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GALLERY: Vintage Vault 2014

ICYMI: A year of historic gear ogling.

January 2014

1966 Fender Jazz Bass in Firemist Silver
The 1966 Jazz Bass pictured this month is finished in firemist silver, a striking custom color introduced the previous year. While this finish is very rare, the rest of the features are typical of a ’66 Jazz Bass. These include a rosewood fretboard with pearl block inlays (replacing the previous dots), white binding (there was no binding in previous years), a three-ply white vinyl pickguard (changed from greenish nitrocellulose in 1964), two volume controls, a master tone (replacing the stacked volume/tone controls Fender used until 1962), and metal pickup covers. The amp in the background is the session player’s dream—the world renowned Ampeg B-15N.

Original price: 1966 Jazz Bass, $285 plus $59.50 for the case; 1963 Ampeg B-15N, $355
Current estimated market value: 1966 Jazz Bass, $12,500; 1963 Ampeg B-15N, $1,400

For your viewing pleasure, we’ve put together this abbreviated gallery of the vintage gear highlighted last year by Laun Braithwaite, Tim Mullally, and Dave Rogers of Dave’s Guitar Shop in their monthly column, Vintage Vault. To read the full context behind each of these stunners and their parent companies, visit the Vintage Vault page under the “Premier Blogs” section above. What models do you want to know more about in 2015? Let us know in the comments below.

Duane Denison of the Jesus Lizard, EGC Chessie in hands, coaxing some nasty tones from his Hiwatt.

Photo by Mike White

After 26 years, the seminal noisy rockers return to the studio to create Rack, a master class of pummeling, machine-like grooves, raving vocals, and knotty, dissonant, and incisive guitar mayhem.

The last time the Jesus Lizard released an album, the world was different. The year was 1998: Most people counted themselves lucky to have a cell phone, Seinfeld finished its final season, Total Request Live was just hitting MTV, and among the year’s No. 1 albums were Dave Matthews Band’s Before These Crowded Streets, Beastie Boys’ Hello Nasty, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Korn’s Follow the Leader, and the Armageddonsoundtrack. These were the early days of mp3 culture—Napster didn’t come along until 1999—so if you wanted to hear those albums, you’d have to go to the store and buy a copy.

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Introducing THE ONE, the reimagined Gibson Les Paul Studio.

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Though it uses two EL84’s to generate 15 watts, the newest David Grissom-signature amp has as much back-panel Fender body as AC15 bite.

A great-sounding, flexible reimagining of a 15-watt, EL84 template.

No effects loop. Balancing boost and non-boosted volumes can be tricky.

Amp Head: $1,199 street.
1x12 Speaker Cabinet: $499 street.

PRS DGT 15
prsguitars.com

4.5
4.5
4
5

The individuals behind the initials “PRS” and “DGT” have, over the last two decades, very nearly become their own little gear empire. The “DG” is, of course, acclaimed Texas guitar slinger David Grissom. The other fellow founded a little guitar and amplifier company in Maryland you may have heard of. (And he’s also a PG columnist.)

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Phat Machine

The two pedals mark the debut of the company’s new Street Series, aimed at bringing boutique tone to the gigging musician at affordable prices.

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