Ace Frehley, larger-than-life Kiss guitarist, dies at 74
Though, his playing was, in his own words, “always old school,” Frehley set a new bar for guitar showmanship
Latest news
Dweezil Zappa has Eddie Van Halen, Brian May and Yngwie Malmsteen on his ambitious instrumental project – but wants to recruit more guitar greats
Albert Lee, Steve Morse and Steve Vai have also recorded for What The Hell Was I Thinking?, which Zappa began work on back in 1989
Michael J. Fox has a theory about the fate of Back to the Future’s long-lost Gibson ES-345
Gibson is conducting a global hunt to track down the iconic ES-345 that went missing after filming wrapped on Back to the Future
Gretsch ushers in the next evolution of its affordable Jet family – which now includes a workhorse Streamliner for $189
With prices that don't go beyond $579, the new-for-2025 Jet family could be a solid contender for the best entry-level lineup on the market
Fender is changing the way it approaches signature guitars – and it’s starting with a Japanese pop-rock band named after the Red Hot Chili Peppers
The Chilli Beans Moto Mustang, Lily Cyclone and Maika Mustang Bass are the first Fender Japan signature guitars built in Indonesia – and their beginner-focused spec signals further shifts for the company
How Phil X warms up to nail Bon Jovi's biggest songs on stage
As Bon Jovi’s lead guitarist, Phil X knows that, in the age of social media, every anthemic solo has to be perfect
Giacomo Turra returns after viral song-stealing scandal – and his new music has already been accused of lifting licks
Turra has teamed up with bassist Alberto Rigoni on a new track, but YouTuber Danny Sapko alleges the song and accompanying promotional clip include plagiarized parts
Why Eric Clapton left the Yardbirds and joined the Bluesbreakers, according to his former bandmate
Jim McCarty says one particular factor forced Clapton’s hand
Artists
![Blood Incantation's Paul Rield [left] and Morris Kolontyrsky tear it up live in this artily shot action photos](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/YCvQE8rCMG7uq7DQE88UJh-840-80.jpg.webp)
How Blood Incantation’s Paul Riedl and Morris Kolontyrsky are opening the Stargate to take death metal to a higher cosmic plane
On album number four, Paul Riedl and Morris Kolontyrsky are taking their “Morbid Angel meets Pink Floyd” concept to new creative heights
Nashville session bassist Travis Dykes spent $136 building a bass from Temu parts. Now he’s playing it on some seriously big gigs
From legendary Nashville sessions to performing on the world's biggest stages, Travis Dykes charts the surprise success of the budget bass he built in a day
How Christian McBride reunited The Police duo for his latest solo outing
Sting and Andy Summers joined McBride for a jazz-tinged version of a Synchronicity-era Police classic
David Immerman on moving from pure shredding to playing with American Idol stars and Avril Lavigne
The session and production specialist reveals how indulging his ‘90s dreams evolved into touring gigs with A-list pop-rockers, and what he does to match the studio sounds of Lavigne’s timeless hits
Ally Venable on why the magic of choosing guitars and the Holy Grail overdrive Devon Allman gave her
The blues-rocker recalls the gift of a precious pedal from an old friend and a recent Hendrix-inspired guitar purchase that has blown her mind
How Jack Moore is expressing his own sonic identity with Marshall amps, wah pedal extremity – and his father's signature Les Paul
Jack Moore, the son of legendary player Gary Moore, steps into a musical world shaped by folk and pop, but a gift for the blues runs in the family
The life and times of Ozzy Osbourne – metal’s godfather and Prince of Darkness
Remembering John “Ozzy” Osbourne, the frontman who breathed life into heavy metal and found some of its greatest guitar players
Flock Of Dimes on how turning to ‘70s and ‘80s Yamaha acoustics helped her capture the pain of generational trauma
Wye Oak frontwoman and Bon Iver touring guitarist Jenn Wasner turned to her Yamaha FG75 collection for an album that she wanted to be “something people could sit inside, even if the feelings were uncomfortable”
Gear
“Scoring especially highly for its superb ergonomics”: Sterling By Music Man Kaizen 7 review
Progressive guitar icon Tosin Abasi's dramatic Music Man custom seven-string, re-imagined for those with lighter wallets
Meet the Tributo, the Italian super-guitar that turns the ’59 Les Paul formula on its head
Based on the home of Italian supercars comes a super-electric with serious boutique pedigree. The inspiration is obvious. The upgrades less so, and it could be the acme of vintage-inspired design. Luthier Nicolas Giordano explains his process
“Not only crisply made but really hard to put down”: Fender American Professional Classic Stratocaster review
Replacing the out-going Performer model, is Fender’s American Professional Classic Stratocaster the perfect vintage/modern hybrid?
