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February 2025

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107 articles

February 21
- “Such easy-to-use effects haven’t been known to have world class sounds in them… until now”: Tech 21 says it has “cracked the code” for digital guitar gear with Marty Friedman’s new signature SansAmp
- “He fell about laughing with glee as he tried them”: Spiritbox’s Mike Stringer has been honored with signature Bare Knuckles – the same pickups from his new Aristides offset
- Fender Japan unveils the Starmaster – a Jazzmaster/Starcaster hybrid that could be the most divisive Fender offset of them all
- “You wanted me to come on your track and do something in a Spanish style. I thought, ‘I have to show him how I do it on the whole guitar’”: Marcin shows an astounded Will Smith his virtuosic guitar technique
- “I probably hauled in 20 guitars. I listened to the record top to bottom, turned to him and said, ‘It doesn’t need anything’”: Jeff “Skunk” Baxter on the one studio session where he lugged a ton of guitar gear – and didn't use any of it
- Guitar World deals of the week: save $366 on a Strandberg, $200 on a Fender Strat, plus all the week's best deals
- “For power Stratocaster playing”: The tones of Joe Bonamassa’s obscure “Greenburst” Strat have been brought to the masses with new Seymour Duncan signature pickups
- “The time has come that I must close this chapter and begin the next”: The Black Dahlia Murder guitarist Brandon Ellis leaves the band after 9-year stint
- “Doesn’t just enhance your rig, it redefines it”: Two Notes’ reimagined Reload II seeks to end the reactive load box debate – and quash the competition from Universal Audio and Boss in the process
February 20
- “I'll never forget meeting Jimi at that club in New York in 1968. I'm so grateful we had the chance to become friends”: Buddy Guy returns to the stage after officially retiring from touring last year to honor Jimi Hendrix
- “There’s amazing players like Josh Smith and Eric Gales, and I thought, ‘OK, I’ve been missing out. I’m learning the blues’”: Tosin Abasi said he wanted to release a blues album – is it still on the cards?
- “I said, ‘We’re going to reinvent the notion of the extended classic rock solo. This is going to be the “not Comfortably Numb” solo’”: Steven Wilson bringing back the long guitar solo – with a twist
- John Mayer acoustics, Brad Paisley amps, a signature Slash model: A fake Wylde Audio website has been taken over by AI – and it’s utterly bizarre
- “I said, ‘I used to have a Les Paul Custom and I sold it like an idiot.’ Eric said, ‘Oh, I have one of those at home somewhere…’” Gibson unveils the Eric Clapton 1958 Les Paul Custom – a recreation of the Disraeli Gears LP that now belongs to Albert Lee
- “The solo he takes on that is one of the most perfectly crafted guitar solos ever. He's one of those players you can recognize right away. It's that distinct”: Grace Bowers names her favorite guitar player of all time
February 19
- “I started the introduction for Tequila Sunrise, and was like, ‘Wait a minute. This feels like acid.’ I just felt like I'm leaving my body”: Former Eagles guitarist Don Felder speaks out after mid-performance medical emergency
- “I look up the tracks, I’m like, ‘Oh, that’s him.’ It’s the tone, the touch, the feel, the voicing choices”: Rhythm guitarists are harder to identify on recordings than lead players. But there’s one rhythm king that Cory Wong can pick out without fail
- “I called Alice and said, ‘I'm in a lot of pain. I’m not too sure what's going on’”: Orianthi reveals her agony over the injury that forced her to pull out of her Alice Cooper tour return – and play Back in Black sitting down at PRS’ epic anniversary show
- “I cannot think of another guy that has been so tuned in with his instrument. I’m like, ‘How the hell is that even possible?’” Mike Stringer is one of the hottest metal guitar talents right now – and he has an unlikely hero
- “I really had fun doing it and it got me thinking, what if we made a record with guitars…” Charli XCX is tempted to make a guitar record – and she's taking inspiration from Lou Reed
- “Less interference, less dropouts”: Blackstar muscles in on the wireless system market with AIRWIRE i58 – but how does it stack up against the competition from Positive Grid and Fender?
