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 || ...

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 || ...

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 || ...

Epiphone started life as a primarily jazz-tinged manufacturer, making some of the finest hollowbodies there were. Eventually, Gibson bought the company, and eventually moved production overseas, where the brand would be relegated to mostly budget guitars. Now, though, Gibson is ramping up the build quality of these instruments - using US-made components. So, are these “Inspired by Gibson Custom” guitars worth a look? We think so. Enjoy! Like the show? Follow us at these fine...

Joe Knaggs spent many years at PRS, contributing guitar designs that came to be classics. So, of course, when he left those hallowed halls, Joe fired up his own shop and hung his shingle on a whole new family of instruments, this time bearing the name Knaggs Guitars. These are elegant, next-level machines. 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, Gibson undertook an ad campaign, the slogan for which was “American made, world played”. It featured a photograph of a guitar cut into the shape of the continental United States. Visibility of that ad increased curiosity about the guitar itself, and Gibson were soon making it available for purchase. It underwent various refinements, changes in appointments, and finishes; it was even re-released a time or two in subsequent years. But it was never really outlived that...

One of the venerable companies that made guitars in Chicago at the middle of the last century was Kay. Their instruments provided tremendous value at an affordable price. One such instrument was the Barney Kessel Pro. These were recently reissued, and we found our example to be a whole hell of a lot of fun 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

The Rickenbacker 300 series of guitars was introduced in 1958. Designed by the esteemed Roger Rossmeisl, these guitars have changed little, but withstood the test of time. Just when we thjought we knew what we were dealing with, however, a 330 in matte black shows up. We had to grab it. Enjoy! Like the show? Follow us at these fine establishments: Patreon || https://www.patreon.com/thehighgain Instagram || @thehighgain Web || https://www.thehighgain.com

We’re pretty big fans of vintage Gretsch guitars over here at High Gain HQ. Especially the S-100, with its indispensable phase switch. If it’s good enough for Kim Thayil of Soundgarden it’s good enough for us. So when we got a line on the new Guild S-100 Polara Kim Thayil signature guitars, we had to try them. We were not dissappointed. Enjoy! Like the show? Follow us at these fine establishments: Patreon || https://www.patreon.com/thehighgain Instagram || @thehighgain Web || ...

When Ovation began making solidbody guitars, just about everything they came up with was full-featured, well-made and very playable. Their designs were perhaps a little forward thinking for most, however, and they didn’t fare too well in a market of Teles and Les Pauls. When it came to bass guitars, they fared little better. But the Magnum bass is a beast, and it found its way into the hands and onto the records of many a top-tier player. We thoroughly enjoyed this instrument. Enjoy! Like the...

Carlos Lopez started his guitar-building journey on the production line at Fender. Before long he joined the Custom Shop. Not long after that he was apprenticing to become a Master Builder. You could say our man Carlos has the chops… So, it’s really no surprise to see him sailing and thriving under his own banner - Castedosa Guitars. Along with his wife Stephanie (a master pickup winder!), Castedosa is turning out some of the most thoughtful, exquisite instruments we’ve seen, including the...

Robert Godin started his guitar-making journey in a small shop in La Patrie, Quebec, in 1972. Over the years he expanded into five factories, across six well-known brands, including, of course, Godin Instruments. The goal was/is to make quality guitars at a reasonable price. Not easily done without cutting corners somewhere, but Godin never did. No outsourcing overseas, no inferior materials, no shoddy craft. These are eminently playable instruments. Enjoy! Like the show? Follow us at these...

Graig Markel and Zera Marvel of Recovery Effects have been making some of our favorite effects for a long time. At any moment they can be found on our pedal boards, emitting the precise lushness Recovery has become known for. So when Graig stopped by with two of his latest, the Moonstruck reverb/delay and the Revere overdrive, we knew what we had to do. The Danelectro Double Neck 3923 proved the perfect vehicle for the time, even if it did end up receiving a (rare) triple-deny. Enjoy! Like...

Among the first original designs Ibanez made after the famed Gibson lawsuit was the Musician Series. These were guitar re-thought from the ground up. They are still considered sturdy workhorses, and they mark a direction that would set Ibanez on the path to being one of the world’s leading guitar makers. This MC200 got a rare ‘double buy’ from us. Enjoy! Like the show? Follow us at these fine establishments: Patreon || https://www.patreon.com/thehighgain Instagram || @thehighgain Web || ...

Paul Reed Smith, the man, has been creating the highest quality guitars ever since he made one for college credit, after which he dropped out to pursue the art fulltime. PRS instruments are known for their attention to detail, impeccable response, and beautiful tops. Why then, haven’t we paid more attention to them? We’ve been remiss, and we apologize. Enjoy! Like the show? Follow us at these fine establishments: Patreon || https://www.patreon.com/thehighgain Instagram || @thehighgain Web...

Bernardo Chavez Rico grew up making classical guitars. He learned the craft from his father. Luckily for us, Bernardo decided to branch out into solidbody electrics. And the world was never the same, as musicians across all genres played his instruments at some point in their careers (Elliot Easton of The Cars? Yup…) We were fortunate enough to take this vintage Mockingbird for a spin, and decode its many knobs and switches. Enjoy! Like the show? Follow us at these fine...

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...

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! Like the show? Follow us at these fine establishments: Patreon || https://www.patreon.com/thehighgain Instagram || @thehighgain Web || https://www.thehighgain.com

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/ Like the show? Follow us at these fine establishments: Patreon || https://www.patreon.com/thehighgain Instagram || @thehighgain Web || ...

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! Like the show? Follow us at these fine establishments: Patreon || https://www.patreon.com/thehighgain Instagram || @thehighgain Web || ...

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! Like the show? Follow us at these fine establishments: Patreon || https://www.patreon.com/thehighgain Instagram || @thehighgain Web || ...

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! Like the show? Follow us at these fine establishments: Patreon || ...

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! Like the show? Follow us at...

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! Like the show? Follow us at these fine...