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“It’s about finding sounds that enhance rather than distract. I like my guitar to sound big – I record through two amps at once”: New Zealand indie royalty Kane Strang on winning Dinosaur Jr.’s support and how he conveys Office Dog’s cinematic sound
From melodies to off-kilter riffs to the occasional wall of sound, New Zealand indie veteran Kane Strang delivers the six-string goods on his trio’s debut
The Fender Stratocaster can thrive in any genre – and these cutting-edge guitarists prove it
The Strat might be turning 70 this year, but its story is only just getting started – and these are the players writing the next chapter in its history
Meet Morganway, the PRS-loving country-rockers playing John Mayer’s Silver Sky – and an offset called ‘The Badger’
The British Americana country rockers are influenced by everyone from Fleetwood Mac and Tom Petty to Haim and The 1975 – and they’re ready to take on the US
“I wasn’t playing accurately in the beginning – I was just going crazy. It became a balance of visceral expression and actually trying to play”: Ben Weinman on the Dillinger Escape Plan’s chaotic birth – and unexpected return
Ben Weinman on the Dillinger Escape Plan’s chaotic birth – and unexpected return
Nile Rodgers on how he found The Hitmaker – and how the Fender Strat changed the world
The funk guitar superstar looks back at trading in his old Barney Kessel for the budget Strat that would go on to become The Hitmaker – the fabled instrument heard on Get Lucky, Le Freak and countless others
Kiki Wong landed the gig of a lifetime with the Smashing Pumpkins – and she knows she has big shoes to fill
The 35-year-old Instagram shredder was chosen from 10,000 applicants after she’d almost given up on her dream. She opens up on the interview and audition process, bonding with Billy Corgan over Dimebag Darrell, and why getting the guitarist spot was as joyful as giving birth
Blackberry Smoke’s Charlie Starr on why downsizing his backline made for bigger tones
Blackberry Smoke’s frontman, guitarist and compulsive gearhead explains why using little amps “creates a whole different experience”
Session guitarist Jon Conley has faced mental health challenges all his life. Here’s what keeps him going
Conley has played with artists including Kenny Chesney, Johnny Cash, Glen Campbell and Joe Walsh, all while striving for internal balance and perspective
What made Rory Gallagher a true guitar one-off – and how he ended up with his first Fender Strat by accident
Jim Kirkpatrick, one of the world's leading experts on Gallagher's playing, puts the late blues-rock hero's tone under the microscope, revealing the gear and approaches that made the Strat-toting phenom one of the all-time greats
