Original vs. Reissue: How to Spot a Real Vintage Guitar (and Why It's Worth the Hunt)
The newsletter for guitar players.
The 2026 NAMM Show Issue
It's that time of year again. The 2026 NAMM show was last week. NAMM is the world's biggest music industry annual trade show. It's when many guitar companies announce their new product lineup for the year. In this issue, we highlight the most interesting
Veritas Guitars
Blending design, functionality, and aesthetic beauty, Mt Pleasant, Tennessee-based Veritas Guitars is taking custom guitars to another level. While Veritas has a number of amazing guitar models, their Portlander stands out as a crowd favorite. It's seriously one of the nicest-looking guitars we’ve ever seen.
D’Angelico Deluxe & Excel Mini DC
The D'Angelico Mini DC is a beautiful and inspiring double-cutaway semi-hollow guitar that combines classic tones with modern versatility. The compact 14” body makes it super comfortable to hold and play (especially standing up), and it’s offered in a number of killer-looking colors usually
Gretsch Players Edition Jet
While Gretsch might be best known for their big-body guitars & rockabilly twang, the Jet sits more in the Les Paul area - but still with a sound that is uniquely Gretsch. Gretsch makes a variety of Jet models at different price points (including in their Electromatic line), today, we’
Eastman Thinline
Eastman’s electric guitars often fly under the radar of a lot of guitar players, but since starting as a violin maker in the early 1990’s; and then moving into acoustics, they've been making high-quality electric guitars for many years now. While there's no
Brown Bear Guitars
Brown Bear Guitars is the work of Ontario, Canada-based luthier Jesse Brown. Jesse specializes in building traditional designs of the ‘50s, with a modern touch. Probably best known for his killer take on vintage-inspired telecaster®-style guitars, Brown also hand-builds guitars in the style of the Stratocaster®
Kelton Swade Guitars
This gear showcase is a bit different, in that they're no longer being produced, as luthier Kelton Swade sadly passed away from Covid a couple years ago. I had the opportunity to check out one of Kelton's t-style guitars in a store recently, and was
Fender Limited Edition American Professional II Thinline Telecaster and Stratocaster
Fender's American Professional II line has been very popular since it's release in 2020, but their recently-released limited edition Thinlines seem to have largely flown under people's radar. While thinline Strats might not be everyone's thing from a visual standpoint, thinline
Patrick James Eggle Guitars
With over 30 years of building guitars under his belt, Oswestry, England-based Patrick Eggle has perfected the craft, and is one of the premier luthiers in the world. Working with a small team of craftsmen, Patrick James Eggle Guitars produces a limited number of high-end electric guitars each
Levinson Blade Guitars
Switzerland-based Blade Guitars has been producing high-quality guitars and bass guitars since the 1980's, and is still going strong more than 3 decades later. Luthier Gary Levinson started repairing guitars in 1964, and what began as a hobby quickly grew into a passion. After doing guitar