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October 2024
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342 articles
- October 31
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- “The deal was if I wanted it back, I could let him know and buy it back. He passed away and Hard Rock Cafe knew nothing about the deal”: Tony Iommi tried to reclaim his iconic Gibson ‘Monkey’ SG but wasn’t allowed – because the person he sold it to died
- “The good news is there’s not much between you and Joni Mitchell – besides thousands of hours of practice, a little music industry luck, and, of course, these first few furtive steps…”: Where to start with learning acoustic guitar
- “I was really inspired by them – that’s why I wanted to have an all-girl band. It feels very feminine on stage, but we’re all playing power chords and screaming”: Olivia Rodrigo on how ’90s alt-rock and riot grrrl inspired her record-breaking GUTS tour
- “The sonic equivalent of a fist-fight between James Hetfield and Alex Lifeson”: October 2024 Guitar World editors’ picks
- “I'm continuing in directions I established in the Grateful Dead, but I was never satisfied with my studio work – this band has surpassed my wildest dreams”: When bass icon Phil Lesh went in search of a new sound
- “I’ve had many other Strats – I’ve never found one better than that”: John Frusciante’s first-ever Fender signature guitar is here – and it’s a $20k Custom Shop replica of his iconic 1962 Stratocaster
- “We knock on the door and he says, ‘Oh, you're the kid I heard about. Come in.’ The best part was he said, ‘Do you want to play tonight?’” How a 9-year-old Julian Lage ended up playing with Carlos Santana in front of 20,000 people
- “I started writing two-and-a-half years ago. So it’s not a reflection of Kiko leaving Megadeth, but of Kiko thinking about leaving Megadeth”: Kiko Loureiro on making his first new solo material since quitting one of metal’s biggest bands
- Best acoustic guitar picks 2024: our choice of picks for acoustic playing from Dunlop, D'Addario, and more
- “It’s the most beautiful musical instrument that humans have constructed. It’s an impossibility, and truly an American invention”: Justin Vernon, aka Bon Iver, on why he put pedal steel guitar front and center on his latest release
- “I planned to go out with Ministry. But then Madonna said, ‘I want Monte here – even if he’s just standing and holding a guitar’”: Monte Pittman on his crazy journey from Guitar Center to Ministry via Prong and Madonna – and his band with Adam Lambert
- “Mick Fleetwood asked me to join the band, but I don’t think Stevie voted against me… I don’t play like Lindsey, but I was able to do the songs justice”: Mike Campbell on the challenge of joining Fleetwood Mac and what he learned from Tom Petty
- “Some people think its gloss black top was a response to Gibson’s Les Paul Custom – but that didn’t launch officially until ’54”: The Duo Jet took Gretsch’s ’50s innovation to new heights – and was loved by George Harrison, Jeff Beck and Malcolm Young
- “Over time, her arrangements became more creative and composed and could stand on their own as melodic instrumentals”: A pioneering protest singer, American folk legend Joan Baez draws on jazz and flamenco for her intricate picking patterns
- October 30
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- “It’s a symbol of creativity”: Les Paul’s experimental Klunker helped pave the way for his later innovations – now it’s been revived as a meticulous one-off replica by Les Paul's personal tech
- “I called Supro and said, 'Hey I’m really digging this amp. Is there any way we can just give it a little more horsepower?'” Blues rock ace Tyler Bryant supercharges Supro’s flagship Black Magick combo for his new signature amp
- “Dependability and durability baked in”: Cort takes a leaf out of Strandberg’s book and begins its True Temperament experiments with the KX700 TT
- “I ended up playing things I never have before”: John Mayer busts out his Charvel and an ultra-rare ESP as he breaks new ground during A-list R&B guest solo
- “I went there with the intention of buying a Gretsch Jet Firebird. He said, ‘Forget the Gretsch. That’s a toy compared to the 335’”: Ritchie Blackmore recalls buying his first Gibson from amp pioneer Jim Marshall's music store
- “I would pick this over a ’60s or ’70s model. It’s the perfect Telecaster in my eyes”: Tele obsessive John 5 provides the ultimate test for Fender’s new American Ultra II series
- “All of these things I do on record using a few guitars, I’ve got it all in the one”: Johnny Marr just launched a 7-string signature Martin acoustic – but it’s not what you think
- “I did not find any reason to go after them legally for that – it would be ludicrous”: Elvis Costello explains why he never sued Olivia Rodrigo's team for interpolating one of his guitar riffs
- “I spent 10 hours a day for a month making that guitar… If it didn’t work out, it could have been a white Strat in Purple Rain”: Prince’s Cloud guitar builder Dave Rusan on how he made the iconic instrument – and the legal battles over his replicas
- 3 easy rock guitar solo licks you need to know
- “The Robert Cray gigs had me shaking so badly that I thought I’d faint… It was one of the pools I had to dive into or drown”: A non-shredder among metal guitarists, Katie Knipp took years to go electric – then scored a hit blues album
- “The tone EC achieved on that record has become one of the classic archetypes for how an electric guitar should sound”: How Eric Clapton got his tone on John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers’ ‘Beano’ album
- “I started playing $150 Ibanez guitars because onstage I would take damage… Clown used to use metal bars. We were very unsafe”: Mick Thomson reflects on 25 years of Slipknot’s incendiary debut – and what it was like to see his solos erased
- October 29
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- “No menus, no apps, just a familiar and intuitive interface that makes dialing in tones easy”: Fender has rebooted its top-selling Champion modeling amp family – and prices start at $129
- “Conjuring nightmarish soundscapes through a sinister blend of distortion and synthesis”: Jack White's Third Man Hardware teams up with Eventide on Knife Drop – a sub-octave fuzz and analog synth powerhouse of a pedal
- “These silly lists come out about the greatest guitar players – I usually don’t make those lists, or they’ll put me behind somebody who I could play circles around”: Billy Corgan on why he thinks he’s still under-appreciated as a guitarist
- “A lot of players don’t bother to learn how to fix their guitars – but it’s a necessary part of technique”: Cradle of Filth’s Donny Burbage hated guitar until he got bored of playing video games – and became a tech’ing shredder
- “I remember my dad saying, ‘There’s no ambience, Brian. I don’t feel like I’m in the room with you playing next to me’”: Why Brian May and Queen were unhappy with their debut album – and how the newly revamped version fixes the “very dry” guitar parts
- What if Jimi Hendrix jammed with Eric Clapton, or Gary Moore traded solos with Joe Bonamassa? We imagine 5 all-star fantasy blues jams and what they would sound like
- “When the Strat went, I couldn’t believe it. We went in to make our first album and the pickup went. I had to use the backup I kept on the side…” Tony Iommi was a Fender Stratocaster player before fate intervened – and he had to reach for his Gibson SG
- “He came into the house, had this brand-new guitar in a case, and they said, ‘Ma, this is the new guitar player we just hired, Jimi Hendrix’”: Ernie Isley on growing up with Hendrix and witnessing his fast-developing guitar playing in his living room
- “It was the best Fender-style neck I’d seen outside of the Custom Shop. This was the neck I’d been trying to get made all these years”: How Chapman Guitars reinvented itself with a new factory, fresh ideas and the help of industry guru Trevor Wilkinson
- “The Stratocaster is a clearer signal… the person who’s playing it is more recognizable on a Strat than on a Les Paul”: David Gilmour on breaking free from his past, the guitars he couldn’t face selling and why one Black Strat is as good as another
- “Dickey called me: ‘Hey, Les, come by for a steak, and bring your guitar.’ He already had the verse of Jessica, but he needed a bridge…” Meet Les Dudek, the ghost guitarist on Allman Brothers classics who dated Cher and joined Journey for two hours
- October 28
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- “This is the most appealing combination of sounds I’ve heard on an Acoustasonic Player model to date – but there are still caveats”: Fender FINNEAS Acoustasonic Player Telecaster review
