The High Gain

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 th...

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 || h...

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 i...

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 fin...

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: Patr...

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...

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 establ...

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....

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...

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 e...

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” g...

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.patre...

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...

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://...

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 In...

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...

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 o...

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!), Cas...

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, n...

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 p...

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 est...

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 fin...

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 decod...