February 18
- “Smith has road-tested this guitar, refining its design and tone”: The PRS Charcoal Phoenix is Paul Reed Smith’s personal guitar of choice – and it’s already starred onstage next to John Mayer
- “I would say he’s underrated in the echelons of guitar. Honestly, there’s no-one close”: Steve Vai reveals what it’s like to work side by side with fellow Frank Zappa alum Adrian Belew on the BEAT tour
- “What's incredible about this guitar is that it was Marc Bolan's before. That's a double whammy”: Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells Telecaster has cropped up on the BBC's Antiques Roadshow – after it was bought for $12,500
- “The 12-string I was accustomed to wasn’t performing. Gibson kindly said, ‘We’ll make you something special’”: Brian May’s first Gibson signature is here – and it’s got nothing to do with the Red Special
- “I think Eddie got rubbed up the wrong way because we had another superstar guitar player in our lineup”: Eddie Van Halen apparently left Peavey because it signed a second standout shredder – Joe Satriani
- “Hard to believe that rehearsals begin a week from Monday. We begin again. Every time a rebirth. Every time an adventure”: Another former Smashing Pumpkins bassist is joining Garbage on tour
- “That was one thing I wanted to get right with Oliver. I went to his house and made sure he knew how that one had happened”: Robby Krieger sets the record straight on how a Doors classic was really written – and what the controversial movie got wrong
February 17
- “The moment everyone came to see”: blink-182 reunite with Matt Skiba as Tom DeLonge performs with his successor for the first time at LA wildfires benefit show
- “A high-spec instrument at a competitive price”: Manson’s updated M-Series models have been treated to Sustainiac pickups, fresh finishes… and onboard Fuzz Factory upgrades
- “This $2 billion company has assimilated the history of Musitronics as if it was their own”: Behringer blasted by Mu-Tron III maker following the release of $69 replica
- “I sang this song with George Harrison on Saturday Night Live in 1976”: Paul Simon teams up with Sabrina Carpenter for Simon & Garfunkel classic during SNL's 50th anniversary special
- “Alien levels of precision. You can’t believe it until you sit in front of him and you’re like, ‘Whoa’”: We asked Tim Henson and Tosin Abasi who is blowing their minds right now. They both named the same guitarist
- “I’m not planning on doing a set with Black Sabbath”: Ozzy Osbourne shares details on his last live performance – and says he’ll be “doing little bits and pieces”
- “A special rendition”: Post Malone proves his guitar hero credentials once again as he fronts Nirvana reunion and nails Smells Like Teen Spirit at SNL50
- “We appreciate everyone’s concern regarding Don Felder’s abrupt stop to his show last night”: Former Eagles guitarist Don Felder issues statement after being rushed offstage due to medical emergency
- “Some people are pleased to see a British brand reborn and some see it less favorably. I can understand both aspects”: How a forgotten UK guitar brand was given a triumphant second act by one of the country’s most respected luthiers
- I don't think you're going to find much better than $180 off a gig-ready Fender Player II Strat this Presidents' Day
February 16
- “I wasn’t with a known band, as opposed to Van Halen, who had a hit record, so he did it, and the world got to hear it”: Harvey Mandel was one of the pioneers of the two-handed tapping technique – yet he claims he was never properly credited for it
- “Guitar World was putting together this CD... I thought, ‘Guitar players are gonna try to play the most mind-blowing shredding’… So I did an acoustic piece in DADGAD”: The Cars' Elliot Easton considers this lost gem to be one of his best performances
February 15
- Quick! Positive Grid's huge $50 Riff audio interface discount ends today – here are 5 reasons it’s worth your money
- “He told me it had a reverse headstock, but when we opened the case it turned out to be a left-handed King V”: A labor of love, Wes Borland's beloved custom Jackson King V began life as a factory floor reject
February 14
- “I happened to walk in the studio and they just asked me to join the circle, like, ‘Whoa, hey, great.’ I had my guitar, walked in and started playing”: How Nile Rodgers ended up on the latest Coldplay album