- “I wanted the PolyPafs to be true players’ pickups”: Bare Knuckle and Adam ‘Nolly’ Getgood look to give PAF-style pickups a modern twist with new signature set
- “The crushing intensity, squalling lead tones, and chugging riffs of ’90s metal”: Jerry Cantrell’s Alice In Chains tone in a box for $110? Funny Little Boxes promises just that with the Dirt distortion
- “I wish I never would have gone there. The consequences have been devastating on my life”: Iced Earth’s Jon Schaffer shares statement following sentencing for US Capitol riot involvement
- “A new level of sonic excellence, several years in the making”: Tosin Abasi has released his own compressor pedal that promises to fix common compression complaints – and improve your tone
- “Bringing the offset style to the headless world”: Balaguer ushers in a new era of progressive offsets with headless Growler line
- “It was just the best amp that I’d ever had in my collection. And it was so roadworthy. It did all those Led Zeppelin tours, and all the recordings”: Jimmy Page reveals his favorite amp, which did “flippin’ everything” throughout his career
- “Our most high fidelity pedal to date”: Keeley’s new Zoma is a luxurious-sounding reverb/tremolo stompbox that serves as one of the brand’s “crowning achievements”
- “The best wireless headphones for musicians you can buy right now, despite a few flaws”: Yamaha YH-WL500 review
- “‘We were wondering if you play clawhammer nylon.’ I go, ‘What's it for?’ And they go, ‘The Who, I guess it's a rock band or something,’ and I'm like, ‘What?!’” Hollywood's go-to guitarist, Andrew Synowiec, on how he ended up playing on a Who record
- “New and exciting product lines and services are in the works”: Dumble is under new ownership – and it will begin making amps again using the elusive amp builder’s “trade secrets”
- “Carol Kaye taught me real hard, telling me, ‘No, no, you’re playing the notes but you’re not playing the feel’”: Gene Simmons names 6 bass players who shaped his sound
- “These musicians, like Blind Blake, are so amazing – we should keep their memory alive”: Meet Muireann Bradley, the 17-year-old fingerpicker on a quest to bring turn-of-the-century folk-blues to Gen Z
- “Everything I do in life is left-handed, except for guitar playing… Using a plectrum never felt comfortable in my right hand”: Jared James Nichols on how he came up with his unique fingerstyle approach – and why it can make your playing more expressive
- “If you’re new to funk guitar playing, these ideas will help you get you into the groove”: Learn 10 funk guitar riffs inspired by James Brown, Prince and Vulfpeck
- “The greatest advice I ever heard was from James Jamerson: ‘If you don’t feel it, don’t play it.’ I have that written on my guitar case as a reminder”: Parlor Greens’ Jimmy James on his biggest musical lessons, and why, like Hendrix, he's all about rhythm
- October 27
- October 26
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- “It’ll suit those players who like to hit hard and make their guitar really shout”: Epiphone Masterbilt Texan review
- “l’d been listening to Jamerson for some time, but this was staggering”: Inside James Jamerson’s 10 seminal “B-Sides”
- “In one note from the Phil Zone, you could hear and feel the world being born. His bass flowed like a river”: Surviving Grateful Dead members pay tribute to bassist Phil Lesh, who has died aged 84
- October 25
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- “Durability, quick action, and a lifetime of switching enjoyment”: EarthQuaker Devices’ new utility pedals are built to last a lifetime – and could be the key to a smooth-operating pedalboard
- “He wasn’t very nice to anybody. I could hear my mom saying, ‘Are you really going to spend the next 15 years of your life with this man?’” Stevie Nicks pinpoints the moment she knew Lindsey Buckingham had to be axed from Fleetwood Mac
- “Continually surprised me with beautiful, unpredictable overtones”: Martin D-28 review
- “The Holy Grail of rackmount tube preamps is back”: Soldano revives two highly elusive rack units beloved by Steve Lukather, Peter Frampton and Vivian Campbell for the first time in decades
- “Olivia has talked about how ‘The Breeders broke my mind – there was pre-Cannonball and there was post-Cannonball.’ She finds loud guitars exciting”: Kim Deal details Olivia Rodrigo’s love of guitars after opening her mammoth GUTS tour
- “My old drummer said, ‘Hey, I’ve got this friend. He’s got a ’59 Strat, and he needs money. He’ll sell it to you for four grand, cash’”: Rick Springfield on the vintage Fender Stratocaster he feels “terrible” about buying
- “The CE has been with us since the very early days of PRS. I love celebrating this model”: PRS radically upgrades its CE range with dashing new tonewoods – and an expansive pickup switch that has never been seen in the lineup before
- “Honor its storied heritage while pushing the boundaries of innovation”: Gretsch gives three hollowbody designs a Professional Collection reboot – rolling out its “most advanced bracing system to date” in the process
- “A modern interpretation of the guitar Eddie Van Halen used to attain the early Van Halen sound”: EVH brings back Eddie’s daring Danelectro/Charvel hybrid – and gives it a unique hardware twist
- “Peter Buck came up to me and said, ‘You’re using different voicings than I do on the records, but it sounds good’”: How Jason Narducy went from playing bass in a cult punk band to covering R.E.M. with Hollywood veteran Michael Shannon
- “A heavy, luxurious appearance”: Fender Japan doubles down on its newfound affinity for sandblasting by putting an irresistible spin on its blackout Hybrid II models
- “My riff writing started to do well after I changed my perspective… I don’t listen to a bunch of heavy music anymore”: Meet Clayton King, the riff machine using EDM and nature shows to wring fresh savagery from his custom Ibanez monstrosity
- “There are long winding passages, it’s almost womb-like… That’s something that would have really spoken to a guy like Jimi”: How Jimi Hendrix masterminded the ultimate sonic playground where Led Zeppelin and The Clash came to record
- “In terms of sheer value for money, it’s hard to beat”: Sterling by Music Man Joe Dart Artist Series Bass review
- “This was the very first electric blues track I ever felt a strong connection to”: Joe Bonamassa pays tribute to Eric Clapton’s Stratocaster years
- “World-class... It just feels like a vintage classic that never was”: Daniels Gravitas review
- “I needed a guitar player. I kind of needed someone who would be the Sid Vicious to my Johnny Rotten”: Yungblud on the relatable genius of his head-turning guitarist Adam Warrington (who is more likely to buy you a beer than teach you scales)
- October 24
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- A personalized Fender and a $400 saving? Count us in! Fender's Mod Shop is currently offering free upgrades for a limited time
- “When you start with a crappy guitar it gives you a level of appreciation because you started with humble beginnings”: Kenny Wayne Shepherd on why starting out with a budget guitar is the best way to go
- “I’d been playing it at the 7th fret, but then I saw a video of Bernard Edwards, and I was determined to play it right – Nile picked up on that instantly”: Jerry Barnes gives an insider’s view of Chic’s seven-minute bass anthem
- “I tried to talk him down, and he turned on me. He goes, ‘There's nothing but feedback coming from your amp.’ I was not having it”: Martyn LeNoble on how his ill-fated stint with Jane’s Addiction came to a close after a clash with Perry Farrell
- “Bob Dylan asked me almost every day: ‘Hey, when are you going to sell me that ’64 Jazzmaster?’” Jason & the Scorchers’ Warner E. Hodges toured with Dylan, borrowed the Ramones’ gear – and played a Tele that survived a tractor
- “I was so into that moment, it was like being stoned… not separated from the guitar and what I was playing. It was joyful”: From unexpected ES-335 solos to jams in a barn, here is your guitar guide to David Gilmour’s breathtaking Luck and Strange
- “I got really obsessed with fuzz when I got into stoner rock. I’d never heard a sound like it before”: He’s jammed with Tony Iommi, recorded at Abbey Road, now he’s cooking up hairy stoner riffs with Torus – and Alfie Glass is just getting started
- “We’ve all played them, but how many of us can say we know how 7th chords actually work?” Get more out of one of guitar’s most important shapes with 5 chords that demystify the dominant 7th
- “A great statement guitar. It looks fantastic, plays well and sounds superb”: Epiphone Jimi Hendrix Love Drops Flying V review
