PRS unveils the Charcoal Phoenix – Paul Reed Smith’s personal guitar of choice
The new, limited-edition beauty sprung from Paul Reed Smith’s desire to create a stoptail-equipped variation of John McLaughlin's signature Private Stock PRS
Latest news
PRS unveils the Charcoal Phoenix – Paul Reed Smith’s personal guitar of choice
The new, limited-edition beauty sprung from Paul Reed Smith’s desire to create a stoptail-equipped variation of John McLaughlin's signature Private Stock PRS
Steve Vai reveals what it’s like to work side by side with fellow Frank Zappa alum Adrian Belew on the BEAT tour
The two virtuosos have been flexing their distinct styles on the ongoing BEAT tour – which celebrates King Crimson's '80s repertoire – alongside bassist Tony Levin and Tool drummer Danny Carey
Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells Telecaster has cropped up on the BBC's Antiques Roadshow – after it was bought for $12,500
The guitar was previously owned by T. Rex's Marc Bolan, before it found its way into the hands of Oldfield, just as he had started working on what was to become Tubular Bells
Brian May’s first Gibson signature is here – and it’s got nothing to do with the Red Special
When the Queen legend announced he’d be working with Gibson, many expected a Custom Shop Red Special – but first, we have a 12-string SJ-200 that’s like no other
Eddie Van Halen apparently left Peavey because it signed a second superstar shredder – Joe Satriani
Van Halen had developed his Wolfgang and 5150 with Peavey, but the firm’s current CEO reckons Satch’s arrival ultimately convinced him to leave
Robby Krieger sets the record straight on how a Doors classic was really written – and what the controversial movie got wrong
Oliver Stone's 1991 movie The Doors was panned for its historical inaccuracy – and Krieger is now clarifying how the band's songwriting process actually played out
blink-182 reunite with Matt Skiba as Tom DeLonge performs with his successor for the first time
The guitarist enjoyed a number of years in the band before Tom DeLonge’s return and – now he’s joined forces with the trio for a special rendition of his most beloved Blink hit
Artists
Gillian Welch and David Rawlings on their Nashville rebirth after a devastating tornado
The Americana duo tell the story of their return to a long-serving Nashville studio and a remarkable record that bears its name
Through 50 years of triumph and tragedy, they remain hard rock's greatest titans
AC/DC's Angus Young traces the lineage of one of rock's greatest bands – from his air-tight six-string chemistry with his brother Malcolm, that time he tried one of Malcolm's guitars, and why he avoided Strats at all costs
He’s one of the most influential bassists of all time, but did Motown’s James Jamerson make a mistake on this 1969 hit record?
How Jamerson’s ‘mistake’ helped set the foundation for The Temptations’ No. 1 hit
When asked by Miles Davis to move to New York and do some gigs, Dave Holland didn’t blink
Dave Holland’s arrival in New York coincided with one of the most transformative periods for Miles Davis and his Lost Quintet
Chappell Roan’s guitarist reveals the story behind the Grammys’ show-stopping – and last-minute – mirrorball Gibson Les Paul
Andrea Ferrero shares the tone secrets and behind-the-scenes details of the Pink Pony Club guitar – and an already-iconic performance
Thurston Moore hailed Nina Garcia as noise guitar’s secret weapon – and an unusual pickup is key to her otherworldly explorations
The French guitarist formerly known as Mariachi explains her dislike of new gear, her lack of songwriting process and how new album Bye Bye Bird began to take shape 10 years ago
John Browne hasn’t played in standard tuning for 20 years. He explains why DADGAD is perfect for modern metal
The tuning is being heralded by a growing number of current greats – we caught up with the Monuments riffer to find out why
Gear
Best acoustic guitars for beginners 2025: top picks for new players, reviewed and demoed by experts
We've played epic affordable six-strings from Epiphone, Taylor, Fender, Yamaha and more – read on for our best beginner acoustic guitar recommendations and watch our video demos
“One of the best legitimately new guitars Fender has produced in decades”: Fender American Ultra II Meteora review
The Meteora is that rarest of things: a new body shape from one of the oldest electric guitar manufacturers. As this “sports car version” of the Fender Jazzmaster joins the Big F’s most high-performance range, is it a match made in offset heaven?
The Line 6 HX Stomp just got a $100 discount at Guitar Center – here's 5 reasons it's been on my 'board for the past two years
My favorite multi-effects pedal has got a cheeky discount for Presidents’ Day, here are some great reasons it can enhance your playing experience too
Can a budget Harley Benton prog metal rig rival a Strandberg and Kemper for less than 6% of the price? I took both to a rehearsal room to find out
As the budget gear market continues to make strides, I pitched my high-end live rig against the cheapest alternative rig to see if the 94% price difference is justified
Best punk guitars 2025: straight-shooting, no-nonsense guitars for punk
From Gibson to Eastwood, Fender to Music Man, here’s our expert pick of guitars to help you cause some anarchy at your next DIY show
I've been using Positive Grid's Spark Neo guitar amp headphones for weeks – and it's got me playing a lot more regularly
Guitar-specific headphones meet a wireless transmitter, and it's all tied together with Positive Grid's Spark app functionality. But, this isn't the full Spark picture you might be used to
Meet JWJ’s Rich Jones, the chef who turned luthier – and is serving up some mighty fine acoustics
From the pass to Joe Pass, Jones is cooking up a storm in his workshop – and he says it’s all about the work ethic
Lessons
Palm muting is an essential guitar technique – but there’s a lot more to it than just chugging. Are you using it to its full potential?
