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March 2024
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259 articles
- March 31
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- “More of an instrument than an effects processor, it creates strange and beautiful sonic textures”: SOMA Cosmos Drifting Memory Station review
- “John Lydon once made a stab at poaching Flea for Public Image. At which point Flea keeled over and passed out”: Anthony Kiedis takes a nostalgic look back at Flea’s finest hour from Blood Sugar Sex Magik
- “Bono always wanted me to play that part with a pick, but I get a different reaction from playing bass with my fingers. There’s nothing quite like that contact of pulling the wires”: Adam Clayton on the U2 sound
- March 30
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- “People think ’70s Fenders are bad, but that’s not correct”: Guitarists often knock CBS-era Strats – but Yngwie Malmsteen knows how to find a good one
- “I’d never buy one from the ’70s because I’ve always felt that there’s no such thing as a good guitar from that decade”: Robby Krieger on what makes his 1968 Gibson Barney Kessel special
- The smallest, the simplest, the best? Why the MXR Phase 90 remains a pedalboard classic, beloved by EVH and Gilmour enthusiasts the world over
- March 29
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- “Connecting with Joe on this track is perhaps the most rewarding musical collaboration I’ve ever engaged in”: Joe Satriani and Steve Vai reveal their first ever collaborative song – a track 50 years in the making
- “Sir Paul has expressed his gratitude to Cathy and the family”: Paul McCartney hands six-figure reward to the family that found his iconic Höfner bass in their attic
- “When we parted ways back in 1984, they told me to stick around because they might need me in 40 years”: After four decades, Dan Lilker is set to return to Anthrax for the band’s upcoming US and South American tour dates
- The blues scale isn’t just for blues – it’s been used in some of rock and metal’s biggest riffs and solos, too. Here’s how to make it work for you, no matter what style you play
- The Gibson ES-335 has been played by greats including Eric Clapton, B.B. King and Larry Carlton – here’s why guitarists can’t get enough of the iconic semi-hollow
- “An American Strat can be great, but there’s something about the tone versatility with my Japanese Strat that can’t be matched”: Meet Alena Ciera, guitarist for David Byrne and CeeLo Green
- “I totally respected Jaco's bass playing, but that 16th-note triplet funk thing – it just wasn't in his repertoire”: Weather Report drummer Chester Thompson on why Jaco Pastorius struggled to swing
- “It’s nothing crazy, but I have some weird, oddball sounds if needed”: Alex Skolnick reveals what’s on his pedalboard
- “People tell me I’m one of the godfathers of shredding… I don’t know. I play loud, aggressively, and with some flair. I’m just out there doing me”: Did Michael Hampton really land his P-Funk gig by playing Eddie Hazel’s Maggot Brain solo note for note?
- March 28
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- “If it’s too good to be true, it’s fake”: Rob Chapman says scam competitions featuring his image have reached a new level with AI deep fakes – and explains how to spot them
- “Is it just me, or is that Stone Gossard and/or Mike McCready doing The Gojira Pick Scrape™?” March 2024 Guitar World editors’ picks
- Fender Play vs Yousician: Which online lessons are right for you?
- “A series that is worthy of being called a ‘hybrid’”: Fender Japan’s latest Hybrid II models bring modernistic quilted tops and never-before-seen finishes to the Strat, Tele, Jazzmaster and Jazz Bass
- Lonnie Mack is an unsung hero in the development of the modern guitar solo – learn the blues guitar pyrotechnics that lit a fire under Stevie Ray Vaughan
- ‘Frankenstrat’ or ‘Frankenstein’? Wolfgang Van Halen sets the record straight on the ‘official’ title of Eddie Van Halen’s iconic electric guitar
- “I saw this video of somebody breaking down Heart of Glass. The guy said, ‘Here’s Chris Stein’s guitar part.’ I was like, ‘No, that’s my guitar part’”: Frank Infante sets the record straight on his iconic Blondie riffs and solos
- “That was my favorite Eddie guitar. It was always the most magical one”: Nuno Bettencourt has had a custom ‘Bumblebee’ Washburn N4 made as a tribute to Eddie Van Halen
- “One of the most expressive pickups I’ve ever played... notes gloriously blossom into sustained feedback that reaches those magical upper overtones”: Shed Pickups HA-59 PAF Set review
- “I have these big meat hooks, so I can pick up a lot of wonderful guitars, but if I played them for two hours, I’d be cramping. I only have one guitar that I didn’t build”: Meet bluegrass-shredding luthier Dan Wetzel
- From King Crimson to A-list hired gun with Talking Heads, Frank Zappa and David Bowie, Adrian Belew created his own language on the guitar – here are his 10 greatest guitar moments
- “The perfect partner for your musical journey”: Onboard effects, a 10W built-in speaker and app connectivity – is Enya’s carbon fiber Nova Go Sonic the all-in-one electric guitar of the future?
- Download and stream the audio from Total Guitar's Guitar Heroes
- Download and stream the audio from Total Guitar 383
- March 27
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- Download and stream the audio from Guitar Techniques 360
- “Pretty much everybody in the genre was a Fender guy… I said, ‘I’ve gotta pivot and do something different’”: Joe Bonamassa reveals what prompted him to switch from Strats to Les Pauls – and the one technique he cannot nail
- “I remember my first lesson with Joe. I had a guitar and a set of strings. I’d never really played. I didn’t know how to tune or string it”: Steve Vai and Joe Satriani discuss the evolution of guitar playing, and what they taught each other
- Progressive jazz and fusion players swear by the Lydian Dominant and Superlocrian modes – and they'll take your soloing in whole new directions
- “An all-in-one pedalboard for guitar effects and tones”: Mooer just dropped one of the smallest – and cheapest – intelligent multi-FX pedals on the market, the Prime S1
- Gibson Les Paul vs Fender Stratocaster: Which is right for you?
