Jim Heath

A Reverend By Any Other Name

November 12, 2020 · John Heidt

Jim Heath is better
known to most folks as psychobilly guitar fiend The Reverend Horton Heat. But on his latest release,…

Weller El Dorrado

Rock-and-Roll Screamer

July 10, 2025 · Pete Prown

Tucked away in southwest Illinois near St. Louis, luthier Steve Weller is making interesting instruments. His El Dorrado model is…

Dunlop Fuzz Face Mini Distortion Pedal

Dunlop Fuzz Face Mini Distortion Pedals

Face Lift

January 7, 2015 · Phil Feser

Dunlop’s Fuzz Face Mini Distortion Pedals Price: $129.99 (Germanium, street);$99.99 (Silicon and Jimi Hendrix, street) Contact: www.jimdunlop.com. When it comes…

EarthQuaker Devices Ledges

’Verb Voyage

September 17, 2024 · Pete Prown

Billed as a Tri-Dimensional Reverberation Machine, the Earthquaker Ledges boasts a user-friendly interface with no menus or deep MIDI commands…

Humble Pie At the Fillmore

Frampton Reflects

May 5, 2016 · Willie G. Moseley

By the time Humble Pie reached “breakthrough” status in the U.S. thanks to its live album, Performance – Rockin’ the…

Vince Gill & Paul Franklin

Sweet Memories: The Music of Ray Price and the Cherokee Cowboys

June 19, 2024 · Rich Kienzle

Ray Price (1926-2013) created a distinctive hard-country sound in the ’50s, combining his powerful vocals with the iconic Cherokee Cowboys,…

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ARTISTS

Scott Holiday

Reflection and Escapism in Rival Sons

June 10, 2024 · Oscar Jordan

On the new album by Rival Sons, guitarist Scott Holiday brings a power punch to the band’s most-potent album to…

Pat Metheny

The Jazz Guitar Prodigy at 60

December 1, 2016 · Dan Forte

His success is obvious – 20 Grammy awards, crossover popularity, loyal fans dating back 40 years. Still, his career path…

Ethan Brosh

Ethan Brosh

Living The Dream

August 6, 2015 · Oscar Jordan

In case you were wondering, shred is not dead, and Ethan Brosh is determined to keep it that way. The…

Mike Morgan’s New Twist on Blues

December 12, 2022 · Vintage Guitar

Texas Native Does “Aiight”’ Texas blues singer/songwriter Mike Morgan does a solo take on “Aiight,” from his new album, “The…


CLASSIC INSTRUMENTS

The Story of Nudie’s Mosrite Mandolin

December 20, 2017 · Ward Meeker

In the mid 1970s, Kosmo and Kathy Cominos collected knives, jukeboxes, wristwatches, etc… But their favorite finds were celebrity-associated musical…

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…

Beat Portraits: Burns Volume 5

1964: Solid Heyday

February 7, 2018 · Peter Stuart Kohman

In early 2009, VG columnist Peter Stuart Kohman turned his focus on Burns, the pioneering British guitar builder. We’ve compiled…

Danelectro Viscount

January 11, 2016 · Dave Hunter

1961 Danelectro Viscount Preamp tubes: two 12AX7, one 6AU6 Output tubes: two 6V6GT Rectifier: 6X5 Controls: Volume, Tone, Vibrato Strength,…


NEWSWIRE

APPROVED GEAR

Fishman Fluence Single-Width Pickup

Fishman Fluence Single-Width Pickup

Hum-Free, Cutting-Edge

March 1, 2016 · Zac Childs

Fishman Fluence Single-Width Pickup Price: $224 (set) Contact: www.fishman.com Larry Fishman is one of the most respected names in the…

E.W.S. Little Fuzzy Drive

E.W.S. Little Fuzzy Drive

Tiny Footprint, Huge Sound

February 2, 2015 · Tom Guerra

E.W.S. Little Fuzzy Drive Price: $160 (list); $130 (street) Info: www.ews-us.com. At 1.5″ x 3.5″, the E.W.S. Little Fuzzy Drive…

Homegrown Tone 420

Homegrown Tone 420

Legalized Tweed

February 17, 2016 · Michael Dregni

Buzz Feiten Blues Pro Price: $1,799 (list) Contact: “Homegrown Tone Amps” on facebook.com Can’t get enough hemp in your life?…

Egnator Home Thumb

Egnater Tweaker 40

Small, But Mighty

August 18, 2014 · Pete Prown

Egnater Tweaker 40 Price: $1,149 (approx. $800 street). Info: egnater.com Egnater has just amplified its Tweaker line with a new…

WHAT ELSE IS NEW

2022 April Issue on Spotify

April 1, 2022 · Vintage Guitar

This month we feature Slash, Myles Kennedy, Ventures’ Don Wilson, J.D. Simo, Isaiah Mitchell, Luther Dickinson, Joe Satriani, Earl Hooker,…

Wally Stocker

A Baby Grows Up

September 11, 2014 · Ken Sharp

After decades away from the music scene, guitarist Wally Stocker is back on his feet again and back where he…

Joe Robinson

Eyes on the Prize

October 4, 2023 · Bob Dragich

Bouncing on a trampoline in the yard of the home his father built outside Temagog, Australia, nine-year-old Joe Robinson gleefully…

Gibson’s Mastertone Banjos

Gibson’s Mastertone Banjos

July 10, 2015 · George Gruhn

This Gibson RB-3 five-string from 1925 is a rare piece, as is any five-string banjo from the era dominated by…

Roy Buchanan

The Life and Times of Roy Buchanan

January 20, 2016 · Phil Carson

  Roy Buchanan and his battered 1953 Telecaster guitar got inside your head and grabbed you in the gut. He…

The Hot Club of San Francisco

Original Gadjo

October 9, 2025 · Dan Forte

Django Reinhardt is inarguably near the top of the most-influential jazz artists, considering how many ensembles (speaking globally) strive to…

Have Guitar Will Travel – 040 Featuring Johnny Hatton

December 15, 2020 · Art Department

  In Episode 40 of “Have Guitar Will Travel,” host James Patrick Regan speaks with bassist Johnny Hatton, whose current…

Classics: January 2023

Jay Mitzner’s ’53 Gibson Les Paul.

