Peterson gives Eddie Van Halen’s go-to tuner a modern upgrade and signature branding
Eddie’s go-to tuner brand has issued a StroboStomp that features 13 exclusive EVH Sweeteners derived from Van Halen’s debut record
Latest News
Peterson gives Eddie Van Halen’s go-to tuner a modern upgrade and signature branding
Eddie’s go-to tuner brand has issued a StroboStomp that features 13 exclusive EVH Sweeteners derived from Van Halen’s debut record
Joe Bonamassa says Josh Smith’s Two Rock amp has been found – and thankfully it hadn’t been stolen
The amp hadn’t gone far, but it seems Bonamassa’s social media callout helped get it back into Smith’s rig
The biggest bass gear launches of the month – from a Fender Mark Hoppus signature to Iron Maiden pickups and a one-of-one Spector
October’s bass launches drew inspiration from a German pirate, “Stoned Fruit” stickers, and Iron Maiden legend Steve Harris
Metallica wanted to take Turnstile on tour but got turned down, according to James Hetfield
Metallica count themselves as big fans of the fast-rising hardcore band
The Hero Hiker travel guitar could be the most inventive way to take a six-string on a trek through the mountains
One is a 19-fret travel companion that can slot into a backpack, the other uses a hiker’s trekking poles for a unique campfire strummer
Pete Townshend is warming to Led Zeppelin
He may not have been a Led Zep fan at the start, but Townshend’ s tune is changing
The best new gear this week, feat. Kim Gordon's Jazzmaster and the pedal with the severed finger
This was the week Epiphone upped its metal guitar game, Boss unveiled a super-powered beginner amp and Troy Van Leeuwen puts his name to something gory
Artists
If you’ve got a problem with rich rock stars, Flea has a question for you
From The Archive The RHCP bassist has no intention of apologizing for his success – but he knows the music business isn’t always pretty
Ricky Byrd on the madness of guitar collecting and his beloved Keef-esque Junior
The former Blackheart discusses his life in gear and explains why every guitar has a purpose – even if the strings are 20 years old and covered in dust
Johnny Marr on megalomania, insecurity and the mercurial art of songwriting – and what people get wrong about his sound
The indie guitar icon reveals the guitar his collaborators can't get enough of and the amp he’d never part with, and shares his top tone tip
Mastodon’s Bill Kelliher on grief, persistence, and why Josh Homme is our generation’s Elvis
As Mastodon release their first album following Brent Hinds’ death, Bill Kelliher reveals the heartache and freedom of their new dynamic
Martin Simpson on five decades as a recording artist and the collection of rare guitars that made it happen
Toasting his 50th anniversary as a recording artist with a wishlist-fulfilling new album, the folk giant tells us about oddball electrics, the epiphany of Pentangle, and more
“It wasn’t insulting. I knew Ronnie was doing what the record company wanted him to do. I was never at odds with him”: Tracy G got the dream gig with Ronnie James Dio – then left when his solos were silenced
In 1999 the iconic singer brought Craig Goldie back and offered G the role of rhythm guitarist. It marked the end of a beautiful partnership, and Dio never spoke to G again
“Light strings are a bit of a fallacy”: String gauge does actually matter to tone, according to The Edge
From the Archive The U2 guitarist once made his stance on string gauge crystal clear. B.B. King, Billy Gibbons and John Mayer might not agree with everything he says...
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Session legend Carl Carlton on imposter syndrome, meeting his heroes, and the wild tale that gave him his name
Renowned as one of Europe’s great slide men, Carl Carlton might also be the rock ’n’ roll era’s best raconteur. He shares some war stories from the glory days
How The Scratch mashed Irish folk and and metal with distorted acoustics – and won over Iggy Pop
Championed by the Stooges star and the Dropkick Murphys, the Irish band found their sound via a Glen Hansard song. Powered by twin Cole Clark True Hybrid acoustics, they’ve achieved international status
Gear
Best looper pedals 2026: options for practice, songwriting, and live performance – tried and tested by an expert
My pick of the best loop pedals across every budget, including full reviews, in-depth testing, and buying advice
“I’m impressed by how clearly it reproduces my layered parts, even as the arrangement becomes busier”: Boss RC-600 Loop Station review
Is this 6-track flagship looper pedal with 32-bit audio and extensive FX still the ultimate live looping tool?
