Latest articles by Amit Sharma
“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
“This music was born out of pain and suffering. It wasn’t all about guitar solos or ‘my baby left me’! That’s where a lot of people go wrong”: Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram on why the future of blues guitar requires an understanding of its past
The Mississippi blues phenom draws on influences ranging from past masters to Eric Gales and Prince alike – and he says to play the blues, you've got to know where it came from
“I have a Danelectro ’84 Strat copy worth $400 – it’s one of my main guitars, right up there with the $10k Custom Shop SG”: He’s one of the guitar world’s biggest YouTubers. Now Tyler Larson is turning his gear habit into electrifying instrumental rock
Inspired by Joe Satriani, Steve Vai and Radiohead, the debut album from the Music is Win mastermind brings his formidable demo chops to full-blown compositions. He explains why anyone can make it as a YouTuber, the elusive formula that makes certain gear so sought-after and whether the Klon Centaur is really worth $5,000…
“There’s no replacement for picking up a guitar, feeling those strings under your fingers and building your calluses”: British shred hero Sophie Lloyd teaches you how to become a better player
As first-call player for Machine Gun Kelly, a YouTube six-string superstar and solo artist, Lloyd is one of the world's fastest-rising guitarists. She shares her tips for getting better faster
“I got the call saying there was a band looking for a player. I said yes before even asking which band it was. Then I got told it was Ghost”: Former Nameless Ghoul Chris Catalyst breaks cover about his time in Tobias Forge’s epic metal project
The UK session guitarist went from marathon tours with Sisters of Mercy and Ugly Kid Joe to massive arena shows with Ghost. He reveals what it takes to cut it in one of metal’s biggest bands, why Noel Gallagher has one of his all-time favorite guitar tones, and how a love of Kempers, hooks and Britpop shaped his new solo album
“Go into your local shop and pick one up… just try not to kill anyone with it”: How Five Finger Death Punch’s Andy James made one of the most dangerous signature guitars of all time
Now armed with the B.C. Rich Assassin and its lethal Pitchfork headstock, the British shredder reveals what made him jump ship from Kiesel and ESP Guitars, what his last-minute FFDP initiation was really like, and why he couldn’t find any tube amps that “sounded as good and dependable as the Kemper”
