Sam Roche
Sam was Staff Writer at GuitarWorld.com from 2019 to 2023, and also created content for Total Guitar, Guitarist and Guitar Player. He has well over 15 years of guitar playing under his belt, as well as a degree in Music Technology (Mixing and Mastering). He's a metalhead through and through, but has a thorough appreciation for all genres of music. In his spare time, Sam creates point-of-view guitar lesson videos on YouTube under the name Sightline Guitar.
Latest articles by Sam Roche
The 17-string bass Elwood Francis played during a ZZ Top show was a cheap Chinese knockoff of Jared Dines' 18-string Ormsby
By Sam Roche published
Dines called out the “ripoff” guitar on Instagram, to which Francis responded: “The joke’s on me ‘cause I have to play that bootleg POS!”
Zakk Wylde has been using YouTube guitar lessons to learn Dimebag's parts for Pantera's upcoming tour
By Sam Roche published
The Black Label Society leader says he's received the setlist from Phil Anselmo, and has been putting work into learning a host of Dimebag Darrell classics
Watch Marcin put Tim Henson's new nylon-string signature model through its paces with a jaw-dropping Latin-inspired fingerstyle performance
By Sam Roche published
The Polish acoustic guitar wunderkind takes the Polyphia man's new six-string for a spin – and even Henson himself is impressed
Jennifer Batten says being a woman prevented her landing an audition with Ozzy Osbourne in the ‘80s
By Sam Roche published
“I know my audio got to the right people, and I didn’t even get a chance,” the Michael Jackson guitarist reflects in a new interview
From brutal chugs to fogs of reverb: here are this week's essential guitar tracks
By Matt Owen, Michael Astley-Brown, Sam Roche, Jackson Maxwell published
Featuring killer new guitar-fronted songs from Uriah Heep, Steve Vai and Johnny “Gash” Sombrotto, Narrow Head, August Burns Red, Gina Birch, and more
Sick Riffs: Dave Pirner and Ryan Smith teach you the opening lead lick of Soul Asylum hit Somebody to Shove
By Sam Roche last updated
For those of you without an electric, the guitarists even show you how to play the lick on an acoustic
Steve Vai unveils lost classic rock-inspired track from the ‘90s, In the Wind
By Sam Roche published
An album of previously unheard biker-friendly material recorded alongside late singer Johnny “Gash” Sombrotto is set to land in January
Garry Roberts, founding guitarist of The Boomtown Rats, dies aged 72
By Sam Roche published
Roberts was instrumental in establishing The Boomtown Rats' name, after threatening to quit if they didn't change their original moniker
10 household items you can use as guitar accessories
By Sam Roche published
You can rack up a hefty tab buying capos, strap locks and slides – or you can save your money with a little ingenuity and some objects around the home
This brutal playthrough filmed in a church might be the most metal guitar video you've seen all year
By Sam Roche published
Nishad George, of West Coast metallers The Offering, set his gear up in front of the altar of a church – before staff realized the kind of music he'd be playing
Judge throws out Gibson's claim that Dean is in contempt of court
By Sam Roche published
“Almost all the issues raised in Gibson’s contempt motions have been resolved,” the court rules, in the latest from the lengthy legal battle between the guitar companies
Watch Michael Angelo Batio join The Smashing Pumpkins onstage in Milwaukee for a face-melting shred session
By Sam Roche published
The alt-rock titans invited the guitarist to the stage for a lead spot during closing track, Silverfuck, and boy, did he deliver
Stryper perform with battery-powered practice amps following venue power cut
By Sam Roche published
With miniature amps, a snare drum, and some considerable help from the crowd, the Christian metallers completed a full unplugged set – only for the power to be restored half an hour later
Metallica play show dominated by Kill 'Em All and Ride the Lightning material in honor of late “father figure”, Jon Zazula
By Sam Roche published
Trapped Under Ice, Metal Militia and The Call of Ktulu featured in the set honoring Zazula and his late wife Marsha, who both founded Megaforce Records, the label that issued Metallica's first two albums
Watch K.K. Downing play live with Judas Priest for the first time in 13 years at the 2022 Rock Hall induction ceremony
By Sam Roche published
Richie Faulkner describes being part of a guitar trio with Downing and Glenn Tipton as “an experience I'll never forget”
Sammy Hagar says Alex Van Halen won't return his calls regarding an Eddie Van Halen tribute show
By Sam Roche published
The former Van Halen frontman remarked in an interview that while he made peace with Eddie Van Halen before his death, he has not yet done so with his brother
From psychedelic blues explosions to electrifying all-star collaborations: here are this week's essential guitar tracks
By Michael Astley-Brown, Jackson Maxwell, Matt Owen, Sam Roche published
The days are getting shorter, unlike our list of top-notch new guitar-led tunes. Hear the best of the best from Maya Delilah, Yo La Tengo, Matt Heafy, Johnny Marr & Noel Gallagher, David Knudson and more
Watch Billy Strings play Jimi Hendrix, Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin classics at his fantastical Lord of the Rings-inspired Halloween gig
By Sam Roche published
The bluegrass ace donned a hobbit-inspired costume for some classic-packed sets during a three-night residency in Asheville, North Carolina
Glenn Fricker seeks to blend HM-2-style “Swedish chainsaw” and modern metal tones with his signature Revv distortion pedal, the Northern Mauler
By Sam Roche published
The YouTube gear maestro wants you to “say no to boring tone”
Obsidious guitarist Rafael Trujillo delivers one of the most technically formidable playthroughs of the year with this 7-string prog-metal masterclass
By Sam Roche published
Trujillo – formerly of Obscura – offers stellar leads and fiery tremolo picking aplenty in this head-spinning playthrough of Iconic
It’s settled: James Hetfield had the best Halloween costume this year
By Sam Roche published
The Metallica frontman paid tribute to Stranger Things – which gained the band a deluge of new fans earlier this year – by dressing up as the Hellfire Club’s guitar-toting hero, Eddie Munson
Harley Benton's new J-style MV-4JB Gotoh bass guitar has a more impressive spec sheet than its price tag would suggest
By Sam Roche last updated
Available in four sleek finishes, the all-new four-string sports Gotoh hardware, Roswell JBA alnico 5 single-coils and a host of other head-turning appointments
Noel Gallagher teams up with Johnny Marr on new High Flying Birds single, Pretty Boy
By Sam Roche published
The Mancunian indie rock legends link up on the first track from Gallagher's new album, which arrives next year
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