Mick Mars’ NSFW ‘Girls, Girls, Girls’ Kramer has just gone up for auction By Phil Weller published 8 May 24 The guitar was used extensively during Motley Crüe’s 1987-88 Girls, Girls, Girls world tour
“Sharper attack, extended sustain and a warmer tone”: Could brass saddles supercharge your Strat tone? By Phil Weller published 8 May 24 AxLabs Hardware certainly thinks so – its String Surfer brass saddles promise to improve Stratocaster tone and reduce string breakages
“We don’t rely on fretboard technique”: BIG|BRAVE conjure some of today’s most thrilling guitar tones By Dan Bradley published 8 May 24 A Chaos of Flowers finds the Canadian trio broadening their otherworldly sound as they look forward to “dismantling the little boys’ club” of heavy music. But try as they might, they can’t turn down the volume – this is vital guitar music made to be performed loud
Boss Katana:Go vs Fender Mustang Micro: which headphone amp is right for you? By Daryl Robertson published 8 May 24 Two of the world's most popular headphone amps go head to head to see who comes out on top
July 2024 Guitar World lesson videos By Damian Fanelli published 8 May 24 The one where Joe Bonamassa shows off his '58 Gibson Les Paul Special and David Grissom makes his GW debut!
B.B. King gifted one of his Lucille guitars to the Pope – it’s now up for auction By Janelle Borg published 8 May 24 After belonging to B.B. King and Pope John Paul II’s Vatican collection, the guitar is expected to fetch more than $80,000 at auction
Bob Dylan and Robbie Robertson's 1965 Telecaster is up for auction and could fetch up to $700,000 By Phil Weller published 8 May 24 With its black finish stripped down in favor of its natural wood grain, a uniquely installed Bigsby B16 bridge, and decades of history played into it, the guitar is a key highlight in Julien’s upcoming Music Icons auction
“I’m never going to out-do Yngwie”: Richie Faulkner on Priest’s new album and why he’s no shredder By Amit Sharma published 8 May 24 Judas Priest's Invincible Shield finds the British metal institution surviving against the odds. Its very own bionic man Richie Faulkner gives us the guitar POV on a venerable work of British steel
“Paul said he’d do anything to make it happen”: Herman Li on his switch to PRS By Amit Sharma published 8 May 24 Paul Reed Smith wanted to do something but I had to explain it was my dream as a kid to have an Ibanez signature. Paul said he’d do anything to make it happen
Muddy Waters is a blues guitar icon who pioneered the sound of electric guitar and invented a new solo language By David Gerrish published 8 May 24 In the smoky clubs of Chicago, Muddy Waters turned up the volume on blues guitar, electrifying it, and then the audience – and his slide and open-tuning approach to Chicago blues was integral to his early success
“Strong choices with the advantage of dual modes“: Ross Pedals review By Trevor Curwen published 8 May 24 A long-lost US pedal brand makes a comeback under Josh Scott at JHS Pedals – we take a look at the Phaser, Fuzz, Compressor, Distortion and Chorus
Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready falls off stage mid-solo – but doesn’t miss a note By Phil Weller published 8 May 24 The Pearl Jam guitarist disappeared on the first night of the grunge heroes’ tour in Vancouver, but not even falling off stage could stop his shred-fest
In 2005, Prince’s Cloud 3 sold for $10,000. Now it’s expected to fetch $600,000 at auction By Janelle Borg published 8 May 24 Since its original sale, the guitar has been rediscovered as one of Prince’s most heavily used stage guitars, used on iconic tours including Purple Rain, Sign of the Times, and Diamonds & Pearls
Adrian Belew on how King Crimson made an underrated prog classic in “this industrial musical junkyard we created” By Ryan Reed published 8 May 24 Adrian Belew reveals what went on behind the scenes during the making of the band’s dual-personality 10th album, Three of a Perfect Pair – the final studio release from the Fripp/Belew/Levin/Bruford crew
Fender brings the Telecaster Thinline to the American Professional II Series and revives the Stratocaster Thinline By Michael Astley-Brown published 8 May 24 Kitted out in four transparent pastel finishes, the new limited-edition releases rank among Fender’s most enticing launches this year
Mark Knopfler on the guitars he couldn't bear to part with, and the six-strings that surprised him on One Deep River By Jamie Dickson published 7 May 24 On the back of his stirring new album, the guitar icon discusses the primacy of songwriting, and how his relationship with the instrument has changed
Meet 9 of Fender’s most elusive offset guitars By Jamie Dickson published 7 May 24 From Fender Japan exclusives to mid-’60s unicorns, and a 1958 Sparkle Sunburst Jazzmaster that’s a holy grail in anyone’s book…
Danelectro has brought back its Big Sitar – with some modern upgrades By Janelle Borg published 7 May 24 The new Danelectro model promises to deliver the quintessential electric sitar sound popularized by the likes of Metallica, Steve Howe and Steve Vai
Red Witch aims to harness Frank Zappa and Carlos Santana tones with its new sample hold filter pedal By Phil Weller published 7 May 24 The Euphemia offers the ability to alter the effect’s speed, aggression, velocity, and wet/dry mix while also unlocking the ‘notched’ EQ sounds of Brian May and Carlos Santana
Duane Betts joins Derek Trucks to cover the Allman Brothers Band’s Dreams in tribute to Dickey Betts By Phil Weller published 7 May 24 The pair made guest appearances during each of their sets at Miami’s Sun, Sand and Soul festival, paying tribute to Dickey Betts, who died last month