Skip to main content
MusicRadar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
UK EditionUK US EditionUS AU EditionAustralia SG EditionSingapore
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Artist news
  • Music Gear Reviews
  • Synths
  • Guitars
  • Controllers
  • Drums
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Guitar Amps
  • Software & Apps
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About us
Don't miss these
Kids hands on a beginner keyboard
Keyboards & Pianos Best keyboards for beginners 2025: Get started with our expert pick of beginner keyboards for all ages
Yamaha CSP-255 review
Keyboards & Pianos Best digital pianos for beginners 2025: 8 beginner-friendly pianos handpicked by a professional piano and music gear reviewer
Close up of a Taylor GS Mini acoustic guitar lying on a wooden floor
Acoustic Guitars Best acoustic guitars 2025: Super steel string acoustics for all players and budgets
A PRS McCarty 594 on a hard case
Electric Guitars Best electric guitars 2025: Our pick of guitars to suit all budgets
Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ HRG: the reissued high-headroom tube amp is a cult classic that returns here with a heritage finish.
Guitars Mesa/Boogie reissues a cult classic with a design that takes the amp brand back to the beginning
A Yamaha Revstar electric guitar on a blue background
Electric Guitars Thomann's Guitar Days sale just hit up to 70% off with £474 off an Epiphone semi-hollow, £132 off a Death By Audio pedal, plus loads more massive savings
Guitar Center Guitar-A-Thon sale
Guitars Who needs Prime Day when you can indulge in Guitar Center's epic Guitar-A-Thon sale? Save up to $900 on Taylor and up to $500 on Gibson models
Fender American Ultra Luxe Vintage Series
Guitars Fender mixes old-school mojo with 21st-century playability for the American Ultra Luxe Vintage range
Dusty Hill and Billy Gibbons tear it up as ZZ Top play the Aragon Ballroom at Chicago in 1980, with Gibbons playing his legendary Les Paul Standard, Pearly Gates
Artists “"There is something magic in that instrument”: Billy Gibbons on why Pearly Gates is one of the greatest Les Pauls ever
A Fender Player II Stratocaster and Telecaster on a white piece of wood with lots of holes in it
Electric Guitars Best electric guitars under $1,000/£1,000 in 2025: My top picks for players of all styles
Gibson and Epiphone's new Back to the Future ES-345s are photographed against the DeLorean as used by Dr Emmett Brown in the movie
Guitars Gibson unveils Custom Shop Back To The Future ES-345 Collector’s Edition – and there’s a limited edition Epiphone too
“The most talked-about guitar of the summer is coming to the Gibson Garage London”: P-90s, Light Aging from the Murphy Lab, handwritten Oasis lyrics… The Gibson Custom Noel Gallagher Les Paul Standard has been unveiled and is here photographed in the Gibson Garage, with a variety of close-ups to show every detail.
Artists Gibson unveils Custom Noel Gallagher Les Paul: hand-signed, limited run – the ultimate Oasis guitar?
Close up of Squier Classic Vibe '50s Telecaster
Electric Guitars Best electric guitars under $500/£500 in 2025: Affordable electrics
Mikael Åkerfeldt with his Martin OM Signature model, playing a few notes with trees in the background.
Artists Mikael Åkerfeldt has played Cobain’s D-18 and holy grail acoustics from the Martin museum but says his new OM beats the lot
Rocktober
Gear & Gadgets Amazon Prime Day is a bust for music makers, but don't worry, the Musician's Friend Rocktober sale is here to save the day with up to 40% off big-name brands
More
  • Radiohead's secret code
  • Blackbird
  • Spooky samples - free
  • 95k+ free music samples
  • Captain Fantastic
  1. Guitars
  2. Guitar Amps

Musikmesse 2012: The best vintage guitars, amps and more in pictures

News
By The MusicRadar Team published 26 March 2012

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

The Musikmesse Vintage Show

The Musikmesse Vintage Show

Frankfurt Musikmesse 2012 wasn't just about new products. Up on floor 4.1, the Musikmesse Vintage Show saw several retailers put together a staggering collection of vintage guitars, amplifiers and more.

Kicking off with this beautiful 1952 Gibson Les Paul, here are some of the highlights. Click onwards and prepare to drool...

