Latest articles by Jenna Scaramanga
Joe Perry on his longstanding love affair with the Gibson Les Paul: “The neck is just right, the radius across the fretboard. It’s just an amazing thing they stumbled on”
The Aerosmith legend demystifies the myth of the vintage classics and discusses his own signature models, and just where the iconic single-cut figures in finding his sound
James Hetfield used a “legendary” head modded by Eddie Van Halen’s amp wizard for every track on Metallica’s new album
According to 72 Seasons producer Greg Fidelman, the Metallica frontman leant heavily on this revived guitar amp, which was modded by renowned tech José Arredondo
Kirk Hammett: “It drives me nuts having to play that f**king guitar solo in Master of Puppets every time – I’m freaking bored of it”
The Metallica axeman explains why he prefers living on the edge with his improvised live solos: “Usually, I surprise myself – sometimes I die a f**king death”
Prashant Aswani explains why his sensational new signature Charvel is “basically a custom shop guitar, made in Mexico for $1,399”
The session ace and Greg Howe protegé has spec’d a signature guitar that takes inspiration from Pete Thorn and Guthrie Govan, and has resulted in one of Charvel’s most meticulously designed production-line models ever
Joe Perry remembers Jeff Beck: “I was sitting with Jimmy Page, like two kids elbowing each other every time Jeff would play something!”
In his own words, the Aerosmith guitarist reflects on his hero – and that time he accidentally stole his fuzz pedal and paid him back with a Klon Centaur
The 50 greatest guitar riffs of all time
From metal to rock, punk to grunge, these are the best guitar riffs ever recorded, as voted for by you
Inhaler’s Elijah Hewson and Josh Jenkinson: “People are like, ‘Oh that riff sounds a bit like the Edge,’ and it’s like, ‘Yeah, well who f**king cares? The Edge is good!’”
What do you do if your dad is Bono and you want to make a name for yourself? Well, do as Elijah Hewson does. Don't make a secret of it, write the songs, find your sound, and build an audience...
5 ways to play a blues turnaround on guitar
Give your solos a satisfying ending with these foolproof lead ideas
Aerosmith's Joe Perry: "I’ve played some ’59 Les Pauls that frankly didn’t feel that good or sound that good"
Perry has his own legendary '59 model that he adores, but that doesn't mean – the Aerosmith guitar-slinger says – that every one of the legendary models has that same magic
5 ways to get more out of your power chords
Power chords are a rock rhythm guitar fundamental you need to know inside and out. Here are 5 options to spice up your hard-rocking jams
The Murder Capital: "We’re pretty big theory nerds – that thing of people thinking it’s uncool to know music theory is dying now. It’s just so stupid!"
Cathal Roper and Damien Tuit discuss the Irish post-punks' new album, Gigi's Recovery – a case study in leaning into the golden age of the stompbox for new tones and sounds, and geeking out on theory at the same time
Watch Jeff Beck play Locomotive with Guns N' Roses at a 1992 soundcheck for a live collaboration that never happened
Beck would ultimately pull out of his performance in Paris with the hard-rock giants – and, potentially, Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and Joe Perry – leaving these rehearsal videos as a tantalizing 'what if'
Joe Perry recalls the time he accidentally stole a pedal from Jeff Beck – and gave him one of the first Klon Centaurs in return
The Aerosmith guitarist gifted Beck "the ’59 Les Paul of pedals" during rehearsals for the latter's all-star Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction performance in 2009 "to adjust the karma"
The 100 greatest guitarists of all time
A comprehensive rundown of the best guitarists of all time, featuring the trailblazers, the early innovators, the best jazz, rock, indie, blues, metal and acoustic players – and the top guitarists around today...
Mark Lettieri, Chris McQueen and Bob Lanzetti on Snarky Puppy’s unlikely success story, and the true heart of their unique jazz-funk sound
Following the release of Empire Central, the three session heavyweights unpick the band's ruthless gigging pedigree, their individual axe choices and how a viral hit helped propel them to stardom
How Nova Twins took their sound Supernova: “It’s more like electronic music where the bass is so loud. Guitar is the texture in between”
Amy Love and Georgia South on the making of their uniquely heavy sound – and why their pedalboards remain a closely guarded secret
Buddy Guy’s 5 greatest guitar songs
The electric blues pioneer, Chicago guitar great and world's greatest living bluesman's career in five key tracks
Take your blues jams to the next level with 10 inspiring chord shapes
Get to know the Hendrix Chord and a whole lotta options for adding variety to your blues rhythm playing
Larkin Poe’s Megan and Rebecca Lovell on their pedalboard pinch-hitters, the voice of lap steel, and the blues as a living art form
The music of Larkin Poe is both deep-rooted and future-facing, but as the Lovell sisters tell us, there are no rules but one golden rule: “Every song has to have a riff!”
How Lexii Lynn Frazier became Top Gun: Maverick’s new guitar hero and recorded her parts with just hours to spare
With no previous film experience, the session guitarist recorded the iconic theme for Tom Cruise’s latest blockbuster. Here’s how she did it, without the ability to read music and while battling a rare bone marrow disorder
5 albums shaping the sound of modern guitar music
Why the future of guitar music is secure in the hands of Nova Twins, Mdou Moctar, Covet and more
Tash Sultana on winning over MTV with a daring Unplugged performance and cracking Eric Johnson Strats in half onstage
The Australian polymath on an iconoclastic Unplugged performance that brought Strats and Teles to the party
Vance Joy: “When you write a great song you’re just like, ‘How did I do that?’ You get chills or the hair stands up your neck. That’s what keeps everyone going”
The modern singer-songwriter fingerstylist keeps cranking out hits – but doesn’t care what gear he uses to make them... In fact, he doesn’t even know the names of his guitars
