Cliff Goodwin, Solo

December 1, 2023 · Ward Meeker

Joe Cocker alum plays “Leap of Faith,” Cliff Goodwin was Joe Cocker’s guitarist for a decade and has also backed…

Eric Gales

Reinvigorated Blues

March 28, 2019 · Greg Prato

Over the years, there have been instances when one renowned blues-rock guitarist or another found sobriety in the nick of…

John Notto double-up

November 17, 2023 · Vintage Guitar

Dirty Honey guitarist shares riffs from “Can’t Find the Brakes” John Notto used his road-dog Gibson Custom Shop Les Paul…

Keith Urban

Down-Under Uber-Picker

March 30, 2010 · Zac Childs

For a guy born in New Zealand and reared in Australia, Keith Urban certainly knows how to grab the attention…

Fender Pro Junior IV SE

More Function, Fewer Funds

September 11, 2023 · Bob Dragich

In a sea of inexpensive, feature-laden digital modeling amps, Fender is doubling down on its simple all-tube Pro Junior IV…

 Joey Molland

January 16, 2026 · Pete Prown

The word “underrated” is belabored in music journalism, but Joey Molland was just that. As co-guitarist in Badfinger, he was…

  • 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

Have Guitar Will Travel 084 – Greg Koch

March 8, 2023 · James Patrick Regan

Guitarheads the world over know Greg Koch is a big guy who plays monster licks. In the new episode of…

Tim May

The MVP

June 30, 2023 · Jim Carlton

Renowned studio guitarist Tim May played his first film-score session in 1974, for John Schlesinger’s Day of the Locust. Now…

Kim Simmonds

Kim Simmonds

Back to Basics with Savoy Brown

November 11, 2014 · Willie G. Moseley

Under the aegis of founder Kim Simmonds, Savoy Brown has always been a band “subject to change.” Formed in 1965,…

Roger Glover

Time Machine

January 14, 2025 · Bret Adams

Deep Purple’s 1972 album, Machine Head, is one of rock’s totemic monsters, especially its best-known track, “Smoke on the Water,”…


CLASSIC INSTRUMENTS

Epiphone Rivoli

March 17, 2010 · Willie G. Moseley

Former Gibson president Ted McCarty (1909-2001) is credited for his leadership of the company when it peaked in terms of…

Rickenbacker 345

January 2, 2024 · George Gruhn

Rickenbacker guitars have a look, feel, and sound that is remarkably distinct from those made by any other manufacturers. In…

Classics: September 2022

Danny Gatton’s ES-295

May 9, 2023 · Ward Meeker

Glenn Holley was just five years old when he became infatuated with the sound of rockabilly music thanks to Elvis…

“Buy That Guitar” podcast with special guest Steve “Frog” Forgey

August 5, 2025 · Ram W. Tuli

Season 03 Episode 04 In Episode 3.4 of “Buy That Guitar,” host Ram Tuli is joined by Steve “Frog” Forgey…


NEWSWIRE

APPROVED GEAR

Tone King Royalist MKIII

Firebreather U.K. Three-Speed

August 28, 2024 · Charlie Wilkins

British tube amps from the mid ’60s and early ’70s have inspired countless designs emulating their beloved tones. In 2014,…

Fender Micro Mustang

May 10, 2022 · Dennis Pernu

Fender’s Micro Mustang is a pocket-sized contraption offering 12 amplifier models including classic Fender, “British,” and “American,” along with 12…

ToneSpeak 12″ Line

Speaking of Tone…

July 10, 2023 · Julian Burtell

New to the musical-instrument side of speaker building, but far from neophyte, Misco introduced its ToneSpeak guitar speakers in 2021…

ValveTrain 205

Five Watts, Just So

August 19, 2013 · Zac Childs

Rick Gessner is a tweed amp enthusiast who has more than made a splash since entering the fray in 2005.…

WHAT ELSE IS NEW

Rory Gallagher

Rory Gallagher 50th Anniversary Edition

August 4, 2022 · Bret Adams

Rising appreciation for the late Irish guitar wizard continues with a 50th anniversary/five-disc box of his 1971 solo debut. With…

John Hart

Mainline Florida

January 5, 2018 · John Heidt

Inspiration can come from a lot of places. For jazz guitarist John Hart, a visit to a familiar place provided…

Johnny Marr

Brit Gets a Git

November 24, 2015 · Ward Meeker

When pop-music fans in the U.K. talk about guitar heroes, they tend to put more stake in the way a…

“Buy That Guitar” podcast with special guest J Mascis

November 25, 2025 · Vintage Guitar

Season 03 Episode 06 In Episode 3.6 of Buy That Guitar, presented by Vintage Guitar magazine, host Ram Tuli is…

Vega De Luxe Electric Plectrum Banjo

April 5, 2017 · George Gruhn

Billed as “the latest orchestral sensation… unparalleled for versatility,” Vega’s electric banjos – developed to compete with one being made…

Scott Henderson

Scott Henderson

Vibe Station

July 8, 2016 · Oscar Jordan

On his new album, Vibe Station, Scott Henderson once again redefines fusion within a groove-heavy power trio format. As always,…

