Sweet Child o’ Mine is Guns N' Roses' most iconic song, but Slash originally wasn't a fan
The guitar slinger has previously dismissed claims that the iconic riff was crafted as a warm-up exercise
Latest news
Sweet Child o’ Mine is Guns N' Roses' most iconic song, but Slash originally wasn't a fan
The guitar slinger has previously dismissed claims that the iconic riff was crafted as a warm-up exercise
John Lodge, Moody Blues bassist and singer, dies at 82
The beloved British band's bassist for over 50 years, Lodge also penned some of their biggest hits, among them I'm Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band)
Joe Bonamassa trades licks with “the future” of the blues, Marcus King, during virtuosic Albert King cover
Bonamassa invited the 29-year-old blues sensation on stage during his headline show on the Keeping The Blues Alive At Sea Alaska cruise
Yungblud and Jack Osbourne push back against criticism of the VMAs Ozzy Osbourne tribute
Ozzy's son, Jack, insists that Yungblud was more involved behind the scenes than most people realize
Nuno Bettencourt announces four day guitar camp – and he's recruited some big-name players to help
Steve Vai, Eric Gales, Rick Beato, and Mateus Asato are among the guest stars who will take part
Joe Bonamassa shares his top tips for blues players looking to level up – and it’s not to learn more solos
There’s no “Rosetta Stone of the blues” – but he says doing this will transform the fundamentals of your playing
Misha Mansoor joins Tim Henson and Tosin Abasi in praising this emerging virtuoso – who’s changing the landscape of progressive guitar
Shred’s finest new talent can add another name to the list of guitar heroes who have singled him out for praise
Artists
DarWin is keeping the mystery alive, but like Michael Jackson and Justin Timberlake before him, he has found a sparring partner in Greg Howe
New album Distorted Mirror introduces DarWin as one of the guitar world’s new heroes but he’s more happy to let the music – and his supergroup – do the talkin’
Jam band and Southern rock prodigy Bella Rayne was bereft when her Les Paul was stolen – then came an answer to her prayers
Rayne explains how she turned to guitar during the pandemic but found her mojo onstage – and why her fate seams intertwined with the Grateful Dead
How The Cranberries became ’90s alternative icons on borrowed amps and banjo-like guitars
Noel Hogan tells us about the three-guitar secret of Zombie, why they fit surprisingly well with Seattle’s grunge superstars and the tragedy that ended the band
Lorna Shore return with new music, brash Ibanez customs, and a fresh kind of death metal energy
I Feel The Everblack Festering Within Me confirms their crossover to the mainstream, even if they don’t understand it, as Andrew O’Connor and Adam De Micco take influence from guitarists they don’t even like
Wigs, fake blood, and Ferrari jumpsuits – Brad Gillis on what it was like to be Ozzy Osbourne’s guitarist
They were in the Helmsley Palace Hotel Presidential Suite. Gillis sat on the end of the bed playing his '62 Strat. Ozzy was cross-legged on the floor. Gillis nailed the part, and got the gig; the rest is history...
Disturbed's Dan Donegan on Ozzfest, the versatility of his ginormo-rig, and his migration to Schecter
Disturbed's riff-master talks songwriting, longevity, how Soundgarden and Alice in Chains informed his guitar playing, and how the band gradually made millions down with The Sickness
Al Jardine on good times with Brian Wilson, and how the Beach Boys transformed ‘60s surf and guitar culture
As Jardine reflects on the pop-cultural miracle of the Beach Boys and their rising tide of musicality as Brian Wilson's genius crested, he talks about the guitars behind it, and says it was fun, fun, fun
Gear
Neural DSP Archetype: Misha Mansoor X review
The Finnish firm’s new signature plugin for Periphery’s chief riffer is its most feature-packed to date, and it serves up utilitarianism and uncanny weirdness in equal measure
How the Fender Telecaster got its name, with a little help from Gretsch
In this exclusive extract from Fender Telecaster: 75 Years, Dave Hunter takes us inside the corporate wrangle that gave us the Telecaster moniker – and created some true Fender rarities in the process
"A really clever bit of kit that makes playing along with drum beats an absolute breeze": Singular Sound BeatBuddy 2 review
The BeatBuddy is back with a host of new features that might have you wondering whether it’s finally time to sack your drummer
"Adding a few tweaks to the winning formula… The perfect pedal platforms": Victory V40 The Duchess Mark II review
Learning some tricks from the development of the super high-end MK Clean, Victory upgrades the Duchess range
“At this upper mid-range price point, it's hard to think of a guitar to rival it”: Strandberg N2 Boden Standard review
The second model in the progressive Swedish company's new Boden N2 series more than holds its own
“A supreme utility pedal”: Diamond Boost/EQ review
A practical pedalboard asset is the focus of our first look at a Diamond pedal since the brand’s relaunch
Built during WWII, the 1942 Gibson Southern Jumbo is far more than a J-45 in fancy dress
Mismatched tops, laminated necks, the ravages of WWII meant the first-year Southern Jumbo was a moveable feast – but it is a real vintage treasure. Dave Davidson of Well Strung Guitars explains…
“Ibanez has broken the rules of conventional guitar design. Pick it up and break the rules of guitar playing”: Ibanez Q54W review
It's like all the cool kids are saying, if you want to get ahead, get a headless guitar
“John Lennon’s 12-string has a similar trebly edge to it”: Framus Hootenanny 12-string and 6-string review
John Lennon famously used a Framus 12-string acoustic with the Beatles, and 60 years later the company has reissued the model in all its fab finery – and it comes with a little help from a friend!
