Gear Blog
ARTICLES
Will Ray's Bottom Feeder: King Mother-of-Pearl
November 26, 2018
A classic-shaped 6-string catch of the day.
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Will Ray's Bottom Feeder: The Mystery “Epiphone” Special
September 30, 2018
A battered street dog of a guitar that has all the charm of a lovable mutt.
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Will Ray's Bottom Feeder: Cry Baby Wah Guitar
July 23, 2017
A common stompbox gets a weird upgrade.
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Jol Dantzig's Esoterica Electrica: Prime Time for a Classic Tool
June 5, 2017
For those who've pondered building guitars, Jol Dantzig waxes poetic on the one classic tool he can’t live without.
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Vintage Vault: 1964 Gibson Thunderbird Bass
March 5, 2017
How art deco and ’60s marketing meshed in a classic low-ender.
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Will Ray’s Bottom Feeder: 1994 Korean Epiphone Sorrento
January 30, 2017
Dual P-90 pickups and old-school looks in a sunburst finish—what’s not to love?
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State of the Stomp: Be the Change
December 6, 2016
Breaking with routine can be the best way to make real trouble and noise. Do it!
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Vintage Vault: 1959 Rickenbacker 360
December 4, 2016
A classic Rick stays sharp thanks to European styling and its historic “glo.”
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Will Ray's Bottom Feeder: Churchill Cigar Box Guitar
November 30, 2016
A simple bridge replacement makes for a killer, totally tunable tone machine.
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Vintage Vault: 1985 Paul Reed Smith Custom
November 3, 2016
A pre-production PRS that foreshadowed the guitar builder’s future successes.
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State of the Stomp: Overdriven to Tears
June 15, 2016
Why are there so many overdrive pedals on the market? It’s your fault!
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Will Ray's Bottom Feeder: Fender “Bluesbird” Telecaster
June 6, 2016
When you find a guitar that’s been modified exactly how you like, buy it.
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State of the Stomp: The Noise of Art
February 17, 2016
Today’s unwanted sounds may become the aural delights of tomorrow.
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Will Ray's Bottom Feeder: Epiphone 50th Anniversary “1962” Sorrento E452TDN Reissue
December 3, 2015
A possible factory second turns out to be a first-class guitar.
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State of the Stomp: Imagine All the Pedals
November 3, 2015
Whether you play bass or guitar, you’d better stick to “your kind” of stomps. Or maybe not.
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Vintage Vault: 1967 Fender Smuggler’s Tele
November 2, 2015
Odds are you’ve never encountered one of Fender’s vintage “weight-relieved” Telecasters.
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Reader Guitar of the Month: Jackson Explorer
October 9, 2015
Check out a custom Jackson Explorer that was modded with medical equipment parts.
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Vintage Vault: 1972 Fender Jaguar
August 12, 2015
In its day, the Jaguar was Fender’s top-of-the-line model.
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State of the Stomp: The Golden Age of Echo
July 28, 2015
Digital delays can cover 75 percent of the echo sounds you need. So what’s the other 25 percent?
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