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Ward Meeker
Chris Butler’s Vox Mark VI: Waitress Server
Melding garage rock with glam, punk emerged in the early ’70s, set on stirring society’s pot. From New York to London, Dallas to Detroit, youthful contempt spurred the creation of raw, loud, low-budget music raging against Top 40 and arena rock. In Akron, Ohio, the anger was disproportionate. Poster child for the dying American industrial…
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Ward Meeker
Larry Collins
1944-2024
Larry Collins, a guitar prodigy mentored by renowned flatpicker Joe Maphis, and half of the ’50s brother/sister act The Collins Kids, died January 5 in Santa Clarita, California. He was 79 and passed from natural causes. Growing up on a dairy farm near Tulsa, Larry (born October 4, 1944) and his sister, Lorrie, were raised…
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Ward Meeker
Frank Ford
Frank Ford, a renowned guitar builder and co-founder of Gryphon Stringed Instruments, passed away December 17. He was 79 and suffered complications due to congestive heart failure. A native of the San Francisco area, as a student at UC Santa Barbara, Ford discovered bluegrass music and began playing the mandolin, which spawned his curiosity on…
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Ward Meeker
Benson Set to Host Breezin’ With The Stars Retreat
In the December ’24 issue of Vintage Guitar, the legendary George Benson discusses his new album, the forthcoming sale of select guitars from his collection, and another new twist – hosting a retreat where everyday players will rub elbows with world-class musicians. Here’s an excerpt. From January 3 to 6, 2025, you’re hosting a musician’s…
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Ward Meeker
John Osborne
Feelin’ Fearless
Brothers Osborne play a distinctive version of 21-century country music. Rising above trendy themes and sounds like tailgate anthems and hip-hop beats, their path mixes traditional and new sounds with modern rock and pop leanings carried by T.J.’s superb baritone voice and John’s guitar sharing center stage. The brothers forged an audience thanks in part…
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Ward Meeker
Blu DeTiger: Funk-Pop Pioneer
When she was seven years old, sibling rivalry spurred Blu DeTiger to get a bass so she could play along with her brother on his new drum kit. After honing her skills for several years at School of Rock, taking lessons, and playing in high-school bands, she also became a DJ on the New York…
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Ward Meeker
Myles Goodwyn
1948-2023
Myles Goodwyn, co-founder, creative force, and guitarist/frontman in April Wine, died December 3. He was 75 and while no cause of death has been reported, for years he lived with Type 2 diabetes. Goodwyn grew up in Waverly, Nova Scotia, and was influenced by an uncle who was a gigging musician; at age six, his…
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Ward Meeker
Christone “Kingfish” Ingram
Heart & Soul Blues
Born and raised in Clarksdale, Mississippi – homeland of the Delta blues – Christone Ingram learned gospel music in the church where his family sang and played instruments. By age three, he was right there with them. The blues were first engrained in Christone at five, when his father, Christopher, sat him down to watch…
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Ward Meeker
Classics: January 2024
Bill Woodward's 1953 Gibson Les Paul
Gravitational heavyweights in our culture, beyond baseball, hot dogs, and apple pie, few things say “American” more than music and road trips. This guitar is symbolic of both. One of the earliest Les Pauls, this ’53 was purchased new (along with a matching Les Paul amp, at Charles E. Wells Music Company) by Bill Woodard,…
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Ward Meeker
Classics: December 2023
Cliff Antone’s 1952 Fender Precision
Texas is known for music, especially Austin, which in the mid ’70s became a hotbed thanks to clubs like Armadillo World Headquarters, Castle Creek, and Soap Creek Saloon, which mostly hosted “progressive country” acts that were creating a sound at once too radical and traditional for radio. In the ’50s and ’60s, East Side clubs…
