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Tips on Purchasing Vintage Amplifiers

Written by vintage on February 6, 2010 – 4:34 am -

There are some fun and funky amps out there that can still be had for a steal, as well as a few bargains remaining in good vintage amps that come out from under the bed now and then, but you need to know what you’re looking at to determine whether that tweed suitcase is a tone machine in the rough, or just an old sparky that’s about ready to pop. Take this checklist with you when shopping, and you’ll be a few steps ahead of the game. 1) If possible, play your own guitar through it. You want to be in familiar territory to judge an amp objectively, and it’s difficult to assess an amp’s suitability if you’re testing it with an unfamiliar instrument. Work from your comfort zone, and you’ll better know whether this one could be of use... more


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Posted in Vintage Amplifiers, Vintage Guitars | 1 Comment »

Becoming Familiar with the Collectible Fender Stratocaster Market

Written by vintage on February 1, 2010 – 1:08 am -

New to the maze that's the collectible Fender Stratocaster market? Join me as I reacquaint myself with the current state of the market after a several-year Stratocaster hiatus. In light of the world's current state, economic, political and health included, it will be interesting to see what impact things have had on the vintage and non-vintage collectible Stratocaster. But first, for those new to this world, let's first go over a few basic ideas. An old Stratocaster may or may not be collectible, despite the word vintage. Its collectability depends on a number of factors such as year of manufacture and current condition (refinished, refretted, replaced electronics, etc.). Likewise, a rare and significant Custom Shop Stratocaster might not be... more


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Posted in Fender, Stratocster, Vintage Electric Guitars, Vintage Guitars | No Comments »

Solid-Bodied Gretsch Corvette Guitar Review

Written by vintage on January 8, 2010 – 5:50 am -

by Allen Chiles The Solid-bodied Corvette (not to be confused with the Corvette hollow-body arch-top electric, produced from 1955-1959) was Gretsch’s answer to the Les Paul Jr. by Gibson. Introduced in 1961, the Corvette Solid-body was a small, light-weight, comfortable electric guitar that was just right for the budding musician. This killer guitar, with a solid mahogany body, solid mahogany set neck, and a rosewood fret board with pearl dots, originally came with a single HI-Lo ‘Tron pickup. The earliest examples had a trapeze tailpiece. By 1963, the Corvette was sporting a Burns’ flat-arm vibrato tailpiece. (Yes! That Burns! Good old Jim Burns from England), and came with a choice of either one or two of those Hi-Lo ‘Tron pickups.... more


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Posted in Gretsch, Vintage Electric Guitars | No Comments »

Gibson Custom Shop Announces the Jimmy Page “Number Two” Les Paul

Written by vintage on December 29, 2009 – 12:03 am -

Every musician knows that late ’50s Sunburst Les Paul Standards are hard enough to come by as it is. Obtaining a pristine and exemplary ’59 ’Burst and modifying it for heightened performance and vastly expanded tonal options? Unheard of… unless, of course, you’re Jimmy Page. That’s exactly what the legendary Led Zeppelin guitarist, perhaps the world’s most iconic Les Paul player, did with his own ’59 Les Paul Standard, and now—thanks to the extreme efforts of Gibson’s Custom Shop and the intimate cooperation of Jimmy Page himself—the artist’s hallowed “Number Two” Les Paul is available to mere mortals, in the form of the Custom Shop Jimmy Page “Number Two” Les Paul. Produced in strictly limited numbers, with two... more


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Posted in Gibson, Les Paul, Vintage Electric Guitars | 1 Comment »

Autographed White Fender Squier Stratocaster Guitar

Written by vintage on December 11, 2009 – 11:50 pm -

The Blues Foundation Presents Autographed White Fender Squier Stratocaster The Blues Foundation is pleased to offer this opportunity to own a piece of blues history. For our last fundraising auction of 2010 we're pulling out all of the stops! This one is really special and the monies raised will go to support The Blue's Foundation's HART Fund. This month we are offering a white Fender Squier Strat signed by many of the top women and men of Blues music, as well as Rolling Stone members, Keith Richards and Ron Wood. The Blues artists who autographed the guitar number in the dozens and include, among others, Hall of Famers Robert Lockwood, Jr., Jimmy McCracklin, Pinetop Perkins, Bobby Rush, Hubert Sumlin and Irma Thomas, as well as contemporary... more


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Posted in Fender, Guitar News, Stratocster, Vintage Electric Guitars, Vintage Guitars | No Comments »

