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January 2025
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103 articles
- January 21
- January 20
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- “Always one of my favorite guitarists – what a loss”: John Sykes, Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy, Tygers of Pan Tang guitarist, dies at 65
- “Designed for musicians and collectors alike, they promise something truly extraordinary“: Martin dazzles with its 3 millionth masterpiece – and a Standard Series double-neck that’s been 100 years in-the-making
- “Whenever I’d see him play live it was an off-the-rack Strat. He was never one to say, ‘I’ve got to play that’”: Joe Perry says he was planning to take Jeff Beck’s Strat on tour with Aerosmith – but its owner was the only special thing about it
- “Unlock the true sonic potential of amplifiers without worrying about the volume”: Celestion’s ear-saving Peacekeeper speaker lets you dial in the “sweet spot” of a driven amp at modest volumes
- “Gary was one of the greatest ever guitarists and deserves to be honored in his home city”: Plans are in place for a Gary Moore statue to be erected in Belfast
- “The recent wildfires have deeply impacted our artists and friends in Los Angeles”: Gibson has pledged an initial $250,000 to L.A. wildfires relief
- “A new take on a classic”: Marshall teases the release of a modded JCM, as a new era for the legendary amp brand beckons
- January 17
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- “The best guitar that ever happened in guitar history”: ESP has dropped a new LTD signature guitar for Richard ZK – and it’s got the Rammstein riffer rather excited
- “It’s unique, fast, accurate, and extreme. This is a huge update”: Cort and Hedras continue to elevate their progressive electric design with new Mutility II – and it’s got more tones than ever before
- “It was very simplistic compared to my later compositions”: It may have been inspired by the Kinks, but Al Di Meola's Race with Devil on Spanish Highway is one of the great virtuoso displays in guitar history. Watch the maestro play it with Steve Vai
- “I don't think I want to go on tour anymore. I hate to say that”: Sammy Hagar reveals his touring days are over
- “There was unfinished business. I was hoping to have the opportunity to reclaim my name someday”: Revered luthier Dennis Fano is now leading both Fano and Novo – as his two boutique companies merge
- Guitars signed by Paul McCartney, Slash, Bruce Springsteen, Sheryl Crow, Olivia Rodrigo and many more to be auctioned off in support of leading music charity
- “Our goal was simple: build a guitar too good to be true”: Designing new solidbody electrics is one of the biggest challenges in guitar building – but Eastman has made it look easy yet again with the FullerTone
- Guitar World deals of the week: save $220 on a Boss Katana amp, get half-price guitar pedals, plus all the week's biggest sales
- “The next step in cable technology”: Ibanez and JTC claim to have created the world’s most advanced guitar cable – but what makes it so special?
- “This is on a level of Live Aid, mid-'80s”: John Mayer and Dave Matthews to perform as a duo for the first time at L.A. FireAid benefit concert, alongside Red Hot Chili Peppers, Joni Mitchell and Green Day
- “A highly specialized design built to Mick’s exact specifications”: Mick Thomson’s long-awaited ESP signature guitar is finally here – but it’s not what we expected
- January 16
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- “This monumental collaboration signals a new chapter in Bad Cat’s commitment to exceptional tone”: Bad Cat marks the return of amp design guru Mark Sampson with the Era 30
- NAMM 2025: Boss has launched a range of guitar cables inspired by its classic pedals
- “Exceptional sound and feel, at an entry-level price”: Kepma disrupts the budget acoustic game with torrefied solid-topped models starting at $249
- “Yellow Fall became one of the best-selling pedals in Donner’s history”: Donner has given its Jack White-approved delay pedal an upgrade… and it’s got an awfully familiar new look
- Grab yourself a guitar like no other with huge 20% discounts on these web-exclusive Squier guitars
- “I’m thrilled to give people access to so many abstract sounds that inspire me”: Yvette Young has been secretly working on her dream signature pedal for the past year-and-a-half – the Walrus Audio Qi Etherealizer is the otherworldly result
- “The way we think about guitar and what the instrument is supposed to do has changed”: Justin Hawkins explains why technically complex bands like Sleep Token and Polyphia are generating mass appeal
- “That’s my little secret weapon... Old Blue”: Pantera’s Rex Brown has teamed up with Morley on a recreation of the wah pedal so good Dimebag used to borrow it
