Latest articles by Michael Astley-Brown
“I was able to do something weird when I played, something unusual I couldn’t do with anything else”: Kevin Shields’ signature Fender Shields Blender sold out instantly, but now it’s back – and $200 cheaper
In honor of the sought-after fuzz pedal’s return, My Bloody Valentine’s sonic genius has teamed up with J Mascis for one of the most psychedelic gear demos you’ve ever heard
“This guitar does things most guitars aren’t gonna do”: It took three failed attempts and three decades of waiting, but Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil finally has a signature Guild S-100
The long-awaited signature model for the grunge guitar icon has landed at last, complete with nods to the Seattle institution’s discography and hand-wound Jason Lollar pickups
Metallica just launched the world’s first-ever guitar-shaped ice cream bar
Based on James Hetfield’s ESP Truckster, the Enlightened x Metallica vanilla dark chocolate bars will raise money for the metal icons’ All Within My Hands foundation
Want to try your hand at pedal building? Mojotone’s easy-to-assemble pedal kits are based on classic designs – and keep soldering to a minimum
The four kits – based on the Tube Screamer, Rat, Big Muff and Blues Breaker – offer extra versatility over the original designs
“All the pedals should be put in a big pile and we should light ’em on fire”: Mac DeMarco is synonymous with woozy vibrato guitar – but he hates pedals
The hugely prolific singer-songwriter dubs pedals “cheap pieces of s**t with crappy electronics” – and don’t even mention patch cables or power supplies…
Pantera-inspired groove-metal throwdowns and the return of one of the 21st century’s foremost tapping talents: this week’s essential guitar tracks
New releases you can’t afford to miss from Marnie Stern, Jason Hook, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, George Lynch, Ty Segall, Blackberry Smoke and so… much… more!
The ravaged rock wasteland between Endless Boogie and Mötorhead, and a comeback for one of the most influential riffsmiths of his generation: This week's essential guitar tracks
From Robin Trower to Spiritbox, Black Pumas to George Lynch, Helmet to Polaris, these are the guitar-forward songs you can't afford to miss this week
Gossamer tremolo picking and the stuff of Phrygian nightmares: This week's essential guitar tracks
Unmissable new songs from Fiddlehead, HotWax, Guns N’ Roses, Emily Wolfe, Born of Osiris, Babymetal ft. Tom Morello, CLT DRP, and more
The best-value electric guitar of 2023? Shergold unveils the surprisingly affordable Telstar – and it’s a serious looker
The revived UK brand’s third electric guitar model delivers boutique Cabronita Telecaster vibes with a low price tag and an offset twist – but there’s a catch
Palm-muted gut-punches and Strandberg shred that sounds like Plini meets Mario Kart: This week’s essential guitar tracks
Fresh, guitar-driven cuts from Bleed From Within, The Joy Formidable, Ottto, Angra, James Bay, Eliza McLamb, and loads more
Electro-Harmonix just launched a serious competitor in the mini compressor pedal stakes
The Pico Platform Compressor/Limiter won’t take up much room on your pedalboard, but it will deliver studio-style squeeze with plenty of flexibility
The Halcyon Gold Overdrive just became the most exciting Klon-inspired pedal on the market – because it’s so much more than just a clone
Thanks to Adaptive Circuitry, Origin Effects’ latest overdrive can go far beyond the capabilities of the original Centaur
Johnny Cash’s 1930s Martin makes a comeback – and so does Napster-era crunch: This week's essential guitar tracks
You just gotta hear these new songs from Sophie Lloyd, The String Revolution ft. Tommy Emmanuel, Crypta, Graveyard, The Linda Lindas, Wilco, Nervosa and so very many more
He’s one of Japan’s most iconic shredders and plays in a band called Loudness – now Akira Takasaki has an outrageous fuzz-loaded Cry Baby worthy of his reputation
The fleet-fingered virtuoso has collaborated with Dunlop on one of the wildest Cry Babys yet
Chuck Berry-by-way-of-the-gutter riffs and choppy Strat-isms from Fender's latest signature artist: This week's essential guitar tracks
Must-hear new cuts from Brian Setzer, Steve Lacy, Of Mice & Men, Buck Meek, Bad Wolves and loooads more
Introducing nu-disco shred, a fresh genre of guitar playing that combines ’70s pop and ’80s soloing – and where dancing while you two-hand tap is an absolute must
Nile Rodgers meets Eddie Van Halen in these tap-happy fretboard freakouts – creator Dre DiMura explains what inspired his daring mashup and why “tradition can be a prison”
Electro-Harmonix heralds a new era of mini pedals with its most versatile compact POG yet
The Pico POG adds a new Filter section, and will be the first in a new line of Pico mini pedals
It’s official: the Fender Tom DeLonge Stratocaster is coming back – with one neat twist
The Blink-182 guitarist and the Big F have confirmed the cult classic’s return ahead of its official release – which is sooner than you might think…
High-profile collabs with '90s alt-rock guitar royalty and Keanu Reeves' return to music: this week's essential guitar tracks
The freshest cuts from Code Orange ft. Billy Corgan, Alice Cooper ft. Tom Morello, The Gaslight Anthem ft. Bruce Springsteen, Dogstar, Brothers Osborne, Night Verses and a heck of a lot more
Ken’s guitar of choice in the Barbie Movie is… a Gibson Jerry Cantrell acoustic?
Ryan Gosling is giving up the customized guitar – which has links to Metallica and Alice in Chains – to apologize for a fashion faux-pas
Fake Klon Centaur pedals are being sold “for big money”, warns designer Bill Finnegan
The legendary overdrive pedal is worth up to $5,000 on the used market – and now copycats are taking advantage
Meet John Matos, the death-metal guitarist whose brutal viral video riffs have cracked up guitar heroes and comedians alike
Everyone from Matt Heafy to Eric André have found themselves chuckling at Matos’ vicious riff displays over clips of unusually aggressive roosters and waylaid sandwiches – and some of his compositions even inspire full songs with his deathcore outfit Abiotic
5-string Strandbergs and 11-minute djent epics: this week's essential guitar tracks
New face-melters from Jacob Collier, Tesseract, Cherry Glazerr, Dan Auerbach, Demi Lovato + Slash, Svalbard and many more
