Guitar World

“John Mayer had Paul build a guitar for him for the Dead & Company. He wanted one guitar all night. I thought, ‘Let’s see if I can get back to that’”: Keith Urban on working with PRS on a ‘do-it-all’ guitar build – and why SRV is still number one Country icon reflects the feeling of bonding with a single instrument – and says you should give up playing and become an accountant if you’re missing his special ingredient

A black-and-white shot of Aerosmith's Joe Perry backstage with a B.C. Rich doubleneck and a Les Paul Custom — “I was in the studio, and the phone rang. It was Lou Reed. I’d never met him. He called me, saying, ‘I saw a picture of you with this guitar…’” Joe Perry on Aerosmith’s roaring ’70s, writing Dream On – and being a B.C. Rich early adopter It was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the ‘70s, the era of TV set defenestration, and Aerosmith got bigger, it began to fall apart. Here, Perry looks back on the decade that made them (and near broke them)

“The Black Crowes got thrown off the ZZ Top tour. We picked up where they left off… Every night the tour manager warned us when the explosions were going to go off”: Michelle Malone gave up sax for guitar – and had John Mayer “begging” to join her shows With her 20th album looming, the raw Americana player looks back on working with Albert King and Blackberry Smoke members, her ever-loving vintage gear and running her own label

Beabadoobee performs on the East Stage during All Points East Festival 2024 at Victoria Park on August 18, 2024 in London, England. — “Every time I play with a session musician, they’re like, ‘What are you doing? What chords are you playing? That chord doesn’t even exist!’” Why Gen Z guitar star Beabadoobee’s chords have confused her fellow guitarists – but won over Rick Rubin Beabadoobee, aka Beatrice Laus, recently landed a number one album in her native UK, but her fondness for My Bloody Valentine, Sonic Youth and Elliot Smith has spawned a guitar style that has confounded her fellow players

Latest news

George Harrison's Futurama electric guitar

“One of the holy grails of historic Beatles guitars”: George Harrison’s Futurama – which starred in over 300 early Beatles shows, including the Fab Four’s historic Hamburg tour – is heading to auction

By Matt Owen

Meet the ‘Les Pallet’ – an electric guitar that has been fashioned from a shipping pallet

By Phil Weller published 4 October 24

There’s no contouring or care for playability here – but if you’ve ever wanted to see someone shred a pallet, it’s your lucky day

Grace Bowers performs onstage at Wave in Wichita, Kansas on September 10, 2024

Why Grace Bowers prefers the Gibson SG to the Les Paul

By Jackson Maxwell published 3 October 24

Though her preference was originally based on aesthetics and weight, her reasons have – as she's grown more seasoned – expanded to feel and tone

Ernie Ball Music Man’s new Sabre HT features pickups inspired by its guitar string innovations

By Matt Owen published 3 October 24

Ernie Ball Music Man says its potentially groundbreaking Heat Treated humbuckers were made using the insights that helped innovate the Cobalt and M-Steel Slinky strings

David Gilmour tells all, plus Slipknot and Joe Bonamassa's ode to Eric Clapton's Fender years – only in the new Guitar World

By Damian Fanelli published 3 October 24

Also starring Mike Campbell, Madonna's metalhead guitarist, the man who built Prince's axes, Grace Bowers, Justin Hayward, Les Dudek, the Music Man Axis reviewed and more

Daron Malakian (L) and Serj Tankian of System of a Down perform during Riot Fest at the National Western Complex on August 28, 2015 in Denver, Colorado

Serj Tankian reveals he has a Gibson signature model on the way

By Janelle Borg published 3 October 24

The System of a Down frontman discusses his penchant for Gibsons, particularly Les Pauls, and elaborates on what we can expect from his signature model

Fender Limited Edition Mark Hoppus Jaguar Bass

Mark Hoppus combines Jaguar, Precision and Jazz Bass parts on his new Fender signature model

By Michael Astley-Brown published 3 October 24

The blink-182 bassist’s latest signature arrives over two decades after his first Fender model, and follows bandmate Tom DeLonge’s recent Starcaster guitar

