FEATURES

The Different Strummer
Ibanez Copy Guitars Since entering the U.S. market with its copy guitars almost 30 years ago, Ibanez has grown to become one of the most successful guitar names in the world. This month we take a close look at those copies at their zenith in the ’70s. By Michael Wright

Rickenbacker’s Combo 600
Faultless, But Imperfect It resembled Fender’s Strat and Gibson’s Les Paul, and offered a unique body shape with the horseshoe pickup borrowed from its lapsteel cousin. Unfortunately, guitarists of the period didn’t seem to want what it had to offer. By Eric C. Shoaf

Larry Reinhardt Waxes Sufficiently
Breathless about life, guitars, and the return of Captain Beyond His world nearly collapsed when an accident mangled his left hand, but the former guitarist for Captain Beyond and Iron Butterfly knew he had to keep playing. By Ralph Heibutzki

Vince Gill
Picker’s Pinnacle The Oklahoma native lives life at his own pace, and with a list of accomplishments that includes gold records, awards, honors, and charitable efforts, it’s easy to see he has earned the right. By Willie G. Moseley

James “JY“ Young
The Cal Ripken, Jr., of Styx The tall, blonde fretmeister was a founder of the Chicago-based band that has been through more than one triumph and tragedy. By Willie G. Moseley

Stranded, But Strung
VG’s 15th Anniversary Cruise went awry! Fortunately, we all brought our gear… We’ve all thought about it. “If I had to spend a lot of time all by myself – say I was stranded on a desert island – what would I do? How would I stay sane?” Most people would have a problem coping with this sceanrio, but not us! We play the guitar!

Michael Monarch
Born to be a Player The snarl of his Fender Esquire was one of the trademark sounds of Steppenwolf’s earliest material. His no-frills riffing is heard on the anthems “Born To Be Wild” and “Magic Carpet Ride,” among other tunes. By Willie G. Moseley

Guitar, Whirlies, and Buzz Feiten
Whether coaxing passion from his nylon-string, funking up a groove, or cutting glass on his electric, he is one of the most soulful contemporary guitarists on the scene today. His versatility, adaptability, sound, and style have earned him the reputation as a first-call hired gun – live and in the studio. By Jim LaDiana

Tommy Castro
“Guilty” of Paying his Dues The charismatic singing gunslinger’s unique sound features stinging blues leads floating atop hard-charging, old-school R&B. He is one of a handful of artists whose live performances are sonic clones of his recorded music. By Barney Roach

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COLUMNS

Viewpoints Fifteen Years of Vintage Guitar
By Alan Greenwood

Executive Rock “That’s What It’s All About”
By Willie G. Moseley

Q&A With George Gruhn Where does “vintage tone”
come from?

Acousticville A Packing Reminder
By Steven Stone

FretPrints Freddie King
By Wolf Marshall

Studio Aces Tim May
By Jim LaDiana

Gigmeister Road Trip, Part Two
By Riley Wilson

TECH

Guitar Shop Got an axe that won’t tune?
By Tony Nobles

Amps Fixed Bias vs. Cathode Bias
By Gerald Weber

Pickup Questions
By Seymour Duncan

Ask Gerald
By Gerald Weber

Amp Tips Weird tubes can be your friends!
By Dan Torres

REVIEWS

Vintage Guitar Gear Reviews Pedals For All Occasions!

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