The MXR M234 Analog Chorus and M87 Bass Compressor

Opposite Ends

August 27, 2013 · Sean OBryan Smith

MXR M87 Bass Comp and M234 Analog Chorus Price: $318 (M87 Bass Compressor), $170 (M234 Analog Chorus). Info: jimdunlop.com For…

Marcin

Dragon In Harmony

October 9, 2025 · Oscar Jordan

Acoustic/electric sensation Marcin effortlessly traverses the fretboard with a guitar style that embraces the companionable influences of classical, flamenco, and…

Collings OM1 T

Faultless Flat-Top?

January 8, 2018 · Steven Stone

To the hands, hearts, and minds of many an experienced guitarist, an OM-size body with a 25.5″ scale feels the…

The Logan Telemaster

Masterful Mashup

March 7, 2022 · Bob Cianci

Though Bob Logan has been building guitars since 1972, he worked in construction for a few decades before fully dedicating…

Spacey T

Spacey T

Eclectic Journeyman

June 21, 2016 · Oscar Jordan

Tracey Singleton, better known as Spacey T, is a post-Hendrix guitar wizard with an eclectic soul and chops to match.…

Beck, Bogert & Appice

Live In Japan 1973, Live In London 1974

June 18, 2024 · Pete Prown

After one underwhelming studio album, Beck, Bogert & Appice – a power trio with bassist Tim Bogert and drummer Carmine…

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ARTISTS

Buddy Merrill

1936-2021

December 2, 2022 · Rich Kienzle

Buddy Merrill, guitarist, steel-guitarist, composer, arranger, recording artist, and occasional vocalist, died December 5. He was 85. A seasoned musician…

Alex Hall

Pandemic Re-Think

June 17, 2022 · Rich Kienzle

Six Strings, the debut EP by 26-year-old Alex Hall, establishes the Georgia native as one of the new generation of…

Nick Moss – clean and tasty on “Scratch N Sniff”

October 27, 2023 · Vintage Guitar

Instro-rock, fully greased Get ready to have your funtime socks knocked off, ‘cuz this exclusive Nick Moss run through “Scratch…

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…


CLASSIC INSTRUMENTS

The Fender “High-Powered” Twin

May 15, 2024 · Dave Hunter

1958-’59 Fender Twin Preamp tubes: one 12AY7, two 12AX7 Output tubes: four 5881 (6L6 equivalents), fixed bias Rectifier: GZ34 (5AR4)…

Joe Long’s “stack-knob” Fender Jazz Bass

June 22, 2025 · Willie G. Moseley

If you’re a fan or aficionado of vintage instruments, odds are that any early-’60s Fender Jazz Bass catches your eye.…

Star Board: Rudy Jaramillo

Star Board: Rudy Jaramillo

April 28, 2016 · Ward Meeker

Rudy Jaramillo is quick to mention that his effects setup is very simple. “I go into my 1) Boss tuner,…

Zakk Wylde

Doomsayer

August 11, 2022 · Greg Prato

Best-known as Ozzy Osbourne’s longest-tenured guitarist, Zakk Wylde has also been the leader of Black Label Society since the late…


NEWSWIRE

APPROVED GEAR

Keeley Electronics Dark Side

Floyd Fare

August 10, 2023 · Oscar Jordan

In the multi-verse of effects pedals, Robert Keeley’s compressors, dirt boxes, and workstation gizmos are a thing of beauty –…

Area 51 The Alienist Voicing Boost

Manmade Tone Monster

April 24, 2019 · Michael Dregni

Gather ’round, children, for a scary bedtime story. Once upon a time, there was no such thing as a high-gain…

Crucial Audio’ Die Götterdämmerung Germanium Fuzz/Ring Modulator

Ring Tones

April 26, 2019 · Pete Prown

Named by Flaming Lips guitarist Steven Drozd after composer Richard Wagner’s Ring Cycle opera, Crucial Audio’s lavishly named Die Götterdämmerung…

Epiphone’s Inspired by 1955 Les Paul Custom

Dressed to Kill

October 3, 2019 · Pete Prown

Produced from 1954 to 1956, the Black Beauty Custom is one of the most revered Les Pauls. Marketed as the…

WHAT ELSE IS NEW

Steve Hill

One-Man Band

December 14, 2023 · Pete Prown

Canadian guitarist Steve Hill is a flat-out rocker, smashing blues into rock and roll with terrifying force, as heard on…

Epiphone Empero1965 Main

1965 Epiphone Emperor

November 1, 2022 · George Gruhn

The Epiphone Emperor has a long, convoluted history. It first appeared in Epiphone’s catalog in late 1935 as a response…

Ray Cummins – Guitar Tutorial #8

July 16, 2021 · Doug Yellow Bird

Ray Cummins’ eighth exclusive lesson for VG demonstrates how to play backward rolls (arpeggios) being used in an intro or…

Breedlove’s Jeff Bridges

The Wood Abides

January 27, 2022 · Pete Prown

Sustainably sourced guitars – those constructed with wood harvested from managed land rather than the wilds – are often on…

Jeff Hanna

A Half-Century of Dirt

March 11, 2019 · Willie G. Moseley

Equal parts anniversary party, all-star jam, and “you really needed to be there” celebration, a September ’15 performance by the…

Ian Crichton

“We’re A Real Band”

March 1, 2022 · Oscar Jordan

Having weathered fame and changing musical trends, guitarist Ian Crichton has carved an indelible niche as the guitarist in Saga,…

