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What Actually Makes a Gear Brand "Authentic"?
Esoterica Electrica

What Actually Makes a Gear Brand "Authentic"?

Our columnist ponders the evolution of private-label guitar manufacturing.

Epiphone Sheraton E212T,
Vintage Vault

Epiphone’s Classy Counterpart to the ES-335

This semi-hollow 1967 Sheraton embodies the "wow" in John Lee Hooker's "how, how, how, how"—and much more.

Airline/Kay Swingmaster P-5
Vintage Vault

This Gold-Standard Airline Flies on Three Pickups

The Kay-made Swingmaster P-5 carries the torch for its higher-end predecessors, like the company's Barney Kessel model.

Maserati
Esoterica Electrica

Why Are Guitarists So Resistant to Change?

Now-classic designs such as Gibson's Flying V and Explorer originally bombed with the public—and chances are you would've turned up your nose at their debut, too.

1957 Fender Stratocaster Photo A
Vintage Vault

Close-Up on a “Perfect” Stratocaster

Although the model debuted in 1954, Leo Fender didn't consider his second guitar design complete until '57. Meet that year's serial number 19129.

In Search of the Great Horned Marlin
Wizard of Odd

In Search of the Great Horned Marlin

A somewhat rare 6-string puts the groovy and gonzo guitar design aesthetic of 1960s Japan on full display.

This Silverburst Is Pure Gold
Gear

This Silverburst Is Pure Gold

A 1979 Gibson Les Paul Custom gets caught in the collectability zeitgeist.

Meet My 1965 Super Reverb—The Greatest Amp I've Ever Played
Silver & Black

Meet My 1965 Super Reverb—The Greatest Amp I've Ever Played

Our columnist shares a love story about his longtime passion for the 1965 heavyweight that’s his No. 1.

Pros & Cons of Pitched Vs. Straight Headstocks
Gear

Pros & Cons of Pitched Vs. Straight Headstocks

Boutique luthier Jol Dantzig (cofounder of Hamer Guitars) examines the potential perils of different headstock angles and the balance between performance and ease of construction.