Latest articles by Neville Marten
From unexpected ES-335 solos to jams in a barn: your guitar guide to David Gilmour’s Luck and Strange
Gilmour says it’s his best since 1973. It’s a solo work but was borne of collaboration. But it might just be the guitar album of the year, and we go track-by-track to parse its brilliance
“No cooler instrument”: Gibson Custom Shop 1965 Non-Reverse Firebird V 12-String Reissue review
If there’s a cooler high-end electric 12-string on the market today we haven't seen it...
When That Pedal Show got their hands on an iconic Dumble, it changed everything they thought they knew about great tone
When you play the best guitar amp of your life but know you can never own it, how do you move on? We speak to Mick Taylor and Daniel Steinhardt of That Pedal Show about their tussle with Robben Ford’s Dumble
The 20 greatest guitar cover versions (as voted for by you), ft. Hendrix, Johnny Cash, LedZep and more
We asked, you voted, and the results are in, with a top 20 covers list featuring Guns N' Roses, Aretha Franklin, SRV and Joe Bonamassa. But who was voted number one?
Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Custom 1963 Les Paul SG Custom with Maestro Vibrola & 1959 ES-355 review
Epiphone’s collaborations with the Gibson Custom Shop continue unabated, this time with two of the latter’s most prized top-end models but built in Qingdao, China
“A refinement of Leo’s original proposition in every respect”: Fender 70th Anniversary American Professional II Stratocaster review
To celebrate yet another anniversary for Fender’s world-beating 1954 design, the company has thrown everything it knows about building great Strats into the melting pot
The story of B.B. King, the greatest blues guitar player of all time
How the King of the Blues heard his calling, found a guitar, and developed a style that made him the undisputed greatest of all time
12 blues guitar albums that chart the genre – and the instrument’s – evolution
From Son House to Eric Gales, John Lee Hooker to Albert Collins, these classics highlight how blues guitar has changed over the years – its stories, tones and techniques all passed down and reinvented
“There does seem to be something of an obsession with lighter guitars”: Do lighter electric guitars sound better?
The debate surrounding the effect of weight on electric guitars and tone is long-running and often divisive. Our panel of experts, er, weigh in
“The Firebird V is closing in on Gibson’s own price points… however, there’s nothing we don’t love about these guitars”: Epiphone Inspired By Gibson 1963 Firebird I & V review
Two of Gibson’s most controversial designs, reimagined and rebranded with Epiphone’s moniker. Do they promise the ‘Cream’ of the crop or a ‘Winter’ of discontent?
“A stunning-looking guitar that covers pretty much any musical base”: Epiphone Joe Bonamassa 1963 SG Custom review
Epiphone’s collaboration with blues maestro Joe Bonamassa continues unabated, with this sexy take on one of JoBo’s own favourite axes. But is a grand and a half just too grand?
Fender Highway Series Parlor and Dreadnought review – Fender reinvents the acoustic once again… and the results took us by surprise
Following the success of Fender’s Acoustasonic series come two somewhat more traditional-looking electros. Packed with Fender/Fishman innovation, could they be even cooler?
“As soon as I pick up the guitar and play that riff, it’s one of the best feelings in the world. You just jump on the riff and it plays you”: The Rolling Stones’ 10 best guitar riffs
As the Stones return with Hackney Diamonds, we asked you for your favorite riffs from Keith Richards and friends. Here they are – plus the story of how they were created
Fender Vintera II ‘60s Stratocaster and ‘50s Nocaster review: keenly priced Strat and Tele models that evoke the golden age of guitar building
The original 2019 Fender Vintera models offered a fine and affordable snapshot of Fenders from a particular ‘vintage era’. So, what do the Mk II class of 2023 Vinteras bring to the table?
Epiphone 150th Anniversary Zephyr Deluxe Regent, Sheraton, Crestwood Custom and Wilshire review – original guitar designs that hold their own against Gibson
A century and a half after the seeds of Epiphone were sown, we’re looking at four milestone reissues from the company’s heyday. And, best of all, they won’t break the bank
“On a quick trip to interview Paul Reed Smith I was told we were going to the White House so I’d better pack a suit”: Celebrating 500 issues of Guitarist, one of the world’s greatest guitar magazines
From playing Eric Clapton’s Strats to narrowly avoiding knocking out Slash, Guitarist editors past and present share their favourite – and sometimes most embarrassing – memories of working for the esteemed UK publication
Fender American Vintage II 1972 Telecaster Thinline and 1975 Telecaster Deluxe review
Time has mellowed the wrath of the detractors and reinforced the joy of the believers in a range that divided opinion when first released in the early ’70s – and now it’s back with authentic CuNiFe humbuckers
Taylor 412ce and 417e review
Taylor revamps its ‘workhorse’ rosewood and spruce 400 Series with sunburst tops and new inlays – then there’s the innovative V-Class bracing, not to mention the ES2 electronics. A match made in heaven?
Epiphone 1958 Korina Explorer and Flying V review
This intriguing collaboration between Epiphone and Gibson’s fabled Custom Shop has produced faithful reproductions of two of the most brilliantly radical guitars ever devised
Faith PJE Legacy Twenty Series Mars, Earth and Neptune review
Three special instruments to celebrate 20 years of Faith acoustics. Designed by Patrick James Eggle with bespoke abalone inlays, they really are something to behold
David Crosby: “I’m usually trying to tell a story. Musically, I think it has to do with the fact that I like more complex chord structures and progressions”
In one of his final guitar interviews, the free-thinking founder of The Byrds and CSNY reflected on his storied career and discussed the making of his final, Joni Mitchell-inspired album, For Free
Hank Marvin: “When I got the first Strat we’d ordered with a ‘tremolo arm’, I was intrigued. None of us had seen one before or really knew what it did”
Cited by Clapton, May, Page and more, Marvin is the first true legend of instrumental guitar. Here, he talks gypsy jazz, his favorite Shadows tunes, and the genius of Jeff Beck
Taylor 514ce review
Another new wood joins the Taylor stable: let’s introduce red ironbark to the world of guitar tone! But what does it bring to the table?
