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1971 Fender “Bullet” Stratocaster
Gear of the Month

1971 Fender “Bullet” Stratocaster

R&B session and touring guitarist Josh Sklair jammed on the ’71 Strat pictured here with legendary musicians like Etta James, Roy Orbison, and Bo Diddley.

1969 Univox U-250 Uni-Fuzz
Effects

1969 Univox U-250 Uni-Fuzz

Its sound is very intense and fat, but still is responsive to how your guitar volume is set—lots of shades of fuzz and destruction to be had.

1968 Marshall 50-Watt JMP and 4x12
Gear of the Month

1968 Marshall 50-Watt JMP and 4x12

It all started when a drum shop owner couldn’t get rid of three pesky guitarists. If it weren’t for those meddling kids and their gosh-darned guitars, Jim Marshall might

Late-1940s DeArmond 601 Tremolo
Effects

Late-1940s DeArmond 601 Tremolo

The uneven fuzzy warble of the DeArmond 601 trem pedal trailing Diddley’s provocative clave rhythm cemented the signature Bo Diddley beat.

Gear of the Month

GALLERY: Gear of the Month 2012

See all 12 unique instruments featured as Gear of the Month in 2012.

1972 Dan Armstrong London
Gear of the Month

1972 Dan Armstrong London

The 1972 London shown here features a Honduran mahogany body similar to the Ampeg Dan Armstrong Plexi model, which is reminiscent of a ’50s Les Paul Jr.—Dan’s favorite guitar.

Darrell "Dimebag" Abbott's Washburn Dime 3 Crown Royal
Gear of the Month

Darrell "Dimebag" Abbott's Washburn Dime 3 Crown Royal

After Dimebag Darrell gave Hard Rock the guitar, he handwrote a letter of authenticity. It reads: “THE DIMEBAG CROWN ROYAL! This is a tough one to give up. It’s

The Kinks' Dave Davies' 1977 Gibson Les Paul Artisan
Gear of the Month

The Kinks' Dave Davies' 1977 Gibson Les Paul Artisan

Dave Davies invented distortion. With frustration pushing him to wits end, the Kinks’ guitarist lashed out with a razor blade on the speaker cone of his Elpico amplifier because

Gear of the Month: 1985 Fender Performer
Gear of the Month

Gear of the Month: 1985 Fender Performer

John Page’s Performer was commissioned to combat lost sales to the “super strats” that were flooding the market in the mid-’80s.

Guilford Guitars U.S. Air Force Redeemer
Gear of the Month

Guilford Guitars U.S. Air Force Redeemer

The USAF Redeemer guitar that Guilford built in their honor features a bound, poplar body covered with United States Air Force camouflage, and it’s finished in gloss nitrocellulose.