Access Backstage Pass
Latest Features
“Steve Vai is always evolving… he continues to achieve what others thought impossible, and he finds new things to try every day”: How Philip Bynoe keeps up with the world-leading virtuoso
The Berklee grad on what drew him to six-string basses over fours and fives, why sometimes it’s important to compromise on tone, and modern playing techniques versus the joy of “a simple melody you can’t stop humming”
“It was Clarkin alone who fed the band, writing the entirety of Magnum’s catalog and admitting in 2002 that he thought of little else”: Remembering Tony Clarkin, the driving force behind a British rock institution
The Magnum guitarist died following diagnosis with a rare spinal condition, leaving behind a staggering body of work and huge affection amongst fans and industry peers
“I’ve always favoured humbuckers. They’re what my heroes used – Clapton, BB King and Paul Kossoff”: Connor Selby on his greatest gear hits and misses, and the Gibson ES-125 that was the bargain of the century
The up-and-coming blues ace stops by to talk all things gear: the buying, the selling, and the regrets along the way
“There does seem to be something of an obsession with lighter guitars”: Do lighter electric guitars sound better?
The debate surrounding the effect of weight on electric guitars and tone is long-running and often divisive. Our panel of experts, er, weigh in
“I bought a right-handed Hofner, re-strung it and learned to play like a lefty, which was a nightmare”: How The Bootleg Beatles’ Steve White became a carbon-copy Paul McCartney
Think you can play a bit like Sir Paul? It’s not as easy as you think, says Bootleg Beatles bassist Steve White
“I asked Ibanez for a Telecaster-style guitar with a single neck pickup. I was expecting them to make fun of me and say no!” Standards’ Marcos Mena is bringing joy to virtuoso playing with his custom mint green tapping machine
As the pop-shred maestro honed his fruit-inspired instrumental math-rock technique, Ibanez warned him his neck-pickup-only AZ might look bad – but it turned out to be his perfect guitar
“When I struggle with live sound, I think, ‘Oh God, I can play so much better when I’m just in a room and I can hear myself…’ But that’s when I dig in and try harder”: Tommy Emmanuel and Molly Tuttle give a tone, technique and touring masterclass
It’s not often that you find two of the world’s greatest acoustic players on tour together, and we couldn’t resist the opportunity to invite them for an interview and video masterclass…
“I was tired of not being able to hear my guitar when I played. I got a Gretsch Country Gentleman, and that changed the game for me”: Vincent Neil Emerson’s star is rising fast – whether he’s playing a Chet Atkins electric or rare George Harrison acoustic
The Texas storyteller tells his story so far – from Neil Young tunings to Shooter Jennings collaborations and how he channels raw emotion through his guitar leads
“If you don’t have good tone with just your amp and your guitar, ain’t no pedal gonna help you”: Sue Foley is dropping truth bombs and nylon-string blues in her tribute to the pioneering women of guitar
One Guitar Woman finds Sue Foley getting technically adventurous as she covers Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Memphis Minnie and Maybelle Carter
"I was ill and when I picked the guitar up again, I wasn't playing Joe Satriani stuff – I was struggling to play Oasis!" Jack J. Hutchinson on how illness changed his playing style and his Black Crowes-inspired pedalboard
British blues guitarist and songwriter Jack J. Hutchinson on pedals, power trios, solos – and the illness that derailed his career
