Big in Japan: Tokai’s Controversial Takes on American Classics
We all know the old adage: imitation is the highest form of flattery. Sure, that works most of the time,
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The Sunday Papers
The Sunday Papers is a weekly offering by Riff City Guitar. Our single goal with this feature is to provide a good morning read over coffee, each and every Sunday. What you won’t find in The Sunday Papers is a sales pitch or product recommendations. We’ve asked Andy Perrin—one of the industry’s best writers on guitar gear and culture—to pen short weekly editorials that tell the tales of how we got to where are in the music industry and the players and builders that helped us along the way. In short, The Sunday Papers are about conversations, stories, histories, and experiences with the guitar.
The Roland Jazz Chorus Amp: The Solid-State Champ
Despite the fact that 99% of players cut their teeth on a solid-state guitar amplifier, as most of us progressed
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Getting to Know Gretsch
No matter what your scene, New York is probably part of the story. As far as guitar start-ups go, one
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Relics from the Electro-Harmonix Vault
Mike Matthews and the crew at Electro-Harmonix are never short on innovation. For decades, they’ve paved the way forward for
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Orange is the New Rock: MXR Startup and the Phase 90
MXR pedals stand out for their simple interface, stellar design, and signature sounds. Sure that recipe sounds easy, but it
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Sustain for Days, the Old School Way
The idea of a guitar singing endlessly is not new and there are a number of gear items to get
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The Original Up-Cycle: Ray Lubow’s Oil Can Delay
The idea of physical effects is something we’re out of touch with these days. Our sounds are created mostly via
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Sir Paul’s Höfner “Beatle Bass”
On June 18, Sir Paul McCartney turned 76 years old. It is tough to know where to start and what
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The Ibanez Tone-Lock Series: Cult Favorite or Comeback Kid?
The Ibanez Tone-Lok Seven series of pedals are easily among the most overlooked items of gear in the company’s deep
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Epiphone Before Gibson
These days you might think Epiphone was just the offshore little brother of the classic American builder Gibson guitars. While
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