How the wah pedal changed electric guitar – but was originally intended for the trumpet By Huw Price published 15 April 24 Among the earliest guitar effects, made famous by Hendrix, Clapton and co, wah has remained a pedalboard staple for decades. This is its story
Mike Vennart influenced a generation of prog guitarists – and he’s not ruling out an Oceansize reunion By Alex Lynham published 15 April 24 The Empire State Bastard riff-meister and Biffy Clyro guitarist has produced some of his best work with his latest solo album, Forgiveness & The Grain. He breaks down his otherworldly tone secrets, and explains what made The Verve’s Nick McCabe a guitar Jedi – and why the Pro Co Rat is the only distortion pedal you need
Jonas Reingold switched from classical guitar and became Steve Hackett’s bassist By Andrew Daly published 14 April 24 From Wire and Karmakanic to the Flower Kings and Steve Hackett, the Swedish musician loves to learn, and always strives to be a better team player
Why Klaus Voormann’s bassline on John Lennon’s Whatever Gets You Thru The Night is a must-listen By Chris Jisi published 14 April 24 The German musician and artist was John Lennon's bass guitarist of choice for two decades
Listen to John Deacon’s isolated bassline on Killer Queen By Chris Jisi published 13 April 24 John Deacon’s bass playing on Killer Queen is guaranteed to blow your mind
Waxahatchee’s Katie Crutchfield found her country voice via indie and riot grrrl By Cheri Amour published 12 April 24 The Alabama-born songwriter recalls her formative punk years, graduating to a Thinline Tele, and embracing banjo and dobro on latest album Tigers Blood
Cedric Burnside on keeping country blues real – and why he plays guitars built by a brain surgeon By Phil Weller published 12 April 24 Cedric Burnside’s style of country blues is deep, deceptively complex, and unafraid of sending in a curveball – because if it feels right it is right
The history of Fender offset guitars By Huw Price published 12 April 24 Only now, over 60 years on from their launch, are the Jazzmaster and Jaguar becoming recognised as guitars for all players. We trace the innovations that mapped the offset’s long journey from misunderstood outsider to contemporary king
Heart performed Stairway to Heaven for Led Zeppelin – and reduced Robert Plant to tears By Matt Owen published 12 April 24 When Led Zeppelin were awarded the Kennedy Center Honors in 2012, they were treated to an emotional rendition of their 1971 classic, performed by Ann and Nancy Wilson with the help of John Bonham's son
Nashville session master Rob McNelley on his emotional reunion with his dad's '55 Tele By Andrew Daly published 12 April 24 Lady Antebellum’s Need You Now made him a country guitar hero, and playing with Buddy Guy ranks among his career highlights. Now with his father’s ’55 Tele in tow, Rob McNelley reveals the secrets to succeeding in Nashville
Bad Religion’s Jay Bentley on his bass-playing influences and the “best sounding P-Bass he’s ever heard” By Jonathan Herrera published 12 April 24 Vomit and blood may be punk rock, but it’s not what you might expect from longtime Bad Religion bassist Jay Bentley
Amy Winehouse's passion for guitar was key to her distinctive songwriting style By Janelle Borg published 12 April 24 A little-known 2004 interview saw Amy Winehouse wax lyrical about all things guitar
Pissed Jeans’ Bradley Fry on why he loves awkward offsets and solid-state Peavey amps By Gregory Adams published 11 April 24 The Pennsylvania punks play so loud, Fry gets his sound engineer to mic a tiny Peavey combo instead, so he can keep his onstage amps raging
Joe Bonamassa explains what makes a great blues guitar player By Andrew Daly published 11 April 24 The guitar phenom offers his own definition of greatness, and reveals his 3 best guitars for blues
How social media is affecting our perception of guitar playing By Justin Sandercoe published 11 April 24 Be inspired but don't be intimidated by social media virtuosity, says respected guitar tutor Justin Sandercoe. Remember, these influencers are pros and you're only seeing them at their best
Verdine White picks his top 5 Earth, Wind & Fire basslines By Nick Wells published 11 April 24 Earth, Wind and Fire’s pocket-perfect bassist names his best basslines
“I heard Eruption by Van Halen and I was like, ‘What is that?!’ I love to push the boundaries, and I love when it sounds crazy”: Meet Emi Grace, the Trashy Tone Thursday pioneer tearing up the shred rulebook and taking on the haters By Cheri Amour published 10 April 24 The 21-year-old LA native had over 10-million views on her Fender TikTok showcase last year. She tells us how she came up with her jaw-dropping brand of electro-shred, the joys of upgrading Stratocasters and why she fell in love with trashy guitar tones
“Noel Gallagher gave me one of Peter Green’s Gibson Les Pauls. Johnny Marr had given Noel a guitar, and maybe he felt it was customary that he do the same”: Bill Ryder-Jones on his ascent to UK indie rock royalty By Andrew Daly published 10 April 24 The former Coral guitarist has gone on to release captivating solo material. He shares stories of recording with Noel Gallagher, tracking solos with Arctic Monkeys’ Alex Turner, and why he isn’t as good a player as he used to be – but he’s OK with that
“Playing at the Super Bowl is the easy part. It’s the musical director responsibilities leading up that’s stressful”: Adam Blackstone heads up the biggest gigs on the planet – now with a 5-string Jackson bass named after his grandmother By Amit Sharma published 10 April 24 The Emmy and Grammy winner has led the musical charge for everyone from Rihanna to Eminem and Justin Timberlake. He explains why he went for Jackson over Fender for his signature bass, what makes five strings essential to his style, and how he leads the band while laying down the groove
“I could have headed towards blues or shred. I chose blues… Fast-forward to 2020, I decided to become a 12 year-old learning guitar again – I went the other way and got an Ibanez with a Floyd Rose!” Gary Clark Jr. is finally unleashing his inner shredder By Amit Sharma published 10 April 24 On his powerful and experimental new album, Gary Clark Jr. is channeling the pioneering spirit of the greats and finding new shades of blue