• 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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Jake Shimabukuro Plays the Beatles “Something”

February 22, 2022 · Doug Yellow Bird

Silky-Smooth Shimabukuro Jake Shimabukuro’s playing is a silky delight on this run through the Beatles “Something.” That’s his Kamaka tenor…

G&L Fallout

Form Follows Function

June 12, 2014 · Phil Feser

G&L Fallout Price: $1,400 (retail) Info: www.glguitars.com. From automobiles to kitchen appliances to, of course, electric guitars, designers have gotten…

Ronnie Montrose

Remembering Ronnie

Phillips Finishes Guitarist’s Final Recordings

December 7, 2014 · Willie G. Moseley

Ricky Phillips has many fond memories of his friendship and musical association with Ronnie Montrose (1947-2012). The bassist is finishing…

Have Guitar Will Travel 064 – Luis Carlos Maldonado

December 23, 2021 · Vintage Guitar

“Have Guitar Will Travel” host James Patrick Regan speaks with multi-instrumentalist Luis Carlos Maldonado. Growing up in Arizona and SoCal,…

Jerry Miller

Back to Basics

March 3, 2017 · Wolf Marshall

Jerry Miller is back. For many he never left – especially admirers of his innovative playing with the legendary Moby…

Gibson’s “Non-Reverse” Firebirds

When Down Was Up

February 4, 2024 · Peter Stuart Kohman

Some guitars get no respect, at least historically. At the dawn of the ’70s, Gibson’s original (1963-’65) Firebirds were already…

  • 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

Neal Schon

Spacesaver Sale

April 6, 2022 · Ward Meeker

Eyebrows raise with news that a superstar guitar collector is preparing to sell iconic instruments. Alarms might trigger, even. But…

Alex Machacek

Stripped Down

February 16, 2015 · Oscar Jordan

When you get the thumbs-up from icons like John McLaughlin and Chick Corea, it’s got to feel good. But, fusion…

Fretprints: Led Zeppelin

October 29, 2025 · Wolf Marshall

One of the truly classic rock albums, Led Zeppelin’s IV brought together the band’s towering advances achieved with its first…

Pop ’N Hiss: Led Zeppelin’s IV

Heaven Sent

August 1, 2022 · Bret Adams

It’s impossible to overstate the influence Led Zeppelin’s “untitled” fourth album – call it IV, ZoSo, Runes, Four Symbols, whatever…


CLASSIC INSTRUMENTS

Eric Clapton’s “Blackie”

Eric Clapton’s “Blackie”

March 13, 2015 · Willie G. Moseley

This may well be the most desirable Fender Stratocaster on the face of the planet. And it happens to be…

Marshall 2100 Lead & Bass

Rock Breaker

February 1, 2024 · Dave Hunter

Adescendant of the legendary “Bluesbreaker” combo that helped launch the cranked-Marshall sound into the annals of rock, the 2100 combo…

Classics: April 2023

Kim Simmons’ 1973 Gibson Les Paul

December 16, 2023 · Ward Meeker

For Gio da Silva and several million others in Generation X, the mid ’90s were an exciting time. Young adults…

GRETSCHBURST-HOME-MAIN-BIG

Horses of Another Color

March 7, 2014 · Edward Ball

1) This ’57, from batch 253xx, has the added intrigue of a gold G-cutout tailpiece in place of the Bigsby…


NEWSWIRE

APPROVED GEAR

Gibson Falcon 5

Timeless

December 23, 2024 · Charlie Wilkins

Drawing inspiration from its classic Skylark amplifiers of the 1950s and ’60s, Gibson is revisiting those beloved tones with the…

Andrews Spectraverb 16

No Limits

January 8, 2018 · Phil Feser

Taking inspiration from Fender’s classic AB763 Deluxe Reverb, the hand-wired Andrews Spectraverb 16 uses a pair of JJ 6V6 power…

Fishman’s Fluence Greg Koch Gristle-Tone P90

A Quiet Place

June 15, 2022 · Pete Prown

With the miracle of micro-electronics, you can pack a massive amount of tone into a tight space. Case in point:…

Swart Atomic Jr.

Splitting The Atom

April 23, 2019 · Phil Feser

When Swart decided to split their Atomic Jr. five-watt combo into a piggyback, they not only went from an 8″…

WHAT ELSE IS NEW

Rivera Shaman Series Pedals

Holy Tones

May 25, 2016 · Max Prown

Rivera Shaman Series Pedals Price: $299 each (street) Info: www.rivera.com. With roots stretching to the late ’70s, SoCal-based Rivera Amplification…

Tom Principato

Bridging the Big Pond

March 2, 2017 · Willie G. Moseley

Tom Principato’s 18th album, Live and Still Kickin’! portrays the energy of its title and was recorded on two continents.…

Mike Zito

February 27, 2017 · John Heidt

Mike Zito’s latest serves up large helpings of boogie, blues, and roadhouse-ready rock. His guitar work is stellar as usual…

TWA Triskelion MK3 Harmonic Energizer

Functional Filter

January 6, 2023 · Tom Guerra

Based on the Systech Harmonic Energizer pedal made famous by Adrian Belew, Frank Zappa, and Greg Lake, the TWA Triskelion…

The Bad Cat Era 30

Retro-Great

December 5, 2025 · Dave Hunter

So often has the phrase “Mark Sampson era” been applied to pre-2000 Matchless amps or early examples of the Bad…