- “The first one ever in history is actually this guitar. Honestly, it still doesn’t seem real”: Fender’s first-ever official 7-string Stratocaster has become a reality – and it could be in line for a wider release
- “A universe of ultra-responsive tones in a travel-ready size”: Boss throws down the gauntlet with the GX-10 – a compact, touchscreen-equipped HX Stomp challenger that costs $399
- “These amps just breathe like a well-rounded tube amp, no matter what you throw at them”: Inside the making of Laney’s Foundry Range
- October 23
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- “The pinnacle of high-gain performance”: Blackstar gives its brand-defining Series One amp an extensive modern reboot for the first time in nearly 20 years
- “Ozzy told me about this young guitar player in LA who worked at a music school. I envisioned an older bloke with slippers, a cardigan and glasses”: Ozzy Osbourne bassist Bob Daisley on taking a chance on Randy Rhoads – despite label pushback
- “I bought eight small solid-state amps with tiny little speakers. We had no pedals on the record, just guitars, straight into the amp, turned up loud enough that it sounds nasty:” How King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard made a left turn – into blues rock
- Sweetwater's Beat The Holiday Rush Sale has guitar gear and stocking fillers from only $8.80
- “I had a three-string nylon guitar from my stepfather. When he gave me that, he carved my future out. If I’d had a traditional guitar, I’d have had a whole different outlook”: Mötley Crüe’s Nikki Sixx on fate, Thunderbirds and Smoke on the Water
- “In a world full of complex effects, we worked hard to bring you the opposite”: JHS Pedals’ Flight Delay bucks the trend of ultra-complicated pedals by delivering 3 iconic delays in a frills-free form factor
- “He couldn’t handle the fact that Eddie was getting more attention than he was. He kept asking Eddie to play fewer guitar solos”: Alex Van Halen reveals the real reason David Lee Roth quit Van Halen
- “I plugged them in and said, ‘Man, I've been missing the boat.’ So they're back, and now I have eight of them”: Why Joe Bonamassa has started playing Dumbles again – years after he sold his original collection
- “I went to Jimmy Page’s hometown. I’d walk the streets he walked and breathe the air he breathed… I even noticed the smell when it rained”: Akio Sakurai aka Mr. Jimmy has studied the Led Zeppelin icon for 43 years – and elevated tribute artist to high art
- "With an incredibly smooth, fast-playing neck and low action right out of the factory, there’s little to dislike": Taylor 414ce review
- Feel like your solos don’t quite sing? The key is using the right articulations to make your guitar “speak” to audiences
- “Johnny Marr offered his services to the band. He said, ‘If you can’t find anyone I’ll step in for a while’”: When Oasis needed a new guitarist, Johnny Marr was ready to step up alongside Noel Gallagher
- “It can transform your amp, but it’s equally adept as a boost and drive”: Dirty Boy Preamp review
- October 22
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- “A toolbox of sounds for crafting classic and modern high gain tones”: Line 6 gives its bargain POD Express a metal makeover with new Black edition – designed specifically for heavier players
- “The Yardbirds had no need to worry about Clapton’s departure – they had Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page onboard”: The history of the ’60s British blues boom – the movement that carried a tidal wave of guitar heroes across the Atlantic
- “Owens forever transformed country music”: Fender’s new Buck Owens signature guitars honor the late country great and revive some of his oldest custom guitar designs
- “A modern-day rock and metal classic that delivers the most powerful tones ever to come out of a guitar speaker”: Universal Audio packs classic Mesa/Boogie Rectifier sounds into stompbox form with its Knuckles '92 Dual Rec Amplifier pedal
- “Shredding is an amazing thing to be able to do, but when you can really write a feeling with a melody, like Johnny Marr did so well, that’s the goal”: Conor Curley of Fontaines D.C. on his love of Deftones and why he’s writing riffs like a beginner
- "With effortless playability, charming good looks, and a distinctive sound, it's no wonder the J-45 is still going strong over 80 years after it was first introduced": Gibson J-45 Standard review
- “It was an amazing-sounding instrument”: Gibson’s Jimmy Page SJ-200 is a five-figure signature model based on an acoustic he borrowed to record Led Zeppelin’s debut album – before it was stolen
- “You’re hearing a shredder struggling on 11 flatwound strings trying to solo – I tried to mimic Thin Lizzy and Jurassic Park”: Amyl and the Sniffers are one of the hottest rock bands on the planet – and they got there by breaking punk’s no-solos rule
- “No, this is not a note for note rendition. And no I don’t care that a bunch of people online hated this”: Grace Bowers continues her winning streak with a wah-laden rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner at an NFL game
- His devastating riffs almost single-handedly invented djent, and his Allan Holdsworth-inspired solos blew an entire generation of guitarists’ minds: how Meshuggah’s Fredrick Thordendal changed the face of metal
- “The final song that Edward and Alex wrote together”: Eddie Van Halen’s soloing takes center stage once again – as the last song he ever wrote with his brother is released
- “How good is a guitar that breaks down into three parts going to sound? As it happens, we were in for a pleasant surprise”: Furch Little Jane LJ 10-SM review
- “Michael said, ‘I want you to lay something down.’ He puts in a little cassette tape, and he sings the solo and records it”: Session legend Paul Jackson Jr. on working with Michael Jackson – from his Jackson 5 era to Thriller, Beat It and beyond
- October 21
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- “Our new power supplies are about as state-of-the-art as you can get”: How Truetone’s game-changing 1 Spot Pro series is continuing to provide pro pedalboard power to the masses with the new CS11 and XP5
- “If you’re faint of heart and can’t stand some blue exclamations from time to time, it’s probably not very peaceful to be with me in a studio”: Jerry Cantrell admits he can't help cursing when he’s recording solos
- “When he called and asked me if I’d play that song, of all songs, I was very happy to get to do it”: Peter Frampton and Keith Urban bust out the talk box for dueling solos at the 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony
- “You can feel embarrassed when you play a bum note, but I played bum notes on Strangers In The Night. Today those are the right notes!” Michael Schenker on rerecording UFO with Axl Rose, triangle guitars – and why there are no bad playing habits
- “That’s probably our fastest song. It’s not one I’m looking to play live any time soon!” Kerry King picks out the hardest Slayer song to play – and the greatest showcase of Jeff Hanneman’s talents
- “You only have so many great solos in you, don’t give one to Michael Jackson!” Eddie Van Halen recorded his Beat It solo in secret – and his brother is still mad about it 42 years later
- “James Brown kept saying, ‘We’re gonna take it to the bridge.’ Finally, he whipped around and said, ‘Hit me!’ Unfortunately, I did not hit him at all”: Carlos Alomar was fined by the Godfather of Soul, scolded by Chuck Berry – and adored by David Bowie
- “No-one’s seen me with a Tele before. I wouldn’t normally be caught dead with one – I think they’re ugly”: Mikael Åkerfeldt explains why a Fender Telecaster was the only guitar he used on Opeth’s new album
- “If I hadn't met Randy Rhoads, I wouldn't be sat here right now”: Ozzy Osbourne’s all-star Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony pays tribute to the guitar icon – as Wolfgang Van Halen taps through the Crazy Train solo
- “Daron’s the guitarist, I’m the vocalist, and yet he was using my Strat… Then somebody stole it after breaking our car window”: Serj Tankian reflects on his guitar journey with System of a Down, Tony Iommi, Buckethead and beyond
- “We’ve had four days to learn these songs and we’re gonna play every single one of them tonight”: Eric Clapton, Trey Anastasio, Bob Weir, Van Morrison, Mike Campbell, Lucinda Williams celebrate Robbie Robertson at epic Martin Scorsese-curated tribute
- “We’re three very different players, still evolving on our instruments”: Joe Satriani, Steve Vai and Eric Johnson bring their A games for electrifying Crossroads jam in first pro-shot footage of G3 2024 tour
- She’s played alongside Jeff Beck and Morrissey, and evolved into one of rock’s leading tonal experimentalists – here’s how Carmen Vandenberg’s signature approaches can elevate your riffs and solos
