Latest articles by Andrew Daly
“I took all my Ibanez guitars and threw them into the audience”: Dave Navarro on why he switched to PRS – and Jane’s Addiction’s unlikely rebirth
Navarro stopped playing guitar after his battle with long Covid was compounded by grief following the passing of his friend and bandmate Taylor Hawkins. He reveals how he came back from the brink to join a once-more reunited Jane’s Addiction for new music and a new sonic approach
Tom Morello on the origins and mods of his Soul Power Stratocaster – the first Strat he ever played
The Soul Power was the instrument of new beginnings for Tom Morello, a stock, off-the-wall Guitar Center purchase that was soon to be customized, soon to be iconic in Audioslave. This is its story
Orianthi on the rhinestone-encrusted PRS Custom 24 she played with Michael Jackson, 50 Cent… and an elephant
Now this is a one-of-one guitar. A Custom 24, made “sparkly” at the request of Michael Jackson's people, and best of all, it was on the cover of Guitar World. Orianthi tells us its story
ZZ Top’s Elwood Francis on teching for Joe Perry, lying to Steve Vai – and the curse of his viral 17-string bass
The gear-trashing DIY enthusiast once had to choose between Vai and Joe Perry, before being fired and rehired by Guns N’ Roses – in a matter of days
Blushing are riding the TikTok shoegaze revival with a Johnny Marr Jaguar and an ex-Smashing Pumpkin
The Austin, TX dream-pop champs guitarist Michelle Sotoare on TikTok’s double-edged sword – and how Ride’s Mark Gardener and Jeff Schroeder of the Smashing Pumpkins made their dreams a reality
Dave Navarro on how he and John Frusciante finally played together for the first time after decades of friendship
The former Red Hot Chili Peppers and current Jane’s Addiction guitarist has long had a close relationship with Frusciante, but they didn’t play together until 2020
“That amp quite literally changed my life”: Damon Johnson explains why finding the right amp kickstarted his career
Back in 1990, Johnson bought a pricey but career-changing amp that he says “was worth every penny”
Ritchie Blackmore on why he switched from the 335 to the Stratocaster – and the one he used to record Smoke on the Water
Deep Purple icon Ritchie Blackmore tells us how a visit from Slowhand’s roadie turned him into a Fender Strat diehard – and why he kept breaking whammy bars
Eric Gales shares his stompbox philosophy and reveals how Eric Johnson inspired his pedalboard
The blues-rock great lets you in on the mini pedals, funky boxes and signature wah pedal that add the finishing touches to his tone
Wailers icon Junior Marvin on joining Bob Marley – and the night Hendrix shook his hand
Marvin had been offered a 10 year contract from Stevie Wonder on the day he joined Bob Marley and the Wailers. But he never looked back
Brant Bjork made his name as Kyuss’ drummer – but he found his voice on guitar
The drummer turned guitarist says starting in cover bands can improve your writing skills – and explains why he learned more from the Byrds and the Beatles than playing with Josh Homme in Kyuss
“Pentatonic ideas are always the best way to reach an audience”: Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram on why the pentatonic scale is still the GOAT
The pentatonic scale has been used many times in many ways, but Ingram insists that it's still the cornerstone of great guitar solos
Robert Cray on why he fell in love with the Fender Stratocaster – and how Buddy Guy’s younger brother started it all
We get the lowdown on Robert Cray’s 15-strong Strat collection, and why one guitar was never the same after he lent it to Sonny Landreth
“Wanna get employed with a touring band? Play mind-blowing rhythm parts”: Alice Cooper guitarist Ryan Roxie on the importance of rhythm guitar
Roxie has toured with the best. He explains why you need more than fancy chops to make it as a touring musician
How a former Black Crowe changed Samantha Fish’s soloing style forever
Fish gives her take on what makes solos memorable – and why flashy playing doesn’t speak to the soul
“They all went to buy Strats after they saw me”: Buddy Guy on why the Strat is a blues guitar
Buddy was the first great blues player to bend the Strat to his will. He explains what makes it great, and shares the story behind his Strat from the cover of the July '91 issue of GW
Elwood Francis on the origins of his 17-string bass – and why he regrets it becoming a ZZ Top staple
Elwood Francis reveals the origins of his preposterous 17-string bass – and why he’s disappointed it went viral
The Albert Brothers on recording Hendrix, Clapton, the Allman Brothers – and that Layla session
Ron and Howard’s innovative recording techniques became synonymous with the ’70s – but the humble siblings say they were just lucky to get to work with the best
Henry Garza on “Tejana”, aka his #1 Strat – a guitar so good even Carlos Santana wanted to play it
You might love your Strat but do you love it as much as Garza? The Los Lonely Boys guitarist charts the history of his number one
Mick Mars on finding his thrill with the Fender Strat – and the ’54 unicorn that broke his heart
The former Mötley Crüe guitarist pays tribute to the most important Strats in his life, the mods they have had, and why he had to step away from the pointy guitars crazy of the '80s
“I played with Clapton… 15 minutes later I was back in the office”: Probyn Gregory’s incredible double life
His cautious career approach has given him the chance to play Jeff Beck’s rig, avoid taking a doomed TV gig, bring Pet Sounds back to the stage – and help Wilson revive the Smile project he’d run away from in 1967
“I played on about a billion records…that was on all of them”: Steve Lukather on the Robot Strat
When Lukather appeared on the Sep 1983 issue of GW, he was holding an EMG-loaded Strat that was about to undergo a similar transformation to Alex Murphy in RoboCop. Here is the story of a cult classic
Ana Popovic on how her family’s sacrifice started a lifelong love affair with the Stratocaster
The blues guitar virtuoso tells GW how she found her voice through the Stratocaster, and shares some of her favorites over the years, including a '57 reissue that ruined a family vacation
Alex Lifeson on his legendary Hentor Sportscaster – one of the true original Superstrats
The Sportscaster is one of the classic Superstrats and is now in production under Lifeson's Lerxst brand. Here, the Rush legend takes us back to the beginning, explaining why he needed it in the first place
