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“It made me realize how grateful I am to have the guitar in my life”: I applied to be the new Smashing Pumpkins guitarist – I didn’t get the gig, but it was one of the most life-affirming experiences of my musical career
Kiki Wong deservedly landed the touring guitarist spot, but applying to join one of my all-time favorite bands reignited my teenage dreams – and Billy Corgan should be commended for offering the opportunity to so many players
The story of Van Halen’s 1984 – the Flying V, the synths and the end of the David Lee Roth era
Creative differences led to Roth’s departure the following year, but 1984 found the band firing on all cylinders, as Eddie Van Halen embraced his pop sensibilities while retaining the musical adventurism that made him the greatest of all time
How Anna Calvi threw out the guitar rulebook to write the Peaky Blinders score
The UK guitar great explains how she approached writing for a prestige TV show, and why she shares a Telecaster obsession with her hero Jeff Buckley
“John Sykes changed my world”: How Fozzy’s Rich Ward invented Stuck Mojo
The Marshall fan explains what made him shut down the crossover band he loved, how he developed the perfect partnership with Fozzy bandmate Chris Jericho, and why mid-’70s Les Pauls are the best
10 legendary blues guitars, featuring Lucille, Lucy, Greeny – and the Loch Ness Monster of Les Pauls
Named and famed! Behind every great blues player is a great guitar, and they don’t come more iconic than this...
Flatwound vs roundwound bass strings: What’s the difference?
Mellow and warm or bright and snappy? We look at the key differences between flatwound and roundwound bass strings
Rock City Machine Co. went from KISS Army to KISS collaborators. Now they're going it alone.
Ryan Cook and Jeremy Asbrock have worked with Ace Frehley and Gene Simmons, but say it’s time for them to stand on their own, er, four feet...
Why a baritone Les Paul is the perfect prog metal weapon for Wheel’s James Lascelles
Upcoming third album, Charismatic Leaders, kickstarts a new era for the Finnish prog-metallers with a sound that’s stubbornly traditional but powerfully progressive
