50 Years of Vox
1966 Vox Guitar-organ and '66 Phantom XII. The Guitar-organ was a Dick Denney creation that combined the mechanical elements of a Phantom guitar with...
Rickenbacker Electro Bass
Photo courtesy George Gruhn.
When discussing the origins of the modern electric bass, most typically think of the Gibson Style J mando-bass of the 1910s...
Kiss-able Gibson
A ca. 1960 Gibson EB-0 that once belonged to Kiss bassist Gene Simmons. Photo: VG Archive.
In the mid 1970s, Kiss bassist Gene Simmons played...
National Style O
Although it has never been the favorite guitar of Hawaiian players, National's Style O, with its shining metal body and tropical imagery, stands today...
Stella Concert
Circa 1932 Stella Concert. Photo: Michael Wright.
Had blues legend Huddie William Ledbetter (a.k.a. Leadbelly) not played a Stella 12-string, the brand might only have...
Epiphone’s Zephyr Emperor Regent
1955 Epiphone Zephyr Emperor Regent. Instrument courtesy of Lloyd Chiate. Photo: Billy Mitchell, courtesy George Gruhn.
Epiphone's Zephyr Emperor Regent of the early 1950s represents...
Grammer Guitars
Photo: Kelsey Vaughn. Instrument courtesy Jason Davis.
Grammer guitars, made in Nashville in the '60s, are easily recognizable by their oversized pegheads, pickguards and bridges...
Kay Violin-Style Guitar
1938 Kay Violin-Style Guitar.
One prominent thread in the story of the guitar is a quest for more volume - a search that was effectively...
The Gibson Les Paul Model
Photo: Robert Parks, courtesy George Gruhn.
Its official name – Les Paul model – doesn't do it justice. After all, Gibson has made over a...
Martin EB-18
Circa 1980 Martin EB-18, serial #3443. Photo: VG Archives. Instrument courtesy of The Music Shoppe.
The musical instrument business is replete with examples of companies...