Three “God-like guitarists” join forces and stadium-conquering rockers channel their inner spy: This week's essential guitar tracks By Michael Astley-Brown published 8 December 23 Must-listen-to tunes from Guns N' Roses, Architects, IDLES, The Libertines, Devon Ross, Ryujin and many more
“I loved Hendrix – he was my first guitar hero... But seeing Stevie Ray Vaughan was transcendent. He made me understand Hendrix better”: Mike McCready says SRV helped him make sense of this Hendrix technique By Matt Parker published 8 December 23 “When he [Vaughan] did Voodoo Child, it was so bad-ass," McCready says. “He changed how I wanted to play, and if you listen to Even Flow, you can hear me trying to emulate his stuff”
Get better faster for only $3.13 per month with Fender Play’s biggest ever discount By Chris Barnes published 8 December 23 Learning or improving has never been cheaper thanks to this time-limited 75% off promotion from Fender Play
“A rare opportunity to own a piece of tone shaping history”: Wampler brought back the Tumnus using the same germanium diodes found on the original Klon Centaur – but it’s already sold out By Matt Owen published 8 December 23 A small stash of the Klon's elusive diodes were uncovered after “a massive hunt” – resulting in quite possibly the most authentic Klon clone ever
“A revolving collective of Gibson artists”: the guitar brand becomes a guitar band, as the Gibson Band debuts its first single, featuring CEO Cesar Gueikian, Serj Tankian, and a solo from Tony Iommi By Matt Parker published 8 December 23 The original new song, Deconstruction, is being released as part a new fundraising initiative, accompanied by Tankian’s original artwork and what else? A Les Paul with a custom finish
Best volume pedals 2023: control your tone with these essential pedals By Matt McCracken published 8 December 23 Turn it up with our pick of the best guitar volume pedals from Lehle, Ernie Ball, Boss, and more
“Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons have tried to destroy my reputation over the years. 10,000 Volts is going to make them look like imbeciles”: He may have missed Kiss’ last-ever performance, but Ace Frehley is set to make a statement with his new solo album By Matt Owen
Three “God-like guitarists” join forces and stadium-conquering rockers channel their inner spy: This week's essential guitar tracks By Michael Astley-Brown published 8 December 23 Must-listen-to tunes from Guns N' Roses, Architects, IDLES, The Libertines, Devon Ross, Ryujin and many more
Get better faster for only $3.13 per month with Fender Play’s biggest ever discount By Chris Barnes published 8 December 23 Learning or improving has never been cheaper thanks to this time-limited 75% off promotion from Fender Play
“A rare opportunity to own a piece of tone shaping history”: Wampler brought back the Tumnus using the same germanium diodes found on the original Klon Centaur – but it’s already sold out By Matt Owen published 8 December 23 A small stash of the Klon's elusive diodes were uncovered after “a massive hunt” – resulting in quite possibly the most authentic Klon clone ever
“A revolving collective of Gibson artists”: the guitar brand becomes a guitar band, as the Gibson Band debuts its first single, featuring CEO Cesar Gueikian, Serj Tankian, and a solo from Tony Iommi By Matt Parker published 8 December 23 The original new song, Deconstruction, is being released as part a new fundraising initiative, accompanied by Tankian’s original artwork and what else? A Les Paul with a custom finish
Best volume pedals 2023: control your tone with these essential pedals By Matt McCracken published 8 December 23 Turn it up with our pick of the best guitar volume pedals from Lehle, Ernie Ball, Boss, and more
Guitar World deals of the week: there's still time to save big on guitar gear with these last-minute deals By Matt McCracken published 8 December 23 It's your last chance to save big before Christmas with these deals from Fender, Epiphone, Universal Audio, and more
“The Silver Sky reigns supreme”: Reverb reveals its best-selling guitars of 2023 – including the most popular used models, with some surprising results By Matt Owen published 8 December 23 PRS continues to take a chunk out of the Strat sales and Gibson flourishes in the used market: here's a breakdown of Reverb's annual sales stats
What’s the best guitar solo of 2023? By Michael Astley-Brown published 8 December 23 Vote for the lead that blew you away this year
“The ultimate amp modeling software”? HeadRush revives the ReValver modeling engine for the first time in nearly 10 years – introducing seamless plugin and pedalboard integration By Matt Owen published 7 December 23 After a few years in the digital wilderness, the amp sim software once created by Peavey returns to tackle unprecedented competition – and it's brought some serious upgrades
The ‘90s was a watershed era for gear, and set the template for the future of the electric guitar – these are the retro designs, digital innovations and misfit toys that defined a decade and beyond By Chris Gill
“When Jimmy Page first saw my 8-string rig, he said, ‘I’m not playing to that!’” John Paul Jones on his 10 greatest moments with Led Zeppelin By Nick Wells published 8 December 23 From the pounding riffs of Black Dog to the monomania of Achilles Last Stand, we check out some Led Zeppelin history
Best guitars for small hands 2023: compact, thinline and slim-necked options for all ages By Richard Blenkinsop published 8 December 23 Our pick of acoustic and electric guitars for small hands, with options from Fender, Taylor, Les Paul and more
