Musician’s Friend's up to 40% off Memorial Day sale just dropped 6 days early – save big on Schecter, Electro-Harmonix and more By Matt McCracken published 21 May 24 Grab yourself some super savings on guitars, pedals, accessories, and loads more
Nuno Bettencourt on how Alice in Chains' Layne Staley radically changed the way he plays guitar on stage By Janelle Borg published 21 May 24 Nuno Bettencourt criticizes music fans who think playing on stage is “like scoring points. Like, how was the performance from one to 10”
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
“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
Musician’s Friend's up to 40% off Memorial Day sale just dropped 6 days early – save big on Schecter, Electro-Harmonix and more By Matt McCracken published 21 May 24 Grab yourself some super savings on guitars, pedals, accessories, and loads more
Nuno Bettencourt on how Alice in Chains' Layne Staley radically changed the way he plays guitar on stage By Janelle Borg published 21 May 24 Nuno Bettencourt criticizes music fans who think playing on stage is “like scoring points. Like, how was the performance from one to 10”
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”
“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
Meet Morganway, the PRS-loving country-rockers playing John Mayer’s Silver Sky – and an offset called ‘The Badger’ By Amit Sharma published 21 May 24 The British Americana country rockers are influenced by everyone from Fleetwood Mac and Tom Petty to Haim and The 1975 – and they’re ready to take on the US
“I wasn’t playing accurately in the beginning – I was just going crazy. It became a balance of visceral expression and actually trying to play”: Ben Weinman on the Dillinger Escape Plan’s chaotic birth – and unexpected return By Gregory Adams published 21 May 24 Ben Weinman on the Dillinger Escape Plan’s chaotic birth – and unexpected return
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
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
Guitar tuning pegs: everything you need to know about the machineheads that keep your guitar in tune By Huw Price published 20 May 24 Whether you're looking to upgrade your guitar's tuning pegs, repair them, or just want to understand the differences between models, read on and let this guide demystify the tuning key
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
Trev Lukather on why he loves St. Vincent’s guitars and what he learned from his dad By Andrew Daly published 19 May 24 The St. Vincent Music Man-toting son of Steve explains why David Gilmour ranks above his favorite shredders, and how Steve Perry agreed to be on The Effect’s latest single
How to get David Gilmour’s guitar tone, with Steve McElroy of The Australian Pink Floyd By Amit Sharma published 18 May 24 The Australian Pink Floyd Show mastermind has bought just about every piece of gear Gilmour has ever used. He reveals the secrets behind his Strat tones and techniques – and settles a few myths and legends
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