September 20, 2023 · Ward Meeker

Overhearing his 13-year-old son noodling on a beginner guitar in his bedroom one day in 1958, it occurred to Murray…

1933 Gibson L-5 “Special”

November 7, 2014 · George Gruhn

Though many collectors focus on instruments in fine original condition, every so often one emerges that, regardless of condition, is…

Alairex H.A.L.O.

Heavenly Possibilities

July 22, 2014 · Oscar Jordan

Alairex H.A.L.O. Price: $399 Info: www.alairex.com. Guitarist Alex Aguilar is a veteran player, former guitar-mag columnist, and today runs an…

Steve Cropper

Homage to Lowman Pauling

August 5, 2015 · Michael Dregni

All but forgotten today, with his low-slung guitar, stylish rhythm licks, and tasty leads, Lowman Pauling was one of the…

Mary Kaye

Beyond the Stratocaster Connection

January 6, 2014 · Willie G. Moseley

Most informed guitar enthusiasts associate veteran “lounge” guitarist Mary Kaye with the unique ’50s Fender Stratocaster model (blond finish, gold…

The Mike Eldred Trio

August 30, 2016 · Michael Dregni

The Mike Eldred Trio’s latest was recorded at Memphis’ hallowed Sun Studios, but the deep blues are straight outta the…

Home Feature Image

Traynor YBA-2 Bass Mate

May 10, 2016 · Dave Hunter

Canadian amp maker Traynor gets a lot of respect in some circles for turning out solid, good-sounding tube amps that…

Squirrel Nut Zippers

Beasts of Burgundy

July 5, 2018 · Michael Dregni

Rare it is when a band forms, blows the doors off with their music, falls apart, regroups – and hits…

The Fender Master Series

April 16, 2018 · Gary Koehler

Dan Smith had an idea – a solidbody guitar with routed chambers that would provide unique resonant tonal characteristics. And…

The Universal Audio Astra Modulation Machine

Stately Shimmer

May 10, 2022 · Oscar Jordan

Famous for well-regarded interfaces, plug-ins, and vintage-gear emulations, Universal Audio has entered the pedal business with the Astra Modulation Machine,…

Harden Muddy Waters

Mojo Working

August 13, 2025 · Pete Prown

Harden Engineering is a small Chicago shop that specializes in hand-made instruments in a variety of shapes and sizes and…

Reverend Mike Watt Wattplower

July 3, 2019 · Phil Feser

During four years of back and forth, Reverend Guitars and legendary punk-rock bassist Mike Watt (Minutemen, Firehose, Stooges), developed a…

Have Guitar Will Travel 088 – Kevin Bernier and De’Wayne

June 8, 2023 · James Patrick Regan

In Ep 88 of “Have Guitar Will Travel,” host James Patrick Regan speaks with guitarist Kevin Bernier of the Suffers,…

Don Felder

Don Felder

Six-Stringed Summer Stock

June 23, 2015 · Willie G. Moseley

Former Eagles guitarist Don Felder is spending the summer with a few friends. On an extended tour with Styx and…

Philip Sayce

Proactive Perseverance

December 13, 2024 · Oscar Jordan

Philip Sayce is a living, breathing, godmonster beast on the Stratocaster. But his chops, tone, feel, and great songs don’t…

Tinsley Ellis’ “Devil May Care” attitude

April 15, 2022 · Doug Yellow Bird

Blues ace gets rowdy on his 345 through a tweed Champ The fiery Tinsley Ellis and his ’67 Gibson ES-345…

TWA Triskelion MK3 Harmonic Energizer

Functional Filter

January 6, 2023 · Tom Guerra

Based on the Systech Harmonic Energizer pedal made famous by Adrian Belew, Frank Zappa, and Greg Lake, the TWA Triskelion…

Echopark Traditional American Acoustic

Small-Body Stunner

January 25, 2017 · Steven Stone

Echopark Guitars is the brainchild of Gabriel Currie, who opened the establishment in 2006, after many years of working as…

Gibson J-35

Gibson J-35

July 5, 2016 · George Gruhn

Dreadnought guitars originated as early as 1916 with instruments made by Martin and distributed by Ditson, followed in 1931 with…

Scott T. Jones’ battle, axes

April 1, 2022 · Vintage Guitar

Rippin’ Midwestern Jazz-Rock St. Louis’ own jazz-fusion mainstay Scott T. Jones runs through a few tunes – on a few…

EarthQuaker Devices’ Erupter

Bring The Fuzz

April 24, 2019 · Zac Childs

EarthQuaker Devices is one of the most admired pedal builders today, thanks to their original designs that feature tweakable controls…

Beat Portraits: Burns Volume 7

1965: Summer Of The Hollowbodies

February 14, 2018 · Peter Stuart Kohman

The Way Back Beat survey of instruments designed by James Ormston Burns continues with the final products developed by his…