FEATURES
GARY MOORE
Still Got the Blues – Again!
His style is as distinct and identifiable as his career is varied. After rocking (with Thin Lizzy and solo) in the 1980s, he discovered his true calling – the blues. And his new album proves he’s truly one of the greats. By Lisa Sharken
RANGER DOUG
Thirty Years on the Trail
Through 30 years of playing Western swing, blues, and jazz, “Ranger Doug” Green has chugged away on his Strombergs and other guitars, laying a foundation on which songs glide smoothly along the trail. By John Heidt
AMP-O-RAMA
The Mesa/Boogie Mark I
High-gain lead tones are so commonplace today it’s difficult to recall the revolution created by the sound of that square little Mesa/Boogie combo some affectionately call “the Godfather of Gainsville.” By Dave Hunter
GIBSON’S EARLIEST DREADNOUGHT?
Conceived as Hawaiian guitars, virtually all Gibson HG-24s that have survived were set up Spanish-style. Sixteen inches wide and easily identified by its four f-holes, this was not a conventional flat-top. By George Gruhn and Walter Carter
PRS METAL SERIES
From the mid ’80s, when PRS guitars had a growing reputation for their playability and figured tops, the Metal Series was a response to musical trends and guitars with flashy finishes to match flashy playing styles. By Ward Meeker
STELLA SOLIDBODY
It’s not made by Harmony, and everything about it screams “early Japanese” – the label even says “Facta Japanico.” This is all complicated by the fact that it appears to be all original. So, what can we make of this? By Michael Wright
BASS SPACE
Mark Egan’s 1983 Pedulla doubleneck
In the mid 1970s, Mark Egan had luthier Michael Pedulla touch up a bass neck. That led the builder to develop his popular Buzz Bass model, followed by this unique, custom-made instrument. By Willie G. Moseley
DEPARTMENTS
Vintage Guitar Price Guide
Builder Profile
Rocky Mountain Slides
Ellsberry Guitars
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Dealer Directory
The Great VG Giveaway ’07
Win a Gadow Classic Set Neck!
Readers Gallery
FIRST FRET
Reader Mail
News and Notes
PBS profiles Les Paul, Beach Boys at Rock HOF, Stolen Gear, more!
Dawn of the Shred
Satch’s Surfin’ Turns 20
By Pete Prown
Steve Vai
Symphonic Shred
By Pete Prown
Randy Bachman
Maintaining Lenny’s Legacy
By Willie G. Moseley
Hamilton Loomis
High-Tech Soul
By John Heidt
Ask Zac
By Zac Childs
Frank Hannon Gets Real
By Lisa Sharken
Mark Egan
One Busy Jazz Bassist
By Willie G. Moseley
Tomo Fujita
This Teacher Can
By John Heidt
The Return of Porter Wagoner
Marty Stuart Puts Country Star “Back Inside His Sound”
By Dan Forte
COLUMNS
The (Way) Back Beat
Lloyd Lambert and the Gospel of Thump
By Peter S. Kohman
Q&A With George Gruhn
Acousticville
Humidification Clarification
By Steven Stone
“401K” Guitars
Epiphone Guitars
By Gil Hembree
Fretprints
Peter Green
By Wolf Marshall
TECH
Guitar Shop
Smash Hits!: Caring for One of Life’s Musical Casualties
By Tony Nobles
Talkin’ Amps With…
Vic Stolpe: Vintage Speaker Dos and Don’ts
By David Jung
REVIEWS
The VG Hit List
Robben Ford, Traveling Wilburys, Martin Taylor, Duke Robillard, Rock & Roll Film Encyclopedia, more!
Check This Action
New Blues Reviews
By Dan Forte
Vintage Guitar Gear Reviews
Zemaitis GZA500 H&D, Hard Truckers Fatty 2×12, Valvetrain 205, Roland VG-99
Gearin’ Up!
The latest cool new stuff!