FEATURES

The Different Strummer
Japanese Epiphone electric guitars Unique among American guitar brands, Epiphone was the first to make the transition from being American-made to becoming an import entity. Other brands would make this transition, but none quite so smoothly. By Michael Wright

Jackie Lomax
Liverpool to L.A. When the Beatles turned pop music upside-down, journalists rushed to Liverpool seeking other acts hyped as being part of the fabled “Mersey” sound. By Willie G. Moseley

Bo Diddley
Looking Foward, Looking Back He has been proclaimed “The Originator” with good reason; a founding father of rock and roll, his devotees include The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, ZZ Top, George Thorogood, and Richie Sambora. His impact is immeasurable. By Arlene R. Weiss

Dickey Betts
…and the Killer Goldtop! As half of the famed Allman Brothers Band guitar duo, he helped create a new sound and invent a new approach. More than just a guitarist, his vocals and songwriting have been a strong factor in his successful career. By Guy Lee

Dan Toler
“Dangerous” sweet tone and licks His isn’t exactly a household name, but to aficionados of Southern rock, it implies sweet tones and licks. His career has included several years in the Allman Brothers Band, and bands with Dickey Betts and Gregg Allman. By John Heidt

Fender Bass VI
Rare miss proves Leo was ahead of his time In an unusual fumbling Leo Fender failed in his attempt to reach the bass-playing audience with a guitar-like alternative. The Bass VI seemed almost as much a long-scale guitar as it was short-scale six-string bass. It even had a tremolo! By Eric C. Shoaf

Bill Carson and George Fullerton
Fender veterans look back One was Leo Fender’s right-hand man for decades, and helped perfect the P-Bass. The other was an itinerant guitarist whose input on the design of the Stratocaster was critical in the development of the world’s most popular electric guitar. By Willie G. Moseley

Rodney Crowell
Ditchin’ the “country” connotation Though barely in his 40s, Rodney Crowell has already been a hotshot sideman and a major-label country music star. Now he’s an independent singer/songwriter with a penchant for spinning tales about the darker side of life. By Steven Stone

Epiphone Model M Steel
Misjudged Beauty One of the company’s earliest forays into the electric guitar market, it was also one of Epiphone’s earliest, fanciest – and short-lived – steel guitars. By Eric Shoaf

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COLUMNS

Executive Rock In Memory of the Quiet One
By Willie G. Moseley

Viewpoints A Levelling of the Field
By Ken Bronowski

Q&A With George Gruhn Hazards of Salty Air

Acousticville Dan Lashbrook: Madman Modder, or Setup Genius?
By Steven Stone

FretPrints Dick Dale
By Wolf Marshall

Little Known Wonders The WF-10 Wah-Fuzz
By Gary Nelson

The Bitter Old Guitar Curmudgeon The Tone Wars, Part 5: Why Do Strings Fail?
By Stephen White

Gigmeister Samson VLX TD Wireless
By Riley Wilson

TECH

Ask Gerald
By Gerald Weber

Guitar Shop Mods That Cure What Ills
By Tony Nobles

Amps A Dirty Dozen of Gibson’s Coolest Amps
By Gerald Weber

Pickup Questions
By Seymour Duncan

REVIEWS

Vintage Guitar Gear Reviews New amps by Gibson & Reverend, Garrison G-20E, Maxon VS effects

Gearin’ Up! All the latest cool new stuff!

The VG Hit List Record, Video, and Book Reviews

Spotlight Recommended Contemporary and Reissue Recordings
By Jim Hilmar