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“The sounds of classic tube amps and mic’d speaker cabinets in a standard stompbox”: Boss takes the fight to Universal Audio and Strymon with its smallest amp and IR pedal to date, the IR-2
11 factory amp and cab pairings – including Fender, Soldano, Marshall and Mesa/Boogie-inspired amp models – and third-party IR compatibility head up the new unit
“The guitar riff is dying out”: New survey suggests the ‘majority’ of music fans believe the riff is on its way out
A new research piece has concluded the humble riff may be on its deathbed – and identified Prince's Purple Rain as the second greatest riff of all time
“The narrative is I grew up in a rich family – wrong. The narrative is it was handed to me – wrong. It’s sweat equity over 35 years”: Joe Bonamassa sets the record straight on the humble beginnings of his world-famous guitar collection
In a conversation with Rick Beato, the gear connoisseur revisits the roots of his collecting journey – and responds to those quick to claim his buying habits take stock away from aspiring players
“A brazen new model designed for the progressive guitarist seeking a spectrum of sound beyond the norm”: Charvel gets in on the made-in-Japan hype with new Superstrat-inspired MJ San Dimas models
The speed-friendly HSH six-strings showcase the Fender Corporation's recent focus on Japan
“They said they invited us to perform at that show. I never got a phone call. They just said that to sell tickets”: Despite reports, Ace Frehley says he hasn’t heard from Paul Stanley or Gene Simmons about joining Kiss’s last-ever gig
The glam rock heroes will take to the stage for the last time ever later this week – but Frehley won't be there
“A dirt device that covers all the gain bases”: Catalinbread sees the JHS Pedals Notaklön and raises the Knight School Overdrive – an $85 DIY pedal kit based on a timeless circuit favored by Stevie Ray Vaughan, John Mayer and Paul Gilbert
The $85 kit can come ready for assembly or readymade for your pedalboard, and harks back to an early overdrive circuit that has been tweaked by EHX, Way Huge and many more
Neil Young showcases his savage overdriven tones and channels Hendrix in the most menacing solo rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner you’ve ever heard
Wielding his legendary 1953 Gibson Les Paul, Old Black, Young put his own spin on the US national anthem, nodding to a certain Woodstock performance along the way
“Being in a band is so much more than the playing. Actually, the playing is down on the list”: Before Megadeth, Marty Friedman says he auditioned for Ozzy Osbourne – but “failed miserably”
Shortly before he became Megadeth's lead guitar player, Friedman took part in an ill-fated Osbourne audition – here's why it didn't work out, according to the man himself
“A faithful recreation of my ‘Number 1’”: Jimmy Page’s latest Sundragon signature amp is here – and it’s a meticulous recreation of the modded ‘68 Marshall Super Bass that became his main Led Zeppelin amp
The second Sundragon amp turns its attention to Page's go-to modded Marshall, which became the guitar god's no. 1 studio and stage amp from 1969 onwards
