Fender just dropped a game-changing Tone Master Pro update
Fender has bolstered its flagship amp modeling multi-effects pedal with its first dedicated bass amps, a host of new functional updates and more
![David Gilmour [left] wears a white shirt and jams on his Black Strat live at Hyde Park, with folk legend Roy Harper playing a Les Paul Custom.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/CcGsNsaH5gxwV3UhyRv7nn-1920-80.jpg.webp)
Latest news
Fender just dropped a game-changing Tone Master Pro update
Fender has bolstered its flagship amp modeling multi-effects pedal with its first dedicated bass amps, a host of new functional updates and more
Zachary Ezrin showcases his wild whammy technique on Eye of Mars – and a Gibson with the Midas touch
The experimental band’s forthcoming album, Goldstar, puts Ezrin’s oddball blend of influences and techniques center stage
Jim Suhler on the time Joe Bonamassa played on one of his tracks – and delivered a searing solo while sick
Suhler met Bonamassa back in 2001, when the then-rising star was supporting George Thorogood, and has stayed in touch with him ever since
With up to 80% off at Reverb this Black Friday is it time to forget about new models in favour of second-hand?
You don't have to buy brand new to get a great deal this Black Friday thanks to the Reverb early Black Friday sale
Soccer Mommy on the power of alternate tunings in pushing her songwriting capabilities
The singer-songwriter discusses how opting for left-field tunings forces guitarists to learn a whole new vocabulary, which ultimately improves their playing
Line 6 keeps up the pace with the Fender Tone Master Pro in free Helix update
The update also delivers amp models inspired by sought-after Fender and Bogner amps, four new cabs, and a bass wah to widen the line-up’s tonal palette
Vic Flick, the guitarist who played the iconic James Bond riff, dies aged 87
Flick had planned to record the legendary hook on a Strat, but after it was stolen, the guitarist got creative with a semi-hollow instead
Artists
Yes icon Steve Howe on why he rarely runs scales, thrashing acoustics – and how he’s still chasing Chet Atkins’ touch
The prog legend checks in to talk all things guitar, from drawing inspiration from his parents' record collection and cutting his teeth on a cheap arch-top to finding his sound on the ES-175 and six-string explorations on Guitarscape
“I don’t trespass on people’s style”: The Pixies’ Joey Santiago on living life as an outsider guitar hero
Long ago, the Pixies blazed a trail for Nirvana and others to follow. But now, as before, there is no masterplan. As guitarist Joey Santiago says: “I still go by feel – and with my gut”
“A lot of my peers have turned to modelers. I’m not there yet. It still feels like an electronic toy to me”: Jerry Cantrell on his love of guitar duos, vibing off Jeff Beck on his solo album – and why he remains a digital tone skeptic
The Alice In Chains guitarist discusses sticking to tubes, breaking out the talkbox and the potty-mouthed solo sessions behind his new album I Want Blood
“We knew we didn’t want to do an acoustic version of Teen Spirit”: The story of Nirvana's seminal MTV Unplugged set
Resisting network pressure to simply play the hits, Kurt Cobain, Pat Smear, Krist Novoselic, and Dave Grohl pulled together a remarkable and eclectic set that served as the haunting apex of Nirvana's final chapter
Ethan Kahn learned to play after a high school shooting – now his band is championed by William DuVall and Rob Halford
The Chained Saint guitarist is learning to balance his SATs with promoting their debut album, but he’s got the support of two rock icons
Steve Cropper on writing Green Onions, stressing out Brian May and the secret of Billy Gibbons’ guitar style
Cropper says he isn't a great guitar player but if you co-wrote Green Onions and (Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay, you don't need technical wizardry. He walks us through a career marked by hits, grooves and soul
Cory Wong and Andy Timmons on the brilliance of George Benson, and his essential contributions to the guitar vocabulary
Wong and Timmons will be but two of the names featured on the impressive guest list of Benson's forthcoming Breezin’ with the Stars guitar camp
Gear
“My experience with the Boss GX-10 is a real tale of two halves”: Boss GX-10 review
Hands-on with the latest portable multi-effects pedal from stompbox heavyweight Boss
"A lot to applaud:" Gretsch Electromatic Pristine Ltd Jet Single-Cut with Bigsby review
Always the ‘Les Paul’ of the Gretsch line since it first appeared back in the 50s, the Jet gets a snazzy Electromatic makeover. Style over substance? Let’s plug in…
If tone is really in guitarists’ hands – then we need to pay more attention to our picks
Bog Street Picks’ forward-thinking pick design has us seriously questioning the role of the humble plectrum
Best practice amps 2024: hone your guitar and bass chops at home
These are the best practice amps for enabling you to keep the noise down when getting in some essential practice time with your electric guitar or bass
Reverend Guitars’ founders on their wild signature collabs with Billy Corgan, Vernon Reid and Reeves Gabrels
Reverend is fast becoming the go-to brand for artists looking for something different. Ken Haas and Joe Naylor explain what it takes to make an artist's dreams come true...
