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Trending Now
The Master Model instruments created at Gibson in the early 1920s are famous for their sound and build. Credit for their design is often laid at the feet of “acoustic engineer” Lloyd A. Loar, but recent study calls into question the role he played – and may even position him as a mere tool of […]
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VG Approved Gear
BC Audio Grand Prix 100
Hand-Wired Heaven
For the past few years, builder Bruce Clement of BC Audio has been getting attention for his killer-sounding and meticulously wired tube heads and matching cabs. New for 2017 is his first two-channel head, the Grand Prix 100. The amp has an all-tube signal path and point-to-point wiring. Tube-o-philes will further dig the paper-bobbin transformers, […]
Classic Instruments
Eric Clapton’s “Blackie”
This may well be the most desirable Fender Stratocaster on the face of the planet. And it happens to be a beat-up mongrel assembled from parts taken from three 1950s guitars. Nevertheless, Eric Clapton’s “Blackie” is one of the most recognized celebrity-associated instruments in the history of the electric guitar, and it served Slowhand’s needs […]
VG Approved Gear
Retro Guitar MelodyBurner
Bite and Bark
Retro Guitar MelodyBurner Price: $999 (options available) Info: www.melodyburner.com In the realm of hot-rodded cars, there’s a cool genre known as rat rods – old, relic’d automobiles that sport a lowdown vintage vibe. Meet the rat axe. Retro Guitar’s MelodyBurner is a similarly cool guitar that also bites as loud as it barks. This Junior-styled […]
Classic Instruments
Dallas Shaftesbury 30
We mine the rich seam of obscure vintage American tube amps on a regular basis here in the pages of VG, but less often do we delve into the equally fascinating histories of B- and C-list British guitar amps of the 1950s, ’60s, and early ’70s. Nevertheless, there was plenty of life in the British […]
VG Approved Gear
The Fender Bullet Deluxe/JP-90
No Frills, Didn’t Fly
Fender has tried more than once to market basses with a low-budget vibe. And while the idea is laudable, most of the offerings never really caught on. In the early ’80s, Fender – then owned by CBS – was on a downward slide thanks in part to quality-control issues and uninspired products. And […]
Artists
Eddie Roberts
Making It Up As You Go
The New Mastersounds’ latest album, Made For Pleasure, has the usual mix of soul, jazz, funk, and even a bit of reggae, and of course the band is tight and focused. It may, however, surprise listeners that it was written and performed in the span of one week. “That’s pretty much how we work,” said […]
Artists
Influenced by Benson, Montgomery, and Christian: Jorge Garcia
Flavorful Jazz on “Dedicated to You” Jazz guitarist Jorge Garcia brings many flavors to his musical table. Here, his ’77 Ibanez Artist helps him exhibit a bit of “Dedicated To You,” the tasty title track from his latest album. Read our review in the August issue. Read Now!
Artists
Jeff Pilson
Definitive Diversity
Jeff Pilson’s career has included many notable facets. He rose to acclaim in the classic lineup of the hair-metal band Dokken, and since 2004 he has the bassist for classic-rockers Foreigner. Different genres don’t necessarily make for radically different approaches, and Pilson brought a high-energy approach to Foreigner, in the studio or onstage. Prior to […]
Artists
Tony Rombola
Gothic Blues
Godsmack guitarist Tony Rombola is moonlighting once again, on the third album by Apocalypse Blues Revival with fellow Godsmack member/drummer Shannon Larkin, bassist Brian Carpenter, and singer Shane Hall. The self-titled effort shows the band evolving beyond its blues-rock origins to a range of grooves including gothic psychedelia. Rombola’s playing goes otherworldly and trippy, with […]
Artists
Leslie West
Still Climbing
Upon first viewing you’ll notice that The Sound and the Story is different. The new video from guitarist Leslie West stands apart from other instructional guitar DVDs in that, while West is more than happy to show how to play some of his classic songs and discuss how he learned to play, his gregarious personality […]
Artists
Rod Abernethy
Fuzz: Carolina Acoustic Connections
A fixture on the North Carolina music scene, guitarist/songwriter Rod Abernethy has accumulated many memories, including the purchase of his mainstay instrument, a 1954 Gibson J-200. “When I graduated from UNC Chapel Hill in ’75, my mom wanted to give me a guitar for graduation,” he recalled. “She said I could buy any guitar I […]
Artists
Thin Lizzy’s Scott Gorham and Vivian Campbell
Live and Still Dangerous!
Thin Lizzy has cemented its place in history as one of the most influential rock bands of all time. Recognizable by its harmonized twin-guitar leads and a hard-edged sound, Lizzy inspired generations of musicians in the U.K. and around the world. The classic and most identifiable lineup paired guitarists Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson, though […]
Classic Instruments
The Real Story of Martin’s 14-Fret Orchestra Models
OM Irony
Martin Orchestra Model (OM) guitars made prior to World War II are some of the finest ever made for fingerpicking. That’s rather ironic, considering they were created specifically for flatpickers. • Much has been written about the OM-28, but some of that info, including how it was designed for Perry Bechtel, is a bit misleading. […]
Classic Instruments
Building a Studio
The Art of Home Recording
VG will equip readers with the knowledge and skill to achieve professional-sounding home recordings. We guide you through the setup of a home studio – a starting point to this brave new world.
VG Approved Gear
Jam Pedals’ LucyDreamer Supreme
Crunchilicious
Like so many boutique gear companies, Jam Pedals has established a distinct sonic stamp. Its effects have an uncompromising retro personality known for warmth and quality. One of their latest, the LucyDreamer Supreme, is a two-in-one OD; the left side engages a clean boost while the right serves up a range of crunchiosity. The control […]
VG Approved Gear
Harmony Comet
Michigan Meteor
Whoever coined the phrase “Everything old is new again” knew what they were talking about. The resurrected Harmony brand, associated decades ago with budget instruments (and at one time the largest guitar maker in the U.S.), began appearing on new guitars three years ago. And they’re still made in the U.S. – in the famed […]
Music
Check This Action: So Long, Charlie and Top
I was saddened to hear of the passing of ’50s rocker Charlie Gracie on December 16. The 86-year-old rocker sure led a full life. I interviewed Charlie for VG in 2006 and, at 70, he was one of the most charming, vital artists I ever encountered. He regaled me with stories of an Italian-American upbringing […]