Features archive
December 2023
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87 articles
- December 31
- December 30
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- The most valuable BOSS pedals ever made
- JHS Pedals simply can’t make enough of its $99 DIY Notaklöns to keep up with demand, but I managed to get my hands on one – does the Klon clone live up to the outrageous hype?
- The history of Gretsch electric guitars: how guitarist, demonstrator and designer Jimmie Webster’s innovations of the ’50s and ’60s shape That Great Gretsch Sound to this day
- December 29
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- From de-glossing your neck to swapping out tuners, here are 6 easy ways to mod your electric guitar
- “As far as solos? I’d turn up, light a spliff, open a beer, and crack on”: Steve Cradock on his relaxed approach to lead work in Ocean Colour Scene, playing with Paul Weller – and why he’s too scared to play the mod legend’s guitar
- December 28
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- “Bass players seem to like that feeling of the sound pushing against their legs, but if you stand too close to your amp, you’re never sure what it sounds like”: Mike Watt offers his advice for putting some teeth into your live sound
- How BOSS became one of the world's biggest guitar amp companies in under a decade
- “Blade approached me to do a signature model, but I’ve been disappointed by the lack of contact since I agreed. They still owe me a guitar!” Cheap guitars, Joni Mitchell chords, punk influences – Steve Rothery isn’t like other prog guitarists
- “We determined, ‘Boy, with that checked finish, the acoustic guitar – which is a box that vibrates – really rings’”: Gibson's Tom Murphy on how Murphy Lab acoustics are taking aged guitars into new sonic territory
- December 27
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- Why Guild’s 12-string design is one of the greatest engineering feats of the 20th century – and how it became a go-to acoustic for Jimmy Page, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Brian May
- “So many ‘latest’ and ‘greatest’ pedals are coming out that I had to get off the train… most of them were trying to do things that had already been done”: Ian Thornley knows what tones he’s looking for – but he’s still searching for the perfect song
- December 26
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- Remembering the guitarists we lost in 2023
- “We see it as a commitment to serving musicians, music lovers, artists and fans. That’s the Gretsch religion”: Fred W. Gretsch tells the remarkable inside story of the family behind one of electric guitar’s oldest names
- Game-changers, taste-makers and trend-setters: here are 2023's guitarists of the year
- Why should keyboard players have all the fun? A history of BOSS guitar synths
- December 25
- December 24
- December 23
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- Jazzmaster back scratchers, tweed amp humidors and, erm, shower curtains: Here are the wild Joe Bonamassa collectibles you didn't know you needed in your life
- “There’s no player of my generation who doesn’t remember when they first heard that almost one-second delayed repeat. It was truly epic”: How BOSS's trailblazing delay pedals changed the world
- December 22
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- “When you’re playing pop, you need to get the ego out of the way. You’re trying to elevate the song, rather than be heard as a guitar player”: The key to good pop guitar, says MUNA guitarist Josette Maskin, is to play less than you actually want to
- “Big jets moving, bombers, people in battle, distress, crying – the Vietnam War added a lot of darkness to his playing”: Kirk Hammett on how Jimi Hendrix’s guitar style helped birth metal and psychedelia
- “At four in the morning, I got a call from David Bowie. He said they needed a guitar player for Iggy Pop’s album”: As right-hand man for everyone from Mark Knopfler to Eric Clapton, ‘Session Man’ Phil Palmer more than earned his nickname
- December 21
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- Alien rhythms, god-level chops and samurai guitar duels: these are the best guitar albums of 2023
- “Bob Marley didn’t want to hear my jazz-rock… I had to start all over again. I needed to play slower and add more feeling. Once I did, he told me, ‘That’s it, man!’” Al Anderson opens up on his tumultuous time with a reggae icon
- “Eddie was like a new sun appearing in the sky. You could sense that the world would never be the same”: From the big bang of Eruption to tone tips and warm-ups – Paul Gilbert shares the knowledge gleaned from a lifetime studying Eddie Van Halen
- December 20
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- “I wouldn't be here right now if it wasn't for Master of Puppets”: Mark Tremonti on how Metallica's classic record changed his life – and how James Hetfield's right hand shaped his picking style
- “At its best, the solo can tell a story, give us a sense of spectacle, and even offer a window into a player’s soul”: These are the best guitar solos of 2023
- December 19
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- “There was bass before Jaco and after Jaco; his playing turned my whole life around”: How Norman Watt-Roy brought a bit of Jaco to Ian Dury’s Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick
- “The smallest element can be the basis of a cool riff. That’s pretty much how I wrote Sweet Emotion”: Tom Hamilton reveals the inspiration behind one of the most iconic bass riffs in rock
- “It was the last years of the dictatorship and imports were prohibited, so my first guitar was awful and my amp was my stereo system”: Angra’s Rafael Bittencourt had humble gear beginnings – but they inspired one of prog metal’s most dependable players
- “I got a call: 'Peter Frampton needs a bass player. Can you do it?' This was Tuesday. By Friday, I was playing my first show”: Bass legend John Regan reflects on his career with Frampton and Frehley in his final interview
- “Those were some deep demons that were trying to exorcise themselves. He played with such bad intention. Even when he was playing the quiet stuff”: Joe Bonamassa on what made Gary Moore a guitar legend – and how he got him hooked on Les Pauls
- “A Whammy pedal might be sacrilege on a vintage National, but live, it’s really interesting!” Troy Redfern may play slide guitar, but he doesn’t want to sound like Derek Trucks – and his bold solo approach blazes a new blues trail
