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Fender celebrates 75 years of the Precision Bass with three stunning anniversary models
We've got bling with the AmPro PJ Bass, OG mojo with the American Vintage II 1951 Precision Bass, and a super-glam Player II P Bass in Diamond Dust Sparkle...
![Tailgunner [L-R]: Bones, Rhea Thompson, Craig Cairns, Zach Salvini and Eddie Mariotti](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/9efNJrexXv7Gm4D5VwJVie-1200-80.jpg.webp)
Latest News
Fender celebrates 75 years of the Precision Bass with three stunning anniversary models
We've got bling with the AmPro PJ Bass, OG mojo with the American Vintage II 1951 Precision Bass, and a super-glam Player II P Bass in Diamond Dust Sparkle...
You’ve seen it in the JHS Pedals demos – now you can get a signature version of Josh Scott’s custom Bilt Relevator
The first 100 models sold out in 15 minutes but more are on their way
Welcome to the future, people – Donner just unveiled a headless guitar with onboard amp, FX, Bluetooth and a detachable speaker
Available in standard or Pro versions, the latter co-developed by Japanese virtuoso MIYAVI, this will... well, it may blow your mind
Raven Slaughter was a ’70s Cleveland rock icon who sawed up a Gibson into his own custom guitar – now a hospice patient, he has visited his “old friend” at the Rock Hall
Slaughter made a name for himself across the Midwest in the ’70s and ’80s, playing iconic venues like the Beachland Ballroom with his signature S-shaped guitar
I've found the only Amazon Memorial Day deal for guitarists worth caring about – score an impressive $190 off this 4.5-star retro offset that you'll fall in love with
This offset is devilishly cool, a joy to play, and sounds killer – better yet, it has just shy of $200 slashed off the price
Nuno Bettencourt and Rick Beato form unlikely partnership to rip through a Thin Lizzy Classic at the Six-String Sanctuary
The two guitarists were joined at the Las Vegas guitar camp by Steve Vai, Eric Gales and Mateus Asato
What is Fender’s endgame in its cease and desist campaign against S-styles? This video might have the answer
Mike P. of the Eldorado Guitars argues that Fender's ruling in Germany was only the first move
Guitar World deals of the week: save $500 on a Gibson Victory, $250 off PRS SE guitars, plus all the biggest and best savings from the Memorial Day sales
Join us for a special edition of deals of the week, where we tackle all the best Memorial Day guitar deals
Best Memorial Day guitar sales 2026: All the latest discounts and my pick of epic early deals on guitars, amps, effects, accessories and software
Explore all the best early Memorial Day weekend guitar discounts in one place – check out the latest savings from Fender, Musician's Friend, Waves and more
Artists
Gary Klebe on Shoes’ near miss with Gene Simmons, inspiring Butch Vig into production, and how his band got with Hamer
He’s learned to live with his band’s “power pop” label, finally released a solo album, and knows the one piece of advice that should always be ignored if you’re a producer – even if it comes from Steve Albini
The post-Bowie career of Mick Ronson, rock ’n’ roll’s most quietly spoken guitar hero
Sure, he made a massive imprint on David Bowie’s classic early ’70s albums. But Mick Ronson also worked with Lou Reed, Bob Dylan, John Mellencamp, Elton John, Roger McGuinn, Morrissey, Ian Hunter and many others
Plini answers the call of the wild in search of instrumental guitar’s new frontier
The Australian virtuoso on dream collabs with John Mayer, high-BPM workouts, and what happened when he imagined “a cello player in a huge, empty concert hall playing this difficult arpeggio”
George Lynch on his custom ESP that’s too valuable to leave the house
Mr Scary on how his heart melts for the 1990 ESP Custom Haji/Wicked Sensation from the cover of Guitar World's November 1990 issue
Berton Averre on writing My Sharona – and why the Knack were never the next Beatles
My Sharona was the perfect pop-rock anthem, and as Averre reflects on the life and times of the Knack he admits he knew he had something special back then
Charles Spearin on how Broken Social Scene embrace “the ridiculousness” of everyone playing guitar
The multi-instrumentalist and indie lynchpin recalls his early gear, how BSS make sure every guitarist gets their say, and explains why Remember the Humans is deliberately difficult to work out
Suzi Quatro on the spirit that’s driven her, and the moment of fate that made her a bassist
She reflects on never having learned to play with a pick, using her late drummer’s kit to keep his vibe, her son’s influence as a bandmate, and the three quotes she’s given about retirement
Gear
