Nuno Bettencourt names the up-and-coming guitarist who has blown his mind
Bettencourt rarely reposts players on his social media accounts, but this Instagram guitarist-producer has got him all worked up
Latest News
Nuno Bettencourt names the up-and-coming guitarist who has blown his mind
Bettencourt rarely reposts players on his social media accounts, but this Instagram guitarist-producer has got him all worked up
Jackson’s Diablo crossover Kelly is inspired by the Lord of Hatred – but you’re still going to love it
Fans begged for the Diablo Kelly to make a return after Jackson dropped a Custom Shop version in 2023
How the Beatles launched the career of one of the all-time great songwriters
James Taylor’s encounter with Pete Asher led to an audition in front of Paul McCartney and George Harrison
Suspect linked to organized crime ring targeting Guitar Center stores across the US arrested
Police in Redmond, Washington, confirmed that the crime at the Redmond Guitar Center location is part of a concerted effort spanning at least three states
Why Todd Rundgren chose to play Gibsons over Fenders
Rundgren initially aligned himself with the Yardbirds guitar heroes, though would branch out in later years
Dave Mason, Traffic co-founder who played with Jimi Hendrix and George Harrison, dies aged 79
The English guitar great also worked with Fleetwood Mac, the Rolling Stones and Michael Jackson across his storied career
Why Michael Schenker turned down Ozzy Osbourne
Schenker was approached by the Prince of Darkness following the tragic death of Randy Rhoads
Artists
Baroness shredder Gina Gleason on 75 years of the Fender Telecaster – and why it works for metal
The face of Fender’s 75th Anniversary Telecaster campaign shares all about her new death metal project, recent technique breakthroughs and where she thinks the future of metal tone lies
Lamb of God’s Willie Adler and Mark Morton take us inside metal’s premier riff machine
Into Oblivion finds the guitarists revisiting past chaos to inspire some of the Virginia stalwarts’ most brutal and diverse material to date
Keith Richards on his enduring love affair with the guitar – and why he’s still learning at 82
The Rolling Stones icon reflects on life as a rhythm guitar hero, the size of his collection, and how the restriction of five-strings and open tunings blew his mind
Laura Snowden on how downtuning makes classical guitar “creepy” and what she learned from the great Julian Bream
The classical guitarist's solo debut, This Changing Sky, is a breathtaking work that finds her exploring altered tunings in search of drama
Meet Tigercub’s Jamie Hall, the guitarist Stone Gossard says is “as good as Homme or Morello”
The Pearl Jam guitarist took British alt-rock trio Tigercub out of their comfort zone – leader Jamie Hall was dialing Marshalls to 10, down-tuning a gift from Rabea Massaad, and finding tones that take enamel off your teeth
How XTC battled the “rottweiler” Todd Rundgren – and their record label – to make their breakthrough
Andy Partridge reflects on Skylarking, a change of direction for XTC that was the most difficult of births under producer Todd Rundgren's direction and the label’s interference
The life and times of Ralph Towner, the endlessly curious frontiersman of acoustic jazz
Taking influence from Indian classical, Brazilian bossa nova and beyond, this late jazz master’s touch and vision equalled anyone on the fusion scene
Ariel Posen on Jeff Beck, amp strategies and how his thirst for fresh tones inspired one of the most unorthodox Strats ever
Posen's new album, Bannatyne, finds the Canadian flipping the script for rock guitar, exploring in full the creative potential of that quite brilliant signature Strat of his
Gear
Best multi-effects pedals 2026: replace your entire rig with our top-rated multi-FX units
From the high-end Neural DSP Quad Cortex to the budget NUX MG-300, we’ve tested 17 multi-effects pedals to help you replace your rig with a single unit
Electro-Harmonix Pico Intelligent Harmony Machine review
EHX shrinks another pedal as the Intelligent Harmony Machine joins the ranks of the pedalboard-friendly Pico range
“The playability is good. The ‘great’ lies in the pickup swapping”: Cream T Crossfire LT review
Brit brand Cream T aims to make instant solderless pickup-swapping even more attractive with an affordable new made-in-China range
“It can easily be seen as a gimmick, but it's much more than that. As a guitar, it’s superb; as a MIDI controller, it’s uncanny”: Strandberg x Jamstik Chameleon review
Jamstik’s new MIDI pickup tech finds a home in Strandberg’s futuristic guitar design, but is it a match made in tonal heaven?
