Welcome to Tone Gems!

Dedicated to vintage guitars, amps, effects and gear. AND all things early Rock ‘n’ Roll.

Vintage Guitars, Amps and Analog Gear ‘on the cheap’

We focus on all the budget-minded vintage guitars, old amps and effects of yesteryear. Everything is cheap and analog.

From Alamo guitars to Zenon, and everything in between. Airline, Danelectro, Decca, Domino, Harmony, Hondo, Kay, Kent, Kingston, Holiday, Lyle, Magnatone, National, Norma, Sears Silvertone, Supro, Regal, Teisco, Truetone by Western Auto, Univox, they’re all here! Maestro, Acetone, BOSS, DOD, Arion, there here!

Our quest is to bring to light the most bizarre and unique vintage value guitars you could buy on a budget, and the amplifiers and effects of non-repute. We search for, restore, play and write about these unexpected tone treasures. Not the mainstream stuff that everyone already knows, but mostly electric guitars and analog gear from the 60’s, 70’s and early 80’s. Sometimes we’ll find a later or current piece built with retro vibe, and we like those too. Simple, built-on-a-budget, acoustic and electric guitars, tube and transistor amps, and analog pedals. No digital found here.

All Things Vintage Rock ‘n’ Roll

We report on the pioneering first wave of Rock ‘n’ Roll and the artists who created rock ‘n’ roll with those vintage old instruments and devices. Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Little Richard, Carl Perkins, Gene Vincent, the Everly Brothers, Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley,  and more.

, effects (transistor fuzz boxes, analog pedals) and accessories (microphones, cables, capos, cases, straps, stands, etc.) all from the pre-digital analog era.