Guitar Player

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JESSE GRESS, R.I.P.

Guitar Player • Vol. 57 No. 5 MAY 2023

INFINITE HORIZON • Patch Rubin coaxes a dimensional acoustic voice from his superbly crafted Wide Sky Guitars P125C electric.

UNFORGETTABLE • With Dirty, Malina Moye leaves an indelible record of her singular style.

TIP SHEET • These are the habits that have made Steve Howe a stylistic and technical virtuoso.

MY CAREER IN FIVE SONGS • Weeks before his death, the legendary David Crosby spoke with us about treasured sessions from his long and brilliant career.

Euro Trip • This Wandré Roby is a groovy relic from the 1960s Italian guitar maker.

Torch Bearer • Ben Webster’s Warm Moods is a searing lesson in melody and skillful phrasing.

Wrapsody in Blue • What’s old, covered in sparkly plastic and sounds like a dream? This 1961 Goya S90 by Hagstrom.

THRILL OF THE HUNT • On Dripfield, jam-band breakouts Goose let their muse lead them outside their comfort zone. Says guitarist Rick Mitarotonda, “We chase what we hear.”

SLASH THE COLLECTION • He made his name with a 1959 replica Les Paul on Guns N’ Roses’ debut, Appetite for Destruction. Now, with hundreds of guitars in his collection, Slash selects the models he treasures most and traces their journeys through his career and hits.

KRIS DERRIG REPLICA

GIBSON LES PAUL “JESSICA”

GIBSON LES PAUL “THE FIRST ’BURST” — 8 3096

1959 LES PAUL STANDARD — 9 0844

2002 SLASH LES PAUL PROTOTYPE

EARLY 1970S EPIPHONE 6830

1959 GIBSON FLYING V — 9 1705

1980 BC RICH MOCKINGBIRD

GOLD RUSH • Gibson archivist Mat Koehler traces the first 10 years of the Les Paul’s history, in which it transformed from an elegant jazz guitar to the weapon of choice for the 1960s’ rock and roll revolution.

LATTER-DAY LESTERS • The development of the Les Paul after the 1970s may have been less radical, but it, too, has its landmarks. Here are three notable ones.

LP EVOLUTION • We chart the key changes the Les Paul and its variants went through in its seminal years, from 1952 to 1978.

ITALIAN FOR BEGINNERS • They’ve sold millions of records in Europe and the U.K. With Rush!, Rome’s Måneskin are introducing American ears to their infectious brand of glam-rock revivalism.

TOOLS OF THE TRADE • Thomas Raggi and Victoria De Angelis reveal the inner workings of their rigs.

A DIRECT LINETO HEAVEN • As a guitarist, singer-songwriter and civil rights visionary who brought Black and White music together, Pops Staples created his own genre and the quintessential Americana guitar tone.

THE CIRCLE IS UNBROKEN • Chicago soul and gospel legend Mavis Staples talks about Pops and her family’s remarkable life in music.

The Master of Slide Guitar • Playing otherworldly Hindustani slide licks on instruments of his own invention, Debashish Bhattacharya connects East to West in a fusion that’s earned him raves from John McLaughlin and Americana Dobro icon Jerry Douglas.

SPECIAL DELIVERY MAN • A look at the inspiring musical magic and distinctive touch in the playing of guitar legend Joe Walsh.

Sound Check With Leo • Acoustic icon Leo Kottke offers insights as he finds his sound at Sweetwater Music Hall.

GIBSON • Les Paul Traditional Pro V

PRS • Sonzera 20 Combo

TAYLOR • American Dream Grand Theater AD11E-SB

DONNER • DJP-1000

TWA • SH9 Scott Henderson Signature Distortion

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