News archive
September 2023
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143 articles
- September 29
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- Watch Jimmy Franklin unbox and review the LAVA ME 4 Carbon and Spruce – two new models that take LAVA Music’s innovative design to all new heights
- B.C. Rich adds Five Finger Death Punch's Andy James to its artist roster – and his first signature guitar is one seriously dangerous metal machine
- “If this doesn't clear the house...” Watch U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken cover Muddy Waters on his Fender Strat – at a state dinner
- A Young Guitarist of the Year returns and Toto’s Africa meets extreme metal: This week’s essential guitar tracks
- “I’m going after the Klon”: Mark Tremonti is starting his own pedal company – and he’s already road-testing prototypes
- Al Di Meola in stable condition after suffering heart attack on stage
- Line 6 at Guitar Showcase 2023: How to sound like Chris Buck
- September 28
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- An astonishingly rare Blue Silverburst Explorer, dot-neck 1959 ES-335 and short-lived ultra-luxe Casino alternative: Gibson’s latest Certified Vintage drop has our attention
- “Knowing Bernie's eagerness to get the album out there, we want to follow his wishes and release it as planned”: Posthumous Bernie Marsden album set for release in November
- Roger Waters says David Gilmour’s iconic guitar solo in Pink Floyd’s Comfortably Numb was not his first take
- After three years of waiting, Neural DSP reveals Quad Cortex plugin compatibility is finally on the cards
- Meet the Jamstik Classic MIDI Guitar – “one of the most exciting and advanced MIDI guitars” that’s loaded with “game-changing technology”
- Is Gibson about to bring back its Victory Superstrat-style guitar from the ’80s, or did Cesar Gueikian just tease an entirely new model?
- Charvel has released some stunning guitars this year – but these two limited-edition Pro-Mod models might be its best-looking offerings yet
- “IR-X isn't simulating a Friedman tube preamp. It is one”: This new pedal amp puts boutique tube tone on your ’board – for under $500
- September 27
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- Focusrite at the Guitar Showcase 2023: Introducing Scarlett 4th Gen – the perfect interface for the guitarist
- Brian May Guitars unveils the Vision, a mash-up of the Red Special, a ’90s Guild and the Les Paul double-cut
- Ashdown at the Guitar Showcase 2023: The LB 30 2.N bass amplifier – a fusion of classic valve tone and modern precision
- Ashdown at the Guitar Showcase 2023: The MF-484 2.N and MF-284H – 30 and 15 watts of all-valve tone with some very cool modern features
- “This situation is unacceptable”: Vernon Reid has launched a campaign to give under-appreciated guitar geniuses more recognition – and it’s working wonders
- Yamaha, Korg and Roland named among five instrument firms facing UK class action lawsuit for fixing prices
- “Years in the making and the first of its kind”: Pigtronix reveals the Cosmosis, an ambient reverb with groundbreaking tones you won’t hear from any other pedal
- “The perfect companion for any amp modeler”: Universal Audio packages its OX cab, mic, and room emulation into a pedal – and it promises the most authentic tones “ever emulated in a stompbox”
- September 26
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- “It can do so much more than the originals could”: Strymon gives the iconic Uni-Vibe a 21st century twist with the compact and affordable UltraViolet Vintage Vibe
- “The doctor's in the house”: Watch Carlos Santana and Eric Clapton tip their caps to Peter Green with searing Black Magic Woman at the 2023 Crossroads Festival
- The next step in the evolution of Ampeg? The new Venture Series promises a welcome return for Super Grit Technology – and starts at $499
- “It doesn’t say my name on it anywhere – that’s probably a good thing for some people…”: Joe Bonamassa’s latest Epiphone signature guitar recreates his ultra-rare 1963 Gibson SG Custom
- Flattley Guitar Pedals at the Guitar Showcase 2023: Meet the award-winning boutique effects pedal builder dedicated to tonal excellence
- “Two decades after it first appeared, the Les Paul Supreme is back”: Gibson ushers in a new era for its ultra-luxe Les Paul with two new Supreme single-cuts
- “Every single spec is the same as a vintage guitar from the late-’50s would have”: Mark Agnesi says this Gibson guitar offers the best value of its whole lineup
- IK Multimedia at the Guitar Showcase 2023: iRig HD X – Ultimate guitar experience. Anywhere.