Left-Joe Bonamassa performs on Day 8 of 2024 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival at Fair Grounds Race Course on May 05, 2024 in New Orleans, Louisiana; Right-Rory Gallagher playing a Strat guitar in a checkered shirt

Joe Bonamassa throws his support behind the movement to keep Rory Gallagher's famous Strat in Ireland

By Janelle Borg published 3 October 24

Bonamassa was previously rumored to be one of the big-name guitar collectors interested in bidding on Gallagher's 1961 Strat

IK Multimedia takes aim at Nano Cortex with free TONEX upgrade – making the modeler more versatile than ever

By Matt Owen published 3 October 24

An updated suite of effects, AmpliTube 5 X integration and a new-look version of the TONEX headline IK Multimedia's anniversary celebrations for its game-changing amp modeler

ROUNDHOUSE (CAMDEN) Photo of Caleb QUAYE and HOOKFOOT, Caleb Quaye performing on stage

How Elton John and Hall & Oates guitarist Caleb Quaye ended up inheriting the Led Zeppelin legend’s studio work

By Janelle Borg published 3 October 24

Jimmy Page decided to quit his lucrative career as a session guitarist in favor of joining the Yardbirds, and Quaye was right on time to take his spot

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Latest Features

Taylor 50th Anniversary 814ce Builder’s Edition

“Be intentional about where you’re picking. Moving from the bridge to the fingerboard is as dramatic as switching pickup positions on an electric”: 21 ways to get more from your acoustic guitar

By Jenna Scaramanga

Frank Marino smiles onstage with his Gibson SG in this archive colour photo from 1976

Frank Marino on Mahogany Rush’s ‘70s awakening, the Woodstock state of mind, and being “haunted” by Hendrix

By Andrew Daly published 3 October 24

The '70s came fast for Mahogany Rush, and as the crowds grew larger, so did Marino's tone. Here he reflects on a decade of abundance and industry challenges, and crazy – truly crazy – rumors of being haunted by Hendrix's ghost

Rory Gallagher's 1961 Kay K1962 Value Leader

How Rory Gallagher’s sweet talk – and a little help from Clapton – secured his $50 Kay Value Leader

By Jamie Dickson published 3 October 24

This vibey early ’60s electric looked too pricey to buy, even with the help of blues musician John Hammond Jr – but Rory’s charm secured it in a New York minute, as his brother Donal explains

James Hetfield performs onstage with Metallica at Downing Stadium in Randall's Island, New York City, in 1996

James Hetfield reflects on the anxieties he experienced after stepping away from the guitar for too long

By Jackson Maxwell published 3 October 24

Speaking to GW in 1996, the always-candid Hetfield recounted how Metallica's post-Black Album break left him “vegging”, and out of practice

A montage of Duane Allman, Jimmy Page, Brian May and Tony Iommi playing guitar

How the 1970s became the greatest decade for rock guitar

By Brad Tolinski published 2 October 24

As big beasts like Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple dominated the era, players such as Steve Howe and Brian May transformed the landscape and the guitar hero cult grew, producing its GOAT by the dawn of the ‘80s

From Eric Clapton to Peter Green, Mick Taylor and more – a guide to blues legend John Mayall’s ’60s Bluesbreakers guitarists

By Rich Davenport published 2 October 24

The Bluesbreakers remained a unique force in British blues throughout the decade, thanks to its late leader’s unfailing ability to pick breathtaking bandmates

A black and white live shot of Helena Straight of Hello Mary

Meet Hello Mary’s Helena Straight, the ’90s-inspired, time signature-twisting player whose guitar caught the Cure’s attention

By Phil Weller published 2 October 24

We get the story on how the Big Apple alt-rock trio are evolving in real time, aided and abetted by a well-stocked pedalboard and Reeves Gabrels’ signature Reverend

Carmen Vandenberg and Rosie Bones of Bones UK

Rosie Bones on her guitar chemistry with Carmen Vandenberg, Corgan co-writes – and why Bones UK doesn’t need a bassist

