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
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“More of an instrument than an effects processor, it creates strange and beautiful sonic textures”: SOMA Cosmos Drifting Memory Station review
By Chris Gill published
Ambient guitar soundscapists, your spaceship has come in...
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The smallest, the simplest, the best? Why the MXR Phase 90 remains a pedalboard classic, beloved by EVH and Gilmour enthusiasts the world over
By Chris Gill published
Famously used by Eddie Van Halen, David Gilmour and Steve Hackett, this single-knobbed phaser pedal has never been out of style, with a chewy psychedelic sound that can't be beat
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The Gibson ES-335 has been played by greats including Eric Clapton, B.B. King and Larry Carlton – here’s why guitarists can’t get enough of the iconic semi-hollow
By Chris Gill published
Since 1958, the ES-335 has caught players’ imaginations as only great instruments can
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“A robust meat-and-potatoes amp that can survive daily gigs, performs well in the studio and doesn’t cost an arm and a leg”: Peavey Classic 20 Combo review
By Chris Gill published
Revamped and downsized in all the right places, the Peavey Classic Series delivers bluechip tube tones at blue collar prices
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“A just-right balance between pure, unadulterated vintage tube tone and modern conveniences”: Gibson Falcon 20 review
By Chris Gill published
This sweet-sounding tube combo puts Gibson's amp range back on its perch
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“Strat connoisseurs should find that the pickups deliver the tonal qualities of their dreams”: Ernie Ball Music Man Luke 4 SSS review
By Chris Gill published
The EBMM x Steve Lukather collab celebrates a landmark anniversary with a triple-single coil model that is ridiculously effective and well put together
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“Just like driving a Plexi Super Lead flat out, but accessible at lower volume levels – and won’t cause permanent ear damage”: Universal Audio UAFX Lion ’68 Super Lead Amp review
By Chris Gill published
UA sought to capture the tone and feel of one of the most legendary guitar amps of all time in a pedal – and the Lion nails the brief
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“It sounds as good as ever, with impressive volume output and projection, rich, reverb-like resonance, brisk treble and sweet, sonorous midrange”: Taylor GS Mini Sapele review
By Chris Gill published
The high-end acoustic guitar specialist has done the impossible once again, serving up a small-bodied acoustic with a huge voice, with a top build at an inflation-beating price. Remarkable
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How the Gretsch 6120 Chet Atkins became a rock ’n’ roll icon, played by Pete Townshend, Randy Bachman and more – before enjoying a triumphant second act in the hands of Brian Setzer
By Chris Gill published
There are few cooler hollowbody electrics than the Gretsch 6120 Chet Atkins/Nashville, few more versatile. It has done country, rock 'n' roll, rockabilly and rock. This is its story
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“Dazzlingly authentic speaker and miked room tones that truly sound and feel like guitar speaker cabinets”: UAFX OX Stomp Dynamic Speaker Emulator review
By Chris Gill published
It's the Ox in a 'box, offering the same studio-quality cab and mic emulation in a compact, pedalboard-friendly format
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“The sound is so good that I’m starting to question whether the expensive exotic tone woods that so many guitarists lust over really make much of a difference”: Donner Hush-X solidbody guitar review
By Chris Gill published
The electric travel guitar that sounds so good you won't believe it isn't a regular solidbody
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How the Electro-Harmonix Electric Mistress became the go-to flanger for David Gilmour and Andy Summers, and remained a pedalboard staple for nearly 50 years
By Chris Gill published
Was it the world's first flanger? Who cares. What matters is that the EHX Flanger/Filter Matrix can legitimately claim to be the coolest, and contributed to some classic recordings
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“Ben Cote wanted a bottle opener on his strap, which is something every guitarist needs whether they know it or not!” Inside the rise of Fairfield Guitar Co., strap company to the stars
By Chris Gill published
Guitar straps so comfortable that they should come with a recommendation from a chiropractor? Count us in. See why Rob Caggiano, Philip Shouse and more are partnering with Fairfield
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“Affordable, gig-worthy stompboxes that bring pro-level polish and timeless tones to any rig”: Universal Audio UAFX Evermore, Heavenly, Orion and 1176 review
By Chris Gill published
Offering studio hardware in a compact, pedalboard-friendly format, UAFX is democratizing reference-quality guitar tones – and we can't get enough of it
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“A great and affordable option for players seeking a stripped-down hot rod shred guitar”: EVH Frankenstein Relic Series review
By Chris Gill published
Meet the new Frankenstein, same as the old one, just without the stripes, and with a lived-in feel that's as comfortable as well-worn denim
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“The SA-126 is way beyond a typical semi-hollow. There’s nothing else like that guitar. It’s like a hot rod, but with a souped-up modern engine”: Wolfgang Van Halen on building the supersized sound of Mammoth II (with some help from Eddie’s Frankenstein)
By Chris Gill published
Armed with his new EVH semi-hollow signature model, plus the most hallowed pieces in his father's collection, Wolfgang Van Halen explains how he went all in for his epic sophomore album
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Why Guild’s 12-string design is one of the greatest engineering feats of the 20th century – and how it became a go-to acoustic for Jimmy Page, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Brian May
By Chris Gill published
We chart the history and innovations behind one of music's most popular 12-string acoustics – a guitar that can be heard on classic tracks from the likes of Led Zeppelin, Supertramp, Simon & Garfunkel and more
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Game-changers, taste-makers and trend-setters: here are 2023's guitarists of the year
By Guitar World Staff published
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
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How the 1960s Gibson J-200 upset acoustic purists but remained King of the flat-tops in the eyes of the Beatles, Creedence Clearwater Revival and Yusuf/Cat Stevens
By Chris Gill published
The bridge was the one thing the purists just couldn't cross, but those who did found an acoustic bursting with songs and a tone that could not be matched
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“It felt like a really special moment to celebrate by using the Frankenstein. It was like having my dad right there with me”: Wolfgang Van Halen on how it felt to use Eddie’s OG Frankie and Marshall rig to record one of Mammoth WVH’s standout solos
By Matt Owen published
Found on the latest Mammoth WVH record, the lead effort on Take a Bow was recorded using one of the most iconic gear combos in music history
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The ‘90s was a watershed era for gear, and set the template for the future of the electric guitar – these are the retro designs, digital innovations and misfit toys that defined a decade and beyond
By Chris Gill published
The invention of the seven-string, emergence of digital modeling and rise of the boutique pedal industry all took place during the ‘90s, and provided the blueprint for the sound of guitar music to come
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Why the Vox AC30 is the “desert island” amp of choice for guitar legends including Brian May, the Edge and Rory Gallagher
By Chris Gill published
The AC30 is an all-time classic tube combo. We unpack its history and design, its brief deployment in the studio with the Beatles, and the titanic influence it has had on guitar tone
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Boss DM-101 Delay Machine review – the ultimate analog delay pedal? It’s hard to argue
By Chris Gill published
The Japanese pedal giant is as good as its word with this innovative and musical take on classic analog delay effects
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D’Angelico Deluxe Eric Krasno Brighton review: it hits a magical “goldilocks” spot between a vintage Les Paul Special and Stratocaster – with even more sparkle and brilliance
By Chris Gill published
Krasno's new signature model might be strictly limited edition but its unique voice and top-class build would have mass appeal among any player looking for something different
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Used by everyone from Kurt Cobain to Ace Frehley, the DiMarzio Super Distortion pickup changed the sound of rock – and the future of electric guitar tone
By Chris Gill published
Larry DiMarzio’s Super Distortion not only presented players in the ’70s with a high-output option, it started a culture of players swapping out pickups in search of better tone
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