Foo Fighters' Chris Shiflett on why he opted for a Quad Cortex over amps on his latest record By Janelle Borg published 2 July 24 Chris Shiflett discloses the reasons why he didn't use a single amp in studio
Blackstar’s Polar 2 audio interface could be the solution to all your guitar-recording woes By Phil Weller published 2 July 24 The Polar 2 features two FET inputs for recording versatility, and a special Enhance feature that promises the touch, feel, and response of a tube amp
This is the top guitar cover of all time, as voted for by Total Guitar readers By Phil Weller published 2 July 24 The winning cover has a quartet of masterful guitar solos, including one that was reportedly delivered with the help of a Zippo lighter...
Fender expands its divisive Antigua finish option to its California Vintage acoustic range By Phil Weller published 2 July 24 The new release ushers in a whole new era for the eye-catching burst colorway, and sees Fender double down on its Antigua renaissance
Squier debuts a new Tele/Jazzmaster hybrid – and revives Fender's Les Paul-inspired 'Troublemaker' By Phil Weller published 2 July 24 Fender once again throws the rule book out the window for two new limited edition Paranormal models – and the results are quite something
Instrument cable vs speaker cable: What’s the difference? By Matt McCracken published 2 July 24 Not all cables are created equally. Here’s how to avoid damaging your amp or impacting your tone
“It’s used for fence posts in Guatemala, and somehow that has given it a low-class reputation on the internet”: Paul Reed Smith says the materials used to make a guitar absolutely do make a difference – but not for the reason you might think By Matt Owen
Foo Fighters' Chris Shiflett on why he opted for a Quad Cortex over amps on his latest record By Janelle Borg published 2 July 24 Chris Shiflett discloses the reasons why he didn't use a single amp in studio
Blackstar’s Polar 2 audio interface could be the solution to all your guitar-recording woes By Phil Weller published 2 July 24 The Polar 2 features two FET inputs for recording versatility, and a special Enhance feature that promises the touch, feel, and response of a tube amp
This is the top guitar cover of all time, as voted for by Total Guitar readers By Phil Weller published 2 July 24 The winning cover has a quartet of masterful guitar solos, including one that was reportedly delivered with the help of a Zippo lighter...
Fender expands its divisive Antigua finish option to its California Vintage acoustic range By Phil Weller published 2 July 24 The new release ushers in a whole new era for the eye-catching burst colorway, and sees Fender double down on its Antigua renaissance
Squier debuts a new Tele/Jazzmaster hybrid – and revives Fender's Les Paul-inspired 'Troublemaker' By Phil Weller published 2 July 24 Fender once again throws the rule book out the window for two new limited edition Paranormal models – and the results are quite something
Instrument cable vs speaker cable: What’s the difference? By Matt McCracken published 2 July 24 Not all cables are created equally. Here’s how to avoid damaging your amp or impacting your tone
Bassist Joe Preston on how he joined the Melvins – with a little help from Kurt Cobain and Dave Grohl By Janelle Borg published 2 July 24 Joe Preston recalls finding Kurt Cobain and Dave Grohl on his porch with a message from Buzz Osborne
6 of the best 4th of July sales for guitarists: Save up to 60% off guitars, amps, FX and accessories By Chris Barnes published 2 July 24 Explore hundreds of dollars in discounts at Musician’s Friend, Sweetwater, Guitar Center, Positive Grid and more
This 16-year-old guitar prodigy suffered extreme anxiety, now he's shared a stage with Buddy Guy By Matt Owen published 2 July 24 Rhys John Stygal's story has been highlighted as part of a new campaign from UK retailer guitarguitar, which puts the spotlight on 20 inspirational guitar stories
“People use them for fashion and shock factor. Your guitar is your workhorse, but on stage, it’s also your prop”: Phoebe Bridgers is playing B.C. Rich. Willow and Pete Townshend are picking up Jacksons. Have metal guitars gone mainstream? By Phil Weller
Jazz schooled, Queen-inspired, The Last Dinner Party’s guitar hero Emily Roberts unpacks her sound By Amit Sharma published 2 July 24 Roberts reveals how their hit debut album was created, and how her unique approach to the instrument was shaped by jazz greats and one rock legend in particular…
Richie Kotzen was once a Shrapnel shredder – now he’s moving away from “stun guitar” By Andrew Daly published 2 July 24 Cheap Shots is the first single from an album tentatively titled Nomad. It finds Kotzen playing cleaner than ever, seeking out melodies, and retiring the "stun guitar" approach
