Latest articles by Amit Sharma
“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
The metal pioneer reveals how to score private time with Ritchie Blackmore, the reality of trying to cover Tony Iommi, what Chuck Shuldiner would be doing today – and why he’s finally playing all six strings… on a James Hetfield guitar
“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
Ben Beetham is a pedalboard thrill-seeker whose tones make Kid Kapichi one of the most vital bands on the UK rock scene
“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
In a world-exclusive interview, Brian May takes you behind the scenes of the making of 13 iconic Queen cuts, and reveals what inspired his magical guitar playing in Bohemian Rhapsody, Killer Queen, Don’t Stop Me Now and many more
“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
Just a couple of his best-selling Schecter signature models, an amp and a taste for adventure, and Canadian six-string phenom Nick Johnston had all he needed to make the album of his career
“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
The Black Crowes guitarist says his restored LP is a rare example of an instrument that (eventually) came back stronger following the 2012 disaster
“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
As the Emperor icon returns with the most ambitious album of his career, he dropped by to discuss his fierce picking speed, the influence of film scores, and why you don't need as much distortion as you think
“I couldn’t even walk, but I thought, ‘At least I can play guitar!’ When I picked one up, I just couldn’t. That was the final straw”: Deryck Whibley had to rebuild Sum 41 after nearly dying – so why is he ready to break up the band?
As Sum 41 release their final album, the pop-punk icons’ frontman explains why he knew it was time to call it quits – but not before he bought the ’68 Les Paul featured on the album that inspired him to play in the first place
![Dirty Sound Magnet [L-R]: Marco Mottolini (bass guitar), Stavros Dzodzos (guitar/vocals), Maxime Cosandey (drums)](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/wjqtjU8uisahDGf4NgHzpD-840-80.jpg.webp)
“I never have boundaries regarding the gear I use – my rule is simply to follow my ears”: Dirty Sound Magnet sound like Hendrix meets the Doors by way of Zappa – Stavros Dzodzos explains how analog adventurism fuels their psychedelic sound
Dirty Sound Magnet have the sound of a band trying to shake loose reality. Guitarist/vocalist Dzodzos shares his analog-forward tone approach
“My best advice to all guitarists is to sit down and write the things you practice”: Halestorm’s Lzzy Hale talks tone tips, meat and potatoes rock, and reveals how a fan gave her an original Klon Centaur
The Gibson Ambassador and Kramer signature artist checks in to share six-string wisdom, the secret of keeping it simple, and why she made a guitar that looks like it came from the '80s
“A lot of the pedals I use are to make guitars sound less like guitars”: Travis Johnson reveals the PS-3 secrets behind Activity’s sound, and what’s next for Trap Door Electronics
An alumni of Death By Audio, Travis Johnson is taking guitar sounds into uncharted territory with his band and his boutique pedal firm, Trap Door
“This is a Dinky that lives up to the legacy behind it”: Jackson Pro Plus Series Dinky DKAQ review
This Seymour Duncan-equipped shredder might be too good to be true, applying top-quality pickups and hardware to Jackson's go-faster design DNA at a sensible price
“I tend to think if you wouldn’t sing it, don’t play it”: Session player turned Mamas Gun guitar slinger Terry Lewis on the enduring majesty of the 335 semi-hollow and what he learned from Larry Carlton
A formidable session guitarist and teacher at BIMM, Terry Lewis is the virtuoso presence behind London neo-soul quintet Mamas Gun
“The Rise solo was anointed by whatever DNA I grabbed from Edward that day. Whatever kiss he gave me on the lips, I went back into the studio and brought it with me”: Nuno Bettencourt unpicks the guitar solo that kept Van Halen’s fire burning
In his “most detailed analysis yet”, Bettencourt shares the story behind the most incendiary guitar solo of 2023, and explains why, these days, he’s “more excited about the accidents” than perfect takes
“People think his playing is all about the big riffs, but I always loved his jazzy playing – listen to Planet Caravan. You can hear a lot of passing tones”: Opeth’s Mikael Åkerfeldt says there’s way more to Tony Iommi’s guitar style than riffs alone
The Swedish progressive metal icon pays homage to the dark lord of rock
“A lot of kids think drop-tuning is this new thing that just came out and it’s like, ‘No way, Jimi Hendrix was doing that stuff a long time ago!’” Eric Gales on the lasting influence and innovations of the ultimate electric guitar icon
Gales says he wears his Hendrix influence with pride. Here, one of today’s greatest blues-rock guitarists shares his insight on the visionary and fearless experimentalist
The world’s most influential guitar gear designers: meet the pioneers behind the innovations that changed the electric guitar forever
It’s not just star guitarists who have changed the way we play – these are the innovators whose inventions forever altered the course of the guitar itself
“If a modern player delivered a Jimmy Page solo, they’d get crucified”: Nita Strauss discusses the Led Zeppelin icon’s unique ability to play the right thing in any situation
From his incredible ear to his innovative arrangements, Strauss explains why she loves Page’s playing
Game-changers, taste-makers and trend-setters: here are 2023's guitarists of the year
We tip our hats to the players that made 2023 such a defining year in guitar history – and whose achievements we'll be talking about in years to come
News of the (guitar) world: the biggest, baddest, weirdest and saddest guitar news of 2023
We track the year’s biggest six-string stories – from landmark gear developments to devastating departures and 2023’s most headline-grabbing players
“Eddie was like a new sun appearing in the sky. You could sense that the world would never be the same”: From the big bang of Eruption to tone tips and warm-ups – Paul Gilbert shares the knowledge gleaned from a lifetime studying Eddie Van Halen
The shred icon salutes his greatest influence – with the insight of a fellow guitar obsessive
“I wouldn't be here right now if it wasn't for Master of Puppets”: Mark Tremonti on how Metallica's classic record changed his life – and how James Hetfield's right hand shaped his picking style
The metal trailblazers had an immeasurable impact on the Alter Bridge axeman – here, he discusses what makes Hetfield and Kirk Hammett such a potent duo
“I wanted to be Paul Kossoff – a Les Paul with a wah into a Marshall and nothing else. I’d be telling myself off for dialing too much gain!” Black Stone Cherry share their gear epiphanies – and why we’re hearing Misha Mansoor’s Peavey on their new album
Ben Wells and Chris Robertson on the gear and the tones behind one of hard rock's most engaging guitar double acts – and why it all goes back to Leo Fender
“Tone is in the fingers. That’s not to say you can’t get close. Some YouTube players can get so close to Stevie Ray Vaughan, it’s frightening!” Danny Bryant is one of modern British blues’ finest players – ignore his tone wisdom at your peril
Give Bryant a Strat and he'll give you the blues straight, no chaser. He reveals the ‘death metal’ lessons Walter Trout taught him, and how to get the best out of your Strat
“If you want to be a well-rounded metal player, alternate picking is something you cannot skip out on”: Josh Middleton on the essential techniques and discipline of metal guitar
The Sylosis riff master unpacks some of his metal approaches and explains why practice makes perfect, even if it makes you the last person in the world anyone would want to watch TV with
“Malcolm Young would shred picks. It's like he would pick them up and they’d turn to dust!”: Richard Fortus breaks down his role as Guns N’ Roses’ rhythm machine – and explains the overlooked details that separate good players from great ones
GNR's resident Gretsch signature artist discusses his chemistry with Slash – and how it echoes that of Izzy Stradlin's – and pinpoints his approach to staying in the pocket
