FEATURES
STEVE WINWOOD
Voice of a Guitar Great
One of rock’s greatest keyboard players, he also possesses one of the great singing voices in the genre. But when even longtime fans see him play guitar, they’re invariably amazed. By Dan Forte
AMP-O-RAMA
The 1968 Marshall JMP50 “plexi”
Earlier Marshalls were indeed hallowed for their tone, but the late-’60s “plexi” typifies the Marshall sound more than any other amps the company ever produced. Plug in and bow to the mighty crunch! By Dave Hunter
SMILIE SUTTER’S EUPHONON
Carl and August Larson had been building remarkable guitars for nearly 50 years by the time the famed WLS yodeler ordered this one. Its steel strings and built-under-tension top made it louder than most other contemporary instruments. By George Gruhn and Walter Carter
HANBURT ELECTRIC GUITARS
Rarities From the Pacific Northwest
They may be the furthest thing from a household name, but the saga behind this obscure line of electric guitars that originated just prior to World War II offers a rather interesting story. By Peter Blecha
Tom Principato
Potomac Picker
Inspired by names like Buchanan, Gatton, Atkins, Paul, and Christian, he and his Fender Telecaster have been a fixture in the Washington, D.C. area for more than two decades. By Willie G. Moseley
B.C. RICH EAGLE
The Rico family’s roots were in building flamenco and classical guitars. So it was a bit of a surprise that when son Bernie – whose buddies included Paco de Lucia and Carlos Montoya – started building solidbody electrics, he created some unusual shapes. By Michael Wright
BASS SPACE
The Fender Mustang
In the early 1950s, Fender set the pace in the solidbody electric bass market. It also was key in developing the student market, and in ’64 began offering the now classic two-pickup/24″-scale Mustang. By Willie G. Moseley
DEPARTMENTS
Vintage Guitar Price Guide
Builder Profile
Lace Music Products
Upcoming Events
Vintage Guitar Classified Ads
Dealer Directory
The Great VG Giveaway ’08
Win two Phantom guitars worth $2,000!
Readers Gallery
FIRST FRET
Reader Mail
News and Notes
Jeff Healey 1966-2008, JLC Honors Django and Christian, Ford Teams with Steepwater, NMM Acquires Cittern, In Memoriam, more!
Danny Cedrone
Rock’s First Guitarslinger
By Dan Forte
Mike Minasi
Better Building Through Mental Shedding
By John Heidt
Ask Zac
By Zac Childs
Oz Noy
Coming to America
By John Heidt.
Steve Stevens
Return of the Ray-Gun Ace
By Pete Prown
Larry McCray
All In The Family
By John Heidt
Jim Lauderdale
Sweet Music
By Michael Dregni
Dave Gonzalez
Western Soul Brother
By Wally Marx Jr.
COLUMNS
The (Way) Back Beat
Beat Portraits, Early-’60s: Pre-Beatle “Blokes’ Bands”
By Peter S. Kohman
Q&A With George Gruhn
Acousticville
Mental Games Collectors Play
By Steven Stone
“401K” Guitars
The Value of Actual Sales Data
By Gil Hembree
Fretprints
Buddy Holly
By Wolf Marshall
TECH
Guitar Shop
Emergency Cleanup
By Tony Nobles
Talkin’ Amps With…
Amplifier ABCs
By David Jung
REVIEWS
The VG Hit List
Albert Collins, Deke Dickerson, Punch Brothers, Sean Costello, Jimmy Bruno, Matt Rae, The Guitar in America, more!
Check This Action
Free Willie
By Dan Forte
Vintage Guitar Gear Reviews
Thompson Tremor Bender, Valley Arts Custom Pro bass, Rogue VB-100, Guyatone Micro effects
Gearin’ Up!
The latest cool new stuff!