Vol. 26, No. 6
April 2025
Players, Gear & Sound — The Inside
This month’s issue focuses on enhancing guitar tone, featuring insights on various pickups and gear. Highlights include Ron Ellis’ P90s, which are praised for their tonal complexity and vintage characteristics. An exploration of Gibson pickups by James Finnerty reveals their evolution and the impact of different magnets and mounting techniques. The issue also showcases a 1937 Rickenbacker lap steel, celebrated for its warm, resonant sound. For slide guitarists, Rocky Mountain’s ceramic and stone bars are recommended for their smoothness. Additionally, RS Guitarworks emphasizes the importance of quality electronics in achieving clarity and response, demonstrating how upgrading pots and caps can significantly improve tone. Overall, the issue is dedicated to refining setups and discovering gear that elevates the playing experience, emphasizing that the right components can transform sound and inspire creativity.
PLAYERS, GEAR & SOUND
The Inside
El Especial Supremo
By Riverhorse. A deep dive into the world of P90 pickups, tracing the journey of hunting vintage dogears, acquiring a TV Yellow Gibson Les Paul Special, and putting Ron Ellis Classic P90s and a vintage 1959 dogear through their paces — with interviews with pickup builders Ron Ellis and James Finnerty of ReWind.
THE ELECTRIC PANDA BEAR
1937 Rickenbacker B6
By Riverhorse. A deep dive into a pristine 1937 Rickenbacker lap steel — the legendary pre-War horseshoe pickup instrument prized by Lindley and Cooder — paired with an equally enthusiastic survey of Rocky Mountain Slides tone bars.
RS GUITARWORKS SUPERPOTS, TONE POTS, AND VINTAGE PIO GUITAR CAPS
RS Guitarworks Pre-wired Les Paul Harness
By Scott Ulrichs. RS Guitarworks' Billy walks us through the science and philosophy behind the company's proprietary SuperPot taper, vintage-voiced tone pots, and hand-wound PIO capacitors — and why getting the electronics right matters as much as any pickup swap.
RS GUITARWORKS SUPERPOTS, TONE POTS, AND VINTAGE PIO GUITAR CAPS
Your Electronics Make A Difference
By Scott Ulrichs. RS Guitarworks' pre-wired vintage electronics upgrade kit for Les Paul-style guitars delivers a smooth, even taper and noise-free performance that transforms how your volume and tone controls behave. At around $120, it's one of the most cost-effective upgrades you can make to any electric guitar.
I shoot the puck, I score the goal.
— Boom Boom Geoffrion
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