Chris Gill
Chris is the co-author of Eruption - Conversations with Eddie Van Halen. He is a 40-year music industry veteran who started at Boardwalk Entertainment (Joan Jett, Night Ranger) and Roland US before becoming a guitar journalist in 1991. He has interviewed more than 600 artists, written more than 1,400 product reviews and contributed to Jeff Beck’s Beck 01: Hot Rods and Rock & Roll and Eric Clapton’s Six String Stories.
Latest articles by Chris Gill

Tool's Adam Jones on taking cues from Meshuggah, unorthodox pedals, and the trick he learned from Robert Fripp
By Chris Gill published
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
By Chris Gill published
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
By Chris Gill published
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
By Chris Gill published
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
By Chris Gill published
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
By Chris Gill published
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
By Chris Gill published
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
By Chris Gill published
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
By Chris Gill published
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?

Beloved by Pat Travers and Adrian Belew, the A/DA Flanger was one of the greatest guitar effects of the ’70s
By Chris Gill published
An original pedalboard classic, the A/DA Flanger was the first to sound like true tape flanging – with sounds ranging from the conventional to the esoteric

“All the sounds you could ever want from a Plexi”: Suhr SL68 MkII head review
By Chris Gill published
Is this the ultimate Plexi-inspired tube amp head? The evidence is persuasive...

“Genuine classic sounds of the original”: TC Electronic TC 2290P Dynamic Digital Delay review
By Chris Gill published
A bucket-list item for many players arrives in an affordable pedal format. But does it stack up with the rack-mountable unit that inspired it?

“An excellent range of tones”: Blackstar HT Series MK III HT-1R, HT-5R and HT-20RH review
By Chris Gill published
New look, same great tone? The third generation of Blackstar’s compact tube amp series is more than just a makeover – please welcome CabRig speaker emulation to the party

“Expand your mind and your sonic palette”: Death By Audio/EarthQuaker Devices Time Shadows II review
By Chris Gill published
EQD’s Jamie Stillman and DBA's Ollie Ackermann put their heads together and design a pedal that will blow your mind

“A classic ’70s hardtail”: Fender 70th Anniversary Vintera II Antigua Stratocaster review
By Chris Gill published
This hardtail beauty marks the Strat’s big 7-0 in style – provided you like Antigua

Is the Explorer still Gibson’s most underrated electric guitar?
By Chris Gill published
The Explorer was a little bit radical for 1958 but popularized by Clapton, Hetfield, the Edge, Rick Derringer and Skynyrd, this all-angled shape came into its own. Does it sound different to other Gibsons? Debatable. But heck, it looks cool

“Faithful reproductions at a affordable prices”: Warm Audio Warm Bender and RingerBringer review
By Chris Gill published
Warm Audio's latest hot plate of vintage-inspired effects pedals presents us with a three-circuit Tone Bender-style fuzz and an all-analog Moog-inspired ring mod – and an abundance of mojo for our 'boards

“An ideal first mic for anyone configuring a home studio”: Rode NT1 Signature Series review
By Chris Gill published
Super-affordable, low noise, and it can handle whatever firepower your amp is going to throw at it – the NT1 Signature Series is one magic mic

“A drum machine for dummies?”: DigiTech SDRUM Strummable Drums review
By Chris Gill published
DigiTech brings back the pedal that allows you to create drum sounds via your guitar

“The koa version’s beauty is much more than skin deep”: Taylor 222ce-K DLX review
By Chris Gill published
Koa is a Goldilocks tonewood positioned between spruce and mahogany – and this all-koa grand concert is a truly exquisite acoustic that presents real value for fingerpickers

The best cheap electric ever? Why Jimmy Page, Tom Verlaine and Eric Clapton loved the Danelectro Shorthorn
By Chris Gill published
The super-affordable guitar with the basic build became a cult classic, beloved by rock players, slide maestros and guitarists of all styles. All hail the Shorthorn

“A semi-acoustic with aggressive character and punch that outshines many solidbody designs”: EVH SA-126 Special review
By Chris Gill published
Wolfgang Van Halen’s new signature model ushers in a new era of the hot-rodded super-semi – and it might just be one of the most versatile rock machines on the market today

The Tube Screamer that Stevie Ray Vaughan really used – and why it may not be the one you expect
By Chris Gill published
The iconic Ibanez overdrive pedal SRV used to create his timeless tone – and the settings he used to do it

“A monster for blazing lead and solo tones that bite through the mix”: Keeley Electronics Angry Orange, Blues Disorder and Super Rodent review
By Chris Gill published
Keeley’s 4-in-1 overdrive and distortion pedals offer a compelling combination of distinct effects and voices in one box

“An impressive collection of effects that cost a little more than $1 each”: Line 6 HX One review
By Chris Gill published
More than 250 top-class HX effects models in a compact pedal? You can only use one at a time, but this could still be the pedalboard power-up you’ve been waiting for
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