- Jam with legends of Heart, Stone Temple Pilots and AC/DC: Nancy Wilson, Dean DeLeo, Robert DeLeo confirmed for Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp 2024
- September 25
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- Bob Dylan turns in a rare electric guitar performance as he surprises Farm Aid 2023 with the Heartbreakers backing him
- I’m Going Down: Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram calmly recovers from tonal calamity as he joins Eric Gales and Samantha Fish onstage at Crossroads 2023
- Kirk Hammett rarely plays guest solos, but he teamed up with folk-rockers Goodnight, Texas to deliver “an absolute vintage wah solo” on Greeny – hear it now
- Rotosound at the Guitar Showcase 2023: IDLES’ Adam “Dev” Devonshire gives the low-down on his musical journey inside the UK’s joyfully defiant post-punk band
- Brian May Guitars seeks inspiration from the Barbie color chart to give the Special LE a high-Kenergy Hot Pink makeover
- Gibson’s paint-room party continues as it refreshes the Les Paul in a Dark Purple Burst
- “I’m honored”: Tony Iommi walks onstage to play Paranoid at the Black Sabbath ballet – and the entire ensemble bows at his feet
- Thomann's epic Harley Benton sale is back - score 25% off 25 guitars, basses and amps for 25 days
- Corey Taylor unmasked and unplugged: The Slipknot frontman goes acoustic on Gibson’s ‘king of flat-tops’ in this Guitar World exclusive
- John Mayer trades solos with H.E.R., covers Grateful Dead with his blues trio, and reunites with the Fender Monterey Stratocaster (again) during jam-packed Crossroads 2023 concert
- The boutique electric guitar of the year? By popular demand, Nik Huber unveils the Krautster III, a high-end single-cut dream machine
- “We’re going to pay tribute to the man himself right now”: Joe Bonamassa and John McLaughlin honor Jeff Beck with a hair-raising rendition of Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers at Crossroads 2023
- Laney Amplification at the Guitar Showcase 2023: The best boutique combo for under $800?
- Ibanez at the Guitar Showcase 2023: The alternative acoustic brand
- September 22
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- “Some of what you practice should sound s**t, because then you know you’re working on something that needs to be worked on”: Guthrie Govan on the art of improvisation – and how to make practice as effective as possible
- “The ultimate 100-watt, all-tube high gain amp”: Engl’s best-kept secret, the tube-guzzling E670 Special Edition, is entering its standard lineup
- ’90s alt-rock giants unite and blink-182 make a surprisingly heavy return: this week’s essential guitar tracks
- PRS’ new NF 53 electric combines timeless looks, cutting-edge features and precision playability in a modern-classic masterpiece
- “We’re doing this because Black Sabbath did it. Neil Young did it. Van Halen did it. Are you going to tell Eddie Van Halen he wasn’t playing guitar properly?” Soundgarden’s Kim Thayil recalls his battles with drop-D trolls
- “The picking speed on that open A is insane”: YouTube’s go-to guitar teacher Marty Schwartz reveals the hardest track he’s had to teach
- “Monstrous power and incredible versatility in an ultra-compact form”: Laney expands its Ironheart Foundry family with two record-ready solid-state amp heads
- The diminutive do-it-all: Laney’s Ironheart Foundry amplifiers pack the LoudPedal’s punch into super-portable high-gain heads
- “Angry, aggressive, loud and brutal”: Combined, these 36 fuzz pedals are a literal work of art – individually, they sound terrifying
- Inside the new issue of Total Guitar: The All-Star Masterclass
- September 21
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- “The most ambitious pedal release I’ve undertaken since first opening shop”: The mini pedal market will never be the same again as Electro-Harmonix drops its all-new Pico lineup in its entirety
- The only all-in-one reverb, modulation and delay pedal you’ll ever need for ‘80s guitar tones? Crazy Tube Circuits debuts upgraded Sidekick Jr.
