray Wuolo

Back in June 2003, Carr’s original eight-watt Mercury combo earned high praise in VG for its top-of-the-line components, attention to…

John Page Classic AJ

Production-Line Custom

March 19, 2019 · Phil Feser

After 20-plus years with Fender, where he co-founded and helped guide the renowned Custom Shop, John Page struck out on his…

Garcia Amplification 60-watt combo

Ninety Pounds of Force and Finesse

April 7, 2010 · Vintage Guitar

Garcia Amplification’s 60-watt combo Matthew Garcia has been a guitarist for 27 years, many of them spent on the road…

  • Super PickupGiveaway 2025

    Super PickupGiveaway 2025

    Win Big! 11 Sets! 11 Winners! Win a set of pickups from one of these sponsors: Deadline is March 15, 2026. Complete the survey below to enter giveaway. One entry per customer, any double entries will be automatically disqualified. See previous winners!! *ELIGIBILITY. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED OR RESTRICTED BY LAW. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY.One entry per…

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  • Paul Johnson

    Paul Johnson

    The Hepcats Live at the Ajax Novelty Company

    This isn’t live, there may not be an Ajax Novelty Company, and the three felines known as the Hepcats are actually the brainchild of Paul Johnson, whose Belairs were early-’60s pioneers of surf music. Suspend reality and dig how the “trio” expertly articulates layers of acoustic guitar. Across decades, Johnson has embraced folk-rock, psychedelia, and…

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  • Yes

    Yes

    Close to the Edge: Super Deluxe Edition

    Are you a high-fidelity audio geek? If the answer is, well, yes, this Rhino release brings together an HD experience of Close to the Edge in no fewer than four versions, plus rarities and a ’72 concert. For starters, the 2025 remaster sounds as close to the analog 1972 mix as you’re going to get…

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  • “Buy That Guitar” podcast with special guest Freeman Arthur

    “Buy That Guitar” podcast with special guest Freeman Arthur

    Season 03 Episode 08 In Episode 3.8 of “Buy That Guitar,” host Ram Tuli is joined by Freeman Arthur, who is known worldwide for boosting the profile and appeal of the pedal-steel guitar. He is an active session musician and has performed/recorded with artists across diverse genres. Subscribe to our “Overdrive” newsletter for the latest…

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  • Pink Floyd

    Pink Floyd

    Have You Got It Yet? – The Story of Syd Barrett and Pink Floyd

    It’s understandable that fans warily approach the flood of pseudo-documentaries and biopics. Add the fact that the late Syd Barrett, Floyd’s original guitarist/leader, suffered from mental illness, and exploitation alarms are sure to go off. But this documentary handles the subject with dignity instead of sensationalism. Interviews by longtime Floyd cover artist Storm Thorgerson with…

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Carl Bradychok

Carl Bradychok

Rockabilly’s Newest Guitar Wizard

June 21, 2016 · Dan Forte

Carl Bradychok’s instrument and genre of choice seemed destined from day one. “There are pictures my parents took of me…

Warwick Thumb Bass

Generational Innovation

April 15, 2019 · Willie G. Moseley

Founded in the early 1980s by Hans-Peter Wilfer, Warwick has a familial connection to another well-known German brand from a…

Randy Rhoads

Diary of an Axeman, 30 years Later

March 11, 2014 · Pete Prown

(RIGHT) Rhoads’ polka-dot guitar was built in 1979 by Karl Sandoval, with a mahogany body, modified ’60s Danelectro non-adjustable maple…

Gibson Super 400

August 13, 2024 · George Gruhn and Walter Carter

Much of America was still recovering from the Depression in 1934 when Gibson introduced a guitar at a price that…

Fretprints: Hiram Bullock

Dangerously Funky Fusioneer

February 4, 2024 · Wolf Marshall

In the sonic constellation orbiting jazz-rock, Hiram Bullock traveled a separate trajectory. His work on “Angela,” the theme for “Taxi,”…