Current Issue
Making music that bridges the gap between pop and jazz helped George Benson sell millions of albums. He has a new one, and in early January will host a retreat where everyday players rub elbows with world-class jazzers. We talk with him, and offer a look at some of his most-cherished guitars.
The “club amp” has been a best-seller since the dawn of guitar amplification. But what if you’re looking for a different sound? Dave Hunter examines five fantastic small combos with nary a Fender, Gibson, Marshall, or Vox in sight, but all are Alternative ’60s Club Classics.
Every so often, the zeitgeist – not some lucky designer – creates a guitar that captures hearts and minds. Michael Wright profiles a guitar forged when the rising skills of players conspired to birth “superstrats” like the Kramer Pacer Deluxe.
We talk new music with Richie Kotzen, Warren Haynes, Khalif Wailin’ Walter, and Jerron Paxon, and Bryson Willoughby. We also speak with the author of a new Jesse Ed Davis biography, rap with pop-funk bassist Blu DeTiger about her new signature Fender Jazz Bass, talk with guitar-finish specialist Don Culig, and remember Freddie Salem.
In “Pop ’N Hiss,” we revisit the beginnings of Ireland’s first guitar hero, Rory Gallagher and the first album recorded by his power trio, Taste. Profoundly influential, Gallagher and the band wove blues songs with great guitar tones and a mix of playing styles that in turn have influenced generations of players.
Largely ignored by critics and woefully unknown to the average listener, hard-rock guitarist Gary Moore reemerged as the consummate blues-rock champion on 1990’s Still Got the Blues. In “Fretprints,” Wolf Marshall tells why it stands in such high regard today.
In “VG Q&A,” our experts delve into the nuances of fret size, identify a ’50s archtop, and get into the details of the Guild Starfire IV and the Japan-made/copy-era Crestwood Ventura.
Dan Forte’s “Check This Action” digs into the 111-track box set, Elvis/Memphis.
As always, we offer our informed, objective reviews of new guitars, amps, and effects in “Approved Gear.” This month, we take a look at the Chase Bliss Onward, Dr. Z Octal Six, Fender’s Blu DeTiger x Player Plus Jazz Bass, the Harden Muddy Waters, and Newman Guitars’ 5-String.
In “Hit List,” we screen new music from Faces, Jimi Hendrix, Richie Kotzen, Jerry Douglas, Warren Haynes, Dylan & The Band, and more.
It’s all in the December issue of Vintage Guitar!
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