Latest articles by Phil Weller
Nirvana track named the best guitar riff of all time by surprising new study
Many of the big hitters feature, but not where you’d expect them to be – and there are some notable absences, too
John Mayer on why right-handed guitar players were responsible for the eventual creation of the left-handed SE Silver Sky
Mayer discusses the making of the left-handed version of his best-selling PRS signature guitar
Chibson has made a movie about Robert Plant’s “favorite band” – a reggae Led Zeppelin cover group
The meme machine has expanded its empire into the world of film with a debut documentary that tells the story of one of the wildest cover bands ever
Linkin Park’s Brad Delson on why he stepped back from touring – and if he’d ever return to the stage
Though he isn’t directly involved in the show night-on-night, Delson has been instrumental in what the band delivers on the road
Tim Commerford’s new Ernie Ball Music Man StingRay is a love letter to the pawnshop bass that crafted the first Rage record
Passive and active editions have been launched, but both come optimized with some clever, player-adjustable additions
The highly anticipated Norman’s Rare Guitars documentary gets its first trailer – and an official Netflix release date
The feature-length film about the legendary vintage gear shop is due to land before the end of the year – and it will star some huge names
Why Steve Vai dropped his anti-supergroup stance to help revive some of King Crimson’s most celebrated work
BEAT has been celebrating King Crimson’s 1980s albums, with Adrian Belew and Steve Vai’s new guitar partnership at its core
Electro-Harmonix responds to sky-rocketing looper competition with the Pico 360+ – can this mini looper take the crown?
Downsized reimagining of EHX’s best-selling 360 Looper channels the original’s magic, adds unlimited overdubs, and bottles it all in an ultra-tiny chassis
This bonkers new strap secures your guitar to your belt and lets you flip it 360 degrees
MusiCare Pro sought to create a strap that could alleviate common playing pains, but ended up creating something with additional performative benefits
Paul McCartney’s long-lost Höfner returns to the stage for the first time in 50 years
Macca’s original Höfner violin bass had been missing for half a century, but recently marked its return to the stage in style
“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
