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Rig Rundown: Brad Whitford and Derek St. Holmes

Classic rockers from Aerosmith and Ted Nugent reconnect after three decades to jam on vintage-inspired gear with modern accoutrements.

St. Holmes mixes his utilitarian board with boutique scores and big-box standards.

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Stevie Van Zandt with ā€œNumber One,ā€ the ā€™80s reissue Stratocasterā€”with custom paisley pickguard from luthier Dave Petilloā€”that heā€™s been playing for the last quarter century or so.

Photo by Pamela Springsteen

With the E Street Band, heā€™s served as musical consigliere to Bruce Springsteen for most of his musical life. And although he stands next to the Boss onstage, guitar in hand, heā€™s remained mostly quiet about his work as a playerā€”until now.

Iā€™m stuck in Stevie Van Zandtā€™s elevator, and the New York City Fire Department has been summoned. Itā€™s early March, and I am trapped on the top floor of a six-story office building in Greenwich Village. On the other side of this intransigent door is Van Zandtā€™s recording studio, his guitars, amps, and other instruments, his Wicked Cool Records offices, and his man cave. The latter is filled with so much day-glo baby boomer memorabilia that itā€™s like being dropped into a Milton Glaser-themed fantasy landā€”a bright, candy-colored chandelier swings into the room from the skylight.


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Ibanez introduces the new AZ Standards series for 2025, offering high-end features at an affordable price point. With Roasted Maple necks, jumbo stainless steel frets, and the Dyna-MIX switching system, the AZ Standards strike a perfect balance between performance and affordability.

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Photo by Christy Bush

Jason Isbell's first entirely solo acoustic album, Foxes in the Snow is set for release March 7. The first single, ā€œBury Meā€ is out now.

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