- “A robust meat-and-potatoes amp that can survive daily gigs, performs well in the studio and doesn’t cost an arm and a leg”: Peavey Classic 20 Combo review
- Best budget delay pedals 2024: Get echo and slapback for not much greenback
- “Whether it be Saturday Night Live or the Grammys – this bass has held its own on every stage”: MD to the stars, Adam Blackstone, debuts a signature bass named after his grandmother – the Jackson Gladys Pro Series Concert
- “If you are searching for a guitar that pushes the envelope in every capacity, look no further”: Vola Guitars has unveiled Michael Keene’s first ever Japanese-made signature guitar – and it’s received a significant tonal update
- “I was sitting around my house, drinking too many margaritas because I thought the world was ending. I got a call asking if I’d be interested in playing with St. Vincent”: Jason Falkner’s “oddball” guitars took him from Jellyfish to Beck and St. Vincent
- “A trademark blend of sound and playability”: Mithans unveils its latest works of art – two S-style Bristol Series builds
- March 26
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- “I gave my vintage Jazzmaster to a girl after a show in Liverpool. 30 years later she sent me back the guitar. It’s like it died and went to heaven and came back to me”: The miraculous return of US shoegaze pioneers Drop Nineteens
- "When I was 14 I saw George Thorogood and thought, ‘That’s cool – I’m going to do that’”: Ruzz 'Guitar' Evans on the two pedals and amazing pickups behind his rock 'n' roll tone
- “These guitars influenced generations of musicians and world-renowned artists”: Gibson has revived the Everly Brothers’ J-180 – an iconic acoustic used to inspire The Beach Boys, Beatles and beyond
- “I think there were actually two paths. One was the wild pointy-shape things. The other was what I believe led to the 335”: The 1955 ‘missing link’ guitar designs that offer intriguing clues to Gibson’s Golden Era developments
- “I’m constantly thinking about my pick angle, how that translates the way I feel in that moment: how can I add more emotion to this part than I did last night?” Tyler Tomlinson on bringing Satch and Vai to Morgan Wallen’s country vibe
- “So much fun and so inspiring, it’s a steal at the asking price”: Boss Katana:Go review
- “Richard Fortus messaged me and said, ‘I’ve shown Slash your guitar and he likes it, too…’ After that, the phones didn’t stop”: How a small UK boutique builder became a Guns N’ Roses favorite and the next big name in retro-inspired electric guitars
- “I’m at a loss for words”: It’s one of the defining cartoon theme tunes of the ’90s – now Nili Brosh has reimagined the classic X-Men lick fest for X-Men ’97
- Used Gibsons hold their value better than Fenders on the second-hand market – but there’s good news for Player Tele and Strat owners
- Jazz and blues are closer than you might think – with just a few tweaks, you can turn simple blues licks into sophisticated jazz phrases
- March 25
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- “A powerhouse dreadnought made for genre-defying artists”: Orangewood branches out with the Pomona Live – its first signature acoustic, built for boundary-pushing fingerstyle artist Alejandro Aranda
- “Museum-grade works of art”: Gibson has unveiled its most ambitious set of Master Artisan instruments yet – trust us, you’ve never seen Custom Shop guitars quite like this before
- “People should really do their homework and learn about the history of music and what came before whatever style you wanna do”: Logan Ledger on paying his dues – and what he learned from Clarence White and Waylon Jennings
- Janis Joplin covered his songs and he was in a supergroup with Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings – Kris Kristofferson is a movie star and outlaw country icon with a classic acoustic style
- “Just as I was setting up the mic, Jimi started playing, and man, my brain froze. In that second, my life changed”: Eddie Kramer on working with Hendrix, Kiss, Jimmy Page and why guitar players should think more analog
- “Reliably power your effects and floorboards”: Meet the mega-powerful NUX ZEUS – an isolated power supply that will solve all your pedal powering problems
- “The Beatles connection aside, this is an excellent fuzz pedal in its own right”: Aclam The Mocker review
- “A true masterpiece crafted for the hard rocking guitarist”: Wylde Audio lives up to its name once again with the Goregehn – an all-new angry, angular and offset creation
- “My face has melted”: Steve Vai and Joe Satriani cover Metallica’s Enter Sandman during opening Satch/Vai Tour show – and give their first-ever collaborative single its live debut
- “I love a lot of those classic players. I just didn’t want to play like them. Like Captain Kirk, I wanted to go where no-one’s gone before!” Yngwie Malmsteen names 11 guitarists who didn’t shape his sound – but he still thinks are great
- “I gravitate more towards Victor Wooten than the straight-up shredding of Billy Sheehan, but I’ve ripped pages from both books”: Jacob Umansky unpacks the origins of his cutting-edge slap technique
- March 24
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- “A great talent with a fine sense of humor”: Denny Laine was an underrated guitarist who helped launch Paul McCartney's post-Beatles career – here are 10 essential cuts from his discography
- “It can sound funky, but, as a full-on rock bass – whacked with the heaviest pick you can find – is when it’s in its element”: Epiphone Thunderbird ’64 review
- March 23
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- “Both Joe and Guthrie play a mean, funky rhythm guitar on a song like Stevie Wonder’s Superstition. That counts for more than you think”: Bass supremo Bryan Beller reveals what it’s like to play with Joe Satriani and Guthrie Govan
- “I loved rock, but I always listened to hip-hop, too. After a session with Ice Cube, the whole hip-hop guitar thing on the West Coast kicked off for me”: Session ace and Wu-Tang Clan MD Stone Mecca talks gear, Snoop Dogg and his self-taught style
- “Playing with a pick is not something you learn over the weekend. It requires the same commitment as learning to play upright bass with a bow”: Listen to Anthony Jackson’s landmark bassline on the O’Jays’ For the Love of Money
- March 22
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- “An absolutely genius video presentation”: New video for Mark Knopfler’s all-star Guitar Heroes charity single reveals who played what on the 50-guitarist-strong instrumental epic
- “He was literally running out the door. It feels like a punch in the stomach”: Brazen thief caught on camera stealing $2,200 Gibson Les Paul from Baltimore music store
- The Fender x Loog Strat and Tele models are perfect for getting kids playing – and right now you can save 15%
- “Steve Vai is the only guitarist who could play my parts. I’m totally psyched for this”: Robert Fripp gives his blessing for a new King Crimson supergroup, featuring Steve Vai, Adrian Belew, Tony Levin and Danny Carey
- “We’ve always played fast, and that hasn’t changed. But the big thing is finding new notes that instantly fit within that zone”: Herman Li on DragonForce’s new era of maximalist shred, AI in music and the fine art of string bending
- “A work of art”: Schecter and Synyster Gates have released a gnarly new-look signature guitar – but it’s not the headless model we were expecting
- “Redefines what it means to take music on the road”: With app integration and a space age carbon fiber build, is the $270 TravelMate-E smart guitar Harley Benton’s boldest release yet?
