The High Gain

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 o...

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...

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 establ...

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 establi...

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: Pat...

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 s...

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 st...

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 buildin...

Ted McCarty resided over the most innovative period in Gibson history. Under his leadership, the company produced some of the most innovative designs to ever grace a guitar store wall. But what about the man himself? Ed has been reading up on Ted, and is taking a turn in the host chair to report what he’s found out about our man Ted. Enjoy! Like the show? Follow us at these fine establishments: Pa...

Fender has two factories in North America - one in California, and one in Mexico. They share a lot of resources, both material and human. Is this why, more than ever before, it’s getting harder to choose between the two? We’re taking the new Vintera II series Jazzmaster for a ride. Enjoy! Like the show? Follow us at these fine establishments: Patreon || https://www.patreon.com/thehighgain Instagra...

Epiphone was an instrument manufacturer founded 150 years ago in the Ottoman Empire. Upon emigrating to the United States, the Stathopoulos family continued their craft in New York . By the end of the 1950s the company belonged to CMI , owners of Gibson . Itself now operating under recently changed hands, Gibson is celebrating Epiphone’s rich sonic history with a series of 150th anniversary Epipho...

As the hair metal wars shifted into high gear, Fender sought to up its own bling game by releasing a guitar with a marbled paint job. Only 300 were ever made; 225 of them were Stratocasters. Named Marble Strats , they became more commonly known as “bowling ball” Stratocasters. Introduced in 1983, these were among the last CBS-era instruments made in the US before Fender was sold, and production mo...

In 1950s America there were tons of instruments being made for the growing guitar market. As quickly as old companies disappeared, new ones were formed to give the people what they wanted. Many of these outsourced manufacturing to third parties, like Kay and Harmony. In the case of New York distributor Bugellsein & Jacobsen (B&J), the work of creating its Stewart brand of guitars was done...

Tom DeLonge has been playing juicy power punk pop stuff for a long time. He’s always favored stripped down, single pickup rock machines, and has had a few signature models along the way. The newest Tom DeLonge Stratocaster is no exception, as we found out. It’s a ripper. Enjoy! Like the show? Follow us at these fine establishments: Patreon || https://www.patreon.com/thehighgain Instagram || @thehi...

Justin Motander Jones of Motander Guitars is hard at work combining Mid-Century Modern design touches with the very best of Guild’s quirkiest 1970s creations, such as the Sky Scorcher we‘re playing this week. Once he adds his own vision to those bones, what you get is a guitar unlike any other. We enjoyed an entirely pleasant conversation with Justin, who dialed into High Gain HQ from his home in...

Shortly after Norlin purchased CMI , and Gibson along with it, Les Paul returned for the design of several new models, each with specific controls and low impedence pickups. The last of these was the Les Paul Signature , a kind-of-offset looking amalgam of a regular Les Paul and an ES-335. That's where the similarity ends. Why did Norlin do this? Join us on a journey through the history of an unus...

Barry Grzebik is making some mighty fine guitars at Grez Guitars in Petaluma, CA. They are beautiful instruments, with tops made from salvaged redwood. The example Barry was kind enough to send us was a Mendocino baritone, with a top made of redwood from an old municipal water tower in Lake Tahoe. The body is hollow, and it plays like an acoustic. We had a blast talking to Barry. To see more of hi...

Dreams are mysterious, funny things. Who among us hasn’t spent time trying to interpret them, in order to make sense of something in our lives? Way back in 1995, the Jackson marketing director Charles Perrino had a dream he could not shake, and from it the Roswell Rhoads guitar was born. Enjoy! Patreon https://www.patreon.com/thehighgain Instagram @thehighgain Web https://www.thehighgain.com

It's a great day whenever we get to talk to someone who puts the time and effort into making a great instrument. But when the builder lives in your neighborhood? And shows up in a vintage Japanese fire truck? 10 out of 10, no notes... So it is that we came to have a great conversation with Iain Graham. When he's not busy working on wooden boats, or playing in his band Grosst , Iain makes one-of-a-...

The Guild Surfliner Deluxe represents the oft-relocated company’s first new solidbody guitar design in close to 40 years. Borrowing from elements of some its greatest hits, Guild has crafted a guitar that looks at once modern and retro. But how does it play? We got our hands on a black one (of course) and put it through its paces. Enjoy! Like the show? Like, follow, subscribe: Patreon https://www....

Last week John Roderick of The Long Winters stopped by High Gain HQ to chat. Three old guys in a room? Literally, what’s NOT to talk about. So we let the tape run long enough for each of us to compare/contrast our various old man ailments, the cost of socks and Young People These Days. Enjoy part 2, in which we dive into John’s music, and get to hear him playing his 1977 Fender Starcaster some mor...

This week John Roderick of The Long Winters (to name just one of his many endeavors) stops by High Gain HQ to chat. This was our first in-person, host-to-guest exchange since the darkest days of COVID-19, so we let the tape run. The result? A two-parter! Enjoy part 1, in which we get a healthy dose of what makes Roderick tick...

The story of how Scott Baxendale breathes new life into old catalog guitars, pedals, beverages and all kinds of chatter!

We're talkin' Motor Ave. Guitars, beverages, pedals, movies, and more!

This week we welcome Director Kenneth A. LaBarre to the co-host chair. We're talking about the Fender Coronado II, pedals, beverages and much more.