Afleveringen
-
When CBS sold Fender to a consortium of employees, the US factory was not included in the sale. So, while the new owners figured out where their new home would be built, production moved to Japan. That was when the Contemporary Series of Stratocasters and Telecasters was introduced - the first set of Japanese instruments to bear the Fender name on the headstock, instead of Squier. Enjoy!
Like the show? Follow us at these fine establishments:
Patreon || https://www.patreon.com/thehighgain
Instagram || @thehighgain
Web || https://www.thehighgain.com -
When Guild decided to enter the solidbody guitar game, in 1963, they did it by introducing a series of instruments with funny headstocks and curves cut into the bottoms; some even had built-in kickstands. The least of these was the S-50 Jet-Star, a single-pickup affair targeted at the student market. It boasted a single pickup, a volume and a tone. That’s it. To our modern eyes, it is a triumph. But how does it sound? Enjoy!
Like the show? Follow us at these fine establishments:
Patreon || https://www.patreon.com/thehighgain
Instagram || @thehighgain
Web || https://www.thehighgain.com -
Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
-
The Pacific NW is proud to call itself home to some amazing makers of guitars, pickups, effects and more - they grow well in the rain up here. For 30 years Joe Riggio has crafted guitars of singular distinction. And for those in the know, his refinish work is impeccable. We’ve seen guitars that Joe has brought back to life, and we are amazed every time. We got a hold of a Tango in black, and enjoyed the hell out of it. Hope you do, too!
Like the show? Follow us at these fine establishments:
Patreon || https://www.patreon.com/thehighgain
Instagram || @thehighgain
Web || https://www.thehighgain.com -
When guitar builder Dennis Fano was looking to expand the reach of his designs, he partnered up with Eastwood Guitars to create Rivolta. Incorporating design elements from vintage guitars, these overseas guitars are still distinctly Fano, somehow. We got our hands on a Combinata, and found it to be a pleasure to play. Enjoy!
Like the show? Follow us at these fine establishments:
Patreon || https://www.patreon.com/thehighgain
Instagram || @thehighgain
Web || https://www.thehighgain.com -
Justin Motander Jones is making some wonderfully inventive guitars down there in San Diego, CA. He’s been experimenting with creating effects by controlling the pickups themselves, as opposed to simply feeding their output through an effect. He calls this idea the Ardweirdo, since the brain behind all of this is the Arduino open-source electronics platform. The guitar we got to play around on was kindly loaded with every kind of tremolo sound you could want. Enjoy!
Like the show? Follow us at these fine establishments:
Patreon || https://www.patreon.com/thehighgain
Instagram || @thehighgain
Web || https://www.thehighgain.com -
Gibson introduced both the J-45 and J-50 acoustic guitars in 1942. Wood was scarce, and production in Kalamazoo was severely curtailed in favor of war-related endeavors. A few “banner” J-45s were made, but the J-50 would not be reintroduced until 1947. At that time, the J-50 was little more than a J-45 without the paint job. Our example is from 1968, after many of the design “improvements” had been rolled back. Enjoy!
Like the show? Follow us at these fine establishments:
Patreon || https://www.patreon.com/thehighgain
Instagram || @thehighgain
Web || https://www.thehighgain.com -
Fortunately for all of us, impeccable, handmade boutique guitars are easy to find; no one is wanting for choice. We are truly in an instrument-building renaissance. Dan Strain of Danocaster Guitars is one such builder, and his focus is all about having a guitar feel like it’s been yours for years, even if you’ve only just picked it up. We were fortunate enough to pick up an Offset and give it a whirl. Enjoy!
Like the show? Follow us at these fine establishments:
Patreon || https://www.patreon.com/thehighgain
Instagram || @thehighgain
Web || https://www.thehighgain.com -
We are torn here at High Gain HQ about the Starcaster that Fender released in 1976. All these years later, it has experienced a rehabilitation of sorts in the indie crowd. Now that the Tom DeLonge Starcaster has been introduced, will those on either side of the great Starcaster debate find common ground? If so, we smell a Nobel Peace Prize for Tom Delonge. Enjoy!
Like the show? Follow us at these fine establishments:
Patreon || https://www.patreon.com/thehighgain
Instagram || @thehighgain
Web || https://www.thehighgain.com -
In the immediate aftermath of WWII, the founders of Teisco would get their guitar bodies from a milkman who built instruments on the side. By the 1960s they were responsible for a large chunk of the Japanese import market, coming up with wilder designs as they went along. They mostly built for third parties; case in point this Silvertone bass, made for Sears. Enjoy!
Like the show? Follow us at these fine establishments:
Patreon || https://www.patreon.com/thehighgain
Instagram || @thehighgain
Web || https://www.thehighgain.com -
It’s been 5 years since we met Justin Abernethy of Abernethy Guitars, and he’s been very busy making top-shelf instruments. It seems like more and more we’re seeing Justin’s guitars in the hands of brilliant musicians. And there’s a reason for that. Like the Sonic Baroness baritone we enjoyed while catching up with Justin. Enjoy!
