October 2025

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!