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“You hear two notes and you know who it is”: Remembering rock ’n’ roll pioneer Duane Eddy
By Henry Yates published
The good-humoured architect of twang died on 30 April, but his legacy is a guitar tone for the ages, forever evoking greasers, flick knives and hot-rods
Never underestimate the impact of fretboard radius – it dramatically affects the way your guitar plays
By Huw Price published
Crucial to playing feel, radius applies to strings as well as fretboards – we explore the different ways it impacts the feel of your guitar
“That amp quite literally changed my life”: Damon Johnson explains why finding the right amp kickstarted his career
By Janelle Borg published
Back in 1990, Johnson bought a pricey but career-changing amp that he says “was worth every penny”
Conchúr White on going solo, McNally guitars and finding a new voice with fingerpicking
By Glenn Kimpton published
White's debut album, Swirling Violets, finds the former Silences guitarist exploring the outer reaches of his imagination and changing his approach because this time out, the set all hangs on him
Alan Parsons on why late Project and Kate Bush guitarist Ian Bairnson was unlike any guitarist he’d ever encountered
By Matt Owen published
Parsons played alongside Bairnson as part of the Alan Parsons Project, and witnessed the late session legend's flawless technique up close
Wailers icon Junior Marvin on joining Bob Marley – and the night Hendrix shook his hand
By Andrew Daly published
Marvin had been offered a 10 year contract from Stevie Wonder on the day he joined Bob Marley and the Wailers. But he never looked back
“Pentatonic ideas are always the best way to reach an audience”: Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram on why the pentatonic scale is still the GOAT
By Janelle Borg published
The pentatonic scale has been used many times in many ways, but Ingram insists that it's still the cornerstone of great guitar solos
Tele loyalist Joanne Shaw Taylor on rewiring her playing with Les Pauls and conquering ADHD in the studio
By David Mead published
New album Heavy Soul finds JST pushing her vocals to new limits and pushing tube amps beyond their limits, and it cements her rep as one of the great blues players of our time
“Wanna get employed with a touring band? Play mind-blowing rhythm parts”: Alice Cooper guitarist Ryan Roxie on the importance of rhythm guitar
By Janelle Borg published
Roxie has toured with the best. He explains why you need more than fancy chops to make it as a touring musician
“Scott’s blood was on the guitar”: Richard Hawley on how he came to own Scott Walker’s Telecaster
By Janelle Borg published
Hawley recalls the Pulp recording session that served as the catalyst to him and Walker's friendship
How a former Black Crowe changed Samantha Fish’s soloing style forever
By Janelle Borg published
Fish gives her take on what makes solos memorable – and why flashy playing doesn’t speak to the soul
Scott Gorham on his Thin Lizzy audition – and the moment The Boys Are Back in Town “exploded”
By Henry Yates published
Brian Robertson might have given Gorham the coldest of welcomes at his audition but the pair soon formed one of rock's most iconic guitar partnerships. Here, Gorham looks back on their chemistry and the Les Pauls behind his Lizzy sound
Darrel Higham on Gretsch, gear regrets, and what a 21st century rockabilly ace needs in their rig
By David Mead published
A stolen treasured Gretsch and an unexpected love/hate relationship with White Falcons are all part of this rock ’n’ roller’s life in gear
The innovative tech that brought Yamaha’s groundbreaking 2024 Pacificas to life
By Dave Burrluck published
Yamaha’s new Pacifica Professional and Standard Plus have a familiar shape, but deliver a revolutionary take on the much-loved S-style, drawing on a collaboration with Rupert Neve Designs and what the brand learned from the Revstar
How PRS made the SE NF3 – and what makes it different from the Silver Sky
By Dave Burrluck published
We catch up with PRS Guitars’ COO, Jack Higginbotham, to get the lowdown on the company’s hotly hyped new budget bolt-on – and whether a USA model is on the cards…
DeWolff’s Pablo van de Poel on the quest to land his literal dream guitar
By David Mead published
The Dutch psych-rock maestro checks in to show us his guitars and in the process makes us A) want a Firebird and B) wonder if it's time to have three fuzz pedals on our pedalboards
“This was Les Paul in his ear”: The story behind Gibson’s distinctive Alnico V ‘Staple pickup’
By Jamie Dickson published
A lesser celebrated pickup the ‘Staple’ pickup features those distinctive rectangular polepieces and a sound that makes it ripe for rediscovery, especially with a range of replicas on the market
“Try a higher string action until you get used to using it”: How to set up your guitar for slide
By Dave Burrluck published
Lights, camera... High action? We explore that and more as we walk through what you Cooder, woulda, shoulda do when getting your guitar ready for the slide