Backstage Gear Tour with the DEFTONES' Stephen Carpenter

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Guitar World Staff
Guitar World Staff

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A Blackstar Fly 3 guitar amp on a wooden floor with guitar picks and cable

“It can give you pristine cleans, crunchy classic rock, slapback slathered blues, and even modern metal”: Blackstar Fly 3 review
Gibson RD

“A cult classic is reborn”: One of Gibson’s most obscure designs makes a comeback with the revival of the RD – and it's unlike any other Gibson Custom model around
Imperial Triumphant

“People think I’m not a good guitar player because it sounds really sloppy. I play in an avant-garde death metal band – you shouldn’t be comfortable”: How Imperial Triumphant became one of the most garishly experimental metal bands of a generation
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Imperial Triumphant
“People think I’m not a good guitar player because it sounds really sloppy. I play in an avant-garde death metal band – you shouldn’t be comfortable”: How Imperial Triumphant became one of the most garishly experimental metal bands of a generation
General views of the Hollywood Rock Walk at the Guitar Center on the Sunset Strip after the announcement of rock legend Eddie Van Halen's death on October 06, 2020 in Hollywood, California
“I used to visit my local GC frequently. That all stopped when they started locking everything up”: How can Guitar Center improve its stores and reclaim its former glory? Guitar World readers have their say
Steve Stevens plays guitar as part of Billy Idol's band during the 'Rebel Yell' tour at the Poplar Creek Music Theater, Hoffman Estates, Illinois, June 1, 1984.
“When I met Billy, I didn’t really have an amazing guitar. He said, ‘Oh, you gotta have a Les Paul, mate’”: Steve Stevens on why the ’80s were Hamer time for the Billy Idol guitarist – and it was all thanks to Paul Stanley
Jimmy Page performs onstage with Led Zeppelin at Earl's Court in London in 1975
“Jimmy was still playing the Telecasters that he played in the Yardbirds. I laid it on him and said, ‘Try this out.’ I gave him a good deal, about 1,200 bucks”: How one of rock's most storied Les Pauls changed hands from one guitar hero to another
Robert Sledge of Ben Folds Five performs at SummerStage at Rumsey Playfield, Central Park on September 14, 2012 in New York City.
“The guys were like, ‘Just go for something crazy, and then make it crazier.’ They just couldn’t stop me, man!” The wildest bass solo you’ve never heard? Robert Sledge cranked the fuzz for this Ben Folds Five classic
Courtney Barnett plays a Fender Kurt Cobain Jaguar in studio
“I’ve used Teles and Strats, but I always find myself going back to that Jag – something about the Cobain Jag just sounded extra-beefy”: Courtney Barnett is one of indie-rock’s most celebrated southpaws – and the Nirvana Fender connection runs deep
Rosanne Cash playing her Gibson acoustic guitar – her 'Cash' strap lies beside her on a table
“I can play barre chords and my dad couldn’t. He had a strum that was identifiably his, but I learned from the Carter women. Mine is more of a Carter scratch”: How Rosanne Cash found her sound – and captured Johnny’s design flair in her signature Gibson
Tommy Thayer of KISS performs onstage during the Tribeca Festival screening of "Biography: KISStory" at Battery Park on June 11, 2021 in New York City.
“I remember thinking, ‘I’ll show them – they don’t realize they made a mistake.’ It’s not just the wins, it’s the determination you build from the losses”: Tommy Thayer’s junior high disappointment fired him up for success with Kiss
Nate Garrett of Spirit Adrift pictured at home with a Gibson Les Paul. He wears a Danzig T-shirt and is there are books, amps, and LPs in the background.
“I want some people to be outraged – I feel like that would be a true way to honor Type O”: Welcome to Nate Garrett’s Neon Nightmare, the Spirit Adrift guitarist’s ’80s horror-inspired tribute to Peter Steele
Man playing acoustic guitar in his garden
"Upgrading from your entry-level acoustic opens the door to an entirely new world of tonewoods, body shapes, and brands": 6 signs it's time to upgrade from your first acoustic guitar