• Super PickupGiveaway 2025

    Super PickupGiveaway 2025

    Win Big! 11 Sets! 11 Winners! Win a set of pickups from one of these sponsors: Deadline is March 15, 2026. Complete the survey below to enter giveaway. One entry…

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Alan Sparhawk

Lowdown

March 3, 2017 · Michael Dregni

Blame it on a guitar. For Low’s Alan Sparhawk, the inspiration behind the band’s latest album, Ones and Sixes, came…

Rodrigo Y Gabriela

In Between Thoughts, A New World

February 8, 2024 · Oscar Jordan

The Grammy-winning acoustic duo is back with a collection of consciousness-raising musical concepts, textures, and philosophies augmented by electronica and…

Barney Kessel’s ES-350 Rides Again

Return Of An Icon

October 13, 2022 · Rusty Russell

Bruce Forman acquired Barney Kessel’s beloved Gibson ES-350 in mid 2021. In prep for recording Reunion!, he made the guitar…

Weller Guitars’ Stageliner

Jetson Moderne

November 29, 2016 · Oscar Jordan

More and more, guitar designers are digging deep, thinking out of the box, and using their imaginations to conjure hip,…

Have Guitar Will Travel – 012 Featuring Ken Emerson

July 23, 2019 · James Patrick Regan

In this episode of Have Guitar Will Travel Podcast James speaks with Ken Emerson. Ken is one of the world’s…

Check This Action: Playing Guitar With The Ventures

December 8, 2022 · Dan Forte

Think of your favorite rock band, and imagine sitting in with them – or better yet, being a member. The…

  • Rickenbacker’s Electric 12-Strings

    Rickenbacker’s Electric 12-Strings

    Double-bound for Glory

    George Beauchamp and Adolph Rickenbacher founded Electro String in 1931 to manufacture what everyone would soon call “Rickenbacker” guitars. Success came early and their lap steels set standards of quality,…

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ARTISTS

The Story of Jay Gower

Startup in Music City

April 18, 2019 · George Gruhn

In Nashville today, there are enough professional luthiers to meet the need for guitar repairs, modifications, and custom builds. In…

Greg Koch

Making It Work

May 4, 2022 · John Heidt

The latest release from guitar master Greg Koch is From the Up’Nuh with his son, Dylan, on drums and B3-whiz…

Happy Traum

Folk Guru: 1936-2024

June 25, 2025 · Dan Forte

On July 17, folk music lost one of its guiding lights with the death of Happy Traum at age 86.…

Will Ackerman

Acoustic Artisan

April 4, 2023 · Pete Prown

A defining idiom of ’80s guitar, the Windham Hill label captured a certain audio sound and style of understated acoustic…


CLASSIC INSTRUMENTS

Border Crossing

C.F. Martin and the Influence of German and Spanish Guitar Designs

May 30, 2017 · George Gruhn

It has often been said that today’s Martin guitars are direct descendants of the instruments made in Vienna by Johan…

Fender Princeton feature

The Fender Princeton

January 27, 2011 · Dave Hunter

1962 6G2 Fender Princeton Preamp tubes: One 7025, one 12AX7 Output tubes: two 6V6GT in fixed bias Rectifier: 5Y3 Controls:…

John Oates’ Prized Guild F-30

Roots Return

October 8, 2019 · Oscar Jordan

Most people know Hall & Oates as a pop-music hit machine that has sold millions of records. What you may…

Mosrite Joe Maphis

July 14, 2020 · Willie G. Moseley

The 1960s were arguably the most memorable decade in the history of American guitar manufacturing. True, some legendary electric guitar…


NEWSWIRE

APPROVED GEAR

Crucial Audio Echo-Nugget

Crucial Audio Echo-Nugget

Things Just Got Serious

May 2, 2015 · Pete Prown

Crucial Audio Echo-Nugget Price:$799 (list) Contact: www.crucialaudio.com It’s hard not to be impressed by the physical presence of the Crucial…

Louis Electric Gattone

Louis Electric Gattone

Play The Blues

September 18, 2015 · Michael Dregni

Louis Electric Gattone Price: $2,595 (list) Contact: www.louiselectricamps.com Got the blues? Have we got the amp for you. Louis Rosano…

The Xaviere XV-JT90 and XV-585

Planks for Pennies

September 19, 2013 · Pete Prown

Xaviere is a company that imports its guitars from China, sets them up in its Massachusetts shop, then sells direct.…

EHX String9

Orchestral Stomp

September 11, 2023 · Pete Prown

The EHX String9 String Ensemble lets guitar players create electronic-string sounds, in full polyphony and without requiring a special pickup…

WHAT ELSE IS NEW

Black River Delta

March 15, 2016 · Oscar Jordan

Swedish disciples of pre-World War II blues Erik Jacobs, Erik Nilsson, and Pontus Ohlsson, hauled a bunch of gear up…

Anne McCue

Comes Into Her Own

July 13, 2020 · Dan Forte

As impressive as 2004’s Roll was, the eclectic Koala Motel (on Messenger Records) represents a major step up in Anne…

Stromberg Master 400

Stromberg Master 400

July 7, 2005 · George Gruhn

The Stromberg Master 400, measuring a gigantic 19″, is considered by many to be the ultimate orchestral rhythm guitar. The…

The Steepwater Band

June 23, 2020 · Ward Meeker

Taking a spin with Chicago sons The Steepwater Band and their latest CD, Revelation Sunday, is an experience akin to…

