First off, while you should never judge a book by its cover, or a guitar by its finish, I have to say that the ‘67 SG Special Reissue P-90 is just a drop-dead gorgeous instrument from top to bottom.

The heritage cherry finish is stunning, with the actual tint falling somewhere between coffee brown and orange. The guitar’s mahogany body shows a fine but subtle wood grain beneath a lacquer finish, and the simple dot inlays give the instrument a classic, bare bones look.

Fit and finish is all top-notch, as I’ve come to expect from Gibson, but unfortunately (as I’ve also come to expect from the big G,) set-up from the factory left quite a bit to be desired.

Nothing that I’d consider a deal breaker, mind you, but my new guitar came with the intonation completely out of whack, and the the factor-installed strings binding badly at the nut, making the instrument nearly impossible to tune.

Still, a new set of strings, a bit of lubrication at the nut, and a few minutes tweaking saddle-lengths at the bridge had me up and running fairly quickly––and with very excellent results.

The Goods  The ‘67 SG Special sports a thick but comfy ’60s profile neck, and it is fast, smooth, and surprisingly easy on the hands. I played this thing for a number of hours when I first pulled it out of its case, and I’m happy to report that I didn’t suffer from any unruly hand fatigue at all.

Tone wise, GOTW #37 is a monster… if you like the thick, powerful growl of P-90s then you will definitely enjoy the pickups on this beast.

With humbuckers I tend to stay at the neck position, but I’ve found that with the intense mid-range on the P-90s, the neck position is just a tad too throaty for my liking. Playing in mid-position (with both pickups howling,) serves up just the perfect amount of bite and bark.

In fact, punched into the high-gain input, the red-hot pickups on the ‘67 SG Special throw my amp right into pure, creamy, overdriven tube heaven.

Be that as it may, the guitar cleans up well, and offers a versatile selection of thick tones for jazz, funk, or softer blues.

Of course, it all comes packed in a surprisingly light and petite Gibson hard case––actually, it looks absolutely tiny propped against the wall next to the huge vintage case of my ‘62 Strat.

Anyway, so far I’m quite impressed with my new guitar, and besides the bad set-up, the ‘67 SG Special Reissue P-90 is everything I’d hoped it would be.

I’ll try to get some photos up soon…

It’s no secret that here at EGR we prefer analog effects to digital, tube amps to solid-state – not because its cool to say so, but because we like the way analog guitar equipment sounds. Its warmer. Its more vibrant. It feels more alive somehow.

Not to mention we grew up listening to analog music on the radio, and playing excessively loud guitar chords through over-heating analog equipment in our basements.

So it’ll probably comes as no surprise that our favorite chorus pedal is the Small Clone – Electro-Harmonix’s lush, watery, almost unearthly sounding swirl-in-a-stomp-box.

You’ll often hear people mention Nirvana when discussing the Small Clone, and for good reason – Cobain used it to great effect on a number of the band’s hits, including the ferocious Smells Like Teen Spirit. But the Small Clone was around long before grunge took over the airwaves, and luckily for us Electro-Harmonix continues to produce these little analog wonders in spite of the overwhelming music industry trend towards digital everything.

I’m not going to get into a full review here, but suffice it to say that if you’ve got the money to spend on a single effects pedal, and if you like your guitar chords to sound as big and lush as a rainforest in Borneo, well… the Small Clone is your chorus of choice.

At around $80 it’s a steal.

While it’s not the cheapest overdrive pedal on the market, well, at least you won’t have to pay the exorbitant prices that original Tube Screamers have been getting on e-bay lately.

The TS808 Tube Screamer creates such warm tones and incredible sustain, that I venture to say that once you’ve played one of these you’ll wonder how you ever got by without it. While I’m a dyed-in-the-wool tube fanatic, the JRC4558 circuitry used in the Tube Screamer is about as close as you’ll come to real, overdriven tube tone without actually overdriving a tube.

And beyond it’s incredible tone — which can take you from raw, crunchy blues to absolutely creamy sustain — the TS808 is one of the sturdiest stomp-boxes you’re likely to find… it’s built like a freakin’ tank.

And hey, it’s even hand-wired… how often do you see that in a distortion pedal? The TS808 Vintage Tube Screamer is the real deal.

First off, I’m a true tube-amp freak, and the Vibro-King is all tube/all the time, including dual 6L6 Groove Tubes, five 12AX7 pre-amp tubes, and something you seldom here of anymore, a 6V6 tube to drive that badass Fender reverb unit.

