July 2019 VOL. 33 NO. 09

Features
Name That Twang
The Guild-Duane Eddy Connection
In its early days, Guild scored a coup when it signed Johnny Smith to an endorsement deal. Perched atop the jazz-guitar scene at the time, Smith helped the company join the fray of artist “signature” instruments that had become a marketing staple. The results were, to be polite, “mixed.” By Peter Stuart Kohman

Jim Kelley
The Quest for Ultimate Overdrive
The renowned amp builder has always bucked trends. After discovering the origins of fat, juicy tone early on, he has remained determined to make sonic bliss available to all guitarists. By Dave Hunter

Wartime Variation
The Gibson J-45 Maple Banner
Since its introduction, the J-45 has undergone several evolutionary steps – the most interesting in the midst of a raw-materials shortage during World War II. Here’s a great example. By George Gruhn and Joe Spann

Peter Frampton
End of the Roadwork
After playing for nearly 60 years and achieving superstar status, a recent diagnosis forced Peter Frampton to make his forthcoming tour in support of his new album, All Blues, his last in the U.S. We discuss the tour, album, and the Les Paul Custom made famous on the cover of Frampton Comes Alive!. By Willie G. Moseley and Ward Meeker

Crack the Sky
Cult Heroes
Their debut album was met with acclaim, and while they never reached the stratosphere predicted by many, they have enjoyed a small-but-loyal fan base for more than 40 years. Rick Witkowski and Bobby Hird tell the story. By Pete Prown

First Fret
Reader Mail

News and Notes
In Memoriam

Reese Wynans
Guitarist Gathering

Enter The Sundragon
Page Collaborates on New Amp

Kirk Fletcher
New Horizons

Julian Lage
A Love of Guitar

Watermelon Slim
Slidin’ Down the Road

Gary Hoey
Commitment To The Blues

J.D. Simo
Psych Blues

Charlie Apicella
Into The Groove

Departments
Amplifier Spotlight

Vintage Guitar Price Guide

Upcoming Events

Vintage Guitar Classified Ads

Showcase

Guitar Broker Marks 30 Years

Readers Gallery

Columns
Pop ’N Hiss
Metallica’s Master of Puppets By Greg Prato

Fretprints
Dick Dale By Wolf Marshall

Ask Zac
Dan’s Guitar Rx 

Höfner Helpe By Dan Erlewine

Reviews
The VG Hit List
Arlen Roth, Son Volt, Julian Lage, John Pizzarelli, J.D. Simo, Catherine Russell, Sean Mencher, more!

Check This Action
Ways To Folk By Dan Forte

VG Approved Gear
Bare Knuckle Boot Camp Old Guard pickup, Boss DC-2W Dimension C, Gold Tone AC-6+, Lomic Guitars Apollo, Peavey Max 208, ZT Amplifiers Jazz Club, Farida OT-65 X Wide VBS, Sundragon LTD

Gearin’ Up!
The latest cool new stuff!