My pick of the best new guitar gear launched this week – and the new drops you might have missed
An insanely affordable new Gretsch and a pedal called Jimothy headline the round-up this week
Latest News
My pick of the best new guitar gear launched this week – and the new drops you might have missed
An insanely affordable new Gretsch and a pedal called Jimothy headline the round-up this week
Fender Japan reimagines the hits with the Active Modern series – let’s hope the US branch is taking notes
New neck heels, body binding and Turbo Tone Boost functions have been rolled out across the new range
Gretsch goes for sophisticated simplicity with the rock- and metal-minded Streamliner CVT
High-output pickups, a fast-playing neck and performance details make this sports car-looking axe a steal at $249
The unsung guitarist who shaped one of PRS’s most sought-after models
He's unassuming, a virtuoso player, and didn't want his name on the guitar out of respect to Ted McCarty – but David Grissom played a key role in designing it
Sammy Hagar sends David Lee Roth support after sudden tour cancellation
Hagar has rallied behind Roth after the latter quietly cancelled a string of US dates
Gibson announces opening of third Garage, and second in the US
The 8,000-square-foot location follows the launch of stores in Nashville and London
D’Addario denies using AI to make the music in string demo video
The firm found itself in the eye of an AI storm after commenters took aim at the super-polished demo for its new extended-range NYXL HD singles
Graham Coxon’s thoughts on Damon Albarn as a guitar player
Coxon offers his opinion on what his Blur bandmate is like on guitar
Blind guitarist didn’t realize fret markers were a thing – until he was given a game-changing guitar with a tactile ‘navigation neck’
When Anthony Ferraro highlighted the difficulty blind and partially sighted guitar players face in navigating the fretboard, boutique builder NVision Guitars came to the rescue
Artists
How Slash’s throwaway riff became the most successful Guns N' Roses song ever
Sweet Child O’ Mine was a happy accident, and a lucrative one at that
Simon McBride on Deep Purple’s new golden age of heavy
The band's fleet-fingered, PRS-toting guitar-slinger tells GW how the rock legends nailed their ‘70s sound in the 21st century on their new album, and the pedal people would be surprised to hear is on his 'board...
Ozzy Osbourne on his special writing dynamic with Randy Rhoads
Blizzard of Ozz was the Prince of Darkness' solo debut – but it forever marked Rhoads as a guitar hero for the ages
Dive into the secrets behind Randy Rhoads’ guitar tone on Crazy Train – plus how to nail the sound on a budget
How a mids-heavy EQ and a triple-tracked solo gave Rhoads to the sound that launched Ozzy's solo career
Phil X on taking to the stage with Canadian rock heroes Triumph – and how he’s switching up his Bon Jovi rig
Bon Jovi guitarist Phil X – the guitar star of Triumph’s final studio album – won’t be holding anything back when he joins Rik Emmett
Why The Edge was always destined to become a different kind of guitar hero
In 1996, U2's six-string sonic experimentalist offered a frank discussion of his influences – and why he felt disillusioned with the current guitar scene
6 Comments
How a Greek Orthodox priest went viral by turning church hymns into fretless eight-string metal ragers
Armed with a Harley Benton eight-string, genre-stretching Fr Dionysios Tabakis sent the music world into an unlikely frenzy with debut album Paradise Metal
Gear
How Steinberger started the headless revolution – with a little help from Eddie Van Halen and Allan Holdsworth
Ned Steinberger didn't invent the headless guitar but his GL series captured a moment in the ’80s that changed guitar for good
Mirador's Chris Turpin on the ‘sleeper’ star of his vintage guitar collection
Turpin’s 1960s Gibson B-25 is one of the best 12-strings for recording – and his old pal Jake Kiszka has one just like it
“This is the sound in every Green Day fan's head”: Marshall Billie Joe Armstrong Signature 1959BJA review
The legendary Green Day frontman’s new amp – Time of Your Life, or a Basket Case?
Darkglass Anagram Limited Edition Guitar Essentials review
Darkglass goes guitar with the Guitar Essentials package and this limited edition, facelift version of the hardware, in collaboration with Andertons and Sweetwater.
What is guitar relic'ing, and why is it so controversial among guitarists?
