Latest News

David Lee Roth was a demanding band leader – his former guitarists dish the details on what it was like to be his foil
Phil Wellerpublished
David Lee Roth had a litany of guitar-playing talents in his band and they all agree on one thing…

"I got carried away": How being in Whitesnake with Steve Vai made Adrian Vandenberg a better player
Phil Wellerpublished
Let's face it: Playing alongside Steve Vai would make you re-evaluate some things…

Yngwie Malmsteen explains why he rejected UFO to venture into the unknown with Alcatrazz
Phil Wellerpublished
Back in 1983, Yngwie Malmsteen received two big offers in the space of 24 hours –here's how he made his decision…

Why old coins proved the perfect guitar pick for Brian May
Phil Wellerpublished
The guitarist is famed for his use of his Red Special guitar and a Vox AC30 amp, but a Queen expert believes his unusual choice of pick is just as important to achieving his tone
Guitarists

Phil Manzanera on the tone, tuning and technique of his teenage friend David Gilmour
ByJoe Materapublished
David Gilmour's friend, Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzanera, shares his insights on the Floyd legend's tone

Jimmie Vaughan says Stevie Ray would agree there's no tone difference between maple and rosewood fretboards
ByPhil Wellerpublished
It’s a light/dark battle that has raged since the first Stratocasters went into production, but the Vaughan family's opinions go against the grain

Lenny Kravitz guitarist Craig Ross just played Jeff Beck’s ‘59 Yardburst Les Paul for a full tour
ByPhil Wellerlast updated
Matt’s Guitar shop bought the guitar for earlier this year, and now it wants to keep its legacy alive by lending it to the best guitarists in the business
Gear

Best Telecaster pickups 2025: Expert recommendations for perfecting that unmistakable Tele twang
ByRichard Blenkinsoplast updated
From traditional tones to modern high-gain options, these should be your go-to pickups to breathe new life into your Telecaster

Best Fender amps 2025: The finest Fender amplifiers you can get your hands on
ByRoss Holderlast updated
Tube warmth or modern modeling? I've taken a look at the best Fender amps for all players and budgets

We review the Strymon EC-1 Single Head dTape Echo, a convincing take on a very special vintage tube Echoplex
ByChristopher Scapellitipublished
Don't be fooled by its size. There's plenty more under the hood to make the EC-1 one of the more versatile delays we've tested

Best amp modelers 2025: Get your dream guitar tone with my top picks
ByConnor Godfreylast updated
Amp models so good, you’ll think they’re the real thing

A gigantic $360 off Positive Grid's celebrated BIAS amp sim software may have just put the nail in the coffin of my beloved valve combo
ByDaryl Robertsonpublished
Positive Grid's Guitar Month Sale sees discounts applied to everything from the acclaimed Bias software to a Steve Vai signature Spark Mini and more
Guitars

Best electric guitars under $1,000 in 2025: My guitar picks that span all skill levels, budgets and genres
ByRichard Blenkinsoplast updated
Sticking to a budget of a grand? Here are my top picks of the best electrics from Fender, PRS, Epiphone and more

Best guitar cables 2025: Hard-working cables that will preserve your tone
ByMatt McCrackenlast updated
The ultimate plug in and play guide: the best guitar cables from the likes of Mogami, Ernie Ball, D’Addario and more

Guitar Center's Guitar-A-Thon is back, and it includes a colossal $600 off a Gibson Les Paul, $180 off a Fender Strat, and a slew of new exclusive models
ByDaryl Robertsonpublished
Grab yourself some huge savings on all your favorite guitar brands with Fender, Gibson, Epiphone, and loads more

Mike Campbell on his "Red Dog" Telecaster, the focus of two new Fender tribute models
ByChristopher Scapellitipublished
Fender's two new Red Dogs include a Stories Collection edition and a Custom Shop limited-edition model

The story of Joe Satriani’s showstopping Crystal Planet Ibanez JS prototype — which has just sold for $10,000
ByPhil Wellerpublished
The custom-built prototype takes see-through specs to a whole new level, making it one of the most intriguing JS models in ever made

Martin unveils its reissue of Eric Clapton’s 'Unplugged' acoustic — but his affinity for the brand began long before that seminal show
ByPhil Wellerpublished
The two new acoustics celebrate 30 years of collaboration between Martin and Clapton, but the luthier’s builds were shaping his career decades earlier

