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November 2023

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304 articles

November 30
- “It felt like a really special moment to celebrate by using the Frankenstein. It was like having my dad right there with me”: Wolfgang Van Halen on how it felt to use Eddie’s OG Frankie and Marshall rig to record one of Mammoth WVH’s standout solos
- With over 700 recorded versions in the last 45 years alone, Silent Night is one of the world's most popular Christmas carols – learn a spellbinding solo jazz guitar arrangement inspired by Larry Carlton and Django Reinhardt
- “There has been an explosion of guitar music in the past 5 years… LERXST amplifiers provide a platform for these players”: Alex Lifeson unveils LERXST amp range in collaboration with Mojotone – and there are new guitars, pedals and pickups to come
- “A true friend and the greatest songwriter of his generation”: The Pogues icon Shane MacGowan has died aged 65
- “The sounds of classic tube amps and mic’d speaker cabinets in a standard stompbox”: Boss takes the fight to Universal Audio and Strymon with its smallest amp and IR pedal to date, the IR-2
- Fender Highway Series Parlor and Dreadnought review – Fender reinvents the acoustic once again… and the results took us by surprise
- “The guitar riff is dying out”: New survey suggests the ‘majority’ of music fans believe the riff is on its way out
- “He took the Ibanez Iceman off the wall and said, ‘I’ll buy it for you... If you promise me Celtic Frost is going to be a fantastic band.’ And I said, ‘OK. Deal.’” For Tom G. Warrior, the equation has always been Ibanez + attitude = murderous riffs
- “It’s hard to deliver a gig to a chest of drawers in your bedroom. You worry about technique, then the recording can sound clinical”: How British acoustic great Clive Carroll tackled John Renbourn classics – and the psychological hurdles of home recording
- Reach further on the fretboard and expand your playing possibilities with these guitar finger stretching exercises
November 29
- Jimmie Vaughan may be Stevie Ray’s older brother, but he paved his own way to blues guitar stardom – learn his red-hot brand of Texas blues that left even Clapton in awe
- “The narrative is I grew up in a rich family – wrong. The narrative is it was handed to me – wrong. It’s sweat equity over 35 years”: Joe Bonamassa sets the record straight on the humble beginnings of his world-famous guitar collection
- “A brazen new model designed for the progressive guitarist seeking a spectrum of sound beyond the norm”: Charvel gets in on the made-in-Japan hype with new Superstrat-inspired MJ San Dimas models
- “I introduced Sting to Miles Davis, and that blew Sting’s mind!” Darryl Jones on providing the punch for Sting, Madonna, and the Rolling Stones
- Not changing your amp settings when you leave your rehearsal space for the stage? You're doing EQ wrong
- “They said they invited us to perform at that show. I never got a phone call. They just said that to sell tickets”: Despite reports, Ace Frehley says he hasn’t heard from Paul Stanley or Gene Simmons about joining Kiss’s last-ever gig
- “When I want to know what I’m doing, I play the keyboard. And if I don’t want to know what I’m doing, I play the guitar”: Christopher Libertino on film scoring, music journeys and taking the leap into the great instrumental unknown
- “My friend came to my taco stand, telling me Leslie West wanted to jam. I was like, ‘What kind of drugs are you on? I’ve never even played a club before’”: At 17, Peter Baron went from street food vendor to playing with a rock guitar icon overnight
- 10 essential live rock and metal albums from the ’90s
November 28
- “A dirt device that covers all the gain bases”: Catalinbread sees the JHS Pedals Notaklön and raises the Knight School Overdrive – an $85 DIY pedal kit based on a timeless circuit favored by Stevie Ray Vaughan, John Mayer and Paul Gilbert
- “I showed the Strymon BigSky to Lana, and she was like, ‘Oh, we need that.’ I plugged into a 100-watt Marshall, and the riff came out in 10 seconds”: Lana Del Rey guitarist Blake Lee thrives on making his Strat sound like anything but a guitar
- Neil Young showcases his savage overdriven tones and channels Hendrix in the most menacing solo rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner you’ve ever heard
- DADGAD guitar tuning: an introduction to the (not quite) open tuning favored by Jimmy Page
- “Being in a band is so much more than the playing. Actually, the playing is down on the list”: Before Megadeth, Marty Friedman says he auditioned for Ozzy Osbourne – but “failed miserably”
- “My playing was a response to whoever said, ‘Bass should be felt and not heard’. To me, bass should be like warfare!” Derek Forbes, founder member of Simple Minds, on his five best basslines
- These 38 epic Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals are still live - including electric guitars, acoustics, pedals, amps and software
- Neet the boutique guitar built out of old floor joists, reclaimed Fender parts… and a Squier Affinity neck: Maybury Upscaler Fish Hook S review
- “A faithful recreation of my ‘Number 1’”: Jimmy Page’s latest Sundragon signature amp is here – and it’s a meticulous recreation of the modded ‘68 Marshall Super Bass that became his main Led Zeppelin amp
- “String skipping can mimic sweep picking and cover a lot of ground”: Learn how to make your shred solos sound a whole lot more evil with this exclusive Josh Middleton video lesson
- Your acoustic blues playing will come on leaps and bounds with new fingerpicking patterns – here are 10 you need to know
November 27
- My local guitar store owner has $20k custom shop models sitting about, yet he plays one of these Lava acoustics every day – now you can scoop one up with a healthy 25% discount
- Record face-melting guitar tones at home for less with these 7 Cyber Monday bargains
- I’ve lost count of the players who told me they got their start on a Squier Stratocaster – now Fender is offering them for under $150, a huge 40% discount on the go-to learner guitar
- We write about guitars every day – here's 21 essential Cyber Monday deals the Guitar World team is shopping today
- I’m tired of tripping over onstage, and with guitar wireless systems as cheap as $31.99 for Cyber Monday, I might ditch the cable for good
