Latest articles by Phil Weller
“An all-in-one power solution, on or off the grid”: D’Addario’s rechargeable XPND Pedal Power promises to make your ’board more portable – but only if you daisy chain
Offering over 10 hours of battery life between charges, this marks the firm’s first rechargeable, cable-free pedal-powering solution
Cort brings unsung solid cedar to an accessible price point with 2 sleek $370 acoustics
Two new Fishman-loaded builds take a tonewood reserved for premium and nylon-string acoustics to a new budget-friendly price range
Tom Morello reflects on his high school band with Adam Jones – and how the guitarist shaped him into the player he is today
Morello remembers how the Tool maestro helped kick-start his career by dragging him to gigs in a lengthy post that recalls the pair’s friendship
Mooer stokes the compact looper market with the GL100 – an AI-equipped looper/drum pedal that's less than $150
The space-saving stompbox boasts 300 minutes of looping time, an AI-powered drum machine, and dual footswitch controls alongside comprehensive features to rival the likes of Boss and TC Electronic
Danelectro’s Spring King was the cult reverb pedal you could kick – now it’s back, but not as you remember it
The Spring King Junior is smaller in scale but just as charming as the ’90s cult classic – and it features a real spring inside
Soundgarden’s surviving members reunite for charity set – with the help of Guns N’ Roses’ Duff McKagan
Operating under the ‘Nudedragons’ name for the first time in 14 years, Matt Cameron, Kim Thayil and Ben Shepherd performed six songs for the 2024 SMooCH benefit concert
Metallica pull out all the stops for All Within My Hands charity gig – bringing out oddball Danelectros, Pearl Jam’s Jeff Ament and rarities
With the help of some special guests, Metallica played deep cuts, new covers, and a very interesting reimagining of one of their recent releases all in the name of charity
Meet Obeyer, the chorus-soaked UK metallers hand-picked by Periphery
The British band hinges off rhythmic riffs, propulsive breakdowns, and lots of chorus – an effect guitarist Jamie Steadman wanted to bring back into fashion
Billy Corgan reckons this Metallica track sounds suspiciously similar to a Smashing Pumpkins deep cut
Corgan says Hetfield has “written some of the greatest, most amazing riffs” of all time, but one cut from 1997 sounds awfully familiar...
Can Zoom beat Boss and TC Electronic at their own game and conquer the compact looper game with its latest MultiStomp pedal?
Featuring a host of new features, effects, and intuitive controls, the MS-90LP+ wants to make the art form of looping easier than ever
Shergold’s new Telstar bass repackages one of the firm’s best electric designs of recent years into a low-end format
It’s joined by another new low-end launch from the acclaimed UK luthier, the Libertine
Derek Trucks recalls playing with the greats from an early age
Sharing the stage with his heroes taught Trucks a wealth of valuable lessons – and also showed him the difference between mediocre players and the greats
Josh Rand’s guitar collection is an ode to ’80s shred – but he’s putting some of his prize pieces up for sale
Rare, vintage, and signed models make up the guitarist’s 31 new listings, and there’s plenty to get excited about
Pantera’s Rex Brown rejoins Spector’s artist ranks – less than a year after dropping his first Epiphone signature
Brown relied on his Spector basses for the band’s final three albums, and took his stash on the road after Pantera reformed in 2022
Introducing the PickTwist – a new 3D pick that will make you a better player
The pick’s ergonomic and self-centering design is the result of two years of rigorous prototype testing
Crazy Tube Circuits bottles Angus Young’s tone in a pedal – including the secret sauce that shaped his guitar sounds
The Heatseeker is designed to replicate the spirit of Young's Marshall stack, but also includes a circuit inspired by a coveted piece of vintage gear used by other big name players
Orianthi’s new signature Orange is inspired by a visit to the most coveted amp maker of them all
Orianthi sought to blend the sound of a Dumble she’ll “never forget” with two other classic amps for her new custom combo
Faith has given its staple Eclipse acoustics a premium reboot
The new-and-improved acoustics arrive in three body shapes, and deliver a range of high-end upgrades and series-first updates
Harley Benton might just have launched its best-value acoustic yet – a solid spruce/rosewood build that starts from $318
Solid spruce tops, solid rosewood back and sides, rosewood fingerboards, Fishman electronics, mahogany flourishes... Harley Benton’s latest acoustics look to be serious players
Robert Smith on his disastrous first show as a singer and guitarist when he butchered a Jimi Hendrix classic
Smith only carried on fronting the band because he’d fallen out with everyone who filled the role
Steve Hill on the time he recorded at Foo Fighters’ studio – and broke Chris Shiflett’s prized Fender Princeton
Hill’s experience of recording at the Foo Fighters’ legendary Studio 606 turned into a costly endeavor
Keeley has launched a new Rotary pedal – and it could be the brand’s most significant launch in some time
Featuring a suite of customization via a simple interface, the pedal promises to pack vintage charm for modern rigs
Soldano’s SLO Plus could be the new hard rock pedal amp to beat
A single-channel offering from 2022 has been usurped by the two-channel upgrade, which promises the tube-amp-like tones of the iconic SLO-100
Sleep Token’s guitar tech finally lifts the lid on IV’s entire live guitar rig – right down to his pick of choice
Replicating this hugely elusive guitar rig won’t come cheap, but the comprehensive grand reveal is a fascinating insight into the high-end gear behind the hottest band in metal right now