Samantha Fish and Jesse Dayton

Alt-Blues Summit

February 4, 2024 · Oscar Jordan

Blues is a language of many dialects, and when regionalisms collide, sparks fly. So it has been since Texas six-stringer…

Big Bill Broonzy

Live In Amsterdam, 1953

December 25, 2023 · Dan Forte

Perhaps because he died just prior to the Folk Boom and a few years before the Blues Revival, Bill Broonzy…

Jim Peterik

Of the Bard, Brian Wilson, Buddy Guy and "Butt-Ugly" RDs

March 10, 2014 · Willie G. Moseley

Veteran guitarist/songwriter/vocalist/keyboard player/producer Jim Peterik’s career has taken yet another intriguing turn in its long and ever-active history. The Chicago-area…

Rebel Boards’ Rockstar Pedalboard

Songs from the Wood

March 3, 2015 · Rich Maloof

Rebel Board’s Rockstar Pedalboard Price: $159 (Rockstar); $199 (Rockstar Pro) Info: www.rebel-boards.com. Puzzle-piecing a pedalboard together is equal parts fun…

“Boogie Mod” Dual Showman

January 2, 2026 · Dave Hunter

What do you do when the humble blackface Bandmaster you acquired sight-unseen turns out to harbor one of rock’s hottest…

Walrus Audio’s R1 High Fidelity Reverb

Reams of Reverb

February 10, 2022 · Phil Feser

Many manufacturers claim “studio quality” reverb, but not all nail it. Walrus Audio’s R1 High Fidelity Reverb is the latest…

Carl Martin’s Roadie Bandmate 15

Tone-Rich Traits

May 21, 2019 · Oscar Jordan

Denmark’s Carl Martin has built a following with its PlexiTone series of overdrives and effects pedals used by stars the…

Have Guitar Will Travel 079 – Tim Dugger, Ray Fulcher and Drew Castle

July 8, 2022 · James Patrick Regan

Host James Patrick Regan talks with Tim Dugger, Ray Fulcher and Drew Castle for episode 79 of “Have Guitar Will…

Strymon Ultraviolet Vintage Vibe

Modern Spin

October 28, 2024 · Charlie Wilkins

Pioneered by Jimi Hendrix, the Uni-Vibe became synonymous with psychedelic rock sounds in the 1960s. Strymon’s modern interpretation is the…

 Yasmin Williams

Art of Collaboration

October 8, 2025 · Pete Prown

Yasmin Williams turned heads a few years ago with her brilliant solo acoustic music, often playing the guitar flat on…

Roy Smeck’s Gibson L-5

One For the “Wizard”

March 1, 2023 · George Gruhn

Player endorsements are part of the tradition of guitarmaking going back to its earliest use for public performance. LeRoy G.A.…

Yamaha’s THR100HD Dual Amp

Double Vision

July 3, 2019 · Pete Prown

Modeling amps have evolved rapidly as software and circuits have improved and become, dare we say, more organic sounding. The…

ToneTron Feature Home

ToneTron’s Billy-Rocker

Best Amp You've Never Heard of

April 11, 2016 · Michael Dregni

ToneTron’s Billy-Rocker Price: $1,200 Info: www.tonetroamps.com. On a quiet residential street in Minneapolis lives a mad scientist. Erstwhile rockabilly guitarist…

Prestige Guitars DC Coupe Custom T Hybrid

“Tele” Twist

April 19, 2024 · Bob Dragich

The first Telecasters were so good that today they’re made almost exactly as they were 70 years ago. Working just…

Tracy G

Dio Disciple

July 9, 2019 · Greg Prato

Ronnie James Dio had a knack for collaborating with talented guitarists – Ritchie Blackmore in Rainbow, Tony Iommi in Black…

The Fractal VP4

Pedal Power

September 8, 2025 · Pete Prown

Famous for amp and cabinet models made to replace an amp for direct recording or plugging right into a PA,…

Jamie Kime

Jamie Kime

Lord Of The Jam

April 12, 2016 · Oscar Jordan

Jamie Kime’s first solo record, Alleys, displays a mix of lush guitar tones, poignant soundscapes, and evocative panoramas. We recently…

Blackbird Guitars’ Lucky 13

Blackbird Guitars’ Lucky 13

Nice Roll

March 2, 2016 · Chip Wilson

Blackbird Guitars’ Lucky 13 Price: $1,850 (list)/$2,050 (with Fishman electronics) Info: www.blackbirdguitar.com What has a 13-fret neck, a small-but-curvaceous body…

Fretprints: Metallica’s Master of Puppets

Genre Giant

July 31, 2025 · Wolf Marshall

In 1984, Kerrang magazine coined the buzzword “thrash,” signaling the arrival of an unprecedented heaviness in rock music – not…

Metal Pedals’ Raw Hide, Hard Core XXX

Saddle Up!

August 8, 2014 · Sean OBryan Smith

Metal Pedals’ Raw Hide, Hard Core XXX Price: $175 (Raw Hide); $230 (Hard Core XXX) Info: www.metalpedals.com. For many discerning…

Paul Nelson

Main Man to the Blues Man

May 27, 2014 · Tom Guerra

Paul Nelson is not only Johnny Winter’s second guitarist, but the blues icon’s musical director, producer, songwriter, and – many…

1986 Dumble Overdrive Special

1986 Dumble Overdrive Special

July 5, 2016 · Dave Hunter

The exalted amps of Alexander Dumble have been legendary since he began building in the late ’60s, and have become…

Rodney Crowell

March 30, 2017 · Rich Kienzle

Rodney Crowell, who gained fame during country’s New Traditional era of the 1980s, has always drawn from his personal life…