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“No brand comes close to Suhr as far as quality. My guitar also has an actual Fender bridge, even if it’s challenging to keep in tune… I’ve been playing out of tune live for years anyway!” Fusion master Scott Henderson on why he’s not a jazz guitarist
Despite once being named ‘No. 1 Jazz Guitarist’ by Guitar World readers, Henderson has abandoned playing jazz standards. He explains what he’s trying to achieve now, drawing from Beyoncé, country, Albert King and Eddie Van Halen
Meet the Lightning Bar, the new Gibson Les Paul mod that might have just settled the top-wrapping debate once and for all
Les Paul aficionados have long been divided over the string-through method or top-wrapping their strings. With the Lightning Bar, you can screw the tailpiece and enjoy the more acute string angle
“Guitar was harder than I thought, but things clicked once I learned Sweet Child O’ Mine… my teacher thought I’d want to learn Taylor Swift!” With help from Bumblefoot and Tracii Guns, Sierra Levesque, 18, stakes a claim as the future of rock ’n’ roll
Talented and determined, and with a collection of 20 guitars already to her name, Levesque is clear on what she needs to achieve in the coming months
“We joke about people that aren’t into this kind of music, and how it all sounds the same to them – it’s all ‘devil, devil, devil!’ – but heavy music brings a lot of people joy”: End Reign’s Domenic Romeo on the extreme-metal supergroup’s ripping debut
The Way of All Flesh Is Decay finds Romeo trading city-leveling riffs and searing leads with Exhumed/Noisem shredder Sebastian Phillips, and is a tour de force of 21st-century extremity
“We tried to sell it and the guy in the shop said it was the worst guitar he’d ever seen in his life”: The Pretenders’ James Walbourne on a shocking first guitar, gear regrets and the big sounds of single coils
The Pretenders guitarist recalls leaving a precious acoustic in the back of a taxi and why ’60s SG Juniors rock his world…
“Ben Cote wanted a bottle opener on his strap, which is something every guitarist needs whether they know it or not!” Inside the rise of Fairfield Guitar Co., strap company to the stars
Guitar straps so comfortable that they should come with a recommendation from a chiropractor? Count us in. See why Rob Caggiano, Philip Shouse and more are partnering with Fairfield
“We didn’t expect to be playing gay pride festivals, but drag queens and DJs took to us… a great song is great, no matter who plays it”: How GayC/DC took AC/DC classics and “turned up the volume on the sex and aggression”
Steve McKnight – aka the “Angus Young who likes to power lift” – on bringing Aussie party rock to safe spaces, and what he’s looking for in a new Malcolm
“I couldn’t play the Hydra and I was in a lot of pain. Then things shifted into gear. I felt like I’d reached another dimension of performing”: Steve Vai on his Inviolate tour struggles, upcoming G3 reunion and first-ever music with Joe Satriani
With his longest-ever road trip and most rewarding Vai Academy camp behind him, the virtuoso teases what to expect from the upcoming G3 and Satch/Vai tours – and gives Satch some advice on tackling Eddie Van Halen’s guitar parts
“When you’re the bass player and it’s time for the solo, you go nuts, because you’ve been playing rhythm for everyone else for so long!” Tony Visconti on David Bowie’s The Man Who Sold The World
Spurred on by guitarist Mick Ronson, Tony Visconti’s bass playing ranged from the wildest of improvised runs to proto-heavy-metal support
“When Noel asked me to join High Flying Birds, he said I could use any of his gear. I asked if he still had the Epiphone Sheraton, and he said, ‘Yeah.’ I said, ‘OK, I’ll join’”: Gem Archer on playing with Oasis – and both Gallagher brothers’ solo projects
Possibly inspired by a dent in the head from his first guitar, the Britpop mainstay was there for the Gallaghers’ breakup and played in both their solo bands – but he’d rather have a cup of tea than talk about a reunion