- “We kind of dug it, but a lot of places didn’t like Metallica. They were like, ‘What the hell is this?’” When Metallica hit the road for their first national tour, crowds weren’t convinced by their music
- 9 Presidents' Day guitar sales to shop before they’re gone for good
- “Exploring the creative potential of neural networks in sound design”: Meet the rePEDAL – a free AI overdrive maker that randomly generates digital stompboxes at the click of a button
- Get first dibs on Fender’s Presidents' Day savings with big discounts on American-made guitars – including $200 off select American Professional II models and more
- “Somebody will get mad at me, but it’s the closest thing to Beck, Clapton and Page. What was in the water we were all drinking?” Billy Corgan names himself and two other ’90s guitar gods as the ‘metal Yardbirds’
- “A sonically punishing instrument for the most dedicated shred warriors”: Wylde Audio unveils the Blood Skull Berzerker – and it’s got a “visually brutal” new body shape worthy of its name
- “He called and said, ‘Would you have any interest in auditioning for Michael Jackson?’ I was like, ‘Oh my god, yes!’” Nita Strauss once received a call to audition for the King of Pop – and ended up playing funk with his brother
- “I cannot play guitar. It feels like I am wearing a pair of gloves when I try”: Brian Setzer can’t play guitar due to autoimmune disease
February 13
- “After a minute, I realize I can’t see the fretboard, I can’t breathe and it’s suddenly 120 degrees in my head”: That time Joe Satriani took a Surfing With the Alien encore a little too far
- “The experience of our work with Jimmy in a vibrant, electric, mystical, and powerful perspective”: Unreleased Jimmy Page/Rich Robinson composition set to feature in upcoming deluxe version of Jimmy Page & the Black Crowes: Live at the Greek
- “People usually assume it’s a Rickenbacker, Telecaster or Jaguar. It’s often been this Les Paul”: Gibson and Johnny Marr have recreated the 1984 Les Paul that underpinned The Smiths legend’s entire career
- The best deals of 2025 so far? Save big in the Musician's Friend’s Presidents' Day sale with up to 40% off guitar gear
- “Retaining the tones that made it a game-changer from the start”: The Boss Katana:GO headphone amp is back after it was discontinued – but not as you remember it
- Guitar Center's official Presidents' Day sale is here – score $500 off a Gibson Les Paul, $150 off a striking Gretsch Jet, and so much more
- “It took me a long time to feel confident about being the only guitar on stage. I always felt like I needed a rhythm guitar”: Brian May fought to add a rhythm guitarist to Queen in their early years – and several players would eventually grant his wish
February 12
- “Brutal looks and razor-sharp tones to push the limits of creativity”: Schecter’s Red Dawn series aims to weaponize a legion of chug-loving metal players
- “Exceeds in playability, looks, and affordability”: Cort promises the pinnacle of affordable acoustic guitars with its $449 Essence series
- “I auditioned for a guitar commission with a carload of basses! I laid them all out on the floor, and he went, ‘OK, let's make a guitar’”: James Hetfield's luthier on how he went from crafting basses to becoming the Metallica guitarist's go-to axe maker
- “There’s nothing more Spinal Tap than going to one of the epicenters of the blues and drawing zero people”: Joe Bonamassa reflects on the worst show of his career
- “I actually got to the point of doing a show and Ozzy hired me – he said he wanted me to do the gig”: Alex Skolnick looks back on his brief tenure as Ozzy Osbourne’s guitarist – and why it only lasted one show
- “Ronnie was a really nice guy – but let’s face it: he ain’t no Mick Taylor, and he’s no Harvey Mandel. He’s what I call a C-plus guitar player”: Harvey Mandel nearly became a Rolling Stone – here’s why he thinks he would have been a better fit
February 11
- “I was so exhausted that whole day. But I couldn’t help but light up from the electricity of Iggy Pop’s energy”: Deryck Whibley appeals to Hard Rock Cafe to return his guitar from the Iggy Pop feat. Sum 41 era
- “Some friends helped me get back on my feet. I hadn’t been on stage in a few years and I was scared about performing after losing my hearing”: Former Incubus bassist Ben Kenney returns to the stage for the first time since undergoing brain surgery
