Eric Gales says he doesn’t understand all the fuss about Dumble amps
Yes, they sound great, says Gales, but they're not the only amp in the world to give you great tone
Latest News
Guitar World deals of the week: get an Epiphone Les Paul for $225 less, save $70 on a J. Rockett clean boost, plus all the biggest sales ahead of National Guitar Day
Your weekly digest of the best deals on guitar gear from all corners of the web, hand-picked by Guitar World's team of musicians
The Frog Pedal is a surprisingly versatile octaver that makes your guitar sound like, erm, a frog
The monophonic octave pedal from Jordan Wav and FruitFX turns your guitar signal into a frog – but this isn’t a mere gimmick
Steve Morse says the music school jazz snobs were not impressed by his choice of guitar
After flunking the audition simply because of his guitar choice, Morse could have turned deep purple with rage – but it was the making of him
Eric Gales tried to keep his guitar playing a secret – but Carlos Santana spoiled the surprise
The blues great wanted to keep his chops hidden, but one talk show interview changed everything
Why Marty Friedman has no regrets leaving Megadeth
Friedman says he's flourished in his time away from the group
Mosrite Guitars – the underdog firm loved by Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix, and Johnny Ramone – is back
The small but beloved company shaped the sound of punk and surf rock, and now it’s been revived by a firm rooted in the Nashville scene
How Stevie Ray Vaughan surprised the son of blues royalty at his 16th birthday
Allison thought he’d lost the chance to jam with his hero, then he noticed a tour bus passing the venue
Artists
He was schooled by James Jamerson and freaked Larry Graham out – how William ‘Billy Bass’ Nelson founded the Funkadelic sound
The late Funkadelic co-founder tells the story of his encounter with Larry Graham, bass lessons with James Jamerson, and life in George Clinton’s ever-changing band
Meet Cwfen, the Scottish doomgazers who rule the night with haunting shows and lush vintage tones
Guitarist-singer Agnes Alder and lead guitarist Guy DeNuit on finding success when they least expected it, bidding against big names over rare gear, and how a Game Boy and Nirvana tab book changed their lives forever
“Steve was on the session when history was made”: Why Steve Cropper was one of guitar’s most humble heroes
The departed soul man was the Stax band’s MVP, writing and driving the R&B classics that ruled the ’60s
![Joyer’s Nick Sullivan [left] and his brother Shane performing live.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/L9kNEBqsUmCPtmJc6BqgKF-840-80.jpg.webp)
Joyer combine sweet pop hooks with tension, weirdness and gritty guitar solos – and their mom can't get enough of it
Oh, brothers, where art thou? Making loud shoegaze in the basement, probably... Their parents raised ’em right!
Pete Evick has played with Bret Michaels for 21 years. Here’s what he learned
He compares the Poison singer to Prince and Trent Reznor in terms of creativity, hails his boss for the freedom he’s given, recalls making early gear choices for the wrong reasons, and says he can only tolerate one Marshall amp – but it’s his all-time favorite
4 Comments
Meet Eric Steckel, the high-gain firebrand painting a new shade of blues guitar
The Knaggs signature artist has grown an international profile by importing heavy distortion into the blues and bending it to his will
Car Bomb’s Greg Kubacki is exploring new heavy frontiers – with help from Gojira’s Joe Duplantier
Technical wizardry plus atmospheric brutality equals explosive results according to the Vernon Reid-approved riff mathematician
Gear
“An outline that’s both striking and original with an almost bygone vibe”: West Valley Indiana review
A new name on the UK’s vibrant guitar-making scene, West Valley comes to market with a vision inspired by the golden era of guitar design
Best fuzz pedals 2026: add some filth to your sound with these essential pedalboard effects
Want to know your Fuzz Face from your Fuzz Gun, or channel your inner Jimi Hendrix? This guide is for you
“At long last, a DAW puts the guitar at the very heart of its operations”: Fender Studio Pro 8 review
PreSonus' Studio One DAW has been rebranded and bestowed with a revised workflow, impressive AI features, and amp sims. Is this the DAW every guitarist has been waiting for?
“An incredibly powerful, immensely versatile pedal that crams gold-standard modeler experiences and sounds into the smallest form factor possible”: Neural DSP Quad Cortex mini review
Neural DSP's third hardware launch is the one everyone has been waiting for. But what does a stripped back control layout mean for the overall playing experience?
Is this the holy grail of all holy grail Fender Stratocasters?
Only two features distinguished a Mary Kaye Stratocaster from any other Strat that might have rolled off Fender’s production line during the mid-to-late 1950s. So why are vintage examples so darn valuable?