- “Capture the essence of your favorite gear without owning the hardware”: Mooer raises the stakes, and guns for TONEX and Neural DSP with an AI-equipped modeler that can profile your own gear – and grant you access to other players’ rigs
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- “After witnessing the terrible destruction caused by the Los Angeles fires, it seems like the wrong time for a party”: DiMarzio pulls out of NAMM 2025 in response to L.A. wildfires
- “Harness the complete output of a tube amp”: Boss takes on Universal Audio and Two Notes with the Waza Tube Amp Expander Core – and it might be the recording tool you’ve been waiting for
- “Infinite sonic possibilities”: The Boss VG-800 aims to make your guitar sound like any other electric or acoustic on the planet – plus sitar, banjo and synth
- January 15
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- “We believe it is not the right time to gather for an event of this nature when so many are facing hardship”: Boutique guitar brand pulls out of NAMM 2025 in the face of L.A. wildfires
- “We’re setting a new standard in boutique guitars”: Iconic Guitars forms a partnership to watch as it recruits former Fender Master Builder John Cruz
- "I remember coming to the studio and the producer just had his head in his hands and he was like, ‘Oh no, no, no!’" Why Matt Heafy had to delete and re-record all the guitar parts on a Trivium classic
- “We do not want to spend our anniversary only looking back”: PRS looks to the future with new pickups, expanded Private Stock-grade specs – and two new Core models inspired by pre-factory builds
- “We get past our second show and I get an email from Robert. At the end, he said, ‘Can I make a suggestion?’” How Robert Fripp helped Steve Vai tailor his King Crimson playing on the BEAT tour with one piece of advice
- “A new layer of expressiveness”: Meet the Verso Sine – a futuristic electric with freely movable pickups that looks to redefine how you interact with your guitar
- “As a Southern California guitar-maker for over 75 years, we are struggling to process what our diverse and deep-rooted music scene has lost”: Fender launches initiative to replace instruments and gear destroyed by L.A. wildfires
- “DIY shell stickers included”: Behringer be warned – Donner’s $29 Embark series is changing the ultra-cheap pedal game with metal enclosures and customizable designs
- “I thought that it was a crime that these songs were sitting there on the shelf”: In the 1970s, Hayley Williams’ grandfather made an album that nobody heard. Now it’s finally being released through her Paramore bandmate’s label
- “The ultimate authentic tone and feel of a real amp”: IK Multimedia continues its takeover of the amp modeler market with the TONEX Cab – a flagship FRFR unlike any other
- January 14
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- “One of the premier events during the NAMM Show”: Jennifer Batten, Samantha Fish, Lindsey Stirling, and more to feature at 2025 She Rocks Awards
- “Maybe Aerosmith will do something in the future, but it’s a big ‘if’ – the last thing I want to be doing is to try and push Steven in that direction”: Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton gives update on frontman Steven Tyler’s health
- “We’re going back, but we’re going back for one reason only”: Fender CEO Andy Mooney explains why the firm’s return to NAMM 2025 won’t be business as usual
- “A new tool to perfect your practicing techniques”: Walrus Audio just created an entirely new type of pedal that’s aimed at improving your playing, not your tone
- “People might look and think I’m just this TikTok personality. They don’t know that I’ve been playing since 2010”: Kiki Wong recalls her early guitar career – and the “crazy” bootleg tours with three people sleeping in the back of a truck
- “A cleaner, meaner, better Rectifier. There’s no denying it”: Mesa/Boogie resurrects a ’90s icon with its reissued Dual Rectifier – and the holy grail amp head has been given some upgrades
- “Things are changing very quickly, but at this time, we have decided to go forward with the show”: Sophie Lloyd confirms her debut U.S. show at Los Angeles' iconic Whisky a Go Go will go ahead
- “Presets based on some of the world’s most iconic guitar amps”: Vintage squares up to Positive Grid and Boss with its Retro desktop modeling amp range – which starts at less than $150
- January 13
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- “The loss overall is awful and unspeakable”: Iron Maiden’s Adrian Smith and Primus guitarist Larry ‘Ler’ LaLonde among thousands who have lost homes in L.A. wildfires
- “The guitar that killed folk”: Mike Bloomfield’s butchered Fender Telecaster – which was used during Bob Dylan’s infamous 1965 Newport Folk Festival performance – is up for sale