- “He went to Guitar Center and did the most humble thing. He bought a $200 Yamaha acoustic. He didn’t show up with a $2,000 guitar and he could have”: Bob Dylan may have played Gibson, but Timothée Chalamet started his transformation with a budget acoustic
- “I really don't want to do this this way, but I pretty much have no choice now”: The jury's out on new Pantera material, but Dimebag Darrell-channeling shredder Kayla Kent is making the next-best thing – all she needs is a singer
February 10
- “Like all young artists, sometimes you run into somebody that's one of your heroes”: Jerry Cantrell recalls the time he tried – and failed – to pass an Alice in Chains demo tape to Axl Rose
- “The ‘industry’ strings you along with these empty accolades but labels paying you on time can keep your life from falling apart”: Beyoncé session guitarist Justus West says awards don't pay the bills – and labels need to take more accountability
- “I managed to stay behind at The Marquee when everyone had gone home. I asked him, ‘How do you get that sound?’ He said, ‘Well, it’s easy...’” In 1969, a young Brian May hid in a venue to speak to Rory Gallagher – and it led to his tonal breakthrough
- “Precision-engineered sound and true wireless freedom”: Positive Grid turns the headphone amp market upside down with the wireless, AI-powered Neo
- “It's not a Marvel movie or a Vegas residency – it's rock and roll and it’s a living breathing organism”: Jack White responds to short sets criticism – and explains why you’ll never see him play for three hours
- “Even global stars must follow local rules”: Ed Sheeran’s street performance was brought to an abrupt end after Indian police shut it down – but the songwriter says he did have permission to play
- “I thought I was going to wind up being a mental patient. I was like, ‘If I ever survive this, I swear to God I'm not going to do anything but work on music’”: Marty Friedman’s hellish teen acid trip was the making of his career as a guitarist
- “Sounds just like Slash, doesn't it?”: Slash joins forces with Tom Morello for a three-song cameo at LA Wildfire Relief shows – taking on MC5 and an AC/DC classic
February 7
- “You wouldn't have thought that you would see those three guys together”: Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath's final show will play host to a Tool, Rage Against the Machine and Smashing Pumpkins supergroup
- “Used for the Cream reunion shows, arguably one of the biggest rock reunion performances of all time”: Jack Bruce’s Gibson EB-1 is going up for a one-time-only public display
- “This guy comes in, plugs in, and starts playing while we’re talking to another guy. I said, ‘Buddy, you better sit down before I knock you out’”: Ace Frehley interrupted the band when he auditioned for Kiss – and Gene Simmons was ready to throw fists
- “I view the instrument I play not as an object to be mastered, but as a partner with which to share with the listener a meaning”: Pioneering pedal steel guitar virtuoso Susan Alcorn has died aged 71
- “We care as much about this product as the guitars we’ve been building for over 35 years”: James Tyler Guitars will become more affordable than ever as the boutique builder announces China-made JTG Series
- “It had been really poorly refinished with chunks of wood missing. And you know what? It may be the best-sounding Strat I’ve got”: How Andy Timmons gave a bargain guitar a new lease of life – taking inspiration from Hendrix and Beck
- “I said, ‘The only way we can play 40 minutes is if we include Purple Haze.’ This guy grabbed me and said, ‘You got a lot of nerve!’” Billy Gibbons once covered Jimi Hendrix hits while supporting Hendrix on tour – and the guitar hero watched
- “I didn’t do a ton of exploration on the f-hole idea. If I had to do it again, I might do it completely differently”: Eric Johnson broke new ground with his first semi-hollow Fender Strat – but he’d take inspiration from Gibson if he ever made another
February 6
- “Watching her on the biggest stage in the world, with the biggest star in the world, blazing solos faster than anybody that I'd ever seen”: Nita Strauss on the guitarist that inspired her to pursue a career in music
- “I’m not going to say that some are ‘better’ at it, but they’re more valuable testers”: D’Addario recruits players to help test its strings – and there's one jazz veteran who is more reliable than most
- “There’s a tradition in country music where an older musician – in order to give respect to a younger musician – would give them his guitar. Dad gave Bob Dylan one of his guitars”: Rosanne Cash on her father’s six-string salute to Dylan
