Gear History
RSS
ARTICLES
Jol Dantzig's Esoterica Electrica: When Uncool Becomes Cool
July 1, 2019
Grading the hip factor of rig components for those who cannot remember the past.
Read More
Vintage Vault: 1961 Fender Stratocaster
June 25, 2019
It was the Jazzmaster’s year in sales, but the Strat stood strong.
Read More
Vintage Vault: 1958 Gibson Les Paul Standard “Byrd” Burst
May 28, 2019
Spotlighting a “player grade” classic.
Read More
Acoustic Soundboard: Dreadnought Days
May 27, 2019
Hip to be square or bound for round, it’s all about the shoulders.
Read More
Wizard of Odd: 1965 Inter-Mark Cipher Valor
May 16, 2019
Learn the history—and hype—behind the flagship guitar of the Cipher line.
Read More
Trash or Treasure: Peavey Blues Classic
April 28, 2019
This all-tube 15" combo from the mid-’90s was produced for just a couple years, but helped develop an amp series that lives on.
Read More
Vintage Vault: 1921 Washburn Model 1915 Style 1222
April 24, 2019
A little giant of the original parlor-guitar style still has stories to tell.
Read More
Signal to Noise: The Sonic Legacy of Tube Amplification
April 23, 2019
Had electric guitar music emerged from transistors, would we even recognize it today?
Read More
Reader Guitar of the Month: Not a Ric
April 15, 2019
After an enlightening lesson in Rickenbacker copyrights, a guitarist turns his once playable Tokai into an art guitar.
Read More
Wizard of Odd: 1965 Zenon Zemi
April 8, 2019
Angular lines, sweeping curves, bright tones, and mysterious origins. What more can you ask for from a super-rare Japanese electric?
Read More
Axes & Artifacts: Gibson ’58 & ’61 ES-335 & ’60 ES-330
April 4, 2019
Hear and learn about the surprising differences between these three classic axes of yore.
Read More
Jol Dantzig's Esoterica Electrica: Simple, Man
March 31, 2019
Taking a vacation from complexity by embracing the electric guitar in its simplest form.
Read More
Vintage Vault: 1962 Gretsch Princess
March 25, 2019
Designed for female players, this guitar had a brief reign but endures as a rare classic.
Read More
Jol Dantzig's Esoterica Electrica: The Guitarist’s Pocket Glossary
February 26, 2019
Arm yourself with guitar-jargon knowledge for decoding the obvious, and not so obvious.
Read More
Vintage Vault: 1960s Silvertone 1446L
February 25, 2019
A close-up look at the “Chris Isaak” model.
Read More
Wizard of Odd: ’60s Excelsior Jamaica III
February 12, 2019
What do polka, beer, accordions, and hot mini-humbuckers have in common?
Read More
Vintage Vault: 1967 Hagström F-300
January 17, 2019
A Swedish gem that's still got tons of rock ’n’ roll swagger—and a lot of switches!
Read More
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.
Read More
Vintage Vault: 1967 Gibson ES-330TD
December 17, 2018
A hollowbody thinline guitar with a sound that appealed to jazz players.
Read More
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.
Read More
