Guitar philosopher in a sea of gymnasts, Bill Frisell is often referred to as a guitar anti-hero. But, to a multitude of fans and peers, “hero” is the perfect label.

Dave Hunter explains how the Gibson GA-20RVT Minuteman is a shining example of how the company segued out of its classic years a little more quickly than most amp builders in the ’60s. 

We continue to mark 40 years of publication with an examination of basses, amps, effects, mandolins, ukuleles, resonators, and lap-steels that have become exceedingly collectible.

Kal David’s ’64 Firebird V carries all the signs of an instrument that has seen action during thousands of nights on hundreds of stages. We offer a “Classics” examination

To talk new music, we catch up with Robben Ford, Cory Wong, Selwyn Birchwood, Tom Principato, Captain Sensible, and Michael Hampton.

Wolf Marshall retraces the Beatles’ route to immortality and the creation of Abbey Road – and “Pop ’N Hiss” talks with the venerable Rik Emmett, recalling the making of Triumph’s Allied Forces.  

Our sage “Hit List” review staff screens new music from Black Crowes, Eric Bibb, Doyle Bramhall, Bill Kirchen, Rush, and many other artists. 

Here to help you sort wheat from chaff as you shop for new instruments, amps, and pedals, our “Approved Gear” staff takes a run on Fender 30th Anniversary Hot Rod Deluxe IV, Kogalashi Sound Magic Swell of Silence, PRS SE Hollowbody II Piezo, and the Tone King Royalist. 

It’s all in the May issue!

Founder of the thrash-metal pioneers Megadeth, Dave Mustaine announced last August that the band’s next album would be its last. It promptly became their first to debut at #1 on Billboard, and he tells VG how it is helping him and the band go out on top.

Fans of Clapton, Page, and other guitar gods assume they recorded using big Marshalls or Hiwatts. But, a lot of iconic tones were created with small “beginner” amps by Vox, Valco, DeArmond, and others. Dave Hunter profiles five that get the job done.

When news broke that G&L Guitars closed, players and collectors worldwide expressed their appreciation. We revisit the brand’s history, dig into its closure, and profile its most-notable instruments.

Brand curiosity spurred Chris Shelton to buy a G&L F-100. He instantly felt a difference between it and every other guitar he’d played. New-found fascination led him to acquire another; turns out, it’s a rare example.

When Chet Atkins strapped on a 6120 in the mid ’50s, the electric guitar became a statement of sophistication. From rockabilly flash to modern swagger, the chime of Gretsch hollowbodies still shakes stages and soundtracks. We investigate their timeless tones.

To talk new music, we catch up with Paul Gilbert, Warren Haynes, Lil’ Ed Williams, Earl Slick, Rob Fleming, and Mike Krompass. 

Wolf Marshall dives into the making of a masterpiece – Steely Dan’s Aja – while Dan Erlewine’s “Guitar Rx” converts a Strat to something that Jerry Garcia would’ve loved. 

Informed and objective, our “Hit List” review staff screens new music from Duke Robillard, Vince Gill, Asleep at the Wheel, Mountain, Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials, and more. 

Itching to update your jam? Our “Approved Gear” staff is here to help! This month, we try the Danelectro Pro, Harden Seahorse, Taylor 260e Doce Doble, and TWA Source Code. 

It’s all in the April issue!

Beautiful but misunderstood, archtop guitars made by Martin have long been one of the greatest puzzles in the realm of collectibles. We explain why it’s time to appreciate them for what they are.

Amplifiers built by Howard Alexander Dumble are among the most valuable in the world. Lesser-known early examples like these modded Princeton Reverbs from ’65 and ’66 focus on how the guru got his start.

For decades, Rodney Crowell has been telling stories through enduring compositions, hit singles, and acclaimed albums. His latest is a guitar-driven collection recorded with guests Larkin Poe, Lukas Nelson, and others. We talk with him about it, and dig into his notable guitar collection

We offer a memorial to Bob Weir and discuss new music with Eric Krasno, Glen Tilbrook of Squeeze, David Dvorin, Jay Hooks, Joe Bonamassa, and John Shannon. We also introduce you to the new Music Experience Center at the famed Surf Ballroom.

Wolf Marshall gets starstruck as he guides us through the history and best licks of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, while “VG Q&A” lays out how Jack Bruce created his bass tone in Cream. 

The “Hit List” review staff takes a listen to new music from Jorma Kaukonen, Yes, Soulive, Mammoth, Duke Levine, and more. 

Chances are you need some new decor in the jam room, and our “Approved Gear” staff is here to help you make good choices. This month, we test run Guild M-50 Standard, Peavey VTM, Blackstar TV-10A, and the PRS Fiore HH. 

It’s all in the March issue!

The February 2026 Issue of Vintage Guitar magazine features Tinsley Ellis, Steve Cropper, Eric Johnson’s Ah Via Musicom, Jimi Hendrix’s Axis: Bold as Love, Jimmie Vaughan, Duke Levine, Rickenbacker 120Strings, 1926 Gibson Falcon, 40 Most Valuable Guitars,Marcus Deml, and more!

We speak once again with genre-defying uberpicker John 5 to discuss his new instrumental album, Ghost. Along with the music and his disdain for down time, we get philosophical about his guitar collection. 

We continue to mark the 75th anniversary of the Tele, this time with a survey of “7 Heretics of the Telecaster” – players who altered the instrument and adapted the way it’s used. We also excerpt Telecaster 75 Years, the new book by longtime VG contributor Dave Hunter. 