Fret Buzz Sure, you can get the visual mojo of a heavily-played instrument – but some players insist you’ve gotta earn it…
What this Golden Era ’63 SG tells us about Gibson design
The Les Paul Standard may be the most iconic and the ES-335 the most versatile, but the SG remains Gibson’s greatest commercial success
Best electric guitars 2026: our top picks for every playing style, ability and budget
Useful buying advice and our expert pick of the best electric guitars for newcomers to pro players
Lessons
From B.B. King to Eric Clapton and Otis Rush, the blues is the core element of Joe Bonamassa's playing
In this essential video lesson with the guitar superstar, he explains why it doesn't matter what style he is playing – it always begins and ends with the blues
Best online guitar lessons 2026: I tested 20+ apps and sites to help you play faster, smarter, and cheaper
Learning guitar online is cheaper and more flexible than traditional tuition, but only if you choose the right platform. Together with Guitar World’s expert team, I’ve put the top lesson sites to the test for every budget, genre, and skill level, including a fantastic free option
Two essential G chord shapes: when to use each finger position and why
You'll spend a lot of time playing this chord – thankfully, there are multiple ways to do it, and each has a distinct purpose
Why four notes and the truth are all you need for a great slow blues solo
In this lesson, we are using just four notes to construct four blues examples that put expression first
“Resolving with a more conventional blues phrase sounds really cool and satisfying”: Corey Congilio on how to add harmonic depth to your solo improvisations
Congilio’s Blues Extensions column continues with a lesson in playing a five-minor-7 arpeggio over a dominant 7 chord
Manuel Gardner Fernandes breaks down the 5 techniques that define his sound
Manuel presents his percussive strumming, tapped harmonics, selective picking, and Hetfield-inspired downpicking approaches
Mike Stringer on how 8-string guitars take him outside his comfort zone in search of creative dissonance
Using the low-end monster riffs of Spiritbox's Fata Morgana, Stringer offers up a rhythm masterclass in modern metal
Reviews
“This is the sound in every Green Day fan's head”: Marshall Billie Joe Armstrong Signature 1959BJA review
The legendary Green Day frontman’s new amp – Time of Your Life, or a Basket Case?
Darkglass Anagram Limited Edition Guitar Essentials review
Darkglass goes guitar with the Guitar Essentials package and this limited edition, facelift version of the hardware, in collaboration with Andertons and Sweetwater.
"Gives the Custom Shop pickups in my Strat a run for their money": Fender Vintera III Late '50s Stratocaster review
Fender sends a love letter to the golden age of guitars with an accessible vintage-inspired instrument
"Once I'm playing, the Hush X Live feels much more like a 'real' guitar than the novelty I was first expecting." Donner Hush X Live Pro review
An ambitious, affordable, and fully-loaded guitar that looks to be a one-stop shop for all your traveling needs
“Would work a treat with flat-wound strings”: Fender Vintera III Late ‘60s Precision Bass review
Fender's Vintera range receives another round of tweaks – and a new ‘60s-styled P-Bass
"A very persuasive showcase for Fender's dark horse guitar model": Fender Vintera III Mid '60s Mustang review
The ultimate distillation of Fender's continuously underrated offset?
“A hard-to-put-down Les Paul with bags of character”: Gibson Les Paul Studio Double Trouble review
Gibson brings the Double Trouble treatment to a lower price-point with a weight-relieved Studio version. For skint rockers everywhere, it’s time to rejoice!
Buying Guides
Best online guitar lessons 2026: I tested 20+ apps and sites to help you play faster, smarter, and cheaper
Learning guitar online is cheaper and more flexible than traditional tuition, but only if you choose the right platform. Together with Guitar World’s expert team, I’ve put the top lesson sites to the test for every budget, genre, and skill level, including a fantastic free option
Best electric guitars 2026: our top picks for every playing style, ability and budget
Useful buying advice and our expert pick of the best electric guitars for newcomers to pro players
Best beginner electric guitars 2026: top electric models for new players, reviewed and demoed by experts
So you're a budding guitarist? Get started with our pick of the best beginner electric guitars from Squier, Yamaha, and Epiphone
Best acoustic guitars 2026: 10 top options for guitarists of all ages and abilities
Guitar World’s pick of the best acoustic guitars from Fender, Gibson, Martin, Taylor, Epiphone and more
Best multi-effects pedals 2026: replace your entire rig with our top-rated multi-FX units
From the high-end Neural DSP Quad Cortex to the budget NUX MG-300, we’ve tested 17 multi-effects pedals to help you replace your rig with a single unit
What's the best guitar cable in 2026? These are the tried & tested options I'd recommend to any player
There's a lot of snake oil when it comes to the top guitar cables – I'm a professional guitar gear reviewer and I've tested 11 of the best to help you find your perfect match
Best phaser pedals 2026: add swirling guitar tones to your rig with our expert guide
Looking to create that swirling sound effect? These are the best phaser pedals to try from MXR, Electro-Harmonix, Walrus Audio and more