- “A highly responsive and expressive solidbody electric that delivers world-class tones”: Ernie Ball Music Man Axis review
- October 20
- October 19
- October 18
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- “That thing is a little monster; so much tone and feel”: Supro makes a play for the top gig-friendly combo by placing “the iconic Supro sound” into the go-anywhere Montauk
- He describes his lead style as “neoclassical dad solos”, but Trivium’s Matt Heafy is a giant of modern metal playing – and he has plenty of ideas that will take your rhythm game to the next level
- “The Fuzz+ somehow takes the perfect fuzz platform even further”: Silktone has overhauled its germanium transistor fuzz pedal – and it’s got a ‘pickup simulator’
- “The guitars we made back in the day were the wellspring of the designs”: Taylor celebrates its 50th anniversary with the Legacy Collection – a new range that revamps the spirit of its earliest acoustic designs
- “Warning: Orianthi’s guitar solo may cause spontaneous dancing, screaming, and chills”: Orianthi showcases her latest PRS custom build as she soundtracks the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show with two rock classics
- “We were surrounded by bands like Animals As Leaders, Meshuggah, Plini… and the crowd could clap in time over a 7/8 time signature, too!” From a virtuoso Tool support to Rabea Massaad’s new supergroup, meet the next generation of progressive guitar heroes
- “This experience has deeply touched my heart in a way I never expected”: Jason Becker gifts guitar to viral 11-year-old metal star Maya Neelakantan following heartwarming meeting
- “The Metallica guys were the first ones I heard about using those live. I was like, ‘Man, what are you playing through?!’” Jerry Cantrell shares his thoughts on digital modelers – and why he’s “not there yet”
- “I’m an approachable guitar player. I’m not Slash or Jimi Hendrix. I write songs and play with energy. My signature model had to be accessible to everyone”: How Yungblud became punk’s next guitar hero, bringing high-volume rock to Gen Z
- Every single PRS SE guitar is 15% off right now – including 5 of our highest-rated picks
- “The best news I have heard all year. Bless them for keeping this guitar in Ireland”: Rory Gallagher’s prized 1961 Strat to be donated to the National Museum of Ireland
- “We really had to think about it, bro. Do you think we wanted to take the grief we took, and end up in a lawsuit? But what were we supposed to do?” Nikki Sixx reflects on Mötley Crüe's decision to oust Mick Mars
- His playing blew the minds of Yngwie Malmsteen, Steve Vai and Eddie Van Halen, while his improvisation was up there with John Coltrane and Charlie Parker – here’s how Allan Holdsworth reinvented the way we approach the electric guitar
- “Trent Reznor asked, ‘Who wants Justin in the band?’ And they all raised their hands. A few days later, I was digging into the setlist for a world tour”: How Beck’s longtime bassist scored his spot in Nine Inch Nails
- “A masterclass in versatility, seamlessly bridging the gap between practice and performance”: Boss Katana Head Gen 3 review
- October 17
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- “We decided, ‘Let's take the Jazzmaster out and put the Meteora in there to see if it's gonna work’”: Why Fender chose the Meteora over the Jazzmaster for its American Ultra II series
- “I was like, ‘The dummy pickup in Frankenstein? You really think that’s sacrilege?’ I thought replacing it with something that worked was a good idea”: Joe Satriani on what it takes to play Van Halen live – custom amps, power tools, and, above all, guts
- “One of the world’s most recognizable guitars”: Rory Gallagher’s 1961 Fender Stratocaster sells at auction for a whopping $1.16 million
- He’s a drop D master who fuses monstrous powerchords, haunting single-note melodies and off-kilter time signatures in one of prog-metal’s most technically ambitious bands – learn how Adam Jones forged his rhythmically audacious Tool riffing style
- “In Guitar Center, people would think I was playing for the first time – but I promise you, my band makes better music than 80% of them”: Meet Chat Pile, the sludge metallers shouting down the “tone lords” and “goobers” ruining guitar culture
- “I’ve probably had an equal number of guitars stolen as what I’ve sold”: Joe Perry names the desert-island pickup that nobody talks about, explains why there are no bad tones, and makes an appeal for the cheap guitar he foolishly sold and wants back
- “One of this year’s most versatile electrics – and you don’t need to be a Rush fan to appreciate it”: Godin Lerxst Limelight review
- “Clearer, louder, and more resonant sound”: Furch challenges Gibson, Ibanez and Taylor acoustic innovations with the Booster Soundport – which promises to change the way you experience the acoustic guitar
- Two of today’s brightest guitar talents, Marcus King and Grace Bowers, team up for a surprise solo-fueled rendition of a Kris Kristofferson classic on stage in New York
- “You get that Guild sound at an incredibly accessible price”: The 300 Series brings that rich Guild tone, prized by everyone from Stevie Ray Vaughan to Paul Simon and Eric Clapton to a $299 acoustic build
- “Arguably one of the most significant Beatles and Lennon artifacts to come to market”: John Lennon’s first Vox amp – used at the Cavern and to record Please Please Me – is headed to auction
- “Name a jazz player that means something. You can be respected by musicians, but the rest of the world doesn't care. That music is intended to show off how well you play”: Gene Simmons on why technical skill doesn't really matter
- “I got to meet the new British Rock Royalty tonight”: The Last Dinner Party's Emily Roberts moonlighted as Brian May in a Queen tribute band – now the guitar legend is endorsing her band
- “One of Japan’s most well-loved guitarists”: Epiphone’s latest Takahiro Matsumoto signature is based on a hugely desirable 1955 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop – and honors the player behind Japan’s best-selling musical act
- The Doors’ Robby Krieger ditches his Gibson SG for a cardboard Telecaster to deliver his own take on a blues classic
- October 16
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- “They’re all little pieces”: AI-aided Eddie Van Halen solos could be a possibility, according to Alex Van Halen
- “I see people my own age in the audience, and their minds are blown. I’m making this stuff sound new to them”: Grace Bowers on her dizzying rise as the world’s next guitar hero, breaking the law to hone her chops, and why she’s “not a natural”
- “Pete Townshend said, ‘I wish I could play like you.’ I thought, ‘I wish I could come up with the three chords you take to the bank!’” How Caleb Quaye became Elton John’s go-to guitarist – and took over Jimmy Page’s session work
- “Lee embraced the athleticism of the ’80s while remaining rooted in the hard rock fundamentals of the ’70s”: Friedman and Jake E. Lee’s signature IR-J looks to deliver the guitar tones of “two great eras” in a single pedal amp
- “We drove to a Guitar Center, ran in just before closing and bought a Fender P-Bass… we re-tracked almost every song on Enema of the State with it”: Mark Hoppus charts his bass origin story, embracing amp modelers and switching from Ernie Ball to Fender
- “He was backstage in the Marquee cleaning off his guitar and said, ‘Look!’ The paint was starting to come away in chips – he was almost crying”: How Rory Gallagher's 1961 Strat got its now-iconic relic’d finish
- “I was quite enamored by Gretsch guitars. Over the years, I started to collect them – I probably own most of them”: Gretsch honors Depeche Mode icon Martin Gore with a stunning signature based on one of his prized vintage guitars
- “Slash’s wife grabbed hold of the steering wheel because he was heading toward a canyon. We were in the back seat going, ‘Nooo!’” Jamie Moses on the wild ride of playing with Brian May, hanging with Slash and his time as Queen’s second guitarist
- “Jeff Beck gave me his gold J Rockett Archer, based on the Klon. That can never leave”: Featuring a Joe Bonamassa wah and an overdrive gifted by Beck himself, Carmen Vandenberg’s pedalboard is a tour de force of tone
- “I felt connected to my Strat in a way I hadn’t in a long time”: I’ve spent years searching for the perfect Stratocaster strings – and after playing John Mayer’s Silver Slinky set for three months, I think I’ve finally found them
- “Chris was in a very fragile part of his life. He started playing bass… He got so into it he started bleeding. I said, ‘This is the man you want.’ And then he died”: Alex Van Halen reveals his and Eddie’s secret jams with Chris Cornell
