Vintage Guitar magazine, the leading publication in the collectible-guitar industry, announced today that Keith Richards and the Fender Deluxe Reverb have been inducted to its Hall of Fame. Each year, the magazine’s staff and readers select inductees in three categories – Player, Innovator, and Instrument. Richards and the Fender Deluxe Reverb are joined by Innovator Seymour Duncan.

“Call him what you will – the Human Riff, Keef, Mick Jagger’s ‘Glimmer Twin’ – no rock fan, critic, or even mildly interested fan would argue Keith Richards is an absolute rock icon,” said VG editor Ward Meeker. “His fingers are responsible for a hundred licks and riffs ingrained in the minds of millions of music fans – not just guitarists. His work has been part of the pop-culture zeitgeist for more than four decades.”

Richards, who is the driving force behind the Rolling Stones’ guitar-driven sound, was selected from a group of great players, including David Gilmour, Mark Knopfler, and Peter Green.  The Fender Deluxe Reverb, which received 54% of the Instrument votes, was up against three other great contenders: the Gibson Les Paul Junior, the Gibson Firebird, and the Gretsch Duo-Jet

“The Deluxe Reverb is a great amp for anything from blues to country to rock and roll, and even jazz. Consequently, it has long been a go-to combo for countless first-call Nashville and L.A. session players,” says Dave Hunter, who regularly profiles amps for the magazine.

Hundreds of votes are tallied via the magazine’s traditional written ballot, while hundreds more vote at VintageGuitar.com. The 2012 inductees are featured in the March issue of Vintage Guitar magazine.