- “I suddenly couldn’t control this left arm, it was quite scary. I had no idea what was going on”: Brian May issues update after suffering ‘minor stroke’
- “It was so close to happening. Then Jeff bailed at the last moment”: Joe Satriani was days away from signing Jeff Beck for G3 – before the Yardbird dropped out and suggested Prince as a replacement
February 5
- “As opposed to, ‘It’s too much, play less,’ Jon was like, ‘At the end of the solo, can you go full Phil X?’ I was like, ‘OK, but who are you?’” Phil X confirms new Bon Jovi material will feature one seriously ripping solo – and a tour is also in the works
- “It was a total surprise. Prince sang, ‘In the purple…’ and then he pointed at me”: When Donna Grantis joined Prince’s band, she expected the unexpected – but she never thought he’d ask her to take iconic Purple Rain solo
- “This will be the greatest heavy metal show ever”: Ozzy Osbourne announces his final-ever live performance – featuring an original Black Sabbath lineup reunion and some of the biggest names in heavy music
- “People say, ‘You’re playing the guitar on your lap, you learned from Guitar Hero.’ But it’s taken years to figure out how to write complex compositions”: Yasmin Williams brings lap-tapping and double-neck guitar to late-night TV with Colbert performance
- “There was never any danger of going ‘full Kurt Russell’ with it, but accidents happen… especially around me!” When Chris Buck played a museum-grade Martin from 1928, a high-profile Hollywood guitar scandal played heavy on his mind
February 4
- “I actually started out as someone who was really afraid of pedals. I was like, ‘Oh, hell no, technology!’” Why Yvette Young was afraid of pedals – then ended up with a signature one
- “Keep your eyes on this man”: Nuno Bettencourt joins Steven Tyler for a mini-set of Aerosmith, Extreme classics at charity gig – and, wait, is that a Les Paul?
- “I don’t think Metallica wants to say I am an original member”: Why Metallica’s forgotten guitarist believes he isn’t considered the heavy metal legends’ OG guitar player
- “They’ve achieved so much in their careers. I love hearing their stories. Every time we plug in together, I grow as a player”: Lari Basilio reveals what she learned from playing side by side with all-time guitar and session greats
- “I got a text asking if he could send my name over to an ‘artist’ for a ‘show.’ It ended up being Chris Martin”: Grace Bowers takes her chops to the biggest stage in music for a surprise Grammys appearance with the Coldplay frontman
- “We’d play at the Palomino under some weird name – we’d just show up, so nobody would know. By halfway through the set, the place was jam-packed”: Steve Lukather on his secret supergroup with Eddie Van Halen, Albert Lee and Steve Morse
- “I plugged into a Marshall stack – and it sounded awful. I could hardly play... Jimi Hendrix came onstage, plugged into the same amp – and it sounded like a cataclysm”: Brian May on the one time he experimented with a Marshall stack
February 3
- “Someone told us that guitar was haunted – people who had it had accidents. I’m a Nirvana fan, but it was just a regular guitar to me”: Opeth's Mikael Åkerfeldt said the Martin museum felt like the “Holy Land,” but one guitar he played there left him cold
- “It’s heavy… Lots of eight-string. We’re playing baritones, too. We’re making new guitars that don’t exist”: Polyphia’s next album is going to be brutal – and some big-name metal artists are already slated for guest appearances
- “We are convinced that Marshall will strengthen its position as the go-to brand for guitarists”: Chinese firm HSG acquires majority stake of Marshall Group in $1.1 billion deal
- “A modernized take on an iconic shape”: Spiritbox’s Mike Stringer wowed metalheads with a custom offset Jackson. Now he’s turned to Aristides for his first signature guitar – a brutal, space-age take on the Jazzmaster
- “There was no way we would cancel the gig, but there were no guitars, amps, pedals, or anything. How am I going to make the show work for Steve Vai?” When Steve Vai’s gear got lost in transit, his tech stepped in to save the day
- “We want to dedicate this award to all the bands that are pushing the boundaries. Support your local artists”: St. Vincent, Andrew Watt and Gojira claim big Grammy wins for guitar music