- Bag yourself a free copy of BIAS FX 2 Standard courtesy of Positive Grid – for one day only
- “It’s like a hybrid of a Strat and a Les Paul – it gives me everything I need in one stop”: Steve Lukather and Ernie Ball Music Man launch overhauled L4 signature guitar range – including ultra-limited 30th Anniversary Steamroller model
- Boss stakes its claim for the biggest-sounding desktop amp yet as the wireless Katana-Air gets an overhaul
- Have your say and win a $350 Ticketmaster gift card by taking our quick survey
- “Red-blooded overdrive without shaking the foundations”: Is Ashdown's upgraded CTM-15 desktop bass amp the ultimate recording rig for tube fans?
- September 20
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- “How can you possibly be satisfied being a singer when you play like that?”: Dave Mustaine recalls the first time he heard James Hetfield play guitar
- LAVA Music launches overhauled LAVA ME 4 lineup – but can its Spruce model convert traditional acoustic fans to the tech revolution?
- Death metal SG tones, the drummer from Slayer and “unabridged hatred in musical form”: get a load of this year’s filthiest riffers Empire State Bastard
- The ultimate all-in-one guitar and vocal rig? HeadRush continues its assault on the modeling market with amp-cloning, Auto-Tune-loaded Core FX processor
- “Are You Experienced? wouldn’t come out for two weeks. Nobody knew what to anticipate...”: Hear a pre-fame Jimi Hendrix perform to an unsuspecting audience of Mamas and Papas fans
- “Gene Simmons is breaking ground again”: Gibson unveils second signature bass guitar for the Kiss icon – and it’s the brand’s first 30.5” scale custom shop model
- September 19
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- "Not for Josh": JHS's Josh Scott is banned from owning this new fuzz/overdrive pedal
- “Hybrid sounds no-one has ever played through before”: Keeley's Noble Screamer combines two iconic drive circuits – and throws in some “brand-new amp-like distortion tones” for good measure
- “A visual stunner and the crème of the crop for Guild’s Starfire platform”: Guild brings its exclusive Special Trim finish to the Starfire range
- “A harmonious chord between tradition and evolution”: Fender debuts the Vintera II Series – bringing back the Bass VI, a Nirvana-inspired Mustang and a wealth of vintage-spec’d models
- “The bass world has lost a giant”: Dave Roe, the all-rounder who played with Johnny Cash, has died aged 71
- “The guitar business has lost one of the greats”: The man who named the Tube Screamer, Sammy Ash, passes away aged 65
- September 18
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- “Everyone I know that has bought a ’Burst in the last five years is playing that guitar every single day”: Gibson’s Mark Agnesi debunks the myth that its most valuable builds are kept under glass
- Fishman’s game-changing Fluence Modern pickups just got even more versatile – with sounds “you’ve never heard in a humbucker before”
- “If you’re wondering why I’m wearing just socks, it’s just much easier to tap-dance pedals like that!”: Code Orange guitarist Reba Meyers takes pedal demos to new heights in this tripped-out mega jam
- Meet the NUX Trident, a next-level guitar processor that’s “portable, powerful and chock full of modern and classic tones”
- The world’s longest guitar? YouTuber builds a beastly three-neck acoustic – and somehow makes it playable
- September 16
- September 15
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- “David united us in a truly special way. I am sure he would have loved this album”: David Bowie’s key collaborators have formed a new band – hear KillerStar's debut single
- Fender Japan has unveiled another knockout limited-edition Jazzmaster – in the face of Fender’s offset boom, will it be made available overseas?