Page 1 of 21
Page 1 of 21
Half a million euros' worth of Gibson Les Pauls

Half a million euros' worth of Gibson Les Pauls

Page 2 of 21
Page 2 of 21
1958 Gibson EMS-1235

1958 Gibson EMS-1235

Page 3 of 21
Page 3 of 21
1963 Gibson Everly Brothers acoustic

1963 Gibson Everly Brothers acoustic

Page 4 of 21
Page 4 of 21
1961 Gibson SG/Les Paul Custom

1961 Gibson SG/Les Paul Custom

Page 5 of 21
Page 5 of 21
Late 1950s Gibson Mariner Amp

Late 1950s Gibson Mariner Amp

Page 6 of 21
Page 6 of 21
1953-4 Gibson Les Pauls

1953-4 Gibson Les Pauls

Page 7 of 21
Page 7 of 21
1968-70 Gibson Les Paul Customs

1968-70 Gibson Les Paul Customs

Page 8 of 21
Page 8 of 21
1960s Gibson SGs

1960s Gibson SGs

Page 9 of 21
Page 9 of 21
1962 Blonde Fender Showman Amp

1962 Blonde Fender Showman Amp

Page 10 of 21
Page 10 of 21
1960s sunburst Fender Stratocasters

1960s sunburst Fender Stratocasters

Page 11 of 21
Page 11 of 21
1952 Fender Precision Bass

1952 Fender Precision Bass

Page 12 of 21
Page 12 of 21
Fender Telecaster Thinlines

Fender Telecaster Thinlines

Page 13 of 21
Page 13 of 21
1968 Gretsch 6105 Rally

1968 Gretsch 6105 Rally

Page 14 of 21
Page 14 of 21
1962 Gretsch 6125 Anniversary hollowbodies

1962 Gretsch 6125 Anniversary hollowbodies

Page 15 of 21
Page 15 of 21
1959 Gretsch 6131 Jet Firebird

1959 Gretsch 6131 Jet Firebird

Page 16 of 21
Page 16 of 21
1955 Gretsch 6129 Silver Jet

1955 Gretsch 6129 Silver Jet

Page 17 of 21
Page 17 of 21
1970s Orange OR120 amp head

1970s Orange OR120 amp head

Page 18 of 21
Page 18 of 21
1960s Harmony Stratotone

1960s Harmony Stratotone

Page 19 of 21
Page 19 of 21
1970s Ibanez electric guitars

1970s Ibanez electric guitars

Page 20 of 21
Page 20 of 21
1970s Framus semis

1970s Framus semis

Page 21 of 21
Page 21 of 21
The MusicRadar Team
The MusicRadar Team
Social Links Navigation

MusicRadar is the internet's most popular website for music-makers of all kinds, be they guitarists, drummers, keyboard players, DJs or producers.

GEAR: We help musicians find the best gear with top-ranking gear round-ups and high-quality, authoritative reviews by a wide team of highly experienced experts.

TIPS: We also provide tuition, from bite-sized tips to advanced work-outs and guidance from recognised musicians and stars.

STARS: We talk to artists and musicians about their creative processes, digging deep into the nuts and bolts of their gear and technique. We give fans an insight into the actual craft of music-making that no other music website can.

Read more
A PRS McCarty 594 on a hard case
Best electric guitars 2025: Our pick of guitars to suit all budgets
 
 
Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ HRG: the reissued high-headroom tube amp is a cult classic that returns here with a heritage finish.
Mesa/Boogie reissues a cult classic with a design that takes the amp brand back to the beginning
 
 
A Yamaha Revstar electric guitar on a blue background
Thomann's Guitar Days sale just hit up to 70% off with £474 off an Epiphone semi-hollow, £132 off a Death By Audio pedal, plus loads more massive savings
 
 
Guitar Center Guitar-A-Thon sale
Who needs Prime Day when you can indulge in Guitar Center's epic Guitar-A-Thon sale? Save up to $900 on Taylor and up to $500 on Gibson models
 
 
Fender American Ultra Luxe Vintage Series
Fender mixes old-school mojo with 21st-century playability for the American Ultra Luxe Vintage range
 
 
Dusty Hill and Billy Gibbons tear it up as ZZ Top play the Aragon Ballroom at Chicago in 1980, with Gibbons playing his legendary Les Paul Standard, Pearly Gates
“"There is something magic in that instrument”: Billy Gibbons on why Pearly Gates is one of the greatest Les Pauls ever
 
 
Latest in Guitar Amps
Blackstar Debut Bass 25: this compact little combo is finished in black with matching grille clothe and is photographed in close-up against a stone floor and weaved rug.
“Its solid quality, punchy tone and its surprising amount of headroom might make it a secret weapon for rehearsals, or even gigs”: Blackstar Debut Bass 25 review
 
 
Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ HRG: the reissued high-headroom tube amp is a cult classic that returns here with a heritage finish.
Mesa/Boogie reissues a cult classic with a design that takes the amp brand back to the beginning
 
 
The Line 6 Powercab CL looks like the usual FRFR guitar speaker you might expect, but has switchable speaker voicings emulating classic drivers. It is pictured here onstage and in low-light situations.
Line 6 introduces multi-voicing for active guitar speakers as the Powercab CL offers ups the ante for amp modelling rigs
 
 
James Hetfield of Metallica plays his iconic white V-style live onstage, wearing his trademark black T-shirt, and black leather vest.
“He wanted all that at an undoable selling price”: Mesa/Boogie founder Randall Smith confirms rumours that it built James Hetfield a signature model – and it combined three iconic amps in one
 
 
Laney Lionheart Foundry Super60
"There’s something incredibly satisfying about playing through this amp": Laney Lionheart Foundry Super 60 112 review
 
 
The BEAM SOLO is the new headphone amp for guitar and bass from Blackstar Amplification, and is a compact unit with an integrated jack featuring amp models and effects, and a suite of digital features.
Blackstar Amplification unveils the BEAM SOLO – has the Fender Mustang Micro Plus found a rival?
 
 
Latest in News
Lindsey Buckingham and Florence Welch
“Hell if I know": Lindsey Buckingham claims not to know if Fleetwood Mac have played Glastonbury
 
 
Ernie Ball Paleblue rechargeable USB-C batteries: can these be the green solution your touring rig needs? Available now in AA and 9V packs.
Planet-friendly power for your rig? Ernie Ball declares war on single-use batteries with USB-C rechargeables that promise “consistent, full-voltage performance” for pro musicians
 
 
autotune
"Metamorph isn't about replacing the human voice – it's about expanding what's possible when human creativity meets responsible AI": Antares unveils MetaMorph voice modelling plugin
 
 
The J, from Thorpy FX, is a new collab between the high-end British guitar effects pedal company and boutique amp brand Lazy J, and the amp that inspired it can be seen illustrated in white on. black on the enclosure's front.
Thorpy FX teams up with Lazy J to give guitarists premium vintage Tweed tone in a preamp/drive pedal
 
 
Soma Laboratory Warp
“Create endless soundscapes out of almost any sound”: Soma Labs Warp is a digital effect powerhouse
 
 
Whitney Houston
Boy Meets Girl on how having one song rejected led to them writing Whitney Houston’s biggest ‘80s hit
 
 

MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google
  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...