Of course, these beauties aren’t cheap, but that’s because they offer serious Fender craftsmanship, including hand-wiring, a trio of 10-inch alnico-magnet Jensens, the Vibro-King’s namesake vibrato (nothing else sounds like a true Fender vibrato,) and a unique reverb unit, circa-1963, that’s customizable with “tone,” “mix,” and “dwell” settings.

These things produce both shimmering-clean, and punchy vintage overdrive equally well, and even include an effects loop, tilting legs (one of the most useful features Fender ever added to a guitar amp!) and a 2-button foot-switch.

Downsides? At nearly 2’ tall, and packing three 10” speakers, the Vibro-King Custom feels like it weighs a ton. Other than that, it’s a Fender, and it’s built solid as a rock.

Specs: Weighs in at 72 lbs., with cabinet dimensions of 22.5“ H x 24.75” W x 10.5“ D.

Talk about a classic guitar amplifier – Fender’s ‘59 Bassman LTD, while not an exact replica of its earlier siblings, is still in itself a true monster of pure tube tone.

Ironically, the Bassman, which was first introduced as an amp for Fender’s literally revolutionary new P-Bass, turned out to be one rockin’ guitar amp, and is today considered by many to be one of the all-time great amplifiers.

This is the amp we’re talking about when we talk about that “tube tone.” In fact, the Fender Bassman was the initial inspiration for Jim Marshall, whose “Marshall” amplifiers went on to become a legend of their own.

You can pump a Bassman with just about any stomp-box or DSP around and it will sound incredible, but where the Bassman really shines (IMHO) is with your guitar plugged straight into the top, volume knobs cranked, humbuckers pushed to the limit. This is where you’ll hear the difference between a modern solid-state amp, and an overdriven tube amp.

This is why tube purists like myself are in love with our amplifiers – the natural clipping and compression that occurs when you really push a Fender Bassman (or one of its ilk) over the top makes for buttery-smooth leads, and big, fat chord tones that are perfect for Jump Blues, Swing, Country, R&B and even old-school Jazz… any form of music where the natural tone of the equipment is appreciated.

The Fender Bassman may be one for the history books, but through the ‘59 Bassman reissue its still alive and well today…

Fender® ‘59 Bassman Specs: Two channels (Normal and Bright) – two inputs per channel – 50-watts into two Ohms – four 10-inch 8 Ohm Jensen P10R Speakers – chrome control panel – 22.37“ H x 23.5” W x 10.5“ D – 53 lbs.

Oh yeah, the Big Muff was the distortion pedal of the ’70s, and it’s been popularized by some of the “Rock” world’s most beloved guitarists, including Hendrix & Santana, and was put to endlessly amusing use by Mark Arm of Mudhoney, who I was lucky enough to see perform numerous times during the ’90s

If you’ve never had the pleasure of using a Big Muff, you really don’t know what you’re missing — these things offer seemingly endless sustain, and a raw, soaring distortion that has made this pedal a true classic.

Features: Volume, Sustain, and Tone knobs allow you to dial in your own perfect tone, while the whole works is packed into a super-retro silver steel chassis. Runs on a single 9v battery, if my memory serves me right.

If you’ve never had the pleasure of playing one, you’ll have to trust me when I say that the 1962 Bluesbreaker, besides sporting a drop-dead gorgeous retro design, produces about the creamiest overdrive and sustain you’ve ever heard from an amplifier.

This is the amp that helped put Eric Clapton on the map during his stint with The Bluesbreakers, and in my humble opinion it sounds as delicious today as it did then. Of course, it ain’t cheap, but I think it’s probably worth every penny. The only thing missing is a reverb unit, but then this is an accurate re-issue, so you get what you get.

FEATURES: The Bluesbreaker does come with a foot-switchable tremolo, and sports a 3-band EQ, 30 watts of power, three pre-amp tubes, two power-amp tubes, and a pair of 12“ Celestion Greenback speakers.

Just plug it in, find your sweet spot, and go!

The effect can be downright creepy: in fact one of the EBow’s most famous and dedicated users is Daniel Ash, guitarist for legendary goth band Bauhaus, not to mention the incredible Tones On Tail, and later Love & Rockets.

The EBow, and it’s new & improved sibling the PlusEBow, can produce sounds you’ve never thought possible from an electric guitar — all through the vibration of the string. Theramin-like wails, lamenting whale songs, soaring crescendos… these things are crazy-fun.