The Marcus King Band

December 30, 2016 · John Heidt

It’s easy to see why Warren Haynes has so much respect for young Marcus King. The 20-year-old guitarist, vocalist, and…

Fret-King Esprit III

Déjà Vu, Again

December 6, 2021 · Bob Cianci

What do you get when you cross a Gibson Explorer with a Fender offset and Firebird vibe? The answer is…

Jeff Plankenhorn

New Innovations For Lap Steel

December 26, 2017 · Willie G. Moseley

Jeff Plankenhorn has always made music his way, using stringed instruments he created. He picked up guitar at age 10,…

 VG Q&A: Harmony History

And an Archtop Mystery

January 15, 2026 · Michael Wright

I recently received two guitars as gifts and am trying to learn more about them. The first is a Harmony…

Jim Campilongo

Back to the Country

March 2, 2017 · John Heidt

A misconception of his own making led to Jim Campilongo’s latest effort with the band Honeyfingers. “I enjoy my trio…

Siegmund Midnight Special

Siegmund Midnight Special

Tried ’N True, Twisted

April 22, 2016 · Tom Guerra

Siegmund Midnight Special Price: $1,895 (list, as tested) Contact: www.siegmundguitars.com Driven by a quest for preserving the original tonal qualities…

Jim Lauderdale

December 30, 2016 · Rich Kienzle

From the beginning, four-time Grammy winner Jim Lauderdale’s masterful body of material has reflected a gifted vocalist/writer infused with country…

Category 5 TBR-35 2×10

Backline Star

May 13, 2024 · Oscar Jordan

Don Ritter started Category 5 Amplification designing amps for blues players before expanding to other genres while holding to the…

Buddy Merrill

1936-2021

December 2, 2022 · Rich Kienzle

Buddy Merrill, guitarist, steel-guitarist, composer, arranger, recording artist, and occasional vocalist, died December 5. He was 85. A seasoned musician…

Cordoba Stage

Classical Gas

October 11, 2023 · Bob Cianci

With a 1.5″/fully chambered mahogany body, the Stage – Cordoba’s first foray into the world of nylon-string electric guitars –…

Carbe and Durand

August 30, 2016 · John Heidt

The combo of two acoustic guitars and what could be considered modern-day standards seems on first blush like a recipe…

Kenny Sultan

Left-Coast Blues Machine

September 26, 2012 · Preston Gratiot

Kenny Sultan is a best-selling author of music books and instructional videos covering blues guitar, and is the guitarist in…

Way Cool Version: Newman Guitars’ Honeycomb Chambered Jr.

December 21, 2022 · Tom Guerra

Following Ted Newman Jones’ passing in 2016, protégé Jeff Smith took over Newman Guitars and is furthering the vision, using…

The Norma EG 470-2 Deluxe

June 25, 2020 · Michael Wright

Everyone of a certain age – and no doubt some younger folks – remembers the sage career advice given young…

John Pizzarelli

From Stage to Seven-String

April 28, 2024 · John Heidt

The John Pizzarelli Trio is back on the road supporting its latest album, Stage and Screen. Joined by Isaiah J.…

Bloom

Larkin Poe

September 8, 2025 · Oscar Jordan

Grammy-winning sisters Rebecca and Megan Lovell deliver an album that continues their trajectory into rural soundcapes and bluesy, heartfelt authenticity.…

Live at the Fillmore East 1969

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

September 8, 2025 · Pete Prown

A veritable holy grail, this recording from CSNY’s first tour captures their harmonies in amber. Better, the integrity of the…

The Uncanny Approach of Walter Strauss

December 27, 2022 · Vintage Guitar

Fingerstylist melds melodies, polyrhythms, and visceral picking on “Fabara” Walter Strauss shows his extraordinary technique with help from his Sexauer…

Have Guitar Will Travel – 007 Featuring Gibson’s CEO, James “JC” Curleigh and CMO Cesar Gueikian

May 13, 2019 · James Patrick Regan

In the latest installment of our “Have Guitar Will Travel” podcast, host James Patrick Regan connects with James “JC” Curleigh…

Eleonora Strino

Italian Jazz Ace

June 10, 2024 · Pete Prown

Eleonora Strino is making waves in the jazz world as both guitarist and media-savvy artist. Through her videos and online…

Killer B Standard

Feel the Buzz

March 6, 2017 · Rich Maloof

In a marketplace crowded with indie guitar builders, Killer B differentiates its Standard model with uncommon contours and a customizable…

Del Casher

“Papa of the Wah-Wah” Marks Its 50 Years

April 26, 2019 · Dave Hunter

The wah pedal is one of the most widely used effects in popular music, employed by artists playing rock, blues,…

Fretprints: Paul Simon

Postmodern Troubadour: The Simon & Garfunkel Years

October 26, 2022 · Wolf Marshall

Troubadours – poet/musicians active in Europe in the 12th and 13th centuries, played a defining role in Western civilization. The…