- Musician’s Friend’s mammoth Cyber Monday sale is here – get up to 15% off a huge range of guitars, pedals, accessories and more with this coupon code
- I’ve owned two Boss DS-1s in my lifetime – and with $50 savings on the DS-1W, I might just buy another… and this heavily reduced HM-2W to boot
- The Fender Aerodyne Special Stratocaster is one of best guitars I reviewed this year – and now the entire range has $200 off I might be adding it to my collection on a permanent basis
- Harley Benton launches new DIY guitar kits – and one lets you carve the body yourself
- Harley Benton is a champion of budget gear – but its Cyber Monday sales are somehow even cheaper
- Paul McCartney’s “Paul McCartney Woz Here!” Hofner bass and a ’62 Strat played by the Beatles are headed to the auction block – and big money bids are forecasted
- “I really liked the concept, but it was a bit impractical. My bass playing tends to rely more on my hands than any kind of trick”: Listen to Paul Jackson’s double-stop funk on Herbie Hancock’s Watermelon Man
- My pedalboard is full, but I can’t resist a cheap guitar pedal deal – and these Cyber Monday offers are so good, I’m going to have to make room
- 6 Cyber Monday sales for guitar players that you can’t afford to miss
- Quick! Fender is offering 30% off ALL Vintera guitars and basses, saving up to $350 – but only while stocks last
- “Geordie was a true inventor of a massive sound that has influenced so damn many of us”: Killing Joke guitarist Geordie Walker has died, aged 64
- At last, I might finally fulfill my dream of owning a John Mayer PRS SE Silver Sky – because it’s currently $170 off at Guitar Center in one of my favorite Cyber Monday deals
- How the Ampeg Dan Armstrong may well have become a footnote in guitar history had the 'See-Through' electric not ended up in the hands of Keith Richards
- Guild guitars are seriously underrated – so you’ll need to be quick to save $600 on a Starfire IV because this Cyber Monday deal is flying, and already close to selling out
- “I wanted to be Paul Kossoff – a Les Paul with a wah into a Marshall and nothing else. I’d be telling myself off for dialing too much gain!” Black Stone Cherry share their gear epiphanies – and why we’re hearing Misha Mansoor’s Peavey on their new album
- “Tone is in the fingers. That’s not to say you can’t get close. Some YouTube players can get so close to Stevie Ray Vaughan, it’s frightening!” Danny Bryant is one of modern British blues’ finest players – ignore his tone wisdom at your peril
- “The higher up you wear your bass, the more it makes you think about what you’re playing. I don’t want to think that much”: Tim Lefebvre explains the belt-level placement of his low-slung P-Bass
November 26
- Fender has discounted tons of accessories and apparel by up to 70% this Cyber Monday – with t-shirts and guitar straps starting from just $10
- The Kemper Profiler PowerHead is one of the most powerful music-making tools on the planet – save $150 on this Swiss Army knife amp in this killer Guitar Center Cyber Monday deal
- Now is the best time to stock up on all your guitar essentials – here are the top Cyber Monday string, pick, cable and strap bargains you must not miss
- The best discounts I've seen this Cyber Monday are almost all on bass guitars – with up to 44% off some of our best-reviewed models
- I’ve never played a PRS guitar I haven’t liked, but I’ve yet to take the plunge – now the entire SE range has been reduced by 20% for Cyber Monday, I’m seriously tempted
- The Line 6 HX Stomp completely changed the game for me – and you can still get it for up $100 off in my favorite Cyber Monday deal of the year
- I love cheap guitars, and trust me: you can get an amazing electric guitar for under $500 – that’s why I think these are this year’s best Cyber Monday deals
November 25
- If you've always wanted to own a high-end amp but could never afford it, these staggering Black Friday discounts of up to $1,000 off could put one within reach
- This mega 50% off Fender Play deal is ideal for beginner guitar players
- If I hadn’t bought a Spark last Black Friday, I’d pull the trigger this year – or else I’d pick up one of these killer cheap amp deals
- Epic amp modeler deal alert: the Neural DSP Quad Cortex has a fancy new black-and-gold finish – and if you're quick you can get it with a case and free plugin worth $160
- I’ve had a DigiTech Whammy on my pedalboard for 20 years – and this is the first time I’ve seen a Black Friday deal on this iconic pedal
November 24
- We’ve tracked down the biggest Black Friday beginner electric guitar and starter pack deals so you don't have to – and that includes $50 off a best-buy Squier Mustang
- This year's top beginner acoustic guitar Black Friday deals are right here – including $60 off our favorite Yamaha F335
- Quick! Musician’s Friend has knocked half off the price of loads of guitar gear – including $700 off a Les Paul – but the Black Friday sale is ending soon
- We challenge you to find a cheaper ’59 Les Paul this Black Friday – as Guitar Center drops its biggest Epiphone deals of the year
- I’m on a mission to find the cheapest, smallest and best guitar tuner this Black Friday – here are the ones I’m considering
- IK Multimedia’s AmpliTube X-Gear range is one of the pedal world’s best kept secrets – and they’re $100 off for Black Friday
- With 25% off JHS pedals at Sweetwater you can create a ‘board that covers all bases – here’s the 5 stompboxes we’d choose
- “The last thing Bernard Edwards wanted to be was a bass player who used a pick”: Nile Rodgers on the funk behind Chic’s Le Freak
- Don’t buy a new guitar this Black Friday – give your existing one a tonal upgrade with 25% off all DiMarzio pickups
- Is this Guitar Center’s best Black Friday deal? The D’Angelico Premier Series Bedford offset just got a massive 40% discount – but it’s shifting fast
- Fender Tone Master Pro review – Fender takes the amp modeler and multi-effects crown
- The Edge ditched his tube amps for Universal Audio’s UAFX pedals – now you can save 20% on some of the best amp-modeling pedals in this Sphere-sized Black Friday deal
- I have always wanted the John Mayer PRS SE Silver Sky – now it’s a whopping $170 off and I am tempted beyond belief
- Get your child started on the path to rock stardom with up to 17% off Loog guitars at Amazon this Black Friday – and it even includes a genuine Fender!
