Buddy Emmons

Buddy Emmons

1937-2015

July 5, 2016 · Rich Kienzle

Buddy Emmons, who revolutionized the pedal-steel guitar both musically and technically, died July 21 in Nashville after suffering a heart…

“Buy That Guitar” podcast with special guest Alan Greenwood

January 14, 2025 · Vintage Guitar

Season 02 Episode 1 VG’s “Buy That Guitar” podcast opens its second season with host Ram Tuli joined by Alan…

Sonny James's Epiphone Excellente

Epiphone Excellente

Sonny James' Epiphone Excellente

November 19, 2002 · Walter Carter

The Epiphone Excellente was the fanciest flat-top Gibson made in the 1960s, and to some ears it was Gibson’s best.…

Fender 5E3 Deluxe

November 9, 2020 · Dave Hunter

Fender 5E3 Deluxe Preamp tubes: one 12AY7, 12AX7 PI Output tubes: two 6V6GT, cathode-bias Rectifier: 5Y3 tube Controls: Independent Volumes…

Martin 00-42 Special

June 30, 2020 · George Gruhn

It has all the appoint-ments of a Martin 00-45, particularly the abalone pearl trim around all the borders of the…

GIBSONTALFARLOW-HOME-MAIN-BIG

Gibson Tal Farlow

April 18, 2016 · Kevin Vey

The Tal Farlow is one guitar in a quartet of full-depth Gibson Artists models first cataloged in the early 1960s. Introduced…

  • Carr Skylark Special 1×12

    Carr Skylark Special 1×12

    Take Flight

    Arriving a little more than 10 years after the original Skylark, Carr Amplifiers’ new Skylark Special adds versatility and enhanced tonal depths to squeeze a lot more into this diminutive…

    Read more >>

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ARTISTS

Albert Castiglia

Righteous and Raucous

January 5, 2018 · Willie G. Moseley

Guitarist Albert Castiglia’s blues-based music has gone through a lot of changes since VG first interviewed him in 2008. In…

John Oates

Rhythm-Minded

February 1, 2024 · Bret Adams

From 1975 through ’85, John Oates and Daryl Hall created a trove of era-defining R&B-influenced pop/rock hits on the way…

Have Guitar Will Travel 086 – Ruthie Foster

April 26, 2023 · James Patrick Regan

The new episode of “Have Guitar Will Travel” has host James Patrick Regan speaking with Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter/guitarist Ruthie Foster, who grew…

Multi-Generational Blues

Ronnie Baker Brooks

September 8, 2025 · Oscar Jordan

On Blues In My DNA, second-generation blues man Ronnie Baker Brooks continues the legacy of his father, Lonnie Brooks, by…


CLASSIC INSTRUMENTS

The Clark Gainster

Trick Your Tweed

June 10, 2020 · Art Department

Before he got into the effects pedal biz, Michael Clark had a reputation for building killer tweed-inspired amps. In 2001…

Memphissippi Sounds’ Yella P asks “Who’s Gonna Ride”

April 29, 2022 · Vintage Guitar

’59 Stratotone at the Memphis Slim House While Memphissippi Sounds’ Yella P and his ’59 Harmony Stratotone were visiting the…

Dan’s Guitar RX: Rock-And-Roll High School(er)

Building a From-Scratch Class Project, the Conclusion

September 18, 2023 · Dan Erlewine

In my November ’22 column, Ceil Thompson’s class-project guitar was nearing completion – the lacquer coats were applied and, after…

Classics: October 2023

Michael Bloomfield 1963 Fender Stratocaster

June 11, 2024 · Ward Meeker

Antonio Mazzara’s passion for music started at age 10, when he started playing a nylon-string classical guitar before moving up…


NEWSWIRE

APPROVED GEAR

PRS SE Custom Semi-Hollow

Multi-Functional Gem

January 17, 2014 · Phil Feser

While most guitarists are familiar with PRS (and some dream every day of adding one of the company’s Private Stock…

5150 Iconic Series 60-Watt 2×12

Little Monster

April 24, 2024 · Oscar Jordan

When Edward Van Halen released his 5150 head with Peavey in 1992, it quickly grew famous for its massive gain,…

Korg Nuvibe

Korg Nuvibe

Big Box

February 12, 2015 · Rich Maloof

Korg Nuvibe Price: $499.99 (street) Contact: www.korg.com Korg is not known as a guitar company, but to their great credit…

Blackstar Limited Edition JJN-20R MkII

Rockin' Blues Power

February 10, 2022 · Charlie Wilkins

If you don’t know about Jared James Nichols, you likely will soon. One of the hottest up-and-coming blues/rock players on…

WHAT ELSE IS NEW

Various Artists

Pure Country

June 27, 2017 · Michael Dregni

Amidst the torrent of modern-country anthems praising pickup trucks, beer, bros, and sweet things in tight jeans gushing out of…

Johnny Winter

Guitar Slinger

May 13, 2024 · Bret Adams

Texas-born guitarist/vocalist Johnny Winter, who died at 70 in 2014, was steeped in the blues, but many of his big…

SynapticGroove Snapperhead OD/Distortion

SynapticGroove Snapperhead OD/Distortion

Dirty Deeds

May 10, 2014 · Oscar Jordan

With their first offering, Benjamin Harrison and Chrystal Gilles of SynapticGroove set out to fill the gap between heavy effects…

