• 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…

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Danelectro ’66

Alluring Curves

April 19, 2019 · Pete Prown

The new Danelectro ’66 brings together several threads of retro-dom in one hip package. Visually, this Danny brings to mind…

2025 January Issue on Spotify

January 15, 2025 · Vintage Guitar

This month we feature Lynyrd Skynyrd, Plasmatics, Jerry Douglas, Phil Lesh, Mark Farner, Larkin Poe, Peter Frampton, Foreigner, Ronnie Baker…

The Komet Constellation

January 4, 2016 · Dave Hunter

Amid the general run of vintage amps we have explored in this space, the occasional “modern classic” has proved itself…

50 Years Ago Today

The Beatles Conquer America

July 4, 2014 · Andy Babiuk

Sunday, February 9, 1964, was the day that forever changed music and pop culture. “The Ed Sullivan Show” was one…

Have Guitar Will Travel – 035 Featuring Joe Robinson

September 15, 2020 · James Patrick Regan

In Episode 35 of “Have Guitar Will Travel,” host James Patrick Regan speaks with guitarist Joe Robinson. Mentored by Tommy…

Jim Singleton

Jim Singleton

Clarksdale Collaboration

April 5, 2016 · Lisa Sharken

A connoisseur of vintage gear, VG readers may know Jim Singleton as the main man at Jim’s Guitars, in Pennsylvania.…

  • Rickenbacker’s Electric 12-Strings

    Rickenbacker’s Electric 12-Strings

    Double-bound for Glory

    George Beauchamp and Adolph Rickenbacher founded Electro String in 1931 to manufacture what everyone would soon call “Rickenbacker” guitars. Success came early and their lap steels set standards of quality,…

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ARTISTS

Malcolm Brickhouse

Malcolm Brickhouse

Free As You Wanna Be

February 11, 2016 · Oscar Jordan

Malcolm Brickhouse was excited but confident after his band, Unlocking The Truth, recently performed its first headlining gig, at The…

Foghat’s Scott Holt And Roger Earl Go “Drivin’ On”

January 2, 2024 · Vintage Guitar

 Latest Lick From Legends Of Boogie-Rock Foghat guitarist/frontman Scott Holt and founding drummer Roger Earl peeled off this exclusive…

Fretprints: Mick Ralphs

Delivering in Bad Company

April 29, 2024 · Wolf Marshall

Unabashedly British and irresistibly swaggering, Bad Company personified ’70s arena rock. Detractors denounced them as machismo, but fans have bought…

Spencer Kirkpatrick

Spencer Kirkpatrick

Jammin’ Southern Hero

April 7, 2016 · Pete Prown

In the ’70s, Hydra was a Southern-rock band that owed more to the heavy British blues of Cream and Free…


CLASSIC INSTRUMENTS

Sound City L/B 120 Mark IV

Sound City L/B 120 Mark IV

January 6, 2016 · Dave Hunter

Preamp tubes: three ECC83 (12AX7), one ECC81 (12AT7, in the phase inverter) Output tubes: six EL34 Rectifier: solidstate Controls: Normal…

Memphissippi Sounds’ Yella P asks “Who’s Gonna Ride”

April 29, 2022 · Vintage Guitar

’59 Stratotone at the Memphis Slim House While Memphissippi Sounds’ Yella P and his ’59 Harmony Stratotone were visiting the…

Robbie Robertson, 1943-2023

Lasting Legacy

June 11, 2024 · Dan Forte

It’s ironic that Robbie Robertson was famous mostly for his songwriting, because beneath the minimal, compositional style that marked his…

Classics: January 2024

Bill Woodward's 1953 Gibson Les Paul

October 4, 2024 · Ward Meeker

Gravitational heavyweights in our culture, beyond baseball, hot dogs, and apple pie, few things say “American” more than music and…


NEWSWIRE

APPROVED GEAR

Ibanez AF95

Jazzed UP

October 13, 2022 · Pete Prown

In 2021, Ibanez re-tooled its hollowbody line to devise big surprises like the Japanese-made AF95, a full-bodied archtop with a…

Big Knob Pedals

Big Knob Pedals

What’s in a Name?

February 18, 2016 · Bob Dragich

Big Knob Pedals Price: Tube 808, $139; Echo Flex, $149; Vibe Tone, $159; Octavius, $129 (all list) Contact: www.bigknobpedals.com Gary…

Pigtail Music

May 10, 2022 · Julian Burtell

Pigtail music makes ABR-style and wraparound bridges (in the U.S.) with vintage-style appearance and materials, but to tighter tolerances. Their…

Bad Cat Cub V EL34 Amp

First-Class Blast

October 9, 2025 · Dave Hunter

The Bad Cat Cub has evolved through several iterations since arriving with the maker’s inaugural lineup 25 years ago. It…

WHAT ELSE IS NEW

“Buy That Guitar” podcast with special guest Binky Philips

July 15, 2025 · Ram W. Tuli

Season 03 Episode 01 In Episode 3.2 of “Buy That Guitar,” presented by Vintage Guitar magazine, host Ram Tuli engages…

Classics: January 2024

Bill Woodward's 1953 Gibson Les Paul

October 4, 2024 · Ward Meeker

Gravitational heavyweights in our culture, beyond baseball, hot dogs, and apple pie, few things say “American” more than music and…

Steve Dawson and his Tricone, “Singin’ the Blues”

September 6, 2023 · Vintage Guitar

Roots Artists Expands the Genren The wildly talented Steve Dawson uses a modern National Tricone for this take on “Singin’…

Jon Herington

October 4, 2016 · John Heidt

Jon Herington, best known for his current work as Steely Dan’s lead guitarist, put out one of the decades’ great…