Dave Hunter tells why the WEM Westminster 15 a prime example of the company’s offerings from the ’70s. 

Peter Stuart Kohman concludes his exploration of the “The Last Days of Danelectro.” The instruments may not be as well-known as Shorthorns, Longhorns, and Amp-in-Case Silvertones, but they’re every bit as interesting.

In “Classics,” we introduce you to a refinished ’59 Strat with a great story to tell. Some of its questions remain unanswered. 

Stopping by to talk new music are Ray Benson, Jon Butcher, Marcus King, Ana Popovic, and Zac Schulze. Reeves Gabrels digs into the details on his latest Reverend signature guitar. 

In “Pop ’N Hiss,” we recount the swagger of Foghat’s Fool for the City LP, and Wolf Marshall expounds on the influence of The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s Axis: Bold as Love.

Our “Hit List” review staff screens the latest new music from The Who, Asleep at the Wheel, Warren Haynes, Sly & The Family Stone, Marcus King, and more. 

In “Approved Gear,” we test the Fender Ultra Luxe Stratocaster, Earthquaker Easy Listening, Blackstar IDX, and the Reverend Reeves Gabrels Spacehawk Supreme. 

It’s all in the November issue!

We mark 75 years of the indomitable Telecaster, Leo Fender’s solidbody masterpiece! We lead off with an examamination of the matching gold-sparkle Teles played by Don Rich and Buck Owens in 1965. The band was its peak, with guitars supplying the raw, visceral sound to hits by the Buckaroos. Most of them are still around, but one disappeared without a trace. We also examine 22 classic Tele licks; from Muddy Waters and Jimmy Bryant to Prince and Susan Tedeschi, it has always been a formidable tool of expression. Finally, Dan Forte’s “Check This Action” dives further into the influence of Owens and Rich.

Dave Hunter digs into the Ampeg Superbreverb R-15-R. Though it was offered for only a few years, its tone justifies the superlative in its name. 

Jimi Hendrix’s rhythm style – the chords in “Little Wing,” “The Wind Cries Mary,” or “Castles Made of Sand” and how they’re played have been used in hit songs through the decades, and all of them appropriated the groove from Curtis Mayfield. We tell his story.  

We talk new music with Webb Wilder, Johnny Moeller, Shawn Purcell, Ben Garnett, and Daniel Donato, and introduce you to Nathaniel Murphy, who helps players decide whether the guitar they’re shopping for at Chicago Music Exchange will be everything they need.

“Pop ’N Hiss” circles back on the impact of Foreigner’s 4, while “Fretprints” scrutinizes the licks of Toto IV, and band’s enormous impact on ’80s pop and rock. 

In “Dan’s Guitar Rx,” Mr. Erlewine fixes the bridge on ’49 Gibson J-200.

Freshen your playlists with help from our “Hit List” review staff, who tell why you should take a listen to the latest from Roger Waters, Webb Wilder, Rodney Crowell, Motörhead, Jorge Garcia, and others.

Our knowledgabel “Approved Gear” review staff weighs in on the PRS SE NF53, Bristol BD-21, Pre-War Mahogany Dreadnought, and the Spector Wimbish Euro 4.

It’s all in the October issue!

The Septenber 2025 Issue Featuring The Alice Cooper Group’s Michael Bruce and Dennis Dunaway.

Ignited by a visit to Gibson headquarters when he was nine, young Rick Derringer later used “Hang On Sloopy” to springboard a career that was varied and lengthy. We remember the guitar legend.

Binky Philips was just 21 when he walked into a NYC music store in 1972 and saw Rick Derringer’s ’59 Les Paul hanging on the consignment wall. For 53 years, it has been his most-prized possession.

The story of Danelectro guitars is well-documented, but its final years are a blur of conflicting stories and claims. Peter Stuart Kohman wants to help iron it out. 

Fender amps of the 1940s, ’50s, and early ’60s provide fascinating reading. Dave Hunter tells us about a ’67 Fender Showman with a story all its own.

From its early years through the ’60s, Gibson made custom instruments that mixed and matched specifications from various models. Few were as intriguing as the ES-175 Special Wurlitzer from 1955. George Gruhn and Walter Carter dig in for us.

We talk new music with Steve Stevens, Kid Ramos, Doug Aldrich, Luther Dickinson, Phil Manzanera, Kurt Rosenwinkel, and Eric Johanson. We also remember Drew Zingg.

In “Fretprints,” Wolf Marshall delves into the blues, bop, and everything else that is Kenny Burrell’s On View at the Five Spot, while “Pop ’N Hiss” reminds us of the impact of Bookter T and MG’s Green Onions, and Dan Erlewine walks us through the restoration of a ’68 Martin D12-20.

Because we know you love the smell of new gear in the morning (or evening!), our “Approved Gear” staff examines the Epiphone 1962 ES-335 Reissue, Ciari Steve Stevens Ascender, Harden Gator OD, and the Tobias Classic IV and Killer B IV.

In “Hit List,” we share our thoughts on the latest music by Gary Moore, Marty Stuart, Santana, Styx, Phil Manzanera, Kid Ramos, and others.

It’s all in the August issue!

The July 2025 Issue of Vintage Guitar magazine features The Everly Brothers’ 6122 Country Gents, English Electronics Tonemaster, Dad’s Day, Dean DeLeo, Don Felder, Frank Hannon, Phil X, Andy Babiuk, Santana’s Abraxas, and more!