"The tuning is E to E but an octave higher than standard." Can this little guitar make you sound like you’re playing mandolin? Meet Ellis Guitars’ Soprano TX
ByArt Thompsonpublished
The unique Mando-guitar hybrid delivers the sweet tones of a mandolin without requiring you to learn new fingerings
Makers

How Larry DiMarzio’s pickup revolution defined the sound of 1970s guitar rock
ByAndrew Dalypublished

New tariffs are having a negative impact on Fender’s credit rating
ByPhil Wellerlast updated
The taxes affect production at Fender’s facilities where guitars, amps, pedals and other electronics are made

Ciari Guitars is rising high as the industry’s premier travel guitar maker
ByArt Thompsonpublished
Ciari founder Jonathan Spangler tells the story behind his company's innovative folding guitar design and technology

Paul Reed Smith explains why it doesn’t matter where guitars are made
ByPhil Wellerpublished
Calling Carlos Santana and Jimmy Herring up as witnesses, the luthier continues his electric guitar myth-busting streak

Gibson revamps the Les Paul Studio with tonal, playability, and aesthetic upgrades
ByPhil Wellerpublished
A lighter body, plain maple cap, updated electronics, and new finishes give the affordable LP a new lease on life

Fender launches the first-ever Certified Pre-owned Reverb store – offering its second-hand instruments at a discount
ByPhil Wellerpublished
All guitars are professionally inspected before being listed, come with a one-year warranty, and are on average 25 percent cheaper

After the 2010 Tennessee floods, Keith Urban had to abandon his ruined guitar collection for last-minute eBay buys in the studio
ByPhil Wellerpublished
Urban says he was forced to buy a Clapton Strat to fill the void, but felt like he was “cheating” on his beloved guitars
Lessons

Mike Stern's top five guitar tips include one simple fix to help you develop your personal guitar style
ByJoe Bossopublished
The jazz guitar icon, who recently released the album Echoes and Other Songs, tells us music can be the cure for dark times

Pete Thorn shares the tip that convinced Joe Satriani he was the right guitarist for the SatchVai Band
ByJoe Bossopublished
The L.A. session ace told us the five rules he thinks every player should follow for a successful career

Add vibrant rhythms and sophisticated chords to your guitar playing with Jesse Cook’s five essential flamenco techniques
ByDeclan Zapalalast updated
Delve into the world of rasgueado strumming, triplet rhythms, percussive golpe taps and fast picado picking
Music

Brian May makes a surprise appearance at Coachella to perform Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody"
ByElizabeth Swannpublished
The guitarist had teased his appearance with the singer on Instagram. But apparently not everyone in the audience was as excited to see May as Boone had hoped

Paul McCartney explains how the Beatles introduced harmonized guitar leads to rock and roll with one remarkable song
ByChristopher Scapellitilast updated
Absent from rock for years before the Fabs used them, dual lead lines would eventually be embraced by 1970s guitarists ranging from Brian May to Tom Scholz

Christopher Cross covering for a sick Ritchie Blackmore on Deep Purple's first U.S. show
ByJoe Materapublished
The man behind "Ride Like the Wind" gets support for his tale from Eric Johnson, whose band opened for Deep Purple that night

Joe Perry on Jeff Beck, the Yardbirds and "The 10 Records That Changed My Life"
ByJoe Bossolast updated
The guitarist says he picked a pair of albums from his own catalog for one very good reason: "Making those albums made all the difference in my career"

Don Felder on how he crafted his iconic guitar solo for the Eagles’ “One of These Nights”
ByGary Graffpublished
Felder considers his creation "the most deliberate solo I did" and says he took his cues from the style of alto saxophonist David Sanborn

Steven Wilson redefines the modern guitar solo on 'The Overview' by putting tone first
ByGary Graffpublished
Wilson's new solo album is influenced by the experience space travelers have when seeing Earth from outer space

Paul McCartney leads the charge of 400 stars opposing changes to AI copyright laws
ByPhil Wellerlast updated
AI firms want exemptions to expand the tech’s learnings. An open letter backed by McCartney highlights the risks to America’s creative industries