- “This fiddle is Really Dope”: Cesar Gueikian all-but-confirms the return of the cult Gibson RD – an unsung build beloved by Dave Grohl and Ghost
- “These are the changes Martin enthusiasts have been asking for”: Martin overhauls its Standard Series for the first time in 7 years in response to player demands
- TrueFire launches its free 10-week guitar Boot Camp today – and you don’t even need to provide credit card details to sign up
- “Los Angeles musicians and artists, we’re with you, and we’re here to help”: Guitar Center launches initiative to replace music gear destroyed by L.A. wildfires
- January 10
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- “Will shape guitar history”: Breedlove turns to an unsung tonewood for two new special edition acoustics that promise “unparalleled tonal qualities”
- “I knew in my heart there was no way I would say no, but I had butterflies. It would be the first time I ever did something outside of Aerosmith”: That time Tom Hamilton ended up playing bass for Thin Lizzy
- “Ohio supports their own, Alaskans have expensive taste”: Reverb reveals the most popular effects pedals in each US state – and a quarter of the country favors one brand in particular
- “After having been involved with Chapman for some time I realized we had a shared vision”: Chapman Guitars brings major industry player onboard as part of company restructure – and teases first-ever amp
- “Inspired by the popular Iron Label series”: Ibanez takes a leaf out of its heavy electric playbook to produce its most ‘metal’ acoustics yet
- “Hidden in a closet for decades”: Mike Bloomfield’s missing custom-painted ’66 Fender Telecaster – which was lost in 1974 – is going up for sale
- “We are closely monitoring the wildfires in Los Angeles”: NAMM CEO issues statement on 2025 event following L.A. wildfires
- “Unprecedented performance and affordability”: Ibanez launches the $550 AZ Standard – a wake-up call for big brands in the mid-priced guitar market
- “In that last year of his life, I said to him one night, ‘Les, I don't know, but I swear, you're playing better than you were last year’”: Tommy Emmanuel recalls his final moments with guitar legend Les Paul
- January 9
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- “I knew this day would come eventually but just not today”: Joe Bonamassa’s Nerdville West – one of the world’s largest collections of vintage guitar gear – is under threat from LA wildfires
- “Imagine performing a Green Day song to Billie Joe Armstrong”: Guitarist plays Green Day classic at Liverpool's Cavern Club – only to discover Billie Joe Armstrong was filming his set
- “We’re going to release an end-all-be-all amplifier with his name on it”: Eddie Van Halen, Steve Vai and Metallica are among the rock royalty who used José Arredondo’s legendary amps. Now Dave Friedman is honoring his legacy with a definitive model
- “Dad's gift to the world was music. I'm so happy to come together with some very special friends to honor the beauty of his life”: Dickey Betts' legacy to be celebrated in star-studded tribute concert
- “He only really ever played Free Bird on that guitar. I broke rank”: Charlie Starr on the spiritual moment he played Gary Rossington’s famed ‘Free Bird’ 1961 Gibson SG
- “Your picking hand is where you control your tone. It’s surprising to me that so few people really talk about it”: Sue Foley explains why your picking hand is the key to great guitar tone
- January 8
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- “You've been an inspiration for so many, and will continue to be for centuries to come”: Peter Yarrow, guitarist, singer for Peter, Paul & Mary, and co-writer of Puff the Magic Dragon, dies at 86
- “An original icon built by the same artisans who built them 30 years ago”: Mesa/Boogie is reviving the Dual Rectifier – the hallowed amp head that defined the sound of 1990s high gain music
- “I need to play. Once a week I go to Ged’s – it’s in the calendar”: Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee are recording their regular jam sessions – but remain tight-lipped about what they’re using them for
- “The sound of a thousand hits”: The Rockman amp shaped the sound of 1980s rock – now MXR is bringing it back in a new pedal form
- “I got to go backstage at the Whisky, and Joe Bonamassa knew who I was! I immediately took a picture and texted it to my dad”: Sophie Lloyd on the time she met Joe Bonamassa – her childhood guitar hero
- “I get a call, ‘Hello, Andy, it’s Roger Waters.’ Who? I hadn’t paid attention to their names”: Andy Fairweather Low was personally recruited by the Pink Floyd legend – but didn’t know who he was when he came calling
- January 7
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- “A portable companion for authentic tone without compromise”: Has HeadRush changed the future of amp modeler rigs with a tiny $149 FRFR cab?