- There's 20% off all EarthQuaker Devices pedals at Guitar Center – but this 3-in-1 fuzz/distortion masterpiece is our pick of the bunch
- The Guild Starfire is a seriously underrated semi-hollow – but you'll need to be quick to save $600 because this Black Friday deal is already close to selling out
- “As soon as I pick up the guitar and play that riff, it’s one of the best feelings in the world. You just jump on the riff and it plays you”: The Rolling Stones’ 10 best guitar riffs
- “It’s one thing to listen, but when you play these songs, you go, ‘It’s no wonder Eddie had so much fun playing this’”: Tackling Van Halen, reforming G3, recording with Steve Vai – Joe Satriani is gearing up for his biggest year yet
November 23
- “That is a ’54 reissue. This is the real ’54. It’s number 588”: Måneskin’s Thomas Raggi drops by Norman’s Rare Guitars – and ends up playing one of the first Fender Strats ever produced
- “Reverlong reunion!” Scott Ian’s 12-year-old son, Revel, reunites with Foo Fighters at Dave Grohl’s studio to jam Everlong – and nails it using Pat Smear’s Gibson Les Paul
- “Tom Murphy’s magnum opus”: Gibson has handed the Murphy Lab man its stockpile of Brazilian rosewood for these ultra-exclusive, $20k Les Paul ’Burst reissues
- “Now every day can be Y2K”: Chase Bliss’s Lossy makes your guitar sound like a broken cellphone – and it might just be the lo-fi stompbox of your dreams
- Discounts on Yamaha's excellent THRII desktop amps are super rare, but Amazon just started slashing prices across the range for Black Friday
- Positive Grid just casually launched a new Spark Go colorway the day before Black Friday – and it's on sale!
- 6 essential Black Friday sales for guitar players that are already live
- “So many people don't understand how, as a lead player, I could idolize someone like Kurt Cobain, but for me, it's also about the songwriting and passion”: Nikki Stringfield has more up her sleeve than glorious shredding with the Iron Maidens
- Squier Sonic Stratocaster HT review – Fender's classic beginner electric guitar just got better
- “We didn’t have another band to point to and say, well, Sabbath is using it or the Scorpions are using it. James had the foresight to say, ‘Let’s try it. Maybe we’re the people to embrace it’”: James Hetfield’s tech shows you his 72 Seasons live rig
- Fender Japan does its best Gretsch impression with uber-sparkly, Filter’Tron-loaded limited-edition Telecaster
- “The whole idea of being a great guitar player is nobody can do you like you… Mean Street is the perfect storm of why people don't f**k with Edward Van Halen”: Nuno Bettencourt explains why you’ve gotta give Joe Satriani “a pass”
- January 2024 Guitar World lesson videos
- Cosmic Psychos: "When you read the farming manual, there's a bit at the back that says you've gotta play in a punk band"
November 22
- The ‘90s was a watershed era for gear, and set the template for the future of the electric guitar – these are the retro designs, digital innovations and misfit toys that defined a decade and beyond
- Donner’s Black Friday sale is here – save up to 35% on a range of electric guitars, acoustic guitars, effects pedals and more
- “I just love the Stratocaster. The 2nd and 4th positions are part of what makes it the ultimate funk machine”: From bedroom lockdown playthroughs to Spotify stardom in just 3 years, Giacomo Turra is one of funk guitar's most exciting talents
- “Fingers or pick? I’ll play bass with a drumstick! Whatever works for the song!“ How Amos Williams found his sound on TesseracT’s War of Being
- “The riffs are crazy. If I had to describe the songs, they’re like Bonnie Raitt meets Sheryl Crow meets Joe Walsh meets the Stones – with hints of INXS”: Introducing Danni Stefanetti, the Silver Sky-toting graduate of the PRS Pulse program
- Joe Doe by Vintage Gas Jockey review – a madcap pairing of the Stratocaster and Firebird designed by a UK screenwriter
- “Zero f**ks given”: Dean continues its resurgence with the updated Zero platform – ushering in a new wave of Z-style guitars following Gibson’s lawsuit
- “Jim Root 182”: The Fender Tom DeLonge Stratocaster is getting a (nearly) all-black metal makeover for Black Friday – but you’ll have to be quick to get one
- Gigging guitarists spend the majority of time playing rhythm, not lead – so here are 21 ways to improve your rhythm guitar chops
- “His playing speaks to my soul like no other guitarist”: Alex Lifeson joins Adam Jones onstage to help Tool perform Jambi – before gifting his hero one of his signature Epiphone Les Pauls
- “I got my Telecaster in 2013 and it’s never been cleaned. It’s covered with blood. I like the idea of seeing the work I’ve done”: He’s guitarist for Iceland’s premier power trio The Vintage Caravan – and Óskar Logi Ágústsson’s rig lives up to the name
- “An out-of-this-world limited-edition Flying V”: Gibson’s latest Adam Jones signature guitar is here – and it’s a $20k Murphy Lab recreation of the Tool titan’s prized Flying V with a Futura-style headstock
- “Our Epiphone and Gibson Custom Shop teams are continually collaborating”: Gibson’s Mat Koehler confirms open-book headstock will roll out on more Epiphone models
- “It’s the most money I’ve ever paid for a guitar in my life: over $400,000. But what’s a Flying V worth? It’s worth what someone’s willing to pay for it”: Joe Bonamassa opens the gates to Nerdville and shows off the most prized guitars in his collection
November 21
- “I don’t know what it is, but something happens to Joe when he picks up the 10-string B.C. Rich Bich...”: Joe Perry tech Darren Hurst on helping the Aerosmith rock icon re-discover his tone
- “If you want to be a well-rounded metal player, alternate picking is something you cannot skip out on”: Josh Middleton on the essential techniques and discipline of metal guitar
- “A significant leap forward in sonic performance and flexibility for guitarists of all styles”: Bad Cat finally launches the Jet Black – the guitar amp at the heart of Tosin Abasi’s new rig
- “I want to honor the sound, but I don't want to lose myself”: Joe Satriani says he’s coming to terms with the fact that he doesn't sound like Eddie Van Halen
- “Malcolm Young would shred picks. It's like he would pick them up and they’d turn to dust!”: Richard Fortus breaks down his role as Guns N’ Roses’ rhythm machine – and explains the overlooked details that separate good players from great ones
- "The whole vibe of Ace Frehley was really special to me. I was so small, and Ace was this larger-than-life figure… I didn't even think he was a real person": John 5 names the guitarists who shaped his sound
