• Super PickupGiveaway 2025

    Super PickupGiveaway 2025

    Win Big! 11 Sets! 11 Winners! Win a set of pickups from one of these sponsors: Deadline is March 15, 2026. Complete the survey below to enter giveaway. One entry…

    Read more >>

The Dantzig Tulsa Korina

The New Vintage

March 13, 2019 · Tom Guerra

Legendary luthier Jol Dantzig’s “Team Built” lineup comprises guitars handcrafted by a small group of artisans under his direction. One…

Roland Cube Lite

Roland Cube Lite

High-Calorie Tone

January 18, 2016 · Phil Feser

Roland Cube Lite Price: $169 (street) Info: www.rolandus.com. At just under four pounds, and with a 10″ x 6″ footprint,…

Vox AC100

Scream Machine

December 9, 2021 · Dave Hunter

The history of Vox amplifiers’ evolution through the early/mid-’60s directly tracks with The Beatles’ increasing needs to be heard over…

1963 Fender 6G7-A Bandmaster

Last of the Oxbloods

May 2, 2024 · Dave Hunter

Those who love vintage amplifiers are often fascinated by little anomalies that present themselves in an otherwise period-correct specimen, and…

Wampler Pedals’ Bravado

Tone Tweaker’s Delight

April 24, 2019 · Chip Wilson

What’s a pedal platform? Nope, it’s not a carbon-fiber Pinarello mountain bike with Shimano shifters and derailleurs. It’s another term…

Gibson Style R Harp Guitar Feature Image

Gibson Style R Harp Guitar

February 3, 2015 · George Gruhn

Harp guitars with a standard six-string guitar neck and varying numbers of sub-bass harp-style strings have been made by a…

  • Carr Skylark Special 1×12

    Carr Skylark Special 1×12

    Take Flight

    Arriving a little more than 10 years after the original Skylark, Carr Amplifiers’ new Skylark Special adds versatility and enhanced tonal depths to squeeze a lot more into this diminutive…

    Read more >>

NOW AVAILABLE!

CURRENT ISSUE

Join 25,700+ subscribers & be notified when new articles & more becomes available!

ARTISTS

Steve Miller

Some People Call Him Rock Icon, Part 2

February 20, 2015 · Ward Meeker

Though obviously a familiar name given his hits from the 1970s and ’80s were FM staples and today are virtually…

Marty Stuart

A Country-Music Odyssey

December 16, 2023 · Dan Forte

Marty Stuart’s life is the stuff of movies. Just nine years old when he started singing and playing guitar in…

Shane Theriot

Out of the House

April 25, 2019 · John Heidt

Shane Theriot’s new album, Still Motion, is more stripped-down funky “jazz trio” than the lush soul he helps create as…

Scott Metzger

Scott Metzger

Spontaneous Composition

July 7, 2016 · John Heidt

“We started as three side men scheduled to back a singer who was a no-show at this bar in Brooklyn,”…


CLASSIC INSTRUMENTS

Ibanez Tube Screamer

March 8, 2014 · Michael Dregni

From the first notes of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s “Texas Flood,” you can hear it loud and clear; that snarly tone…

Tyler Morris Features a Martin Style 2 1/2-17

October 16, 2023 · Vintage Guitar

Tyler Morris Playing a Martin Style 2 1/2-17 Tyler Morris grabbed his 19th-century Martin Style 2 1/2-17 to play a…

Classics: September 2023

Bill Fudge’s Micro-Frets Huntington

May 2, 2024 · Ward Meeker

Several years before he became a luthier who deserves much greater recognition, Ralph Jones sold new Fender guitars and amps…

Fender Blender

The Fender Blender

Extreme Fuzz

July 7, 2016 · Michael Dregni

When Robin Trower segued from his wah-driven blues-rock riffing into the slowed, deep-blues groove of the second half of his…


NEWSWIRE

APPROVED GEAR

The Yamaha THR10

Yamaha THR10

Practice Perfection?

August 19, 2014 · Phil Feser

Yamaha THR10 Price: $299 Contact: usa.yamaha.com. As a rule of thumb, practice amps are a compromise. Blissfully portable, they typically…

Valco FX Five-0

Garage Band

January 18, 2023 · Pete Prown

The Valco FX Five-0 was conceived as “Dick Dale in a box.” Offering overdrive, reverb, and tremolo – each with…

DGN Blaster

Jerry in a Box

December 23, 2023 · Pete Prown

DGN Guitars’ Dan Neafsey is known mostly for his guitar craftsmanship, notably the Kalos and Terrapin models inspired by Jerry…

Newman Guitars’ Honeycomb Chambered Jr.

Way Cool Version

June 7, 2023 · Tom Guerra

Following Ted Newman Jones’ passing in 2016, protégé Jeff Smith took over Newman Guitars and is furthering the vision, using…

WHAT ELSE IS NEW

Fargen Olde 800 MKII, Sonic Edge J&J Overdrive

Decades of Tone

May 9, 2016 · Zac Childs

The Fargen Olde 800 MKII Price: $1,949 Info: www.fargenamps.com. For 10 years, Ben Fargen has established a reputation for building…

Andy Summers

Creating Light From Dark

April 23, 2019 · Greg Prato

For Andy Summers, it would be easy to compose Police-like music – reggae rhythms, clean/chorus guitar tones, etc. But fans…

Adrian Vandenberg

Return Of The Flying Dutchman

June 9, 2024 · Oscar Jordan

On Adrian Vandenberg’s latest album, Sin, the Flying Dutchman joins forces with former Yngwie Malmsteen vocalist Mats Levén for the…

AXL USA Hand-Aged Bulldog

Bark and Bite

April 16, 2014 · Chip Wilson

AXL USA Hand-Aged Bulldog Price: $699.99 (street) Contact: www.axlguitars.com Unabashedly inspired by the classic Les Paul Junior, AXL Guitars’ limited-edition…

Andy Gill

The Gang’s All Here

February 27, 2018 · Greg Prato

One of the most original-sounding guitarists to emerge from the post-punk/new wave movement of the late ’70s was Gang of…

Duke Robillard

Swingin’ with Singers

January 30, 2023 · Pete Prown

Robillard needs no introduction here, as he’s been one of the leading old-school players of the past 40 years –…

Walter Jr.

