Phil Weller
A freelance writer with a penchant for music that gets weird, Phil is a regular contributor to Prog, Guitar World, and Total Guitar magazines and is especially keen on shining a light on unknown artists. Outside of the journalism realm, you can find him writing angular riffs in progressive metal band, Prognosis, in which he slings an 8-string Strandberg Boden Original, churning that low string through a variety of tunings. He's also a published author and is currently penning his debut novel which chucks fantasy, mythology and humanity into a great big melting pot.
Latest articles by Phil Weller
Taylor's new Legacy Collection revamps the spirit of its earliest acoustic designs
By Phil Weller published
Five acoustic electric guitars have been crafted, bringing together the old and new in order to celebrate half a century of craftsmanship
Jason Becker gifts guitar to viral 11-year-old metal star Maya Neelakantan following heartwarming meeting
By Phil Weller published
The rising metal guitar phenom played one of Becker's own Telecasters and Danelectro sitar guitars during the emotional visit – and ended up taking the latter home with her
Xvive’s U8 clip-on wireless system could be a serious problem solver for acoustic players
By Phil Weller published
Offering 90 feet of transmission and a five-hour battery life, the system aims to liberate acoustic players with cable-free mic'ing
Guild has given its retro DS-240 Memoir series a makeover for the first time in five years
By Phil Weller published
The two new-look acoustics are crafted from solid Sitka spruce and mahogany, with the DS-240E offering a DeArmond Tone Boss soundhole pickup
Brian May reveals the off-the-wall Red Special mod from his pre-Queen days that he ended up removing
By Phil Weller published
The wild electronics upgrade didn't last for very long, but it can be heard on some of May's earliest pre-Queen recordings
Jacob Collier’s five-string Taylor – which paved the way for his Strandberg – has been launched as a signature guitar
By Phil Weller published
A six-string version of the uniquely shaped acoustic has also been made available for those wanting something a little more familiar
Harley Benton has made its absurdly affordable ST-Modern lineup even cheaper
By Phil Weller published
Roasted maple necks, compound radius fingerboards, and contoured neck heels head up the new ST-Modern HSS models, some of which are priced as low as $197
Strandberg extends its Boden Metal lineup with new finishes – and a series-first spec
By Phil Weller published
The innovative Swedish luthier brings some new hardware and suitably spooky colorways to the series for the first time
Tosin Abasi and Ernie Ball Music Man’s Kaizen has a new finish that oxidizes depending on how you play it
By Phil Weller published
The Gallium Kaizen will react and rust in unique ways, transforming the space-age instrument into an industrial time-worn artifact over time
Chase Bliss is on a mission to make you rethink clean tones with the “fun” Clean compressor
By Phil Weller published
The pedal “swells, sags, smooths, pans, and filters”, promising to bring your clean tone to life like never before
Diamond Rowe is bringing lead guitar to nu-metal – complete with a history-making signature Jackson
By Phil Weller published
The Tetrarch shredder discusses the challenge she set Jackson in designing her own Pro Series model, securing nu-metal tones and blasting out uncomfortable-sounding solos
Steve Morse pays tribute to the late Jeff Beck with a rendition of Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers
By Phil Weller published
Morse follows the likes of Gary Clark Jr., Eric Clapton, John McLaughlin and Joe Bonamassa to perform one of Beck’s most well-known recordings in honor of the late guitar great
David Gilmour saves Comfortably Numb performance after his Jimi Hendrix guitar strap snaps mid-song
By Phil Weller published
Even the greatest guitarists can be blighted with on-stage mishaps – but Gilmour managed to recover in time for song's iconic solo
Fully functioning aquarium electric guitar becomes reality after luthier brings absurd AI design to life
By Phil Weller published
YouTuber Burls Art is at it again, and this time the madcap luthier has brought a meme-worthy fish tank axe to life
Paul Davids' new signature ambient pedal is inspired by a nuclear power plant
By Phil Weller published
Austria’s inactive Zwentendorf nuclear plant plays host to what might be the world’s most awe-inspiring natural reverb, and now its essence has been bottled for Cornerstone’s first signature pedal
Solar continues its relic awakening with “extremely worn and torn” Relik Series
By Phil Weller published
The brand's flagship Relik model features some premium appointments and a finish that looks like it's been put through the meat grinder
Meet the Koch Ness Monster – Greg Koch’s new multi-effects, which offers an army of Jam Pedals effects
By Phil Weller published
A standard edition featuring four Jam Pedals stompboxes, and a monstrous Supreme edition have both been released as Koch offers his own avant-garde take on the multi-effects design
Nuno Bettencourt has been using his custom Washburn ‘Bumblebee’ to cover Eddie Van Halen with Extreme
By Phil Weller published
The virtuoso has tackled Ain’t Talkin’ ’bout Love and Mean Street over the past few weeks, with a little help from his custom-made 'Bumblebee' replica
Joe Bonamassa reveals how a cheap knockoff Les Paul kickstarted his partnership with Epiphone
By Phil Weller published
Bonamassa has been working with Epiphone for over a decade – and it all started after he saw a budget LP in a UK music store
Meet the ‘Les Pallet’ – an electric guitar that has been fashioned from a shipping pallet
By Phil Weller published
There’s no contouring or care for playability here – but if you’ve ever wanted to see someone shred a pallet, it’s your lucky day
Meet Hello Mary’s Helena Straight, the ’90s-inspired, time signature-twisting player whose guitar caught the Cure’s attention
By Phil Weller published
We get the story on how the Big Apple alt-rock trio are evolving in real time, aided and abetted by a well-stocked pedalboard and Reeves Gabrels’ signature Reverend
Kramer offered Kayla Kent a guitar – but when it turned down her ideas, a Kramer fan group built it instead
By Phil Weller published
Kent has been playing a rare JK8000 for most of her career, but when Kramer said it couldn't build her a backup, a fan forum stepped in to make her dream guitar a reality
Los Bitchos guitarist Serra Petale on repurposing ’80s sounds and the tone so good she wanted to eat it
By Phil Weller published
Talkie Talkie is a fun sophomore album featuring stellar tones and hooks from London's most exuberant stompbox enthusiast. She explains why the chorus is sad but human – and always on
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