- “Early on I discovered that the bass player decides the chord – not the guitar player”: R.E.M.’s Mike Mills on finding the perfect bass part and becoming a “one-bass guy”
- Positive Grid's Spark Mini is a practice amp titan – but here are 5 smart amp alternatives we love with Black Friday discounts
- Fender’s red-hot Black Friday sale has up to 50% off dozens of guitars - we've hand-picked 10 outrageous deals you'll love
- “Kiko is a top-notch professional, a maestro – and he did not want to hurt me or Megadeth”: Dave Mustaine pays tribute to outgoing guitarist Kiko Loureiro – and names his successor
- “I never thought that my signature would be on anything – never mind Fenders, Gibsons, and Martins, they're the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost of guitars”: Mark Knopfler is selling off 120 guitars, including his Money For Nothing Les Paul
- “Designed, not modeled”: Blackstar expands its digital amp arsenal with St. James EL34 and 6L6 plugins – which promise to provide “the most authentic guitar amp plugin experience possible”
- “An amazing opportunity for more players to experience the spirit of Greeny”: The Epiphone Kirk Hammett ‘Greeny’ Les Paul is finally here – complete with a Gibson headstock and a price tag to match
November 20
- “I had the same punk-rock attack that Duff had. I wouldn’t be afraid to say I stole some of his stuff”: How Tommy Stinson survived the making of Guns N’ Roses’ Chinese Democracy
- “I was so frustrated that I kicked my amp – the speaker busted, leaving me with this weird buzzing sound. I didn’t know it then, but I helped create the sound of punk-rock guitar”: How an Italian immigrant shaped the sound of US punk to come in the 1960s
- Fishman packs big tone and features into its smallest Loudbox acoustic amp yet – the Loudbox Micro
- “I don’t want to hinder any of the band’s plans”: Kiko Loureiro announces his departure from Megadeth after 9 years – and his successor may already be in place
- “Please tell me that’s the new Epiphone headstock in general”: The Epiphone Greeny Les Paul is nearly here – and guitarists are losing their minds over the headstock
- IK Multimedia Axe I/O One review – a nicely priced audio interface designed for guitar and bass players
- “A lot of solos in metal definitely have a formula... To me, a solo really hits home when you don’t hear the magic coming”: How Svalbard’s Serena Cherry is tearing up the metal guitar playbook
- “I’ve gotten comments like ‘a guitar’s not supposed to do that’, but where’s the rulebook? Just because something is wild doesn’t mean people shouldn’t enjoy it”: Syncatto’s Charlie Robbins is pushing the boundaries of technique beyond belief
- The 16 most expensive guitars of all time
- Kurt Cobain guitars now account for 3 of the top 10 most expensive guitars sold at auction as the ‘Sky Stang I’ Fender Mustang used in Nirvana’s final performance sells for $1.5 million
- Our pick of Black Friday Harley Benton guitar and pedal deals just dropped in price even further
- “This music was born out of pain and suffering. It wasn’t all about guitar solos or ‘my baby left me’! That’s where a lot of people go wrong”: Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram on why the future of blues guitar requires an understanding of its past
- Fender Japan has developed a rabid cult following, but do its crazy-limited electric guitars live up to the hype? I finally gave in and bought one to find out
- Funny Little Boxes Skeleton Key review – Josh Homme’s Queens of the Stone Age tones in a box?
November 17
- “The same detailed craftwork and design that is at the heart of Solar Guitars”: Ola Englund changes the metal guitar game with ultra-affordable 'S by Solar' brand – and prices start from just $219
- “I royally screwed up, which hurt like a thorn in my side, but I’ll get over it”: Joe Satriani says he slipped up playing Van Halen’s Mean Street on Howard Stern – but it’s taught him a valuable lesson about EVH’s tone
- Black metal has gone orchestral and nu-disco shred is back, baby: This week’s essential guitar tracks
- “There’s no better time than now to make your move”: Line 6 continues to set the pace in the modeling arms race with yet another free feature-packed Helix firmware update
- “I find honing my tone to be the perpetual chasing of my tail – once I feel I’ve gotten close, I hear something new, and it’s back to the drawing board”: Even with massive TikTok and Instagram followings, Kiki Wong is still trying to find the perfect tone
- “It’s so rare, I never played it and kept it in the case. But when we discovered we were going out with Wu-Tang, I was like, ‘I’m bringing that guitar!’” Meet the metalhead who joined Wu-Tang Clan – and brought one of Fender’s most elusive Teles with him
- “Playing a guitar like this back in 1963 must have been truly mind-blowing”: Meet the 1963 Stratocaster with one of Fender’s rarest-ever finishes, Blue Metallic Flake
- Josh Smith shows you how to follow your musical inner voice and connect the dots in a blues guitar solo
- “The most expensive Clapton guitar ever sold at auction”: Eric Clapton’s iconic ‘Fool’ Gibson SG just sold for more than $1,000,000 – and it was bought by a world-renowned guitar collector
- Save on Harley Benton guitars and more in Thomann's massive up to 60% off Cyberweek sale
- “Finally accessible to all discerning tone aficionados”: IK Multimedia democratizes the Dumble – packing models of four “priceless” Overdrive Special amps into a $50 download
November 16
- B&G Guitars’ Orchestra Model is an elite tribute to a timeless classic, infused with their own unique voicing and DNA
- I've looked through all 99 pages of the Guitar Center Black Friday sale – these are the 5 guitar deals I'd take home today
- “All these older blues players would come to Detroit to play local clubs. I was too young to get in, so I’d cut my hair short and glue a mustache on my face”: Tony Newton on playing with Gary Moore, Allan Holdsworth, and holding down the pocket at Motown
- “I had Hubert Sumlin, Howlin’ Wolf’s guitar player, out on tour with me, and he showed up with a $120 Squier Strat. He played it on stage that night and killed it”: Kenny Wayne Shepherd on why tone is in the hands (but it helps to have a trio of Dumbles)
- When Stanley Clarke met Paul McCartney: “Paul asked me to show him how to slap!”
- “Back with a Vengeance and Zero apologies”: Following Gibson’s lawsuit, Dean is selling V-shaped guitars again under a new name – and, like the design, it’s rather pointed...