Jon Kammerer Guitars’ Pegasus

Jon Kammerer Guitars’ Pegasus

This Horse Has Wings

April 6, 2015 · Ray Wuolo

Jon Kammerer Guitars’ Pegasus Price: $2,300 (list) Contact: www.jonkammerercustoms.com Anyone who has ever plugged an acoustic guitar into an amp…

The Fender Showman

The Showman

September 23, 2013 · Dave Hunter

In addition to several significant shifts in style and presentation, for Fender, the transition of the late 1950s into the…

Blackberry Smoke Unplugs

Ds and LGs

March 3, 2017 · Ward Meeker

By sound and association, Blackberry Smoke walks a fine stylistic line. A good ol’ rock band when it started rollin’…

Billionaire by Danelectro Big Spender

Rotary Club

July 10, 2019 · Michael Dregni

In this day and age, there’s a lot of spin going down, but perhaps not enough of the right type.…

Aaron Moreland

Where Zeppelin Meets Son House

June 9, 2015 · Dan Forte

Growing up in a small Kansas town, 38-year-old Aaron Moreland took up guitar at 15, and his first garage band…

Warner Hodges

Warner Hodges

In And Out of Scorcherland

February 24, 2016 · Ward Meeker

If your ear was at all tuned to “alt-country” (a.k.a. cowpunk) in the late ’80s or you were lucky enough…

Charlie Parr

A Muse From Olden Times

November 28, 2016 · Michael Dregni

Charlie Parr makes new music from olden times. And he makes it the old way – not only using just…

Johnny Smith

An American Treasure

October 29, 2015 · Jim Carlton

Jazz guitarist Johnny Smith died at his home June 11, 2013, two weeks shy of his 91st birthday. Arguably the…

SCHENKER-HOME-MAIN-BIG

Michael Schenker

Acoustic Album, Electric Gear

April 29, 2016 · Pete Prown

One of the most influential guitarists in hard rock history, Michael Schenker has imbued the music of UFO, Scorpions, and…

National-Dobro Model C

December 21, 2021 · Dave Hunter

We’ve seen some pristine vintage pieces in these pages over the years, but as far as time-capsule amps go, when…

Ray Bonneville

Ray Bonneville

Easy Groove

January 18, 2016 · John Heidt

Ray Bonneville’s latest album, Easy Gone, glides on a steady groove. “I really like the way it sounds with these…

Robert Cray

Robert Cray

Four Nights Of 40 Years

July 8, 2016 · Oscar Jordan

Five-time Grammy winner Robert Cray has always played serious blues. But, early on, he sidestepped a genre that would descend…

Bare Knuckle Pickups’ PAT Pend, Flat ’52, and Mule

Bruising Tones

March 24, 2014 · Tom Guerra

Bare Knuckle Pickups’ PAT Pend, Flat ’52, and Mule Price: $125-$340 Info: www.bareknucklepickups.co.uk. From the ever-expanding world of boutique pickups…

Bobby “Blue” Bland

The Guitarists of Blues’ Crown Prince

October 16, 2015 · Dan Forte

On June 23 of last year, the blues lost one of its greatest singers with the death of Bobby “Blue”…

Brian Tarquin

Shreddin’ for Veterans

December 14, 2023 · Ward Meeker

For guitarist Brian Tarquin, helping military veterans is part of life. The son of a World War II vet, he…

John Pizzarelli Swings On A Vintage D’angelico

September 4, 2023 · Vintage Guitar

Jazz Ace on an Heirloom Guitar For this exclusive rendition of “Just In Time,” swing ace John Pizzarelli grabbed the…

Steve Miller

Some People Call Him Rock Icon, Part 2

February 20, 2015 · Ward Meeker

Though obviously a familiar name given his hits from the 1970s and ’80s were FM staples and today are virtually…

Jock Bartley

The Return of Firefall

November 26, 2021 · Pete Prown

If you listened to pop radio in the late ’70s, it was hard to miss Firefall, whose soft-rock hits were…

Carr Skylark Special 1×12

Take Flight

January 14, 2026 · Dave Hunter

Arriving a little more than 10 years after the original Skylark, Carr Amplifiers’ new Skylark Special adds versatility and enhanced…

Belén Bandera – Jazz Soundscape

November 15, 2023 · Vintage Guitar

 Spanish singer shines on “Arbre” Accompanied by Jaume Llombart’s beautiful playing on a ’92 Gibson ES-350T modded with a…

Ibanez EKM100

Ibanez EKM100

Soul On Ice

March 4, 2016 · Oscar Jordan

Ibanez EKM100 Price: $2,799.99 (list) Contact: www.ibanez.com Fans of contemporary soul, jazz, and funk should be well aware of Soulive.…

John Notto

L.A. Burner

July 14, 2024 · Bret Adams

Dirty Honey is one of the most-exciting bands to emerge in the past few years. The Los Angeles quartet stands…

Gibson J-200 Rosewood

March 1, 2022 · George Gruhn and Walter Carter

The Gibson company was founded on the belief that carved-top guitars were superior to flat-top designs, and consequently, Gibson was…

Swart Atomic Jr.

Splitting The Atom

April 23, 2019 · Phil Feser

When Swart decided to split their Atomic Jr. five-watt combo into a piggyback, they not only went from an 8″…

Britt Daniel

Spoonful of Sounds

April 14, 2020 · Michael Dregni

If the Beatles were still around, chances are they’d be checking out Spoon. Like the Fab Four, the group revels…