And the new PlusEBow adds a harmonic setting, which according to their website “causes the string to vibrate with rich upper harmonics.”

You really have to try one yourself to see what you’re missing!

These black beauties switch things up a bit with a “Wide Range” humbucker at the neck — hence the warmth — but they also sport that muscular look so popular during the ‘70s (just check out those amplifier-style knobs!) and come in both alder & ash bodies, depending on which finish you choose.

Specs Include: Alder Or Ash Body, Maple Neck (Tinted, U-Shaped,) Maple Or Rosewood Fretboard With 21 Frets, 25.5” Scale Length, Single-Coil At The Bridge, Wide-Range Humbucker At The Neck, Two Volume & Two Tone Controls, 3-Way Pickup Switching, Vintage Strings-Thru-Body Tele Bridge and more.

This is a real player’s instrument, with a punch you can only really find from a customized Tele. And I just love that sleek, sleek black…

This is one fat [phat!] jazz box, but it would make a great blues or jump blues guitar too, with the kind of warm but punchy tone you can only really get from an archtop. Gold hardware, dual humbuckers and multiple body & neck bindings round out another good looking & great sounding hollowbody from Epiphone.

Before you go shelling out a couple grand on a Gibson hollowbody, go take a serious look at what Epiphone is offering at a fraction of the cost…

The Epiphone Joe Pass Emperor ii Features—

• Select Spruce Top
• Laminated Maple Body
• Laminated Maple Neck
• Rosewood Fingerboard With 20 Frets
• Block Inlays
• Dual Humbucker Pickups
• Gold Hardware
• Limited Lifetime Warranty

This is a gorgeous and really well put together guitar for this price range, and it proves once again that Epiphone continues to dominate the low-cost, high-quality archtop market. The Joe Pass Emperor ii is an easy recommendation.

I was lucky enough to play the ‘65 Twin Reverb exclusively for a number of years, mostly in sweaty, grimy bars & house parties, and as far as I’m concerned nothing can really beat it for clean tone, shimmering reverb, and just straight volume… I probably never turned it up past “7” in the time I was using it.

Downside? OK, there are only two I can really think of:

1. Due to its sheer power (85 watts, into 4 Ohms,) the ‘65 Twin Reverb is not easy to push into overdrive, so if you prefer a serious crunch you will probably need to resort to a stomp-box or DSP. Not a big deal, and you probably already use effects for this anyways, but it’s something to be aware of – this bay’s clean
2. These things are heavy. I’m not kidding, if you’re going to use one on stage I highly recommend you invest in some casters, because hauling one of these into a club while you’re fresh is one thing, but hauling it back out at the end of the night is a real drag… the Fender Twin is built like a freakin’ Mack Truck.

Otherwise A Solid Performer

Besides these two minor issues, the ‘65 Twin is a true workhorse – in spite of many hard nights out, I never managed to blow a single tube, and to my ears both the vintage reverb and vibrato are to die for. The built-in tilt-back legs are perfect for small (or large) stage use, and the included 2-button foot-switch makes switching the reverb & vibrato on/off a breeze.

If you want pure, clean tone that won’t fall apart at high volume, the ‘65 Twin Reverb Reissue is as close to a sure thing as you’re likely to find. You won’t be disappointed.

And with a modern fast-action neck, you really can’t ask for easier fretting. I personally love the smaller size of the Tele’s fingerboard, which makes for shorter finger stretches, and much simpler chording (though it could be a tight fit if you have really big hands!)

The string-through-body bridge can be a bit tricky for stringing at first, but from my experience you quickly learn how to manage it. Dual single-coil pickups offer some serious punch when you need it, and a surprisingly mellow tone when it’s required.

The Fender Standard Telecaster Features–

• Poplar Body
• Maple Meck
• Maple Fingerboard With 21 Frets
• Dual Standard Tele Single-Coil Pickups
• Master Volume & Master Tone Controls
• 3-Way Pickup Switching
• 3-Ply White Pickguard
• Standard Tele Bridge With 6 Saddles
• Die-Cast Tuning Machines

And these bad boys are available in a plethora of colors including:  Black, Sage Green Metallic, Blue Agave, Brown Sunburst, Midnight Wine, and Arctic White.

These guitars were originally built as a cheaper alternative to Gibson’s mainstay Les Paul, but they quickly became popular in their own rite, and have turned into a much-loved instrument.