- "The sound is warm and inviting, with a powerful low-end thump that only comes from a jumbo acoustic": Guild F-55E review
- “The moment I said we gotta acknowledge Ed, Dave popped a fuse… The vitriol that came out was unbelievable”: Alex Van Halen reveals the real reason why the Van Halen tribute didn’t happen – and the advice Brian May gave him about the tour
- “As familiar and enjoyable as your favorite pedals”: Fractal unveils the VP4 – an effects-only 'virtual pedalboard' launched to take on the Line 6 HX Effects
- October 15
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- Former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Jake E. Lee shot multiple times in Las Vegas – now “fully conscious and doing well in an intensive care unit”
- “What we have in common is that we don’t shred for the sake of it. In my case, it’s because I can’t!” Brian May on his unlikely guitar kinsmanship with Steve Cropper and Billy Gibbons
- “It’s probably impossible to prove, but it’s likely that the Martin dreadnought is the most recorded guitar in history”: How the Martin D-18 and D-28 changed the world – and became the definitive acoustic guitars
- Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton may have been masters of ’60s lead playing, but Pete Townshend was the god of rhythm guitar – and he was just as unhinged on the acoustic
- “He seemed to get so much out of so little, didn't he?”: Former Primal Scream guitarist Barrie Cadogan reacts to playing Rory Gallagher’s golden-era Gibsons
- “Designed to provide unmatched freedom and sound clarity”: Xvive’s U8 clip-on wireless system comes ready-mounted with a mic – and it could be a serious problem solver for acoustic players
- “Massive tones that obliterate like Godzilla bouncing the bullet train to oblivion… it’s completely unlike any other fuzz and/or octave effect out there”: Electro-Harmonix Lizard King Octave Distortion review
- “The sports car versions of all our classic models”: Fender’s new top-of-the-line American Ultra II guitars are more advanced than anything it has produced before – and feature its fastest necks yet
- “They’re a lot tighter and smoother. You can hear more guitar, and these are far superior to all the other versions of these tracks”: Never-before-heard Jimi Hendrix demos are up for auction – and expected to sell for $260,000
- “They had a fantastic ’64 Strat that we would fight over. The first one in would get to use it”: Wunderhorse turned up to the birthplace of Nirvana's In Utero, borrowed some guitars – and made one of the year’s best alt rock records
- “He turns back to where all the guitars are and the double-neck is gone, stolen from the stage while the lights are down”: Nuno Bettencourt’s custom Washburn N-8 double-neck was stolen from an arena stage – but made a remarkable return
- “I worked on that crazy Fender Twin and never understood how it made such fabulous noise”: Stevie Ray Vaughan’s Twin Reverb amp, used in the recording of Texas Flood, Bowie sessions and live shows is up for sale... for over $600,000
- “A man bought this signed Taylor Swift Guitar at a charity auction for $4000, then proceeded to smash it with a hammer”: This Taylor Swift-signed guitar was smashed at auction and went viral – now it has been sold at an even higher price
- October 14
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- “As if its tone has been perfected over years of fireside strumming”: Guild has given its retro DS-240 Memoir series a makeover for the first time in five years with two classy new colorways
- “Probably the broadest, most accessible guitar mag in the world... It has been an absolute privilege”: Total Guitar to close after 30 years in print
- “I wanted to sound like Jimi Hendrix on his first album. It was good to have that there for a while”: Brian May reveals the off-the-wall Red Special mod from his pre-Queen days that he ended up removing
- “I wrote that riff on the Fender six-string bass. I saw Peter Green with Fleetwood Mac pick one up. I thought, ‘I’m gonna get one’”: Joe Perry on how he ditched his Les Pauls and Strats to write an Aerosmith classic
- “All-stars like Phil X, Jimmy Herring, Derek Trucks and Richard Fortus have sung the Hyperdrive’s praises. Now a new IAM overdrive/boost pedal has entered Earth’s atmosphere”: Interstellar Audio Machines Supernova Zoeldrive review
- “The British Invasion brought awareness to the music, but not the culture. They were great guitarists, but they weren’t as good as Robert Johnson”: Jontavious Willis has become one of acoustic blues’ most exciting voices – just don’t say he’s the future
- Fender Mustang Micro vs Mustang Micro Plus: is it worth upgrading?
- “It never existed before, at least to my knowledge”: Jacob Collier’s custom five-string Taylor – which paved the way for his game-changing Strandberg – has been launched as his latest signature guitar
- He was a ’60s blues firebrand straight out of the “Surrey delta”, before he switched to the Strat and mastered a touch that has never been rivalled – here’s how Jeff Beck forever reshaped the way guitarists think about ‘feel’
- “When you follow this path, all roads lead to one man: Alexander Dumble”: Ian Moore on Dumble's inspiring legacy, the “snake oil” around the iconic amp-maker – and his own quest to design the perfect amp
- “I was truly terrified. In the first few months, I was on the same stage as every one of my heroes: Mike Bloomfield, Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix”: Martin Barre explains why his early days with Jethro Tull were a trial by fire
- "There’s a beautiful warmth and roundness that makes for an incredibly pleasant playing experience, encouraging hours of enjoyment": Yamaha CG192C review
- “I was broke and working in a car wash, and saw an ad in the paper for a ’52 Telecaster. I went to the guy’s place – it turned out to be Norm from Norman’s Rare Guitars”: The Band's Jim Weider on how he bagged his career-defining Fender Telecaster
- October 13
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- “There was one gig where Eric and I stopped playing for two choruses. Jack didn’t even know”: Cream were one of the loudest rock bands of their time – but the excessive volume tore the band apart
- “I got a call – ‘I’m putting a super band together, and I want you to be one of the guitar players.’ The other guitarist was Neal Schon from Santana”: How Les Dudek joined Journey “for two hours”
- October 12
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- “The only person to get a good sound out of that bass was Berry Oakley. It's got so many pickups!” Berry Oakley set the template for the Allman Brothers Band with a modified ’72 Jazz Bass, known as ‘The Tractor’
- “I tried it fingerstyle, and that didn't work. As a joke, somebody said, ‘Why don't you try slap bass?’ Everyone was laughing. Then we went back and listened to it…” Chris Wolstenholme switched up his tone and technique on Muse’s The Resistance
- “When you played with John Lennon, you could feel him listening to you. He didn't bother or bug you at all”: Unsung ’70s session bass ace Gordon Edwards recalls his time with John Lennon on his fourth post-Beatles album
- October 11
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- Download and stream the audio from Total Guitar 390
- “The same high-quality performance at an even more budget-friendly price point”: Harley Benton has made its absurdly affordable ST-Modern lineup even cheaper with a range of $200 HSS S-types
- “I took the neck off my Strat, put it on a Tele, and ended up with my ‘FrankenTele’”: Steve Morse modded the heck out of his first serious guitar, and it became the blueprint for his signature Ernie Ball Music Man model
- “Unparalleled playability with a fuller, more robust metal tone”: Strandberg extends its Boden Metal lineup with new finishes – and a series-first spec
- “What a ride…” Guitar Techniques magazine is closing after 30 years of in-depth tuition from some of the world’s greatest guitarists
- “A finish that’s a true work of art”: Tosin Abasi and Ernie Ball Music Man’s Kaizen has a new Gallium finish that features actual silver – and it uniquely oxidizes depending on how you play it
- “I doubt there’s going to be another Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page or Eddie Van Halen”: Joe Perry on why the age of the guitar hero might be over – even though the instrument still has a bright future
- “Billy had already played half a solo. The producer said, ‘Can you play the other half?’ I said, ‘Can’t you give him a whole solo and me a whole solo?’” Brian May explains why he was reluctant to share a solo with Billy Gibbons – and what changed his mind