In the court of the Master Builders – Fender’s Custom Shop gurus spill the secrets of their trade
With Fender’s Custom Shop nearing its 40th anniversary, we catch up with two of its most sought-after Master Builders, Austin MacNutt and Andy Hicks, to talk Teles, Jazzmasters, mods and more
“I can’t imagine anyone other than dedicated metalheads and Gojira megafans finding loads to love here”: Jackson Pro Plus Series Signature Christian Andreu Rhoads RR24 EVTN6 review
Jackson's new Gojira signature model is a premium tool for modern metal, with an unwieldy form factor
"It looks like a lost relic from Rupert Neve’s ‘to-do’ drawer": Walrus Audio Mantle Analog Bass Preamp & DI review
Walrus and Ian Martin Allison's stompbox collaboration puts studio-grade preamp processing into a pedal
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
“I've never found the perfect solution for combining analog pedals with a digital rig before – this could be it”: IK Multimedia Tonex One+ review
With the addition of Bluetooth and MIDI, the Tonex One+ looks to add a ton of functionality to an already impressive pedal
“Finding a twin humbucker guitar that looks and sounds as good as this is far from easy”: Schecter Nick Johnston Traditional HH review
The newly appointed Mastodon guitarist gets heavy with his first dual humbucker signature, which comes in a fitting Silverburst-esque finish
14 ways to improve your Telecaster: tried and tested methods to get more out of Fender’s original mod platform
Players were already modifying their Telecasters in the 1950s, and a thriving aftermarket parts industry provides countless ways to enhance playability, reliability and tone
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Lessons
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
How to survive setbacks when music is your identity, not just your job
Australian metal veteran Glen Phillips on what he wished he knew when he was starting out
The simple trick that adds sparkle to your songs: Nashville Tuning explained
David Gilmour, Keith Richards & Taylor Swift all do this…
Spiritbox's Mike Stringer shows you how syncopated bends can add extra spice to your metal playing
Your 21st-century metal workshop is in session, as Stringer shows you how to play Spiritbox's Holy Roller
Reviews
“I can’t imagine anyone other than dedicated metalheads and Gojira megafans finding loads to love here”: Jackson Pro Plus Series Signature Christian Andreu Rhoads RR24 EVTN6 review
Jackson's new Gojira signature model is a premium tool for modern metal, with an unwieldy form factor
"It looks like a lost relic from Rupert Neve’s ‘to-do’ drawer": Walrus Audio Mantle Analog Bass Preamp & DI review
Walrus and Ian Martin Allison's stompbox collaboration puts studio-grade preamp processing into a pedal
“I've never found the perfect solution for combining analog pedals with a digital rig before – this could be it”: IK Multimedia Tonex One+ review
With the addition of Bluetooth and MIDI, the Tonex One+ looks to add a ton of functionality to an already impressive pedal
“Finding a twin humbucker guitar that looks and sounds as good as this is far from easy”: Schecter Nick Johnston Traditional HH review
The newly appointed Mastodon guitarist gets heavy with his first dual humbucker signature, which comes in a fitting Silverburst-esque finish
“Despite its unassuming looks, I think this is a lot of guitar for the money”: Charvel Standard Series San Dimas Style 2 SD2 HH HT Gloss Black review
Charvel scales down its T-type to around half its usual outlay, but the quality remains largely intact
“The sound and fury of a classic Marshall amp, but in a format that’s incredibly easy to get the best from”: Synergy SYN-20IR Amp Head with Marshall JCM 800 and JMP preamp modules review
Synergy’s range of modular marvels has been dialled up to 11…
“Despite its toy-like dimensions, it comes across as a very grown-up guitar indeed”: Taylor BT1e Baby Taylor review
Has Taylor’s travel pioneer retained the top spot three decades on? We get hands-on to find out if it’s still the best sofa strummer out there
Buying Guides
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
Best guitar cleaning kits and tools 2026: Keep your guitar looking and sounding sweet
Keep your instrument in its prime with my pick of the best cleaning kits and maintenance tools
Best ukuleles 2026: Acoustic and electric ukes for all budgets and playing styles
Get started or find your next upgrade with our pick of the best ukes from Mahalo, Martin and Cordoba, plus a cool Fender Jazzmaster ukulele
Best overdrive pedals 2026: from mid-hump to transparent tone
My pick of the top-rated overdrive pedals will get your gain tones on point
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
