Show Notes
In Episode 1 of "Buy That Guitar" presented by Vintage Guitar magazine, host Ram Tuli talks with Nate Westgor of Willie's American Guitars, discussing how Gibson and Fender became the dominant brands in today’s vintage market. When you see "Gibson" on the headstock of a vintage guitar, you know it was made by an artisan who carved, shaped, and assembled that guitar, and took pride in the work. Fenders, meanwhile, were pieced together by a worker who likely learned how to operate a bandsaw and router in high-school shop class and basically bolted together two planks of wood. Beyond the build, Gibson instruments typically began life in the hands of a learned musician who wore a suit, gown, or tux as they performed from behind a music stand. The Fender, on the other hand, was more likely played in a smoke-filled honky tonk with sawdust strewn across the floor. Corrections: Ringo Starr's band was called Rory Storm in the Hurricanes, not Rory and the Hurricanes. In 1966, Fender changed the Stratocaster neck code from 2 to 13, not 14. Also that year, Fender increased production by 45 percent, not 60 percent. Links: https://www.williesguitars.com Sponsored: Willie's American Guitars https://www.williesguitars.com Subscribe to our "Overdrive" newsletter for the latest happenings at Vintage Guitar magazine: https://www.vintageguitar.com/overdrive Please like, comment, and share this podcast
More from Buy That Guitar Podcast
"Don't Get Ripped Off when Buying and Selling Instruments Online". In Episode 6 of "Buy That Guitar," presented by Vintage Guitar magazine, host Ram Tuli is joined by Kevin Borden, co-owner of Kebo's Bass Works. Their discussion focuses on the market for vintage basses, and Kevin shares insight on mistakes to avoid when buying a vintage instrument. Links: https://kebosbassworks.com Sponsored By: The VG 2027 Price Guide Pre-Order: https://store.vintageguitar.com/price-guide.html Subscribe to our "Overdrive" newsletter for the latest happenings at Vintage Guitar magazine: https://www.vintageguitar.com/overdrive Please feel free to reach out to Ram at [email protected] with any questions or comments you may have. Like, comment, and share this podcast!
In Episode 4.4 of "Buy That Guitar", host Ram Tuli is joined by George Gruhn, widely regarded as the world's foremost authority on vintage American guitars and fretted instruments. George founded Gruhn Guitars in Nashville in 1970. Together, he and Ram explore his remarkable career and the history, evolution, and future of the vintage-guitar business. Links: https://guitars.com/users/george/ Sponsored By: The VG 2027 Price Guide https://store.vintageguitar.com/price-guide.html Subscribe to our "Overdrive" newsletter for the latest happenings at Vintage Guitar magazine: https://www.vintageguitar.com/overdrive Please feel free to reach out to Ram at [email protected] with any questions or comments you may have. Like, comment, and share this podcast!
In Episode 4.3 of "Buy That Guitar," presented by Vintage Guitar magazine, host Ram Tuli talks with Cindy Hulej of Carmine Street Guitars, one of New York City's most distinctive and inspiring guitar shops. Working alongside master builder Rick Kelly, Cindy creates remarkable instruments from reclaimed wood sourced from historic New York City buildings. Every Carmine Street guitar is truly one of a kind. Links: https://www.cindyguitars.com https://carminestreetguitars.com Sponsored By: The VG 2026 Price Guide https://store.vintageguitar.com/price-guide.html Subscribe to our "Overdrive" newsletter for the latest happenings at Vintage Guitar magazine: https://www.vintageguitar.com/overdrive Please feel free to reach out to Ram at [email protected] with any questions or comments you may have. Like, comment, and share this podcast!
In Episode 4.2 of "Buy That Guitar," host Ram Tuli is joined by Parker Lundgren, former Queensryche guitarist and owner of Diablo Guitars. Parker has experienced both sides of the guitar world: performing at the highest level with one of America's pioneering progressive-metal bands and building a successful shop specializing in the colorful high-performance shred machines coveted by collectors who came of age in the '80s and '90s. Links: https://diabloguitars.com Sponsored By: The VG 2026 Price Guide https://store.vintageguitar.com/price-guide.html Subscribe to our "Overdrive" newsletter for the latest happenings at Vintage Guitar magazine: https://www.vintageguitar.com/overdrive Please feel free to reach out to Ram at [email protected] with any questions or comments you may have. Like, comment, and share this podcast!
"The Guitar Business Is No Longer Just About Guitars—It's Also About Revenue." In Episode 4.5 of "Buy That Guitar," host Ram Tuli sits down with his bandmate Richard Chavez of the Psychedelic Mooj for a wide-ranging conversation about how guitars are discovered, desired, and bought today. Richard, a digital marketing expert with more than 20 years of SEO experience, joins Ram to trace the guitar market's evolution—from local music shops and mail-order catalogs to big-box guitar retailers and the global online marketplace. Along the way, they explore how brands, collectors, YouTube, Reverb, influencers, SEO, and shifting search habits now shape what musicians discover and ultimately buy. Links: https://www.mooj.com/pmooj.htm Sponsored By: The VG 2027 Price Guide Pre-Order: https://store.vintageguitar.com/price-guide.html Subscribe to our "Overdrive" newsletter for the latest happenings at Vintage Guitar magazine: https://www.vintageguitar.com/overdrive Please feel free to reach out to Ram at [email protected] with any questions or comments you may have. Like, comment, and share this podcast!