Joan Jett on the battles she faced to become a rock guitar icon
Growing up, Jett defied the norms and expectations that “girls don't play electric guitar” – and went on to become a bona fide trailblazer and legend
Latest News
Joan Jett on the battles she faced to become a rock guitar icon
Growing up, Jett defied the norms and expectations that “girls don't play electric guitar” – and went on to become a bona fide trailblazer and legend
Kirk Hammett’s guitar auction shatters expectations – with his mystery Back to the Beginning SG fetching $70,000 more than anticipated
Around 150 of Hammett’s guitars were part of Julien’s latest Played, Worn & Torn auction
These 5 audio interfaces came out on top in my testing gauntlet, and now they're all on sale with a hefty Black Friday discount – including $200 off a UA Apollo
With so many savings on audio interfaces for Black Friday, it's the perfect time to upgrade your studio setup
Every single JHS pedal has been given a Black Friday discount up to 25% at Sweetwater – and yes, it includes the Color Box, Morning Glory and Angry Charlie
With 63 pedals on sale and up to $113 off, now's the time to add a JHS to your pedalboard
John Entwistle’s Warwick bass triples in value after analysis reveals links to another rock great
The prototype's natural finish and some sharp eyes have helped it to a huge bump in value
My favorite Klon-style overdrive just dropped by 48%! At just $99, this may be the smartest upgrade you can make to your sound this Black Friday
The highly rated 4.5-star Warm Audio WA-CV Centavo is a staple on my pedalboard, and with its price now under $100, I cannot recommend it enough
Tom DeLonge has unveiled 10 new Fender Starcasters – and they’re made with actual meteorites from the Moon, Mars and more
The Ad Astra 10 guitars are inspired by DeLonge's Custom Shop model, with each featuring fragments of different meteorites
Artists
“If all you want to do is sound like Stevie Ray Vaughan, you’re screwed. There was only one of him and he did it better than anyone else”: What Guthrie Trapp learned while escaping the country player label – and how the fretboard can change your life
The session ace explains what’s wrong with modelers, why anyone emulating SRV is doomed to fail, and how he nearly missed out on jamming with Billy Gibbons
Robbie Fulks on the “miracle” of bluegrass and the ecstasies of improv solos
Don’t plan guitar solos, says this acoustic mastermind – let them fly naturally
Fresh off his stint in the Goo Goo Dolls, Sammy Boller has a new EP – featuring two-handed tapping and an 8-string he borrowed from Tim Henson
The Detroit instrumentalist phenom's new solo EP comes straight from the heart, with wide-range dynamics and Boller's typically audacious style
How a pre-fame Stanley Clarke helped define an Aretha Franklin classic
Clarke's early session career offered tantalizing glimpses of his technical prowess and innovations, and hints of how he would transform the low-end landscape with Return To Forever and his own solo albums
Gibson CEO Cesar Gueikian has spent 3 years learning how to build guitars – and his prized SG was played at metal’s most historic concert
Gueikian has juggled the demands of his CEO role with learning the art of guitar making, and his builds already have some high-profile admirers – including Jason Momoa, Kirk Hammett and Tony Iommi
Soloing next to Misha Mansoor and Marty Friedman, Heriot are next-gen metal guitar heroes-in-the-making
British metallers Debbie Gough and Erhan Alman discuss showcasing guitar chops with some the best metal players in the world, and the cheap guitar they'll play to death
Stephen Dale Petit on break-ups, cancer, Eric Clapton and why the original “blues hooligan” is no gun-for-hire
Grave illness and a broken heart have tested Stephen Dale Petit – but the bluesman tells us that completing his Clapton-bolstered masterpiece, Be The Love, is all that matters
Anthony Esposito’s unique career alongside Ace Frehley, George Lynch and Jake E. Lee
The upright bassist with no previous experience of rock joined Lynch Mob and spent years telling it like it is to his guitar player bosses. He reveals what he’d always tried to explain to Lynch, the pain of losing Frehley and his concerns for Lee
Gear
"I feel closer to what I'm playing, more connected in a way I've never really felt with other semi-hollow guitars": Orangewood Clementine review
Orangewood's second-ever electric guitar release leans into its acoustic roots and a high spec, but can it win you over from the established giants of semi-hollow guitars?