- “I couldn’t do all the licks and Jimmy Page stuff. By not being able to play properly and discovering echo units, I came upon some monstrous sounds, purely by accident”: Robin Guthrie on how he conjured the haunting tones of Cocteau Twins
- “The idea behind this pedal is to make clean guitar as fun as overdriven guitar”: Chase Bliss is on a mission to make you rethink clean guitar tones with the “very fun” Clean compressor
- “I spent a whole year without being able to do anything on the guitar, which was really scary. I thought, ‘OK, maybe I’ve lost it for good’”: How Neige’s ascent from the creative abyss led to Alcest’s most ethereal and life-affirming album
- With Bob Rock and Rick Rubin at the helm, he recorded some of rock’s most iconic riffs, and launched side-projects with Jerry Cantrell, John Corabi and The Alarm’s Mike Peters – how Billy Duffy’s guitar playing built a Cult following
- “The concept or technology might not be new, but the execution, in such a perfectly made guitar, takes some beating”: PRS SE Custom 24 Semi-Hollow Piezo review
- “The world's most authentic amp models, no UA hardware required”: Universal Audio takes its Edge-approved amp pedals to the digital realm for the first time with $299 plugins
- “I played a Gibson SG Junior. It was the guitar I used in my punk band – when my apartment got broken into in New York, it got stolen”: Yes, Rick Rubin played the opening riff on Beastie Boys’ No Sleep Till Brooklyn – he looks back at recording a classic
- “Blazes a trail into new sonic territory”: Fender gives the Cabronita Telecaster a radical mini-humbucker revamp by loading the Gretsch/Fender hybrid with new high-end pickups
- “There seems to be an idea among guitarists that something as remarkable as a box that creates a perfect echo is old, played out or overused”: Why Jonny Greenwood downsized his rig to just a guitar, amp and delay pedal to write the Smile’s new album
- “Jimmy Page was in the control room window, waving madly. I was in the middle of the solo, and I thought, ‘Sorry, but I can’t stop.’ I just turned my back”: Martin Barre on the time Jimmy Page nearly cut him off mid-Aqualung solo
- October 10
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- “He had it in a case and said, ‘I don’t play it. Do you want it?’ I was like, ‘There’s no way I can take that from you’”: Olivia Rodrigo guitarist Daisy Spencer reveals how a stroke of good luck landed her the 1972 Fender Strat she plays onstage
- “I quit teaching art to go tour and be a musician. I didn’t sign up for the drama, or the stalkers, or the business side”: Yvette Young almost left music before taking a radical solo turn – but she’s not done with Covet
- “I’ve always said that I don’t play the guitar, I play the string”: John Mayer ends years-long search for his ultimate string set with the Ernie Ball Silver Slinky – a new signature set that brings the guitar hero’s custom gauge to the masses
- “I wasn’t interested in learning the ‘correct’ style of playing bass. I was going back to guitar”: Larry Graham explains how his unorthodox six-string style invented slap bass
- “The world's greatest guitarist is what everyone says. It's kind of a dicey title. You never liked it”: Alex Van Halen reveals the unease Eddie felt with being labeled the best guitar player on the planet in new excerpt from tell-all memoir
- “It's tough for me to talk about giving them up... They came in my life at different times, but they all had meaning”: George Benson is selling his studio-and-tour-used rare and vintage guitars
- “I saw this video of a 10-year-old Japanese girl shredding Paul Gilbert solos. I figured, ‘This can’t be about brute physicality. It’s about touching the guitar the right way’”: Karl Sanders on technical epiphanies – and why Nile needs three guitarists
- “I don’t think he was very happy about the situation. I would hope he might have thought, ‘Oh well, at least somebody that can write a good song has taken my part’”: Crowded House’s Neil Finn on replacing Lindsey Buckingham in Fleetwood Mac
- “There was this thing I was trying to create that didn't exist”: Gretsch and super-producer Jack Antonoff combine the Fender Jazzmaster with an oddball vintage Gretsch to create the Grammy-winner’s “dream” signature guitar
- Pat Metheny called him “the father of modern jazz guitar”, while Mike Stern, John Scofield and Julian Lage worshipped his playing – here's how Jim Hall revolutionized modern jazz
- “There’s even a button I can press where it turns into a Leslie”: Richie Kotzen explains why he ditched a regular pedalboard for an all-in-one pedal from the creator of the SansAmp
- “Each guitar sounded stunningly warm, natural and lush… like putting your ear in front of the guitar’s soundhole, only much louder”: Circa ’74 150-10 Acoustic/Vocal amplifier review
- October 9
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- “When Guitar Player made its debut in 1967, it marked a new era for guitar”: Guitar Player magazine to cease print publication
- Download and stream the audio from Guitar Techniques 367
- “The entire creative process in a single guitar”: Yamaha takes on LAVA with a new TransAcoustic that delivers smart guitar specs in a traditional high-end build
- Watch Neil Young and John Mayer trade solos in a ferocious rendition of Rockin’ In The Free World with Stephen Stills
- Mooer's massive up to 30% Amazon Prime Day effects sale includes Devin Townsend's formidable Ocean Machine II
- “Not many bands of Tetrarch’s nature play guitar solos – I've had to learn how to fit our style and not just play some dad-rock solo”: Diamond Rowe is bringing lead guitar to nu-metal – complete with a history-making signature model from Jackson
- “Early Telecasters tend to get a bit muddy. It's hard to get a really nice, punchy bright front pickup”: Joe Bonamassa fits a budget Squier Tele with his new Seymour Duncan 1950 Broadcaster pickups – and tests it against the vintage Fender original
- “The decline of America’s biggest guitar companies during the ’70s was essentially a hangover from the over-ambitious reaction to the Beatlemania-inspired guitar boom of the ’60s”: Why the ’70s was a time of innovation and folly for guitar gear
- “Ash and mahogany bodies available in never-before-seen colors”: Fender’s Player II range has been expanded with new tonewoods and forgotten finishes unearthed from the archives
- Positive Grid’s Spark Go just dropped back to its insane pre-order price for Prime Day
- They pioneered ‘Heavy Melody’, spearheaded grunge and blazed the trail for drop D tuning – King’s X are one of rock’s most singular bands, and Ty Tabor is a master guitarist who fuses the Beatles and Jimi Hendrix in his supernova style
- “The project was meant to present a lot of interplay between us”: Meet Asymmetric Universe, the Italian brothers who graduated from theme park music and video game scores to world-beating jazz-djent
- “One of the most user-friendly instruments of its kind”: Chapman Law Maker Baritone review
- “The game shaped my experimental approach to guitar. On really tricky levels, I’d put the controller in my lap and hammer the buttons super-fast”: Yasmin Williams on how Guitar Hero inspired her lap-tapping acoustic technique
- October 8
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- “It's every bit as good as a Flying V of old, except you don't have the liability of bringing out a unicorn guitar”: Joe Bonamassa's 1958 “Amos” Flying V was owned by Norm Harris and featured in Spinal Tap – now it's been recreated by Gibson's Murphy Lab
- “Paul can often be heard saying, ‘This is our time’”: PRS just gave its affordable SE range a huge overhaul – from the long-awaited lefty John Mayer Silver Sky to a daring new piezo design
- Guitarists, the Amazon Big Deal Days are all about accessories - here's 7 essential picks for you
- “The first night I was in London, I met Gary Moore. Scott Gorham said, ‘We’re going down to this pub. It’s a jam night.’ When I saw him play I was knocked out”: Pat Travers on Thin Lizzy, Gary Moore – and what guitarists got wrong about Eddie Van Halen
- “Once the modelers caught up to tube amps in their tone, it was all over for me”: Mark Hoppus explains why he switched to Kemper and Quad Cortex for blink-182’s mammoth arena shows
- Get ahead of the Black Friday game with the Beat the Rush sales event on Reverb– up to 44% off guitar gear
- Amazon who? Sales at Guitar Center, Fender, Positive Grid and Sweetwater are kicking Prime Day to the curb
- “I apologize for what’s about to happen”: Steve Morse becomes the latest guitar hero to pay tribute to the late Jeff Beck with a stirring rendition of his signature tune, Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers
