Latest articles by Matt Parker
If I hadn’t bought a Spark last Black Friday, I’d pull the trigger this year – or else I’d pick up one of these killer cheap amp deals
There are some big deals to be had on small amps right now
We challenge you to find a cheaper ’59 Les Paul this Black Friday – as Guitar Center drops its biggest Epiphone deals of the year
From Silverburst Customs, to a golden ES-335 and the holy grail of Gibson designs, there are some treasures to be found in this year’s sale
Is this Guitar Center’s best Black Friday deal? The D’Angelico Premier Series Bedford offset just got a massive 40% discount – but it’s shifting fast
The semi-hollow offset is usually priced at $899, but is currently available for a worryingly affordable $509.99
There's 20% off all EarthQuaker Devices pedals at Guitar Center – but this 3-in-1 fuzz/distortion masterpiece is our pick of the bunch
The Sunn O))) Life pedal got top marks in our review, and now you can score a healthy $60 off the list price
“That is a ’54 reissue. This is the real ’54. It’s number 588”: Måneskin’s Thomas Raggi drops by Norman’s Rare Guitars – and ends up playing one of the first Fender Strats ever produced
The Italian guitarist headed to the store following his LA Forum performance – and found time for a killer jam of Jimi Hendrix’s version of All Along the Watchtower with Michael Lemmo
“Tom Murphy’s magnum opus”: Gibson has handed the Murphy Lab man its stockpile of Brazilian rosewood for these ultra-exclusive, $20k Les Paul ’Burst reissues
The models promise the ultimate showcase of the firm’s craftsmanship in 2023 – and, in the process, pay tribute to Gibson’s prized luthier
“The whole idea of being a great guitar player is nobody can do you like you… Mean Street is the perfect storm of why people don't f**k with Edward Van Halen”: Nuno Bettencourt explains why you’ve gotta give Joe Satriani “a pass”
The Extreme guitarist explains the key to nailing EVH’s tricky intro and says its time to cut Satch some slack
“Jim Root 182”: The Fender Tom DeLonge Stratocaster is getting a (nearly) all-black metal makeover for Black Friday – but you’ll have to be quick to get one
The highly limited blacked-out blink-182 instruments go on sale this Friday (November 24)
“Our Epiphone and Gibson Custom Shop teams are continually collaborating”: Gibson’s Mat Koehler confirms open-book headstock will roll out on more Epiphone models
The much-talked about Gibson-aping headstock will feature on the brand’s new top-tier Inspired by Gibson Custom Shop builds
“I want to honor the sound, but I don't want to lose myself”: Joe Satriani says he’s coming to terms with the fact that he doesn't sound like Eddie Van Halen
The guitar icon has been drafted in to take on EVH parts alongside Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony in the Best of All Worlds tour – and compares the challenge to taking on Ritchie Blackmore’s parts on tour with Deep Purple in the early-’90s
“I never thought that my signature would be on anything – never mind Fenders, Gibsons, and Martins, they're the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost of guitars”: Mark Knopfler is selling off 120 guitars, including his Money For Nothing Les Paul
See the Scottish guitar great talk through highlights of his immense collection of signature models, custom builds and guitars used on Dire Straits’ most iconic tracks
“An amazing opportunity for more players to experience the spirit of Greeny”: The Epiphone Kirk Hammett ‘Greeny’ Les Paul is finally here – complete with a Gibson headstock and a price tag to match
The most anticipated Epiphone model in its history hails the arrival of a new era of Inspired by Gibson Custom Shop models
“Please tell me that’s the new Epiphone headstock in general”: The Epiphone Greeny Les Paul is nearly here – and guitarists are losing their minds over the headstock
Kirk Hammett and Cesar Gueikian have both teased the new model, offering glimpses of a build that looks much more faithful to Gibson’s own design
Kurt Cobain guitars now account for 3 of the top 10 most expensive guitars sold at auction as the ‘Sky Stang I’ Fender Mustang used in Nirvana’s final performance sells for $1.5 million
The value of Kurt Cobain-associated guitar sales on the list now more than doubles that of his nearest competitor, David Gilmour
“I royally screwed up, which hurt like a thorn in my side, but I’ll get over it”: Joe Satriani says he slipped up playing Van Halen’s Mean Street on Howard Stern – but it’s taught him a valuable lesson about EVH’s tone
Satch nailed most of what was thrown at him on the show but says one track proved more of a challenge than the others
Black metal has gone orchestral and nu-disco shred is back, baby: This week’s essential guitar tracks
Unmissable tunes from John Mayer, Dre DiMura, Heriot, Ihsahn, Julian Lage, Porno for Pyros and so many more…
“Finally accessible to all discerning tone aficionados”: IK Multimedia democratizes the Dumble – packing models of four “priceless” Overdrive Special amps into a $50 download
With the TONEX ODS Legends Signature Collection, the firm has spent time modeling four of the world’s most sought-after amps, and now the results are available to all
“Back with a Vengeance and Zero apologies”: Following Gibson’s lawsuit, Dean is selling V-shaped guitars again under a new name – and, like the design, it’s rather pointed...
The Evertune-equipped Vengeance Select is one of three models hailing the return of the iconic shape to the firm’s catalog
“Beloved by generations of players in every musical genre”: Boss’ sparkling 50th Anniversary series celebrates its place atop the pedal pile – and, with prices under $100, won’t put off the players that got it there
The effects brand has launched limited – yet nicely priced – takes on its iconic DS-1, SD-1 and BD-2 pedals
“Jerry's most sophisticated guitar setup… the culmination of decades of experimentation with state of the art gear”: Jerry Garcia’s final touring rig – featuring Bob Weir’s revered Wall of Sound McIntosh amp and an embedded pedal panel – is up for auction
The Grateful Dead guitar legend’s final rig is open to bids and it features a bit of 2-for-1 gear history
“McFly vibes from that 345!” Jason Isbell and Bob Weir perform Johnny B. Goode for Michael J. Fox, as Isbell tips his cap to the famously inaccurate Back to the Future guitar – the Gibson ES-345
The guitarist and songwriter chose a particular Gibson to perform in front of a crowd of celebrity guests at Fox’s fundraiser
Bored of Heritage Cherry? The Gibson SG Standard just got a major facelift with six new Custom Color choices
Gibson’s other solidbody gets a fancy new coat – or rather six of them – with the expansion of the firm’s Custom Color options
“The power is in your hands”: You don’t have to be a muscle-bound ’80s action hero to wield Jared James Nichols’ new signature Blues Power Les Paul Custom, but we imagine it helps
Accompanied by the He-Man meets Highlander of guitar promos, the blues-rock firebrand has unleashed his latest Epiphone signature guitar – the first to feature his signature Seymour Duncan P-90 pickup
“The solos are so perfectly composed... they remind me of what Bach would do if he had a Les Paul, a Marshall, and a space alien costume”: Paul Gilbert explains why he loves Ace Frehley’s playing
The shred guru picks out a recording of the band’s “infallible feedback magic” as his highlight of the hard-rock icons’ remarkable 50-year run
