Biography of a Phantom: A Robert Johnson Blues Odyssey

Robert “Mack” McCormick

March 20, 2024 · Bret Adams

The legend of Robert Johnson looms large, from his music to the myth of the Faustian bargain made at the…

Jorge Harada

Whole Lotta Rockabilly

March 11, 2019 · Michael Dregni

Call it twang with attitude. Ruby Dee and the Snakehandlers’ new album, Little Black Heart, is a heady mix of…

Richie Kotzen

Richie Kotzen

Fight For Familiarity

January 26, 2016 · Oscar Jordan

So he’s not burning up the Top 40, but Richie Kotzen has been a soul-crooning monster guitarist for a very…

The Collings I-35

Soul in the Details

July 14, 2020 · Tony Nobles

Occasionally, in the world of guitars, events influence the market. The introduction of a new guitar can send ripples through…

Mike Stern

Echoes and Other Songs

July 2, 2025 · Pete Prown

Mike Stern’s smokin’ new album is the last with longtime keyboardist and producer Jim Beard (Steely Dan), who died in…

Larry Coryell

January 26, 2017 · Oscar Jordan

The lastest from the godfather of fusion guitar harkens back to his ’71 album Barefoot Boy, revisiting the energy, philosophy,…

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ARTISTS

Arv Garrison

Forgotten Hero of Bebop Guitar

May 8, 2023 · Wolf Marshall

American music history is fraught with tales of forgotten heroes. In the ’40s, jazz guitarists like Tiny Grimes, George Barnes,…

Dave Specter

Chicago Deep Dish

October 4, 2022 · Pete Prown

There are many styles of blues guitar, from haunting Delta acoustic to volcanic blues-rock. Hailing from the mecca of Chicago,…

Steinar Karlsen

Nordic Surf Slinger

March 2, 2017 · Pete Prown

Scandinavia is no stranger to good “instro” music. The past 60 years have produced guitar-fueled legends like the Spotnicks (Sweden),…

Joey Santiago

Pixies Repurpose

April 24, 2019 · Ward Meeker

When Charles Thompson adopted the stage name Black Francis to play the Pixies’ first gig – at a bar in…


CLASSIC INSTRUMENTS

Dobro Model 27

Brother Oswald's Dobro – Country Music History Maker

December 22, 2014 · Vintage Guitar

The melodic, evocative warbling of a resonator guitar has for decades been a fixture in country music, and knowledgeable fans…

Border Crossing

C.F. Martin and the Influence of German and Spanish Guitar Designs

May 30, 2017 · George Gruhn

It has often been said that today’s Martin guitars are direct descendants of the instruments made in Vienna by Johan…

The Rogue VB-100 Violin Bass

Fab As It Looks?

April 29, 2020 · Pete Prown

The Rogue VB-100 Series II is an homage to the venerable Höfner 500/1 semi-hollowbody. Popularly known as the “Beatle bass,”…

Gospel Guitars

Semie Moseley’s Venerated Brand

February 28, 2019 · Willie G. Moseley

When he wasn’t crafting Mosrites, Semie Moseley could often be found on the road, providing music for evangelists. It makes…


NEWSWIRE

APPROVED GEAR

The Pinter SB1-R

Days of Sustain

September 8, 2025 · Pete Prown

Mike Pinter conceived his new SB1-R as a do-it-all “rock star” guitar that would combine design concepts and tone choices…

Home Feature Image

ToneConcepts’ The Distillery

100-Proof Tone

February 5, 2015 · Oscar Jordan

While many pedal makers tinker away on effects that exhibit their personal tonal philosophies, the fact is that most don’t…

Carvin PB4

Carvin PB4

Classic Looks, Modern Function

June 4, 2015 · Sean OBryan Smith

Carvin PB4 Price: $1,899 (list/base); $869 (street/base) Info: www.carvinguitars.com. Trends come and trends go, but tradition stands the test of…

Rivera Shaman Series Pedals

Holy Tones

May 25, 2016 · Max Prown

Rivera Shaman Series Pedals Price: $299 each (street) Info: www.rivera.com. With roots stretching to the late ’70s, SoCal-based Rivera Amplification…

WHAT ELSE IS NEW

The Gretsch G5655T-CB Electromatic Center-Block

The Gretsch G5655T-CB Electromatic Center-Block

Gettin’ Gainy

May 13, 2016 · Bob Dragich

The Gretsch G5655T-CB Electromatic Center-Block Price: $1,275.00 (list); $899.00 (street) Contact: www.gretschguitars.com It’s no secret that hollowbodies don’t excel in…

Eric Ambel’s New-Guitar Magic

June 27, 2022 · Vintage Guitar

Producer/player’s experience may be like yours! Guitarist/producer Eric Ambel talks about how a guitar can inspire a new lick, which…

Dan Fogelberg

May 26, 2020 · Willie G. Moseley

The sociopolitical attitude of the American population is often said to be gauged in reference to a town in Illinois.…

Joe Satriani

Capturing the Energy

July 9, 2019 · Oscar Jordan

Joe Satriani’s new album, What Happens Next, is a terrific back-to-basics effort with Satch in a trio format. Enlisting Red…

BASSMAN-HOME-MAIN-THUMB

1964 Fender Bassman

February 17, 2016 · Dave Hunter

1964 Fender 6G6-B Bassman Preamp tubes: four 7025 (12AX7 types) Output tubes: two 5881 (a more-rugged 6L6 type), fixed-bias Rectifier:…

