Ryan Reed
Ryan Reed is a Knoxville, Tennessee-based writer, editor, musician, record collector, prog junkie, and former college professor. In addition to Guitar World, he's a contributor at SPIN (current title: senior editor), Rolling Stone, TIDAL, Relix, Ultimate Classic Rock, Revolver, and many other outlets. He's also the author of 2018’s Fleetwood Mac FAQ: All That’s Left to Know About the Iconic Rock Survivors.
Latest articles by Ryan Reed
“The former Beatle seemed to have him on speed-dial”: David Gilmour's 10 greatest guest appearances
By Ryan Reed published
There are occasions when your track needs something. It could be more cowbell. Or it could be the services of David Gilmour. Over the years, the former Pink Floyd man has dropped magic on a number of guest spots, but these are his finest
“I love driving people crazy”: The untapped guitar playing of David Gilmour’s solo albums
By Ryan Reed published
From his 1978 debut to the record he deemed his best since Dark Side of the Moon, we present a complete guide to the Pink Floyd icon’s solo material
From Frank Zappa to Mariah Carey and the first relic job, Adrian Belew’s go-to Strat has lived a life
By Ryan Reed published
Is this the first relic'ed guitar? Belew says so, and it's graced records by Zappa, Talking Heads, David Bowie and King Crimson. It has been on the cover of GW. It is still in service
That time Adrian Belew DIY aged his Strat with a screwdriver, spray paint and motor oil
By Matt Owen published
Belew bought a brown sunburst Strat to take on tour with Frank Zappa – but it wasn't deemed fit for purpose until going through a drastic cosmetic overhaul
Adrian Belew on how King Crimson made an underrated prog classic in “this industrial musical junkyard we created”
By Ryan Reed published
Adrian Belew reveals what went on behind the scenes during the making of the band’s dual-personality 10th album, Three of a Perfect Pair – the final studio release from the Fripp/Belew/Levin/Bruford crew
From King Crimson to A-list hired gun with Talking Heads, Frank Zappa and David Bowie, Adrian Belew created his own language on the guitar – here are his 10 greatest guitar moments
By Ryan Reed published
With King Crimson, Talking Heads, as a solo artist, it didn't matter: Adrian Belew manipulated the guitar like no-one else, bending sound into new shapes
“I’ve never considered myself a guitarist, and I’ve never liked the guitar”: Omar Rodríguez-López is one of electric guitar’s most reluctant heroes – here are his 10 greatest Mars Volta guitar moments
By Ryan Reed published
The last thing Omar Rodríguez-López wants is to be called a guitar hero, but sorry Omar, it’s true – and here are 10 reasons why...
“I’ve always had a knack for emulating sounds or creating new ones”: Adrian Belew on the weird, wonderful and utterly unique tones behind his new solo album, Elevator
By Ryan Reed published
The former Frank Zappa and King Crimson guitarist keeps putting his decades-old knack for sonic invention to good use
Robert Fripp’s 20 greatest guitar moments
By Ryan Reed last updated
No style was off limits for Fripp, who gave shape and form to progressive music with King Crimson and beyond
Author Anthony Garone on his epic journey to master Robert Fripp's most challenging King Crimson track, Fracture
By Ryan Reed published
It took 22 years but Garone has wrapped his head around the the “moto perpetuo” techniques and documented the arduous journey in a new memoir-cum-instructional book
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