- “He said very politely, ‘Can I get up on stage with you and use your guitar?’ It was very overwhelming to play with a Beatle”: That time Ritchie Blackmore and George Harrison jammed Little Richard at a Deep Purple concert
- With $200 slashed off the Fender Tone Master Pro, I'm considering ditching the amps and finally going digital
- “People might think, ‘Oh, that's so easy. There's nothing happening. It's only three chords.’ But it's not – it's as exciting as you make it”: Blues veteran Sue Foley on why turnarounds are essential to any great blues solo
- “David Bowie asked me if I wanted to go out to dinner with John Lennon! I had a big ‘dilemma’ moment; I was hearing certain musical things in my head. I didn’t wanna go out and lose myself”: Carlos Alomar on making Fame, Heroes – and Bowie’s Berlin era
- “I played him Metallica as an example of what I thought was wrong”: How Rick Rubin shaped the sound of Slayer’s classic Reign in Blood record by ignoring heavy metal norms
- “What you guys probably didn't know was that was the first time I've touched that guitar for two months”: Brian May is back on stage following a recent minor stroke
- “When we finished playing, Bill Clinton came up and introduced himself – with the Secret Service all around. A couple of weeks later, I got this envelope in the mail from the White House”: Jimmy D. Lane was raised among blues greats, but found his own way
- “In the past five years, I’ve seen a revival of my Kiss era… I’m always flattered that it’s not just the music that moved them – the guitars I played also matter”: Bruce Kulick is launching a custom ’80s-style guitar line that pays homage to his Kiss days
- Forget Amazon's Big Deal Days sale, Guitar Center's Guitar-A-Thon is primed and ready with up to $430 off select D'Angelicos and up to $300 off Martin
- 5 dissonant guitar chords that hold unexpected delights – including one of Alex Lifeson's favorite shapes
- October 7
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- “I think it makes me sound more like Hendrix, don’t you?” David Gilmour saves Comfortably Numb performance after his Jimi Hendrix guitar strap snaps mid-song
- “When we started in 1966, Eric and Jack had one Marshall each. Then it became a stack, then a double stack, and finally a triple stack”: Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker recount the wild story of Cream, rock's pioneering power trio
- “When you gonna be a frontman, I like frontmen that play guitars, not bass”: Super-producer Raphael Saadiq on why it's challenging to be a lead singer and dig in on bass at the same time
- “You have to make sure water doesn’t spill out when you’re playing”: Fully functioning aquarium electric guitar becomes reality after luthier brings absurd AI design to life
- “You have to be secure in yourself. I'm not intimidated to tell you to buy a Keeley pedal. If that tears my business apart, then my business sucks”: How Josh Scott built one of the world’s leading pedal firms by recommending his rivals
- “The perfect online guitar lessons platform if you’ve already got some playing under your belt”: Til review
- “Usually you hear it coming out of your amp. Here, you feel it all around you”: Paul Davids once visited a nuclear power plant to find the world’s most incredible reverb – now it’s been turned into a signature ambient pedal
- “Jeff would sound like Jeff no matter what you put him through. That was his test for me, too. I was 23. I was so scared, but I passed the test”: Carmen Vandenberg and Rosie Bones explain the joy and challenge of playing with the late, great Jeff Beck
- “I asked Paul McCartney to play bass on a Rolling Stones song: silence for 10 seconds, then ‘Yeah, I’d love to’”: Super-producer Andrew Watt reveals his secret to convincing music legends to collaborate
- “Precise, immersive sound in any setting”: Positive Grid’s new AI-equipped Spark EDGE might be the ultimate PA for busking guitarists
- “The band had come on, but no Rory: most unusual. He was in a state of shock and couldn’t bring himself to step on stage”: The night Rory Gallagher was spooked by his childhood hero – as the Royal Albert Hall waited in anticipation
- Loved by Yngwie Malmsteen, Santana and Slash, the harmonic minor scale is an essential part of every guitar player's vocabulary – and it's more versatile than you might expect
- “A very playable, quality guitar for bridge-heavy rock – just don’t expect it to do everything”: ESP LTD EC-201FT review
- “I remember when Fender started doing this, I was like, ‘Why would anyone purchase something that’s pre-worn?’” Solar continues its relic awakening with “extremely worn and torn” Relik Series
- October 6
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- “I was hanging out in the control room, and Dickey got the idea of putting some guitar parts at the end… I pretty much played half of the lead guitars, but people don’t realize it”: How Les Dudek ended up on the Allman Brothers Band’s Ramblin’ Man
- “I didn't want to record a famous Jaco song, but Gil Goldstein found this tape for me – it was Jaco playing piano”: How Richard Bona found a rare Pastorius tune for his Brazilian-inspired solo album
- October 5
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- “There are a lot of electric players that just cannot play a nylon-string guitar”: Al Di Meola on why he opts to practice on an acoustic guitar – even when preparing for electric-heavy tours
- “I was just looking for a story to tell the grandkids. It was Flea who said that I might get the gig”: Jane’s Addiction bassist Eric Avery recalls his 2003 audition for Metallica
- October 4
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- “It feels a bit wrong to play it. But I don't think anyone who has a guitar that they love would want it to never be played after their death”: Fontaines D.C. guitarist Carlos O'Connell reacts to playing Rory Gallagher's prized guitars
- “This creature has everything but the kitchen sink”: Meet the Koch Ness Monster – Greg Koch’s monstrous new multi-effects pedal, which offers an army of Jam Pedals effects
- “I’m still in shock that I’m getting inducted for a second time”: Wolfgang Van Halen, Zakk Wylde and Andrew Watt to headline Ozzy Osbourne tribute at all-star Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony
- “I felt some responsibility to keep guitar playing alive”: Nuno Bettencourt once vowed to keep Eddie Van Halen’s guitar fire burning – now he’s using his custom Washburn ‘Bumblebee’ to cover Van Halen with Extreme
- “I played poker with Freddie King during one of the tours he did with Eric Clapton. I lost half my tour money!” Session legend George Terry on eating Whoppers with Diana Ross and high times as Eric Clapton’s go-to ’70s six-string lieutenant
- “On my 18th birthday, my brother bought me my first Stratocaster. I thought it was a copy, as I didn’t see the Fender logo. One day, I took the neck off and saw ‘9-58’ inside…” Blackbyrd McKnight on his mysterious Strat and the ’70s jazz-funk explosion
- “I bought it for £300. I showed it to the then-CEO of Epiphone, and said, ‘These guys over in the UK are having a lot of fun. I want in’”: Joe Bonamassa reveals how a cheap knockoff Les Paul kickstarted his partnership with Epiphone
- “I asked Jimmy for advice, and if it was OK to keep doing what I'd been doing. It could be seen as creepy!” Mr. Jimmy, aka Akiro Sakurai, has dedicated his life to becoming Jimmy Page – and he received some sound advice when he met the Led Zeppelin legend
- “When I picked up a guitar, I held it righty, but the pick never felt right in my hands, so I started to make up my own technique”: Jared James Nichols reveals how he developed his unique fingerstyle technique – and the perks of going pick-less
- “It’s always been such a special song to me, and I just love Jimmy Page’s playing on that”: Grace Bowers is the hottest name in blues right now – and she’s taken a rare acoustic turn to cover Led Zeppelin on her new single
- He released his first album at 18 and rose above the Stevie Ray Vaughan comparisons to become one of the blues’ most respected guitarists – here’s how Kenny Wayne Shepherd became a modern-day master of the Stratocaster
- “Built to a standard that few can come close to – and for a grand under a Fender Custom Shop Strat”: Patrick James Eggle 96 Rob Harris Signature review
- “He took it on tour, beat the heck out of it, then painted it. This is a family heirloom now”: Joe Satriani gifted Steve Vai his relic’d, custom-painted Ibanez signature – now it’s one of Vai’s most treasured guitars
- “At home I have this thing that’s now 30 years old called a Zoom”: David Gilmour has one of the most revered guitar tones of all time – but he still uses a 30-year-old Zoom multi-FX for his home demos
- “Everyone I've ever met that I worshipped has been a disappointment, so I want to keep him as my hero”: Geezer Butler names his favorite bassist of all time