“A really musical effect, perfectly implemented in a tiny footprint”: Electro-Harmonix Pico Swello review
Electro-Harmonix takes one of the best-loved features of its POG2 and puts it into a standalone pedal
Up close and personal with Gary Moore’s mythical red Strat – the $330,000 Strat that lit up his performance of Red House
Having just been auctioned for megabucks, we take a closer look at Moore's red Strat, sifting through the myths behind a guitar forever linked to his blazing 2004 performance of a Hendrix standard
"Some players may bemoan its Chinese origin, but if it looks like a Falcon, plays like a Falcon, and squawks like a Falcon, it must be a Falcon": Gretsch Synchromatic Falcon review
The Falcon has finally landed in a more affordable price bracket, let's see if Gretsch's big bird can fly economy
Best headphone amps for guitar 2025: silent practice solutions
You don’t need to sacrifice tone to practice quietly with my expert pick of the best headphone amps for guitar players
Best pedalboard power supplies 2025: juice your ‘board with my pick of pro-grade power, fully tested
I put budget-spanning pedal power supplies from Fender, Cioks, Walrus Audio and more through their paces – these were the standouts
Inspired by Brian May and Prince, The Rocket might be 2025’s wildest guitar build – NYC firebrand Des Rocs explains how it came to be
Built by Prague luthier Aviator, The Rocket features a magnetic scratchplate for infinite customization – but it’s much more than a fashion piece
“It vacuum-packs superb tones and incredible utility into a compact space”: IK Multimedia ToneX One Bass Edition review
Honey, I shrunk the Ampeg! And the Gallien-Krueger, and the Sansamp, and...
Best looper pedals 2025: options for practice, songwriting, and live performance – tried and tested by an expert
Whether you're writing songs or woodshedding solos, using a loop pedal will make you a better guitarist – these are the best looper pedals from Boss, TC Electronic, Line 6 and more
Lessons
Jared James Nichols shows you how to build a guitar solo to a powerful climax
Ditch the pick and crank the amp for this Jared James Nichols masterclass in blues solo composition
Great tone starts with the pick – just ask Steve Vai. Here’s how honing your picking can improve your tone for free
Unlock every pick color – from warmth and brightness to the secretive clarinet tone
Best online guitar lessons 2025: I'm a professional guitar product reviewer and these are my top picks
Online lessons are the ideal platform for developing guitar skills from the comfort of your home or on the go – myself and our in-house experts have tested options for all playing levels, styles and budgets, including a free option
"The quality of tuition remains second to none, the user interface is slick, and the amp feature is both practical and entertaining:" Gibson: Learn To Play Guitar app review
The sophisticated Gibson tuition app sets the tone for players aspiring to dial in as much gain with as little pain as possible - with oodles of feedback always on tap
Sue Foley shows you how to nail classic blues turnarounds – and how to come up with your own
In Foley's final column in the series, she completes her turnarounds masterclass – an essential skill for any blues player
Joe Bonamassa on the vintage Gibson that makes a great power chord guitar
What makes the Gibson ES-350 so good for rock? Bonamassa says they are a real live wire, with “a lot of pop” and no shortage of low-end
Cory Wong on how to create a bigger, wider sound by layering baritone guitar parts
Using a Fearless Flyers classic as a case study in baritone layering, the funk-master GW columnist peels away the onion to explain how these individual parts all stack up
Explore open G tuning: a fresh perspective that reshapes your fretboard and inspired timeless blues and Americana songs
Open G has been embraced by legends including Keith Richards, The Black Crowes and Led Zeppelin. Now it’s your turn to revel in its golden tones
David Gilmour is a master of melodic bluesy phrasing – here are 3 minor blues approaches you can expand your soloing vocabulary
Whether you call these solo ideas minor blues or embellished pentatonic/blues scale, the effect is the same, freeing you up from established patterns to hold your audience's attention
Reviews
"I feel closer to what I'm playing, more connected in a way I've never really felt with other semi-hollow guitars": Orangewood Clementine review
Orangewood's second-ever electric guitar release leans into its acoustic roots and a high spec, but can it win you over from the established giants of semi-hollow guitars?
