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“It’s a primal, unconscious reaction”: What’s the science behind a stank face riff?
Contorting a listener’s face in loving disgust is the highest compliment a metal musician can receive – but what makes a great stank face riff? We set out to discover the secret sauce…
Mdou Moctar has ignored all of guitar’s standards – and become one of the world’s finest players
How tuning by ear, recording live, and finding power in the message made Funeral For Justice Mdou Moctar's most radical album yet – an album lit up by one of guitar's most exciting new voices
Joe Bonamassa on why he’s no ’Burst hog – and putting on his “British hat” with BCC
Joe Bonamassa checks in to tell us what it’s like to playing in rock supergroup Black Country Communion, why his rig is bigger for his solo shows, and channeling Andy Summers
Meet Lowlives’ Lee Downer, the British rocker who just needs a cranked amp – and 169 guitars...
You might know the name Lee Downer from The Defiled. Now relocated to sunny LA, working in Guitar Center, his new band is all about '90s alt-rock, no tricks, “meat and potatoes rock”
Jazz schooled, Queen-inspired, The Last Dinner Party’s guitar hero Emily Roberts unpacks her sound
Roberts reveals how their hit debut album was created, and how her unique approach to the instrument was shaped by jazz greats and one rock legend in particular…
Richie Kotzen was once a Shrapnel shredder – now he’s moving away from “stun guitar”
Cheap Shots is the first single from an album tentatively titled Nomad. It finds Kotzen playing cleaner than ever, seeking out melodies, and retiring the "stun guitar" approach
Joe Perry on the origins of Aerosmith’s greatest guitar moments – and his 600-strong collection
With the Peace Out Tour bringing the curtain down on America's greatest rock 'n' roll band, Joe Perry joins us to take us back to the start for a career-spanning interview
“This was Les Paul in his ear”: The story behind Gibson’s distinctive Alnico V ‘Staple pickup’
A lesser celebrated pickup the ‘Staple’ pickup features those distinctive rectangular polepieces and a sound that makes it ripe for rediscovery, especially with a range of replicas on the market
Neil Carter discusses his near 30-year relationship with Gary Moore – and the future of UFO
Multi-instrumentalist, who’s played his first lead guitar since 1978 on Mogg’s solo album, left rock music to teach woodwind and be a music examiner… but he couldn’t stay away
Lime Garden’s Leila Deeley is refreshing indie-pop with a heavy-strung Jaguar and $30 fuzz pedal
Lime Garden's pop sound is lush and heady but at the heart of it lies a secret shredder who got a taste for the instrument listening to Black Sabbath and the Doors. We'll let Deeley explain it...
