Gear History
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A High Five for an Underappreciated Fender
March 20, 2020
Handwired by amp guru Paul Rivera, this ’80s Concert rules for everything from blues to rock, and Americana.
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A Custom-Finished Fender Worth Five Figure$
March 18, 2020
Ash, rosewood, and factory-original black paint bedeck this beautiful 1964 Strat.
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This Bass Might Be Responsible for the Pointy Headstocks of the '80s
March 16, 2020
Guitar hunter extraordinaire Frank Meyers recalls how he found this late-’60s Marlin PB-26—an ahead-of-its-time design so gonzo it left him speechless.
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How Mass Production Has Improved Entry-Level Acoustics
March 3, 2020
Upscale options once reserved for boutique guitars are now within easy reach for just about any budget.
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This Colorful Aluminum-Neck Italian Guitar Foreshadowed the Psychedelic Era
February 24, 2020
The 1960 Wandré Rock Oval exemplifies its builder’s eye for the artistic and the original.
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Jol Dantzig’s Esoterica Electrica: Fretboard Treatments Bound to Please
February 20, 2020
Fretboard edges might not be as sexy as tonewoods or inlays, but they play a vital role in a player’s relationship with a guitar.
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Meet Norma, the 6-String Prehistoric Raptor
February 19, 2020
She's got four pickups and a cornucopia of switches, dials, and pickups on her saber-toothed pickguard.
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Peter Green's 1964 Marshall JTM45
January 29, 2020
Which also happened to be used by David Gilmour, Bob Marley, the Police, the Who, the Rolling Stones, and more!
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Identifying a Rare 4-Pickup Baritone
January 26, 2020
The Demian VN-4 shares DNA with Teisco, Guyatone, and Kawai relatives.
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Jol Dantzig’s Esoterica Electrica: What’s the Tonewood Equivalent of Gold?
January 17, 2020
Easy to work with, beautiful, stable, and much more, the marvel of mahogany isn’t lost on luthiers. But the price is a different story.
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Everyone Knows Guitars Can’t Spell
January 6, 2020
But as the Wizard of Odd shows, this early made-in-Japan Teisco J5 “guiter” speaks the right language.
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Last Call: How Signature Guitars Are Like Handwriting
January 3, 2020
An instrument that feels like home? That’s what it’s all about.
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When Gibson Put the ES-350 on a Diet
December 22, 2019
Eyeball a shining star from Kalamazoo’s original thinline series.
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Can You Name This Magical Mystery Bass?
December 20, 2019
This incredibly ornate bass is packed with enough electronics to make ’70s-era IBM blush, but it’s origin has our columnist stumped. Thoughts?
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Wizard of Odd: Molto Bene Mustang!
December 9, 2019
It may not be your dad’s ’Stang from the 1960s—unless he’s from Italy—but this axe has a unique look and flavor that’s begging for surf rock.
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The World’s Weirdest Guitar Mods and Builds
December 5, 2019
Feast your eyes and ears on these 6-string mutants, monsters, and mooncalves—approved by Dr. Frankenstein, but ready to make great music.
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Vintage Vault: Reassessing a Rare Semi-Hollow ’73 Les Paul Signature Model
November 25, 2019
After Norlin acquired Gibson, the historic musician lent his name to a new series of guitars, including this goldtop.
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Wizard of Odd: Doina Seranada
November 14, 2019
This Romania-built, communist-era axe takes some obvious cues from Italian and Japanese guitars of the ’60s, but has a look all its own.
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Vintage Vault: 1937 Gibson L-10
October 29, 2019
A classic archtop acoustic that helped define country music resurfaces at the right moment.
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Axes & Artifacts: 1958 Gibson Flying V
October 28, 2019
Walter Carter talks about the iconic instrument made famous by Albert King and Lonnie Mack, while John Bohlinger lays down some mean slide to hear how it barks.
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