The High Gain

Before Rickenbacker, there was Rickenbacher, and they pioneered electric guitars with their clever use of electronics, materials and design. But one instrument, the Ken Roberts electro-Spanish guitar, introduced in the throes of the Great Depression, and discontinued a few years later, would come to be regarded as one of the forerunners of today’s modern electric guitars. A built-in pickup (as opposed to an add-on), stock tremolo, larger scale length, and more frets clear of the body combined to make an instrument that would be the jumping off point for those who followed. Enjoy!

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The fine folk over at Rock N Roll Relics continue to kick out some of the most beautiful ideas. We’ve been fans of theirs for quite some time, and the Lightning Junior, with its lightning bolt f-holes and single pickup, does nothing to dissuade us from these rock machines. Give a listen and see if you don’t agree. Enjoy!

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Our friend Iain Graham is at it again. THis time he’s loaned us a baritone guitar, fresh off the press. There are so many bespoke touches on this thing, we almost forgot to actually play it. And it did not disappoint. It was as easy as could be to get any kind of sound out of this instrument. Contact Iain for more info at https://grahaminstruments.com/

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Once upon a time, a man named Joe Hall learned how to make guitars at the foot of Semie Mosely. He then struck out on his own with Hallmark Guitars, before leaving the industry altogether. And that may have been the end of that, had not Bob Shade resurrected the Hallmark brand and run with it. It’s unanimous - the 60 Custom is a rock machine. Enjoy!

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Dave Dederer stopped by for a vast discussion about all things guitar, including his use of only three strings during his time with The Presidents of The United States of America. Dave has an encyclopedic knowledge of his instrument, even if he is using all six strings these days. But he did bring donuts, and that counts for a lot. Enjoy!

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In keeping with its tradition of mixing and matching designs from its own history, Fender introduced the “10 for ‘15” series of limited edition guitars. Rolled out in 2015, each model was limited to 500 instruments. One of the more unusual guitars was the American Standard Telecaster - with a double cutaway. We were pleased to try it out, as you don’t see so very many these days. Enjoy!

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Paul Hamer and Jol Dantzig were pioneers of what we know today as the boutique, or custom, guitar phenomenon. Many a touring band went to Hamer to get something that could not be had anywhere else. One such custom instrument is the Virtuoso. It boasted 36 frets and a scalloped fingerboard. Each guitar had a unique finish; no two are alike. We decided to take one for a spin, and see if we would still have fingers after trying to play that high up on a neck. Enjoy!

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Jesse Herlitz couldn’t find a pedal that matched the sound he had in his head; brutal, sharp, cacophonous, loud. So he set about learning the pedal biz. The result is the Visceral, a saw tooth fuzz synth pedal. Jesse swung down from Canada to walk us through it, and to show us his new guitar from Partscaster Concierge. He explained how a fella with no pedal building experience goes about building a pedal capable of clearcutting your psyche. Enjoy!

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Ted McCarty resided over the most innovative period in Gibson history. Under his leadership, the company produced some of the most innovative designs to ever grace a guitar store wall. But what about the man himself? Ed has been reading up on Ted, and is taking a turn in the host chair to report what he’s found out about our man Ted. Enjoy!

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Fender has two factories in North America - one in California, and one in Mexico. They share a lot of resources, both material and human. Is this why, more than ever before, it’s getting harder to choose between the two? We’re taking the new Vintera II series Jazzmaster for a ride. Enjoy!

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