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Who’s the greatest Stratocaster player?
Trying to suss out a guitarist who – in all of the model's 70+ years of existence – is the most synonymous with the Fender Stratocaster, is probably a fool's errand, but we want to know your thoughts anyway
Latest News
Who’s the greatest Stratocaster player?
Trying to suss out a guitarist who – in all of the model's 70+ years of existence – is the most synonymous with the Fender Stratocaster, is probably a fool's errand, but we want to know your thoughts anyway
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Troy Van Leeuwen debuts stunning Squier 12-string Telecaster while performing live with Michael Stipe on Jimmy Kimmel
The Queens of the Stone Age guitarist says the oddball 12-string will be out this summer and is one of Squier's Paranormal specials....
The bizarre gardening accident that changed the way Phoebe Bridgers plays guitar
Bridgers' guitar and songwriting chops will be on full display during her freshly announced tour
Slash, Tim Henson, Guthrie Govan and Steve Vai have been assembled for an unlikely collaboration album
Composer Bear McCreary is continuing his epic metal saga with the aid of an all-star cast
New guitar, who dis? John Mayer just debuted his stunning new boutique T-style on his new collab with Lainey Wilson
Mayer has got his hands on a boutique Esquire-style custom build from a legend of Californian guitar making
California music store appealing for aid following the theft of four Fender Custom Shop Stratocasters
Wild West Guitars is pleading for help recovering the guitars, two of which were made to commemorate its 25th anniversary
Guitar World deals of the week: save $600 on a badass ESP LTD, bag one of my favorite budget guitars with $150 off, plus two massive guitar sales to dive into
Our gear experts track down the best weekly deals on guitar gear, bringing you hand-picked savings on guitars, pedals, amps, and more
Artists
David Torn is playing louder and heavier than ever, leaving a trail of trashed bridges in his wake
The prolific guitarist, producer and film composer reflects on his first solo album in a decade, lessons learned across a long career, and his rejection of “guitarists living in the hero age”
Lee Sklar shares his secrets for finding the perfect groove in the studio
Sklar has played on over 2,500 albums – not bad for someone who claims, “I never had any intention of becoming a studio player”
How Gerald Johnson’s twisting bassline culminated in a full-on solo – a rarity for a 1973 rock track
Texas rock icon Steve Miller featured his left-handed bassist on the third of four singles from his now-classic album
The surreal beginning to Slash’s musical relationship with Michael Jackson
The two would go on to become frequent collaborators, with the top-hatted guitar great contributing to every subsequent album Jackson released during his lifetime
The life and times of Motörhead guitarist Phil Campbell
Motörhead’s longest-serving guitarist was the perfect fit for a band whose bludgeoning sound and appetite for excess eclipsed all others
Behind the scenes of the Peter Frampton documentary
How Frampton documentary director Rob Arthur helped the iconic guitarist come alive on the big screen
Josh Klinghoffer on Chili Peppers vs. Pearl Jam and playing in Andrew Watt's new wrecking crew
These days Klinghoffer’s leaving his most well-worn guitars at home, but on his new Pluralone album he went back to his beloved 1947 Martin
Gear
“A fine, gig-ready instrument with premium build quality”: Taylor Gold Label 710E review
As part of an ongoing revision to its esteemed catalog, Taylor has introduced a deep-bodied dreadnought into the fold. Let’s take it out for a spin
Meet the Afghanistan war veteran who made it his mission to design the ultimate ergonomic guitar
The Ghost Lab Acoustics HyperNova 2.0 might look radical, but every inch of it has been designed to protect your body as you play
The best guitar bargains on Reverb – and how to get more for your old gear
Cyril Nigg, data science leader at Reverb, shares some tips for buying and selling online and discusses some of the trends shaping the used market
"The price might be chunky, but the playing experience, build and sonic delivery are tough to argue with": Ibanez Alpha A528 review
It’s already caused a stir online, but does the Alpha eight-string multi-scale prove itself in person?