Best classical guitars 2026: nylon-string guitars for every budget
From classical, flamenco and crossover, to acoustic-electric models and beyond, these are the best nylon-string guitars around right now
“Runs the gamut from boost through to fuzz-flavoured distortion”: Dinosaural Hypoid Drive review
Dan Coggins makes the drive section of his award-winning Cogmeister powerhouse available as a pedal of its own
Lessons
How to let it rip like the late, great Gary Moore
Time to show the Marshall amp no mercy and engage the Tube Screamer – this solo lesson works mid '70s Thin Lizzy into Parisienne Walkways and Still Got The Blues and doesn't hold back
![B.B. King [left] cups his hands to his ear as he asks the crowd for more. Joe Bonamassa, with a Les Paul, gives his crowd a thumbs up.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/P3XrQLh86C27JfPp4AGp6n-840-80.jpg.webp)
“I met him in 1990 when I was 13 years old. We became lifelong friends”: Joe Bonamassa pays tribute to B.B. King
Bonamassa says King was the kind of player who could say it all with one note – “Just one stinging vibrato and you know it can only be him”
Players like Steve Hackett are masters of extended chords/harmony – here’s how you can use them too
Today in extended chords 101, we look at 11th chords – both minor and major – and explain how these “harmonically dense” voicings look on the fretboard
Cory Wong reveals how to solo over chords in a meaningful way
Wong explains how outlining notes in the chord progression helps find a solo that's melodically on-point and just what the song calls for
Best online guitar lessons 2026: I'm a professional guitar product reviewer and these are my top picks
Online lessons are the ideal platform for developing guitar skills at home or on the go – myself and our in-house experts have tested options for all playing levels, styles and budgets, including a free option
“Sometimes simplicity wins the day”: Joe Bonamassa on the art of writing a heavy guitar riff
In his latest GW video lesson, the blues-rock superstar recalls how some of his heaviest riffs came together, and to your shock – and maybe even horror – they were written in standard tuning
Demystifying chord names, starting with a Hendrix and SRV favorite, the maj9
A little knowledge with naming conventions goes a long way to understanding complex chords and how they might sound
3 Comments
Bob Weir's 6 principles of rhythm guitar
Often overlooked in guitar circles when compared to Grateful Dead bandmate Jerry Garcia, Weir was a brilliant rhythm player who blended jazz, folk, country, blues, and rockabilly influences into a style that any guitarist would do well to study
Reviews
“An outline that’s both striking and original with an almost bygone vibe”: West Valley Indiana review
A new name on the UK’s vibrant guitar-making scene, West Valley comes to market with a vision inspired by the golden era of guitar design
“At long last, a DAW puts the guitar at the very heart of its operations”: Fender Studio Pro 8 review
PreSonus' Studio One DAW has been rebranded and bestowed with a revised workflow, impressive AI features, and amp sims. Is this the DAW every guitarist has been waiting for?
“An incredibly powerful, immensely versatile pedal that crams gold-standard modeler experiences and sounds into the smallest form factor possible”: Neural DSP Quad Cortex mini review
Neural DSP's third hardware launch is the one everyone has been waiting for. But what does a stripped back control layout mean for the overall playing experience?
“Runs the gamut from boost through to fuzz-flavoured distortion”: Dinosaural Hypoid Drive review
Dan Coggins makes the drive section of his award-winning Cogmeister powerhouse available as a pedal of its own
"Fractal's renowned amp modeling at a lower entry price": Fractal AM4 review
Roadtesting Fractal's renowned amp modeling at a price that could make a serious splash in the compact modeler market
"Gives you more features than the comparable Boss and Line 6 units": HeadRush Flex Prime review
Review update with audio demos to include 5.0 Firmware - "Overall, it’s a brilliant update"
Gibson Les Paul Junior Double Cut and Les Paul Special Double Cut review
Hot on the heels of the Les Paul Custom ’70s, two more blasts from the past rejoin Gibson’s USA line-up. The DCs are back!
Buying Guides
Best fuzz pedals 2026: add some filth to your sound with these essential pedalboard effects
Want to know your Fuzz Face from your Fuzz Gun, or channel your inner Jimi Hendrix? This guide is for you
Best classical guitars 2026: nylon-string guitars for every budget
From classical, flamenco and crossover, to acoustic-electric models and beyond, these are the best nylon-string guitars around right now
Best bass amps for practice 2026: top combos for working on your chops at home
Get the most out of your playing at home with one of these great bass practice amps
Best beginner bass guitars 2026: top starter basses for beginners
The best beginner basses for young players, newcomers, and the budget-conscious, picked by our experts – featuring Yamaha, Squier, Ibanez and more
Best cheap guitar pedals 2026: killer budget stompboxes you need to try
Stock up on new sounds for less with these incredibly cheap guitar pedals from Boss, NUX, TC Electronic and more
Best guitar picks 2026: my choice of tried-and-tested plectrums to upgrade your playing
My expert guide to the best picks for electric, acoustic, and bass guitar covering new players through to guitar veterans
Best bass guitars 2026: long and short-scale bass options for beginners to pros
Our pick of the world’s finest low-end monsters, with the best bass guitars from Fender, Cort, Yamaha and more…