“A really musical effect, perfectly implemented in a tiny footprint”: Electro-Harmonix Pico Swello review
Electro-Harmonix takes one of the best-loved features of its POG2 and puts it into a standalone pedal
"Some players may bemoan its Chinese origin, but if it looks like a Falcon, plays like a Falcon, and squawks like a Falcon, it must be a Falcon": Gretsch Synchromatic Falcon review
The Falcon has finally landed in a more affordable price bracket, let's see if Gretsch's big bird can fly economy
“It vacuum-packs superb tones and incredible utility into a compact space”: IK Multimedia ToneX One Bass Edition review
Honey, I shrunk the Ampeg! And the Gallien-Krueger, and the Sansamp, and...
“A joy to play… Sirloin steak quality for chicken nuggets price”: Jet Guitars JT-350 BKM H and JJ-300 P90 SFG review
These guitars have outlines that you'll recognise, but their meagre price points surely belie the set of specs and level of build quality? Let’s find out
“Aim to clone the style of the high-end UK Custom Shop models… To be honest, we’re struggling to find any negatives”: PJD Origin Series Carey Pro and St John Pro review
Known for its finely made production-led UK builds, PJD Guitars is now aiming for the mainstream with a range of Indonesian-made solidbodies and its lowest price points yet
“If you’re heading off on holiday any time soon and want a guitar-shaped companion with a good pedigree, look no further”: Furch Pioneer-ER A review
The latest travel guitar from the renowned Czech builder may look small, but it packs a punch and benefits from some revolutionary new technology
"The quality of tuition remains second to none, the user interface is slick, and the amp feature is both practical and entertaining:" Gibson: Learn To Play Guitar app review
The sophisticated Gibson tuition app sets the tone for players aspiring to dial in as much gain with as little pain as possible - with oodles of feedback always on tap
Buying Guides
Best headphone amps for guitar 2025: silent practice solutions
You don’t need to sacrifice tone to practice quietly with my expert pick of the best headphone amps for guitar players
Best pedalboard power supplies 2025: juice your ‘board with my pick of pro-grade power, fully tested
I put budget-spanning pedal power supplies from Fender, Cioks, Walrus Audio and more through their paces – these were the standouts
Best looper pedals 2025: options for practice, songwriting, and live performance – tried and tested by an expert
Whether you're writing songs or woodshedding solos, using a loop pedal will make you a better guitarist – these are the best looper pedals from Boss, TC Electronic, Line 6 and more
What's the best guitar cable in 2025? These are the tried & tested options I'd recommend to any player
There's a lot of snake oil when it comes to the top guitar cables – I'm a professional guitar gear reviewer and I've tested 11 of the best to help you find your perfect match
Best online guitar lessons 2025: I'm a professional guitar product reviewer and these are my top picks
Online lessons are the ideal platform for developing guitar skills from the comfort of your home or on the go – myself and our in-house experts have tested options for all playing levels, styles and budgets, including a free option
Best multi-effects pedals 2025: replace your rig
Our pick of the best multi-fx pedals from Neural DSP, Kemper, Line 6, Boss, and more
Looking for useful Christmas gifts for guitarists under $20? Here's my pick of 10 affordable accessories every guitar player actually needs
Supercharge your gifting with home practice and gigbag essentials that won't break the bank – recommended by a professional guitar salesman