- “Ed Norton was telling me stories about how to keep props. I was like, ‘I’m not stealing this guitar!’” Monica Barbaro played Joan Baez alongside Timothée Chalamet’s Bob Dylan – and her co-star encouraged her to take the 1929 Martin she used onscreen
- “I want to convey our heartfelt regret”: Angus and Malcolm Young’s childhood home has been demolished – despite being on the National Trust Register of Historic Houses
- “I’ve jammed with him at Kirk’s place. I’ve spent a night at his house and we’ve ended up with guitars in the kitchen”: Jerry Cantrell and James Hetfield have talked about making an album together
- January 6
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- “I had a long vamp out and I played an extra few notes. David smiled and said, ‘Tony, in Pink Floyd you don’t do that extra couple notes until far later’”: Tony Levin on playing for Pink Floyd in the post-Roger Waters era
- “The digital recreation of a legend”: Hughes & Kettner finally brings back its Puretone amp by popular demand... as a plugin
- “No Strat? Not too clever”: A Rory Gallagher statue has finally been unveiled in Belfast – but some fans aren’t too happy with it
- “The missing piece of your pedalboard puzzle”: Keeley takes on the Walrus Fundamental and JHS 3 Series with new range of $99 Sweetwater exclusives
- “Before studying his playing, I was doing a lot of ‘Look how fast I can play!’ There wasn’t that much feel behind my music”: Sophie Lloyd names the guitarist who overhauled her perspective on what makes a good solo
- “I built him a guitar. It will always remain one of my most cherished life memories”: Jimmy Carter planted trees and personally harvested the wood that was later used to create his custom acoustic
- “Greeny is getting a bit jealous!” Kirk Hammett sent Jack White his signature Gibson Les Paul – and received the White Stripes legend’s wild Fender Triplecaster in return
- “I just did Victoria’s Secret and I used the Crush. People were like, ‘Your tone was really great.’ ‘Yeah, it was the Crush!’” Orianthi used a $219 Orange practice amp to play in front of millions on live TV
- “You fix it so it won’t break again, then you pound on it some more. Every amp gets the living daylights hammered out of it”: Randall Smith on the origins of his ‘hammer test’ that makes Mesa/Boogies bulletproof
- January 3
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- “A genius in his ability to write music”: Wayne Osmond, guitarist and singer of The Osmonds, dies aged 73
- “I remember Bruce calling me and asking me for my permission to switch to Telecaster”: Stevie Van Zandt on why the Strat became his go-to guitar for decades – after passing the Tele baton to Bruce Springsteen
- “He’s not used to not being the focus of the show. I’d say, ‘When Steve’s soloing, don’t throw your guitar up in the air right next to him’”: Joe Satriani on the unique challenges of having Yngwie Malmsteen on the G3 tour
- “I don’t care if all guitar internet hates me. I cannot wait for this pendulum to swing back. Mark my words, it will”: Why Rhett Shull thinks amp modelers will fall out of favor in the future
- “When people said I probably wouldn't be able to play again, I wasn't going to listen to that”: Scottish guitarist relearns how to play guitar with one arm after severe stroke
- “There are two big myths about Harley Benton, and one in particular that I'm really sick of”: YouTuber sets the record straight on Harley Benton guitars – and debunks the main misconceptions about the budget-friendly brand
- “The four-chord pattern riff is unoriginal but the dynamic contrasts add to the potency of one of the best guitar riffs of the ’90s”: Nirvana track named the best guitar riff of all time by surprising new study – which leaves out some huge hits
- January 2
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- “I said, ‘Hey, Carlos, would you plug into this?’ ‘That’s a Fender. I don’t want to plug into that.’ I said, ‘But I boosted it’”: How did Mesa get its iconic Boogie name? Founder Randall Smith explains
- “If you look at the leads he was doing and when he was doing ’em, he innovated a lot of that stuff”: Slayer's Kerry King reveals who he thinks is the most “overlooked” guitarist in metal
- “Lefties, thank a rightie today”: John Mayer on why right-handed guitar players were responsible for the eventual creation of the left-handed SE Silver Sky
- “Could you play it? Sure. Is this guitar worth the $1,500 I paid for it? No way”: YouTuber buys Trump guitar – and is surprised by what he finds
- “Pop culture is inspiring Britons of all ages to rediscover the joy of music”: New study names the electric guitar as the UK’s most popular instrument of 2024 – and it’s because of a Netflix show from 2 years ago
- “I think my father would have loved this song”: Gary Moore's son pays homage Thin Lizzy's dual guitar sound on his debut solo single