Best desktop guitar amps 2024: our top desktop amps for portable practice
Improve your guitar playing with our pick of the most powerful yet portable practice solutions
“Could this be one of the most unique and musically inspiring electric guitars we’ve ever encountered?” Powers Electric A-Type review
Originally launched in early 2023, the Powers Electric A-Type is that rarest of things in guitar design: a true original
Lessons
Learn to shred like Yngwie Malmsteen, as we celebrate 40 years of his game-changing debut Rising Force
It’s time to turn that Fender Strat into kindling as we go far beyond the sun and unleash the fury in a video and tab shred lesson that is not for the faint-hearted
Joe Bonamassa explains how to get into a slow blues jam – and, crucially, how you can get out of it
In this exclusive video lesson, the bluesman walks us through an essential skill for the blues guitar player, the slow blues… And he’s going to demonstrate how using an amp it took him 15 years to track down
5 ideas for how you can revoice guitar chords, and enhance your progressions
By using various voicings of the same chord, you can expand your fretboard knowledge and spice up your chord progressions
![[L-R] A composite image of Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, Joel Hoekstra, Marty Friedman all taking a solo live: Bumblefoot plays his double-neck. Hoekstra has his white Les Paul Custom. Friedman wears a plaid shirt and plays his PRS signature model.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/VPKUYFpK9bsjnQdzekheeb-840-80.jpg.webp)
15 pro guitarists share their tips for memorizing music
We've all been there. Or worse still, you're playing, all is well, and then the mind goes blank. Here, Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, Joel Hoekstra, Marty Friedman, and a dozen of their fellow pros share their strategies for memorizing their parts
Expand your lick vocabulary and boost your improv skills with this Bruce Forman-inspired lesson
Bruce Forman is a jazz guitar master, and these four mini-pieces in his style walk you through soloing strategies and chord choices, sharpening up your technique along the way
Go over the mountain and take your solos to new heights: 5 ways you can shred like Randy Rhoads
Applying classical training to the service of heavy metal, Rhoads was the generational guitar talent that helped launch Ozzy Osbourne's solo career
Upgrade your blues chops now with this lesson in how to play slide guitar in standard tuning
Looking for an entry into slide playing but don't want to retune your guitar and give it a setup? This tab and audio lesson in plain ol' EADGBE will help you develop your slide vocabulary
Add some Texas blues sizzle to your lead playing with this lesson in Billy Gibbons' sweet soloing style
This lesson is the ZZ Top content you need to stay cool while bringing the heat. It will develop your sense of pacing and blues phrasing, and give you a chance to let some pinch harmonics fly off the fingerboard
A lesson in the melody-first rhythm style and hook-filled solos of the Killers’ Dave Keuning
There are many lessons to be taken from Dave Keuning’s work with the Killers, not least that an appreciation of melody, a diverse musical vocabulary, and an ear for hooks makes for a crowd-pleasing set
Reviews
“My experience with the Boss GX-10 is a real tale of two halves”: Boss GX-10 review
Hands-on with the latest portable multi-effects pedal from stompbox heavyweight Boss
"A lot to applaud:" Gretsch Electromatic Pristine Ltd Jet Single-Cut with Bigsby review
Always the ‘Les Paul’ of the Gretsch line since it first appeared back in the 50s, the Jet gets a snazzy Electromatic makeover. Style over substance? Let’s plug in…
“Could this be one of the most unique and musically inspiring electric guitars we’ve ever encountered?” Powers Electric A-Type review
Originally launched in early 2023, the Powers Electric A-Type is that rarest of things in guitar design: a true original
“Carefully designed to deliver in live, practice and recording”: TC Electronic AmpWorx Series review
TC Electronic’s AmpWorx Series makes the tones of your favourite classic amps available in a selection of multi-purpose pedals
“You almost forget it's a carbon fiber guitar”: Klōs Carbon Timber Grand Cutaway Mini review
With its superb feel and sounds, can this small-bodied, travel-friendly acoustic convert the carbon fiber acoustic purists?
“Quite possibly the ultimate busker’s tool”: Yamaha TAG3 C TransAcoustic review
Yamaha has expanded its TransAcoustic concept to include more onboard effects, including delay and looping, with fine-tuning and the option to play backing tracks via a dedicated smartphone app
“A tasty fuzz that’s worth making a tuna-can-shaped space on your pedalboard for”: Beetronics Tuna Fuzz pedal review
Beetronics eschews its ornate pedal casings and gets back to basics with a fuzz built into a tuna can. Seriously!
"Thumping low-end that doesn’t muddy up, and all the throatiness that the real thing does so well": Universal Audio UAFX Knuckles '92 Dual Rec amp pedal review
Universal Audio's guitar rig take-over bid continues, and this time it's aiming for classic '90s Californian high-gain tone
"It’s fair to say that the design of this model will divide people, but what isn’t up for debate is this Strat’s build quality": Squier Limited Edition Hello Kitty Stratocaster review
The cat is out of the bag – Squier’s famous feline-themed Strat is back and better than ever… but it's also pricier
Buying Guides
Best practice amps 2024: hone your guitar and bass chops at home
These are the best practice amps for enabling you to keep the noise down when getting in some essential practice time with your electric guitar or bass
Best desktop guitar amps 2024: our top desktop amps for portable practice
Improve your guitar playing with our pick of the most powerful yet portable practice solutions
Best online guitar lessons 2024: remote learning for guitar players – every platform tested by experts
Online lessons are great for developing your guitar skills from the comfort of your home or on the go – our experts have thoroughly tested options for all playing levels and for every budget, including a free option
Best budget guitar amps under $500 in 2024: cost-cutting amplifiers for the budget-conscious player
Get great sounds and features without blowing your budget – from affordable tube amps to wallet-friendly digital modeling amps and everything in between
Best guitars for kids 2024: 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 Epiphone Les Pauls 2024: Our pick of the greatest budget-friendly versions of Gibson’s iconic single-cut
Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned guitarist, our list of the best Epiphone Les Pauls is sure to inspire you
Best bass guitar picks 2024: our pick of perfect plectrums for bass players
From extra heavy acrylic picks to surprisingly slim signature options by Dunlop, Ernie Ball, D’Addario and more