The Les Paul Studio sports the same silky-smooth action as it’s bigger brother, and certainly sounds just as good, but comes in at an impressive $1,000 cheaper! Seriously…and in my opinion the streamlined style of the Les Paul Studio looks a helluva’ lot better than the overly-fancy – almost frilly – Les Paul Standard.

The Gibson Les Paul Studio Features–

• Carved Maple Top & Mahogany Back
• ‘59 Rounded Les Paul Mahogany Neck
• Rosewood or Ebony Fingerboard With 22 Frets
• Scale length: 24-3/4”
• Pearloid Trapezoid Inlays (Except On Platinum)
• Chrome or Gold Brushed Chrome Hardware
• Tune-o-matic Bridge
• Black Speed Knobs
• Green Key Machine Heads
• 490R Alnico Magnet Humbucker Neck Pickup
• 498T Alnico Magnet Humbucker Bridge Pickup
• Two Volume & One Tone Control
• Three-Way Pickup Swithing

The Les Paul Studio provides really great performance and crafstmanship for the price, and in my opinion it’s sleek style can’t be beat.

For the price ($199.79 at time of writing) you can’t really beat this package – it includes the Squier SE Special Strat, Squier SP-10 amplifier (with built-in switchable distortion,) an electronic tuner, strap, cable, guitar picks, instruction book from Fender, and a gig bag. You pretty much get everything you need in the package to start playing right out of the box.

While admittedly far from a professional-level instrument, Squier’s electric guitars (which are built by Fender) are well made for this kind of pricing, and they sound quite nice for the true beginner.

I don’t personally suggest buying anything cheaper for a budding guitarist, because I can tell you from personal experience that it is very difficult to stay motivated while learning a new instrument if the quality is so low that the guitar won’t stay in tune, and the action is so high that it’s difficult to play.

That said, if you’re pretty sure you’re little guitarist is going to keep at it, or if you want to purchase a guitar for someone who has already been playing for a few years, you might take a look at something a little more expensive. In that case I’d suggest the Fender Standard Stratocaster– it’s a jump up in price (just under $450 for the guitar,) and it doesn’t come with an amplifier, but you’ll get an instrument that won’t be grown out of in a few years.

Either way you go on this you’re going to get very good quality for what you’re spending…Fender dominates the guitar market for a reason – they just make really great instruments.

I played one of these exclusively for about three years, and found the Thinline’s semi-hollow body (made of ash,) and dual “Wide-Range” humbuckers, provide for a surprisingly versatile range of tone, from punchy and bright to warm and airy.

Another advantage of this guitar? It’s singular sound is easy to pick out in the din of a live show, and unlike some of my previous guitars, the ‘72 Telecaster Thinline teamed with a 60-watt Fender tube-amp was more than capable of making itself heard above the rhythm section.

At less than $700 I’d be quick to add one of these to my collection again––if only I could justify buying another guitar ;)

The Fender ‘72 Telecaster Thinline Features–

• Semi-Hollow Ash Body
• Maple Neck
• Maple Fingerboard With 21 Frets
• Dual Fender Humbucking Pickups
• Master Volume & Master Tone Controls
• 3-Way Pickup Switching
• Vintage Style Strat Strings-Through-Body Hardtail Bridge
• Fender/Schaller Tuning Machines
• Chrome Hardware
• 4-Ply White Pearloid Pickguard
• “F” Hole

It seems silly now, but one of the things I loved about this guitar was the pearloid pickguard – it’s got a great vintage look. The ‘72 Thinline comes in 3-Color Sunburst or Natural finishes…but my personal favorite is the “Natural.” It really brings out the natural beauty of the ash body.

Stand-out features for me include the single-piece maple neck––sporting Fender’s comfy “U” shaped profile––and of course that light-weight semi-hollow body… a very comfortable and reliable guitar for long nights on stage.

Now, if you have a sneaky suspicion that your budding young guitarist is going to lose interest quickly, leaving the guitar to collect dust in the corner, you might want to purchase something even cheaper, like the Squier Strat.

But if you think guitar-playing is more than just a fad for your child, or even if you’re a grown-up just looking for a cheap but quality guitar for yourself, you could do far worse than the Standard Stratocaster. A good friend of mine got one of these for Christmas when we were teenagers, and I envied him for years…the thing just played like a dream.