Lessons
How to master the art of tremolo picking – the indispensable picking technique heard in everything from death metal to surf rock that can power up your playing
Sharpen your chops and ramp up your speed with our technique-focused workout inspired by power pickers Dick Dale, Jonny Greenwood and Kerry King
How to layer guitar parts like a pro (with a little help from Cory Wong)
In this exclusive video and tab lesson, the funk maestro serves up a big ol' slice of rhythm layer cake that reimagines the guitar as keyboard, bass, as everything in the band
Power up your inner shredder: Gus G shares his ultimate guitar warm-ups
Before every gig, Firewind and Ozzy's virtuoso hones his chops with focused drills for sweeping, slurring, and string jumping. Steal his six essential exercises to level up your own metal technique
Rush’s Alex Lifeson was a master of first inversion chords – here are 5 voicings you can use in your playing today
Don't be intimidated by the terminology. First-inversion chords is the fancy name for slash chords and they can add some range and spice to your songwriting
Jared James Nichols teaches you the wild drop D blues stomp he wrote with Tyler Bryant
Learn Hard Wired, a fingerstyle blues-rock riffing masterclass that has groove for days
Sue Foley salutes Elizabeth Cotten and her favorite female guitar pioneers in this fingerpicking blues masterclass
Foley's latest lesson unpacks the Piedmont fingerpicking style perfected by the likes of Elizabeth Cotten – and there's some Memphis Minnie, too
Eddie Van Halen used it, Jimmy Page loved it, and all of your heavy metal heroes have tried it – drop D made drop-dead simple
Drop D tuning is one of the easiest alternate tunings to get to grips with. Here’s our step-by-step guide
Joe Bonamassa pays homage to Duane Eddy – and reminds us why the “Titan of Twang” was a great blues player, too
After saluting the late, great Duane Eddy at his tribute show in Nashville, Bonamassa serves up a video and tab lesson that shows us what we can learn from a rock ’n’ roll trailblazer
Reviews
Neural DSP Archetype: Misha Mansoor X review
The Finnish firm’s new signature plugin for Periphery’s chief riffer is its most feature-packed to date, and it serves up utilitarianism and uncanny weirdness in equal measure
"A really clever bit of kit that makes playing along with drum beats an absolute breeze": Singular Sound BeatBuddy 2 review
The BeatBuddy is back with a host of new features that might have you wondering whether it’s finally time to sack your drummer
"Adding a few tweaks to the winning formula… The perfect pedal platforms": Victory V40 The Duchess Mark II review
Learning some tricks from the development of the super high-end MK Clean, Victory upgrades the Duchess range
“At this upper mid-range price point, it's hard to think of a guitar to rival it”: Strandberg N2 Boden Standard review
The second model in the progressive Swedish company's new Boden N2 series more than holds its own
“A supreme utility pedal”: Diamond Boost/EQ review
A practical pedalboard asset is the focus of our first look at a Diamond pedal since the brand’s relaunch
“Ibanez has broken the rules of conventional guitar design. Pick it up and break the rules of guitar playing”: Ibanez Q54W review
It's like all the cool kids are saying, if you want to get ahead, get a headless guitar
“John Lennon’s 12-string has a similar trebly edge to it”: Framus Hootenanny 12-string and 6-string review
John Lennon famously used a Framus 12-string acoustic with the Beatles, and 60 years later the company has reissued the model in all its fab finery – and it comes with a little help from a friend!
"So much more than just 'Mk.gee in a pedal', this clever little preamp box leaves plenty of room to find your own voice": JHS Pedals 424 Gain Stage review
Everyone is talking about the 424 MK1 multi-track recorder. Does the first big brand attempt to bring this to your pedalboard live up to the hype?
Buying Guides
Best guitar stands and guitar hangers 2025: options for single and multiple acoustic and electric guitars
Hang about! These are the best stands and hangers for your guitars right now
Best bass guitars 2025: long and short-scale bass options for beginners to pros
Our pick of the world’s finest low-end monsters, with the best bass guitars from Fender, EBMM, Yamaha and more…
Best acoustic guitars under $1,000 2025: expert picks for great tone on a budget
Enjoy superb playability and sound with our guide to the top mid-priced acoustics
Best overdrive pedals 2025: from mid-hump to transparent tone
My pick of the top-rated overdrive pedals will get your gain tones on point
Best guitar wireless systems 2025: set your playing free, from the rehearsal room to the stage
Fed up with cumbersome cables? Here's my pick of the best wireless guitar systems for every budget
Best budget reverb pedals 2025: wallet-friendly ‘board buys for the thrifty guitar player
Pick up an essential piece of gear without dropping big bucks - our list of the best budget reverb pedals
Best guitars for kids 2025: top electric and acoustic guitars for children
The top kid’s guitars available today and everything you need to know to get your child started with the guitar
Best acoustic electric guitars 2025: electro-acoustic picks for every guitarist whatever your budget
Stand and be heard – embrace the creative opportunities an acoustic electric guitar presents, whether live on stage or in the studio
Best beginner guitar amps 2025: my top picks from over a decade working in music retail
After nearly ten years working in a busy high-street music store, I’ve seen which beginner amps truly deliver, offering the best value, most useful features, and long-lasting popularity from brands like Blackstar, Fender, Positive Grid, and more