- “I don’t want the old blues to die – if they do, I’ll be dead, too”: John Lennon, Eric Clapton and Ronnie Wood all followed in the footsteps of Big Bill Broonzy, the blues pioneer with a guitar style that’s impossible to copy
- Squier Sonic Mustang HH review – the best-value offset electric in the world?
- “No-one has made a Klon like this”: Don’t fancy spending $10,000 on a real Klon Centaur? Not to worry – the new JHS Pedals Notaklön lets you build your own for $99
- “This is impossible to play!” Joe Satriani and Sammy Hagar name – and nail – Eddie Van Halen’s hardest guitar riffs during first-ever Best of All Worlds performance
- “Beloved by generations of players in every musical genre”: Boss’ sparkling 50th Anniversary series celebrates its place atop the pedal pile – and, with prices under $100, won’t put off the players that got it there
- “Guitar Hero was such an important tool for exposing kids from the late-’90s to the electric guitar. We’ve got some guitar heroes now – 10 years ago, we didn’t”: Michael Rubin went from playing video games to rocking vintage guitars with King Falcon
November 15
- “Owned by, played by, signed by and designed by some of the brightest lights in rock ‘n’ roll”: Eric Clapton launches 25th anniversary Crossroads Festival auction – and it includes some serious instruments
- “Jerry's most sophisticated guitar setup… the culmination of decades of experimentation with state of the art gear”: Jerry Garcia’s final touring rig – featuring Bob Weir’s revered Wall of Sound McIntosh amp and an embedded pedal panel – is up for auction
- Fender just stealth-dropped some early Black Friday deals, including 25% off Aerodyne, 20% off Vintera and $100 off the Player Plus
- Take your playing from average Joe to pro with this amazing value Guitar Tricks one-year subscription deal – plus, get $321 of extras
- “McFly vibes from that 345!” Jason Isbell and Bob Weir perform Johnny B. Goode for Michael J. Fox, as Isbell tips his cap to the famously inaccurate Back to the Future guitar – the Gibson ES-345
- Seymour Duncan’s new PowerStage 100 Stereo is its first stereo power amp pedal – could this be the amp modeling partner you’ve been searching for?
- These guitar finger exercises will improve your finger independence and dexterity, and make you a better player
- “The ultimate multi-tool for guitar players”? Taylor’s upgraded Beacon might just be the most versatile clip-on tuner ever made
- It’s been covered by Steve Morse, Steve Lukather and Eddie Van Halen – but if Joe Satriani and Brian May tackled Joy to the World, it would sound a little something like this
- 10 underrated ’90s guitar albums that should have been bigger
- “He’s real tough, and when he’s liquored up, he can really play!” Pat Hare influenced Stevie Ray Vaughan, beat Cream and Led Zeppelin to the blues-rock punch, and recorded an eerily prescient guitar knockout called I’m Gonna Murder My Baby
- “Because I started on the piano, my dexterity was already developed. I loved playing scales, so it was fun to whip my fingers all over the neck of the guitar”: Meet Annie Shred, the former pianist who’s revolutionizing guitar
- Gibson Greenybucker and Custombucker review – the affordable way to give your guitar a Custom Shop upgrade?
November 14
- Enter for your chance to win a ParaEq MKII Deluxe pedal from Empress Effects!
- Explore every corner of a mix with PreSonus’ compact and powerful Eris Pro Series studio monitors
- “The first time I played it, I was smiling”: PRS unveils the latest evolution of John Mayer’s signature guitar – the ‘Dead Spec’ Silver Sky, inspired by Jerry Garcia’s Alligator Stratocaster
- “The music we created is going to outlive us all. It’s time we go out and serve the fans that music, while we still can”: Joe Satriani, Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony announce The Best of All Worlds – the next best thing to a Van Halen tribute tour
- Bored of Heritage Cherry? The Gibson SG Standard just got a major facelift with six new Custom Color choices
- “I knew Eric was going to put his guitar on later, so the bass fills were like telegraphed messages”: Listen to Nathan East’s fill-laden bassline on Eric Clapton’s Change the World
- “Chris Cornell said I created ‘a symphony of chaos’ – it was his favorite thing about the track. It meant even more because he was gone less than a year later”: Meet Ryan Wariner, go-to session guitarist for everyone from Dave Mustaine to Ann Wilson
- “The Kings and Kings solo by Brad Whitford is one of the finest in rock history”: Brian May, Marty Friedman, Nita Strauss and 37 other legendary guitarists share their favorite Aerosmith guitar moments
- “The power is in your hands”: You don’t have to be a muscle-bound ’80s action hero to wield Jared James Nichols’ new signature Blues Power Les Paul Custom, but we imagine it helps
- “Billy Gibbons brought some off-brand amp simulator to the studio. We heard him playing through this thing and it was like, ‘Wow! It sounds like f**kin’ Billy Gibbons!’” Troy Van Leeuwen might have just proven beyond doubt that tone truly is in the hands
- “I have a Danelectro ’84 Strat copy worth $400 – it’s one of my main guitars, right up there with the $10k Custom Shop SG”: He’s one of the guitar world’s biggest YouTubers. Now Tyler Larson is turning his gear habit into electrifying instrumental rock
- Welcome to Sophie Lloyd's melodic rock soloing masterclass – essential techniques to take your lead playing to the next level
- “The solos are so perfectly composed... they remind me of what Bach would do if he had a Les Paul, a Marshall, and a space alien costume”: Paul Gilbert explains why he loves Ace Frehley’s playing
- “A truly inspired work of playable art”: Meet the El Bonneville, a guitar inspired by a vintage “hot rod masterpiece” from 1934
November 13
- KLŌS Guitars’ Grand Cutaway acoustic is the carbon fiber guitar that could finally replace your wooden guitar
- “If you want to get a visceral reaction from an audience, the bottom line is that you have to make your guitar sing”: Blues playing getting stale? Incorporating ideas from jazz guitarists will take your solos to the next level
- “I’m at the height of my skillset, and the minute I can’t play or sing as well is the minute I plan the exit – I don’t want to be the old grey mare”: Joe Bonamassa’s career keeps hitting new peaks – but he’s already decided when he’ll give it all up