- Meet the ‘Les Pallet’ – an utterly absurd electric guitar that has been (quite literally) fashioned from a shipping pallet
- October 3
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- “John Mayer had Paul build a guitar for him for the Dead & Company. He wanted one guitar all night. I thought, ‘Let’s see if I can get back to that’”: Keith Urban on working with PRS on a ‘do-it-all’ guitar build – and why SRV is still number one
- “I discovered how I had full access to the neck”: Why Grace Bowers prefers the Gibson SG to the Les Paul
- “Inspired by over a decade of electric guitar string research”: Ernie Ball Music Man’s new Sabre HT features pickups inspired by its guitar string innovations
- “There were these preposterous rumors that had to do with me going to the hospital and being visited by the spirit of Jimi Hendrix. It was ridiculous. I went to hospital in 1968, Hendrix died in 1970”: Frank Marino on Mahogany Rush’s ‘70s awakening
- David Gilmour tells all, plus Slipknot and Joe Bonamassa's ode to Eric Clapton's Fender years – only in the new Guitar World
- “That thick sound you need for heavy metal – it’s all about the Les Paul. There’s no other guitar with the same kind of bottom-end as a Gibson”: Serj Tankian reveals he has a Gibson signature model on the way
- “He’s enabled fans to achieve the iconic blink-182 tone they've always dreamed of”: Mark Hoppus combines Jaguar, Precision and Jazz Bass parts on his new Fender signature model – including unique reverse-mounted pickups
- “I think it’s a national treasure that should stay here. I threw in a couple grand into the GoFundMe anonymously”: Joe Bonamassa throws his support behind the movement to keep Rory Gallagher's famous Strat in Ireland
- “A complete all-in-one solution”: IK Multimedia takes aim at the Neural DSP Nano Cortex with mammoth free TONEX upgrade – making the amp modeler more versatile than ever
- “One of the holy grails of historic Beatles guitars”: George Harrison’s Futurama – which starred in over 300 early Beatles shows, including the Fab Four’s historic Hamburg tour – is heading to auction
- “He said, ‘Caleb, I like what you're doing. I've got all this work lined up for Jimmy Page, but he doesn't want to do it anymore’”: How Elton John and Hall & Oates guitarist Caleb Quaye inherited the Led Zeppelin legend’s studio work
- Want to master funk guitar? You’d better familiarize yourself with ‘chanking’ and shell chords – two essentials of game-changing James Brown guitarist Jimmy Nolen
- “That beautiful thick Irish accent could melt anyone’s heart. And the lady ended up selling the guitar to Rory for $50!” How Rory Gallagher’s sweet talk secured him his bargain ’61 Kay Value Leader – with a little help from Eric Clapton
- “This all-original distortion circuit is a home run for fans of ’90s guitar tones”: JHS Hard Drive review
- “It's scary when you haven't played for quite a while and can't remember the riff to Seek & Destroy”: James Hetfield reflects on the anxieties he experienced after stepping away from the guitar for too long
- October 2
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- “The Allman Brothers were unbelievable. When Duane came to the studio to play on Layla, I was so taken with him that I started ignoring my own band”: How the 1970s became the greatest decade for rock guitar
- “I went to his house one day, and he said, ‘What’s in my attic? Climb up there and have a look.’ He gave me the 12-string I used on Nights in White Satin”: How Justin Hayward ended up with Lonnie Donegan’s 12-string – before Donegan took it back
- “A historic collaboration”: Tetrarch’s Diamond Rowe becomes Jackson’s first female signature artist with the launch of her groundbreaking new signature guitar
- “I don't think about technique at all now. I want people to hear my guitar tone and be confused about how I got it”: Yvette Young explains why she's rebooting her solo career – and redefining her guitar playing along the way
- “John Mayall’s ability to nurture blues guitar prodigies is comparable to Yoda’s knack for training hot Jedi prospects”: From Eric Clapton to Peter Green, Mick Taylor and more – a guide to blues legend John Mayall’s ’60s Bluesbreakers guitarists
- “Mike shows us an acoustic demo on cassette and plays it in the car. It’s what ends up being Drive. It was a great guitar line – I just needed to get the hell out of the way of it”: OG Incubus bassist Dirk Lance on how Drive taught him to stop overplaying
- “A tribute to the era that helped shape the modern steel-string acoustic”: Martin has introduced an all-new body shape that delivers dreadnought tones from a smaller build
- “She said this model was made shortly after Jeff Hanneman passed away and this was a very, very limited edition”: America's Got Talent sensation Maya Neelakantan gifted a rare prototype of the late Slayer guitarist's signature model by his wife
- “Players once again have the opportunity to discover the magic of this classic”: Gibson has brought back the ES-330 – reviving one its most iconic hollowbody models for the first time in years
- From “vicious” lines inspired by Stevie Ray Vaughan to ice-cold leads in the style of Albert Collins, Philip Sayce channels the blues licks of the greats – and his masterclass will supercharge your pentatonic solos
- “My Reverend feels sturdy. I don’t like when it feels like the guitar I’m playing is gonna break. Vintage guitars scare me!” Meet Hello Mary’s Helena Straight, the ’90s-inspired, time signature-twisting player whose guitar caught the Cure’s attention
- “Cort really is to be congratulated once again for delivering on its Masterpiece promise”: Cort Abstract Delta and Modern Black review
- “I sold 120 of them because I don’t have room for them anymore”: Mike Campbell says he's quit buying guitars, despite his continuing “obsession”
- October 1
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- “It became my life’s work to eliminate every obstacle to playing live acoustic guitar. The AEG-1 is the realization of this philosophy”: Did L.R. Baggs just unveil this year’s most forward-thinking acoustic guitar design?
- “I’ve seen some unplayable instruments made in this country. I’ve also played some real gems not made in the US”: Paul Reed Smith explains why the country a guitar is made in doesn’t matter
- “Mike’s ’59 Les Paul was sitting on a stand. I thought, ‘What are the chances of this happening again?’ After the song, he turned around and goes, ‘What are you doing?’” When Les Dudek guested with Mike Bloomfield (without him knowing)
- “I always try to get her to play as much as she’s willing to… I really like her sensibilities”: Billie Eilish goes electric with a Fender Telecaster at tour debut, following guitar lessons from brother FINNEAS
- Taylor once released a replica of The Last of Us’ iconic acoustic guitar – in a full-circle moment, the real-life version will appear in season two of the video game’s blockbuster TV adaptation
- “I was in the studio, and the phone rang. It was Lou Reed. I’d never met him. He called me, saying, ‘I saw a picture of you with this guitar…’” Joe Perry on Aerosmith’s roaring ’70s, writing Dream On – and being a B.C. Rich early adopter
- “Our philosophy is that you should not be limited to a budget to buy the instrument of your dreams”: Harley Benton is now shipping its ultra-affordable guitar gear direct in the US for the first time via a new Reverb store
- “Any kind of technical guitar playing was mocked and frowned upon”: Mick Thomson explains why his solos were erased from Slipknot’s debut album – and how he reacted
- “I guess we don’t need the wall hanger…” Texas man reportedly pays $4,000 for Taylor Swift guitar – and immediately smashes it with a hammer
- “I can already tell you this sounds better than one of my original ’55s”: Joe Bonamassa’s 12th Epiphone signature guitar is his first with P-90s – and features one of the rarest Les Paul finishes ever made
- “The Black Crowes got thrown off the ZZ Top tour. We picked up where they left off… Every night the tour manager warned us when the explosions were going to go off”: Michelle Malone gave up sax for guitar – and had John Mayer “begging” to join her shows
- “It certainly would pass a blindfold comparison with me. Why wouldn’t it?” David Gilmour says he can't tell the difference between his signature Fender and his original Black Strat
- Everybody knows John Petrucci for his God-like shredding abilities, but the Dream Theater virtuoso’s next-level rhythm playing deserves more attention
- “It passed almost every test with flying colors… tidy to play with a great range of tones”: Squier Limited Edition Classic Vibe '60s Telecaster SH review
