Vol. 23, No. 12
October 2022
Players, Gear & Sound — The Inside
Nashville session player Tom Bukovac talks about his Duesenberg signature guitar, tweed and blackface amp pairings and his Homeskoolin' YouTube channel. Terry Dobbs, Mr. Valco, explains the late 1950s Valco built Gretsch 6161 amp that Bukovac uses. James Mastro, of Richard Lloyd's band, The Bongos and Ian Hunter's band, recounts his career and his Hoboken shop Guitar Bar, then tries the Magnatone Starlite. Riverhorse also tracks down a reliced Epiphone Les Paul goldtop.
PLAYERS, GEAR & SOUND
The Inside
Tom Bukovac
By Scott Ulrichs. Nashville session legend Tom Bukovac — aka Uncle Larry — sits down to discuss his Duesenberg Session Man signature guitar, the philosophy of tone in the "knife fight" of a live gig, his love of tweed-and-blackface amp pairings, and the creative world behind his Homeskoolin' YouTube channel.
MR. VALCO
On the Gretsch 6161 Amp
By Mr. Valco. Amp technician and Valco authority Terry Dobbs — a.k.a. Mr. Valco — digs deep into the late-'50s Valco-built Gretsch 6161, explaining its circuit quirks, its oval Rola speakers, and how a speaker-baffle conversion can make the amp truly come alive.
FEATURE INTERVIEW
James Mastro
By Riverhorse. Guitarist James Mastro — veteran of Television's Richard Lloyd Group, The Bongos, and Ian Hunter's band — recounts a life shaped by great gear, storied NYC clubs, and the relentless pursuit of tone. He also shares the story behind Guitar Bar, his beloved Hoboken shop now in its twenty-fifth year.
Magnatone Starlite
By James Mastro. Guitarist James Mastro puts the new Magnatone Starlite — a Class A 5-watt combo with an 8-inch speaker — through its paces on a real recording session, discovering far more tonal versatility than its simple control layout suggests.
The English Gold Bar
By Riverhorse. A goldtop bender for the ages: ToneQuest tracks down a reliced Epiphone Les Paul goldtop aged by UK craftsman Jon Black, then goes deep on pickups, NOS wiring harnesses, and TonePros hardware upgrades — capped off by a Gibson Custom Shop R7 goldtop quest.
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