Inside the sound and style of Motown master James Jamerson By Chris Jisi published 25 April 24 Five top low-enders with links to the bass great dissect the James Jamerson style
Why Squarepusher (aka Tom Jenkinson) is an artist in a vast left-field league of his own By Brian Fox published 25 April 24 You may or may not know Squarepusher (aka Tom Jenkinson), but chances are he doesn’t care to know you
“Stevie wasn’t a fluent songwriter”: The making of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s Couldn’t Stand the Weather By Alan Paul published 24 April 24 In 1984, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble needed new tunes and needed them bad, and necessity became the mother of invention as they put together a bona fide blues classic
“You get so much more choice”: How the Japanese Fender offset conquered the world By Jamie Dickson published 24 April 24 Fender Japan showed the world how radically offsets could be modified. We visited specialist Japanese guitar retailer Gas Station Guitars to chart the evolution of the MIJ offset
Kevin and Michael Bacon on trashing Taylors for Guardians of the Galaxy and love of Fender Acoustasonics By Bruce Fagerstrom published 24 April 24 Movie star Kevin Bacon and his composer brother Michael reveal how they play to their differences during their Bacon Brothers shows – and what happens when they perform Footloose at venues that don’t allow dancing
I’ve played IK Multimedia’s nano modeling amp, the TONEX One – and it could be the ultimate pocket-sized pedal platform By Alex Lynham published 24 April 24 The tiny modeler is not perfect, but it’s going to solve a lot of problems – particularly for players who are willing to put in a little time upfront
Sum 41's Deryck Whibley and Dave Baksh talk perfect guitars, amp profilers – and saying goodbye By Andrew Daly published 23 April 24 How Sum 41’s valedictory album, Heaven :x: Hell, came together on the simple arithmetic of pop-punk and Slayer-inspired thrash, for an album that's light, dark and all shades between
Harmoni Kelley on why five-strings rule for modern country players By Alison Richter published 23 April 24 With no experience of the extra string until her successful audition with Chesney, Kelley’s taken her P Bass attitude and hard rock roots for longterm stroll down Music Row
How I went from guitar journalist to Dickey Betts’ right-hand man By Andy Aledort published 23 April 24 Guitar World’s Andy Aledort played over 250 shows around the globe with his hero. He traces his history with the late Allman Brothers Band icon, and shares his personal experience of working with the complex, generous guitar legend who once gave him one of Duane Allman’s slides
5 signs your guitar cable needs replacing (and 6 ways to make it last longer) By Ross Holder published 23 April 24 Assess the health of your cables with our guide to the warning signs, plus our maintenance tips to extend their life
Is Emanuel Casablanca the hero that modern blues guitar has been waiting for? By Andrew Daly published 23 April 24 Strung Out on Thrills was hard to make and hard to write – every track was challenging. But Emanuel Casablanca's album throws down the gauntlet to blues guitar, presenting a new path forward
MJ Lenderman shares tone secrets and explains why there’s life in the live album yet By Richard Bienstock published 23 April 24 With a blazing (not to mention “fluid like the wind”) band behind him, indie rock’s leading overdrive purveyor takes his best one-man-band material to wild new places
Best acoustic guitars for beginners 2024: our pick of easy acoustic strummers for new players By Daryl Robertson last updated 23 April 24 We've tested epic affordable six strings from Epiphone, Taylor, Fender, Yamaha and more – read on to find the best beginner acoustic guitar for you
Mike Kinsella on his journey to cult guitar hero status with American Football By Ellie Rogers published 23 April 24 As his latest Owen album looms, the guitarist reflects on how he discovered the tunings that made him so influential, doing it all without pedals and why he can only play Teles
“A lot of people don’t know cheap guitars require the same energy, and resources to make as an expensive guitar”: How this Danish guitar company is turning factory rejects into some of its finest builds By Matt Parker published 22 April 24 Baum Guitars’ Revival Collection has hit upon a rare form of guitar alchemy, turning some of its worst productions into its most desirable – and sustainable – builds
Patti Smith on her controversial first gig – and why rock belongs to the people By Janelle Borg published 22 April 24 The punk poet laureate continues to inspire generations of artists
Meet Tasha S, the Ukrainian guitar phenom whose nonchalant covers have won her millions of followers By Andrew Daly published 22 April 24 The offset-wielding Ukraine-born guitarist has amassed 4.8m TikTok and 1.7m Instagram followers on her guitar journey. She reveals her plans to transition from the screen to the stage – and why passion is more important than gear
“I’m not thinking about trying to impress anybody”: Fusion legend Scott Henderson talks virtuosity and style By Jamie Dickson published 22 April 24 Returning with a new instrumental album seamlessly fusing rock, blues and jazz, Scott Henderson checks in to talk gear, style and what we can learn from vocals and horn
How Raphael Saadiq moved to guitar and earned his new limited-edition Tele By Amit Sharma published 22 April 24 The Grammy-winning producer has worked with the biggest names in music. He explains why the Telecaster has appeared on every album he’s ever worked on – and shares what he learned from Stevie Wonder, Beyoncé, Barry Gibb and countless others
“Beck wanted the bass coming unhinged at every turn”: Justin Meldal-Johnsen's bassline on Beck’s Sexx Laws By Bryan Beller published 22 April 24 How Justin Meldal-Johnsen anchored Beck’s postmodern pop classic by breaking all of the rules