- I’ve tried every home practice solution under the sun, but nothing stuck. Then I plugged in a headphone amp – and now I’m playing for hours
- Everything you need to know about acoustic guitar neck joints – how they work, and why they matter for your tone
- A master of pickslanting, economy picking and pentatonic flurries, Eric Johnson is one of the smoothest soloists on the planet – and his techniques will really make your solos pop
- “I don’t care how special or what year something is – if it’s not going to stay in tune, it’s useless… I need things dialed in”: Danny Rader on navigating Kenny Chesney’s triple-guitar lineup and why the Fractal Axe-Fx is his go-to for huge country shows
- “The Inception is an acoustic to be experienced – its finely-tuned voice will resonate among many players”: Martin GPCE Inception Maple review
- March 21
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- “If only he knew who was playing guitar behind him!”: Paul Gilbert heard someone playing Little Wing at a music store, so he spontaneously joined in the jam – and the player’s reaction is priceless
- “Its ability to suit everything from gentle fingerstyle to vigorous strumming would make it a welcome addition to any collection”: Taylor 50th Anniversary 814ce Builder’s Edition review
- “Adam wanted to completely change everything. His band had hit a brick wall”: How Marco Pirroni teamed Link Wray with Les Paul Juniors to make Adam and the Ants’ ’80s-defining Kings of the Wild Frontier
- “That take was live from beginning to end, 7 minutes of pure guitar energy without a single miscue”: Stevie Ray Vaughan’s producer and bassist recall being in the room when SRV tackled his game-changing cover of Voodoo Child
- “I’m happily surprised when I hear solos on the radio. I wish they were more present. To hear a solo longer than 20 seconds in modern music is a rarity”: Meet Kelly Green, the Instagram ‘guitar queen’ who never plays the same solo twice
- A beginner’s guide to the Gibson Byrdland – the cult classic archtop that took flight after a request from two Nashville guitar aces
- “One of the greatest Strats I’ve ever played”: Marcus King takes the viral cardboard Fender Stratocaster for a spin – and gives it the highest praise possible
- “Unparalleled quality and innovation”: Jackson takes its flagship American Series back to its metal roots with new EMG-loaded Soloist models
- March 20
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- I use Helix Native every day for practice and recording and Line 6 just slashed $160 off the price
- “A high-octane instrument for guitarists who demand the best”: Dean reimagines the Zero with a top-of-the-line rebrand – adding new depth to the firm's range of metal guitars
- “I thought, ‘Oh, God, this could go really bad…’ I’m telling him that I can’t remember playing with him on a No. 1 record”: Earl Slick says he was too high to remember meeting John Lennon during David Bowie’s Fame recording session
- “It doesn’t take a million dollars. You take this to any studio or venue, and you’re Band of Gypsys”: Joe Bonamassa attempts to recreate Jimi Hendrix’s iconic live rig on a budget – with a $319 Squier Strat and Peavey Classic
- “It’s like Brian May walked over to his tone booth and just turned it up to 11!” Kirk Hammett names his favorite Queen song – and it’s a seriously deep cut
- “We did a Pepsi Challenge on the Klon!” Henry James of Robert Jon & The Wreck names his favorite pedals – and his no. 1 Klon clone
- “When I first went to England, there was Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, and Eric Clapton sleeping in a van. They all bought Strats after they saw me play”: Buddy Guy reflects on his relationship with the Strat during a jam with Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram
- “Absolutely mind-blowing”: Iron Maiden’s Adrian Smith rips through the blues on a ‘55 Gibson Les Paul Custom previously owned by Paul Kossoff and Eric Clapton
- “I met Ritchie Blackmore during the Sepultura days. At first, he wasn’t interested in talking to anybody. But the minute I asked, ‘Do you like football?’ he said, ‘Yes – come with me!’” Max Cavalera names 10 guitarists who shaped his sound
- “George Martin wasn’t going to leave his own studio, and Jeff never gave directions or said much, so there was nobody telling us what to do”: Listen to Wilbur Bascomb’s bassline on Jeff Beck’s Goodbye Pork Pie Hat
- “The figured tops of the future”: Epiphone has expanded its Modern Figured range with two brilliant burst finishes – giving the futuristic family perhaps its best makeover yet
- “Mötley Crüe was a whole different animal from what I’m doing. Writing the anthems was what the band was all about. Then it got a little sideways…” Mick Mars opens up on the highs and lows of life in Mötley Crüe – and his solo rebirth
- “My being fired was premature… We’d wrapped pre-production on Killers but I never got the chance to record”: Meet Dennis Stratton, the man who brought harmony guitars to Iron Maiden
- Al Di Meola, Steve Vai and Tosin Abasi are in awe of his technique – learn the signature style of Matteo Mancuso, the maestro of fingerstyle fusion shred
- “Who better to mod the mod than the engineer who designed the circuit in the first place”: Original Tube Screamer designer Susumu Tamura just overhauled one of the most popular Ibanez TS9 mods
- March 19
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- “We decided to try and make that sonic signature available to the guitar community without the $100k price tag”: J. Rockett launches the Airchild Six Sixty – a new pedal inspired by “the best compressor ever made”
- “Perform like traditional guitar amps, while providing the increased versatility of modern amplifiers”: Line 6 takes the fight to the Boss Katana once again with the upgraded Helix-powered Catalyst CX range
