Flatwound vs roundwound bass strings: What’s the difference? By Richard Blenkinsop published 25 April 24 Mellow and warm or bright and snappy? We look at the key differences between flatwound and roundwound bass strings
Dweezil Zappa on the high-tech custom build that Eddie Van Halen dubbed “The Super Pluto Guitar” By Matt Parker published 25 April 24 The tale of a truly distinctive instrument that was custom-made for a trio of rock’s most innovative players in the 1980s
David Gilmour’s first new single in 9 years features one-and-a-half minutes of all-out soloing By Matt Owen published 25 April 24 Upcoming album Luck and Strange was made with the help of a new producer who tore up the Gilmour rulebook
Best guitar capos: top choice capos for acoustic and electric guitar By Chris Bird last updated 25 April 24 A capo is a great way to boost your creativity on the instrument. Here’s our expert picks for electric and acoustic guitar, ukulele, 12-string and beyond
Friedman’s expanded IR-D puts a cult classic amp mod into a tube preamp pedal By Matt Owen published 25 April 24 Two independent channels, genuine tubes and state-of-the-art digital tech come together for another neat release from the boutique amp specialist
Tony Iommi once dressed his guitar tech up as himself and sent him onstage By Janelle Borg published 25 April 24 The real Tony Iommi played while hiding behind a stack, and the fake Iommi nearly got away with it
Best short-scale basses 2024: the ultimate guide to the greatest pint-sized bass guitars at all price points By Daryl Robertson last updated 25 April 24 From Fender to Gibson, Gretsch to Spector, here are our top picks for the best short-scale basses on the market right now
Phrase spellbending blues intro licks in the style of Kenny Wayne Shepherd and John Mayer By Stuart Ryan published 25 April 24 Learn how to phrase spellbending blues intro licks in the style of Kenny Wayne Shepherd and John Mayer
Rock City Machine Co. went from KISS Army to KISS collaborators. Now they're going it alone. By Andrew Daly published 25 April 24 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 By Phil Weller published 25 April 24 Upcoming third album, Charismatic Leaders, kickstarts a new era for the Finnish prog-metallers with a sound that’s stubbornly traditional but powerfully progressive
“It barks, it roars and it bites”: EarthQuaker Devices Zoar Dynamic Audio Grinder review By Paul Riario published 25 April 24 EQD's latest dirt pedal offers amp-like drive and heaps of tone-shaping capabilities, but is above all a love letter to dynamics
“Plenty of great functionality to make your life easier and assuage any fears of signal or battery loss”: Boss WL-50 review By Matt McCracken published 25 April 24 We put Boss’ pedalboard-friendly wireless guitar system to the test, seeing how it holds up to some stiff competition
Josh Homme reveals how learning polka in childhood gave way to his off-kilter guitar playing style By Janelle Borg published 25 April 24 Josh Homme reveals how learning polka in childhood gave way to his off-kilter guitar playing style
Meet Ava Mendoza the punk-reared jazz guitar maverick turning breath work to fretwork By Andrew Daly published 25 April 24 Echolocation is the sound of a player reared on punk taking what you might call jazz into a new place
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
David Gilmour’s first solo album in 9 years features a new producer tearing up the rulebook By Janelle Borg published 24 April 24 The first single from Luck and Strange drops tomorrow
Jason Isbell and Luther Dickinson pay tribute to Dickey Betts By Jim Beaugez published 24 April 24 Isbell, Dickinson and Sadler Vaden paid homage to Betts with a three-guitar salute on the Allman Brothers classic
Watch the moment Kiko Loureiro’s strap snaps mid-solo By Phil Weller published 24 April 24 The former Megadeth virtuoso insists his Ibanez is “better than ever” despite clattering the stage floor mid-jam
Tommy Ramone on why Johnny Ramone's playing forced him to switch from managing to drumming By Janelle Borg published 24 April 24 Johnny Ramone’s strumming technique contributed to the lightning-in-a-bottle sound of the band’s debut album