FEATURES

TONY IOMMI
The Godfather of Metal Gets Fused
Hailed as one of the most influential rock guitarists of all time, he conjured up dark and heavy riffs that inspired players for generations. On his new solo outing, he explores a broader, more melodic side. By Lisa Sharken

IN DETAIL
The Rickenbacker 325
Introduced in 1958 with a distinct deep-double-cutaway design, it arrived just in time to launch the Rickebacker brand to superstar status in the electric guitar realm. But it had a bit of help from a Beatle. By R.J. Klimpert

ROGER MAYER
Straight-Shooting Effects Builder to the Stars
In the early ’60s, a young engineer filled his spare time hanging out with a collection of up-and-comers on the London music scene, building effects pedals before most guitarists knew there was such a thing. By Dave Hunter

1953 MACCAFERRI G40
One of the greatest early achievements of the modern plastics industry, the G-40 is a living tribute to the memory of the classical guitar virtuoso (regarded second only to Segovia) who designed and built it after being inspired by clothespins! By Michael Wright

OSCAR ALEMÁN
In the 1930s and ’40s, Paris was the capital of jazz guitar, and Django was the big star in the City of Light. But the gypsy pioneer was not alone; an Argentine creole (and former street orphan) named Oscar Marcelo Alemán was also making Paris jump. By Michael Dregni

BASS SPACE
The Ernie Ball Earthwood
Way before “unplugged” was cool, Ernie Ball bought a guitarron and gave it frets. Unable to interest manufacturers in an acoustic bass in the early 1970s, he created one himself. By Willie G. Moseley

’85 GUILD NIGHTBIRD PROTOTYPE
While it looks like a conservative solidbody, it is in fact radically different from anything that preceded it, with a hollow body, carved spruce top, and an outline inspired by a flat-top acoustic. Judged in terms of bang for the buck, it’s a true sleeper. By George Gruhn

THE DIFFERENT STRUMMER
Retro Guitars, Part 2
Toward the end of the ’90s, smaller guitar companies were able to order smaller quantities of guitars from Korea’s big factories. This made it much easier to create models with potentially limited appeal. By Michael Wright

DEPARTMENTS

Vintage Guitar Price Guide

Builder Profile
Briggs Guitars

Upcoming Events

Vintage Guitar Classified Ads

Index of Advertisers

The Great VG Giveaway
Win a board loaded with Radial pedals valued at more than $2,000!

Readers Gallery

FIRST FRET

Reader Mail

News and Notes
Marty Stuart gets a label, Les Paul, Gov’t Mule, L.A. Amp Show, Strat Pack, In Memoriam, more!

Paul Johnson
Guitars For the Messiah
By Willie G. Moseley

Geezer Butler
Sab Aside
By Willie G. Moseley

Classic Concerts
The Faces
By Eric C . Shoaf

Ask Zac
By Zac Childs

Grant Geissman
By Riley Wilson

Jesse Ed Davis
Guitar Hero’s Guitar Hero
By Dan Forte

Four Nights
Cream Returns to Royal Albert
By Frank Moriarity

Billy Sheehan
Cosmic Troubadour
By Lisa Sharken

COLUMNS

Q&A With George Gruhn

Acousticville
The Markley
By Steven Stone

FretPrints
Michael Bloomfield
By Wolf Marshall

Gigmeister
A Look at the “F” Word
By Riley Wilson

TECH

Dan’s Guitar Rx
Tuning-Key Mechanics
By Dan Erlewine

Guitar Shop
Necessary Evil: Vintage PlasticBy Tony Nobles

Amps
Cap Jobs Done Right, Part II
By Gerald Weber

Ask Gerald
By Gerald Weber

REVIEWS

The VG Hit List
Music, Book and Video Reviews: Jefferson Airplane, James Burton/Ralph Mooney, Speedy West, Elvin Bishop, Walter Trout, Ibanez: The Untold Story, more!

Check This Action
The Complete Kaleidoscope
Dan Forte

Vintage Guitar Gear Reviews
First Look! Roger Mayer Purple Haze Rocket Octavia! Plus, Carvin Belair 212, Headstrong BL310, Radial pedals, Fender FM52E, First Act Delia.

Gearin’ Up!
The latest cool new stuff!