Guitar World

Rory Gallagher's 1961 Fender Stratocaster — “It’s so difficult. The guitar has got a life of its own and it’s got to move on”: Why Rory Gallagher’s iconic Strat is up for auction now – and the political pressure to keep it in Ireland Nearly 30 years after Rory Gallagher’s death, we join Rory’s brother Donal to find out why it’s time to let go of his legendary 1961 Fender Stratocaster as it heads to auction

Blu DeTiger Limited Edition Blu DeTiger x Player Plus Jazz Bass — “We grabbed a taxi home, but I left the bass in the trunk. I woke up in the middle of the night and started freaking out”: Viral bass hero Blu DeTiger just gave the Fender Jazz Bass a radical revamp – but she started on a Gretsch she left in a cab We talk to the bassist with 1.4 million fans on TikTok about how DJing influenced her bass playing, and sending her new signature Jazz Bass to Flea

Neural DSP TINA — “Fender mentioned that for the Tone Master Pro it takes about 3 months to model a channel. With TINA, we've got that down to hours”: How Neural DSP changed the digital guitar gear game with the help of a robot called TINA Since its inception, Neural DSP has innovated a new approach to amp modeling and produced a game-changing multi-effects floorboard in record time – they explain how TINA has helped them do it

Trey Anastasio of Phish with his Languedoc semi-hollow electric guitar — “Since the Sphere, we have begun using iso cabinets for the speaker cabinets and the Leslie, leading to all the amps and speakers being off-stage”: Trey Anastasio’s tech, Justin Stabler, reveals all about the Phish frontman’s new live guitar rig What do you use when you are playing the most tech advanced venue in the world? As Stabler explains, this is a rig less ordinary, custom-tailored for one of the most challenging sets in live music

Latest news

Left- Carlos Alomar at club Le Bar Bat on October 1993 in New York City; Right-Rock and roll musician Chuck Berry poses for a portrait holding a Gibson hollowbody electric guitar in a scene from the movie "Go Johnny Go" which was released in June of 1959 in Los Angeles, California

“I had the audacity to say, ‘Are we gonna rehearse, Mr. Berry?’ He whipped around and yelled, ‘We don’t rehearse rock ‘n’ roll!’” Session great Carlos Alomar on his time as Chuck Berry’s rhythm guitarist

By Janelle Borg

Vince Gill, John Osborne and Brent Mason team up on all-star tribute to the Telecaster

By Phil Weller published 16 September 24

Tele-Man brings together some of country music’s finest guitarists for a tribute to the genre's finest electric guitar

A stack of Orange electric guitar amplifier speaker cabinets owned by the members of English metalcore band Architects

Orange explains why it's not joining the amp modeling race

By Janelle Borg published 16 September 24

Charlie Cooper, son of founder Cliff Cooper, confirms that amps are very much Orange's future and that the brand is doubling down on what it does best

Sophie Lloyd performs on stage with Machine Gun Kelly during day 2 of the Slottsfjell Festival 2023 on July 13, 2023 in Tonsberg, Norway

Sophie Lloyd announces her debut solo US show – and marks the occasion with a shred reimagining of Alice Cooper’s Poison

By Phil Weller published 16 September 24

After selling out her debut solo show in London in just five minutes earlier this year, the superstar shredder is now set to perform at LA’s legendary Whisky A Go Go

Guitarist Dave Navarro (L) and singer Perry Farrell of Jane's Addiction perform at Red Hat Amphitheater on September 03, 2024 in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Jane’s Addiction cancel remaining tour dates as Dave Navarro says “goodnight” to the group following onstage altercation with Perry Farrell

By Michael Astley-Brown published 16 September 24

The future of the reunited alt-rock outfit remains uncertain as members of the band share their concerns over Farrell’s mental health

Steve Vai and Adrian Belew tackle King Crimson classics as the Beat tour kicks off

By Phil Weller published 16 September 24

The pair have joined forces with Tony Levin and Danny Carey to perform King Crimson’s 1980s albums across a sprawling 65-date tour

Joe Perry of Hollywood Vampires performs live on stage at Wembley Arena on June 20, 2018 in London, England

Joe Perry on the one guitar he regrets selling

By Matt Owen published 16 September 24

It's not a rare vintage instrument by any means, but for Perry, the sentimental value of the long-gone guitar is priceless

Musician Tommy Cash attends the Johnny Cash Birthday Celebration 2014 at The Johnny Cash Museum on March 1, 2014 in Nashville, Tennessee

Tommy Cash, country artist and Johnny Cash's younger brother, dies at 84

By Janelle Borg published 16 September 24

Cash's biggest hit, 1969's Six White Horses, was dedicated to John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King Jr, and he also went on to tour with his brother Johnny, Connie Smith, George Jones, and Hank Williams Jr.

Guitarist Tito Jackson of the R&B quintet "Jackson 5" tunes his Gibson hollow body electric guitar in circa 1975.

Jackson 5 guitarist and singer Tito Jackson has died aged 70

By Janelle Borg published 16 September 24

Tito's guitar work was key to the group's success, while his last solo album saw him collaborate with George Benson, Joe Bonamassa and Stevie Wonder

Jane's Addiction's Dave Navarro and Perry Farrell

Jane’s Addiction end show early after Perry Farrell punches Dave Navarro mid-solo

By Michael Astley-Brown published 14 September 24

Fan footage shows Farrell verbally then physically attacking his bandmates, casting the reunited alt-rock band’s future in doubt

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Latest Features

A Fender Player II Strat and a Fender Player Strat on a blue background

Fender Player 1 vs Player 2: should you upgrade?