- “Every band wants to have a Sgt. Pepper’s type of moment. And American Idiot was that moment for us”: Billie Joe Armstrong on the making of the magnum opus that saved Green Day
- “I was playing a gig with Jack Bruce and one of my amps suddenly burst into flames!” Robin Trower's onstage disasters and famous firsts
- “A just-right balance between pure, unadulterated vintage tube tone and modern conveniences”: Gibson Falcon 20 review
- “Jack loved that a kid like me, with a blue mohawk and plaid guitar, was making the songs my own – playing Cream and doing divebombs in the corner”: Blues Saraceno toured with Clapton’s Cream bandmates, recorded for Cher and had a bumpy ride with Poison
- “Because vast ambient sounds shouldn’t just be for larger pedals with vast price points”: Walrus Audio democratizes atmospheric reverb tones with the affordable Fundamental Ambient
- “A set of humbuckers from one of his favorite ES-335s”: Seymour Duncan and Joe Bonamassa have produced another set of signature pickups – a pair of PAFs that replicate the tones of “one of the finest instruments in his collection”
- Waves just dropped loads of its plugins back to Black Friday prices – record better guitar tones from just $9.99
- “Inspired by original drawings from 1957”: Gibson announces the Theodore Standard – bringing the unearthed archive design to the firm’s core USA line for the first time ever
- Van Halen, Metallica, SRV, Iron Maiden, Rush, Dio, Yngwie, Vai and the greatest guitar albums of 1984 – only in the new Guitar World
- “Jaco’s groove is like a fingerprint – nobody can duplicate it”: Listen to Jaco Pastorius’ isolated bassline on Weather Report’s Barbary Coast
- Classic Jazz Bass tones minus the buzz? Lollar’s new hum-cancelling pickup offers a “fuller bass sound that’s still vintage-faithful”
- March 18
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- “At some point I might come up with a new single-cut unique enough not to upset anybody”: Nik Huber on the perils of riffing on the classics and the evolution of his powerhouse boutique brand
- K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton brought British steel to the world with Judas Priest – learn the secrets behind the metal gods’ seminal rhythm style
- “If detuned modern rock and metal is your thing, it’s definitely one to check out”: Victory VX The Kraken MKII Lunch Box Head review
- “I thought, ‘He’s got to be joking,’ because John Paul Jones is God on bass, as far as I’m concerned”: How Lita Ford almost ended up joining Led Zeppelin – on bass
- “If you’ve ever seen Slash give that look to whoever when they hit a bad note… You get that look once, man. You don’t want it twice”: Gilby Clarke survived a baptism by fire in Guns N’ Roses – but one day the pay checks stopped coming
- “Stands at the crossroads of utility and elegance”: Bourgeois Guitars collabs with Eastman for the Touchstone Signature – a historically-styled model that pays homage to prewar acoustics
- “Bruce Springsteen was in the next studio… He had a Gretsch Country Gentleman, and I asked him if I could borrow it”: How a loaner from The Boss powered the iconic spaghetti western line in Blondie’s Atomic
- “Gibson Supremes with Floyds!”: Neal Schon has rekindled his relationship with Gibson, bringing the Floyd Rose to the luxed-out Les Paul Supreme for a trio of potential signature models
- March 17
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- “His music was determinedly and insistently unconventional”: Steve Harley, Cockney Rebel singer and guitarist, dies at 73
- “I’m now running a dual rig – it’s like hearing Queens of the Stone Age and Guy Ritchie movies mixed together!” Meet Kid Kapichi – the UK beat-punks busting out Chuck Berry moves and opening for Liam Gallagher
- March 16
- March 15
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- “You can’t help applauding Godin for trying something a little different”: Godin G-Tour review
- “Furthering Fortnite’s commitment to working with forward-thinking music brands”: Fender teams up with Fornite to bring its Stratocaster and Precision Bass to the digital realm
- Best free online guitar lessons 2024: Where learning guitar costs nothing
- “Advanced playability for the seasoned professional and the aspiring performer”: Charvel launches its latest Pro-Mod model – rolling out relic’d finishes to its standard range for the first time
- Kings of Leon are one of the biggest rock bands on the planet – learn the twin-guitar style that took them from club stalwarts to stadium royalty
- “If the mini-humbucker had remained exclusive to Epiphone, it may have been a mere footnote. It developed a following because they ended up in Gibson guitars”: The mini-humbucker’s surprising history – and why it deserves more love
- “What he did with it, it just brings you to tears”: Jeff Beck’s last-ever recording has been released – as Mark Knopfler’s sensational star-studded charity single finally arrives
- “Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, Ry Cooder, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jeff Healey and Buddy Guy... I naturally gravitated towards a Strat because my main influences were all playing them”: Philip Sayce on why the best studio magic is live
- “I was young, I had never been in the studio, and I had no idea what to expect… I took a lot of inspiration from Tom Scholz’s ’board”: Grand Funk Railroad’s new guitarist Mark Chatfield goes way back with the band
- March 14
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- “We’ve arrived at something that’s really special”: Gibson launches Jimmy Page’s ultra-exclusive Collector’s Edition 1969 EDS-1275 double-neck signature guitar – a meticulous, $50,000 recreation of an enduring rock ’n’ roll symbol