- “A moment for modern guitar playing” that reaches new technical heights and Spinal Tap’s antidote to the Barbie hype: this week’s essential guitar tracks
- “Once I had the Strat, I only used the Strat and I left the Gibson at home”: Robin Trower has spent his entire career almost exclusively playing Fender Stratocasters – here’s why
- “José died and no-one knows where it went”: Legendary amp builder José Arredondo built Eddie Van Halen a mystery amp that might be lost forever
- “They’re some of the best amps I’ve ever played”: Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready on why he made the switch to Fender’s digital Tone Master amps
- “It’s like John Scofield took acid”: Steve Vai’s tech shares the story behind the virtuoso’s psychedelic semi-hollow
- September 14
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- “The perfect blend of tradition and innovation”: Fender releases all-new Suona Collection of Thinline Stratocaster, Telecaster and Jazz Bass models
- D’Angelico has given its Premier semi-hollows a makeover for 2023 – and they look absolutely stunning
- “It shows that you’re really smart when you do stuff that’s not 4/4”: Join George Lynch in the studio as he records Guitars at the End of the World
- Is this the world’s most expensive guitar string? An Epiphone string Paul McCartney used to record the Beatles’ Rubber Soul is expected to fetch over $5,000 at auction
- “A civilian variant of Eddie Van Halen’s iconic Frankenstrat”: EVH launches the Frankenstein Relic Series, deconstructing Eddie’s famed striped colorway
- “We can do things with a Fractal that we can’t do with a real amp”: Kirk Hammett’s guitar tech reveals why Metallica converted to Axe-Fx
- Boss releases its first noise suppressor pedal since 1987 – and it’s not just for high-gain metal and djent
- September 13
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- “It was pretty daunting at the outset”: Misha Mansoor’s Virtuoso Mega Shred is the five-solo, guest-laden metal guitar instrumental of the year – and it was written for a guitar promo
- Tone King unveils the Royalist MkIII, promising a greatest hits of vintage non-master-volume Marshall tube amps
- “I play the guitar every day. It’s where I go for solace”: Paul Simon shares the challenges of his unexpected hearing loss
- “They’d sell like hot cakes”: Is Ed Sheeran about to bring out his own line of signature looper pedals?
- “Andrew Watt pushed us as hard as we could be pushed”: Pearl Jam’s energetic new album is “just about finished” – but Mike McCready is also working on a rock opera about the Seattle music scene
- September 12
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- “Reuniting the original G3 lineup is a dream come true”: Joe Satriani, Steve Vai and Eric Johnson are hitting the road for a G3 reunion tour next year
- The fate of Dean Guitars hangs in the balance as Armadillo faces demands to surrender all equipment and inventory – inside the Succession-esque drama determining the future of the US guitar brand
- “I’m honored to deliver a more approachable guitar to the next generation of players”: Fender makes Mike McCready’s iconic 1960 Stratocaster accessible to the masses with new signature model
- “It’s tough for me to listen to many of the newer technical players out there today”: Shrapnel Records founder Mike Varney helped guitar gods soar in the 1980s, but he doesn’t “enjoy” new wave shred stars – here’s why
- Blackstar just launched some of the most versatile mid-priced tube amps on the market
- September 11
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- “To embody Jimmy Page, I need the tone, the guitar performance and the emotions to come together”: Akio Sakurai aka Mr. Jimmy has spent 30 years honing the perfect Led Zeppelin guitar sound. As he explains, “tone is the most important thing”
- Joe Bonamassa brings out his legendary Bolin ‘Burst to tear through Deep Purple classics with Glenn Hughes and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith
- “We needed that ultimate technique – and that’s Marcin”: Percussive fingerstyle reaches the masses as acoustic virtuoso Marcin is revealed to be the blockbuster guitarist on Netflix’s One Piece soundtrack
- “At the heart of every significant musical movement for 150 years”: Epiphone celebrates its 150th anniversary with new exhibit, featuring Noel Gallagher’s Oasis guitars
- “The highly coveted Bourgeois tone is now within reach of more players than ever before”: The Country Boy is US boutique builder Bourgeois’ latest groundbreaking collab with Eastman Guitars in China
- Eluveitie’s Jonas Wolf has a “lean and mean” signature Solar Type V – it’s called the Wolfmaster, has a kill switch, and a headstock to take your eye out
- September 8
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- “All of the Eric Johnson signature sounds are inside this preamp and power amp”: Vertex Effects played Eric Johnson’s $400,000 Dumble rig – here’s what it sounds like
- The total '90s immersion experience you didn't know you needed – only in the new Guitar World
- Remarkable returns from the Rolling Stones and Måneskin, plus a Tool bassist’s sonic experiments: this week’s essential guitar tracks
- Richard Davis, legendary jazz bassist who worked with everyone from Van Morrison to Charles Mingus, dies at 93
- September 7
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- “I’m just going to keep going till I can’t”: Saxon co-founder and former guitarist Graham Oliver diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease
- “I would have gotten bored, and that would have been dangerous”: Marc Ford explains why he turned down Guns N’ Roses in favor of the Black Crowes
- Supro just made a 1x12 version of its bedroom, studio and vintage tone-friendly Amulet tube amp
- “A fully customizable amp-in-a-box experience”: Has Catalinbread’s Dirty Little Secret Deluxe just redefined amp-like overdrive pedals?
