Features

Deep Purple icon Ritchie Blackmore tells us how a visit from Slowhand’s roadie turned him into a Fender Strat diehard – and why he kept breaking whammy bars

The blues-rock great lets you in on the mini pedals, funky boxes and signature wah pedal that add the finishing touches to his tone

Marvin had been offered a 10 year contract from Stevie Wonder on the day he joined Bob Marley and the Wailers. But he never looked back

The drummer turned guitarist says starting in cover bands can improve your writing skills – and explains why he learned more from the Byrds and the Beatles than playing with Josh Homme in Kyuss

New album Heavy Soul finds JST pushing her vocals to new limits and pushing tube amps beyond their limits, and it cements her rep as one of the great blues players of our time

We get the lowdown on Robert Cray’s 15-strong Strat collection, and why one guitar was never the same after he lent it to Sonny Landreth

Peter Green was one of the all-time greats, and influenced everyone from Gary Moore to Joe Bonamassa and Kirk Hammett. This soloing masterclass unpacks his peerless phrasing, rhythmic approach and string bending

Jack Bruce launched Spectrum Road in 2012, featuring drummer Cindy Blackman-Santana, and Living Colour guitarist Vernon Reid

Every bassist needs to familiarize themselves with Bob Babbitt’s knockout solo

We weigh up the pros and cons of new vs second-hand acoustic guitars and what first-time buyers should consider