"I’ve been using Vigier guitars since 1997. One of their reps had me try them, but I didn’t want to – I’d been playing my own awful, homemade, Swiss cheese guitars!" Failed luthier Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal is busier than ever, but success isn't on his mind By Andrew Daly published 8 December 23 The former Guns N’ Roses man discusses giving up constructing his own instruments, learning how to sing like a bassist while playing like a guitarist for Asia, and the upcoming Art of Anarchy record
Best Christmas gifts for guitar players 2023: the ultimate festive gift guide for guitarists By Daryl Robertson last updated 7 December 23 Treat them right with our pick of the 46 must-have guitar items, essential accessories, clever gadgets and instruments for every budget
Best compressor pedals 2023: tame your tone's dynamics with compression By Jonathan Horsley last updated 7 December 23 With great options from Boss, Keeley, MXR, and more, there has never been a better time to add a comp pedal to your 'board
“There was no way I was shredding like them – I had to find my space in their universe”: Meet Shubh Saran, the shred chameleon whose jams with Jakub Zytecki and Mark Holcomb helped him find his voice – and left Plini asking, “What the f**k is happening?” By Phil Weller published 7 December 23 Armed with a Fender John Mayer Strat and a host of diverse musical projects, Saran’s guitar approach draws from blink-182 and Allan Holdsworth in equal measure – and his unique solos have blown his shred peers’ minds
Without a truss rod, your guitar would be a lot harder to play – here's everything you need to know, from the history of the truss rod to how to adjust it safely By Huw Price published 7 December 23 We have Gibson's Thaddeus "Ted" McHugh to thank for truss rods, and a lot to be thankful for. They made the instrument ready for the steel-string era, more playable and more durable – and adjusting them isn't as scary as you might think
10 late ‘90s nu metal albums that don’t suck By Andrew Daly published 6 December 23 Big shorts, seven-string guitars, hip-hop beats and a full workout of the quiet/loud dynamic guaranteed
“I had to stop buying records. I stopped being a fan of music – I felt that was affecting my individuality and my style”: SSD were hardcore legends, then Al Barile sold his guitar gear to buy a jet ski. Here’s how he found his way back to his Gibson SG By Gregory Adams published 6 December 23 He may have been schooled on AC/DC, Van Halen and classical guitar, but Al Barile attacked his instrument with a vicious physicality inspired by his love of hockey. He looks back on his love-hate relationship with music – and the ‘80s SG he snapped after performing a jump-kick at CBGB’s
Welcome to Sophie Lloyd's melodic rock soloing masterclass – essential techniques to take your lead playing to the next level By Charlie Griffiths
Creed and Alter Bridge veteran Mark Tremonti has put together one of rock's most impressive catalogs of crowd-pleasing riffs and solos. Learn his muscular metal guitar style By Charlie Griffiths published 8 December 23 Alternate picking, legato, sweep picking... we're throwing the kitchen sink at this one for an intense workshop in the Alter Bridge shred captain's six-string approach
Guitar truss rod adjustment: how to do it safely By Ed Mitchell last updated 7 December 23 Learn this essential part of guitar setup and make your guitar easier to play
If you're playing in a blues trio, you have an awful lot of freedom with your guitar parts – here's how to make the most of being the only guitar player in the band By Richard Barrett published 7 December 23 These major-sounding blues ideas are ideal for those situations where you've only got the drummer and bass player for company
Stevie Ray Vaughan virtually defined the art of the Texas shuffle – learn the playing style that shaped the sound of blues to come By Jamie Humphries published 6 December 23 The late, great Stratocaster master’s techniques will add some Texas heat to your blues playing, guaranteed
Known for his superhuman technique, Paco de Lucía is one of the all-time guitar greats – learn how to add his Nuevo flamenco flavor to your playing By Declan Zapala published 4 December 23 Uncover the explosive possibilities in your fingers with this crash course in flamenco guitar playing
With an anthemic, ultra-melodic approach, Neal Schon helped define the sound of ‘80s rock – upgrade your chops with a deep-dive into the Journey virtuoso’s legendary rhythm and lead styles By Martin Cooper published 1 December 23 Don't stop believin', but do start practicing on this video and tab lesson that unpacks Schon's tuneful, radio-friendly approach to rhythm and lead guitar
With over 700 recorded versions in the last 45 years alone, Silent Night is one of the world's most popular Christmas carols – learn a spellbinding solo jazz guitar arrangement inspired by Larry Carlton and Django Reinhardt By John Wheatcroft published 30 November 23 Get to grips with a Christmas classic that will improve your chord-melody chops and impress your family
Reach further on the fretboard and expand your playing possibilities with these guitar finger stretching exercises By Simon Barnard published 30 November 23 Reduce pain and increase your vocabulary of chords and techniques with this Andy Summers and Allan Holdsworth-inspired lesson – just be sure to warm up first
Jimmie Vaughan may be Stevie Ray’s older brother, but he paved his own way to blues guitar stardom – learn his red-hot brand of Texas blues that left even Clapton in awe By Phil Short published 29 November 23 Jimmie Vaughan is a bona-fide blues great, whose techniques are compulsory learning for any guitarist. This tab and audio lesson takes you into his style, and how you can spice up your pentatonic lines with Dorian flavor
![“When he [Vaughan] did Voodoo Child, it was so bad-ass," McCready says. “He changed how I wanted to play, and if you listen to Even Flow, you can hear me trying to emulate his stuff”](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/QELy3y3P9MLdP6EJ99mwFX-1200-80.jpg.webp)