- "We wanted something smaller, easy to use, no Bluetooth app, no hidden menus – just turn knobs, make noise, play guitar…" Watch Yvette Young blow our minds with the new pedals from Universal Audio
- “115 effects and tools to ignite your imagination and shape your sound”: Native Instruments updates its flagship amp and effects plugin with Guitar Rig Pro 7
- Delivering the goods: Teemu Mäntysaari plays his first show with Megadeth – and has it dialled from the second he steps onstage
- “What’s a Spark?!” Paul Gilbert was so blown away by his students’ guitar tone, he became a Positive Grid convert – despite his “limited brain power”
- September 6
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- The Yamaha hand-crafted FG9 M acoustic combines old-world craftsmanship with state-of-the-art technology
- Remember Nepco’s Danelectro-inspired V-style guitars? Well, Gibson has issued it a cease and desist, so you won’t see any more of them
- The Keith Richards riff machine is still in fine working order as the Rolling Stones return with new single Angry
- A 150-year-old Martin acoustic is up for sale on Reverb – and it’s surprisingly attainable and 100 percent playable
- “Designed to suit the modern player’s need to blur genre lines and push sonic boundaries”: Jackson’s American Series Virtuoso is taking metal guitars to the mainstream
- “It’s just meant to be a rock machine”: YouTube star Ryan ‘Fluff’ Bruce hooks up with Ernie Ball Music Man for a StingRay signature model that’s more versatile than you might expect
- “He's an amazing, incredible player”: Meet Teemu Mäntysaari, the fast-fretting fill-in set to take on Kiko Loureiro’s Megadeth tour duties
- September 5
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- “The unique character, vibe, and feel of an original example from the Gibson Golden Era”: Gibson Custom Shop unveils its first Murphy Lab aged acoustic guitars
- “I was able to do something weird when I played, something unusual I couldn’t do with anything else”: Kevin Shields’ signature Fender Shields Blender sold out instantly, but now it’s back – and $200 cheaper
- “This guitar does things most guitars aren’t gonna do”: It took three failed attempts and three decades of waiting, but Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil finally has a signature Guild S-100
- One of the most famous names on a bass guitar pickup, electronics expert, Bill Bartolini, has died aged 84
- Lee Anderton says he will be “declaring any personal financial interest” in products featured in Andertons videos, after complaints to the UK Advertising Standards Authority
- “Someone somewhere knows what happened to this bass and where it is now”: The Lost Bass Project aims to reunite Paul McCartney with his missing Höfner 500/1 violin bass
- September 4
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- BOSS’s upgraded ME-90 multi-effects pedal utilizes flagship AIRD modeling tech, IRs and a suite of effects for pro-quality performance for $349
- “I gave them one last chance”: KK Downing says he won’t be making another appearance with Judas Priest
- Metallica just launched the world’s first-ever guitar-shaped ice cream bar
- “A genuine guitar enthusiast who loved to play, jam, and talk guitars and amps all day”: Dire Straits’ ‘other guitarist’ Jack Sonni passes away, aged 68
- Want to try your hand at pedal building? Mojotone’s easy-to-assemble pedal kits are based on classic designs – and keep soldering to a minimum
- “Every time I play that guitar now, it’ll remind me of what a great man Jimmy was”: Paul McCartney, James Taylor and Zac Brown pay tribute to Jimmy Buffett
- “All the pedals should be put in a big pile and we should light ’em on fire”: Mac DeMarco is synonymous with woozy vibrato guitar – but he hates pedals