- “His designs are some of the most identifiable in history, the tones some of the most iconic”: Leo Fender called G&L Guitars the best instruments he ever made – this is the story of the company that became his swan song
- Black Friday guitar pedal deals 2024: We round up the very best Black Friday stompbox deals still live right now
- Stranger things: Phoebe Bridgers wields Eddie Munson’s guitar in Boygenius’ instrument-hurling, B.C. Rich-rocking, Beatles-channeling SNL appearance
- “Jason’s most treasured instrument”: The guitar Eddie Van Halen gifted Jason Becker during their emotional first meeting is heading to auction
- “Flea said, ‘Dude, you have to sit down with my guitar player, John – he’s the best.’ I wasn’t a fan yet, but I said, ‘Cool. Let’s do it’”: How Zach Irons established a vital new voice in guitar playing – with a little help from John Frusciante
- “The Double-Neck Montreal makes me think of the smell of your own burning flesh”: James Hetfield opens up about the agony of his 1992 pyro accident, and how his scorched ESP left a lasting legacy on Metallica
- “I still maintain my long relationship with Marshall”: Slash confirms he will remain a Marshall player despite developing a signature guitar amp with Magnatone
- “Forget grunge music. Get a pint of Guinness down your neck and pick that guitar up”: The rise and fall of Britpop, the Nineties’ other massive guitar movement
November 12
- "This 10/10 live album that demonstrates he’s got the goods to be a modern-day legend": Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram's Live In London is a joy to hear
November 11
- “It wasn’t like a normal bass gig where you have 30 songs: I had to learn 300!” Ida Nielsen talks touring with Prince, and how she tackled her Paisley Park audition
- Download and stream the audio from Total Guitar 378
November 10
- “When they shot smoke, the crowd went wild!”: Dusty Hill’s Hot Rod car bass, custom built by Wayne Charvel for ZZ Top’s Eliminator tour, hides a few secrets beneath the hood – now it’s up for auction
- Layla gets the two-hand tapping cover treatment and the Spiritbox x Megan Thee Stallion collab you never knew you needed: This week’s essential guitar tracks
- "The diminished scale seems to loom large in my legend…" A blues masterclass from Robben Ford
- The guitar played by gypsy jazz legend Django Reinhardt in his most iconic image is going up for auction
- Score a colossal 73% off Amplitube 5 Max and Tonex Max in this mind-blowing Black Friday sale from IK Multimedia
- Quick! Save up to $210 off three of our favorite Fender Player Strats at Guitar Center in this time-limited pre-Black Friday deal
- Shergold Telstar Standard ST14 review – don’t sleep on this new boutique-style solidbody, especially at this price
- Country icon Dolly Parton has written over 3,000 songs, but her trademark ‘thumb and flick’ playing style is essential learning for acoustic players
- Why the Vox AC30 is the “desert island” amp of choice for guitar legends including Brian May, the Edge and Rory Gallagher
- “His solos and fills always captured the mood, emotions and significance of the songs. They were never just good licks”: Robbie Robertson’s 10 greatest guitar tracks
- “Rich Robinson was doing a Facebook Q&A and I commented with a video of me playing one of his songs… long story short, it led to me playing with the Black Crowes”: How Argentina native Nico Bereciartua became the US rock institution's new guitar wingman
- “When he signed his note, ‘Your friend,’ I truly felt like he meant it. I am really friends with John Mayer!” Meet Ryan Woodard – the 17-year-old artist who was gifted his dream guitar by John Mayer following a viral cover of Gravity
- “This is nuts and my jaw is on the floor with how badass this one is. I am in Tone Heaven!” Jared James Nichols just got a ’57 Les Paul with the craziest refurb ever
November 9
- “A must-have for guitarists in pursuit of those legendary Beatles tones”: Aclam unveils The Mocker, a Fab Four-inspired fuzz pedal
- “I was blown away by how it sounded”: After 30 years of Marshall stacks, Slash has switched to Magnatone – and a “killer” new signature amp is in the works
- Kirk Fletcher makes a triumphant return to the stage following his recent stroke – and his blues chops were in full working order as he jammed with Joe Bonamassa in Tulsa
- “There was no intention to be clever. We didn’t know what we were doing!” Herbie Flowers’ bassline on David Bowie’s Space Oddity
- Guitarist video and audio
- Squier Sonic Stratocaster HT H review – single-humbucker Tom DeLonge vibe for under $200
- “People have said, ‘Oh, man, you gotta play the Gibson, that’s the real deal.’ But there’s something about the Ibanez… I prefer the evenness of it”: John Scofield on working with Miles Davis, covering Bob Dylan and the agony of writing music
- “I decided to switch from amplifiers to digital emulators”: The Edge confirms he has ditched his tube amps for Universal Audio’s UAFX pedals for U2’s Sphere residency
- “I was expecting to toss it into the pile of unsuccessful builds from the 1960s guitar boom. Boy howdy, was I wrong!” Meet the Martin GT‑75 Moth – the iconic acoustic company’s 1967 semi-hollow electric experiment
- It’s official: pairing your guitar’s pickups with your amp’s speaker “like fine wine and cheese” is a thing – find out why it makes all the difference to your tone
- “I wanted to create an instrument that had that beautiful old-school P-90 sound”: Knaggs unveils the Billy Morrison Keya-J-M, a Fralin-equipped high-end signature model for the Billy Idol guitarist
- “Yes, sir! Yes, sir!” Duane Betts steps onstage with Marcus King and levels the venue with an outstanding cover of the Allman Brothers’ epic guitar jam, In Memory of Elizabeth Reed
- It’s finally here: Boss has unveiled the RV-200 – one of its most anticipated pedals in years, which offers a compact take on its revered 500 Series reverb machine
- “Other guitar players could hear what he was doing and go, ‘Oh my gosh, this guy's amazing’”: Alice Cooper says Eddie Van Halen asked him to set up a guitar lesson with Glen Campbell
- Pocket big savings on our favorite UAFX pedals in Sweetwater’s early Black Friday sale for a limited time
November 8
- Download and stream the audio from Guitar Techniques 355
- “It’s a seriously metal-looking guitar”: Jackson has updated Jeff Loomis’ iconic signature Kelly guitar “for today’s player” – and introduced one key new component
- “Every time we play together it takes me back to when we were teenagers… pushing, challenging and helping each other to be the best we could be”: For the first time ever, Joe Satriani and Steve Vai are working on new music together