Pieces of a Prototype

Secrets of a Socal "Parts" Guitar

November 24, 2020 · Willie G. Moseley

  If you were a guitar – particularly one with a natural or translucent finish – your “fingerprint” would be…

MARK DUTTON

Mark Dutton

A.K.A. “Muddy”: Vintage Vibes, Retro Grooves

January 24, 2017 · Johnny Zapp

Mark “Muddy” Dutton is one cool cat with an impressive resumé and an affinity for the budget-friendly basses of yesterday.…

Fender Twin & Deluxe

Fender’s ’57 Twin Amp and ’57 Deluxe – Tweed for Two

September 16, 2013 · Phil Feser

Fender “tweed” guitar amplifiers – the Twin, Deluxe, Bassman, Champ, etc., from the 1950s – are the most sought after…

Martin Elegant, a.k.a. “Lula”

December 29, 2014 · George Gruhn

It’s an extraordinarily rare event to find a high-grade, historically significant mid-1800s guitar in a pawn shop, but that is…

The ‘‘Blackburst’’

The ‘‘Blackburst’’

Les Paul Standard of a Different Shade

January 12, 2016 · Ward Meeker

Among experienced (and often jaded) veteran guitar collectors, precious few things create an adrenaline rush – strange one-offs, oddball brands that never quite blossomed,…

Steve Boone

Low-end with the Lovin’ Spoonful

September 9, 2024 · Willie G. Moseley

 The iconic quartet known as the Lovin’ Spoonful germinated in New York City’s Greenwich Village in the mid ’60s and…

Durham Electronics’ ReddVerb

Durham Electronics’ ReddVerb

’Verb, Extra Saucy

March 22, 2016 · Michael Dregni

Durham Electronics’ ReddVerb Price: $219 (list) Info: www.durhamelectronics.com Take it from Redd Volkaert; good reverb is hard to find. And…

3Below

Live in Mérida

November 7, 2025 · Pete Prown

The members of 3Below mostly play in the bass clef. You may know names like fretless master Michael Manring (Michael…

Lonnie Mack

Strike Like Lightning

April 24, 2024 · Sean McDevitt

Lonnie Mack hadn’t released an album in eight years when this comeback effort arrived in January of 1985. His first…

Wolf Hoffmann

Mean Business

October 11, 2021 · Bret Adams

Traditional heavy metal is still a thriving beast thanks to bands like Accept, whose latest studio album, Too Mean to…

Rodney Crowell

March 30, 2017 · Rich Kienzle

Rodney Crowell, who gained fame during country’s New Traditional era of the 1980s, has always drawn from his personal life…

Furch Blue Deluxe SW

Czech Mate

January 18, 2023 · Pete Prown

You might not recogonize the Furch brand, but the Czech Republic builder has spent that last 40-plus years gaining a…

Oz Noy

Oz Noy

Dishing Out More Twisted Blues

May 15, 2015 · Oscar Jordan

Oz Noy is talented enough to pay the bills not only as a first-call New York session cat, but also…

Robin Trower

Bridge of Skies

November 1, 2024 · Greg Prato

At age 78, Robin Trower remains at the top of his game, musically – still offering smoldering solos from his…

John Scofield and his Trio!

December 29, 2023 · Vintage Guitar

Fusion Legend Offers Sample From Latest Album, “Uncle John’s Band” John Scofield and his trio, bassist Vicente Archer and drummer…

50 Years Ago Today

The Beatles Conquer America

July 4, 2014 · Andy Babiuk

Sunday, February 9, 1964, was the day that forever changed music and pop culture. “The Ed Sullivan Show” was one…

Fender Mustang

Truly Transitional

April 28, 2020 · Willie G. Moseley

Despite its short scale, the Mustang has a potent sound, and as a result it was used by many notable…

Songbirds: Museum with a Mission

Treasures in Tennessee

April 19, 2019 · Rusty Russell

Ask anyone who geeks out on vintage guitars, from the well-heeled collector to the dreamer whose prized possession is a…

In Memoriam: John Teagle

February 9, 2024 · Peter Stuart Kohman

Guitarist, historian, and author John Teagle passed away March 26 in New York at age 66 after battling cancer. Teagle…

Jack White

December 30, 2016 · Oscar Jordan

These 26 recordings delve into the heart of the prolific song-smithing of Jack White, providing an eye-opening retrospective of B-sides…

Elizabeth Cotton, Doc Watson, and Various Artists

Classic Piedmont Blues From Smithsonian Folkways

June 27, 2017 · Rick Allen

It’s less improvisational than other types of blues, but East Coast (a.k.a. Piedmont) blues is no less expressive or impassioned.…

OVERTURE-JS_HOME-MAIN-BIG

Overture JS-Session

Do-It-All Guitar?

August 5, 2013 · Sean OBryan Smith

Overture JS-Session Price: $ 1,499. Info: overtureguitars.com When designing a new guitar, builders often face a quandary. Some go to…

Dunlop Fuzz Face Mini Distortion Pedal

Dunlop Fuzz Face Mini Distortion Pedals

Face Lift

January 7, 2015 · Phil Feser

Dunlop’s Fuzz Face Mini Distortion Pedals Price: $129.99 (Germanium, street);$99.99 (Silicon and Jimi Hendrix, street) Contact: www.jimdunlop.com. When it comes…

Ana Popovic

Blues Jazz & Soul

January 5, 2018 · Oscar Jordan

Ana Popovic brings to her music an inspiring drive and work ethic. Super-appreciative of her fans, she recently released three…