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January 2025

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64 articles

January 15
- “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
- “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
- “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
- “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
- “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
- “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
- “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
- “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
- “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
- “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