FEATURES
SLASH
Vintage “Contraband” and Velvet Revolver
He arrived on the scene with a simple setup, a true sense of melody, ambition, and an attitude that separated him from the masses. Now his band may be a bit different, but the drive remains. By Lisa Sharken
GIBSON MASTERTONE GRANADA
The list of Gibson collectibles includes, of course, A- and F-style mandolins and other Lloyd Loar-era instruments, and more famously, ’50s Les Pauls. But did you know that the most sought-after Gibson is this Mastertone Granada (gulp!) banjo? By George Gruhn
IN DETAIL
The Fender Jaguar
Introduced as a companion to the Jazzmaster, it’s another example of how Fender stayed atop the game in the 1960s. Given today’s Tele and Strat prices, it’s a viable option for real-world collectors. By Ward Meeker
GUITARS OF THE COLD WAR
Part 3: Four Decades of Guitars from Czechoslovakia
After WWII, Czechoslovakia was a communist state where (naturally) the government controlled manufacturing. This is the story of guitars with names like Jolana, Resonet, Neoton, and Lignatone. By Edward Pitt
SONNY LANDRETH
Louisiana Legend, Slide Revolutionary
Having already absorbed the stylistic building blocks laid by names like King, James, Allman, and Cooder, he recently faced a different dilemma – tuned to an open major chord, he needed to go to the minor… By Dan Forte
BASS SPACE
The Hamer Blitz
With its angular body, pointy headstock, and “unique” finish, the Illinois-based Hamer’s Gibson Explorer-inspired bass was the epitome of ’80s heavy metal flash. Got Spandex? By Willie G. Moseley
THE MAGNATONE MARK V
So you’ve set your fancy on a guitar designed by Paul Bigsby, the guy who may have built the very first electric solidbody. Then you saw the going rate? Well, all is not lost. Instead, be on the lookout for a Magnatone Mark guitar. By Micheal Wright
THE DIFFERENT STRUMMER
Japanese Muscle: A Tribute to Matsumoku Motto
An ode to the guitars produced by the legendary factory, founded in 1951 as a manufacturer of sewing machines, and maker of many of the best Japanese guitars of the 1970s and ’80s. By Michael Wright
DEPARTMENTS
Vintage Guitar Price Guide
Builder Profile
Mensfeld Guitars
Upcoming Events
Vintage Guitar Classified Ads
Dealer Directory
The Great VG Giveaway
Win a Chicago Blues Box Kingston worth $2,400
Readers Gallery
FIRST FRET
Reader Mail
News and Notes
NAMM Debuts at Indy, PRS Exhibit, Clapton 335 replica, Dealer/Builder News, Duke Kramer, In Memoriam, more!
Jake Shimabukuro
Ukulele, Van Halen-Style!
By R.J. Klimpert
Paul Curreri
By John Heidt
Jol Dantzig
Back to Hands-On at Hamer
By Willie G. Moseley
Billy Bauer 1915-2005
By Dan Forte
Gary Green
Gentle Giant Flashback
By Pete Prown
Eric Johnson
Solving the Tonal “Rubik’s Cube”
By Lisa Sharken
Kirk “Eli” Fletcher
Right For the Gig
By Oscar Jordan
COLUMNS
Q&A With George Gruhn
Acousticville
Messing Up a Fine Instrument
By Steven Stone
FretPrints
Duane Eddy
By Wolf Marshall
Gigmeister
Pro Recording at Home
By Riley Wilson
TECH
Dan’s Guitar Rx
Makeover For a Grand Ol’ Gal
By Dan Erlewine
Guitar Shop
Binding Oaths
By Tony Nobles
Amps
How To Buy a Vintage Amp, Part 2
By Gerald Weber
Ask Gerald
By Gerald Weber
REVIEWS
The VG Hit List
Music and Video Reviews: Jimi Hendrix, Mark Knopfler, Lee Ritenour, Stephen Stills, Robert Cray, Laurence Juber, more!
Check This Action
The Best of Rodney & Roseanne
Dan Forte
Vintage Guitar Gear Reviews
Wright amps, Xotic BB Preamp, Vox Cooltron, Washburn Pilsen Idol and D78SW!
Gearin’ Up!
The latest cool new stuff!
