Aguilar has overhauled some of its most iconic bass amps with some serious upgrades By Matt Owen published 21 May 24 The bass amp specialist has brought its Tone Hammer and AG Series amps into the modern age with some indispensable updates
Queen’s Stone Cold Crazy comes full circle with a live punk rendition by The Offspring and Brian May By Janelle Borg published 21 May 24 Brian May also joined The Offspring on stage and put his own spin on their 1997 hit Gone Away
Fender gets the Memorial Day sales rolling early with up to 30% off Player, Paranormal, Affinity, and loads more By Daryl Robertson published 21 May 24 From Kurt Cobain’s outlandish Jag-Stang to Steve Lacy’s People Pleaser Stratocaster, Fender's Memorial Day sale has something for everyone
AC/DC just kicked off their first tour in 8 years with the help of a new bass player By Phil Weller published 20 May 24 The rock icons kicked off their European tour with a hit-filled 24-song set in Germany
These picks are encrusted with literal diamonds to provide ultimate grip By Phil Weller published 20 May 24 The diamonds’ abrasive texture is the perfect non-slip grip material for guitar picks, according to Patoma Music
The Les Paul behind the iconic solo on Kate Bush’s Wuthering Heights is now up for auction By Janelle Borg published 20 May 24 The late Ian Bairnson’s guitar was used across the first four Kate Bush albums, as well as classic records from the Alan Parsons Project and countless sessions
“She was about to lose her house, but the money she got from me via Guitar Center ultimately saved the situation”: Joe Bonamassa’s pre-war Martin was the ultimate “museum-grade” find – now it’s reborn as his first Martin signature By Matt Parker
Aguilar has overhauled some of its most iconic bass amps with some serious upgrades By Matt Owen published 21 May 24 The bass amp specialist has brought its Tone Hammer and AG Series amps into the modern age with some indispensable updates
Queen’s Stone Cold Crazy comes full circle with a live punk rendition by The Offspring and Brian May By Janelle Borg published 21 May 24 Brian May also joined The Offspring on stage and put his own spin on their 1997 hit Gone Away
Fender gets the Memorial Day sales rolling early with up to 30% off Player, Paranormal, Affinity, and loads more By Daryl Robertson published 21 May 24 From Kurt Cobain’s outlandish Jag-Stang to Steve Lacy’s People Pleaser Stratocaster, Fender's Memorial Day sale has something for everyone
AC/DC just kicked off their first tour in 8 years with the help of a new bass player By Phil Weller published 20 May 24 The rock icons kicked off their European tour with a hit-filled 24-song set in Germany
These picks are encrusted with literal diamonds to provide ultimate grip By Phil Weller published 20 May 24 The diamonds’ abrasive texture is the perfect non-slip grip material for guitar picks, according to Patoma Music
The Les Paul behind the iconic solo on Kate Bush’s Wuthering Heights is now up for auction By Janelle Borg published 20 May 24 The late Ian Bairnson’s guitar was used across the first four Kate Bush albums, as well as classic records from the Alan Parsons Project and countless sessions
Nuno Bettencourt swapped his Washburn N4 for a Les Paul copy to shred onstage with Stone Temple Pilots By Phil Weller published 20 May 24 The Extreme guitarist was spotted playing a Nelson LP copy as he shared the stage with “one of the greatest rock bands of all time”
Pearl Jam producer Andrew Watt joins Mike McCready to share one of the all-time great guitar solos By Janelle Borg published 20 May 24 Pearl Jam have treated their fans to surprise guests, deep cuts and covers on the US leg of their ‘Dark Matter’ tour
Friedman's PLEX is a “sonic twin” of the amp that kickstarted Dave Friedman's tone obsession By Phil Weller published 20 May 24 The 50-watt, two-channel amp head is a meticulous recreation of Friedman’s favorite amp, which kicks off the firm's new Vintage Collection
“I narrowed it down to the bare essentials and found that three strings were all I needed”: 10 guitarists who played with missing strings on purpose… and the weird reasons why By Will Ainsley
Blackberry Smoke’s Charlie Starr on why downsizing his backline made for bigger tones By Phil Weller published 21 May 24 Blackberry Smoke’s frontman, guitarist and compulsive gearhead explains why using little amps “creates a whole different experience”
