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Gibson landing Les Paul’s name on the headstock of its debut solidbody electric in 1952 was the biggest guitar-star endorsement of its time. And, as was the way, an amp came with it, offering a flavor of tube tone that plenty of players still dig today. The term might have been coined by disc jockey […]
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With the miracle of micro-electronics, you can pack a massive amount of tone into a tight space. Case in point: Fishman’s Fluence Gristle-Tone P90, designed in collaboration with guitar maven Greg Koch. Looking like a vintage P-90, but redesigned from the ground up with modern tech and old-school tones these pickups deploy active electronics and […]
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Artists
Jake Andrews – “ Apricot Brandy”
Austin Stalwart Goes Full Steam for “Apricot Brandy” Jake Andrews was just eight years old when he sat in at Antone’s with an impressed Albert King, and not long after began sharing stages with an array of Texas blues greats. Here, he tears it up on a solo run through “Apricot Brandy,” from his new […]
Artists
Jorge Garcia
Led Bop
Jazz covers of rock songs often fall flat on their face, but Cuban-American guitarist Jorge Garcia nails it on Crossover. These aren’t corny covers – Jorge reinvents tracks from Led Zeppelin, Yes, and Jimi Hendrix as serious and authentic post-bop, often backed with a badass groove. How did Garcia do it? VG asked the gifted […]
Artists
Mick Mars
Different Flavors, Different Way
Guitarist Mick Mars’ long-discussed solo album is finally done. The Other Side of Mars is crushing modern metal with gothic touches, violins and violas, prog-like soundscapes, and more. If you’re expecting a carbon copy of Mötley Crüe, you’re in for a shock. The album features the core of keyboardist Paul Taylor (Winger, Alice Cooper), drummer […]
Classic Instruments
Metropolitan Tanglewood
A Rare Modern Map
Many guitar aficionados are aware of the instruments proffered by Houston’s Alamo Music. The Texas manufacturer has created unique low-end (sonically, that is) items, some as regular production basses, others as prototype and/or custom-orders. Among the most unique and rare were no more than a half-dozen map-shaped Metropolitan Tanglewood basses created in the mid/late ’90s. […]
Music
James Luther Dickinson
I’m Just Dead, I’m Not Gone/Lazarus Edition
Let’s get it straight from the get-go; Jim Dickinson was primarily a piano player. But he was also one of the great music makers of Memphis – which is saying a lot in a town whose lore included Sam Phillips, Stax’s Al Bell and Steve Cropper, the Ardent Studios and Hi Records crews, and many […]
Classic Instruments
Boggs’ Quad
Four-neck Fender From a Friend
Noted in musical history as one of the players who pushed the steel guitar beyond Hawaiian music to more-complex chording and wild interchanges with Spanish-style electric guitarists, Noel Boggs emerged from a tragic childhood, using the guitar and music as a motivator, guide, and ultimately, means to a make a living. Boggs was born in […]
Music
The Howlin’ Brothers
Like a long-lost radio show from the ’50s suddenly coming to life on your radio in the late nighttime hours, this hard-driving string trio summons forth the sounds of old-time bluegrass, vintage country, and roaring rockabilly. The Howlin’ Brothers have one foot tapping time in tradition, the other kicking down the doors. The howling here […]
Artists
John Pizzarelli Swings On A Vintage D’angelico
Jazz Ace on an Heirloom Guitar For this exclusive rendition of “Just In Time,” swing ace John Pizzarelli grabbed the D’Angelico Model B that was played by his late (and legendary) father, Bucky, on Ray Charles’ 1960 #1 hit “Georgia On My Mind.” Catch the John Pizzarelli Trio on tour now, and read our review […]
VG Approved Gear
Ramble FX Twin Bender Fuzz
Whole Lotta Fuzz
Fuzz comes in a lot of flavors. From spitty or choked-off splat to gritty gated sounds, from classic ’60s to ’90s grunge and beyond, Ramble FX’s take on the classic Sola Tone Bender attempts to cover a lot of that ground. Using new old stock (NOS) germanium transistors and a few handy controls, the Ramble […]
VG Approved Gear
Victoria Silver Sonic
Sonic Intoxication
For nearly 20 years, Victoria Amplifier Company has been making head-turning retro-styled amps. Mark Baier and his crew recently introduced the Silver Sonic, a lower-watt version of their popular Golden Melody amp that pulls together a host of features and circuit cues from the golden era of tweed amps. The Silver Sonic sports an elegant […]
Classic Instruments
1988 Guild Liberator Elite
Every once in awhile you find a guitar that’s almost too beautiful to play. It’s just enough to sit there and admire it, not risking a ding. A good case in point is this drop-dead gorgeous 1988 Guild Liberator Elite, one of the last guitars to be produced before Guild got out of the solidbody […]
Artists
Scott Holt
Mojo Risin’ in Foghat
It’s been more than 50 years since Foghat unleashed its freewheeling rock and roll, steeped in its blues beginnings. Sonic Mojo is its first studio album in seven years, and the first with lead vocalist/guitarist Scott Holt joining founding drummer/bandleader Roger Earl, longtime lead guitarist Bryan Bassett, and bassist Rodney O’Quinn. Holt, who played with […]
Music
The Marcus King Band
The Marcus King Band
It’s easy to see why Warren Haynes has so much respect for young Marcus King. The 20-year-old guitarist, vocalist, and bandleader shows on his second record a command of pretty much all the major American music styles. Before the end you’ll hear songs that delve heavily into rock, blues, jazz, country, and everything in between. […]
Music
Tom Feldmann And Noah Levy
Brothers in the Mud
Spoiler alert: While it’s early in the year, this album is already a shoe-in as one of the best blues offerings of 2021. Tom Feldmann should need little introduction here, as VG called him “a jewel of American guitarmanship,” thanks to his past albums, a range of stellar how-to DVDs, and his fingerpicking lessons at […]
Artists
Steven Wilson
Guitar Harmony
Porcupine Tree’s Steven Wilson isn’t a guitar hero, but his playing fits his compositions perfectly – as exemplified by his latest solo offering, The Harmony Codex. Showing once again that Wilson refuses to be confined to a single style, he exhibits elements of prog, electronic, folk, and rock. We talked with him about how he […]
Artists
Elliot Easton
Driving Classic Cars
The Cars transcended the new-wave movement of the late ’70s by creating a never-duplicated sound. The band’s self-titled debut album is a masterpiece; almost 40 years after its release, nearly every song still receives radio airplay. Rhino recently remastered it and the band’s pivotal second and third albums, 1979’s Candy-O (with “Let’s Go”) and 1980’s […]
VG Approved Gear
King Snake Three Bone
Latter-Day “Legend”
Gibson’s ES-5 is a legend, but it’s also a bit idiosyncratic thanks to funky out-of-phase pickups and a non-intuitive control setup. Plus, originals are now so pricey that few gig with them. Enter King Snake’s Three Bone. The Japanese maker’s guitar builds on the legend and fine-tunes several features. Similar to the original, the 17″-wide, […]