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Trending Now
In 1961, Gibson replaced its Les Paul series with a new line of lightweight, ultrathin, all mahogany, double-cutaway solidbodies the SG (for solid guitar). Developed under the aegis of Ted McCarty and introduced as the “new Les Paul,” the SG heralded new directions and a new marketing emphasis for Gibson; trends exemplified only two years […]
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Win an accessory bundle with an Oxford Guitar Supply gift card, Music Nomad KEEP IT SIMPLE, SETUP (KISS)™ kit, Rocky Mountain Slides Co. Bear Claw Tri-picks, Firecracker Aluminum Slides and graphite picks, plus a Reverend back pack to put it all in valued at more than $450. Deadline is November 25, 2024. Complete the survey […]
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From the get-go, Fender’s Jazzmaster was the black sheep of the family – that wild-at-heart uncle your ma warned you about. Happily, it’s happily back in the lineup with the American Professional model, part reissue, part refined modern guitar. The original Jazzmaster was unveiled at NAMM in 1958 as Fender’s flagship – the upmarket big […]
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Classic Instruments
The Oud
Ancient to Modern
If Beatles guitarist George Harrison had used an oud instead of a sitar to give “Norwegian Wood” its distinct sound, the name Munir Bashir may be more recognized today than that of Ravi Shankar. That didn’t happen, of course, and Harrison’s spiritual pursuits led to the sitar becoming part of rock culture in the ’60s, […]
VG Approved Gear
ZT Extortion Expressive Distortion
Mutant Distortion
ZT Amplifiers put their name on the map four years ago with the compact Lunchbox solid-state amp. Now they continue along the road less traveled with the Extortion Expressive Distortion. For a departure from tonal convention the pedal features an analog overdrive that can be used on its own or enhanced with a digital signal […]
Artists
Elliot Easton
Shifting Gears Again
Not long after he released an instrumental album with an aggregation known as the Tiki Gods, veteran southpaw guitarist Elliot Easton abruptly put the project into stasis when an opportunity arose to make music with fellow veteran musicians. The new band is known as the Empty Hearts, and includes Wally Palmar (Romantics) on guitar and […]
Artists
Check out Micki Free’s bad-boy swagger!
Rockin’ with conviction on “Heavy Mercy” Take in allll the vibes as Micki Free uses his Fender Monterey Strat to play “Heavy Mercy” using just one of his Marshall 1974x Handwired amps. “I didn’t want to blow up the camera mic!” he laughed. The track is from his latest album, “Turquoise Blue,” which we review […]
Artists
Mike Campbell
Fat-Free Rock and Roll
On External Combustion, Mike Campbell pours on the boogie, pens spellbinding ditties, and leans into a live sound. With ancestral links to his former band, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, his quartet, The Dirty Knobs, spike L.A. rock and roll with psychedelia and rockabilly. The groove-laden swagger of this album should come as no surprise […]
Artists
Dave Davies
Personal Songs and Power Chords
For more than a half-century, the world has known of guitarist Dave Davies and his raucous electric sound, thanks to the earliest hits of the Kinks. The band’s third single, “You Really Got Me” (released in August, 1964) and “All Day and All of the Night” (debuting that October) were sonic primers for budding guitarists. […]
Artists
The Life and Times of Roy Buchanan
Roy Buchanan and his battered 1953 Telecaster guitar got inside your head and grabbed you in the gut. He had eclectic musical tastes, an arsenal of techniques, a devotion to craft, and something to say. And he said it with soul. Those are mere generalizations, of course, and Buchanan commanded such diverse skills it […]
VG Approved Gear
Colby Amplification Park 45
Put It Here
Colby Amplification Park 45 Price: $2,500 (list) Contact: www.colbyamps.com There are legends that gear fanatics all know, and then there are hidden treasures known to only a few. Park amps were designed by Jim Marshall and produced in limited quantities. More consistent in construction and design than the ever-evolving Marshalls, the Park line had the […]
Artists
Ian Hunter
Defying the Odds
Taking advantage of the time off in the early days of the pandemic, Ian Hunter hunkered down in his Connecticut home studio to craft a few dozen new tunes. Initially unable to develop the songs beyond demo status, Hunter’s friends and admirers around the globe joined the cause from their home studios, contributing to an […]
Have Guitar Will Travel
Have Guitar Will Travel 055 – Mark Goldenberg
The new episode of “Have Guitar Will Travel” features guitarist, composer and producer Mark Goldenberg, who studied with Ted Greene and has backed icons including Linda Ronstadt, Peter Frampton, Ringo Starr, Jackson Browne, Al Stewart, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, and many others. Host James Patrick Regan asks Mark about his early influences, his […]
Artists
Have Guitar Will Travel 103 – Live In The Vineyard #2
In episode 103 of “Have Guitar Will Travel”, presented by Vintage Guitar Magazine, host James Patrick Regan is again at the “Live in the Vineyard” event in Napa and again speaking with a host of up and coming Country Music Stars including Elliot Greer, Remy Garrison, DINER, Rose Falcon, Josh Ross and with all of […]
Artists
Eric Johnson
Acoustic Resonance
On Eric Johnson’s new – and first all-acoustic album – EJ, the guitarist takes a break from the intervallic inventions of his electric work and finds greater depth in his artistry, stripping away the non-essentials and exploring the purity of acoustic performance. The compositions reveal an artist reaching for musical substance, humanity, and intimacy. On […]
Artists
Jules Leyhe
Bottleneck Breakout
Forget everything you know about slide guitar. Jules Leyhe just upended the genre on Your First Rodeo, an instrumental set that gleefully mixes styles with riveting results. On top of it all, Leyhe’s bluesy slide and leads steal the show with soulful, bluesy figures and fierce explorations. To get the skinny, we caught up with […]
Artists
Thinkin’ Thin
Heroes of the Semi-Hollow
The semi-hollowbody electric guitar is one of the most revered axes in the plugged-in universe, offering the playability of a solidbody with the warm, woodier tone of a fat archtop. Yet the term “semi-hollow guitar” is somewhat confusing, as few can agree on a precise definition. There is the classic design of the Gibson ES-335 […]
Music
Fletcher Bright and Bill Evans with Norman and Nancy Blake
Songs That Are Mostly Older Than Us
This jam session recorded in veteran fiddler Fletcher Bright’s living room in Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, exudes a warmth, passion, and joyfulness that’s right in line with the old-time music, fiddle tunes, and bluegrass the quartet plays. Banjo man Bill Evans organized proceedings, rounding up old friends Norman and Nancy Blake. They cut these 16 […]
VG Approved Gear
The Hi-Tone HT30/JP 15
Living Loving Gain
While many have tried via transistor trickery to replicate the tone of Jimmy Page’s Hiwatt at Led Zeppelin’s legendary January ’70 Royal Albert Hall performance, the Hi-Tone HT30/JP 15 is the most authentic reproduction yet, with a few welcome updates. Commonly referred to as the JP-30, this Hi-Tone is a 30-watt, all-tube head. The review […]
Artists
Lance Lopez
Hard-Time Music
Several years after being liberated from Supersonic Blues Machine, Lance Lopez is back and better than ever. Wielding hard lessons from the road and the influence of players named Billy, Jimi, and B.B., his latest album, Trouble is Good, is wild, blistering, and hellacious. As proof, he rips holy hell on slide guitar during the […]