The Fender Standard Stratocaster Features–

• Alder Body
• Maple neck
• Rosewood or Maple Fingerboard
• 21 Vintage Style Frets
• 3 Standard Single-Coil Strat Pickups
• Master Volume Control, And Two Tone Controls (Neck Pickup & Middle Pickup)
• 5-Position Pickup Switching
• Vintage Style Synchronized Tremolo Bridge
• Fender/Ping Standard Cast/Sealed Tuning Machines
• Chrome Hardware

Oh yeah, and this bad boy comes in a plethora of cool colors, including: Black, Sage Green Metallic, Blue Agave, Brown Sunburst, Midnight Wine, and Arctic White. However, unlike most of the more expensive guitars, a case is not included.

It cost me around $2,000 at that time, and I was quite literally living on Top Ramen & Taco Bell in order to save up that kind of scratch (it’s no wonder I weighed about 30-lbs heavier then.) But when I finally got my hands on that guitar I discovered that it was worth every freakin’ penny.

The ES335 sports two ‘57 humbuckers that give it the warmth of tone and growly temperament that any Blues, Rhythm & Blues, or Jazz player will find enticing. Add an incredible amount of sustain and you come up with a guitar that literally sings, weeps and moans on command. Think Eric Clapton during his Cream and Bluesbreakers days.

The Gibson ES335 Reissue Features–

• Maple Back & Sides
• Single-ply top, back and fingerboard binding
• Free Gibson hardshell case
• Two volume controls, two tone controls
• Three-way pickup switch
• Rosewood fingerboard with 22 frets
• Nickel or Gold Machineheads
• Mahogany Neck
• Two ‘57 Classic humbucker pickups
• Dot Inlays

There is one caveat however: if you’re looking for a versatile guitar, the ES335 may not be for you – this guitar does one thing really, really well, but it’s not a Stratocaster.

It has three switch settings (Neck, Neck & Bridge, Bridge) and volume and tone controls for each pickup, so while you do get some adjustability, you’d better be happy with the sound of an ES335 before you decide to shell out your hard-earned money. Bottomline: the ES335 is never going to sound like anything but an ES335.

That said, if you dig that retro Gibson sound like I do, you’re going to love the ES335 Reissue – It’s a hollwobody dream come true.

In fact, the Les Paul manages to provide the preferred guitar tone, playability, and style of literally generations of guitar players, and across the entire spectrum of musical styles.

The Les Paul (or LP, as it is affectionately known) was first conceived and built in 1952 by the unbeatable team of Gibson USA and groundbreaking guitarist Les Paul himself, and since its release the instrument has gone on to become a legend in solidbody electric guitars – a legend that continues to thrive to this day.

While the LP Standard may be an absolute monster of tone and sustain, and is easily one of my all-time favorite guitars, it does have a few admittedly minor drawbacks – the first one being weight.

The Les Paul may look fairly small in size, but its solid mahogany body is surprisingly heavy… in fact, if you’re used to a light-weight Strat or Tele you may be shocked at just how heavy this guitar can feel. Of course, that solid mahogany body is a big part of why the LP provides such angelic sustain, so you’ve got to take the good with the bad.

The other downside is one that will hit you where it hurts – square in the pocketbook! If you’ve ever priced any of Gibson’s other high-end model guitars, well, you know where I’m going with this. With the LP Standard you will undoubtedly get a whole lot of guitar, but make no mistake, you’ll also pay a premium.

That said, the Les Paul is a gorgeous guitar, and it’s popular (in spite of the price tag) for a very good reason. If you’ve got the money to spend on the best, and you prefer a guitar with a highly playable neck and that classic humbucker bite, well, the Les Paul Standard is a no-brainer.

The Gibson Les Paul Standard Features–

• Carved Maple Top & Solid Mahogany Back
• Mahogany Neck With Slim-Profile
• 24.75-inch Scale Length
• Rosewood Fingerboard With 22 Frets
• Pearl Trapezoid Inlays
• Dual BurstBucker Pickups
• Two Volume & Two Tone Controls
• 3-Way Pickup Switching
• Tune-o-Matic Bridge and StopbarTailpiece
• Chrome Hardware
• Green Key Tuners

And with their latest line of Les Paul Standards Gibson has added a host of decidedly modern but still classic finishes, including:  Goldtop, Light Burst, Desert Burst, Heritage Cherry Sunburst, Honey Burst, Root Beer, Latte Crème, Wine Red, Ebony, Trans Amber, Cayenne, and Iced Tea.