- “I was scared to death. Miles didn’t say a word to me. Afterwards, I asked what he thought of my playing. He said, simply, ‘It was cool’”: T.M. Stevens on playing with Miles Davis and James Brown – and what went wrong on Vai’s Sex & Religion project
- “The sound of other guitars is leading the player. With the Stratocaster, the player leads the sound”: Tom Morello explains why the Fender Strat is unlike any other electric guitar
- “This slant on the Bluesbreaker offers real flexibility at a manageable price point”: Electro-Harmonix Spruce Goose review
- “We lived on a train for 15 days and played 65 shows. The boxcar was a stage, and we would pull into towns that don’t get live music very often”: How Tenille Townes is taking her country sound to the people
- “I aim to paint myself into a musical corner and then try to find an interesting way out”: Introducing the ‘handcuffs’ approach to soloing – a simple way to improve your lead guitar playing
- “Django stretched the guitar imagination to its limit. He was the fastest, the most creative”: What Django Reinhardt can teach today’s blues players
- “Fretless guitars are freeing. I’m trying to convince more bands to experiment with them. You can escape from whatever box you’re in”: Fretless guitars can change your perspective on the instrument – just ask Dead Poet Society’s Jack Collins
- “Slash says, ‘You got the gig. Learn the whole catalog.’ I was like, ‘Don’t you have a set of songs?’ Slash goes, ‘There’s no setlist. Axl just calls ’em out’”: How Gilby Clarke got the Guns N’ Roses gig – and learned the band’s back catalog in a week
- “One small stomp for man… one giant leap for chorus, delays and reverbs”: Zoom updates one of the best-value multi-FX on the market with the MS-70CDR+ MultiStomp
- Albert Collins wasn’t just the ‘Master of the Telecaster’. His ferocious attack and tone also earned him the nickname ‘The Iceman’ – and with licks like this, it’s not hard to see why
- May 2024 Guitar World lesson videos
- “Puts authentic sounds from the stage class Boss Katana amp series at the instrument’s output jack”: Has the Katana:GO just changed the headphone amp game forever?
- March 13
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- “That wasn’t in the job description”: This metal guitarist mistook a photographer for his guitar tech – and accidentally launched his guitar at him
- “While many contemporary offsets simply borrow the outline, there’s a lot more to these original recipes”: Fender Vintera II ’50s Jazzmaster, ’70s Jaguar and ’70s Competition Mustang review
- “The best Tele tones I've ever had”: Rabea Massaad seeks to make the Telecaster more versatile than ever with new Bare Knuckle Nomad pickups
- “Overdrive, distortion and dirt that you have never heard before”: Keeley’s new 4-in-1 Series elevates the firm’s hybrid gain experiments – matching Rat, DS-1 BluesBreaker and Big Muff circuits to “Frankenstein new monster tones”
- “I was gonna have a year off after Knebworth, but when John rang up saying, ‘Look, I’ve got these tunes,’ I thought, ‘I’m in, mate’”: Liam Gallagher on why John Squire is like Hendrix and the best guitarist of his generation
- “Is there an expanded one? Is there a smaller footprint version? Is there a native version?” Fender’s Justin Norvell teases next steps for the Tone Master Pro range – and confirms tweed FRFR speakers are “definitely on the list”
- “There’s a different dynamic to distorted slide playing – a fully distorted slide guitar is an incredibly noisy beast”: Meet the guitarist fusing Western slide and black metal – with devastating results
- “Steals the spotlight”: Schecter bestows Avenged Sevenfold’s Zacky Vengeance with a new familiarly styled signature guitar – could a headless model for Synyster Gates follow in its wake?
- “I couldn't imagine they would even be using the guitar”: Kurt Russell says he couldn’t care less about that 145-year-old Martin he smashed on The Hateful Eight – and the tale of the “priceless” guitar has been blown out of proportion
- “I had no idea what the hell I was doing! I couldn’t speak English. But Paul was so kind. Through a translator, he said, ‘Just relax. I love the way you play’”: How Bakithi Kumalo became go-to bassist for Paul Simon, Cyndi Lauper and Tedeschi Trucks Band
- “I must admit, it looked and sounded phenomenal, but the poor girl was crushed to smithereens… I was totally heartbroken”: How Ted Nugent accidentally destroyed his first Gibson Byrdland
- March 12
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- “Ignore the Pacifica Pro at your peril: this is a world-class instrument”: the Yamaha Pacifica Professional returns to the model’s roots as the ultimate pro player toolkit
- “A celebration of unity and togetherness in these uncertain and divisive times”: Slash announces the S.E.R.P.E.N.T. traveling blues festival – set to feature Warren Haynes, Keb’ Mo’, Larkin Poe, Eric Gales and Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram
- “I don't believe that I have a signature guitar. I feel like I’m dreaming”: Fender taps influential producer and R&B guitarist Raphael Saadiq for a bold new signature Telecaster – and it’s received Eric Gales’ seal of approval
- “I have the heaviest boost pedal in existence – it’s a Marshall half-stack that I switch on when the sound needs to be bigger”: DeWolff’s Pablo Van De Poel on his life in gear – and a rig that is not to be trifled with
- “My tone is already destroyed by the time it gets to the amp”: Yard Act are redefining post-punk guitar with plugins and ‘cheapo’ gear – and they reckon a Squier Bullet Tele sounds great DI’d
- “A groundbreaking innovation in the realm of bass amplifiers”: Is Ashdown's latest combo its best lightweight bass amp yet?