“A great way to build textural ambience into a standard guitar chain”: Walrus Audio Lüm Texture Engine review
Taking its cues from previous Walrus soundscape pedals, the Lüm combines granular textures and atmospheric ambience
Best FRFR speakers 2026: transparent tone for multi-effects and amp modelers
Get the most out of your modeler with my pick of FRFR speakers, from on-the-go options to arena-filling mammoths – these active speakers from Fender, Laney, IK Multimedia and more are tonally transparent beasts
Pedal Pawn unveils the Say Wah – a ground-up quest to recreate the perfect wah tone of SRV and Hendrix
It’s the British company debut their first ever wah-wah pedal, custom-built from the ground up
How the EHX Deluxe Memory Man won the hearts of Robert Smith, the Edge and Adrian Belew and transformed guitar tone
The EHX Deluxe Memory Man is one of the all-time classic analog delays, and remains a pedalboard super power 50 years after its release
"A novel way of learning that may encourage a few more players to get started": Litejam RGB24 review
Litejam introduces the RGB24 - a guitar that aims to make learning the instrument easier.
Lessons
Alex Skolnick on how to explore legato – and explains where a little music theory can go a long way
In his second Guitar World column, the Testament guitarist uses a lick from So Many Lies to take us deeper into his Allan Holdsworth-inspired legato style
Drop C tuning: how to get to grips with the earth-shaking tuning used by Metallica and Periphery
Metal’s finest have forged some of their heaviest riffs in Drop C – now you can too
How to nail a blues-rock solo in the style of Eric Johnson
This Eric Johnson lesson serves up a solo split into four. We've got the tab and video, you bring your Strat
Blackberry Smoke's Charlie Starr on the delicate art of overdubbing guitars
Taking Morningside as an example from Blackberry Smoke's You Hear Georgia, Charlie Starr demystifies an approach perfected by Keef
“Starting acoustically is a good foundation for tone”: Jake Kiszka’s top 5 tone tips
The Greta Van Fleet guitarist says it’s time we reconnected with combo amps – and don’t forget that technique is fundamental to tone
People ask me: “How do I get out of the pentatonic rut?” This is what I tell them
10 things we learned from B.B. King, Peter Green, Stevie Ray Vaughan and more that will improve your soloing
“One pickup, two knobs – what more do you need? Well, some of us need a front pickup, too!” Joe Bonamassa compares Les Paul Juniors and demonstrates how they change his playing
Joe Bonamassa explains how not all Juniors are created equal, but they all have something magical about them
Reviews
“I’m impressed by how clearly it reproduces my layered parts, even as the arrangement becomes busier”: Boss RC-600 Loop Station review
Is this 6-track flagship looper pedal with 32-bit audio and extensive FX still the ultimate live looping tool?
“A great way to build textural ambience into a standard guitar chain”: Walrus Audio Lüm Texture Engine review
Taking its cues from previous Walrus soundscape pedals, the Lüm combines granular textures and atmospheric ambience
"A novel way of learning that may encourage a few more players to get started": Litejam RGB24 review
Litejam introduces the RGB24 - a guitar that aims to make learning the instrument easier.
“Close to being one of the best metal-oriented baritones on the market”: Epiphone Prophecy Les Paul Baritone review
Epiphone’s new Les Paul takes the metal-focused Prophecy series into baritone territory, with a 27-inch scale and active Fishman Fluence humbuckers
“A tidy little gig-and-studio combo with the tone of a rarified era”: Fender ’62 Deluxe Amp review
For a brief period, Fender made amps that could roar with midrange-forward gain – and the brand’s taking us back to that fabled brown-panel era once again
“I’m so happy that the playability has escaped any sense of compromise”: Cort KX500 Pale Moon review
Cort's $900 S-type is packing heat and some standout looks, and it might just throw a cat among the pigeons of the sub-$1K metal guitar market
Gretsch G6134T-58 Limited Edition Penguin with String-Thru Bigsby review
The mythical Penguin, one of the rarest vintage guitars of all, gets reissued in an eye-catching Light Blue Pearl finish with plenty of bling and exciting pickups – it can only be a Gretsch
Buying Guides
Best looper pedals 2026: options for practice, songwriting, and live performance – tried and tested by an expert
My pick of the best loop pedals across every budget, including full reviews, in-depth testing, and buying advice
Best FRFR speakers 2026: transparent tone for multi-effects and amp modelers
Get the most out of your modeler with my pick of FRFR speakers, from on-the-go options to arena-filling mammoths – these active speakers from Fender, Laney, IK Multimedia and more are tonally transparent beasts
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 pedalboards 2025: perfect platforms for your pedals, tested
I tried out a range of pedalboards from the likes of Fender, D’Addario, Pedaltrain, and more – and these are the best of the bunch
Best Christmas gifts for bass players 2026: the ultimate festive gift guide for lovers of low-end
Show your bass-playing buddy, parent, or partner some love this Christmas with 15 brilliant gift ideas for bass players
Best amps for metal 2026: tried and tested metal amps for heavy guitar tones
These powerhouse metal amps from EVH, Orange, Peavey, ENGL, and more will have you primed to seek and destroy
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
