Black magic

Five Stratocasters, all sunbursts and all different – so what is the best vintage if you’re craving a classic?

Blackberry Smoke’s guitarist reveals his greatest guitar triumphs, the pitfalls and blessings of his Les Paul Junior addiction, and his outright disdain of “bad amps”

1960 Gibson ES-335

When the Irish band were a folksy blues three-piece, it was Eric Bell who defined Thin Lizzy on their 1971 self-titled debut and early 70s follow-ups, Shades Of A Blue Orphanage and Vagabonds Of The Western World

Dream gear to beg, borrow and steal for...

YOU COULDN’T MAKE it up. Take a trip to 1960, and sit at a table in Kalamazoo, Michigan. You work for Gibson and you’re looking at — or at least talking about — what will turn out to be the Holy Grail