- “This is the earliest known black Strat in existence. I first saw it when I was 11 years old – Guitar World featured it as the centerfold poster. I fell completely in love”: Joe Bonamassa on the guitar that represents his journey above all others
- “Striking limited-edition reissues of the very first ES-335”: Gibson revives the flagship ES-335 design for a line of ‘58 Murphy Lab models – complete with a rare spec you won't find on any other 335
- “There were times, I admit, when I had to pinch myself”: Eric Carmen – the All By Myself and Hungry Eyes hitmaker, and the man who sold Joan Jett her Melody Maker – dies aged 74
- “Chord voicings, amps and dynamics are all elements of how I solo. I’m not a guy who improvises… I use well-thought-out lines that are outside the box”: Yiannis Papadopoulos on taking Scott Stapp to a higher power
- “He didn’t just work here – he lived and embodied the spirit of the brand”: Mike Lewis, the head of Fender’s Custom Shop – an industry legend who played with Chuck Berry and toured with the Rolling Stones – has passed away
- “I turned everything on the amp to 10 and smoked the guitar so hard that it would rattle someone’s teeth… They said nothing, then Jack Bruce signaled me out”: How Blues Saraceno became ‘the kid that replaced Clapton’ – despite almost blowing the audition
- “It’s one of Boss’ most eagerly anticipated pedals ever – but is this featured-packed reverb worth the wait?” Boss RV-200 Reverb review
- “Freddie was a good riffmeister! He was a devotee of Jimi Hendrix. People think he was just concerned with the lighter stuff but it’s not true. He did enjoy the heavy stuff”: Brian May reveals the inside stories behind 13 classic Queen tracks
- March 11
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- “One of the finest musicians I've ever known”: Karl Wallinger, guitarist and singer of World Party, dies at 66
- “An important piece of the low end theory”: T.M. Stevens, bass legend and session pro who performed and recorded with the likes of Steve Vai, James Brown, Bootsy Collins, and the Pretenders, dies at 72
- The Eagles are the undisputed masters of harmony lines blending country and rock – this video masterclass unpacks their signature guitar style
- “I got to play one of the prototypes through my actual touring rig. It sounds really good”: Foo Fighters’ Chris Shiflett is working with Fender on an affordable signature version of his Masterbuilt Telecaster – and it’s already been road-tested
- “What an honor!” Slash and Wolfgang Van Halen joined Ryan Gosling at the Oscars to rip through their Barbie mega-ballad, I’m Just Ken – and the internet can’t get enough of it
- “Poverty accounted for many of my choices – I had this knockoff, fake Tele I used on Rain Dogs… It was awful but also beautiful”: Marc Ribot on recording Tom Waits classics with cheap gear, and why ‘How can I destroy it?’ is one of his session mantras
- “I’ve used Gibsons and Fenders in the past, but, honestly, nothing compares to how good my signatures sound. It’s almost a joke!” How Nick Johnston found tonal nirvana by plugging straight into the amp
- “Jimi Hendrix scared me. Learning about the Hendrix E chord was amazing… I figured out where to put my fingers and kinda eked it out on my own”: Steve Lukather names the 12 guitarists who shaped his sound
- “To me, those are blues machines”: Joe Bonamassa picks his three quintessential guitars for playing the blues – and names his “Les Paul killers”
- “Music education is a huge contributor to a student’s success in school and life”: Wolfgang Van Halen donates $100,000 to schools in need of musical instruments
- “On playability alone it feels like we’re playing a much more expensive guitar”: PJD Guitars St John Standard Plus review
- March 10
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- March 8
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- “A spectrum of overdrive tones inspired by two iconic blues pedals”: Burgeoning British firm Buzzing Bugs swarms the stompbox market with the BB04 Full Range Drive
- You can now get the coveted sound of a Gibson Les Paul for a whole lot less - save a mammoth $600 in the Musician’s Friend Guitar Fest sale
- “A rare opportunity to explore a unique side of his playing”: Slash hangs up his Les Paul for a 335 in the first taste of his solo blues album – a covers record featuring Brian Johnson, Billy Gibbons, Iggy Pop, Gary Clark Jr. and Demi Lovato
- “It was so destroyed you could take the paint off with your hands”: How Rich Robinson brought his ’68 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop back from the brink after Hurricane Sandy
- “Let's do that again!” This compilation of fiery Sister Rosetta Tharpe guitar solos shows how her revolutionary playing inspired blues-rock greats like Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck and the Rolling Stones
- “I'm a completely different bass player now… When I was in Jeff Beck's band, I hadn't even been playing for four years!” Tal Wilkenfeld on her evolution from bass phenomenon to solo artist
- “A collector turned up with a Cherry Red Flying V and I was like, ‘Are you sure you want to customize that?’ It was such a beautiful thing already!” Meet the English entrepreneur who covers guitars with crystals for a living
- “A journey into the soul of timeless studio tones”: Wampler looks to cram the essence of the legendary studio compressor that “shaped the fabric of music” into a pedal with the Ego 76
- “Can never thank Bob enough. Rest in power my friend”: Bob Heil – the Talk Box pioneer who worked with Peter Frampton, Grateful Dead and The Who – dies aged 83
- “More than a music store. It’s an industry icon”: Iconic gear retailer Sam Ash Music reportedly set to close 18 branches nationwide – including its flagship New York store