First used by ’50s legends Chet Atkins and Les Paul, it is rock, metal and punk that have made palm muting so popular today
How to introduce “murder mystery” guitar chords to your playing – without getting your fingers in a twist
Altered chords should not scare anyone. Here are five shapes to explore when looking for a chord with some dramatic dissonance
Dimebag Darrell wrote 42 lesson columns for Guitar World. Here’s the best advice he shared
We’ve collected the best of Dimebag’s “Riffer Madness” columns for the ultimate masterclass in the late Pantera guitarist’s trailblazing style
Embellishing guitar chords is the best way to liven up your rhythm work – learn 5 Eric Johnson-inspired chord voicings
Because sometimes you need a chord with a little more harmonic intrigue, we take a look at the theory behind embellished chords and how they can be used in everyday playing
Learn the soloing strategy that T-Bone Walker, B.B. King and Albert King all used, and will instantly make your blues solos sound more pro
Jim Oblon drops some blues science, demystifying the practice of alternating between parallel minor and major pentatonics
Jared James Nichols shows you how to use call-and-response blues phrasing
This Blues Power-up for your playing will help your solos speak to the audience
How to play incorporate neoclassical, Danny Elfman-style arpeggios in your playing
Classical-style arpeggios meet Gypsy jazz-flavored minor melodies in this exclusive video lesson from Andy Wood that’s inspired by Elfman’s soundtrack work for Tim Burton
Joe Bonamassa pays tribute to Lowell George – and his legendary Dumble
JoBo shares his Holy Grail amp and some ideas for how you can get into a slow blues solo (and how to get out)
Everyone from Metallica to jazz pros have made use of the ominous sound of the Locrian mode – here's how it could shake up your guitar playing
The Locrian mode is the seventh and darkest mode derived from the major scale. Stuart Ryan takes you through the structure of the scale and gets creative with some rhythm and lead examples
Reviews
“One of the best legitimately new guitars Fender has produced in decades”: Fender American Ultra II Meteora review
The Meteora is that rarest of things: a new body shape from one of the oldest electric guitar manufacturers. As this “sports car version” of the Fender Jazzmaster joins the Big F’s most high-performance range, is it a match made in offset heaven?
“An almost timeless design from the hands and ears of one of the greats”: Lowden GL-J review
A Lowden electric? The GL-10 – originally introduced in 2018, and recreated for Ed Sheeran – now gets a semi-solid sibling
“We’re not hearing $1,750 difference”: Epiphone Joe Bonamassa 1955 Les Paul Standard and Gibson Les Paul Standard ’50s Mahogany Top review
Two recent Les Paul launches from Gibson and Epiphone take a nod back to the ’50s in style. But not only are they made on different continents, they’re very different in price. Which is best? Let’s find out
“Everything a great beginner guitar should be”: Sterling By Music Man Intro Series Cutlass
The refreshed Cutlass is a sweet-looking vintage-ish S-style, but could this be the next apex predator in the market for entry-level electrics?
“Plays like something several times the price”: Shergold Masquerader SM11 Standard review
An original British guitar model – beloved of leftfielders like Bernard Sumner and Julian Cope – updated, modernized, and punching well above its new, lowly price point
“If only we could hand out Michelin Stars for guitar-building”: JWJ Parlour Select, Orchestra Select and Slope Shoulder Select review
This acoustic trio hails from UK-based JWJ’s Select Series, essentially guitars made to a spec that luthier Rich Jones would choose himself. Let’s see how they measure up
“Far more versatile than its tube counterpart”: Fender Tone Master ’59 Bassman review
Fender attempts the incredible feat of replicating the historic Bassman with a digital heart in its latest addition to the Tone Master series
Buying Guides
Best acoustic guitars for beginners 2025: top picks for new players, reviewed and demoed by experts
We've played epic affordable six-strings from Epiphone, Taylor, Fender, Yamaha and more – read on for our best beginner acoustic guitar recommendations and watch our video demos
Best punk guitars 2025: straight-shooting, no-nonsense guitars for punk
From Gibson to Eastwood, Fender to Music Man, here’s our expert pick of guitars to help you cause some anarchy at your next DIY show
Best guitar picks 2025: awesome guitar picks to upgrade your playing
My expert guide to the best picks for electric, acoustic, and bass guitar
Best guitar plugins 2025: my top plugins to level up your recorded guitar tones
Get better guitar tones for recording and practice with my pick of the best guitar amp plugins
Best budget multi-effects pedals 2025: access a world of effects at a reasonable price
More is more with these budget do-it-all bargains from Zoom, Line 6, Mooer and NUX
Best guitar cables 2025: recommended instrument cables for electric, acoustic, and bass guitar
Plug in with confidence using our expert guide to the best instrument cables from, Mogami, Ernie Ball, George L’s, and more
Best combo amps 2025: the best all-in-one amps for every budget
The ultimate tube, solid state, and modeling combo amps for every genre, from Motown to metal and everything in between
