Not so many years ago, the tone secrets of vintage guitars and amplifiers were closely guarded by a select few. It was an era of mystery, superstition and wonder. Little did we know the internet was coming… It all began with newsgroups and rudimentary chat rooms, and the flow of information soon became a torrent. Schematics of long extinct amps and pedals were unearthed and could be downloaded in mere minutes. The types of tonewoods that great manufacturers once used became common knowledge. Groundbreaking websites, such as GuitarHQ.com, began appearing with paint codes, decent enough photography and breakdowns of features that charted the year by year evolution of most classic guitar models.
This had a profound effect on guitar manufacturing. With better informed customers, the big companies could no longer fob us off with inaccurate features, inauthentic parts and inappropriate finishes. Slowly but surely, then, vintage reissues began to resemble the guitars they were intended to emulate in a meaningful way. And before long, renowned pickup winders were being coaxed out of retirement and company records were dusted off to track down original parts suppliers. Meanwhile, crack teams of razor blade relicers were at the sharp end of the relicing revolution.
But while the big names focused on looks and seductive marketing campaigns, their efforts generally fell short when it came to the pickups. This left a wide-open goal for ambitious pickup manufacturers, who quickly stepped in to make more authentic and often better-sounding replicas than the big brand names and original manufacturers.
Denne historien er fra February 2023-utgaven av Guitarist.
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Denne historien er fra February 2023-utgaven av Guitarist.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
BASIC INSTINCTS
The sophisticated range of Swedish-designed guitars made by .strandberg* has lured thousands of players over to the headless side. But the company's new stripped-back Boden Essential model is its strongest play yet for the hearts and minds of mainstream players
Second String
As PRS's more affordable USA-made S2 line moves into its second decade, the series gets a revamp with - at last - USA-made pickups and electronics. What took so long?
PABLO VAN DE POEL
When a band from The Netherlands describes themselves as 'raw, psychedelic Southern rock', it may take a little cognitive processing to work out what that might mean. One listen to DeWolff, however, and you will be duly transported to the 60s for some fuzzed-out rock 'n' roll
THE BERNIE MARSDEN COLLECTION
With a fabulous collection of the late Bernie Marsden's guitars, amps and other highly collectable music gear going under the auctioneer's hammer on 11 June, we were thrilled to have the chance of a sneak preview
LENNY KRAVITZ
Some 35 years since the release of his debut LP, for his 12th record, Blue Electric Light, Lenny Kravitz is back again with equal doses of vigour and vibes, using vintage guitars and the purest valve amps
GEORGE VJESTICA
You may not know him at first glance, but the work of Stoke-on-Trent native George Vjestica has probably impacted some of your favourite albums and movies
DICKEY BETTS
Emerging from the shadow of Duane to write signature hit Ramblin' Man, the Allman Brothers guitarist was a hard-living pioneer of Southern rock
NICK GUPPY
It is with great sadness that we report the passing of our highly valued amplifier guru, who died suddenly in April
Lucky Break
Alex Bishop blends old wood with new in an attempt to fix a severely damaged guitar headstock
Tones Behind The Tracks
Cedric Burnside learnt at the knee of his fabled grandfather, but his latest album is a hill country blues masterclass on his own terms