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“Both Joe and Guthrie play a mean, funky rhythm guitar on a song like Stevie Wonder’s Superstition. That counts for more than you think”: Bass supremo Bryan Beller reveals what it’s like to play with Joe Satriani and Guthrie Govan
The prolific bassist explains why Satch’s music isn’t as simple as it seems, while it’s a case of keeping up with Govan’s high-speed improv… but the pair do share a certain funkiness
“I loved rock, but I always listened to hip-hop, too. After a session with Ice Cube, the whole hip-hop guitar thing on the West Coast kicked off for me”: Session ace and Wu-Tang Clan MD Stone Mecca talks gear, Snoop Dogg and his self-taught style
Hip-hop's first-call session guitarist and multi-instrumentalist on his role as musical director for the Wu-Tang Clan, where guitar fits in with beats and rhymes, and his modded B.C. Rich
“Playing with a pick is not something you learn over the weekend. It requires the same commitment as learning to play upright bass with a bow”: Listen to Anthony Jackson’s landmark bassline on the O’Jays’ For the Love of Money
Anthony Jackson’s use of a pick and phase shifter was famously first heard on the O’Jays’ 1973 hit
“We’ve always played fast, and that hasn’t changed. But the big thing is finding new notes that instantly fit within that zone”: Herman Li on DragonForce’s new era of maximalist shred, AI in music and the fine art of string bending
These days, amid the fire and the flames of DragonForce’s extreme power metal, you’ll detect a little something extra in Herman Li’s playing: an emphasis on melody and dynamics
I’ve tried every home practice solution under the sun, but nothing stuck. Then I plugged in a headphone amp – and now I’m playing for hours
As a busy guitarist and parent, Boss’ new Katana:GO has been a revelation when it comes to my playing time – but it’s the way it feels that’s got me hooked
Everything you need to know about acoustic guitar neck joints – how they work, and why they matter for your tone
There are all kinds of different ways the neck is attached to the body of your acoustic, and it’s one of the areas where luthiers are innovating to offer similar or better tone to traditional dovetail joints
“I don’t care how special or what year something is – if it’s not going to stay in tune, it’s useless… I need things dialed in”: Danny Rader on navigating Kenny Chesney’s triple-guitar lineup and why the Fractal Axe-Fx is his go-to for huge country shows
The award-winning country multi-instrumentalist discusses the fun side of playing stadium stages as part of Kenny Chesney’s “three-headed monster” – and why going digital has made his life a whole lot easier when he’s up there
“Adam wanted to completely change everything. His band had hit a brick wall”: How Marco Pirroni teamed Link Wray with Les Paul Juniors to make Adam and the Ants’ ’80s-defining Kings of the Wild Frontier
Kings of the Wild Frontier found new wave icon Adam Ant at a crossroads, and with Marco Pirroni's raw rock 'n' roll guitar and Burundi drumbeats, he found a sound that sold by the millions
“I’m happily surprised when I hear solos on the radio. I wish they were more present. To hear a solo longer than 20 seconds in modern music is a rarity”: Meet Kelly Green, the Instagram ‘guitar queen’ who never plays the same solo twice
The Madam Radar guitarist shares her love of Godin’s underrated single-cut and bands where “the guitar parts were just as important as the lyrics” – and explains why trying new gear is sometimes the quickest route to new song ideas
A beginner’s guide to the Gibson Byrdland – the cult classic archtop that took flight after a request from two Nashville guitar aces
Billy Byrd and Hank Garland were integral to the development of one of Gibson’s coolest ‘Thinline’ models – an “L-5, but with a thinner body and a bunch of other stuff” – and the rest is history