Session guitarist Jon Conley has faced mental health challenges all his life. Here’s what keeps him going By Alison Richter published 21 May 24 Conley has played with artists including Kenny Chesney, Johnny Cash, Glen Campbell and Joe Walsh, all while striving for internal balance and perspective
What made Rory Gallagher a true guitar one-off – and how he ended up with his first Fender Strat by accident By Amit Sharma published 20 May 24 Jim Kirkpatrick, one of the world's leading experts on Gallagher's playing, puts the late blues-rock hero's tone under the microscope, revealing the gear and approaches that made the Strat-toting phenom one of the all-time greats
The 20 greatest slap bass songs of all time By Nick Wells published 20 May 24 These masterful slap basslines chart the evolution of the quintessential bass technique, from Larry Graham to today's YouTube heroes
How the Fender Stratocaster ushered in an evolution in guitar design – and a revolution in guitar music By Jonathan Horsley published 19 May 24 The Strat’s radical design transformed electric guitar and reshaped culture, and continues to do so after 70 years of service – and it’s only just getting started
Listen to Robert ‘Pops’ Popwell rip it up on The Crusaders’ Sweet ’N’ Sour By Chris Jisi published 18 May 24 Popwell played a red 1962 Fender Precision, with an added Telecaster pickup near the bridge
Bootsy Collins piled on the effects on Parliament’s P-Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up) By Bill Leigh published 18 May 24 Bootsy Collins piled on the effects on Parliament’s P-Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up)
How hemp cones affect guitar tone and why Derek Trucks and Carlos Santana are fans By Paul Gough published 17 May 24 Over the past few years, speakers with a hemp cone have increased in popularity – and they have a distinctive sound, explains Paul Gough of Zilla Cabs
“This disease won’t beat me”: Glenn Tipton on playing with Richie Faulkner and defying Parkinson’s By Amit Sharma published 17 May 24 Metal God Glenn Tipton reveals the gear behind Judas Priest’s incendiary new album, Invincible Shield – and why he won’t be throwing in the towel any time soon
Bob Dylan is a songwriting great – and his acoustic guitar approach defined the folk sound By Stuart Ryan published 20 May 24 Bob Dylan changed the world with an acoustic guitar. We break down his style, giving you the tools to take your songwriting to the next level
Bebop scale: how you can use this jazz scale in your guitar solos By Matt Warnock last updated 17 May 24 Learn how the Bebop scale is built and where you can use it in your solos
James Hetfield is the undisputed master of metal rhythm guitar – and his downpicking will seriously test your abilities By Jamie Hunt published 17 May 24 Get to grips with the Metallica frontman’s punishing palm-muting and chugging rhythms
Learn the signature soloing style of Gretsch-toting rockabilly legend and Stray Cat Brian Setzer By Andy G Jones published 15 May 24 Brian Setzer mixes jazz, swing and rock 'n' roll for a sound that's all his own. This lesson unpacks his soloing style so you crazy cats won't stray on the fingerboard
How Allan Holdsworth blew the minds of Eddie Van Halen, Steve Vai and a generation of guitar heroes By Charlie Griffiths published 13 May 24 Take your playing to another realm with this lesson in Holdsworth’s legato, string skipping and that unique ability of his to find new patterns in scales
Triads are unsung heroes of guitar – here is how you can use the CAGED system to master them By Molly Miller published 10 May 24 Dr Molly Miller breaks down the three-note formula behind triads and explains how you can use them anywhere across the fretboard
Muddy Waters is a blues guitar icon who pioneered the sound of electric guitar and invented a new solo language By David Gerrish published 8 May 24 In the smoky clubs of Chicago, Muddy Waters turned up the volume on blues guitar, electrifying it, and then the audience – and his slide and open-tuning approach to Chicago blues was integral to his early success
‘Hammer-ons from nowhere’ can blow your guitar playing wide open By Jamie Hunt published 6 May 24 This Greg Howe and Joe Satriani-favored technique will whip your hammer-ons, pull-offs, tapping, and muting into shape
Build a whole new lickbag with our country-blues masterclass By Andy Saphir published 3 May 24 Learn how you can mix major and minor pentatonics, and add extra notes to give your solos a wide open space to roam in, with this deep dive into country-blues guitar