Latest articles by Chris Gill
“The perfect affordable choice”: Martin D-X2E Brazilian 12-string review
The X Series promises classic 12-string chime with a solid spruce top and onboard pickup/preamp and the look of the most sought-after tonewood of all time. But does it all add up?
Why the Fender Esquire remains a stone-cold classic
Loved by Billy Gibbons, Steve Cropper and Jeff Beck, the Fender Esquire is one of those guitars that have stood the test of time and proved that sometimes one pickup is all you need
The highlights of the Jeff Beck guitar auction – from Seymour Duncan’s Tele-Gib hybrid to his Oxblood Gibson Les Paul
Christie’s Jeff Beck Auction offers a revealing look at numerous iconic instruments from the guitar hero’s entire career – from the Yardbirds to Johnny Depp
In praise of the Champ, Bronco and Vibro Champ – how Fender's compact tube amps became studio MVPs
Countless classic recordings have been blessed with the hot tube mojo of a 1964 black-panel Fender Champ and its descendants, and it’s a sound that remains a studio superpower to this day
From the Beatles to the Stones, Johnny Marr and Radiohead, why everyone loves the Epiphone Casino
It was the sound of the British Invasion, of Lennon’s Revolution, and it brings us jangle and bite in equal measure. We pay tribute to the E230TD/TDV’s golden years
“The tonal character and responsiveness is indeed quite tubular”: Vox Valvenergy 2nd Series pedals review
Compact pedals with real tubes and real tube energy – are these the missing link between your guitar and amp? We give the Valvenergy 2nd Series pedals a test run
“A luxurious axe that’s much more than a bare-bones Junior model”: ESP LTD Deluxe EC-01FT review
This mid-priced single-cut offers a simple single-pickup drive – but a whole lot of tones to sniff out
Eddie Van Halen on the time Billy Corgan played through his rig – and why his setup shocked the Smashing Pumpkins frontman
Finding EVH's rig almost impossible to wrangle, Corgan figured, mistakenly, that there was something he could quickly disable to tame it
Loved by Nuno Bettencourt, Jeff Beck and Kurt Cobain, the ProCo Rat graduated from dank basements to the world’s biggest albums
How the Rat changed the world of distortion for guitarists of all stripes, from hard rockers and metalheads to jazz cats, too
Best electric guitars under $500 2025: maximum tone, minimum price
Our pick of the best guitars under $500, with top choices from Squier, Epiphone, Schecter, and more
“Outrageously excellent value”: Squier Affinity Series Starcaster Deluxe review
Is it time this electric expanded its cult appeal and became a mainstream blockbuster? Because this is one cool – and affordable – semi
“Dial in a wide range of tones with minimal effort”: Reverend Billy Corgan Signature Drop Z review
The Smashing Pumpkins frontman's latest signature collab with Reverend is built for drop tunings. Is this the ultimate grunge machine?
“A supreme upgrade of the classic ES-335 design, with exceptionally more versatile tonal options”: Gibson ES Supreme review
The ES-335 gets an upscale makeover with ebony fingerboards, figured maple and an expanded range of sounds, but is it worth the extra outlay? We try one in each color to see what's what
“Luscious high-gain distortion and tight-but-mammoth bottom end”: Peavey Invective .112 combo review
Peavey's Misha Mansoor tube amp collab is reimagined as a 1x12 combo, with an expanded clean channel and all the the gain the 21st-century metal player needs
“Certain to become a standard. A very versatile first mic”: Shure SM4 Home Recording Microphone review
Looking for that first mic to complete your home studio setup? The SM4 is a high-performance candidate that is a versatile option for electric guitars, acoustics and vocals
Tool's Adam Jones on taking cues from Meshuggah, unorthodox pedals, and the trick he learned from Robert Fripp
On the eve of the release of 10,000 Days, Tool's tone titan sat down for a chat with GW about the reclusive quartet's creative process, “the Melvins school of writing music,” and why he absolutely, positively, did not use an EBow on the album
A tribute to a Eddie Van Halen’s fire-breathing Peavey 5150: Universal Audio UAFX Anti 1992 High Gain Amp pedal review
Universal Audio expands its superlative UAFX amp modelling pedal lineup with a high-gain tribute to a Eddie Van Halen’s fire-breathing Peavey 5150
Eddie Van Halen details the years of onstage trials and workshop tribulations that shaped the EVH Wolfgang guitar
Back in 2009, GW sat down with a rejuvenated and re-energized Eddie Van Halen to get the full, twisty backstory of the signature model he referred to as “the culmination of 35 years of experimenting with guitars”
“Highly responsive and expressive... delivers world-class tones”: Ernie Ball Music Man Axis review
Once upon a time, it was Eddie Van Halen's signature model. Now, it's simply one of the best high-performance electrics money can buy, and perhaps it's time it should be recognized as a true modern classic
How the Martin D-18 and D-28 changed the world – and became the definitive acoustic guitars
Loved by the likes of Eric Clapton, Joni Mitchell, Mark Knopfler and more, these Martin dreadnoughts are arguably the most successful guitar designs in history. Here's everything you need to know about this steel-string icon
“Delightfully gnarly tones”: Electro-Harmonix Lizard King Octave Distortion review
Voiced for bass but awesome on guitar, this pedalboard Godzilla might just take the crown as this year's must-have octave fuzz
“Each guitar sounded stunningly warm, natural and lush”: Circa ’74 150-10 Acoustic/Vocal amp review
Meet the guitar amp that's literally Taylor-made for the acoustic in your life, with a high-end design and performance that will look after your vocals, too
Why the ’70s was a time of innovation and folly for guitar gear
The ’70s gets a bad rep from some guitarists but it's too easy to say this was a bad time for Gibson and Fender and that's the story. There were some real treasures and technological breakthroughs
“The boutique amp market thrives and exists as it does today largely thanks to Mike Soldano”: From Eddie Van Halen and Steve Vai to Eric Clapton and Mark Knopfler, the Soldano SLO-100 changed the sound of shred and blues alike
The SLO-100 made its bones in the hard-rock and shred scenes and yet found its true calling as the amp of choice for Clapton, Knopfler, et al. What makes it such an enduring, versatile model?
