• Eastwood MRG Lap Steel

    VG Approved Gear

    Eastwood MRG Lap Steel

    Slide Piece

    Now more than 90 years old, the lap steel was the earliest example of an electric guitar and remains a stringed instrument every guitarist should try, largely because it’s so accessible. In fact, a lap steel is about as straightforward as you can get – it’s a plank that sits on your lap and is…

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Fender Acoustasonic Player Telecaster

Well-Bred Hybrid

The truth? Hybrid guitars are a tall order. But with the Acoustasonic line – now five models strong – Fender’s new factory dedicated to it is producing instruments boasting excellent…

Friedman IR-X Dual Channel Preamp

Stack in the Box

Most guitar-electronics companies make a direct-recording preamp, many promising to provide ultimate distortion and overdrive via impulse responses (IR) or cabinet simulations. Dave Friedman, of course, is known for putting…

Looks Aren’t Everything

Ugly Amps Big Ugly 50 and 100

Steve O’Boyle got his start converting old tube PA heads into guitar amps. Flash forward nearly 17 years and O’Boyle is at the helm of Ugly Amps, building amps with…

Rocky Mountain Slides Company Firecracker Aluminum Slides

Slick Slide

Rocky Mountain Slides Company’s new “Firecracker Aluminum Slides” may look like other guitar slides but it is internally flared in two inner diameter combinations allowing the player to comfortably use…

Saga Gitane DG-250M

Saga Gitane DG-250M

One Loud Blond

Saga Gitane DG-250M Price: $949 Info: www.sagamusic.com Features: Open-gear 14:1-ratio tuners, solid spruce top with “petite bouche” oval soundhole, birdseye maple back and sides, ebony fingerboard, maple neck, zero fret,…

Rivet ’63/’64 Pickup Set

Pole Position

Rivet Pickups founder David Petschulat made the first locking vibrato with fine tuners for the EVH company, and worked stints at Kahler and Gibson. With Rivet, Petschulat has developed a…

DeTemple Spirit Series Stellacasta

DeTemple Spirit Series Stellacasta

Hybrid Tone

DeTemple Spirit Series Stellacasta Price: $9,000 (list) Info: www.detempleguitars.com As an accomplished musician since the 1960s and more recently as a guitar builder and vintage collector, Michael DeTemple has long…

EHX Slammi Plus, Hot Wax

Grease Fire

EHX’s Slammi Plus and Hot Wax pedals are not for the faint of heart. Housed in heavy-duty plastic, the Whammy-shaped Slammi Plus may look like a wah, but it has…

Dr. Z Z Wreck Combo

Dr. Z Z Wreck Combo

Tone On The Go

Dr. Z Z Wreck Combo Price: $2,999 Info: www.drzamps.com. Originally designed as a head with a matching 2×12 cabinet, the Z Wreck came about at the request of country super-picker…

Roland Cube Lite

Roland Cube Lite

High-Calorie Tone

Roland Cube Lite Price: $169 (street) Info: www.rolandus.com. At just under four pounds, and with a 10″ x 6″ footprint, the Roland Cube Lite is about as compact and lightweight…

Keeley Electronics Dark Side

Floyd Explorer

In the multi-verse of effects, Robert Keeley’s gizmos are a thing of beauty – particularly those that provide multiple sounds. Guitarists hankering for fuzz, delay, and modulation will dig the…

Bogner Oxford Fuzz

Highly Educational

Teaming with Rupert Neve, Bogner Amplification has developed a line of pedals based on its renowned amp channels. One result, the Oxford Fuzz, is a smooth and highly refined fuzz…

St. Blues Juke Joint Series

St. Blues Juke Joint Series

Domestic Bliss

With the elimination of its Korean-made Pro Series and the introduction of the Juke Joint Series, Memphis-based St. Blues can boast an entire lineup made in the good ol’ U.S.…

Earthquaker Devices’ Avalanche Run

Test for Echo

The story of Earthquaker Devices begins with Jamie Stillman fixing his own overdrive pedal and then deciding to get into the pedal business himself. Twelve years later, Stillman’s Earthquaker Devices…