By Matt McCracken

How Eastman realized its vision for the future of the electric guitar with the D’Ambrosio range

By Matt Owen published 16 September 24

Reclaimed tonewoods recovered from wildfires, hand-wound electronics and an innovative new neck joint highlight the new D’Ambrosio guitars – which also look absolutely sensational

Gibson ES-330T electric guitars on a stylish rug

The story behind the Gibson ES-330T – the single-pickup “runt of the litter” with mojo to burn

By Bob Wootton published 16 September 24

This single-P-90 variant walked in the shadows of the humbucker-toting 335 and its late-’50s ES siblings, yet its straightforward charm continues to endure some 65 years on

The Beatles perform 'Rain' and 'Paperback Writer' on BBC TV show 'Top Of The Pops' in London on 16th June 1966. Left to right: John Lennon (1940-1980), Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison

Did Paul McCartney fumble a note on this classic Beatles bassline?

By Nick Wells published 16 September 24

Recorded at Abbey Road Studios on October 16th, 1965, see if you can hear the bass glitch where McCartney “breaks” the main riff

(from left) Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison, performing the Beatles' Hey Jude

“It was like an insult”: Paul McCartney turned down George Harrison's proposed guitar parts for Hey Jude

By Jackson Maxwell published 14 September 24

Harrison suggested answering each of McCartney's lines with a guitar phrase, an addition McCartney saw as unnecessary

A black and white action shot of John Mayall onstage playing electric guitar in 1991

“He taught me that it was OK to play the music you wanted to play”: Why John Mayall was the godfather of British blues guitar

By Glenn Kimpton published 13 September 24

Best known for his Bluesbreakers band, which launched the careers of Eric Clapton, Peter Green and Mick Taylor, Mayall was a gifted pianist, guitarist and harmonica player

A portrait of Phil Collen against a black background. Collen holds a Jackson s-style

Phil Collen on Def Leppard x RATM, his favorite Jacksons – and why Pyromania still blows him away

By Andrew Daly published 13 September 24

Taking five between packing out stadiums, Collen shares his philosophy on digital amps, what Mutt Lange taught him, and how Tom Morello found himself on a Def Leppard track

Alex Skolnick on Criss Oliva's favorite guitar, “the Gargoyle” – the ESP Superstrat he likens to Billy Gibbons’ Pearly Gates Les Paul Standard

By Clay Marshall published 13 September 24

Skolnick got up close and personal with this one-of-one Mirage when he stepped up to replace the late Oliva in Savatage. Like the ZZ Top man's Burst, it has a tone that's all its own

Rickey Medlocke playing a Gibson Explorer guitar onstage

“I knew that Free Bird was going to be my lead”: Rickey Medlocke unpacks his history with Lynyrd Skynyrd

By Andrew Daly published 12 September 24

Veteran guitarist (and former drummer) reveals how essential Damon Johnson has become, the secret to sounding like the late original guitarists, and the unfinished songs co-written with Gary Rossington

Mike Adams holding Kurt Cobain's Smells Like Teen Spirit Fender Mustang

From fixing Lennon’s Framus to giving Cloud III a CAT scan – it's all in the life of an A-list guitar appraiser

By Matt Parker published 11 September 24

In his work for the prestigious LA auction house, Julien’s, Mike Adams has gone from guitar tech to guitar detective

Latest Lessons

A portrait of Martin Miller with his signature Ibanez, a village in the background

Introducing Rhythmically Dependent Alternate Picking, the lead technique that makes fast guitar lines flow better than ever before

By JTC Guitar published 16 September 24

Fusion master Martin Miller takes you on a crash course through RDAP, an approach that ensures you keep the groove going no matter where your playing takes you

Pat Metheny grimaces as he plays his signature Ibanez jazz box onstage in Spain

Learn how Pat Metheny's supreme soloing approach can elevate your jazz game

By Nick Mellor published 13 September 24

In this deep dive into the fusion master's style, we’ll be exploring essential jazz concepts that will inject your solos with fresh ideas

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

Trying to craft a memorable solo? Revisit hooks from a song’s melody

By David Grissom published 12 September 24

David Grissom grabs his PRS, gets in front of the camera and shows us how his solos don’t let any melody go to waste

Eric Clapton plays a solo on a blue Strat as Joe Bonamassa looks on

Joe Bonamassa pays tribute to his favorite guitar player of all time

By Joe Bonamassa published 12 September 24

JoBo digs out a vintage Beano Burst lookalike to break down the licks of Eric Clapton during his “Gibson years”

Open Csus2 chords: 5 shapes you need to know

By Jon Bishop published 12 September 24

With its low C tuning on your sixth string, open Csus2 is a powerful tuning, used to great effect by powerhouse acoustic folk players such as Martin Simpson

Cook up your own “musical gumbo” with this lesson in how to use bluegrass alternate picking in rock

By Andy Wood published 11 September 24

In Andy Wood's tribute to the Dixie Dregs' Steve Morse, there is plenty of insight into how bluegrass and rock can be great fretboard bedfellows

A black-and-white image of Ray Davies of the Kinks plays a Fender Malibu backstage with his bandmates in the background

The Kinks are much more than You Really Got Me – and Ray Davies’ inventive acoustic style influenced a generation of players

By Stuart Ryan published 11 September 24

Listen to the guitar work of the Davies brothers and you’ll gain a real insight into how it was all done back in the 1960s

Open Gsus4 tuning chords: 5 chords you need to know

By Jon Bishop published 10 September 24

A must-learn tuning for folk acoustic styles, open Gsus4 makes for easy chords that sound amazing

Jim Oblon plays a resonator guitar in a dimly lit image

The “train beat” is a staple of country and blues music – and learning to play over it will hone your hybrid picking and timing

By Jim Oblon published 9 September 24

Jim Oblon's debut Guitar World column is all about country-fried rhythm guitar, but it's a lesson for any player who wants to understand pocket and groove

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