How Duesenberg Guitars became a major player with original old-school designs – and a little help from Mike Campbell
We check in with Duesenberg Guitars’ co-owners, Dieter Gölsdorf and Ingo Renner, to chart 30 years of its best-selling Starplayer
"Modeling tech has gotten so good I doubt many guitarists would be able to tell the difference": Analog vs. digital rig build challenge - here’s how two very different players would spend $2,500
One player puts his stake in tubes and pedals; the other in IRs and FRFRs. We gave them both $2,500 to build the ultimate mid-tier rig
Best Telecasters 2026: top Teles for all tastes
Whether it’s your first Telecaster or you’ve walked in the boots of guitar-playing royalty, our top Telecasters will help you get your twang on
Lessons
5 easy open-position alternate chord voicings that will give you extra jangle
James Honeyman-Scott of The Pretenders was a master at creating interesting parts from simple alternate chords. We look at five you can use in your playing
How to introduce hybrid picking into your lead playing
In his inaugural Guitar World column, the great Corey Congilio demonstrates how all players can benefit from a technique borrowed from country players
How to stop burning out before you stop the music
We all know it’s tough to survive in this industry. But do we all know what to do about it? Here are some ways to look after yourself better, suggested by welfare experts
Charlie Starr on the magic of the B-Bender – and 5 bender-inspired licks you can play on any electric
The Blackberry Smoke guitarist gives us a lesson in how to sound like you've got a B-Bender, even if you don't
A blues guitar hero showed me how he held his pick – and it changed the way I played guitar
Some sage advice has shaped my entire playing journey – and anyone can give it a go for immediate results
5 Comments
Philip Sayce: The 5 techniques that define my sound
Turbocharge your fretting hand stretches, screaming bends and blues-rock intensity with the core techniques that shaped Philip Sayce’s signature sound
Welcome to Mike Stringer’s downpicking bootcamp, in which he teaches us the punishing string skipping techniques behind Spiritbox’s Jaded
In his debut GW column, the prog-metal master teaches you the punishing seven-string string-skipping techniques behind Spiritbox’s Jaded
Reviews
Electro-Harmonix Pico Intelligent Harmony Machine review
EHX shrinks another pedal as the Intelligent Harmony Machine joins the ranks of the pedalboard-friendly Pico range
“The playability is good. The ‘great’ lies in the pickup swapping”: Cream T Crossfire LT review
Brit brand Cream T aims to make instant solderless pickup-swapping even more attractive with an affordable new made-in-China range
“It can easily be seen as a gimmick, but it's much more than that. As a guitar, it’s superb; as a MIDI controller, it’s uncanny”: Strandberg x Jamstik Chameleon review
Jamstik’s new MIDI pickup tech finds a home in Strandberg’s futuristic guitar design, but is it a match made in tonal heaven?
"Nestles naturally against the (female) body in a way many traditional designs simply don’t": Venus Revolution review
A featherweight double-cut challenging decades of one-size-fits all guitar design
"It gives my $2,800 American Vintage II Telecaster a serious run for its money": Fender 75th Anniversary Vintera Road Worn 1951 Telecaster review
Fender is celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Telecaster in style, and this Road Worn model is an exceptional ode to the first-ever mass-produced solidbody electric guitar
"It made me excited to pick up my acoustic guitar again and again": AER Compact 60/4 review
A compact, premium acoustic amp delivering stunning tone with simple, singer-songwriter-friendly controls
“As fun as it can be, I’m struggling to see where it would fit into my rig longterm”: Casio Dimension Shifter review
Casio’s strap-mounted expression pedal looks to breathe new life into how we play – but it teeters on the fine line between gimmick and genius
Buying Guides
Best multi-effects pedals 2026: replace your entire rig with our top-rated multi-FX units
From the high-end Neural DSP Quad Cortex to the budget NUX MG-300, we’ve tested 17 multi-effects pedals to help you replace your rig with a single unit
Best Telecasters 2026: top Teles for all tastes
Whether it’s your first Telecaster or you’ve walked in the boots of guitar-playing royalty, our top Telecasters will help you get your twang on
Best blues guitars 2026: these six-strings are ideal for all types of electric blues covering various price points
Wondering what the best blues guitars are at the moment? Here we have 10 of the finest options from Gibson, Fender, Guild and more
Best acoustic guitar amps 2026: let your acoustic tone shine
Our expert pick of acoustic amplifiers for all budgets, from AER, Boss, Fishman, and others
Best noise gate pedals 2026: clean up your signal with the best noise gate pedals for guitar
Unwanted noise in your chain? A noise gate pedal could be the solution
Best 7-string guitars 2026: the ultimate guide to extended range instruments
Navigate scale lengths, active pickups, and multiscale fretboards with our expert-vetted selection of the best seven-string guitars
Best beginner guitar amps 2026: my top picks from over a decade working in music retail
After nearly 10 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
