1959 gibson es-5switchmaster

This one-off guitar made for Tony Mottola has a unique combination of features

DURING THE MID-EIGHTIES, Ibanez became stuck in a rut. Although the company’s guitars sold pretty well, they were rapidly losing market share to up-and-coming competitors like Charvel/Jackson, Hamer,

During its long history, Fender has navigated several tricky turning points, but 1965 marks for some the start of a decline from the standards set by Leo’s original company. Is that view still justified?

Not only does this 1969 Tele illustrate Fender’s slowly changing post-Leo period, it also documents a lot of modding. Dave Burrluck should know – he was there!

THOUGH NOT OBVIOUSLY thought of in this way, the Gibson ES-350 is a great instrument to use for rock rhythm guitar playing. With its hollow body and two-pickup design, it’s similar to the Gretsch 6120

If you always believed the CBS takeover transformed Fender guitars overnight, then think again because there were fewer changes than you might have imagined