Gold, silver and vintage guitars are best sellers at Treasurer Hunters Roadshow

Written by vintage on October 27, 2009 – 4:22 pm -

By Eric Robinette, Staff Writer, Middletown Journal For some people, selling goods at the Treasure Hunters Roadshow in Middletown has been music to their ears — particularly if the good was a guitar. The Roadshow, which evaluates valuables and antiques, has been at the Manchester Inn since Tuesday; today, Oct. 24, is its last day. Many items, even if they’re antiques, haven’t been fetching high prices in the weak economy, said Greg Taylor, a manager at the Middletown show. However, gold, silver and guitars are the exceptions. “Gold and silver prices are so high, and with vintage guitars, the wood they used can’t be reproduced today,” Taylor said. For example, earlier this week in Middletown, someone brought in a Gibson ES 330 from... more


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Posted in ES, Fender, Fender Bass, Gibson, Gibson, Gretsch, Guild, Guitar News, Ibanez, Les Paul, Martin, SG, Vintage Acoustic Guitars, Vintage Bass Guitars, Vintage Electric Guitars, Vintage Guitars | No Comments »

Gibson Thunderbird Bass

Written by vintage on October 16, 2009 – 4:23 pm -

Gibson Thunderbird Bass Guitar ( 1963 - present ) After the first EB basses Gibson manufactured another more important bass which were cousins with the Firebird I - III - V and VII guitars and were introduced at the same time in 1963 . The firebird and the thunderbird always shared the same body shape. In 1963 Gibson introduced 2 thunderbird models , these Gibson bass guitars were called the : Gibson Thunderbird II Bass ( 1963 to 1969 ) These basses in 1963 had reverse solid body shapes ( long horn at the bottom of the body ) , they had 1 metal pickup with no visible poles , and were mostly made in sunburst finishes , some other custom colors were also available . In 1965 Gibson redesigned the thunderbird II with a non reverse solid body , custom... more


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Posted in Vintage Bass Guitars, Vintage Guitars | No Comments »

Gretsch 6134 White Penguin Solid Body Guitar

Written by vintage on August 22, 2009 – 1:26 am -

Gretsch 6134 White Penguin Solid Body Guitar Collectibility Rating: Single cutaway models: A, Double cutaway models: A-. Essentially a white, fancy DuoJet. Solid body 13 1/4 inches wide, maple top, two pickups. 1954 White Penguin Introduction specs: • Single Cutaway, body finished in white. • Two DeArmond single coil pickups. • "Cadillac G" tailpiece. • Three knobs on lower bout, one on cutaway, 1 switch on upper bout. • Melita bridge (gold). • Clear acyrlic pickguard with engraved penguin, back painted in gold. • Pearl block inlays with engraved birds. • 24 3/4" scale, vertical Gretsch peghead. • Gold sparkle binding. • Gold plated parts. 1957 White Penguin specs: • "Humptop" inlays replace blocks. 1958 White Penguin... more


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1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard VOS on iconic guitars list

Written by vintage on July 5, 2009 – 1:50 am -

The 1959 Les Paul Standard Vintage Original Spec (VOS) has been listed as one of the top five guitars currently available from Gibson Custom. Ted Drozdowski of the Gibson website placed the instrument in the iconic guitars list claiming that the large number of legendary musicians to have played the original model helped make it "the epitome of the solid body guitar for fans and players alike". Among the famous guitarists to have played the instrument over the years are Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, Jeff Beck and Duane Allman. Joining the 1959 Les Paul on the list were the BB King Lucille, the SG Standard Reissue VOS, the Mick Jones Les Paul Custom and the Johnny A with Bigsby Tremolo. Mr Drozdowski claimed that the instruments are "five of the... more


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Lovely axes to grind at Montreal Guitar Show

Written by vintage on June 30, 2009 – 4:41 am -

By Bernard Perusse, The Gazette June 29, 2009 Rediscovering his inner Hendrix inspired Jazz Festival marketing vice-president Jacques-Andre Dupont to launch musical instrument shows and a blues camp. If Jacques-André Dupont hadn’t had one of those benign midlife crises, it’s entirely possible that a depressed 15-year-old kid wouldn’t be healed by playing the blues this summer. If Dupont hadn’t rediscovered his inner Hendrix, guitar fanatics from all over the world might not have a place in Montreal to gather every year and talk guitar geek. Most important, if a meeting with Montreal International Jazz Fest sponsors hadn’t been cancelled at the last minute, he might never have walked into Steve’s Music Store in Toronto. That unexpected... more


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Posted in Epiphone, Fender, Fender Bass, Gibson, Gibson, Gretsch, Guild, Ibanez, Martin, Stratocster, Vintage Acoustic Guitars, Vintage Amplifiers, Vintage Bass Guitars, Vintage Electric Guitars, Vintage Guitars | No Comments »
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