Knaggs Chena Old Violin

Righteous Axe

With notable string-bending monsters like Larry Mitchell, Eric Steckel, and Steve Stevens singing the praises of Knaggs Guitars, Peter Wolf and Joe Knaggs are obviously doing something incredibly right. Beyond…

Danelectro 56 Pro

More Solid Vibe

Just a couple of years ago, music stores were having a hard time selling a new Danelectro guitar – the Dano reissue craze had run its course and dealers were…

Fender Blu DeTiger x Player Plus Jazz Bass

Ladies’ First

With a quick glance and a dash of judginess, Fender’s Blu DeTiger x Player Plus Jazz Bass looks like what you’d expect when a Gen Z TikTok influencer storms the…

Fender’s 70th Anniversary Esquire

One-Pickup Wonder

In the past, Fender has paid homage to its history with precise replicas of certain classics. The company’s 70th Anniversary Esquire, however, honors its debut 1950 electric guitar without being…

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Kramer 84 and Pacer Vintage

Tap, Shred, Dive!

Kramer 84/Pacer Vintage Price: $1,166 (84); $1,267 (Pacer Vintage) Info: kramerguitars.com It’s hard to think of ’80s guitars as vintage, but since all things get older, the guitars of the…

J. Rockett Audio Archer, The Dude, and El Hombre

Overdrive Ecstasy

Part of the success behind J. Rockett Audio Designs lies in the fact that, like any player who might tackle building a pedal for themselves, Chris Van Tassel and Jay…

Visual Sound Route 66 V3 American Overdrive

Visual Sound Route 66 V3 American Overdrive

Get Yer’ Kick

Visual Sound Route 66 V3 American Overdrive Price: $179 (street) Contact: www.truetone.com/ Over the years, the Route 66 pedal by Visual Sound (Ed. Note: the company is undergoing a rebranding,…

The Collings I-35 LC Vintage

Semi-Struck

The semi-hollow ES shape remains one of the most alluring electric designs in history. The folks at Collings know this and, with their new I-35 LC Vintage, attempt a new…

Fender Twin & Deluxe

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

Fender “tweed” guitar amplifiers – the Twin, Deluxe, Bassman, Champ, etc., from the 1950s – are the most sought after amps in the annals of guitardom. Whether it is Leo’s…

Xaviere XV-950

Jazzy Looks, Multi-Purpose

Gibsonguildgretsch! Cumbersome as it may be in word form, Xaviere’s XV-950 gracefully combines attributes from the “big trio.” The XV-950 employs a classic Florentine cutaway body measuring a small-ish 15″…

Bassics BPA-1

Defined Tone

Low-end tone is a critical component of a live mix or studio recording – if the bass doesn’t sound good, the music will suffer. Badly. The Bassics BPA-1, designed by…

B&G Guitars’ Caletta Standard Build

Small But Mighty

B&G Guitars are made in Tel Aviv by a talented shop that translates the best traits of traditional guitars into high-quality instruments for today’s player. With the Caletta, their aim…

Reddick Voyager Custom

Swap Meet

The concept of pickup-swapping guitars has been around for decades, almost always with cumbersome results. With the Voyager, Reddick Guitars has devised a fresh approach. The essential idea has been…

The Legendary Tones Lynch Mod

No-mod Hot Rod

Designed for guitarist George Lynch, the Lynch Mod introduces an additional, non-permanent gain stage to the classic Marshall circuit. The device uses two 12ax7 preamp tubes on a base that…

Peavey VYPYR X2

Small Wonder

Continuing its decades-long innovative streak, Peavey’s VYPYR X2 Guitar Modeling Amp brings modern styling, a new open-back cabinet, and re-tooled TransTube technology. There’s also Bluetooth control, audio streaming, and the…

Ibanez Artcore AGS73FM and Vintage VSA500HB

Solid Semis

In the past several years, many import guitar brands have improved their build quality while continuing to offer their goods at very friendly prices. They’ve included a variety of semi-hollow…