Michael Schenker

Golden Guitar Jubilee

January 25, 2022 · Greg Prato

Incredibly, it’s been 50 years since Michael Schenker recorded his first guitar bit on a studio album – the Scorpions’…

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Buzz Feiten

Unsung Hero

May 1, 2016 · Oscar Jordan

An unsung hero, accomplished inventor, and builder possessing priceless musical knowledge, Buzz Feiten’s list of session credits could fill a…

Epiphone Empero1965 Main

1965 Epiphone Emperor

November 1, 2022 · George Gruhn

The Epiphone Emperor has a long, convoluted history. It first appeared in Epiphone’s catalog in late 1935 as a response…

Recording King Ray Whitley

April 16, 2015 · George Gruhn

As a maker of high-quality instruments, Gibson was hit hard by the onset of the Depression in the 1930s. Company…

Raul Malo

Say Less

June 19, 2024 · Rich Kienzle

Raul Malo’s passionate, searing vocals helped define the Mavericks from the early ’90s on. Malo blended his Cuban-American roots into…

Buzz Osborne

Heavy Bass

May 9, 2017 · Greg Prato

Over the years, fans have come to expect the unexpected from the Melvins. But they just may have outdone themselves…

In Memoriam: André Duchossoir

1949-2020

November 22, 2021 · Ward Meeker

André Duchossoir, author of renowned books Gibson Electrics: The Classic Years, The Fender Telecaster: The Detailed Story of America’s Senior…

Jazz singer and bassist Esperanza Spalding performing at the North Sea Jazz festival 2012 in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Photo: JBreeschoten/Wikimedia.

Esperanza Spalding

May 15, 2016 · Oscar Jordan

Popularly known as that cute female jazz bassist with the Afro who bogarted the Best New Artist Grammy away from…

Tunerette

Smokin’ Tuner

May 8, 2025 · Joe Bigley

The guitar world has many options to stay in tune but none as cool-looking as the Tunerette. Don’t let the…

Oz Noy & Andrew Synowiec

Recreational Substance

October 9, 2025 · Oscar Jordan

Fusion guitar experts Oz Noy and Andrew Synowiec join forces for an album of shameless note density and post-bebop shred.…

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.…

Toy Caldwell Jim Summaria, http://www.jimsummariaphoto.com

Toy Caldwell

Marine and Marshall Tucker Guitarist Toy Caldwell

November 10, 2016 · Willie G. Moseley

One of the earliest VG interviews Willie G. Moseley did with a veteran “Southern rock” musician was a conversation with…

Yamaha SA-15

May 27, 2025 · Michael Wright

Our perception of Japanese guitars has evolved slowly. At one point, they were cheap toys, at other times imperfect copies,…

Jammy Instruments’ Jammy G

Digital Six

January 27, 2022 · Pete Prown

Digital, MIDI, and synth guitars have been around for decades. One newer entry in the field is the Jammy G,…

Furry Lewis' 1968 Gibson B-25N

Furry Lewis’ 1968 Gibson B-25N

Heart In Hand

January 19, 2015 · Ward Meeker

Born in the heart of Mississippi’s fabled Delta region – from where Robert Johnson emerged and a blues-music form was…

Judas Priest

50 Heavy Metal Years of Music

August 11, 2022 · Pete Prown

With 42 CDs containing every studio and live album by the British colossus – including 13 discs of unreleased material…

Carr Bel-Ray 1×12

Brit-Based Invasion

December 23, 2024 · Charlie Wilkins

Carr Amplifiers are renowned for their build quality and vintage-inspired tones. Not one to rest on his laurels, founder Steve…

Frampton, Foreigner Join HoF

Rockin’ the Hall

September 8, 2025 · Bret Adams

Peter Frampton, Foreigner, Alexis Korner, and John Mayall became classmates during the 39th Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction…

Eric Clapton

Crossroads Festival 2019

January 26, 2022 · Oscar Jordan

Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Festival has become the guitar event since its inception in 1999. With a diverse cast of the…

Kid Ramos’ Revelation!

August 29, 2025 · Vintage Guitar

West Coast legend melds blues with gospel Check out Kid Ramos using a ’56 Harmony H62 running through a vintage…

Alan Gogoll

Harmonic Convergence

December 8, 2025 · Pete Prown

Hailing from the Australian island state of Tasmania, Alan Gogoll is reshaping acoustic guitar before our eyes. Sure, you’ve heard…

Mark Lettieri

Baritone Funk

June 30, 2023 · Oscar Jordan

Snarky Puppy’s Empire Central was recorded in front of a live audience and pays homage to the city of Dallas.…

Bill Frisell

Music Is

July 5, 2018 · John Heidt

Bill Frisell is a musical treasure who has proven himself in so many musical situations he’s impossible to categorize. His…

Dave Specter

Chicago Deep Dish

October 4, 2022 · Pete Prown

There are many styles of blues guitar, from haunting Delta acoustic to volcanic blues-rock. Hailing from the mecca of Chicago,…

The Electro-Harmonix Germanium 4 Big Muff Pi

Smooth Successor

October 6, 2014 · Phil Feser

Electro-Harmonix Germanium 4 Big Muff Pi Price: $133 (list)/$99.75 (street). Contact: ehx.com. The Big Muff Pi overdrive is the effect…

Jimmy Bryant

Country-Jazz Virtuoso

September 23, 2019 · Wolf Marshall

When Leo Fender strode into a cowboy bar on the outskirts of Hollywood one day in 1950, he had no…