In the early 1980s, rock-guitar fans were becoming obsessed with superstrats and Van Halen-esque fretboard hijinks. It was a time of “more is more” and pressure to be the next big thing. Riding high with the radio-hit-making Journey, Neal Schon was the poster child for melodic restraint. But, he had an itch to express himself […] The post Pop ’N Hiss: HSAS’ Through the Fire first appeared on Vintage Guitar® magazine ..read more

Season 02 Episode 4 Episode 4 of “Buy That Guitar” has host Ram Tuli talking with musician/Strat fanatic Tom Guerra, digging into his career and the evolution of his favorite guitar model. Is the Stratocaster the greatest guitar ever made? Links: Tom Guerra Subscribe to our “Overdrive” newsletter for the latest happenings at Vintage Guitar […] The post “Buy That Guitar” podcast with special guest Garrett Tung first appeared on Vintage Guitar® magazine ..read more

Why did Fender build amps with dual sets of inputs, as on the Princeton Reverb, Deluxe Reverb, and Vibroverb reissue? The Deluxe has Normal and Vibrato; was Normal intended to plug in a microphone and have guitar in the Vibrato side, like a small PA? Also, can they be patched to create an overdriven sound, […] The post VG Q&A: Input… Input first appeared on Vintage Guitar® magazine ..read more

Rock and roll in the 1980s saw styles collide after two decades of unbridled innovation. Night Ranger’s melodic-metal arena rock epitomized the period, but never fit a stereotype. With catchy commercial songs and power ballads, guitar antics and heavy power chords made it a great guitar-rock band that incorporated keyboards, tight arrangements, and hooks aided […] The post Fretprints: Jeff Watson first appeared on Vintage Guitar® magazine ..read more

This month we feature Tommy Castro, Tab Benoit, Yasmin Williams, Oz Noy & Andrew Synowiec, Kristian Borring, Marcin, Grand Funk We’re An American Band, Albert King, Dwight Yoakam, John Hammond, Jorma Kaukonen, Jontavious Willis, and more! Spotify is free or available without ads via a paid subscription. Go to www.spotify.com and search “Vintage Guitar magazine,” […] The post 2025 February Issue on Spotify first appeared on Vintage Guitar® magazine ..read more

While Marty Friedman was first known as a shred pioneer in Cacophony (with co-guitarist Jason Becker) and ’90s metal master with Megadeth, his latest solo set, Drama, shows another side of the axe hero. The album has Friedman celebratingmelody as a tool of expression, creating grand, sweeping pieces that evoke a film score. Fans already […] The post Marty Friedman first appeared on Vintage Guitar® magazine ..read more

Bar-band grinders with nearly 3,000 gigs in their back pockets, when Twisted Sister began recording its major-label debut 40 years ago, they were already on shaky ground. Signed by Atlantic Records A&R guy Jason Flom, TS faced pushback from label president Doug Morris, who wasn’t shy about his distaste for the group and its “car […] The post Classics: Guitars of Twisted Sister first appeared on Vintage Guitar® magazine ..read more

When talk amongst vintage-amp aficionados turns to “best-sounding small combos,” bids for the early Fender Princeton or Deluxe, Vox AC15, or Marshall 18-watter are often trumped by the relatively few who have experienced the glories of a DeArmond. But those who know are passionate about the sound of those diminutive creations from northern Ohio. DeArmond […] The post DeArmond R5T first appeared on Vintage Guitar® magazine ..read more

Season 02 Episode 4 Episode 4 of “Buy That Guitar” has host Ram Tuli talking with musician/Strat fanatic Tom Guerra, digging into his career and the evolution of his favorite guitar model. Is the Stratocaster the greatest guitar ever made? Links: Tom Guerra Subscribe to our “Overdrive” newsletter for the latest happenings at Vintage Guitar […] The post “Buy That Guitar” podcast with special guest Tom Guerra first appeared on Vintage Guitar® magazine ..read more

Bassist Rhandy Simmons’ resumé includes regular onstage jams with Stevie Ray Vaughan and membership in Roomful of Blues as well as Anson Funderburgh and the Rockets. Born in Garland, Texas, Simmons was yet another babyboomer who asked for a guitar after seeing The Beatles on Ed Sullivan. He played in country bands before gravitating to […] The post Rhandy Simmons first appeared on Vintage Guitar® magazine ..read more