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Latest Features

I top-wrapped my Les Paul to find out whether it actually made a difference – and I wish I’d done it sooner
By Matt Owen published
Wrapping guitar strings over the top of a guitar's bridge or tailpiece is said to lead to more sustain, better playability and a slinkier feel. Is any of that really true?

Meet Dehd, the indie-rockers building a wall of sound from ’80s shred machines and out-of-tune basses
By Cheri Amour published
Jason Balla and Emily Kempf worship Big Muffs, reverbs and Roland amps – and are making the kind of shoegaze-informed alt-rock dreams are made of

Why Lee Sklar hand-carved his 1962 Fender Jazz Bass
By Nick Wells published
1971’s Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon featured some of Lee Sklar’s best work with James Taylor – and Lee Sklar's “total hippie bass”

Used by The Beatles and Brian May, the Vox AC30 is one of the all-time great amps – what makes it sound so good?
By Joe Dean published
What's behind the AC30's coveted chime, and why has it remained a consistent amp choice for generations of guitar greats?

Matteo Mancuso talks tone, technique and Guthrie Govan’s key to improvising
By Amit Sharma published
The Sicilian guitar prodigy discusses the fingerstyle techniques, arpeggios and gear choices that have made him one of the most exciting names in modern guitar

“Ted Newman Jones builds beautiful guitars. He made some five-strings for Keith. He’s great”: Played by Keith Richards and Billy Gibbons, Newman guitars are some of rock’s greatest secret weapons – and a new model seeks to preserve their legacy
By Dave Burrluck published
Used by everyone from The Rolling Stones to Bob Dylan, Tom Petty and Mike Campbell, Newman guitars have a unique place in rock history. And thanks to a new enterprise, they’re making a comeback

"My first guitar was a beat-up flamenco-style acoustic that my grandmother had in her closet": Slash, Jimmy Page and more remember the guitars that set them on the path to six-string immortality
By Daryl Robertson published
We dive into some of our classic interviews to rediscover the stories of how famous players got started - featuring Slash, Jimmy Page, Stone Gossard, Albert Lee and more

“Tracii has been so important. I’ve always loved his playing – I’m extremely grateful to have him as a mentor”: Schooled by Tracii Guns and serving in three hard-rock powerhouses, Sam Bam Koltun is a Les Paul aficionado to watch
By Andrew Daly published
He’s already playing with Faster Pussycat, Dorothy and Budderside, but we get the feeling this L.A.-based guitarist could squeeze a few more bands into his schedule

“The crowd was starting to chant and boo”: Alex Skolnick reveals his most embarrassing onstage moment
By Joe Matera published
The genre-hopping Testament guitarist on his first gigs, favorite guitar, and why solidbodies feel more replaceable than hollowbodies

Steve Cropper on recording classic Stax cuts with a Telecaster – and why he thinks his Peavey sounds better
By Joe Matera published
The Stax session icon reflects on the recording of Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay and Soul Man, and looks forward to his new album featuring Billy Gibbons and Brian May
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