- “I watched a lot of people chase guitars and amps to try to find themselves, like, ‘No, it’s the next guitar. Maybe that will be the one.’ I didn’t do that”: How Joyann Parker discovered that tone is in the fingers – and music can change minds
- “The first song I learned was The Beatles’ Blackbird. I’m still a pretty good fingerpicker, if nothing else!” Katy Kirby on jumping into guitar at the deep end – and why she made new album Blue Raspberry as uncool as possible
- “So many people lost their guitars. I lost 44”: Peter Frampton recalls how he lost and recovered guitars through floods and plane crashes as he shows off his eye-watering gear collection on Gibson TV
- “Bass is the underdog. You’re not the singer or the guitarist – you’re the glue that holds it all together”: Lisa Dodd on leaving the soloing to Billy Sheehan – and staying in the “money zone”
- Should you replace or upgrade your guitar? Fender just gave you the answer with a whopping 20% off official parts and pickups
- “It delivers a lot of the classic Stingray sound and it plays like a dream”: Sterling By Music Man SUB Series Stingray Ray4 review
- “On four-strings you have to jump to get the second octave, but on the five-string it’s right there”: Mohini Dey reflects on her switch to five-string basses – and the advice her dad gave her about Jaco
- “It didn’t sound right with just one guitar lead, so why not have two?” Mary Timony on her multiversal lead lines and why the Depression-era Gibson acoustic is the ultimate six-string survivor
- March 7
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- “I would prefer no solo in a song to a solo that’s just an obligation”: Marty Friedman sets the record straight on guitar solos
- “Randy Rhoads trusted me. He put his reputation with Sharon and Ozzy on the line to bring me in”: Rudy Sarzo talks Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne and reshaping his bass tone for Whitesnake
- “A versatile, state-of-the-art instrument designed to push your playing to new heights”: Fender’s 70th Anniversary Ultra Strat HSS offers us a glimpse at the future of the world’s most popular electric guitar
- “I built a trailer that was big enough for me and eight guitars. Then I proceeded to travel, seeing everything that was out there”: How Gabe Mangold tracked a death metal record in the desert – and how the Quad Cortex redefined his songwriting
- “My headless six-string is the color of Hannibal Lecter’s couch… and I have an Oxblood Red model inspired by his office!” How Ihsahn combined horror scores, blastbeats and space-age guitars for a black metal album to eclipse ’em all
- ”A jaw-droppingly Shredrageous performance”: Joe Satriani, Richie Kotzen and Nuno Bettencourt showcase their most outrageous licks for a standout rendition of Jeff Beck favorite, Going Down
- “Quite simply one of the best ‘entry level’ acoustic guitars we’ve experienced”: JWJ Guitars “The Hog” review
- Best bass guitars for rock 2024: rock 'n' roll basses from Fender, MusicMan, Sire and more
- “He had an acoustic guitar and he started playing this little melody for the bridge… It felt magical – like classic Smashing Pumpkins”: Code Orange on their spellbinding Billy Corgan collaboration and how simplification brought honesty to their playing
- “You have to take what he says with a grain of salt. He also said he wrote Eruption and came up with the Frankenstein stripes”: Wolfgang Van Halen responds to David Lee Roth jibes – and says a Van Halen tribute tour is “impossible”
- March 6
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- “Uncompromising power and fidelity in stunning style”: Gretsch completes its latest limited-edition lineup with two drop-dead-gorgeous Pristine LTD Electromatic models
- “Rod Stewart wooed me to come out on tour and I agreed – then I decided not to do it. He said, ‘Oh, I bet you’re going out on tour with Robert’”: Eddie Martinez on playing with Blondie, Run-D.M.C. and that solo in Robert Palmer’s Addicted to Love
- “A ferocious, thunderous and now tame-able circuit triumphantly returns”: Death By Audio has rebooted its gnarly Octave Clang – and it’s bigger, bolder and more versatile than ever
- “If you were to listen to anything I do, you can see how big the blues influence is”: Slash is getting ready to unveil his blues solo album – one of the most anticipated guitar records of the year
- “It’s the higher-profile artist associations that tend to attract the big money – things like your Pearly Gates and your Jimmy Pages”: Why Gibson’s replicas of famous Les Pauls are commanding almost as much as vintage guitars
- Technique, theory, taste and feel are the key ingredients in any guitar solo – work on these elements and you will play better, more expressive leads
- “It isn’t just a modern headless instrument; it’s a resurrection of a pioneering legacy”: Cort reinvents its “revolutionary” headless Artisan bass design with the upgraded Space 5 model
- “I don’t know what it is about my Tele, but it’s special. Roy Buchanan tried it and wanted to buy it! I said, ‘No way in hell I’m giving that up’”: Russell Javors on his wild ride with Billy Joel – and his friendship with Les Paul after he was let go
- “A simple modeling device at a competitive price”: Line 6 makes a play for the most compact, easy-to-use multi-FX/amp modeler on the market with the HX-powered POD Express
- “Don’t sell your first bass. Even if you never play it again, in later life you’ll wish you still had it”: With a stage name coined by Bootsy Collins, Freekbass names the one bass that “like an idiot” he ended up selling
- “It’s not just immaculate craft on show – it’s a real-world player’s guitar and would be a crime to keep cosseted in a case”: Nik Huber Krautster III review
- March 5
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- “Forever ahead of its time”: Fender kicks off the Strat’s 70th anniversary party with star-studded Voodoo Child (Slight Return) mega-jam – featuring Tom Morello, Nile Rodgers, Mateus Asato, Ari O'Neal and Rei