Like the show? Follow us at these fine establishments:
Patreon || https://www.patreon.com/thehighgain
Instagram || @thehighgain
Web || https://www.thehighgain.com -
It’s been quite a while since we had the pleasure of talking to Florian at Millimetric Instruments. He’s one of the most thoughtful designers out there, and his guitars reflect the care he puts into everything he does. We’ve been fortunate enough to play several Millimetrics, and have loved every one of them. And now, Ed has his own! We took it for a spin, and allowed ourselves to ogle all over it. Enjoy!
Like the show? Follow us at these fine establishments:
Patreon || https://www.patreon.com/thehighgain
Instagram || @thehighgain
Web || https://www.thehighgain.com -
Recently, Gibson added a new Les Paul to its lineup. It’s got hot pickups and slim neck, and sports a simpler, no-frills design. And, it’s very light! Is all this enough to convince Ed? Enjoy!
Like the show? Follow us at these fine establishments:
Patreon || https://www.patreon.com/thehighgain
Instagram || @thehighgain
Web || https://www.thehighgain.com -
In the early 1980s Fender briefly found itself without a factory. The company had been bought from CBS by a consortium, and the factory wasn’t included in the deal. So, they set up shop in Japan. At the same time, the Hair Metal Onslaught™ was in full bloom. What’s an instrument manufacturer to do? Make a guitar shaped like a samurai sword, that’s what. Enjoy!
Like the show? Follow us at these fine establishments:
Patreon || https://www.patreon.com/thehighgain
Instagram || @thehighgain
Web || https://www.thehighgain.com -
Ed has recently acquired one of the most uniquely beat up Fender Mustangs we’ve ever seen. Made in the year the model was released, every last sticker, scrape and scratch on it is perfect; character like this comes along rarely. So , naturally, we thought it best to do a review of what makes the Mustang the rock machine it is to this day.
Like the show? Follow us at these fine establishments:
Patreon || https://www.patreon.com/thehighgain
Instagram || @thehighgain
Web || https://www.thehighgain.com -
Nick Corasaniti is a domestic correspondent covering national politics for the New York Times. He has covered four presidential cycles, along with countless congressional, gubernatorial and mayoral races in more than 15 years at the Times. He was once the Times’s Jersey correspondent, tracking the politics, policy, people, trains, beaches, and eccentricities that give the Garden State its charm. He is a born and raised—and exceptionally proud—New Jerseyan, who splits his time between Asbury Park and Brooklyn. Enjoy!
Like the show? Follow us at these fine establishments:
Patreon || https://www.patreon.com/thehighgain
Instagram || @thehighgain
Web || https://www.thehighgain.com -
Thanks to people like Jack White and Dan Auerbach, budget line catalog guitars remain fondly in our conscience as the vibe-laden machines they are. Supro was/is no exception, having crafted some amazing instruments out of little more than a pickup and some fiberglass. Among them was the Kingston, with its buff sand color and swoopy good looks. Enjoy!
Like the show? Follow us at these fine establishments:
Patreon || https://www.patreon.com/thehighgain
Instagram || @thehighgain
Web || https://www.thehighgain.com -
Montgomery Ward produced one of the largest mail order catalogs in the US, starting way back in the 1870s. By the time the 1950s rolled around, they were including electric guitars, like the Upbeat. Our example is a stereo version, and left us scratching our heads more than we thought it would. But it sounds good, and plays well, as most budget instruments built by the Chicago Boys did in the day. Enjoy!
Like the show? Follow us at these fine establishments:
Patreon || https://www.patreon.com/thehighgain
Instagram || @thehighgain
Web || https://www.thehighgain.com -
like, well, cool things that drop out of stuff. The Armada was the company’s first guitar designed with a neck-through. The result is every bit as sonorous as you might imagine. Enjoy!
Like the show? Follow us at these fine establishments:
Patreon || https://www.patreon.com/thehighgain
Instagram || @thehighgain
Web || https://www.thehighgain.com -
In 2012, Fender celebrated the 50th anniversary of one its greatest instruments, the Jaguar. In the US reissues were designed to evoke the look of those original guitars. In Japan, production took a wider turn that saw a double bound thinline model hit the market. We’re divided as to how successful it was at the time, or what we think of it now, but come along - we’ll fill you in. Enjoy!
Like the show? Follow us at these fine establishments:
Patreon || https://www.patreon.com/thehighgain
Instagram || @thehighgain
Web || https://www.thehighgain.com -
Starting in the 60s, and up into the 1970s, the world was awash in earth-toned appliances; refrigerators, stoves, microwaves, you name it. Autumn Harvest and Avocado Green were at the top of the heap. No wonder, then, that Harmony would create a version of its Rebel guitar to match. Because nothing says modern convenience like the color of guacamole. Enjoy!
Like the show? Follow us at these fine establishments:
Patreon || https://www.patreon.com/thehighgain
Instagram || @thehighgain
Web || https://www.thehighgain.com - Laat meer zien