FEATURES
JOHN PORTER
A Life in Guitar: Producing, Picking, Collecting
Player, producer, unabashed guitar enthusiast and astute collector, his professional credits are diverse and voluminous and include Clapton, Hooker, Santana, Stephen Stills, and more. By Wolf Marshall
AMP-O-RAMA
The Gibson GA-79RVT
Gibson amps from the 1950s and ’60s are generally seen as “poor man’s Fenders.” But this tone machine stands alone as the last truly groovy amp of the golden years to wear the Big G logo. By Dave Hunter
WEISSENBORN STYLE #4
Highly specialized instruments, Weissenborns were made for guitarists who played Hawaiian music in the late 1910s and ’20s. With their koa construction and square, hollow necks, they were unsuitable for virtually any other style. By George Gruhn and Walter Carter
DAVE WRONSKI
Three Decades of Reverb-Drenched Instrumentals
One of surf rock’s most innovative heroes, his work blends ferocious double picking, chilling glissandos, and vibrato bends with a reverb-drenched twang that ricochets between serene and menacing. By Damian Fanelli
SLINGERLAND MAY BELL
The historical guitar landscape is littered with brand names most of us know little or nothing about. In 1933, Slingerland (known for making drums) offered this guitar, which appears to be a resonator guitar, but carries a story with interesting context. By Michael Wright
BASS SPACE
The Martin EB-18
Martin’s solidbody E series guitars debuted in 1979. Among them was the company’s first venture into the electric bass market. Unfortunately, despite being well-made, it didn’t set the world ablaze. By Willie G. Moseley
DEPARTMENTS
Vintage Guitar Price Guide
Builder Profile
Sommatone Amplifiers
Upcoming Events
Vintage Guitar Classified Ads
Dealer Directory
Readers Gallery
FIRST FRET
Reader Mail
News and Notes
Fender Acquires Kaman, Clapton and Winwood concerts, New Wishbone Ash, In Memoriam, Stolen Gear, more!
Paul BollenbackTribute to Those Who Came Before
By John Heidt
Joe Friedman Stops and Starts By John Heidt
Seth Walker
Plenty of Ways to Play the Blues
By John Heidt
Patterson Barrett
Austin Fixture Finally Goes Solo
By Willie G. Moseley
Ask Zac
By Zac Childs
Leslie West
Master of Tone
By Lisa Sharken
Damon Johnson
Cooper to Country
By Steven Douglas Losey
Mem Shannon
NOLA Funkmeister
By Willie G. Moseley
COLUMNS
The (Way) Back Beat
Fab Gear, Pre-“Invasion”
By Peter S. Kohman
Q&A With George Gruhn
Acousticville
Arlington ’07
By Steven Stone
Guitars With Guts
An Early Manuel Ramirez
By R.E. Bruné
“401K” Guitars
1955 Gretsch White Falcon
By Gil Hembree
Fretprints
Rory Gallagher
By Wolf Marshall
TECH
Guitar Shop
Built For Comfort
By Tony Nobles
Dan’s Guitar Rx
What’s Up With That?: “F Stamp” Tuners on a ’62 Telecaster
By Dan Erlewine
Talkin’ Amps With…
Roy Blankenship: Regulating Power to Your Amplifier
By David Jung
REVIEWS
The VG Hit List
Tom Petty box, Neil Young, Song of America, Bruce Springsteen, Emmylou Harris, The Soul of Tone, more!
Check This Action
Dynamic Duo of the Blues
By Dan Forte
Vintage Guitar Gear Reviews
Composite Acoustics GX Performer, Trinity College TG-100/TG-222, Smit Boosted Classic and Bucker Lite pickups
Gearin’ Up!
The latest cool new stuff!
