Gear History
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Trash or Treasure: Framus Strato Super
January 13, 2019
They may not command the price or popularity of some other ’60s vintage guitars, but these solidbodies from Germany have a solid footing in guitar history.
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Vintage Vault: 1967 Gibson ES-330TD
December 17, 2018
A hollowbody thinline guitar with a sound that appealed to jazz players.
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Fifty Years of Filth: The Story of the Mighty Tone Bender Fuzz
December 13, 2018
Zeppelin and Yardbirds recordings made it legendary, but the famous stompbox’s many iterations can be head-spinning. Here’s how to make sense of it all—and how to shop for one of the many clones.
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Wizard of Odd: Stella—A Story of Strange Solidbodies
December 9, 2018
You may know that Charley Patton, Lead Belly, and Doc Watson played Stella acoustics built in New Jersey in the 1930s, but these oddball post-WWII electrics hail from Tokyo.
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Tuning Up: The Vintage Legitimization Myth
December 5, 2018
Why do we love the lusted-after gear of yore? It’s a lot more complicated than we’d like to think.
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Vintage Vault: 1961 Martin F-55
November 21, 2018
A rare electric that’s just finding its place on the collectability scale.
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Wizard of Odd: The Enigmatic ’60s Lux
November 7, 2018
How I almost passed on a rare Italian beauty—and why I didn’t.
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Vintage Vault: 1964 Gibson Dove
November 5, 2018
A 6-string rare bird with a bright, distinctive chirp.
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Wizard of Odd: Surf’s Up! The Story Behind Late-’60s 700-Series Kents
October 21, 2018
What do you get when ’60s California car and beach culture collide with a young Japanese guitar designer?
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Vintage Vault: 1962 Fender Telecaster Fiesta Red
October 10, 2018
A candy-colored and road-worn Tele with a few rare turns, including an ash body.
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Wizard of Odd: Late-’60s TeleStar Doubleneck
September 21, 2018
Here’s another beautiful weirdo from the Kawai Enshu factory.
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Modulation Nation: Chorus, Phasing, and Flanging
September 20, 2018
Explore the history and mystery of three classic effects.
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Jol Dantzig's Esoterica Electrica: Simple Times, Simple Gear
September 11, 2018
Today’s vast array of amps, guitars, and effects is a good thing, but so is learning to play without a net.
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Trash or Treasure: Danelectro Centurion
September 2, 2018
A groovy dorm-room amp from the early ’60s finds its way back to its owner—ready for rock, and a little repair.
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Acoustic Soundboard: The Retronym March
August 27, 2018
If it looks like a guitar and sounds like a guitar, then it’s just a “guitar,” right? Kind of.
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Axes & Artifacts: Rick Turner Model 1 Lindsey Buckingham Prototype
August 21, 2018
John Bohlinger plugs in the one-of-a-kind signature guitar custom-built for the Fleetwood Mac icon.
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Vintage Vault: 1977 Travis Bean TB1000A Artist
August 17, 2018
An aluminum-through-necked beauty that’s enjoying a renaissance in the world of heavy music.
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Wizard of Odd: ’60s Tombo 6-String Ukulet
July 25, 2018
What do you get when you cross a ukulele with a transistor radio?
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Vintage Vault: 1960s Kay Swingmaster K763
July 20, 2018
A semi-hollow player’s workhorse ready for a second life.
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All the World’s a Gain Stage
July 16, 2018
A beginner’s guide to what makes tube amps growl, bark, and purr—from preamp tubes to output transformers and every cathode in between.
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