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Trending Now
In the June ’07 issue of VG, amp profiler extraordinaire Dave Hunter said of the Fender Deluxe Reverb, “If guitarists were to vote for the one ‘best amp for all occasions,’ [it] would very likely earn a majority decision’.” And while this year’s nominees in the VG Hall of Fame “Instrument” category pitted the “DR” […]
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Artists
Noshir Mody’s Elegant Flow
Contemporary-jazzer sets the mood with “The Yards” Noshir Mody’s new album, “A Love Song,” is highlighted by his elegant lines and flowing compositions. Here he offers a sample with “The Yards,” played on his ’95 Gibson Howard Roberts Fusion III. Catch our review of the album in the November issue. Read Now!
Classic Instruments
Vintage Instrument Research
An Ever-Changing Landscape
Fretted instruments can be examined in much the same way as zoological taxonomist or forensic pathologist would approach them. They fit well into a Linnaean taxonomic order, and in fact that is very much the approach we use in identifying and dating fretted instruments. In addition, these instruments can be examined much the same way […]
VG Approved Gear
Ernie Ball Music Man Luke3
Cool-Hand Luke
The latest model in Ernie Ball Music Man’s Steve Lukather signature series was designed to answer Lukather’s demand for an instrument that is simple yet versatile. The Luke3 (a.k.a. LIII), available in dual humbucker (HH) and humbucker-single-single (HSS) configurations, is a high-class workhorse that any serious player will appreciate for its playability and extensive tonal […]
Artists
Remembering Tom Petty
In the colossal wake of the Beatles, Tom Petty – more than most – was that kid the Byrds spoke to in “So You Want to Be a Rock and Roll Star.” In fact, Petty’s 1985 cover with The Heartbreakers on Pack Up the Plantation could well have been a prologue to his biography; his […]
Classic Instruments
The Supro “Model 24”
Okay, Zep police, sound the alarm and prepare to loose the hounds – we are finally about to lift the lid on the Jimmy Page amp. Well, maybe not the Jimmy Page amp, but almost certainly a Jimmy Page amp, and even this claim should be enough to get the keys clacking and the internet […]
Classic Instruments
The 1966 Murph Squire II-T
So-Cal Attention Getter
Despite what many enthusiasts believe, there has been only one really significant “lawsuit” that defined a class of guitars – Norlin v. Elger, 1977 – but there have been plenty of other minor legal skirmishes that shaped guitar history. A mere threat may have kept Murph Guitars from becoming a household name. In 1965, when […]
Artists
Guy Pratt
Rickenbackers and a Resistance
Guy Pratt has been the bass player for Pink Floyd since signing on for the tour to support 1987’s A Momentary Lapse of Reason. With the gig came a rapid accumulation of basses. “I arrived for rehearsals in Toronto with the paltry stable of a Steinberger, a Status II fretless, and ‘Betsy’ – my ’64 […]
Artists
Pop ’N Hiss: Be Bop Deluxe’s Live! In the Air Age
Atmospheric Axes
For a shining moment, the eclectic British quartet Be Bop Deluxe rose above an upheaval in rock and pop in the late ’70s, as fresh hard rock and Southern bands flooded the airwaves along with disco divas and a subversive new sound labeled “punk.” Within the maelstrom, Be Bop Deluxe mixed art concepts, thinking-man’s lyrics, […]
VG Approved Gear
Dynamic Amplifiers 2040 Series
Tone to "Dy" For
Dynamic Amps 2040 series Price: $2,570 (VA Combo) David Carambula’s Dynamic 2040 series of amplifiers consists of three models: Vintage American (VA), Vintage British (VB), and the HG DynaLead. All use class AB single-channel design that can utilize a variety of output tubes, with output reduction, tube rectifier, tube-driven tremolo, spring reverb, welded-aluminum chassis, point-to-point […]
VG Approved Gear
The Dr. Z CAZ-45
Prescription Filled
When word got out in early 2020 that Mike Zaite and Alan Phillips (founder of Carol-Ann Amplifiers) were collaborating on a high-gain amp, the buzz was intense. After several prototypes and numerous design tweaks, the two masterminds came up with the Dr. Z CAZ-45. A hand-wired, 45-watt, single-channel head, the CAZ runs on two 6L6s, […]
Artists
Motörhead Bassist Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister Passes
1945-2015
Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister, founding bassist for the iconic heavy metal band Motörhead, died December 28, two days after reportedly being diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer and four days after his 70th birthday. Kilmister hailed from North Wales. England, and lore had it that he gained the nickname as a youngster, when he would […]
Artists
Soul-jazz legend Calvin Keys
Exclusive spin on “Six to Seven” Calvin Keys has worked with Jimmy Smith, Ahmad Jamal, and Ray Charles. Here, he and his ’72 Gibson Johnny Smith play “Six to Seven,” a track from his new album “Blue Keys,” just for VG followers! Read our review in the January issue. Read Now!
VG Approved Gear
Knaggs Guitars’ Chesapeake Severn Tier 2 Trembuck
All-Genre Style
Knaggs Guitars’ Chesapeake Severn Tier 2 Trembuck Price: $ 5,600 (list)/$4,300 (street) Info: www.knaggsguitars.com. Maryland-based Knaggs Guitars was founded five years ago by former PRS luthier Joe Knaggs and business marketer Peter Wolf. The pair build high-quality set-neck guitars using handpicked tonewoods and state-of-the-art processes. Available in a variety of color and finishes, Knaggs guitars […]
Artists
Nils Lofgren
Great American Journeyman
Nils Lofgren’s resumé stretches 47 years and counting. He joined Neil Young’s band at age 19 and was a member of Crazy Horse before his own band, Grin, landed a record deal in 1971. After Grin, he forged a solo career and in ’84 joined Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. His tenure with […]
Artists
Ruyter Suys
Loud and Proud
Nashville Pussy is fronted by the husband-and-wife team of Blaine Cartwright and Ruyter Suys. Its new album, Up The Dosage, is the band’s first in five years, and it’s jammed with Ted Nugent and AC/DC influences juxtaposed with redneck/trailer-park satire. Employing the tried-and-true Les Paul/Marshall recipe, Suys serves up unadulterated piss-and-vinegar rock, delivering riveting performances […]
Guitar Show Photos
Winter NAMM 2017
Experience Winter NAMM 2017 with James Patrick ReganExperience Winter NAMM 2017 with James Patrick Regan Live from the recent Grez Guitars Annual Clinic and Concert at Beatnik Bandito, in Santa Ana, California, check out Tommy Harkenrider (on a Grez SR-15 Historic with Lindy Fralin P-90s), Bobby Cochran (on an RC-1 with TV Jones T-Armonds), and […]
VG Approved Gear
Bayou Guitarworks Hardware
Players often buy a factory aged guitar and swap the plastics and hardware to more accurately represent the overall aesthetic. Bayou Guitarworks’ custom relic’d hardware fits the bill. Artist Denise Livaudais views photos of your guitar and, using factory parts from Gibson, Fender, etc., applies just the right amount of “voodoo” to match the patina. […]