- “A rhythmic motif so simple that even the most basic living organisms on this great planet can get down to it”: These are the best guitar riffs of 2023
- December 18
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- “It was so fun to learn how to play the doubleneck – there’s so many switches and knobs that it was essentially like learning another instrument”: Emily Wolfe is expanding her guitar arsenal – and processing rage through gnarly tones
- “We had no idea it was going to perform the way it did – or if it was even going to be shown to anyone”: How Cardboard Sessions’ Dave Lee convinced Billy Gibbons, J Mascis and Keanu Reeves to slam on his Fender-approved cardboard guitars
- “It was down to Slash and C.C. DeVille – I don’t even think they even tried anybody else out. They wanted to go in a glammier direction, and C.C. fit that style”: Matt Smith was Poison’s original guitarist – and helped to choose his successor
- December 17
- December 16
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- “Before BOSS, there just wasn’t a wide enough selection of pedals. They kicked it into high gear, eclipsed everything else…” How BOSS changed the soundscape of modern music in five decades
- “When Keith and I are together, we talk through our guitars. We never say, ‘You do this and I’ll do that.’ We weave”: How Brian Jones, Mick Taylor and Ronnie Wood made the Rolling Stones what they are today
- December 15
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- “I’d not played for 17 years. I put all my guitars in the loft and never touched them. I didn’t think I knew how to play anymore”: When Happy Mondays split, Mark Day gave up guitar – and was surprised to find he could still play when he returned
- “Jeff Pilson called me and asked if I would play some solos. I had no idea it was for Dokken – I was still in a suit and tie from work that day!” Jon Levin has been shredding with Dokken since ’97 – and has to tackle George Lynch’s scariest solos
- December 14
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- “Things had been good – now there were arguments. At the last gig, Andy and I argued about an amplifier and who would use it”: Original The Police guitarist Henry Padovani explains why he was ousted in favor of Andy Summers – but didn’t mind being fired
- “We’re always going to keep the proggy elements alive – it’s part of the essence of Soen”: Lars Åhlund and Cody Lee Ford may have scaled down the “eight-minute songs with a million riffs”, but their adventurous guitar playing remains intact
- “It’s not about how fast you can play. It needs to sound like pain or it needs to sound disgusting – it’s about what the guitar needs to convey”: Introducing Hawxx, the feminist metallers out to “de-wankify” heavy guitar clichés
- P90s vs humbuckers: Which pickups should you choose?
- “Sometimes the instrument or the amp takes you where it needs you to go. Older equipment is much easier to use to tell a story”: Baroness are reshaping metal guitar with acoustics, single coils and vintage amps
- “Strat or Les Paul? I’m going to go with Strat. The bar has become a big part of the way I play…” Pete Thorn answers the guitar world’s biggest questions – and names the underrated players you need to hear right now
- December 13
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- “I would never play a bass that has brand-new strings. My strings only leave the bass when they break”: How George Porter Jr. helped put funk on the musical map with The Meters
- “My goal was to make a modern, metal take on a vintage Jazzmaster shape… I never thought the first track I would use it on would be with Megan Thee Stallion”: Spiritbox’s Mike Stringer on 2023’s most talked-about offsets – and the collab no-one saw coming
- December 12
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- Are BOSS's 50th Anniversary versions of the DS-1, SD-1 and BD-2 the ultimate collector’s editions?
- “People put too much stock in vibrato. It’s like putting explicit value into one feature on a person’s face”: Angel Vivaldi is exploring the relationship between the human psyche and the guitar via mind-blowing virtuosity
- “You can have all the pedals you want, but the guitar/amp combination makes the sound. Pedals are just some extra paprika”: Rich Robinson reveals what’s on his pedalboard
- “Even John Paul Jones, Geddy Lee, Sting, and Steve Harris dig this guy”: Cordell Crockett of Ugly Kid Joe reels off 5 albums that shaped his sound
- “Charles Manson actually stole one of my Martins years ago and I never, ever got it back”: The Beach Boys co-founder Al Jardine on his musical regrets, favorite guitars, and the acoustic that got away
- “People think I play super-fast – it’s what you’d expect from a metal guitarist. But I would remind people that I’m very melodic”: King Diamond’s Andy LaRocque on how the Floyd Rose became his calling card – and why Death pushed his abilities to the limit
- “Bass players can solo through changes just like a horn player or a guitarist”: Watch Nathan East raise the bar as a soloist on Al Jarreau’s Our Love
- December 11
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- “Gretsch assumed, because he’s in Nashville, Chet Atkins must be into steers, cacti, and round-ups”: Behind the scenes at the new Gretsch museum
- “10 years ago, I would need a record deal. But because of my social media following, I don’t need a label’s capital to fund my music”: Meet Jon Dretto – the online shred star whose guitar playing pranks have helped him clock up a billion views
- December 9
- December 8
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- “When Van Halen’s first record came out, I was so proud of them – it was awesome. But did Eddie Van Halen affect my playing style? No”: Dave Meniketti on turning down Frampton, and how Y&T might’ve been bigger if they’d opened for themselves
- “When Jimmy Page first saw my 8-string rig, he said, ‘I’m not playing to that!’” John Paul Jones on his 10 greatest Led Zeppelin moments
- "I’ve been using Vigier guitars since 1997. One of their reps had me try them, but I didn’t want to – I’d been playing my own awful, homemade, Swiss cheese guitars!" Failed luthier Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal is busier than ever, but success isn't on his mind
- December 7
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- “There was no way I was shredding like them – I had to find my space in their universe”: Meet Shubh Saran, the shred chameleon whose jams with Jakub Zytecki and Mark Holcomb helped him find his voice – and left Plini asking, “What the f**k is happening?”