- Few players are doing more to write the future of blues guitar than Kirk Fletcher – banish clichés with his tasty soloing style
- “The funny thing is I don’t even really like pedals... I’ve used them, but constantly stomping on different pedals to get what I need is still bonkers”: Jennifer Batten reveals what’s on her pedalboard
- “I’ve always struggled with confidence in my playing, but I wanted to stress that guitar has to change, grow and develop in order to survive”: Maebe’s Michael Astley-Brown on how guitar must evolve – and why instrumental music is key to its progression
- “A painstaking tribute to the guitar that changed music forever”: Kramer’s MIJ 1983 Baretta reissue offers a detailed recreation of the shred guitar that, with a little help from Eddie Van Halen, made it the biggest guitar brand of the ’80s
- “We didn’t want to just make a one trick pony octave up device”: Jimi Hendrix, Tony Iommi and Josh Homme all championed the octave pedal – now KMA Machines’ Mandrake Octo-Shrieker looks to take the effect to new heights
- “The guitar is on the edge of chaos due to the constant feedback. It’s thrilling, trying to control something that is out of control by its very nature”: With a Les Paul and a table full of pedals, Oren Ambarchi builds extraordinary sonic worlds
- “Each channel alone is worth the entire price of this amp”: PRS has finally launched Mark Tremonti’s MT 100 signature head – and it has a new channel modeled on his favorite Dumble
- “Even though we went through some really rough and confusing years, I feel like the band is in a better place than when I joined”: Jeff Schroeder opens up about his departure from the Smashing Pumpkins
- “You don’t just play the root notes – there’s always harmony there to make a bassline more interesting”: How Bruce Thomas transformed Elvis Costello’s (I Don’t Want To Go To) Chelsea
November 7
- “Marvin Gaye was used to hearing James Jamerson, so he had me overdub a second bass part to fill out the original track”: An untold story from Motown’s Studio A. How Bob Babbitt's '65 P-Bass drove Marvin Gaye’s Inner City Blues
- “[He’d record] everything we ever did. He would record the f**king milkman”: there are reportedly 7 hours of unreleased Randy Rhoads demos taped by Bob Daisley, but Ozzy Osbourne says he has no plans to release ‘Holy Grail’ recordings
- “There’s no replacement for picking up a guitar, feeling those strings under your fingers and building your calluses”: British shred hero Sophie Lloyd teaches you how to become a better player
- Gibson Les Paul Standard ’50s Plain Top Inverness Green review – a bold new Custom Color for the landmark single-cut
- “An instrument with class that could still appeal to the most technically driven shredders”: Bruno Mars’ signature Fender Strat tips the cap to his six-string icons Jimi Hendrix and Prince – and it’s one of the finest artist builds we’ve seen
- “Unlike any guitar we’ve released before”: Ed Sheeran has unveiled his latest limited-edition Lowden signature acoustic – and it’s a thing of beauty
- “My work was being compared to Jeff Beck, and they’re crediting Joe Perry. I was so upset. But people who actually listen can tell the difference”: Brad Whitford on the highs and lows of Aerosmith’s 50-year history, and his unique chemistry with Joe Perry
- “One of my favorite memories”: Praise rolls in for Tom Morello’s 12-year-old son, Roman, as footage emerges of him nailing Killing in the Name during Rage Against The Machine soundcheck
- “I don’t think there’s any guitar playing in history that stands above that”: John Frusciante, Johnny Marr, Radiohead and the Edge rank him among their favorite players – now underrated guitar hero John McGeoch gets the spotlight in new documentary
- “All this new stuff they call rock ’n’ roll, why, I’ve been playing that for years now”: How Sister Rosetta Tharpe kickstarted the British blues-rock explosion – in 1957
- “I’ve never considered myself a guitarist, and I’ve never liked the guitar”: Omar Rodríguez-López is one of electric guitar’s most reluctant heroes – here are his 10 greatest Mars Volta guitar moments
November 6
- “He wants the heaviest guitars that we can humanly make”: Here’s why Adam Jones has Gibson searching for “the heaviest woods” in order to build his custom Les Pauls
- “It’s hard to think who the greatest bass players are. You could say Flea, but he doesn’t need the plug!” Jack Bruce on the bass players that shaped his sound
- “It’s something we need to grow… we need to do more here, to enhance the legacy”: The future looks bright for Marshall, as its CEO points towards new British-made tube amps
- “Learning licks is useful, but if you rely only on licks you will lose the connection between your mind and the instrument”: Matteo Mancuso's soloing skills are something else – these are his top tips for playing better lead lines
- DragonForce’s Herman Li is one of power metal’s most outrageous shredders – put your playing through the fire and flames with this lesson in his videogame-inspired soloing style
- “I realized I was never going to be a great player like Tommy Shaw, so I guess I’m just a power-chord and single-string lead player now. But I’m pretty good at it!” Styx’s James “J.Y.” Young on his guitar journey
- “I got the call saying there was a band looking for a player. I said yes before even asking which band it was. Then I got told it was Ghost”: Former Nameless Ghoul Chris Catalyst breaks cover about his time in Tobias Forge’s epic metal project
- “Please do what you can to help our brother”: Joe Bonamassa launches fundraiser in support of Kirk Fletcher following onstage stroke
- Haynes Demeanour review – the golden age for UK guitar making continues with this rock-ready offset
- “I've never been a fan of tapping, tricks or whammy bars. There have been a few greats, like Edward Van Halen and Randy Rhoads, but what they did came from somewhere”: Kiss's Paul Stanley names 11 guitarists who shaped his sound
- “The game-changing pick you never knew you needed”: Offset fever reaches guitar picks as Fender launches Offset Picks
- “As a guitar instrumental, it was totally unique in its mystery”: Jimmy Page performs live for the first time in 8 years, covering Link Wray’s Rumble at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
November 5
- Squier Sonic Telecaster review – the best-value Fender Tele you can buy?
November 3
- Get a chance to win an Ernie Ball StingRay RS in Burnt Amber!
