Satriani, Vai, Nuno, Yngwie and many more wish Guitar World a happy 40th anniversary in epic video message

#GuitarWorld40: Guitar World, as you may be aware, is currently celebrating our 40th anniversary.

And in addition to a rather stellar 40th anniversary issue that is currently on newsstands, a few of our closest friends, among them Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Yngwie Malmsteen, Joe Bonamassa, a very wet Dave Mustaine and many more, pulled together to wish us a happy birthday.

“I remember when the first cover story came out and I remember when the first magazine for Guitar World came out,” Vai says. “It was a gift then and it’s still a gift.”

Guitar World 40th Anniversary issue cover

(Image credit: Future)

You can check out the video above, which also features, among many others, Nita Strauss, Nuno Bettencourt, Tracii Guns, Halestorm, and even an original song from Steel Panther’s Satchel.

A huge thank you to all our artist pals for their kind wishes – we couldn't do what we do without ya.

And if you listen closely, Satriani is still out there holding that note for us…

For more on the star-studded thrills, six-string skills and a few classic spills over Guitar World's 40-year history, take a dive into our regularly updated look at the greatest moments in Guitar World's history.

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Richard Bienstock

Rich is the co-author of the best-selling Nöthin' But a Good Time: The Uncensored History of the '80s Hard Rock Explosion. He is also a recording and performing musician, and a former editor of Guitar World magazine and executive editor of Guitar Aficionado magazine. He has authored several additional books, among them Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck, the companion to the documentary of the same name.