By Jenna Scaramanga published 30 September 24

Augmenting the rock with electronic elements, Bones UK are dragging it into the future, but as frontwoman Rosie explains, they have one foot in the past, with an old-school blues cat playing lead

Rory Gallagher's 1960 Gretsch Melody Maker

The night Rory Gallagher gave the Slash a taste of affordable GIbson via his modded Melody Maker

By Jamie Dickson published 30 September 24

Modded with a Gibson humbucker, this 1969 student guitar has lived a life, and was the star of the show when Gallagher jammed with Slash in 1991

Bassist-singer John Wetton and drummer Bill Bruford perform with King Crimson in New York, 1974.

John Wetton has been the bass force behind a peak-period King Crimson lineup and two prog rock supergroups

By Chris Jisi published 29 September 24

A veteran of one of King Crimson’s classic lineups, John Wetton’s amazing career took him through a host of British prog bands

Latest Lessons

Donnie Laudicina teaches a James Brown-inspired funk rhythm figure

Learn the ‘chanking’ funk approach popularized by game-changing James Brown guitarist Jimmy Nolen

By Donnie Laudicina published 3 October 24

You can chank us later for this lesson in an approach that could revolutionise how you execute your rhythm guitar manoeuvres

Philip Sayce channels the blues licks of the greats – and his masterclass will supercharge your pentatonic solos

By Jon Bishop published 2 October 24

The Canadian maestro is your instructor today, and for this lesson you're going to be digging deep for some Texas sizzle and red-hot pentatonic turnarounds

Against a backdrop of celestial stage lights, John Petrucci plays a riff on his signature Ernie Ball Music Man JP15 7-string

Everybody knows John Petrucci for his God-like shredding abilities, but the Dream Theater virtuoso’s next-level rhythm playing deserves more attention

By Jamie Hunt published 1 October 24

We examine the different approaches Petrucci takes for world-building with metal riffs – playing in different time signatures and executing them with on-point precision

A black and white action shot of Link Wray behind dark sunglasses, bending a note on a Gibson SG and making it squeal

Instrumental guitar was pioneered by Link Wray, Les Paul and Hank Marvin – and they shaped the sound of every guitarist who followed

By Jon Bishop published 30 September 24

We pay tribute to the kings of twang with this electric masterclass in early rock ’n’ roll instrumental guitar

Trey Anastasio is bathed in sunlight as he plays his Languedoc custom-build at 2024s Sea.Hear.Now Festival

Trey Anastasio masterclass: nail the Phish frontman’s unique approach to songwriting and soloing

By Jeff Jacobson published 30 September 24

Anastasio draws from influences across the musical spectrum. This lesson breaks down his dynamic soloing and songwriting approach

Brian Setzer has some fun as he wears a red neckerchief and plays a round-up orange Gretsch onstage

5 shapes to try using 6/9 chords – a voicing loved by the likes of Brian Setzer and a perfect closer

By Richard Barrett published 27 September 24

What are 6/9 chords? Well, it might sound complicated but they simply have the 6th and 9th of the parent scale, and their stacking of 4ths gives them a sound like no other

John Renbourn performs on an acoustic guitar

Open G minor chords: 5 shapes you need to know

By Jon Bishop published 26 September 24

Tuned D G D G Bb D, open G minor will give you a fresh perspective on the instrument, and with it new chord shapes to learn

Arms outstretched, John Rzeznik of Goo Goo Dolls works the crowd with an Ibanez acoustic

Open C chords: 5 shapes you need to know

By Jon Bishop published 24 September 24

Used by the likes of the Goo Goo Dolls, Open C tuning is a simple way to find fresh chord voicings – here are 5 to get you started

A black-and-white image of David Grissom playing his signature PRS

How fret-hand muting can clean up your picking technique – especially with gain

By David Grissom published 21 September 24

Texan maestro David Grissom shows us how we can tidy up our hybrid picking and help accentuate syncopated rhythms in our playing

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