Joe Perry on the origins of Aerosmith’s greatest guitar moments – and his 600-strong collection By Andrew Daly published 2 July 24 With the Peace Out Tour bringing the curtain down on America's greatest rock 'n' roll band, Joe Perry joins us to take us back to the start for a career-spanning interview
“This was Les Paul in his ear”: The story behind Gibson’s distinctive Alnico V ‘Staple pickup’ By Jamie Dickson published 1 July 24 A lesser celebrated pickup the ‘Staple’ pickup features those distinctive rectangular polepieces and a sound that makes it ripe for rediscovery, especially with a range of replicas on the market
Neil Carter discusses his near 30-year relationship with Gary Moore – and the future of UFO By Andrew Daly published 1 July 24 Multi-instrumentalist, who’s played his first lead guitar since 1978 on Mogg’s solo album, left rock music to teach woodwind and be a music examiner… but he couldn’t stay away
Lime Garden’s Leila Deeley is refreshing indie-pop with a heavy-strung Jaguar and $30 fuzz pedal By Mark McStea published 1 July 24 Lime Garden's pop sound is lush and heady but at the heart of it lies a secret shredder who got a taste for the instrument listening to Black Sabbath and the Doors. We'll let Deeley explain it...
Ever wondered how Lemmy got those terrifying bass tones with Motörhead? Grab your earplugs – we're going in By Nick Wells published 30 June 24 “I’ve let a few well-known bassists loose on Lemmy's rig, but no-one sounds close to him”: According to his bass tech, dialing in Lemmy's overdriven tone isn't easy
“Try a higher string action until you get used to using it”: How to set up your guitar for slide By Dave Burrluck published 28 June 24 Lights, camera... High action? We explore that and more as we walk through what you Cooder, woulda, shoulda do when getting your guitar ready for the slide
Best budget bass guitars 2024: our top pick of basses under $500/£500 By Richard Blenkinsop last updated 28 June 24 Need to tackle the low-end on a budget? Not to worry, our experts have run the rule over our favourite bass guitars that come in under $500/£500
Learn David Gilmour’s epic soloing style and take your blues playing to the Dark Side of the Moon By Richard Barrett published 29 June 24 Here are four tabbed out examples of how Gilmour’s approach changed the way we play the blues, and it’ll whip your phrasing and feel into shape
Jazz guitar theory 101: 5 ways you can use tritone substitutions to jazz up your chord progressions By Richard Barrett published 28 June 24 Tritone substitutions are jazz theory 101 – and you don't need a degree from Berklee to put them into practice
30 open tuning chords you need to know By Richard Barrett published 24 June 24 Expand your guitar vocab with chord ideas for Double Drop D, Open G, DADGAD, Open D and Open C tunings, favorite tunings for Keith Richards, Joni Mitchell, Jimmy Page and more
Build speed and finger independence now this bootcamp for your fretting hand By Karl Kerfoot published 21 June 24 Without exercise the body devours itself... And so it goes for guitar players. Time to flex those fingers, set the metronome, and get physical with this lesson from Pickup Music
How to play Hotel California on guitar – with the Eagles’ Don Felder By Damian Fanelli published 21 June 24 The man who cowrote one of classic rock’s all-time greatest songs shows you its iconic chord progression and solo licks
Want to be a good rhythm guitarist? You need to know your 7th chords – and the CAGED system can help you find them all over the neck By Simon Barnard published 19 June 24 It's time to throw some shapes on the fretboard, navigating using the CAGED system, and deploying chord choices that makes players like John Frusciante such great rhythm players
How to play Sweet Home Alabama on guitar By Chris Bird published 17 June 24 Learn one of the most iconic guitar intros of all time from this Lynyrd Skynyrd classic
Merle Travis, Lester Flatt and Hank Williams pioneered the Americana guitar style – and laid the groundwork for today’s country and bluegrass guitar stars By Stuart Ryan published 17 June 24 This lesson borrows from the pioneers of country and bluegrass that will whip your Travis picking and strumming into shape
Keith Richards is an electric guitar icon, but he prefers playing acoustic – and his unplugged Rolling Stones approach is full of smart ideas By Stuart Ryan published 16 June 24 Every player can learn a few tricks from Keef's characterful acoustic style – even if his rhythmic swagger will take longer to master