Gibson Super 400 PN

January 27, 2014 · George Gruhn

The Gibson Super 400 Premiere cutaway acoustic first appeared in Gibson literature in the 1940 catalog, on a page showing…

Zemaitis GZ-3200DF

One For the Rest of Us

February 24, 2010 · Bob Tekippe

Looking to score one of those legendary guitars made by the late British luthier Tony Zemaitis? Yeah, so are we.…

Steve Morse

Steve Morse

August 1, 2015 · Pete Prown

Already busy touring and recording with Deep Purple, axe virtuoso Steve Morse has added another dish to the menu –…

Saint Blues

St. Blues Bluesmaster, Blindsider, and Delta Blues Box

Straight from the Delta

August 6, 2013 · Rich Maloof

Saint Blues Bluesmaster/Blindsider Price: $2,399 (Bluesmaster); $2,550 (Blindsider) Info: saintblues.com St. Blues’ history stretches back to the days when its…

Bill Frisell

Bill Frisell

January 13, 2016 · Vintage Guitar

For the December ’14 issue of Vintage Guitar magazine, Dan Forte interviewed Bill Frisell. Here’s a look at the many guitars used…

Reverend Billy Corgan

Smashing Sounds

January 9, 2023 · Pete Prown

Reverend’s new twist on its Billy Corgan Signature guitar updates several features but remains a stylish retro-meets-modern solidbody. The most…

Lords of Atlantis: Cliché-Free Surf

January 16, 2024 · Vintage Guitar

Ivan Pongracic Lords of Atlantis includes members from a handful of high-profile surf bands, and its debut album is a…

Metallica

72 Seasons

March 16, 2024 · Oscar Jordan

Metallica’s 11th album is a blast from the band’s hard-charging past, and does not disappoint. As the follow-up to 2016’s…

Joe Bonamassa

Royal Tea

December 9, 2021 · Oscar Jordan

It’s no secret that Joe Bonamassa has a Jones for British blues-rock. Royal Tea is Exhibit A, as it was…

Six-String Kicks

Six-String Kicks

Wood from Famed Bowling Alley Set to Sing

March 31, 2016 · Ward Meeker

Few things scratch America’s cumulative itch for nostalgia like Route 66 – the famed wagon-trail-cum-highway that offered passage to those…

Eastwood’s Classic 6 TA PHo

Phish Food

July 28, 2023 · Pete Prown

If you’ve seen Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio onstage, you may have noticed an unusual archtop in his mitts – a…

Dano Redux

A Look at Everyone's First Electric Guitar

May 25, 2021 · Eric C. Shoaf

In his book, Neptune Bound: The Ultimate Danelectro Guide, author Doug Tulloch charts the adventures of Nat Daniel as he…

Have Guitar Will Travel – 045 Featuring Ryan Roxie

February 23, 2021 · Art Department

“Have Guitar Will Travel” host James Patrick Regan welcomes Ryan Roxie to the latest episode. The guitarist has enjoyed an…

Joe Louis Walker

All-Original Blues

February 2, 2024 · Greg Prato

A member of the Blues Hall of Fame, Joe Louis Walker’s music always has unmistakable blues elements. His latest album,…

The Oud

The Oud

Ancient to Modern

July 5, 2016 · Neil Haverstick

If Beatles guitarist George Harrison had used an oud instead of a sitar to give “Norwegian Wood” its distinct sound,…

The Gretsch 6120 Tenor

December 2, 2014 · George Gruhn

This 1958 Gretsch Chet Atkins 6120 four-string tenor guitar is a very rare variation of the model. Gretsch built other…

Gretsch Country Gentleman

August 28, 2014 · Jim Hilmar

Consider American guitar manufacturers that have been in business during the last 100 years and the different instruments they’ve produced.…

Demeter FZO-1 Fuzzy Octavulator

Demeter FZO-1 Fuzzy Octavulator

Fuzz Flavors

October 24, 2014 · Zac Childs

James Demeter has a long history in the amp and effects biz. His project-boxed/Dymo-labeled Tremulator pedal pre-dates the ’90s boutique…

Snowy White

Snowy White

One Man, One Guitar

March 11, 2016 · Donald Wiedman

Snowy White, one of the finest blues and rock musicians to come out of the U.K., built a career on…

S’Alright (Or Left)

Southpaw Guitars Marks 35 Years

November 30, 2016 · Ward Meeker

Even before they started jamming together on old Gibson acoustics in the mid ’70s, Jimmy Duncan and Bill Townsend, co-founders…

Jim Lauderdale

Sweet Music

April 27, 2020 · Michael Dregni

“I consciously did not want to make a knockoff of a Gram record or an Elvis record.” Jim Lauderdale is…

Supro’s 600R DeLuxe

Supro’s 600R DeLuxe

“The Magic of Concert Hall Sound”

January 23, 2017 · Michael Dregni

In the early days of reverb, no one was thinking about surf music; they were striving instead to replicate the…

Kalamazoo KG-1

April 21, 2010 · Michael Wright

Collectible value in guitars can be defined any number of ways, and not just by having a popular brand name…

John Entwistle

John Entwistle 1944-2002

September 7, 2015 · Vintage Guitar

John Entwistle Ode to the Ox 1944-2002 By Ward Meeker Pop music lovers – especially those with an ear tuned…