The ‘‘Blackburst’’
Among experienced (and often jaded) veteran guitar collectors, precious few things create an adrenaline rush – strange one-offs, oddball brands that never quite blossomed, guitars with non-standard parts/materials from the factory, or those once owned by an icon. Even better, those personally built by an icon. And every so often, there emerges a guitar like this – a true classic that simply […]
Belfast Bluesman Dom Martin
Gallagher, Buchanan Inspiration! Dom Martin grew up listening to blues-guitar legends including his Irish countryman Rory Gallagher, and has created his own sprawling musical vision. Here, he plugs his Vintage V100 Peter Green Lemon Drop (with House of Tone pickups) plugged into his Victory Super Duchess to play “Unhinged” from his latest album, “Buried in The […]
Reddick Voyager CS
Exploring creative designs at his shop in Georgia, luthier Ian Reddick aimed to solve a common problem – how to cover a range of tones on a gig without lugging a small army of guitars. His solution is the Voyager, a modular and highly customizable guitar that enables a player to swap out pickups in […]
Keeley Electronics Dark Side
In the multi-verse of effects pedals, Robert Keeley’s compressors, dirt boxes, and workstation gizmos are a thing of beauty – particularly in the realm of pedals that provide multiple sounds. Guitarists who have a hankering for fuzz, delay, and modulation effects will undoubtedly dig the Dark Side, which purports to mimic the popular guitar sounds […]
Reverend Guitars Ron Asheton Model
Reverend Guitars Ron Asheton Model Price: $1,079 Info: www.reverendguitars.com. If Ron Asheton had recorded just one album in his musical career – the Stooges’ 1969 debut – he still would be regarded as a legend. The Stooges’ proto-punk opus laid the blueprint for a thousand punk, alt-rock, and grunge bands that followed and featured the […]
Budda’s Baby Budda Amp Head
Budda Amplification staked its claim in 1995 with the Twinmaster boutique amplifier. Its hand-wired construction and user-friendly tones were hits in the guitar community and led to a broader line of amplifiers that catered to modern guitarists who craved old-school touch responsive. The Baby Budda is an 18-watt lunchbox-style head that pays homage to that […]
David Allen Fat ’59 Tele Pickups
At their best, Tele pickups deliver unparalleled twang – versatile and fat. Conversely, poor T-style pickups are flat and screechy or thin and brittle. Understanding these variables and knowing the bar is high for Tele users, California pickup/pedal maker David Allen set about making the Fat ’59 Tele set. For those into the science of […]
Ibanez BWM1 Bob Weir Cowboy Fancy
The mid ’70s were a time for bold experimentation in guitar design, particularly with electronics. Guitarists were discovering replacement pickups, coil-tapping, onboard boosters, and active EQ circuits; some loaded their axes with buttons and switches. One such guitar was the custom “Cowboy Fancy” solidbody that Ibanez made for Grateful Dead rhythm guitarist Bob Weir, circa […]
Tommy Allsup
No article on the late Tommy Allsup would be complete without the story of an unsuccessful coin flip saving his life – and that goes for this one, too. But the well-known story of Buddy Holly chartering a plane in 1959, and bandmate Allsup giving his seat to Ritchie Valens, avoiding the fatal crash, overshadows […]
Traynor YBA-2 Bass Mate
Canadian amp maker Traynor gets a lot of respect in some circles for turning out solid, good-sounding tube amps that are built with quality components and, in many cases, can easily be modified toward a sonic condition more substantial than when they left the factory. It’s also frequently noted that they “blend British and American […]
MIM Hosts Stephen Stills and Ushers in Dragons and Vines Exhibition
On November 5th, Phoenix, Arizona’s Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) celebrated the opening of their newest exhibition, “Dragons and Vines: Inlaid Guitar Masterpieces.” Curators teamed up with Maryland-based Pearl Works to showcase the work of some of the most talented and skilled inlay artists and luthiers in North America. The display is a remarkable collection of […]
Long Train Runnin’: Our Story of the Doobie Brothers
For 50 years, the Doobie Brothers’ feel-good hits have been radio staples. In these pages, vocalists/guitarists Tom Johnston and Pat Simmons share memories and insights such as how the much-hyped psychedelic band Moby Grape was a massive influence. In 1968, a college-aged Pat Simmons went to San Francisco to see a Jimi Hendrix gig at […]
Paco de Lucía
“He didn’t read music – but I have never met a musician with such an impeccable ear,” says John McLaughlin of the late flamenco phenomenon in the liner notes for this live set, recorded at the famed Swiss jazz festival. A compilation spanning eight shows from 1984 to 2012, it captures de Lucía and his […]
Redplate Amps’ BluesMachine66
Redplate Amps’ BluesMachine66 Price: $2,799 (list) Contact: www.redplateamps.com Redplate builds boutique amplifiers with point-to-point wiring and meticulous hands-on attention to detail. Their BluesMachine66 1×12 was created for the discerning guitarist with a predilection for British flavors. Its 12AX7 preamp tubes run at 50 watts using KT66 power tubes. The BluesMachine66 has knobs and switches galore, […]
Sue Foley’s Pinky Tele
Powerhouse Blues on “Dallas Man” Sue Foley and her band (Corey Keller on drums and John Bradley on bass) tear through a chunk of “Dallas Man,” one of the tracks from her album, “Pinky’s Blues.” Sue is playing Pinky III, a paisley Tele given to her by Billy Gibbons, running through a Boss reverb pedal […]
The Epiphone Devon Tremolo EA-35T Combo
After giving the upstart Fender a run for its money in the amplifier department throughout the 1950s, Gibson segued into something that looked like surrender; by the early ’60s, its amps appeared to be afterthoughts or scattershot offerings to a rapidly evolving market. And while amps carrying the Epiphone badge were even more like outcasts, […]
Pop ’N Hiss: Be Bop Deluxe’s Live! In the Air Age
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, […]