How the Fender Jazzmaster became the one offset to rule them all – even if no one really used it for jazz
Joe Pass was one of the few jazz cats who used the Jazzmaster for what it was designed for. But that didn't stop it being a sleeper hit for Fender, and a future classic
"No matter what type of fuzz you enjoy, you’ll find something to love here": Kernom Moho Fuzz review
Kernom delivers a detailed sweep through the many faces of fuzz
Neural DSP Archetype: Misha Mansoor X review
The Finnish firm’s new signature plugin for Periphery’s chief riffer is its most feature-packed to date, and it serves up utilitarianism and uncanny weirdness in equal measure
How the Fender Telecaster got its name, with a little help from Gretsch
In this exclusive extract from Fender Telecaster: 75 Years, Dave Hunter takes us inside the corporate wrangle that gave us the Telecaster moniker – and created some true Fender rarities in the process
Lessons
Joe Bonamassa on his love for the Gibson ES-350 – and why it's a blues powerhouse
The ES-350 was a big favorite of Chuck Berry's. Well, well, well, it's no surprise that Joe Bonamassa loves it too. And here he puts it through is paces, and takes us to the B.B. Box in the process
How to master the art of tremolo picking – the indispensable picking technique heard in everything from death metal to surf rock that can power up your playing
Sharpen your chops and ramp up your speed with our technique-focused workout inspired by power pickers Dick Dale, Jonny Greenwood and Kerry King
How to layer guitar parts like a pro (with a little help from Cory Wong)
In this exclusive video and tab lesson, the funk maestro serves up a big ol' slice of rhythm layer cake that reimagines the guitar as keyboard, bass, as everything in the band
Power up your inner shredder: Gus G shares his ultimate guitar warm-ups
Before every gig, Firewind and Ozzy's virtuoso hones his chops with focused drills for sweeping, slurring, and string jumping. Steal his six essential exercises to level up your own metal technique
Rush’s Alex Lifeson was a master of first inversion chords – here are 5 voicings you can use in your playing today
Don't be intimidated by the terminology. First-inversion chords is the fancy name for slash chords and they can add some range and spice to your songwriting
Jared James Nichols teaches you the wild drop D blues stomp he wrote with Tyler Bryant
Learn Hard Wired, a fingerstyle blues-rock riffing masterclass that has groove for days
Sue Foley salutes Elizabeth Cotten and her favorite female guitar pioneers in this fingerpicking blues masterclass
Foley's latest lesson unpacks the Piedmont fingerpicking style perfected by the likes of Elizabeth Cotten – and there's some Memphis Minnie, too
Eddie Van Halen used it, Jimmy Page loved it, and all of your heavy metal heroes have tried it – drop D made drop-dead simple
Drop D tuning is one of the easiest alternate tunings to get to grips with. Here’s our step-by-step guide
Joe Bonamassa pays homage to Duane Eddy – and reminds us why the “Titan of Twang” was a great blues player, too
After saluting the late, great Duane Eddy at his tribute show in Nashville, Bonamassa serves up a video and tab lesson that shows us what we can learn from a rock ’n’ roll trailblazer
Reviews
“Scoring especially highly for its superb ergonomics”: Sterling By Music Man Kaizen 7 review
Progressive guitar icon Tosin Abasi's dramatic Music Man custom seven-string, re-imagined for those with lighter wallets
“Not only crisply made but really hard to put down”: Fender American Professional Classic Stratocaster review
Replacing the out-going Performer model, is Fender’s American Professional Classic Stratocaster the perfect vintage/modern hybrid?
"No matter what type of fuzz you enjoy, you’ll find something to love here": Kernom Moho Fuzz review
Kernom delivers a detailed sweep through the many faces of fuzz
Neural DSP Archetype: Misha Mansoor X review
The Finnish firm’s new signature plugin for Periphery’s chief riffer is its most feature-packed to date, and it serves up utilitarianism and uncanny weirdness in equal measure
"A really clever bit of kit that makes playing along with drum beats an absolute breeze": Singular Sound BeatBuddy 2 review
The BeatBuddy is back with a host of new features that might have you wondering whether it’s finally time to sack your drummer
"Adding a few tweaks to the winning formula… The perfect pedal platforms": Victory V40 The Duchess Mark II review
Learning some tricks from the development of the super high-end MK Clean, Victory upgrades the Duchess range
“At this upper mid-range price point, it's hard to think of a guitar to rival it”: Strandberg N2 Boden Standard review
The second model in the progressive Swedish company's new Boden N2 series more than holds its own
Buying Guides
Best guitar stands and guitar hangers 2025: options for single and multiple acoustic and electric guitars
Hang about! These are the best stands and hangers for your guitars right now
Best bass guitars 2025: long and short-scale bass options for beginners to pros
Our pick of the world’s finest low-end monsters, with the best bass guitars from Fender, EBMM, Yamaha and more…
Best acoustic guitars under $1,000 2025: expert picks for great tone on a budget
Enjoy superb playability and sound with our guide to the top mid-priced acoustics
Best overdrive pedals 2025: from mid-hump to transparent tone
My pick of the top-rated overdrive pedals will get your gain tones on point
Best guitar wireless systems 2025: set your playing free, from the rehearsal room to the stage
Fed up with cumbersome cables? Here's my pick of the best wireless guitar systems for every budget
Best budget reverb pedals 2025: wallet-friendly ‘board buys for the thrifty guitar player
Pick up an essential piece of gear without dropping big bucks - our list of the best budget reverb pedals
Best guitars for kids 2025: top electric and acoustic guitars for children
The top kid’s guitars available today and everything you need to know to get your child started with the guitar
Best acoustic electric guitars 2025: electro-acoustic picks for every guitarist whatever your budget
Stand and be heard – embrace the creative opportunities an acoustic electric guitar presents, whether live on stage or in the studio
Best beginner guitar amps 2025: my top picks from over a decade working in music retail
After nearly ten years working in a busy high-street music store, I’ve seen which beginner amps truly deliver, offering the best value, most useful features, and long-lasting popularity from brands like Blackstar, Fender, Positive Grid, and more