They may be declaring it as “new for 2018,” but Danelectro’s ‘59XT certainly has some strong familiarity about it! Based on their classic ‘59 design, made famous by everybody from Beck to Jimmy Page, this version of the iconic body shape has some differences. Danelectro doesn’t say what the XT means, but experience makes me […]
In 1959, a man named Wayne Mitchell purchased a small store called The Organ Center, which quickly began selling other musical equipment, such as Vox amps. Mitchell soon renamed his company Guitar Center, aware that the face of the music equipment industry was rapidly changing. Throughout the 1970s, the company grew tremendously, and by the […]
The Charvel Guthrie Govan Signature Model electric guitar is an instrument that was built for shredding. When you’re taking your first look at this beauty, all you may see is the price tag attached to this signature model. However, if you take a few more seconds to look beyond the price tag, you will find […]
Of the hundreds of variations on the Fender Strat, the Standard has been a popular gateway guitar for those who want something better than the Eastern-made Squiers, but who aren’t quite ready for an American model. In an increasingly competitive market, even the Standard Stratocaster doesn’t really have an absolute standard. While they’ve always offered […]
Roland Sherwood Ball (known as “Ernie” Ball) was a musician from his early life onward and learned much of what he knew from highly skilled family members. By the time he was 19, Ball was a touring musician, playing primarily pedal steel guitar. Shortly thereafter, he joined the US Air Force Band in his early […]
Ibanez is a brand that has been around forever and has its market fairly well nailed at this point. It’s a brand for the shredders, and no model is more synonymous with that than their RG models. The Iron Label series of RGs is designed specifically for metal players. Ibanez is very explicit that they’re […]
The Washburn WD7S Harvest Series Dreadnought Acoustic is known to have incredible tone and quality. The WD7S body features a solid SITKA spruce top; SITKA spruce is a wood that you will find on some of the most expensive guitars that the world has to offer. The SITKA spruce has a glare-free satin finish on […]
This is a bit sexy. In case you’re not familiar with BC Rich as a brand, they mostly make very pointy things, aimed very, very squarely at metallers. More than that, the vast majority of their range is manufactured in the east, so they’re usually very cheap. Their cash cow is definitely their Warlock model, […]
What’s this? A Gibson? For less than $1k? New? Am I sure? Sure I’m sure! Occasionally, I find myself jealous of today’s beginner and intermediate guitarists. An affordable new Gibson was not a thing when I was learning and developing my playing. But for a few years now, Gibson have been offering precisely that. The […]
Ah, the humble but mighty Telecaster. Essentially where it all began for mass production of electric guitars, with a design that has remained true to itself over the years. An ever popular choice amongst indie guitarists and country players alike, the Standard Telecaster is an aspiration of many guitarists, so when they’ve overcome getting their […]