Best octave pedals for bass 2026: Pitch-shift your playing with my pick of essential pedalboard additions
Looking for a new octave pedal to add to your bass rig, or are you entering the world for the first time? Here's are my top choices along with expert buying advice
Positive Grid Reactor 100 Intelligent Guitar Combo Amp review
Positive Grid is branching out from the market-conquering Spark family with a bold new lineup that could spell trouble for the Boss Katana
Best 3/4 acoustic guitars 2026: small-bodied, short scale sensations from Taylor, Martin, Faith, and more
I count down the best compact acoustics for new players, smaller guitarists and those looking for a neat 'couch guitar'
Lessons
If you learn one thing from Jake E. Lee it should be this: bigger stretches for better shredding
Try this enhanced lesson to strengthen your fourth finger and use your thumb for wide fretting like the iconic Ozzy Osbourne guitarist
How to funk up your blues solos
Taking cues from John Mayer, Jimi Hendrix and Nile Rodgers, this lesson offers three examples of phrases that add rhythm and movement to blues
“To some people, this is more of a ‘jazzy’ sound”: How to use dominant 7 arpeggios in a guitar solo
Because you can't have enough exit ramps from traditional blues phrases, here's how you can use the notes of a dominant 7 chord to spice up your solos
5 chords that sound like they’re in an open tuning (but aren’t)
Because sometimes retuning your guitar is, well, a pain in the backside – and there are workarounds
Charlie Starr on how to play “Piedmont” fingerstyle guitar
The Blackberry Smoke frontman goes unplugged to give us a lesson in the fingerstyle techniques he applies in his day job
Hidden for four decades, the story behind the (almost) unheard outro solo on John Farnham’s smash hit, You’re the Voice
Celtic rock bagpipe phrasing, THAT blazing arpeggio and a crazy bend that broke a string – learn how Brett Garsed played his solo in this exclusive feature
Joe Bonamassa breaks down the differences between P-90s and PAF humbuckers
In this lesson, the blues maestro demonstrates how pickup choice affects the tone and can be used for different purposes
Reviews
“A fine, gig-ready instrument with premium build quality”: Taylor Gold Label 710E review
As part of an ongoing revision to its esteemed catalog, Taylor has introduced a deep-bodied dreadnought into the fold. Let’s take it out for a spin
"The price might be chunky, but the playing experience, build and sonic delivery are tough to argue with": Ibanez Alpha A528 review
It’s already caused a stir online, but does the Alpha eight-string multi-scale prove itself in person?
Positive Grid Reactor 100 Intelligent Guitar Combo Amp review
Positive Grid is branching out from the market-conquering Spark family with a bold new lineup that could spell trouble for the Boss Katana
“Waiting to throw a spanner in the works of your guitar tone”: Electro-Harmonix Pico Atomic Cluster review
EHX’s new Pico pedal is designed to deconstruct your tone to an atomic level
“It’s a guitar that can indeed be a singer-songwriter’s tool, or a guitar for chugging metal”: PRS SE Ed Sheeran Hollowbody I Piezo Baritone review
One of the biggest names in pop delivers a first signature electric that bridges the gap between open chords and heavy metal chugs
Fender Vintera III Early '60s Bass VI review – is this oddball offset really worth the hype?
Fender's cult classic offset, beloved by The Beatles and beyond, is back and supposedly better than ever
“Bright, lively, and surprisingly loud, it projects with a clarity and presence that belies its compact footprint”: Faith Nomad Mini-Neptune Trembesi review
This scaled-down Neptune is worlds apart from some of its travel guitar competition
Buying Guides
Best octave pedals for bass 2026: Pitch-shift your playing with my pick of essential pedalboard additions
Looking for a new octave pedal to add to your bass rig, or are you entering the world for the first time? Here's are my top choices along with expert buying advice
Best 3/4 acoustic guitars 2026: small-bodied, short scale sensations from Taylor, Martin, Faith, and more
I count down the best compact acoustics for new players, smaller guitarists and those looking for a neat 'couch guitar'
Best overdrive pedals for bass 2026: The ultimate in bass saturation at all price points
My pick of the top-rated overdrive pedals for bass players from the likes of EBS, Electro-Harmonix, Origin Effects, and more
Best Squier guitars 2026: the ultimate guide
We check out the top Squier guitars, including the Classic Vibe series, Affinity series, Debut models, and Paranormal series guitars
Best modeling amps 2026: get iconic amp and effects tones at your fingertips
I break down the best modeling amps available, covering a range of budgets, brands and sizes
Best mini amps for guitar 2026: power up your practice with these tiny towers of tone
My top picks of small guitar amps that pack a punch and let you practice when you're short on space
Best parlor guitars 2026: sofa-friendly acoustics for every budget
The grandfather of acoustic guitars – our top parlor guitar picks from Gibson, Martin, Yamaha, and more
