October 2008

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FEATURES

BEDLAM IN BELGIUM!
Lord Bizarre’s Electric Guitar and Amp Museum
When most Americans think of Belgium, they typically think beer, chocolate, or waffles. But for those with a passion for unusual vintage electric guitars, the city of Leuven holds an extra treasure. By Joe Bigley

AMP-O-RAMA
The Oahu 230K Tone Master
Sold as part of a set when Hawaiian-guitar method books, music, and lessons ruled at 1,200 schools in the U.S., today it’s yet another rippin’ little 6V6-toting Valco tone machine. By Dave Hunter

THE MARTIN F-9
It has the dubious distinction of being rarer – but far less valuable – than a pre-war D-45. But it introduced the vertical C.F. Martin headstock logo and hexagonal fingerboard inlays that identified Martin D-series instruments. By George Gruhn and Walter Carter

LES PAUL AND THE FIRST GIBSON ES-30O
Given all that has been revealed about the accomplishments of Les Paul, it’s rare that a new tile can be placed in the mosaic that forms a picture of his life. But here is one such piece of history. By Lynn Wheelwright

OLIVER LEIBER
Welcome to The Tone Zone
Raised awash in the classic sounds created by his composer father, he made a name for himself on both sides of the studio glass. Now he solves the mystery of the riddle, “What’s better than a great vintage ’Burst?” By Wolf Marshall

THE GRETSCH NASHVILLE 7660
The storied past of Gretsch is a microcosmic reflection of the many twists and turns of the American guitar industry. And while this 1972 Chet Atkins Nashville 7660 doesn’t have every element on that list, it has its share! By Michael Wright

BASS SPACE
The Peavey RJ-IV
Long before “American Idol,” Randy Jackson played bass alongside everyone from to Mariah Carey to Bruce Springsteen. And in 1990 he collaborated with Peavey to design and build this instrument. By Willie G. Moseley

DEPARTMENTS

Vintage Guitar Price Guide

Builder Profile
GW Basses & Luthiery

Upcoming Events

Vintage Guitar Classified Ads

Dealer Directory

Readers Gallery

FIRST FRET

Reader Mail

News and Notes
Builders Shine in Montréal, Burtonfest, Djangofest, Fender HoF, VG Hall nominations, Stolen Gear, In Memoriam, more!

Steve Cropper
An MGs/Rascals Soul Summit
By Dan Forte

Dave Specter
Sweet Home Chicago
By John Heidt

Richard Williams
Still Kickin’ with Kansas
By Willie G. Moseley

Ask Zac
By Zac Childs

Denny Jiosa
Instrumentally Sound
By John Heidt

Earl Klugh
Respect for the Nylon
By John Heidt

A Return to Music City
Highlights from Summer NAMM ’08
By Preston Gratiot

COLUMNS

The (Way) Back Beat
The Phantom Can-Can: The Pete “Buzz” Miller Story, Part 2
By Peter S. Kohman

Q&A With George Gruhn

Acousticville
Hand Upon the Trigger
By Steven Stone

“401K” Guitars
The Gibson Advanced Jumbo
By Gil Hembree

Fretprints
Lightnin’ Hopkins
By Wolf Marshall

TECH

Dan’s Guitar Rx
Funky Bushings on a ’59 Strat, Part 2
By Dan Erlewine

Talkin’ Amps With…
George Metropoulos: The Hows and Whys of Kit Amps
By David Jung

REVIEWS

The VG Hit List
CD, DVD, and Book Reviews
Beach Boys box, Tony Rice, Greg Koch, Greg Howe, James Brown, Interactive Gibson Bible, more!

Check This Action
Blue-Eyed Soul Men
By Dan Forte

Vintage Guitar Gear Reviews
Blackstar Artisan 15/30, Seymour Duncan P-Rails, Dino’s Guitars Rust Box/Dynabox, Sommatone Roaring 40, Gary Kramer Guitars Kramertorium

Gearin’ Up!
The latest cool new stuff!

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