- “Jimmy Page once said to me, ‘Have Gibson not been onto you?’ And I said, ‘No, maybe I play too many Strats.’ I think it’s more likely they don’t know who I am”: John Squire opens up on his return to music with Liam Gallagher – and why he’s no guitar hero
- “Denny was an outstanding vocalist and guitar player with a fine sense of humor”: Remembering Denny Laine – the guitarist who co-wrote Paul McCartney’s biggest ’70s hit
- “The bridge between at least three generations. He was genuinely happy to share the joy with those around him”: W. C. Clark – the ‘Godfather of Austin Blues’ who mentored Stevie Ray Vaughan and many others – has died aged 84
- “A journey through Al's musical evolution, showcasing his virtuosity and vision”: Al Di Meola spent four years crafting his latest album – and its first single is a fusion-meets-flamenco masterclass
- “No-one was looking at the Strat when Yngwie picked one up in ’86 – everybody had left it behind after Hendrix. It just continues to reinvent itself and get rediscovered”: Justin Norvell has to guard Fender’s glittering past, while securing its future
- “Robin Trower’s guitar sound was the loudest I’ve ever heard. He had two Fender Twins, and he smoked both by the end of the night”: Buzz Osborne names the 11 guitarists who shaped his sound
- “The wait is over – now you can have it all”: Dave Grohl’s Epiphone DG-335, the most demanded signature model in its 151-year history, is finally here – and it costs less than you might expect
- March 4
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- “We think Marshall represents the rock and roll attitude”: Amp sales accounted for just 5% of the Marshall Group’s revenues in 2023 – but it looks like new digital amps could be on the way
- “I think what we’ve had is an embarrassment of riches”: The first minute of Mark Knopfler’s star-studded charity single has been released – can you guess the guitar heroes from their chops?
- “In 2005 I loaned my SG to a friend… It remained lost. In 2019, I walked into a thrift store – and behind the counter was my guitar”: Phantom Planet’s Alex Greenwald on finally tracking down the missing Epiphone that soundtracked The O.C.
- “I became this musician because of jazz. I mean, I still wake up every day and work on Charlie Parker’s Hot House!” Even with a broken finger, Helmet’s Page Hamilton is one of the all-time great heavy riffsmiths – but he owes it all to jazz
- “The sleeker design and stellar tones still make this one of the greatest headphone amps on the market”: Vox amPlug 3 AC30 review
- “The approach and innovation had me locked”: Steve Vai names his favorite Joe Satriani song – an underrated deep cut that features radical Auto-Tuned solos
- “I was seriously excited to take this one over the finish line”: Feast your eyes on this acrylic Mustang-style build – Soccer Mommy’s out-of-this-world custom offset
- “We’re grateful for Paz’s many contributions, and wish her all the very best going forward”: Paz Lenchantin leaves the Pixies after 10 years – and her replacement has been announced
- “Strat connoisseurs should find that the pickups deliver the tonal qualities of their dreams”: Ernie Ball Music Man Luke 4 SSS review
- “You don’t have to shred, play fusion or reinvent guitar technique”: Steve Vai’s co-guitarist watched every night of the G3 reunion tour – this is what he thinks makes a virtuoso
- “I’m excited to bring my spice to the Megadeth soup. We’ll maybe look to get back to the roots. Maybe you’ll hear some Rust in Peace vibes”: Teemu Mäntysaari reveals how he landed (and nailed) the Megadeth gig – and the band’s new album plans
- “We are guided by the saying, ‘Sustainability is a journey, not a destination.’ There is always more to do”: Guitar brands are working towards sustainable tone – but there’s more to it than just changing tonewoods
- March 3
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- March 1
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- “Alex wants to set the record straight on Edward’s life and death”: Alex Van Halen set to chronicle his relationship with Eddie in new memoir, Brothers
- “I just wanted to make some money so I could buy a Fender amp. I think I did OK”: Joe Bonamassa’s Guitar Man documentary charts the guitar hero’s epic career – and it’s currently available to stream for free
- “Don’t let its modest price tag fool you – this charming guitar offers a smorgasbord of contemporary features and tones”: Shergold Provocateur Standard SP12 review
- “At home for blues solos as it is for metal riffs”: Lamb of God's Mark Morton teams up with Stringjoy for the firm’s first-ever Artist Series signature string set
- “It sounds like a bunch of 18-year-old kids having fun. There’s something to be said about that energy”: Eric Johnson reveals a G3 live album from the 2024 reunion tour with Steve Vai and Joe Satriani is in the works
- “A nod to Harmony’s rich design history and a step toward building the brand further”: Harmony adds the H62 to its growing Reissue Series – and it's built better than ever
- “George owned many, many instruments, and all of them were in storage – with the exception of the ones I made for him”: How Bernie Hamburger’s Hamburguitar became a favorite of George Harrison
- How to master CAGED guitar chords and unlock the fretboard
- “I did everything by working my ass off. I played in bars six nights a week, 300 shows a year, three one-hour sets every night for eight years with no record deal”: Evanescence’s Troy McLawhorn on his guitar firsts, favorites and embarrassing moments
- “Much more versatility than you’d expect in a fuzz pedal of this lineage”: Flattley DG Fuzz review
- “I hate modeling, I think it’s wack. You can hear it right away”: IDLES explain why recording with an amp modeler risks messing with your tone, your head – and probably your dog
