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Our perception of Japanese guitars has evolved slowly. At one point, they were cheap toys, at other times imperfect copies, then startling innovations. Perspective encircles the truth. So, how should we perceive the Yamaha SA-15? Japan became interested in guitars in the early 1920s, as some musicians there began to perform what we’d today call […]
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For a shining moment, the eclectic British quartet Be Bop Deluxe rose above an upheaval in rock and pop in the late ’70s, as fresh hard rock and Southern bands flooded the airwaves along with disco divas and a subversive new sound labeled “punk.” Within the maelstrom, Be Bop Deluxe mixed art concepts, thinking-man’s lyrics, […]
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Artists
Greg Martin’s ’65 Fender Stratocaster
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. The latest installment of Greg Martin’s “Head Shop” series has him checking in from a Kentucky Headhunters’ tour stop in Plano, Texas, and playing a ’65 Fender Stratocaster added […]
Lessons
Lightnin’ Hopkins trademark riff
Vintage Guitar magazine presents Tom Feldmann Lightnin’ Hopkins trademark riff Tom demonstrates one of Lightnin’ Hopkins trademark riffs on his Collings 002H, in standard tuning. The lick and progression are heard on several Hopkins tunes – it’s truly the bread and butter of Hopkins’ style in E position. Submit riff lesson requests at www.tomfeldmann.com. See more lessons, […]
Classic Instruments
Classics: December 2021
1967 Rickenbacker 360/12
Live-music fans who roamed South Florida from the early ’80s until the mid 2000s might recognize Craig Ball’s ’67 Rickenbacker 360/12. Ball was lead guitarist in the Rockerfellas, a band that was steadfast on the scene, playing ’60s rock – Beatles, Stones, Kinks, Byrds, Hollies – at joints like the Candy Store, The Button (and […]
Artists
Steve Gunn
Folk Rock’s New Visionary
Steve Gunn’s Way Out Weather is a textured effort that takes cues from a diverse palette including John Fahey, Chicago blues, ’60s/’70s Americana, Philip Glass, world music, and improvisation. The Pennsylvania-born guitarist and songwriter offers a refreshing take on modern folk-rock. What were your main guitars on the new album? On “Milly’s Garden” and “Tommy’s […]
Artists
Sue Foley: Tribute to Female Pickers
Revisiting the Work of Pioneers From Austin by way of Ottawa, Sue Foley is known worldwide as a blues artist, but her new album “One Guitar Woman,” exhibits great range on tunes written and originally performed by pioneering female players. Here, she and her flamenco guitar (custom-built in Paracho, Mexico) play Piedmont-style fingerpicking from the […]
Classic Instruments
Gretsch’s “Golden” Tenors
In the 1950s and early ’60s, the electric guitar was establishing itself as a key part of the new voice of popular music. Amplification provided its volume, and innovative artists were pushing the envelope of sound that could be offered by six strings. So it’s interesting that in a time referred to in retrospect as […]
Artists
Pop ’N Hiss: Lynyrd Skynyrd’s (Pronounced ‘Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd’)
Down-South Guitar Assault
By early 1973, “Southern Rock” had come into its own, spearheaded by Capricorn Records and its keystone act, the Allman Brothers Band, whose music was melodic, popular, and brought plenty of memorable guitar riffs. Though they could boast a rapidly expanding fan base, the members of a Florida group known as Lynyrd Skynyrd hit a […]
Music
Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet, Mike Neer
Savvy Show Stoppers
Dim The Lights, Chill The Ham
Sport Fishin’: The Lure Of The Bait, The Luck Of The Hook
Steelonious
All You Can Eat Instro Buffet
When the Kids In The Hall, an irreverent sketch comedy troupe from Toronto, got their own TV show in ’89, they chose “Having An Average Weekend,” an instrumental by a local trio, Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet, as its theme song. This provided massive exposure on a level that other “surf revival” bands didn’t […]
Classic Instruments
Supro Thunderbolt
Designed “…exclusively for the electric Bass guitar,” it was simplicity itself, with no “fancy extra circuits.” But much like with Fender’s Bassman, guitarists had other ideas!
VG Approved Gear
The Cicognani SexyBoost2
Top-Tier Driver
Italy’s Cicognani Engineering makes amplifiers, pedals, and nifty accessories. With a client list that includes Robben Ford, Richard Fortus, and Kee Marcello, Cicognani is the real deal when it comes to effects technology. One example of their top-tier wares is the analog Cicognani SexyBoost2, which combines a transparent clean boost with a midrange boost and […]
Artists
Lari Basilio
Love, Law, and Guitars
Lari Basilio’s latest album, Your Love, is highlighted by spellbinding note density, feel, and whiplash twists and turns. Her forté is composition, leaning heavily on melody, wicked double-stops, and shred while displaying an earthiness in her playing and showcasing a love of accessible instrumentals that connect to the spirit. What led you to become a […]
Classic Instruments
Gibson’s GA-8 Discoverer
Sonic Satellite
By the end of the 1950s, “space” was the name of the game, and any forward-thrusting gear that hoped to grab a share of the rock-and-roll market was named accordingly. Fender and Gretsch had gotten into the game early in the decade with the Stratocaster and Duo Jet, and Gibson displayed hipness with the Flying […]
VG Approved Gear
Crucial Audio Echo-Nugget
Things Just Got Serious
Crucial Audio Echo-Nugget Price:$799 (list) Contact: www.crucialaudio.com It’s hard not to be impressed by the physical presence of the Crucial Audio Echo-Nugget. Unlike typical small-footprint stompboxes, the Echo-Nugget is a beast, measuring approximately 6″ x 8″ x 3″ and weighing a few pounds. Before it’s even plugged in, its heft, solid build, and layout earn […]
VG Approved Gear
Acoustik Attak Picks
Each of Acoustik Attak’s three guitar picks has a different raised formation that alters the way it interacts with strings; the intent is to provide enhanced upper-midrange and distinct snap. The Ambush has the most effect, the Blade is more subtle, and the Attak fits squarely in-between. There’s a bit of an adjustment curve, but […]
Artists
Pop ’N Hiss: Wishbone Ash’s Argus
Twin-Lead Loadstone
Founded in 1969, Wishbone Ash attained fast fame in the U.K. with its meshing of intricate twin-lead-guitar passages and harmony vocals. With their third album, Argus, Andy Powell and Ted Turner (guitars), Martin Turner (bass) and Steve Upton (drums) created an enduring favorite. Unlike its self-titled debut album and the 1971 follow-up, Pilgrimage, the band […]
Artists
Nils Lofgren
The Secret Weapon
Guitar wizard Nils Lofgren has been an in-demand sideman for more than 50 years, working with Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, and solo work along with appearances with everyone from Roy Buchanan to Ringo Starr. Lofgren recently released Mountains, a powerful solo set with strong songs and his […]
Artists
Shuggie Otis
Return Of The Prodigy
The son of bluesman Johnny Otis, Shuggie Otis was born into a world of blues, R&B, nightclubs, and stages. As a guitar prodigy, he played in his father’s band, and as a teen was signed to Epic Records. The albums Here Comes Shuggie Otis, Freedom Flight, and Inspiration Information made him the most talked about […]