Latest articles by Jamie Dickson
“This was Les Paul in his ear”: The story behind Gibson’s distinctive Alnico V ‘Staple pickup’
A lesser celebrated pickup the ‘Staple’ pickup features those distinctive rectangular polepieces and a sound that makes it ripe for rediscovery, especially with a range of replicas on the market
Is this oddball ’60s electric the weirdest custom model Gibson has ever created?
The guitar – reportedly admired by Billy Gibbons – was built in 1966 for Torpedo Joe, and is said to be one of the strangest custom models Gibson has crafted
Scott Gorham nearly lost his 'Holy Grail' 1957 Gibson Les Paul to a customs officer just after he bought it – and he had to go to court to get it back
The Thin Lizzy guitarist bought the vintage guitar while in Boston with the band, but ran into a few issues when trying to take it overseas
Ola Strandberg brought headless guitars back from the dead. Now he wants to take them to the masses with his first sub-$1,000 electric
The Boden Essential makes the future-forward Boden ergonomics available to a wider demographic than ever before. Ola Strandberg walks us through its development
Guitar prices and the conundrum of high-priced budget electric vs entry-level prestige model
With top-of-the-line Epiphones challenging Gibson USA models for spec, and being priced accordingly, how do you decide which model is right for you?
“Sometimes the guitar will tell you what it likes the best”: How to choose the right strings for your guitar
String guru Curt Mangan busts myths and drops knowledge that will help us make better decisions when it comes to the most fundamental gear purchase we routinely make
Fender’s Master Builders on what makes a good Stratocaster – and the best Strats they’ve ever played
As two of the Custom Shop’s best luthiers, there are few people in the world better qualified to talk Strats than Paul Waller and Austin MacNutt. They share the secrets behind the truly special ones – and the mods that could revitalize yours
Tommy Emmanuel on how to set the bar high for yourself in the studio and on stage
From honing your creativity to eradicating erroneous string noise, the acoustic maestro explains how to set the bar high for yourself in the studio and on stage
Up-close with the 1974 Martin guitar that Eric Clapton used to write Wonderful Tonight
Eric Clapton’s Wonderful Tonight is one of the great love songs of our time. So when the guitar he wrote it on, a 1974 Martin 000-28, came up for auction in London, we didn’t need a second invitation to go and take a closer look
“Coated strings definitely mitigate finger noise”: How different strings affect your acoustic guitar tone
Strings have a major influence on your acoustic sound – here’s how to choose the right ones for your guitar
Mark Knopfler on how he enlisted Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton and dozens more for the all-star Local Hero theme
Corralling dozens of A-list guitar talent onto one epic track, Mark Knopfler's Guitar Heroes pulled out the impossible to raise money for teen cancer charities – here's how it all went down
Mark Knopfler on the guitars he couldn't bear to part with, and the six-strings that surprised him on One Deep River
On the back of his stirring new album, the guitar icon discusses the primacy of songwriting, and how his relationship with the instrument has changed
Meet 9 of Fender’s most elusive offset guitars
From Fender Japan exclusives to mid-’60s unicorns, and a 1958 Sparkle Sunburst Jazzmaster that’s a holy grail in anyone’s book…
“You get so much more choice”: How the Japanese Fender offset conquered the world
Fender Japan showed the world how radically offsets could be modified. We visited specialist Japanese guitar retailer Gas Station Guitars to chart the evolution of the MIJ offset
“I’m not thinking about trying to impress anybody”: Fusion legend Scott Henderson talks virtuosity and style
Returning with a new instrumental album seamlessly fusing rock, blues and jazz, Scott Henderson checks in to talk gear, style and what we can learn from vocals and horn
How Martin threw away the tonewood recipe book to rethink acoustic guitar with the Inception
Martin's vice president of product management Fred Greene gives us the skinny on how the brand's latest acoustic presents players with some seriously innovative features
The history of Fender offset guitars
Only now, over 60 years on from their launch, are the Jazzmaster and Jaguar becoming recognised as guitars for all players. We trace the innovations that mapped the offset’s long journey from misunderstood outsider to contemporary king
“Some guitars are just that little bit special that they work their way in, you know?” Mark Knopfler on why he had to keep his Sultans of Swing Strat – despite selling his Money for Nothing Les Paul and the rest of his collection
The Dire Straits icon recently sold off his most famous and valuable instruments – but there were a few notable exceptions...
![IDLES's Mark Bowen and Lee Kiernan [right]](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7NmfKqjZr8S39kVfaGSgbn-840-80.jpg.webp)
“We’re trying to avoid sounding like a conventional guitar band… Our goal has always been to expand what guitars can do”: Idles’ radical guitar duo dissect their “violent, dark tones” and explain why modeling is “wack”
Savage, socially charged and allergic to cliché, Idles are less categorisable than ever on fifth album, Tangk, and its dynamic guitar partnership Mark Bowen and Lee Kiernan are holding nothing back
“Richard Fortus messaged me and said, ‘I’ve shown Slash your guitar and he likes it, too…’ After that, the phones didn’t stop”: How a small UK boutique builder became a Guns N’ Roses favorite and the next big name in retro-inspired electric guitars
Ivison Guitars has only been in business for six years, but its Dakota model has already headlined Glastonbury with Guns N’ Roses star Richard Fortus. Founder Neil Ivison shares its story
“It’s the higher-profile artist associations that tend to attract the big money – things like your Pearly Gates and your Jimmy Pages”: Why Gibson’s replicas of famous Les Pauls are commanding almost as much as vintage guitars
Gibson’s highest-tier replicas are seriously sought after on the collector's market. We find out what all the fuss is about and examine a rare recreation of Jimmy Page’s fiendishly complex #2 Les Paul Standard
“I hate modeling, I think it’s wack. You can hear it right away”: IDLES explain why recording with an amp modeler risks messing with your tone, your head – and probably your dog
UK post-punk heroes Mark Bowen and Lee Kiernan reckon modelers are best consigned to the role of live backups – and you shouldn’t let them near your recordings
“You feel the whole guitar shaking as you’re playing it, especially when you run it through an amp”: How Mule Resophonic Guitars is reinventing the resonator
When Ida Mae guitarist Chris Turpin found his traditional 12-string resonator was getting too cumbersome to tour with, Matt Eich of Michigan’s Mule Resophonic Guitars came up with an innovative yet charismatically retro alternative
“These guitars illustrate the musical journey of one of popular music’s greatest artists”: Inside Christie’s’ epic $11.2 million Mark Knopfler guitar auction
We got an up-close look at some of the most storied, rare and collectible of Mark Knopfler's guitars, just before they went under the hammer
“The message for tube nostalgists is clear: enjoy today what may not be here tomorrow”: Can the tube amp survive in the digital era?
As digital guitar amplification continues to wow the market and guitar players alike, is it realistic to assume that it will be business as usual for the tube amp?
