St. Moritz Stereo
The notion of a stereo guitar became almost implicit when guitars started having two pickups. But it didn't become a reality on an actual...
Gretsch 7680 Super Axe
Most of us are – or should be – aware of the enormous contributions of the late Chet Atkins, the Country Gentleman, to American...
1965 Epiphone Emperor
The Epiphone Emperor has a long, convoluted history. It first appeared in Epiphone's catalog in late 1935 as a response to Gibson's Super 400,...
An Odd Gibson EH-150
Lap-steel guitars were the first commercially available electrics – ancestors of the guitars we plug in today, regardless of their shape. The popularity of...
Simon Adahl’s 1958 Höfner 162
He may not be part of anthropological history like Dutch paleontologist Eugene Dubois, but Simon Adahl did have to dig a bit to discover...
Gibson K-5 Mandocello
The violin-style f-holes of Gibson’s F-5 mandolin, L-5 guitar, and other Style 5 instruments, are the most famous and most significant elements of Lloyd...
Gibson’s 1958-’62 ES-335TD
The Redoubtable “Dot-Neck”
Early every guitar conceived or designed by Ted McCarty during his tenure as president of Gibson (1948-’66) is
today seen as exemplary of...
Dano Redux
In his book, Neptune Bound: The Ultimate Danelectro Guide, author Doug Tulloch charts the adventures of Nat Daniel as he rode the electric guitar...
New Lease on Life
If restoring dusty, neglected old tube amps built more than half a century ago isn’t challenging enough, restoring amps with delicate built-in tape-echo units,...
The Bass That Waited
In the January and February installments, we looked at Gibson’s Thunderbird, an instrument condemned by its maker to a quick demise only to be...