Vol. 26, No. 7
May 2025
Players, Gear & Sound — The Inside
Unlock the secrets of pro guitar tone with Blackberry Smoke’s Charlie Starr, who shares his go-to Les Paul Juniors, custom-wired harnesses, vintage tube amps, and pedalboard signal chains that define his stage sound. Explore Steve Howe’s iconic Coral electric sitar—complete with its SitarMatic bridge and Eastern textures—and the meticulous craft behind Tom Holmes’s legendary H450/H455 humbuckers. This multi-part feature delivers expert insights on gear, pickup construction, and tone-shaping techniques for players chasing harmonically rich, dynamic guitar resonance.
PLAYERS, GEAR & SOUND
The Inside
Going To The Depths With Charlie Starr
By Scott Ulrichs. Blackberry Smoke frontman Charlie Starr goes deep on vintage Les Paul Juniors, a serious amp bender spanning Fender, Vox, Germino, and Matchless, tube swapping, pedal order, acoustics, and the enduring spirit of the late Brit Turner.
STEVE HOWE’S CORAL SITAR
Eastern String-Trigue
By Pete Prown. A look at the Coral Sitar's cult history and its most famous surviving example — Steve Howe's personal instrument, now preserved at the Electronic Music Education and Preservation Project — alongside modern alternatives for players chasing that exotic electric-sitar tone.
Tom Holmes
By Riverhorse. Legendary pickup maker Tom Holmes discusses his return to the bench after heart surgery, the rare vintage Gibson bobbin mold he now operates himself, and decades of craft that have made his humbuckers the choice of Keith Richards, John Fogerty, and Peter Frampton.
TOM HOLMES PICKUP REVIEW
THC H450/H455 Humbuckers
By Riverhorse. ToneQuest puts the Tom Holmes THC H450/H455 humbuckers through their paces in a vintage Goldtop, calling them a "game over" set that rivals — and arguably surpasses — the finest vintage PAFs they've played.
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