- Without a truss rod, your guitar would be a lot harder to play – here's everything you need to know, from the history of the truss rod to how to adjust it safely
- “Even if there are only a few sounds, I try to play in a way that directly expresses my feelings and touches our hearts”: Boris guitarist Wata is an experimental rock legend – and three decades on, her playing is still impossible to pigeonhole
- December 6
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- “Jimmy sat there for the whole two hours then waited until after the show before he asked me, ‘How did you find out how to make my sound?’” Meet Mr. Jimmy, the Japanese kimono salesman who has dedicated his life to becoming Jimmy Page
- 10 late ‘90s nu metal albums that don’t suck
- “I had to stop buying records. I stopped being a fan of music – I felt that was affecting my individuality and my style”: SSD were hardcore legends, then Al Barile sold his guitar gear to buy a jet ski. Here’s how he found his way back to his Gibson SG
- Download and stream the audio from Guitar Techniques 356
- “Most people think three guitarists is a lot, but to me, it’s the minimum – it sounds way thicker and heavier”: Meet Hotline TNT, the Jack White-approved shoegaze band who don’t like pedals
- “We had to perform 700 songs in the space of five weeks, but we had to learn 1,200. I didn’t sleep for seven weeks”: Being a guitarist on TV is no walk in the park. Just ask The Voice and The Masked Singer six-stringer Dan Maher
- December 5
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- “The guitar is such an interesting instrument; it can be a sound palette, create harmonies and be presented in endless ways”: Trevor Rabin breaks down the tales and tools behind some of his greatest guitar highlights
- Jason Becker hailed his “stunning technique and explosive guitar tone” – now Jien Takahashi is building a unique brand of shred shaped by Ritchie Blackmore, Morbid Angel and a quest to prove “a guitar solo can be as persuasive as a singer's voice”
- “I tend to brutalize electric guitars, so anything I have in my personal stash stays away from the live stage these days”: John Cale opens up about AI, amp exploration and the emotional potential of effects
- “McCartney was fantastic. Mind you, I tried one of those Hofner basses and I thought it was crap”: Judas Priest’s heavy metal veteran Ian Hill picks his top 5 bass albums
- “I thought to myself, ‘Nobody’s done anything with that for at least 25 years. It looks like a piece of medieval torture instrumentation’”: How G7th revolutionized the guitar capo
- “The ‘tone stars’ of tomorrow are going to be the ones who can do the most creative programming”: Why digital modeling and AI will be more important than big-name players in shaping the future of guitar tone
- December 4
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- “Paul McCartney was one of my favorite bass players. I didn’t do him justice”: Paying tribute to the Beatles turned out to be a humbling experience for Donald ‘Duck’ Dunn
- “I had to drive several hours through snow to get to him. He told me this was one of the first Stratocasters, and there were some things I noticed immediately”: This 1954 Fender Stratocaster is one of the most unusual Fender builds in history
- “I do this thing where I literally black out, and then the song’s over. I’m not even registering what I’m doing – it’s beyond muscle memory”: Kyle Seely has been playing the same Telecaster since he was a teen – but Sheer Mag keep evolving
- December 1
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- How the 1960s Gibson J-200 upset acoustic purists but remained King of the flat-tops in the eyes of the Beatles, Creedence Clearwater Revival and Yusuf/Cat Stevens
- “Eddie Van Halen changed the game. I remember him telling me once, ‘Man, I didn’t mean to start all this madness’”: Steve Lukather on why he’s always championed melody above all else, and how that philosophy informed his new “unabashedly ‘80s” solo album
- “We had it in about two takes. The funk was there as soon as we hit it”: Watch Louis 'thunder thumbs' Johnson slap a classic bass solo on the Brothers Johnson’s Stomp!
- “People don’t talk about Ace doing his pick-tapping thing. Considering this was ’77, before Eddie Van Halen did Eruption, it's even more mind-blowing”: Eric Johnson, Nuno Bettencourt, and 40 other guitar legends share their favorite Kiss guitar moments