- “You could do anything with a Telecaster”: Joe Bonamassa shares his Telecaster tone tips and tricks – with the help of an exceptionally rare vintage model
- A heavy solo debut from Mick Mars, a double-neck fretless tribute to Eddie Van Halen and a brand-new Beatles song: This week’s essential guitar tracks
- “Steve Vai tried to school me on string bending, but you just don't do that on bass!” Pete Griffin reflects on his time with Steve Vai, and his latest solo EP
- “Charles Manson actually stole one of my D-45s years ago”: One of Al Jardine’s prized Martin acoustics was once swiped by the notorious cult leader – and he “never, ever got it back”
- Here are 5 Black Friday-beating deals from Guitar Center’s holiday sale that I rate as a pro guitar tester
- Black Friday has officially landed at Positive Grid with massive Spark savings and a huge 60% off BIAS software
- “Prince liked the band. He would come see us. He would mysteriously appear and disappear, which always made me mad – ‘Damn it!’” How Vernon Reid’s expressionist shredding juiced Living Colour and won fans in Prince and the Rolling Stones
- Musician's Friend has slashed up to 40% off big-name brands in this Black Friday-worthy sale – here's what we'd buy
- “It didn’t tick his boxes. It didn’t give him what he wanted”: Before Fender, Jeff Beck worked with Ibanez to create a wild Telecaster/Les Paul hybrid – this is the never-before-told story of the signature model that almost was
- “Springsteen taught me how to write songs, but Pearl Jam, Dinosaur Jr., Fugazi and Sonic Youth taught me how to play those songs I’d learned to write”: Brian Fallon is breaking out the guitar solos for The Gaslight Anthem’s second coming
- “As a tapping player, you don’t want to be thought of as Yngwie Malmsteen. You wanna show the broken, punk-rock ‘Oops-my-finger-slipped-there-whatever’ sloppiness”: Marnie Stern is back to make math rock scrappy again
- Gary Rossington shaped the sound of Southern rock with Lynyrd Skynyrd – and his guitar style influenced everyone from the Black Crowes to Metallica
- Beloved by Pete Townshend and Thin Lizzy’s Scott Gorham, the Gibson Les Paul Deluxe was the top-selling LP model of the early ’70s – but its success didn’t last
- “We pulled a few guitars out – I loved the ’61 Strat immediately. John said, ‘I want you to take that guitar with you – it’s yours”: John Frusciante gave away a prized vintage Fender Stratocaster to a fan who became one of his favorite modern guitarists
- EarthQuaker Devices’ new Zoar Dynamic Audio Grinder is the brand’s “most tweakable distortion device ever” and promises “dozens of mind-blowing sounds”
November 2
- “A backline in your gigbag and a macrocosm of next-level tonal excellence”: Could the Two Notes Opus be the only guitar amp your pedalboard needs?
- Sweetwater’s massive early Black Friday sale just launched with up to 70% off guitar gear – these are our top picks
- “There it was, John’s voice, crystal clear. It’s quite emotional. And we all play on it – it’s a genuine Beatles recording”: The final Beatles song, Now and Then, has been released at last – but is it any good?
- “This is one more shot at glory for me. I know the things I’ve been denied. I shouldn’t have to build it up all over again”: K.K. Downing on reclaiming his legacy with KK’s Priest – and what his one-off reunion with Judas Priest was really like
- I played the new Squier Sonic guitars and they blew me away – but my favorite took me by surprise
- Cream T Aurora Custom V2 review – a stunning Tele-meets-Gibson design with easy pickup swapping: is this the future of electric guitars?
- “I did a round on the solo, and Ric Ocasek goes, ‘That’s really nice.’ He begins humming, and in my mind, I’m going, ‘But I didn't play that!’ He’d edited what I just played in his head”: Session great Larry Mitchell reflects on his all-star resume
- “My message to young players is: be who you are. People who get it don't care about rulebooks and stupid internet polls”: Joe Bonamassa names 6 up-and-coming blues guitarists you need to hear
November 1
- “The perfect meld of versatility and precision”: Walrus Audio’s ultra-accurate Canvas Tuner lets you upload your own photos for ultimate personalization – and we want one
- Alice in Chains’ Jerry Cantrell does his best Hendrix impression with a grungy, wah-driven Star-Spangled Banner at a Seattle Seahawks game
- Why Jimi Hendrix matters now more than ever – only in the new Guitar World
- Mooer’s pocket-sized Prime P2 unit is an effects pedal, amp modeler and audio interface all in one that has apparently “refined the concept of a digital effects device”
- The electric guitar shredded itself to death in the ‘80s. It had to start over, but the ‘90s grunge revolution didn‘t just change the face of guitar playing – it changed the world
- “The whole track is driven by the bassline!” How “Ready” Freddie Washington conceived the dance-funk classic that later became a massive hit as Will Smith's Men In Black
- “It’s a lower price point, but it’s not cheap and there’s no apologies with this guitar”: Gibson’s Les Paul Modern Lite offers a slimline take on the iconic LP – and the lowest priced all-mahogany, two-pickup build in the USA line
- Buddy Guy is one of the most influential guitar players of all time, inspiring everyone from Jimi Hendrix to John Mayer – learn the soloing style of a living guitar legend
- “I listened to a lot of T-Bone Walker when I was a kid, and to suddenly have one of those guitars in your arms was really special”: In his final interview, Bernie Marsden opens up on selling his guitar collection – with one notable exception
- Electro-Harmonix Nano Metal Muff review – a surprisingly versatile distortion pedal that does more than just metal
- Ernie Ball Music Man just dropped the Retro ‘70s StingRay bass range – and Brazilian thump master Fernando Rosa has demoed them in impeccable style
- Last year, this Ukrainian guitarist’s apartment was hit by a Russian airstrike. Now he’s launched his own guitar company to prove that “even in the most hopeless situations, one can fulfill one’s dream”
- “Unlike anything before it”: Ibanez debuts the Twin Peaks – a two-mode wah pedal styled after John Frusciante’s favorite WH-10 unit
- “Harness the power of vintage rock tones”: Harley Benton’s new range of tube heads carries all the class of golden era guitar amps – but prices start from just $138
- “An excellent gift for anyone with more pedals than necklaces. Because spoiler: they're ALL necklaces now”: This patch cable chain turns any pedal into neckwear