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Steven Stone
The Epiphone Nancy Wilson Fanatic
Heart Pounder
Sometimes, it takes awhile to dial-in a good idea. The Epiphone Nancy Wilson Fanatic improves on Gibson’s Nighthawk design from the early ’90s, and now offers a versatile, player-friendly instrument. The big knocks on the Nighthawk were that it was headstock-heavy and had a useless middle-position single-coil. The Fanatic eliminates that pickup and uses two…
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Steven Stone
The Guild Factory 2007
In the 1960s, Guild was the guitar of choice amongst East Coast jazz players. By the late ’60s and early ’70s, the brand was also extremely popular with the folk crowd; Bonnie Raitt, Richie Havens, Nick Drake, Pat Sky, Jeff Buckley, Dave Van Ronk, Ry Cooder, Paul Simon, Eric Clapton, and even Bob Dylan played…
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Steven Stone
Sugar Hill Set Marks 25 Years
In an industry where success is measured in weeks or months rather than years, marking a 25th anniversary is no small feat. But Barry Poss, founder and head of Sugar Hill Records, is doing that. To celebrate the accomplishment, the label has released a four-CD box set with a DVD of performances from the archives.…
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Steven Stone
Henriksen Amplifiers’ The Blu
Sound Cube
One old cliché among gigging musicians is, “They pay me for the aggravation, the music is free.” A good deal of that aggravation comes from lugging gear. If you play acoustic guitar, Henriksen’s new The Blu can reduce that stress plenty. Measuring just 9″ x 9″x 9″ and weighing a mere 12 pounds, it’s nonetheless…
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Steven Stone
Preston Thompson 00-45
New Old Vintage
Given their scarcity, few mortal pickers will ever own a pre-war Martin 00 or 000 with 45-level appointments. But a handful of luthiers have dedicated their work to building instruments that attempt to offer the sound and feel of such classic vintage instruments. Preston Thompson is one such builder, and examples of this dedication manifest…
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Steven Stone
Fire-Eye Red-Eye Twin DI
Double Your Pleasure
In a simple system, even a basic direct-input box with little in the way of adjustments will work fine. But what if your setup includes a plethora of pedals and effects? This can lead to problems because each device raises the impedance and noise floor while lowering the overall signal output. Fire-Eye electronics has a…
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Steven Stone
The Preston Thompson 12-Fret 000
Old Soul
Until 1928 the largest and loudest guitar in C. F. Martin’s catalog was their 12-fret 000-sized guitar. Until the OM premiered in 1929, the 12-fret body was also the standard shape for all Martin flattops. The late Charles Sawtelle, guitarist in the Colorado bluegrass band Hot Rize, was an avid vintage guitar collector. One of…
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Steven Stone
Collings OM1 T
Faultless Flat-Top?
To the hands, hearts, and minds of many an experienced guitarist, an OM-size body with a 25.5″ scale feels the perfect flat-top. Spend time with Collings’ OM1 T, and you’ll likely understand. How does the new OM1 T differ from previous Collings offerings? Part of the company’s Traditional Series, it represents a return to founder…
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Steven Stone
Echopark Traditional American Acoustic
Small-Body Stunner
Echopark Guitars is the brainchild of Gabriel Currie, who opened the establishment in 2006, after many years of working as a builder and repairman. Currie’s first offerings were electric instruments that have found their way into the hands of Joe Perry and Brad Whitford from Aerosmith, as well as Jakob Dylan of The Wallflowers. But…
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Steven Stone
Brown’s Guitar Factory Lap Steel
Steel Yourself
At the beginning of amplified music, one of the first instruments to get a magnetic pickup was the Rickenbacker “frying pan” lap steel – the first of many electrified lap steels made at one time or another by guitar companies including Gibson, Fender, and, of course, Silvertone. Attend a guitar show today, and you’re likely…
