Gear History
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When Exactly Did "Boutique Pedals" Become a Thing?
September 17, 2020
Travel back in time 30+ years and meet the circuit-tweakers who started a stompbox craze.
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Surf with a Space-Age Samurai
September 14, 2020
Up close and personal with a mint-condition 1968 Yamaha SG-5.
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Freeman Vines and the Hanging Tree Guitars
September 10, 2020
How a rural North Carolina luthier’s instruments unearthed a buried story of the American South.
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A 6-String Fit for Yuri Gagarin
September 6, 2020
The Soviet-era Jolana Star X does not have a built-in gamma-ray phaser, but the otherworldly solidbody makes up for that with built-in fuzz.
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Billy Bought a Guitar ... Company
August 9, 2020
This is what happened when Nashville hit-maker Billy Grammer decided to fund his own “perfect” flattop.
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Iso Lab: Gibson ES-335, ES-336, ES-355 & ES-150
August 3, 2020
The Rig Rundown host offers taste tests from his personal collection of "Electric Spanish" guitars, including pieces vintage and modern.
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Dialing 9-1-1 for a Hoyer 725
August 2, 2020
Resuscitating a quirky, heavily damaged ’60s-era electric is made possible by a skilled technician and friend.
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Last Call: Why We Like Distortion
July 30, 2020
While researching guitarists’ obsession with tone, I found a fascinating take on why heightened sound frequencies excite humans.
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A Rock ’n’ Roll Survivor Beats the Odds Again
July 12, 2020
Time and a tornado can’t stop this 18-watt Gibson GA-20 Minuteman—or the little Nashville guitar shop that’s selling it.
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The Fascinating Peavey T-60 Tone Circuit
July 3, 2020
With out-of-phase and coil-switching options, a treble-bleed network, and individual volume and tone controls for each pickup, this dual-humbucker’s wiring was ahead of its time when it came out in 1978.
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Iso Lab: 1966 Fender Deluxe Amp
June 29, 2020
Watch John Bohlinger get busy with his light-but-loud blackface amp that has become a favorite for recording twangy tunes.
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A Thick Body Rick Classic in Perfect Fireglo
June 29, 2020
This 381 from 1970 also features then-new Hi-Gain single-coil pickups.
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What Will Replace Classic Tonewoods?
June 18, 2020
There are no simple substitutes for beloved and threatened woods, but the guitar industry is responding resourcefully, building extraordinary instruments and new supply and communication networks, and—quite likely—creating new classics in the process.
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Iso Lab: 1964 Fender Pro Amp
June 1, 2020
PG's John Bohlinger shows off his 1x15 blackface combo with a '61 355, bender Tele, and a '55 Strat.
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Walter Becker’s 1968 Ampeg AMUB-1 Bass
May 31, 2020
We're not sure which recordings the Steely Dan legend used it on, if any, but that doesn't mean it's not a fascinating find!
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Iso Lab: 1966 Fender Twin Reverb
May 25, 2020
PG's Music City demo maestro uses a bender Tele, a vintage Strat, and an old cherry 355 to get clean, loud, and bubbly with his blackface tonal bedrock.
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Rare '60s Japanese JVC Victor Still Flies Today
May 24, 2020
The flagship model for Japanese electronics juggernaut was here and gone in the blink of an eye, but certainly not because of quality issues.
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Rig Rundown Best-Ofs: Most Iconic Guitars
May 22, 2020
From Angus’ SG to Tom’s “Arm the Homeless” axe—the most recognizable 6-strings from our catalog of nearly 500 Rundowns.
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Like Peanut Butter and Chocolate: Classic Guitar & Fender-Amp Pairings
May 21, 2020
Four irresistible combinations every guitar junkie's gotta try.
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