A Taste of (and from) Louisiana

July 13, 2020 · John Heidt

Walter Jr.’s blend of soul, funk, R&B, and everything-in-between never wanders far from home. It’s not hard to tell from…

Gibson’s J-45 50s Faded

Lore Holder

January 18, 2024 · Michael Shirek

In the decade leading up to World War II, guitar builders started scaling up their acoustic offerings to meet the…

Mike Campbell

Little Movies

May 30, 2025 · Oscar Jordan

Longtime Tom Petty right-hand man Mike Campbell’s new album, Vagabonds, Virgins & Misfits, is a cinematic, guitar-heavy offering with irresistible…

Carvin DN640K

January 27, 2016 · Willie G. Moseley

Doubleneck instruments have always been a unique niche in the guitar market, for good reason. They’ve also carried an air…

Benson Model 300H

Wrecking Ball

January 6, 2023 · Dave Hunter

Even with all the excellent guitar amps available by the late ’60s, nothing was quite good enough for jazz and…

Warm Audio Centavo

Not Just Another Klon(E)

October 11, 2023 · Tom Guerra

Most pedal enthusiasts consider a vintage Klon Centaur the pinnacle of overdrive boxes. With originals now approaching $10,000, it makes…

Charis Acoustic SJ

Charis Acoustic SJ

Spirit in the Wood

February 1, 2016 · Chip Wilson

Charis Acoustic SJ Price: $4,800 (base); $7,100 (as reviewed) Info: www.charisacoustic.com. The spiritual aspects of music perhaps originate with the…

Gibson J-185

The Gibson J-185

November 20, 2015 · George Gruhn

The J-185 is regarded by many players and collectors as the finest-sounding Gibson flat-top made after World War II. The…

Various Artists

Orchestral Maneuvers

July 5, 2018 · Pete Prown

Yes’ Chris Squire didn’t intend to make a masterpiece with 1975’s Fish Out of Water, but he inadvertently did –…

History of a Mystery

Kurt Hendrick and His Enigmatic Axes

December 18, 2015 · Willie G. Moseley

One of the most-enigmatic brands in the history of American guitars was a line of funky solidbody electrics created by…

The Norma EG 470-2 Deluxe

June 25, 2020 · Michael Wright

Everyone of a certain age – and no doubt some younger folks – remembers the sage career advice given young…

Steve Gunn

Steve Gunn

Folk Rock’s New Visionary

March 16, 2016 · Kathleen Johnson

Steve Gunn’s Way Out Weather is a textured effort that takes cues from a diverse palette including John Fahey, Chicago…

Vinnie Moore

Double Exposure

October 28, 2023 · Oscar Jordan

Neoclassical shredder Vinnie Moore’s latest features vocals for the first time. Double Exposure is a heavy-rock record saturated with funky…

Revisiting The Jazzmaster

May 2, 2017 · Michael Wright

While volumes have been written about its more-famous sibling, the Stratocaster, surprisingly little attention is paid to the Jazzmaster –…

Nate Najar

This Is Nate Najar

June 27, 2017 · Oscar Jordan

Nate Najar plays accessible jazz on a classical guitar and applies classical technique to match. This album showcases the music…

2022 August Issue on Spotify

August 3, 2022 · Vintage Guitar

This month we feature Black Crowes, Graham Nash, Lightnin’ Hopkins, John Scofield, ZZ Top, Albert Cummings, Eric Johnson, Def Leppard,…

“Buy That Guitar” podcast with special guest Tommie James

August 6, 2024 · Vintage Guitar

“Buy That Guitar” podcast with special guest Tommie James Season 01 Episode 05 In Episode 5 of “Buy That Guitar,”…

GJM Guitars Tenoroc

Designed To Rock

January 18, 2024 · Oscar Jordan

Road-warrior guitarists with years of gigs under their belt who later design guitars have an advantage over builders without that…

Charlie Starr: Open-Tuning Magic on “Azalea”

June 28, 2024 · Vintage Guitar

Blackberry Smoke frontman on a vintage Gibson Enjoy a bit of the supremely tasty “Azalea,” played by Charlie Starr and…

Skunk Baxter

Speed of Heat

May 2, 2023 · Pete Prown

In no apparent hurry, Jeff “Skunk” Baxter just released his first solo album – at age 73. The guitar flash…

Two Legendary Les Paul Deluxes

Southern Gold

April 24, 2019 · Willie G. Moseley

In the late 1960s, Gibson reintroduced the single-cutaway Les Paul based on its classic ’50s model. But, a new version…

Hanburt Electric Guitars

Rarities From the Pacific Northwest

April 28, 2020 · Peter Blecha

As a brand of American electric instruments, the name “Hanburt” is about the furthest thing from being a household term.…

Marshall JMP50 “Plexi”

April 28, 2020 · Dave Hunter

Kids wanna rock? Plug into your plexi and bow to the mighty crunch. Marshall amps of the company’s first 10…