ISAAK_HOME-MAIN-BIG

Chris Isaak

Sun Worship

May 9, 2014 · Ward Meeker

Most pop-music fans became aware of Chris Isaak through his 1991 hit “Wicked Game” and its uber-high-profile video, directed by…

Cort Z44

Single-Cut Shuffle

March 1, 2014 · Pete Prown

Cort Z44 Price: $569 list/under $400 street Contact: cortguitars.com Just about everywhere you look these days, manufacturers are devising new…

GIFFIN VITKA

Giffin Vikta

Feelin’ Special

March 20, 2014 · Pete Prown

Giffin Vikta Price: $2,295 Contact: premierbuildersguild.com. Roger Giffin is a guitarmaker to the stars, having built for Eric Clapton, Pete…

Gilby Clarke - Grit & Glory

Grit & Glory

Gilby Clarke and His Guitars

May 9, 2016 · Ward Meeker

The drive to succeed – along with certain workaholic tendencies – revealed themselves early in rock guitarist Gilby Clarke. On…

Richard Williams

Kansas’ Team Player

April 14, 2020 · Bret Adams

Unleashing pent-up creativity is a gratifying experience for a band, as Kansas guitarist Richard Williams can attest. The band known…

Steve Cropper

Friend, Legend

June 12, 2025 · Ward Meeker

Even before he began to record seminal music using an Esquire plugged into a Harvard amp – creating one of…

St. Blues Juke Joint Series

St. Blues Juke Joint Series

Domestic Bliss

April 9, 2014 · Phil Feser

With the elimination of its Korean-made Pro Series and the introduction of the Juke Joint Series, Memphis-based St. Blues can…

Alex Lifeson

Fresh Sonic Horizons

March 10, 2023 · Bret Adams

What do you do when you’re the beloved guitarist in a legendary band whose career was ended by the premature…

J Mascis

Heavy Steps : Dinosaur Jr. Journey

January 27, 2022 · Ward Meeker

Fans recognize the first three albums by Dinosaur Jr. – Dinosaur, You’re Living All Over Me, and Bug – as…

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Nick Moss

Musical Horizons Beyond Chicago

October 8, 2014 · Willie G. Moseley

Since 2007, guitarist/vocalist Nick Moss has released five albums on his Blue Bella label, including two live discs. And while…

Band of Heathens’ Gordy and Ed: Low-Key and Tasty!

April 25, 2023 · Vintage Guitar

 Austin heroes play vintage-laden twofer Gordy Quist and Ed Jurdi use a few of their favorite things to play…

K.K. Downing

Preaching Metal

July 7, 2022 · Bret Adams

Classic heavy metal will never fade as long as K.K. Downing remains one of its torchbearers. Sermons of the Sinner,…

John Wetton

1949-2017

March 12, 2019 · Pete Prown

Born June 12, 1949, British bassist and front man John Wetton died of colon cancer on January 31 at the…

Danelectro Baby Sitar Home Feature Image

Danelectro Baby Sitar

Paint It Sunburst

June 10, 2016 · Ray Wuolo

Legend has it that during a break in the filming of Help!, George Harrison picked up a sitar left behind…

The Carr Artemus

A Blend of Dick, Leo, and Steve

September 3, 2015 · Zac Childs

Steve Carr made a name for himself building fine amplifiers such as the Slant 6V and the Rambler. His Artemus model used…

Jeremy Popoff

Gettin’ Lit Again

March 6, 2023 · Pete Prown

After the gloom of grunge, the late ’90s saw a surge of energetic sounds, mixing hard rock, pop, and punk…

Xotic Effects’ Wah XW-1

Xotic Effects’ Wah XW-1

State-Of-The-Art MousEtrap

April 13, 2016 · Michael Dregni

Xotic Effects’ Wah XW-1 Price: $295 (list); $249 (street) Contact: xotic.us/ The chase for tone sometimes seems like never-ending “Tom…

Orianthi

The Power Of O

February 3, 2022 · Oscar Jordan

On Orianthi’s latest album, O, the fierce guitar slinger injects mass quantities of blues-rock fury into a contemporary pop-music setting.…

Bryan Sutton

Bryan Sutton

Into His Own

May 3, 2015 · Steven Stone

Bryan Sutton ranks as one of the most accomplished and in-demand acoustic players in Nashville. In 1991, fresh from high…

Martin 00-42 Special

June 30, 2020 · George Gruhn

It has all the appoint-ments of a Martin 00-45, particularly the abalone pearl trim around all the borders of the…

Overview of the electric room at Guitarlington guitar show, taking place this weekend in Arlington, TX.

Guitarlington 2016

October 17, 2016 · Vintage Guitar

[caption id="attachment_25877" align="alignright" width="640"] Overview of the electric room at Guitarlington guitar show..[/caption] [caption id="attachment_25878" align="alignright" width="480"] A 1936 Martin…

Epiphone 1966 SG G-400 PRO

Epiphone 1966 SG G-400 PRO

For Those About to Rock

January 19, 2016 · Pete Prown

Epiphone’s 1966 SG G-400 PRO Price: $582 (list); $349 (street) Info: www.epiphone.com Gibson’s SG is a classic design with plenty…

Sebastian Nagel

Meditations in Funk

November 12, 2023 · Oscar Jordan

Germany’s Sebastian Nagel is a producer, composer, session guitarist, performer, and fan of the funk. His latest project finds him…

Kenny Wayne Shepherd

Into The Future

September 9, 2024 · Oscar Jordan

Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s Dirt On My Diamonds Volume One finds the Strat-wielding blues-rocker blending the best elements of pop country,…

Buck Owens and The Buckaroos

“A Bunch of Twangy Guitars”

February 12, 2014 · Rich Kienzle

Buck Owens’ track to stardom had an unorthodox start and believe it or not, his singing didn’t launch that journey…